CH III: THE BIRTH OF THE AUTHOR

Noah enters the house and closes the door behind him. It had been an exciting day, and a little rest would be helpful. Noah notices his adoptive father, "Adonis Aris," a handsome man with long golden hair tied in a ponytail and shiny golden eyes surrounded by long yellow lashes. He is wearing a white cloak adorned with a symbol of four arrows pointing in different directions, resembling a compass, which represents his status as a hunter. His tall, muscular build gives him a strong yet elegant presence. Adonis is sitting on the couch, his fingers intertwined, resting his head on them as he thinks in silence. His younger half-sister, "Yana," has long, thick pink hair and pure pink eyes full of hope. She is short and dressed in comfortable home clothes, sitting next to their father, Arthur. Her face carries a serious expression for the first time, with a hint of sadness. His older half-sister, "Mira," has long, silky sky-blue hair and dark blue eyes like the depths of the ocean. She has a strong build despite being a respectable lady, wearing the same cloak as her father Adonis, indicating she is a hunter as well. It was a strange and unsettling sight. Once you become a hunter, you get very busy taking care of caves and guilds. For someone like Adonis, he should be incredibly busy. Adonis is one of the top 10 hunters in the world, known as the "Emperor of Flames," which means he is an S-rank hunter, the peak of hunters. Mira is an A-rank hunter, close to S-rank. As for Yana, she is a genius studying at the country's most prestigious school. Noah felt odd; it was rare for this family to be gathered under one roof, so there must be an important reason behind it.

Adonis notices Noah's presence and silently gazes at him with a serious look. "You're back..." Noah feels a little anxious. He has never seen Adonis so serious before. "Noah, come sit down. There is something important we need to talk about," Adonis says, sounding more like an order than a request. Noah sits on the couch across from Adonis and his sisters. Adonis stays silent for a moment, then speaks again, "Before I tell you, you should know that I am not forcing you into anything. This is your life, and you have the right to make your own decisions. Do you understand?" The tone of the conversation felt serious and personal for Noah. He nods to indicate he understands.

"The Duchy of 'Davenport' has proposed a marriage to our family," Adonis says. Noah is surprised by this news. The Davenport Duchy is one of the highest-ranked families in the empire. Their duke, "Varan Davenport," is an S-rank hunter and is in the top 50 strongest hunters. He has only a daughter and a son. Noah thought they wanted to marry their son, "Emanuel Davenport," to his older sister, which seemed like the most logical choice.

"The marriage is between their daughter 'Aurora Davenport' and you," Adonis interrupts Noah's thoughts. "Me? A marriage between me and her? But why? I'm just a dead soul born with no power or purpose," Noah thinks to himself, trying to process what's happening. After a moment, something clicks in his mind. "So, this is an attempt by the Davenport Duchy to form a family connection with one of the strongest hunters in the world, Adonis Aris, huh? That makes sense. They've offered their daughter to someone like me just to solidify their ties with Adonis. But why? There must be a reason. I've heard that the emperor isn't in good health, and there's going to be a war to determine the next heir. Maybe that's the reason, as the Davenport family supports the second prince, the strongest contender for the throne."

"As I told you, I'm not forcing you into anything. It's your choice, whether you want to accept or reject it. I'll always be by your side," Adonis smiles at Noah. The smile carries a fatherly affection and tenderness yet his voice had a hint if nervousness

Noah thinks to himself, "…This won't work. If I reject, that means Adonis has refused one of the strongest forces in the empire. This would give those who are hostile to him the excuse to try and harm him, saying he betrayed the empire. The Davenport family might pressure Adonis again with another marriage proposal, maybe for 'Mira' or 'Yana.' This would put them in danger... Damn, I don't have a choice in this. Is there really no way out?" Noah feels intense anxiety and worry. He feels trapped from all sides, especially after he thought he was finally about to break free after facing Blake and his group.

"Noah? What are you thinking about?" Adonis asks, seemingly unaware of the predicament Noah is in. Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Noah is just a worthless person consuming oxygen without any use in this world. If accepting this means he will protect his sisters and Adonis, then it's fine.

