Liam Kooth stood by the gates of the Founding Fathers Academy, the cool autumn breeze brushing his face as he processed the dizzying whirlwind of new memories and the strange, cold voice that echoed in his mind.
"Who was Liam Noah?"
"The name sounds familiar now, but it doesn't make sense. A Blackthorn Prisoner, full of misery and self-loathing… everything I'm not."
"AHHHH!!!"
Liam screamed as more memories flooded his head, making his nose bleed.
"What the hell is happening to me?"
he muttered, as his mind was slowly merging with Liam Noah getting up.
Both minds finally finished melding, and the world around him shifted, he knew he was no longer Liam Kooth. He was Liam Noah—the forgotten, the forsaken. He was reborn with the Merchant System, ready to seize his fate, exact vengeance, and craft a reality where he controlled the narrative.
"Where am I?"
he wondered, confused.
Liam found himself standing outside the gates of the Founding Fathers Academy. His heart raced as he took in the familiar sight—students milling about, chatting, and laughing.
Looking at his reflection in the school fountain, he saw his younger self.
He had just walked onto the school grounds as Liam Kooth, an ordinary freshman excited about starting a new chapter in his life. But now, with the influx of memories and a weighty presence in his mind, everything had changed.
He was no longer Liam Kooth, a hopeful kid at the start of a magic mundane high school journey. He was Liam Noah, a reborn soul wielding the Merchant System, and every step he took from now on would be toward rewriting his destiny.
As he took his first step toward the school building, a nagging thought crawled to the forefront of his mind: his parents were already gone. He knew it, just as surely as he knew that the notification about them would come soon—dragging him back into the harsh reality of his circumstances.
There were no happy endings for his past as Liam Kooth. However, for Liam Noah, it marked the start of a lengthy, deliberate rise.
The corners of his mouth curled into a cold smirk.
'I'm not just going to survive this world—I'm going to own it.'
With that, Liam Noah crossed the gates, his heart steady and mind sharper than ever, ready to write a new story—a story where he controlled the narrative, not the other way around.
Liam then felt a weight in his mind—a presence, almost. Then, a voice, cold and mechanical, echoed in his thoughts.
Ding!
[Merchant System activated]
[Receiving Beginners Package]
[Host has received the Gamer's Mind]
[Gamer's Mind grants the user to calmly and logically think things through, protection against stress, mental fatigue, and immunity to mind attacks]
[Gamers Mind has severed Host's mental link with Adrian Noah]
[Host has received the Gamer's Body]
[Gamer's Body grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. After sleeping in a bed, it restores Health, and Mana Points, and cures all status effects]
[Gamer's Body has severed Host's Parasite link with Adrian Noah]
Ding!
[Host has traded previous body and borrowed points to travel to the past]
[Host has lost the title of The Chosen One]
[Host has lost the Mana Core of over 10,000MP]
[Host has lost all spells in Index Record]
Ding!
[New Stats Screen]
RACE: Human/Wizard
NAME: Liam Noah
Health Points: 15
Mana: 27
Stamina: 12
Ding!
[Current Balance: -10,000,000 points]
[First 100,000 MSP payment due within one month]
Liam took a deep breath, steadying himself as the last system message faded from his mind. The weight of the Merchant System hung over him, but he wasn't ready to make any impulsive decisions just yet. He didn't need the system's help right now, not when his memories—his new memories—were still settling.
He touched his nose, wiping away the last trace of blood from the overwhelming flood of Liam Noah's past. It was unsettling. He wasn't Liam Kooth anymore, but he hadn't fully grasped the depth of who Liam Noah was either.
"10 million points in debt."
He thought, the absurd number flashing in his mind. The clock was already ticking—100,000 points due within the month. Panic tried to claw at him, but the Gamer's Mind calmed the storm. He felt his pulse steady as logic pushed aside fear.
"I'll figure it out."
Liam muttered to himself, feeling a faint determination surge. He had been given a chance to rewrite his fate, and he wasn't going to squander it by rushing into a decision. There had to be a way to earn the points, to pay off the debt, and to regain his power. He wouldn't let the system or the world control him—not again.
His eyes scanned the students walking past him at the gates. For them, it was just another day at the academy, full of classes, friendships, and mundane concerns. But for Liam, this was the starting point of a new path. A path filled with uncertainty, danger, and a destiny he hadn't fully pieced together yet.
He had power, though diminished. He had the Merchant System, though burdensome. He had time—though not much.
First, he needed to understand the world around him. How much had changed? How much was still the same? Could he use the academy as a starting point to build his influence? He knew he'd have to keep his identity as Liam Noah under wraps for now. Liam Kooth was expected to follow a different path, and drawing too much attention too soon could complicate things.
