New Beginning

As soon as Ryan stepped inside, he made himself comfortable, flopping onto the couch like he owned the place. He stretched his arms across the backrest and let out a long relax sigh.

"Man, you really need to get a bigger couch."

he muttered, shifting his seat to find a better position.

"Or at least one, that doesn't feel like a rock."

Kaito didn't respond as he walked to his room. He had no interest in this conversation.

Ryan leaned his head back, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"Bro, it's way too quiet in here. Have you ever think about getting a TV? Or maybe a radio? Something to make this place feel less like a prison?"

"Not interested." Kaito said flatly from the other room.

Ryan snorted in a teasing manner. "Figures. You'd probably gonna sit in that complete silence for the rest of your life if you could."

Kaito ignored him.

After a few minutes, he stepped out, now dressed in a button-up shirt and slacks. He adjusted his sleeves, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door.

Ryan stood up, stretching. "Finally. Let's go before you actually get fired, and I will be going with you too. Whether you will like it or not." He grin widely.

Meanwhile Kaito ignore him once again.

The city was already alive by the time they stepped outside. The streets were packed with people heading to work, the sounds of chatter and car horns filling the air.

As Kaito walked at a steady pace, hands in his pockets, his expression as calm as ever. Ryan moved beside him with a relaxed stride, scanning the crowd as they passed.

"You seriously need to loosen up." Ryan said, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Every day, same routine, same look on your face. You're gonna turn into a machine at this rate."

"I'm already working a job like one." Kaito said without looking at him.

Then he let out a laugh. "Oh? He speaks! Guess I must've hit a nerve."

Kaito shook his head. "Not really. Just stating a fact."

Ryan smirked. "Right, right. But seriously, you ever think about doing something else? Maybe something with a little excitement?"

He respond in a short sentence."No point. A job's a job."

Ryan sighed dramatically. "Man, talking to you is exhausting sometimes."

"Then don't talk." Kaito said simply.

As Ryan was about to continue the conversation when, suddenly, a large panel appeared in front of Kaito, interrupting him.

It shimmered briefly before fully materializing, its sharp edges glowing with a blue light. Kaito stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing as he stared at the unfamiliar screen.

Ryan blinked in surprise, his mouth slightly open. "What the hell?!"

The bustling crowd around them seemed to freeze for a moment, their eyes drawn to the panel now hovering in mid-air in front of Kaito.

People slowed their steps, some even stopping to look at the strange phenomenon.

Kaito, as always, remained calm, but the sight of the System in action was unusual, even for someone who'd already experienced the chaos of it, at an very young age.

Then finally the system materialize.

[System]: Congratulations, you have been selected to choose your 4 randomized path.

• [Holy Knight] Focuses on protection and justice, enhancing combat and defense. Holy Knights shield allies and smite enemies with holy energy.

• [Divine Mage] Masters of elemental and arcane magic, wielding powerful spells and controlling the battlefield to turn the tide of battle.

• [Master Marksman] Excels in precision and ranged combat, using unmatched accuracy with projectile weapons to dominate the battlefield.

• [Samurai] This Path allows you to gain a skill that is needed, but in exchange, there are no abilities.

The crowd gasped in in shock, murmurs started to spreading through the people around them. Kaito glanced at the screen, his face unreadable, while Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief.

Ryan's voice was barely a whisper as he looked at Kaito.

"Holy crap... That's three legendary paths... And what is an samurai path anyway?"

The crowd had gone silent, their gazes locked onto Kaito and the panel. Some whispered excitedly to one another, speculating on which Path Kaito might choose.

One person, a tall man in a grey business suit, spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"There's no way he's picking the samurai path, right? Not with all these legendary choices."

Another woman, dressed in a bright red coat, crossed her arms skeptically.

"Yeah, the samurai path doesn't even have any abilities. What's the point?"

A third man, younger, with shaggy brown hair and a skateboard slung over his back, shrugged. "This is crazy. What if he picks it?"

The crowd started to stir with hushed murmurs and whispers, all eyes still focused on Kaito.

No one even considered the samurai path as a real option. It seemed like a waste compared to the other, more powerful choices.

