"Hahh… hahh…"
"What was that…?"
I jolted awake, my heart pounding. Everything had happened so suddenly that I didn't even understand what had just occurred.
As I tried to steady my breathing and looked around, shock washed over me.
This wasn't my room.
Where am I?And why does my body feel so strange…?
The room was simple—just a table, a chair, and a bed. The wooden structure reminded me of a small cabin.But the strangest thing wasn't the room.
It was my body.
I forced myself to stand and staggered toward the mirror in the corner.
The moment I saw my reflection—
"Who the hell is this handsome kid?!"
Even my voice had changed.
Reflected in the mirror was a boy who looked about ten years old.Black hair.Blood-red eyes.Pale white skin.
But what shocked me the most—
His body was covered in countless slash wounds.
The instant that realization hit me, a violent pain exploded inside my head.
"Gah—!"
"Hahh… hahh… damn it…"
I gasped for breath as memories that didn't belong to me flooded my mind.
This body's name was Shion.
A child who had survived a bandit attack and fled into the forest.Day after day, he fought monsters just to stay alive.
But in the end, due to severe injuries and massive blood loss—
He died alone in this cabin.
And then I saw something that made my blood run cold.
The name of the bandits.
They called themselves—
[Red Moon].
"…You've got to be kidding me."
That name existed in CFA.
Which meant only one thing.
The world I was in now was—
Crimson Fate Academy.
My future instantly felt bleak.
How was I supposed to survive in this cursed world?A world destined to be destroyed by an evil god—one that even the protagonist couldn't kill.
"Hah…"
I let out a deep sigh.
"Complaining won't save me."
No matter how absurd this situation was, reality wouldn't change.
"I'll do whatever I can… to change the flow of the story."
This world wasn't completely beyond saving.
But to do that, I needed to guide the main characters—guide them to become far stronger than they ever were in the game.
And for that—
I needed to become stronger myself.
As if responding to my resolve, a sound echoed inside my head.
Ding!"Loading complete."
A translucent screen appeared before my eyes.
Name: Shion
Condition: Fatigue
HP: 100
STR: 12
AGI: 13
MP: 20
LUCK: 100
Skills:
Strong Will
Items:
SSS Skill Card
I stared at the floating status screen.
"My stats are… pretty average."
Compared to the main characters—who would enter the academy with stats exceeding 50—this was nothing special.
"…Huh?"
My eyes stopped at one particular item.
[SSS Skill Card]
"That's the reward I got for clearing CFA."
"So that's how it is…"
I had known my arrival here wasn't a coincidence—but I didn't expect everything to be planned this thoroughly.
Still, I was grateful.Without this, I would've died the moment I arrived.
I tapped the SSS Skill Card.
[Do you wish to use the SSS Skill Card?]
"Yes."
A massive list of skills appeared before me.
The protagonist of this world possessed an SSS-rank skill as well—[Exile From Paradise].It was overwhelmingly powerful, but its mana consumption was absurd.
With my current MP, using something like that was impossible.
"I need something efficient."
Then—
My eyes stopped on a skill I had never seen before.
[Absolute Overdrive]
Effect: Increases all user stats by 10x their current values
Cooldown: 24 hours
Mana Cost: None
Warning: Duration depends on the user's physical condition. Severe backlash after use. Physical enhancement is strongly recommended.
"…This is insane."
No mana cost.Ten times stat boost.
There was no reason to hesitate.
[Congratulations. You have acquired the skill: Absolute Overdrive.]
The status screen updated.
Skills:
Strong Will
Absolute Overdrive
"System—activate Absolute Overdrive."
The moment I said those words, an overwhelming force surged through my body.
My limbs felt impossibly light.Power coursed through every muscle.
I immediately checked my status.
STR: 120
AGI: 130
LUCK: 100
MP: 200
My eyes widened.
My stats easily exceeded 100 but
"It seems like it doesn't affect my Luck."
Then—
Agony ripped through my body.
My muscles screamed.My bones felt like they were about to shatter.
"This… is my limit!"
"System—deactivate!"
The power vanished instantly.
My body became heavy, and I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air.
"Hahh… hahh…"
"So five seconds… that's my current limit."
Even so—
Five seconds was more than enough to turn the tide in a life-or-death situation.
I smiled.
This skill was worth it.
However, I noticed the cooldown timer.
Cooldown: 24 hours
"Tch… guess I can't use it again until tomorrow."
I leaned back against the bed, exhausted.
For now, I need rest.
Tomorrow… I'll explore this place.