"...I'll accept," Noah says. He can't believe he just said those words. Adonis looks at him in confusion, not expecting Noah to agree.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Noah confirms. But he feels strange. He was supposed to feel worried and restricted, but instead, he feels like a weight has been lifted off him. Maybe it's because he always felt guilty for being an outsider to this family, yet they've always helped him. The opportunity to protect them in return feels strange, but it gives him some peace and comfort.

"I'll go to my room, I have things to do."

Noah leaves the room and heads upstairs to his room. Once inside, he closes the door behind him, then sits down, leaning back against it, trying to calm his rapid breathing. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pendant with a crescent moon symbol. He holds it tightly and thinks to himself:

"I need to calm down… Arthur can sense everything in this house. If he feels my tension, he'll try to reject the marriage proposal… but… it would be really nice if someone tried to help me… Can I ask for help? It's okay for someone like me, who's useless, to ask for help, right?"

Noah holds back tears, silently begging for help, wishing someone would say comforting words telling him everything will be okay. That alone would be enough for him. Then, his tears begin to fall as he grips the pendant tightly, pressing it against his chest. This pendant was the last gift he received from his real father, "Nox Grace," before he left him with "Adonis." However, the pendant is his only source of comfort every time he feels weak or hopeless.

Suddenly, floating screens appear in the air in front of him.

[System Key Activated]

[System Opened]

"W-What is this? A system?"

He freezes, staring at the screens in front of him. This isn't a familiar sight in his life at all.

[The system detects an unknown force attempting to breach it]

[The system resists the unknown force]

[Error: The system found a message from an unknown source. Do you want to open it?]

Noah tries to process what's happening in front of him. Things are escalating quickly... A system? An unknown force? Error? A message? Is this some strange dream?

He reaches out to touch the screen, but his hand passes through it like an illusion... Is this just a fantasy? Has he finally lost his mind?

[The message will be deleted if the host does not respond within 10 seconds]

Delete the message? What happens then? Will this thing disappear? But... what if this is a sign? A sign that the gods have heard his pleas and are trying to help him now?

"Op-open the message."

[To my son, Noah Grace,

If you are reading this message, it means I'm most likely dead. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you—I had my reasons. I was being hunted by a dangerous cult known as "The Broken Constellation," and if I had stayed by your side, I would have put you in danger. But now, you've inherited the System, and that makes you their next target. Be careful.

Let me explain what the system is. Unlike mana, which depends on the laws of the world, this system derives its power from your will. It will give you tasks, and completing them will reward you—one of which is gacha coins. You can use these coins in the system store to purchase potions, weapons, armor, and more. You will also earn stat points which you can distribute to enhance your abilities in:

Endurance (health and stamina)

Intelligence (mental sharpness and magic efficiency)

Speed (movement and reaction speed)

Agility (dexterity and reflexes)

Strength (physical power)

Luck (the effect of fate on your life)

With every level you rise, all your stats will increase. And unlike ordinary people, you won't be restricted to one skill—you can learn and master as many as you want.

Noah, I don't know what kind of life you've lived so far, but no matter what happens, don't give up on your dreams. Be strong—strong enough that no one can take anything from you again. Make me proud.

—Nox Grace]

Was this... his father? Even though he had abandoned him and left, now he's trying to help him?

"Don't joke with me... weren't you the one who abandoned me from the start? Now you're trying to help me? Are you doing this just to feel better about yourself? What's wrong with humans? Why do they always try to appear good at the cost of destroying others' lives? It's not fair! How many times? How many times do I have to suffer just for others?! Why am I this weak?! Is it my fault?!"

...No, it wasn't his fault.

Noah realized that he could name many things he could blame for his suffering. The world? His parents? His classmates? Everyone? But the ones truly responsible for his existence weren't his parents, but the gods and fate itself.

If he hadn't been born, he wouldn't have suffered. If he hadn't been created, he wouldn't have hurt. If he had died many years ago, everything would have ended and he wouldn't have to go through all of this.

Noah stood up, wiped his tears, and then looked at the screen ahead of him with eyes full of determination.

"I don't care if the system is a gift from the gods to help me... I'll use it to become stronger and kill them all, create a better world, and rewrite my fate with my own hands... I will be the author of this miserable story!"