"Please stand up," Astra said, hurriedly wiping her eyes, "you shouldn't make such strong declarations as a joke."
He got off his knee, "I am not joking."
'I spent months watching her world get torn apart,' he looked at the tired goddess in front of him, 'now that I know it's real, I might actually be able to do something about it.'
"After reading that novel and seeing everything that happened," he said, holding her gaze, "there is no way I am letting this chance blow by."
Astra stared at him, searching his face for any sign of hesitation, but she found none. "What about your life on Earth?" she asked softly. "Are you truly willing to leave it all behind?"
He let out a short breath and looked down at his hands, "there is nothing left for me there."
'I have no family to return to or friends holding me back,' he closed his hands into fists, 'just an empty apartment and a terrible webnovel that I poured all my time into.'
She fell silent for a moment, her golden pupils softening as she watched his reaction.
"I know," she said, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper, "I have already looked through your past."
"Then you know I'm ready," he said, stepping forward.
Astra reached into her robes, pulling out a small, glowing white orb. It hovered just above her palm, pulsing like a slow heartbeat.
"Elyshard is dangerous," she said, her calm demeanor slipping slightly to reveal genuine worry. "Leon had a divine blessing that I gave him and he still failed."
"Leon was a coward who hid behind better people," he said plainly. "I don't need a blessing, just give me a way to fight."
She lowered her hand and let out a long breath. "You need to understand something before you go," she said, looking at him seriously. "This is my world, but I am not its creator. I am more like an administrator."
He tilted his head, "what do you mean?"
"The novel you read only covered what happened in that country, the places Leon was born," she explained, "but there is a whole world out there full of mystery, things even I don't fully understand or have control over."
'An admin, not a creator,' he thought, letting that sink in. It was a shock, but at the same time, it made sense. 'That explains why she couldn't just snap her fingers and delete the demons.'
"And there is one more thing," she added, her voice dropping. "I have been rewinding time for a very long time, hoping that the hero would eventually succeed. But no matter what angle I tried, what small changes I made, the world always ended in ruin."
He stared at her, realizing just how much she had suffered through, watching her people die over and over.
"If I send you there," she pulled the glowing orb back out, "it will be the last time. My divine power is running low. If you fail, it would take me thousands of years to recover enough strength to try again."
She looked deep into his eyes. "Knowing that this is the final chance... and that you will face things not even written in that story. Do you still wish to go?"
"Yes," he said without a single doubt in his voice. "Send me in."
She offered a fragile, relieved smile and pushed the orb toward him. "This system is all I have left to give. It doesn't grant raw power, it only allows you to grow by taking from those who threaten you or those you defeat."
He stared at the orb, 'a power-scaling system based on combat and threat response. That fits perfectly.'
He reached out and took the orb from her hand. The moment his fingers brushed against it, the light flared, sinking directly into his palm and travelling up his arm.
"It will take a little while for it to fully bond with your soul," she said, watching his arm glow faintly before the light settled. "You won't be able to use it immediately."
He flexed his hand, feeling a strange warmth settling deep in his chest, "I can wait."
She looked at him, her expression a mix of relief and lingering sadness. "I will be honest, Tany. I didn't think you would accept this selfish offer."
"It's not selfish to ask for help when your world is dying."
"Perhaps," she managed a small, tired smile. "But you are the only one who stayed until the end of that terrible story. The only one who fell in love with my world despite how broken it was."
Her form began to shimmer, the white room slowly blurring around the edges as she took a step back.
"You are my absolute last chance," she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of thousands of failed timelines. "Please... save them."
"I will," he said, the white room starting to fragment around them, pieces of it flaking away into dark space.
"I wish we could talk longer," she said, her voice sounding distant now, "but it is taking a massive toll on me to keep you here."
"Its fine," he said, watching as the darkness closed in. "I won't fail you."
"Good luck," she said, her smile fading into the dark.
His vision went black...
When his eyes opened, he was staring a ceiling, 'feels like I slept for a long long time,' he thought as he sat up on the bed, taking in his surroundings.
"A small apartment room, it's eerily similar to mine," he said, getting up to look around.
He checked the tiny kitchenette and the single locked window before his eyes fell on a small wooden dining table in the center of the room. An unsealed envelope rested on top, stamped with a red wax seal showing a crossed sword and staff.
'Could that be,' he thought, picking it up.
He slid out the folded paper inside. It was an official admission letter, welcoming him to the first-year class of Grett Academy.
"The second best out of the ten," he muttered, dropping the letter back onto the table.
He pulled out one of the chairs and sat down with a sigh.
'Grett Academy is perfect,' he leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. 'It's where most of the underdogs go. More importantly, it's where Seri, Mary, Lucia, and Rin are enrolled.'
The thought of them made the reality of his situation settle in. These weren't just names in a book anymore, they were real people out there right now, completely unaware of the demonic invasion coming for them.
"Leon went to Hollund Academy," he said, his face showing signs of annoyance. "He can keep the arrogant elites, I'll build my foundation right here."
He looked down at his right hand, remembering the glowing orb Astra gave him.
'The entrance ceremony is in a about week,' he closed his hand into a fist. 'That's where the first real test happens.'