The Aulian Empire—the greatest human capital in existence. It was the gathering point for the world's elite mages and warriors, recognized globally as the most powerful bastion of humanity.
Within this empire sat numerous institutions dedicated to forging the next generation of heroes. Among them, the most prestigious was Starlight Academy. Rumor had it that a century ago, the Academy's headmaster had personally slain a Great Dragon, earning him the title of the First Dragon Slayer.
It was currently the end of the day's classes. Students crowded the academy cafeteria, sharing meals while gossiping about the latest campus news.
"I heard the Headmaster took on another personal disciple recently," a student in a white academy uniform remarked, leaning in.
"Are you talking about that young master from the Raymond family?" another student in the same uniform replied, looking unimpressed.
"You have to admit, that kid has had a rough hand dealt to him. I heard his magic talent was off the charts—his affinity for all five elements was over sixty. He was the rising star of the aristocracy, the one destined to lead the Raymond family to new heights. Who would've thought their territory would be wiped out by a high-level monster invasion? Half the population was slaughtered. He's the sole survivor, but he was corrupted by demonic energy. His talent is basically trashed now. If the Headmaster didn't have a history with the Raymond family, there's no way he would've taken him in."
"Why are you wasting your sympathy on him?" the other student sighed. "Even if his family is gone, he's still a direct disciple of the Headmaster. Even if his magic never improves, no one will dare lay a finger on him. Look at us—once we graduate and head back to our families, we'll be nothing more than front-line grunts. We'll never catch a break."
"True. No matter how far he's fallen, he's still better off than us. He'll probably spend the rest of his life living in luxury here in the capital. Why bother feeling bad for him?"
Suddenly, someone else chimed in. "Wait, I heard the Raymond kid is the Headmaster's fifth disciple. Who's the fourth?"
"Doesn't the Headmaster only have three?"
"It makes sense that you don't know; you enrolled late. The fourth disciple is a total ghost. He's been here for years but only just mastered Tier 2 magic. His elemental affinity isn't even higher than five in any category, and his martial arts skills are mediocre at best. He skips every combat drill and basically spends his days doing absolutely nothing. He's a complete slacker."
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I think I've heard people joke about him before."
"With talent that low, he shouldn't have even passed the entrance exam. He must have a massive family background to be a direct disciple, right?"
"Whether he does or doesn't has nothing to do with us. He's a nobody anyway."
As the group chatted animatedly, they failed to notice a young man sitting just a few tables away, aggressively devouring a drumstick. He ate with such gusto that he seemed entirely focused on his meal.
He wore the same white uniform. And while his features were actually quite handsome, he had a strange, almost supernatural ability to blend into the background. It was as if he were invisible to the world.
This was Ren Takashi.
As Ren ate, a chicken bone slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the floor. At that exact moment, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[God-Level Choice System at your service. Please make a choice immediately.]
[Option 1: Confront the group. Approach them with a charming smile and say: "Classmates, I am actually the Headmaster's fourth disciple, Ren! Spreading rumors isn't a very nice habit, you know?"
Difficulty: E-Rank. Reward: Protagonist Points +10]
[Option 2: Pick up the chicken bone and hurl it at them. Then, glare and bark: "Your father is the fourth disciple, Ren! You pathetic losers think you're qualified to speak my name?"
Difficulty: E-Rank. Reward: Villain Points +10]
[Option 3: Silently pick up the chicken bone, toss it into the trash, and walk away.
Difficulty: F-Rank. Reward: NPC Points +10]
[Note: Every 100 Protagonist Points can be used to pull for Ultra-Rare high-tier spells, martial techniques, or legendary gear. Every 100 Villain Points can be exchanged for monster subordinates or demonic bloodlines. Every 100 NPC Points allows the host to randomly assign stat points to their innate talents and abilities.]
[Note: Difficulty rankings range from F to S. Please choose carefully.]
Ren didn't even blink at the prompt.
He had been in this "game world" for several years now. Every so often, the system would pop up and force him to choose between three different destinies.
The first was the path of the Hero/Protagonist—usually involving righteous deeds and heroic speeches. The second was the Villain—defined by malice, ego, and aggression. The third was the NPC—the path of the background character.
Generally speaking, the Protagonist route offered the flashiest rewards: ancient magic, forbidden techniques, and god-tier artifacts. In this world, the strongest human mages could only master 8th-Tier magic. Anything 10th-Tier or above was considered "Transcendent Magic," the stuff of legends.
Ren looked at the bone on the floor, then at the gossiping students, and sighed.
**************************
Patreon name : M7md_sol
For 20 more chapters on Patreon