Beneath the System’s Gaze
The next day, Ashen stood in line, gaze distant, eyes droopy from a night of pointless brainstorming.
He had repeatedly told himself not to worry about it, but in the end, he had stayed up, racking his brain for any kind of plan to keep his condition concealed in case things turned out as he feared.
But no matter how many scenarios he ran through, every solution was either riddled with holes or outright suicidal.
Now, his worst fears were practically confirmed.
Up ahead, he watched as students stepped forward, placing their hands on a floating sphere atop a pedestal.
A translucent screen would flash into existence before them… then, with an expressionless nod, they would turn it toward none other than Cornelia, who stood beside the pedestal, arms crossed like an executioner waiting for the next head to roll.
Ashen had hoped the system's screen could be hidden at will. And technically, it seemed that was the case. But that made no difference when Cornelia was demanding they display it.
What baffled him most was the sheer shamelessness of it all.
First, they were instructed not to reveal their systems, and now they were being forced to do exactly that.
'The hypocrisy is utterly staggering.'
He stretched his ears, tuning in to the interactions ahead.
Thankfully, she only asked to see the body condition section.
'That… wasn't great.'
If the system displayed his mana circuit condition, then his secret was as good as out.
Ashen inhaled slowly, exhaling through his nose.
At the very least, his eyes' abilities wouldn't be exposed today. He figured anything related to them would fall under the innate ability section, which, for now, wasn't under scrutiny.
Small mercies.
The line kept shrinking as Ashen advanced.
"Healthy. Next."
Cornelia's voice rang out like clockwork, clipped and bored. She clearly had no interest in this tedious task and would rather be anywhere else.
Beside her, Sabrina, in her usual maid dress, diligently recorded each trainee's status. Her disciplined demeanor was a stark contrast to her superior's apathy.
Finally, Ashen stepped forward.
He took a steady breath, placing his hand on the silver sphere.
Almost instantly, a pleasant, almost artificially warm woman's voice echoed in his mind, reminiscent of the way the bracelets interacted with him.
[Humanity's system is seeking permission to bind to you. This process can be undone at your discretion. Proceed?]
He hesitated. For a moment.
But in the end, he exhaled through his nose and gave a mental confirmation.
[Acknowledged.]
A faint pull stirred within his mana channels—a sensation beyond his control. For a split second, his body felt weightless, his mind slightly light-headed.
Then—
[0%]
[…2%]
[…9%]
[…55%]
[…89%]
[100%]
A couple of seconds later, the trance faded.
And right in front of his face, a futuristic, glowing screen materialized.
==============================
[1. General information]
Name/Arrival date: Ashen Hart - 2025/02/11
Sex/Age: Male/26
Height/Weight: 187 cm / 79 kg
Current condition: Medium circuit damage
Path: Select your Path
Affiliation: Atlas Defense (Temp)
Title: None
[2. Traits]
Brilliantly Restless: A person of extraordinary intellect who masters tasks effortlessly but swiftly abandons them due to boredom, perpetually craving novel challenges to sustain engagement.
Strategically Idle: A master of delay, thriving under eleventh-hour pressure while leaning on others' efforts until necessity forces action. Efficiency cloaked in apparent lethargy.
Loved by Time: As a side effect of prolonged contact with a godly organ, has a high affinity to time and may rapidly absorb concepts related to it.
[3. Physical Level]
Strength: F | Endurance: F | Agility: F | Perception: E | Stamina: F | Mana: F-
[4. Abilities]
4.1 Innate Powers:
Weaver's Eyes: Eyes that once belonged to the Weaver, a godly being that commanded destiny and time. But they lost most of their power and remained dormant after countless years without a worthy host.
4.2 Path Skills:
-None
4.3 Other Abilities:
Spear Thrust (Entry+), Spear Slash (Entry), Spear Parry (Entry-), MistForge Breath (Entry+), Mana circulation (Entry), Recall (Basic)
[5. Cognitive Depth (Thoughts, Mindset, Disposition)]
-Nervous / Persevering / Defeatist Escapist
==============================
Ashen barely had a minute to skim through the floating screen before Cornelia's voice yanked him back to reality.
Not that it mattered… What little he managed to see did nothing to ease his concerns.
"Well?" Cornelia drawled, arms still crossed. "If you're done gawking, show me the current condition section. Just think about displaying only that, and it'll appear."
Ashen hesitated for a moment before speaking in an almost innocent tone.
"Miss Cornelia, do I have to show it?"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow, then smirked. She saw right through him. That wasn't the voice of someone genuinely curious; it was the voice of a man with something to hide.
Still, she decided to humor him, perhaps out of sheer boredom.
"Well, of course you have to show it," she said, her amusement evident as she shot him a knowing look.
Something in Ashen's helpless expression must have softened her, though, because her tone lightened.
"As for why it's mandatory…" she trailed off, shifting her gaze toward Sabrina, who had been glancing their way every so often. A mischievous glint flashed in Cornelia's eyes.
"Sabrina, why don't you explain it to him?"
Sabrina froze. It lasted less than a second before discipline took over almost immediately.
With a composed bow, she answered,
"Yes, Lord."
Stepping forward, she gave Ashen a respectful curtsy.
"Mr. Hart."
Ashen, already feeling awkward for stalling the line, forced a smile.
"Miss Sabrina, always a pleasure. Though I have to say, a less stressful setting would've been preferable."
A faint smile touched her lips. "Perhaps."
Then, with her usual measured tone, she explained, "Normally, showing one's status window is reserved for close family or lovers, as it is a deeply personal matter."
She paused, her gaze sharpening slightly before she continued.
"In this case, however, we are required to verify the trainees' physical conditions for the incoming recruitment executives. Wasting resources on a seemingly gifted individual, only for them to turn out crippled, would be… unacceptable to most factions."
Ashen barely resisted the urge to grimace.
"Right… totally rational decision," he muttered, forcing his expression neutral.
Sabrina simply nodded, tilting her head slightly.
"Are you satisfied now, Mr. Hart?"
By this point, he felt too numb to care anymore.
"…Very. Thank you for your time, Miss Sabrina."
With her task complete, Sabrina gave a slight bow and retreated to her position.
Too tired to argue, Ashen obediently followed Cornelia's instructions and displayed his Current Condition.
Cornelia barely spared it a glance.
She didn't look surprised. If anything, her expression read as predictable disappointment, as though this was exactly what she expected.
Sabrina, on the other hand, tapped twice on her tablet to record the information. She didn't say a word, but the slight frown marring her otherwise expressionless face didn't escape Ashen's notice.
"Alright, next," Cornelia called out, signaling for him to move along.
As he exited the venue, Ashen didn't know what consequences this would bring, but stressing over something he had no control over felt like a colossal waste of time.
He had bigger concerns… like his status window.
Even the intentional leak about recruitment personnel, which all but confirmed the swirling rumors, barely registered in his mind.