Chapter 9: The Weight of Choice

The core's pulse quickened, its sickly light throbbing like a dying star. The black sludge surged again, tendrils lashing wildly as the catacombs trembled. Dust rained from the ceiling, and cracks spiderwebbed across the walls.

Aizen's eyes darted between Elara's void-filled gaze and the corrupted core. The System's interface burned in his vision, the choice glaring like a neon guillotine:

[Destroy the System]

[Save the System]

There's always a third option.

"No."

The word cut through the chaos. Seraphina and Rikka turned to him, their expressions sharp with disbelief. Elara's smirk faltered.

"What?"

"I said no," Aizen repeated, stepping forward. "We're not destroying it. And we're not leaving it to rot. We fix it."

Elara laughed, the sound brittle. "You can't fix this. The System's code is irreparable. Even I couldn't—"

"You're not me," Aizen snapped. His hand hovered over the core, his [Mana Sense] tracing the corruption's spread. "This isn't just a glitch. It's a parasite. And parasites can be cut out."

Seraphina's fan snapped open. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Not a clue," Aizen admitted. "But I'm great at winging it."

[Hidden Route Unlocked: "The Gambler's Path"]

[Skill Fusion Available: "Temporal Resistance" + "Mana Channeling" = "Chronomancer's Gambit"]

[Accept? Y/N]

Aizen didn't hesitate. Yes.

The world shifted. Time slowed—the falling debris hung suspended, the sludge's tendrils frozen mid-lash. Aizen's hands glowed, blue mana intertwining with silver temporal energy.

"What… is this?" Elara whispered, her void-eyes wide.

"A reset," Aizen said, pressing his palms to the core. "But not yours."

The core screamed. The corruption recoiled, black tendrils withering under the combined force of mana and time. Aizen gritted his teeth as the System's warnings blared:

[Warning: Hostile Entity Rejection]

[Mana Reserve Critical: 10% Remaining]

[Temporal Overload Imminent]

"Aizen!" Rikka's voice cut through the haze. "Whatever you're doing—hurry!"

He pushed harder, the core's cracks sealing one by one. The sludge dissolved, its hissing screams fading to silence. The core's light shifted from sickly green to a steady, radiant gold.

[System Reinitializing…]

[New Directive: User Aizen Sōsuke – Administrator Privileges Granted]

Elara stumbled back, her form flickering violently. "What did you do?!"

"Changed the rules," Aizen panted, collapsing to his knees. The chronomancy faded, time resuming with a shudder.

The catacombs fell silent. The core glowed softly, its corruption purged. The System's interface flickered, then reformed—cleaner, brighter.

[Skill Acquired: Chronomancer's Gambit (Level 1)]

[Effect: Manipulate time and mana simultaneously. Duration: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.]

[Cost: Physical and mental deterioration.]

Seraphina knelt beside him, her gloved hand gripping his shoulder. "You're a fool."

"But a useful one," Rikka added, sheathing her sword.

Elara stared at the core, her void-eyes dim. "This… wasn't supposed to happen. The System was meant to fall. I was meant to—"

"To what?" Aizen interrupted, his voice rough. "Die a martyr? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not big on tragic backstories."

Elara's form began to dissolve, her edges fraying into static. "You don't understand… They'll come for you now. The real admins. The ones who built this cage."

"Let them," Aizen said, forcing himself to stand. "I've got a harem of angry women and a time-manipulation skill. I'll take my chances."

[Affection Points with Elara: +100 (Current: 200/1000)]

Elara laughed bitterly. "Idiot." And then she was gone.

The Academy's mana stabilized within hours. The cracked conduits healed, the anomalies ceased, and even the cafeteria's mystery stew stopped bubbling ominously (though no one dared eat it).

In Seraphina's study, Aizen slumped in a chair, his body screaming in protest. The [Chronomancer's Gambit] had left him with a migraine and nosebleeds, but the System's reset granted him one perk:

[New Title: "The Unseen Hand"]

[Effect: Mob Camouflage now masks all traces of System interference.]

"You look terrible," Rikka said, tossing him a healing potion.

"Thanks," Aizen muttered, downing the vial. It tasted like carbonated regret.

Seraphina paced, her gown swishing like a metronome. "Elara's warning… These 'admins' she mentioned. If they're real, they'll retaliate."

"Let them," Rikka said, grinning. "More target practice."

Aizen's System pinged—a new message, glowing blood-red:

[From: ???]

[Congratulations, Player. You've passed the tutorial.]

[The real game begins now.]

He closed the screen. "We'll handle it. Together."

Seraphina's fan tapped his shoulder—almost gently. "Rest, insect. You've earned it."

[Affection Points with Seraphina von Eldoria: +50 (Current: 135/1000)]

As Aizen drifted into an exhausted sleep, one thought lingered:

What the hell did I sign up for?

Post-Credits Scene:

Deep within the System's reborn code, a figure stirred. Their face was blurred, their voice a distortion of static and laughter.

"Interesting… A wildcard with admin rights. Let's see how long you last, Aizen Sōsuke."

The figure tapped a key, and somewhere in the Academy, a new anomaly flickered to life.

[New Quest: "The Administrator's Ire" – Locked Until Chapter 15]