Karl's death was… shameful. Pathetic, even. The kind of ending a man wouldn't dare confess even on his deathbed. He was killed while arguing with loan sharks—over twelve dollars. Twelve. Dollars.
If there was a humiliating way to die, Karl had apparently speed-ran straight to it.
His life had always been frantic, a desperate sprint against hunger and debt. He'd even needed loans just to afford stale bread. So when he died, he thought—at last—maybe he'd get some peace. Some eternal, uninterrupted, debt-free sleep.
No more hiding from the loan sharks.
No more digging for edible scraps in dumpsters like a stray cat.
Yes. Death should be peaceful… right?
Well, if that were true, this story would've ended before it even began.
---
"Young master, please wake up or you're going to be late for your classes," a sweet, lightly seductive voice murmured beside him.
Not exactly the angelic chorus he expected from the afterlife.
"Young… master?" Karl groaned and cracked open his eyes.
He froze.
Sparkling furniture. Towering windows framed with soft, flowing curtains. Marble floors polished enough to blind him. A massive bed that could comfortably host five sleeping people.
And above all, an entire parade of beautiful, doll-like girls staring at him as if he were royalty.
"Wait… wait…"
Was this heaven?
No—no way. Karl had done absolutely nothing deserving of heaven. If heaven was giving him this treatment, then maybe the gods had collectively pitied his tragic, dumpster-diving existence.
But… was heaven supposed to look like this?
The maids exchanged confused glances as he continued staring with slack-jawed disbelief.
"Young Master Kai?" the maid closest to him whispered nervously.
That name struck him like a brick to the skull.
Kai…?
A sharp pain cracked through his mind, memories not his own swirling up like a storm.
"Isn't this… the Salazar Empire?" he blurted.
The maids instantly brightened.
"Yes, young master! And you are the prince of the Irza Kingdom!"
Karl exhaled a long breath.
Oh.
Oh no.
He understood now.
He had reincarnated into the world of a novel—a novel he had read obsessively.
And he was… an extra.
A background decoration. Mentioned twice. Forgotten faster than a footnote.
He wouldn't have remembered Kai at all if he hadn't been such a fan of the novel.
But after a moment of quiet panic, his nerves cooled.
Extra or not—at least he wasn't a beggar. At least he had a bed, food, servants, and… windows that weren't cracked.
Sure, his parents ruled a tiny kingdom doomed to be destroyed in the story, but he could just… not let that happen. Right?
Maybe this life wouldn't be so bad.
He whispered to himself, "Everything else is good… right?"
That doubt tasted bitter on his tongue.
And as if the world itself wanted to slap him with reality, a semi-transparent red screen flickered into view.
[Congratulations! You have gained: THE EXTRA'S SYSTEM]
Kai slammed his invisible forehead against the wall in sheer disbelief—over and over—at least in his imagination.
"Master, are you feeling unwell?" A soft hand touched his forehead, gentle enough to melt his resistance entirely.
No. Life was good. He would simply pretend the screen didn't exist.
If he didn't see it, the system couldn't ruin his life. Simple. Genius. The best plan he ever had.
Karl—no, Kai—rose from the bed with a smug smirk stretching across his face.
He approached the mirror, and his new body practically glowed with divine favoritism.
Even as an extra, the author had apparently decided to bless him with obnoxious good looks. Red hair shining like polished rubies. Golden eyes inherited from his royal bloodline. A tall, 6'1 frame sculpted with just the right amount of arrogance.
"God… I look like a walking cheat code," he whispered, nearly drooling at his own reflection.
"Young master, please get ready for the academy. You're already late," said Lili, the maid, as she handed him a towel.
The maids tried washing and dressing him, which was… far too intimate for Karl's past life trauma, so he politely refused and dressed himself.
In the Astrahelm Awakening Academy, one's power and class were determined by the color of their uniform.
Kai wore blue—the lowest rank.
Not his fault though.
His awakened power was absurdly silly.
Plant Whisper (E-Rank)
He could talk… to grass.
Grass.
ಥ_ಥ
The system screen still hovered annoyingly in front of him, but Kai heroically ignored it and strutted down the grand staircase.
At the bottom, a girl with matching red hair and golden eyes waited with the kind of wicked smile that promised suffering.
"Morning, Monkey."
Kai blinked.
Monkey? Did the original Kai… have a sister?
Before he could ask, his next step missed the stair and his body tumbled down—hard.
His fall painted the marble steps with a fresh trail of red, each bounce accompanied by the girl's delighted cackling.
"Monkey fell down the stairs!" she cheered gleefully.
Kai lay motionless at the bottom, eyes empty, blood trickling down his forehead.
"Well… at least I know when I will die in the novel. Better than living in suspense."
Maids rushed to help him when the hall fell silent.
A tall man entered, carrying a stack of papers. His red hair and golden eyes were unmistakable—Kai's father.
"Papa!" the little girl—Diva—ran to him and hugged his leg. "Papa, you're back!"
Fredrick lifted her effortlessly.
His gaze shifted to Kai.
"Kai Zakar, aren't you late for your classes? How many times must you embarrass me?"
He sighed deeply and walked away.
Kai watched them go, his expression surprisingly calm.
"I didn't know… today was the day," he murmured.
A faint bitterness tightened his chest, but he shook it off and headed outside, taking the carriage to the academy.
The Astrahelm Awakening Academy soon came into view—a monumental, palace-like structure basking in sunlight, surrounded by an ancient sacred forest.
Passing the grand gate, it still took ten full minutes before the carriage reached the entrance.
"HY KAI! YOU'RE LATE, BROTHER!"
The voice shattered the academy's prestigious silence, which was usually stricter than a royal funeral.
Kai didn't care.
He jumped out of the carriage and waved at the boy—Thomas.
"Hey buddy! What's up?"
CRASH.
Thomas hit the ground face-first.
"Why are you barking so early in the morning?" A dark voice came