System unlocked

So there I was, standing in front of a magic ball, pretending I wasn't about to pass out from sheer terror. The instructors had just finished their grand speech about the academy—about how it was the best hunting school in the world, how it trained future heroes, and how its graduates became legends and even how the not one but twelve great hunter graduated from this very school. You know, the usual inspiring speech designed to make students question their life choices.

And now, it was time for the "magic ball test."

This wasn't just an ordinary ball, oh no. It wasn't just about printing student IDs. It secretly scanned your magic level, abilities, and whether you had the potential to be a prodigy , a great hunter , or—worst-case scenario—someone who would be forgotten five minutes into the tutorial.

I had a problem.

You see, I wasn't supposed to exist.

I'd played this game before. I knew every character, every plot twist, every major npc of importants. But there was no Railey Brook . That name was as fake as a loot box promising a "fair" drop rate.

And yet, here I was.

The moment I placed my hand on the ball, I braced myself. Would it explode from my overwhelming, protagonist-level power? Would the system glitch out and label me the second coming of the Demon Lord? Would I get a legendary hidden class?

Nope.

The ball dimly flickered, like a dying flashlight, and went back to sleep.

Silence.

Then whispers.

I turned to the crowd, and there she was—the same smug girl from earlier, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.

And that's when it hit me: I wasn't a hidden protagonist. I wasn't an OP reincarnator. I wasn't even a relevant side character.not that i am surprised seeing this is loki's source of entertainment.

I was a nobody.

A literal background character.

I had no powerful abilities, no secret destiny, no prophecy tied to my name. Just a normal student who would, at best, be mentioned once in an optional side quest dialogue.

For a moment, I felt like curling into a ball and rethinking every decision that led me to this point. But then a thought struck me—if I was a nobody, then nobody would bother me.

A peaceful life.

No main character drama. No world-ending threats. No ridiculous tournaments where some spiky-haired rival screams about surpassing me.

This was a win.

So I walked through the purple portal, got my fancy ID, and finally entered my dorm. And wow.

The room was huge.(from my prospective)

And best of all? It was a single room.

No roommates. No annoying loud snorers. No weirdos who collect monster toenails in jars. Just me and a soft, warm bed—something I hadn't experienced in years.

I was about to unpack and enjoy my well-earned peace when I noticed it.

A laptop.

Sitting on my desk.

Which definitely wasn't there before.

Now, I like to think of myself as a rational person. And rational people know that mysterious laptops appearing out of nowhere is never a good sign.

But I was also curious.

So I opened it.

And immediately regretted my life choices.

Because the moment the screen lit up, a floating window appeared in front of my face.

"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!"

I flinched, nearly falling over. It took a few seconds to regain my balance before I turned back to the screen.

Then I heard it.

Laughter.

Coming from the laptop.

Slowly, I looked at the screen again. A smiling emoji stared back at me, bouncing slightly as if it was having the time of its life.

"Who are you?" I asked, rubbing my temples. "And what fresh hell is this?"

"Calm down," the emoji said, its text appearing below it in real-time. "If you want to gain the power of the system, you just have to agree to the terms and conditions."

A single button appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"Accept."

I stared at it. Then at the emoji. Then back at the button.

And then, without hesitation, I said:

"No thanks."

The emoji blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

"You heard me. No thanks."

The system paused. I could feel it trying to process my response.

"Wait. You're seriously rejecting free power?"

"Yup."

"You do realize this is a fantasy world, right? A world where strength is everything?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you're willingly choosing to remain weak?"

"Absolutely."

"...Why?"

I shrugged. "Too much effort. Feels like a hassle and for what, there is a reason this game can't be beat."

The system made a weird static noise. I had successfully broken its brain.

"If that's all, I'm gonna go back to unpacking now," I said, closing the laptop.

Or at least, I tried to.

Because the laptop flung itself open again.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TURNING DOWN A CHANCE TO GET POWER?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SWEET ISEKAI ADVENTURE?!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Listen, I've played enough games to know that systems like you come with a price tag. And I don't trust you. Or Loki, for that matter."

The emoji's eyes twitched.

"Fine."

I sighed in relief and turned away—

"BUT I KINDA FEEL BAD FOR YOUR SICK LITTLE SISTER."

My blood ran cold.

Slowly, I turned back. "...What did you say?"

"As you know," the emoji continued, grinning wider, "she's not in a good place right now . Your relatives? Definitely not planning to help. So here's the deal—you play in our game, we help your sister. Give her a life like no other. Or… you quit and enjoy your peaceful little life… while she sufferers or might even becomes Lord Loki's new toy."

I froze.

The room suddenly felt smaller. The air, heavier.

"You're bluffing," I said, my voice quieter than before.

The emoji didn't respond.

Instead, it just smiled.

That same smug, self-assured smile that told me it wasn't bluffing.

I clenched my fists.

This wasn't fair.

I just wanted to live a quiet life. To stay out of the main plot. To avoid the nightmares that came with playing hero.

But they just had to come in here and make my life a lot more trouble

exploiting my weakness with on hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly reached for the laptop.

"...Fine," I muttered. "I'll play your stupid game."

The emoji's grin stretched wider.

"Good choice."