Dying was no longer a new experience for Lena. After the fifth time, when a malfunction with the toaster had done her in, she started to see it almost as a routine.
Reincarnation gave her another chance each time, with her memories intact from each of her absurd deaths. If she had to die again which by now seemed inevitable she might as well make it entertaining.
This time, she had been reborn in a different world, as the daughter of the Demon Kingdom academy's librarian. The library belonged to her father, but he and the academy had reached an agreement for students to use it.
Her "new father" managed the largest library in the city, filled with books, many of them banned in other realms.
Lena read every book with enthusiasm. There were many realms; she had reincarnated so many times as a man or woman that certain things from each of her lives had stuck with her.
But what had stuck the most was her desire to discover this world. She wanted to go out and explore the elven kingdoms, the kingdom of light, or the human realm; there were also mixed kingdoms, so to speak.
That night, Lena sneaked through the darkened library halls. Her steps were silent as she searched through the top shelves. As part of her routine, she often "borrowed" the forbidden books to learn skills and strategies her father wouldn't teach her.
On this occasion, she found a black leather-bound volume: "Paths of the Hidden Market and Art of Escape." She smiled; this would be perfect for her nightly escapades and future pranks.
However, just as she turned to leave, a familiar figure blocked her exit. The night guard, a tall man with shrewd eyes, was watching her with an expression that mixed patience and disapproval.
"Lena," he said in a low but firm voice. "Up to the forbidden books again?"
She sighed, feigning innocence. "Just a peek? It's not like I'll summon something terrible… again."
The guard crossed his arms. "That's what you said last time when you unleashed that horde of fire rabbits."
Lena shrugged, and before the guard could stop her, she vanished in a cloud of mist. She reappeared on the other side of the room and, with a grin, whispered, "You'll never catch me, Ted," before slipping out the exit.
Ted only sighed and decided to follow her in silence until she reached home.
In fact, her father had asked him to keep an eye on her, knowing Lena rarely resisted the temptation to explore the library.
Once outside, with the cool night air, Lena admired the view. The city was a blend of old and futuristic, with towers shining with magic and ships gliding through the sky with unique designs.
"If this city alone makes me eager to explore, what might lie in the southern lands? And just how powerful might the Demon Queen be?" she thought, her mind filled with images of distant cities and imaginary places to explore.
As she walked away with the book in hand, Lena caressed the cover and murmured to herself, "This time I'll learn something worthwhile…"
On a small hill, she looked at the house. It was quite large; having a father with a considerable amount of money was nice.
When she was about to enter the house, she opened the door and saw a familiar figure sitting on the wooden chair, watching her. "Dad… shouldn't you be at the academy for the meeting?" she said nervously.
"Lena," her father said, sitting in the wooden chair in the living room, with his arms crossed and an expression that mixed patience and disapproval. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
Lena, her heart beating a little faster, kept her innocent smile. "Dad… I was, um, studying."
Her father sighed. "You know I don't mind if you study, Lena, but there are rules for a reason." He cast her a curious look. "By the way, how do you manage to disappear so fast? I've been hearing rumors about a 'ghost' in the library, and it seems someone is having quite a bit of fun with that story."
"Your ability really is strange; it seems like you have the ability to… Never mind, it can't be."
Lena was curious to know what he would say, but seeing his disheartened face, she decided not to ask. She shrugged, feigning disinterest, while thinking how ironic it would be to tell him the truth. After all, how could she explain all her deaths and past lives without it sounding completely absurd?
"It's just me, Dad," Lena said, with a mischievous smile and a wink. "Just me, and a little mist trick."
"Yes, yes, come on, go up to your room to sleep, you have to help your father organize the library tomorrow."
"How boring!" Lena pouted, inflating her cheeks.
"Tomorrow is your twelfth birthday, right? I have a gift for you, but only if you go to sleep."
"A gift?" Lena's eyes sparkled.
She quickly went up to her room and threw herself on the bed. "Acting like a child is exhausting. Sometimes it can be fun, but every day… Never mind."
She quickly opened the book, but soon realized that the content was different from what was on the cover.
"How to Solve a System Failure." She knew all demons had a system, but she hadn't been able to open hers, which is why she couldn't access the academy.
But that didn't dampen her desire to learn, which is why she took advantage of her father's library to learn more than ever.
This book quickly opened her eyes, for one simple reason: it was written in Kast, a language she had learned in one of her lives.
Reading the first few lines, she looked a bit confused; her eyes were wide, her mouth was a tense line, and stress lines marked her lips.