Ryan, still in shock, nudged Kaito's arm.

"So which one of these, are you gonna choose?"

Kaito didn't respond to him immediately, and he doesn't care about what others though of his choose.

The crowd waited in anticipation, eager to see which Path Kaito would choose. Their curiosity had reached a fever pitch, but not a single person spoke about the Samurai Path. It was the forgotten option, the one no one expected anyone to choose.

"Man.." Ryan said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're so lucky."

But Kaito, as always, was unmoved. Without any further hesitation, he took a step forward, his finger hovering near the panel.

The crowd held its breath, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow around him.

As Kaito stood still, his hand hovered over the options.

The crowd's murmurs grew louder, their eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to make his choice. The anticipation was thick, the air heavy with expectation. Ryan's gaze never left Kaito, his mouth slightly agape.

Then, in a quiet, steady voice, Kaito spoke.

"I choose the Samurai Path."

[Samurai Path] Have been <Confirmed>

The words were simple, but they hit the crowd like a bombshell. The shock was immediate. The entire group fell silent for a moment, processing what they'd just heard. Then, the whispers began, rising in volume.

"No way... did he really just pick that?" a woman in the crowd scoffed.

"That's a joke, right? The Samurai Path? It's literally useless!" another person mocked, shaking their head in disbelief.

The noise grew as people began to laugh, some outright mocking Kaito.

"A skill that's 'needed' but no abilities? What a waste of a pick!" a man called out, laughing loudly.

"I can't believe he actually picked it. What's the point?" a woman snorted, her voice dripping with disdain.

Meanwhile Ryan stood frozen, blinking in disbelief. He had expected Kaito to choose something that would make his friend stand out, something legendary, something with real power.

But the samurai path? It was a path that most people avoided. Everyone knew it had nothing to offer—just the illusion of skill without any real abilities to back it up.

Ryan glanced at Kaito, but his friend didn't flinch, didn't show a hint of regret. The calm expression on his face was unchanged, as though none of the mockery even reached him.

The voices of the crowd grew louder, the mocking even more intense.

"Seriously? The Samurai Path? He might as well have chosen nothing!"

A man shouted with an smirk on his face.

"What's he going to do, swing a sword around with no powers?"

Another person laughed mockingly. "Yeah, you'd be better off picking a real path! At least you'd have some abilities!"

Kaito stood firm, not a single muscle in his face twitching. Ryan's initial shock began to fade, but the intensity of the crowd's laughter didn't.

"Why would you choose that?" a woman in the front of the crowd sneered.

"You can't even get abilities from that! You'll be just like every other fool who picked it."

"Maybe he wants to be a failure." someone else snorted, their voice oozing with sarcasm.

Ryan, still in disbelief, stepped closer to Kaito, his hand moving to his friend's shoulder. His gaze softened, realizing that Kaito had made this decision for a reason, but the mocking voices around them still stung him as his best friend.

As Kaito's eyes met Ryan's for a brief moment. There were no hesitation, no doubt in his expression. He was resolute in his decision.

"I've got your back, bro." Ryan said, his voice firm, trying to offer Kaito support despite the ridicule surrounding them. "You're not doing this alone."

The crowd wasn't done. The laughter continued, but Kaito ignored them all. His decision was made. As the mockery rained down, Ryan could see that Kaito was already moving past it, as calm and collected as ever.

But the judgment from the crowd didn't stop.

"You're going to regret it!" someone shouted.

"Samurai? Are you serious? That's not a choice, that's a punishment!" another voice yelled.

Kaito barely reacted, his eyes cold, unmoved by the harsh words. He turned to Ryan once again and gave him a subtle nod. That was all the confirmation Ryan needed.

Despite the mockery, despite the laughter, Ryan wasn't going anywhere. He knew Kaito was strong in ways that others wouldn't understand. And that was all it mattered.

Ryan smiled at his friend. "They can talk all they want, but I hope there's a reason for you to choose that path."

Kaito's resolve remained firm, even as the entire crowd seemed to ridicule him. The day had just begun, and with it, the first steps toward proving everyone wrong.

Start now...

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