He took a few steps forward, his mind already strategizing. He'd use his knowledge, leverage the connections he once had, and slowly piece together the puzzle of his new existence. For now, he'd attend orientation, keep a low profile, and start gathering information.
As Liam approached the main entrance, the cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind one more time:
Ding!
[Merchant Quest System Activated]
[Daily Quest Available: Observe and Analyze]
[Objective: Spend the day gathering intel and assessing 5 key figures in the academy]
[Reward: Sales Contract]
[Failure: No penalty.]
Sales Contract:
Creates a Contract so user can trade abilities, resources, even people's lives.
Liam's lips curled slightly at the notification. A simple quest, with a simple reward, but it was a start. The system was giving him a chance to earn, and he intended to take full advantage of every opportunity.
"So the system wants me to figure things out myself? Fine. I'll play along—for now."
The quest wasn't just about satisfying curiosity—it was about survival. The shadows of his former self lingered at the edges of his thoughts, waiting to be uncovered.
He glanced at the bustling students beyond the gates, their conversations blending into white noise. None of them knew that the boy standing quietly at the entrance was no longer the same. The academy's pristine brick walls and elegant arches spoke of prestige and opportunity, but to Liam, they were just obstacles—or tools. It would all depend on how he played his hand.
Liam's eyes scanned the academy grounds, his mind already working. The system had handed him a task—gather intel, analyze the key players, and figure out the power dynamics within the academy. The Sales Contract reward was intriguing, offering a way to barter for almost anything. It wasn't just about money; it was about influence, leverage, and control. If used correctly, it could become one of his most valuable tools.
He knew he had to tread carefully. This wasn't just a regular school—Founding Fathers Academy catered to the elite, a breeding ground for future leaders, innovators, and, more importantly, those who wielded real power. If he was going to thrive, he needed to understand the game before he could play it.
Observe and analyze, Liam reminded himself as he took a deep breath and entered the gates, blending into the crowd.
The courtyard was a hive of activity. Students clustered in small groups, chatting, laughing, and exchanging nervous glances about the upcoming orientation. To most, it seemed like an ordinary day, but Liam's senses were heightened. He could already see patterns—who gravitated toward whom, who held the attention of the crowd, and who was trying too hard to fit in. Each one a potential ally or obstacle.
Liam's first step was to remain inconspicuous, to move unnoticed while gathering information. He spotted a tall, confident-looking boy at the center of a group near the fountain, his laughter loud and unrestrained. His clothes were immaculate, and the way others stood slightly back from him spoke volumes.
He's important, Liam thought, narrowing his eyes. His name flashed in Liam's mind, a tidbit from his previous life—Ethan Bishop, the heir to the Bishop family fortune. Wealth, influence, and ambition practically oozed from him.
Ding!
[Key Figure Identified: Ethan Bishop]
[Additional Objective Added: Gain insight into Bishop family interests]
Liam's lips twitched into a smirk. So the system was watching his progress closely. Good. Ethan would be one to watch, but there was no need to approach him just yet. Too direct, too obvious. No, Liam would gather information from the sidelines first, learning how to pull the strings before making his move.
As he continued walking, he noticed a girl sitting by herself on the far side of the courtyard, her eyes glued to a book. She had an air of quiet intelligence, her dark hair framing her face, and the way she kept her distance from the crowds suggested she preferred to observe from a distance. Like me, Liam mused.
He drifted closer, casually sitting on a nearby bench, pretending to be absorbed in his phone. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed her movements. She didn't seem to care about the social hierarchy of the academy, but the way she flipped through the pages of her book suggested a mind always at work.
Ding!
[Key Figure Identified: Claire Corey]
[Additional Objective Added: Discover her research interests]
The notifications were coming in rapidly, the system clearly guiding Liam toward those who held sway in the academy. Claire wasn't the obvious choice for a target—quiet, unassuming—but those were often the ones with the most to offer. People underestimated them, but Liam wouldn't make that mistake.
He had identified two key figures already, and the day was just beginning. His mind raced, calculating how to approach them, how to leverage their strengths for his own gain.
As Liam stood up to continue his reconnaissance, he felt the faint hum of the system's presence in his mind, urging him forward. There was still much to learn, many more pieces of this game to uncover, but one thing was certain: by the end of this day, Liam Noah would know exactly where he stood in this academy—and he would be one step closer to seizing the power he needed.
Time to play along, for now, Liam thought with a smirk, as he blended into the flow of students, ready to begin his quest in earnest.