Step One: Shout "Almighty, beautiful, and useful System, come to me!"
Step Two: Solved. Wink and thumbs up.
Lena almost dropped the book to the floor in frustration. "Who writes this stuff?" she said, but her curiosity won, and she decided to try. In a barely audible voice and feeling ridiculous, she whispered, "Almighty, beautiful, and useful System… come to me."
For a moment, nothing happened. Lena decided to drown her embarrassment by burying her face in the pillow. But when she finally lifted her head, she saw a small glow.
Welcome, User. The System has been activated.
"It's… it's real!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. "Now I'll be able to explore the world when I turn sixteen."
As she reviewed the system menus, she noticed different sections: Skills, Quest, and a section called "Reincarnation History," which included a brief summary of each of her past lives. Seeing the names, roles, and the ways she had died brought a bitter laugh. There were times when she had wished not to die, and other times when, upon dying, she was glad not to live that life. Each life was new and had a different meaning.
System Information:
Name: Lena Len
Age: 11 (6H -> 12)
Race: Blue Mist Beast
Skills: Mist Tricks, Beastly Soul (not awakened)
Quests: Graduate as a Class 1 Warrior
Level: Beginner
Crown: Unawakened
Physique: Beast Mirage Body (not awakened)
"I'm not a demon…" she murmured, frowning. Her "father" was a demon, but she was not; she was something entirely different, a Blue Mist Beast.
The revelation left her feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity. She wouldn't stop thinking of him as her father just because he wasn't her biological parent.
However, curiosity gnawed at her, especially because… they didn't resemble each other at all. She had bluish-white hair, and her father's was blood-red, and his eyes were red, while hers were silver-blue.
"I should talk to him about it, but it's probably best to tell him about the system first." Sometimes children took a while to awaken it and weren't born with it.
Although her system was different from the typical demon's, she had once asked her father what appeared in his, and he told her: "Skills, name, race, age, level, and physique."
There were no missions or descriptions of past lives. There was a lot to think about, but doing so after reading all day and knowing she'd have to be up early wasn't ideal. She yawned, and little by little, drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Lena went down to talk to her father. Her mind was full of questions and confusion after discovering her system the previous night.
When she saw him, he looked at her with the same calm as always, as if he already knew what she was going to tell him. Lena took a deep breath and began to speak:
"Dad, there's something I have to tell you… I discovered my system last night."
To her surprise, her father didn't seem surprised. Rather, he nodded slowly, as if he had been expecting this moment.
"The truth, my dear…" he began, but Lena, seized by a sudden intuition, interrupted him.
"You're not my real father, are you?" she blurted out, with a flash of sadness in her eyes.
Her father's eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly.
"What? Of course I'm your father!" he replied with a mix of surprise and firmness in his voice. "I just wanted to tell you the truth: I come from another world, where neither demons nor magic existed."
Lena looked at him, perplexed. Her expression was one of confusion; not only had she discovered her system, but now she'd learned her father was from another world, too. She wasn't sure whether to tell him everything she knew or to just keep quiet.
"Let me guess," she said sarcastically, "you got hit by a truck?"
He sighed.
"Well, something like that... I was in the middle of a bank robbery, and during the chase, when they blew out the tires, I had to make a run for it, and... I got hit."
"I didn't know my father was a criminal."
"And I didn't know my daughter was familiar with other-world clichés."
Her father smiled with resignation before continuing.
"A few years ago, I fell into this world, thinking I would die, but, luckily, I unlocked a system: the library. It was a system that strengthened me with each ancient or skill book I acquired. When I'd explored the entire continent, I unlocked a reward: 'Egg ???'. It didn't have a name, but over time, it gathered my energy and the energy from the surroundings. One day... you were born."
"So... I don't have a mother?"
"No, you do, but it was... let's say... complicated. You see, my system also collects lost objects from other worlds. So..."
"So basically, you stole me from my mother's cradle, who happens to be some magical beast from another world, and you don't even know where she is, do you?"
He sighed, resigned.
"Exactly..."
Lena processed the story in silence, looking at him with a mix of curiosity, surprise, and a hint of resignation. She hadn't expected the truth to be so twisted, and although many questions remained unanswered, something inside her felt relieved. Despite everything, this man really was her father.
"So…" Lena said, breaking the silence with a mischievous smile. "I'm the 'mysterious egg' from a library system in another world, and my mother is a magical beast lost somewhere. Sounds... complicated."
"Complicated is an understatement," her father replied, smiling back and scratching his head. "But what matters is that you're here now, and even though our family is... peculiar, you're my daughter."