Arriving home, the familiar sound of the television reached my ears even before I opened the door.
Noah and Emma were settled on the couch, absorbed in a colorful cartoon.
"It's Evan, he's back!"
Emma jumped off the couch and ran toward me, her eyes sparkling with contagious excitement.
"Hey, Emma. Hey, Noah. Did you two do okay without me?" I asked, trying not to sound awkward.
"Of course! Who do you think we are?"
Noah responded with a confident look, trying to show a maturity that contrasted with his age.
His pride was evident, and I couldn't help but smile at his demeanor.
"Evan," Emma said with a serious expression. "The teacher came by today."
Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water.
In the rush of the day, I had completely forgotten that Emma and Noah needed to go to school.
"What did she say?" I asked, trying to mask my worry.
"She wanted to know why we didn't go to class today since we never miss. We told her it was the day our brother joined Spectra. How could we disturb our brother on his first day?" Noah explained, crossing his arms with a serious expression.
His loyalty and understanding, even at such a young age, were enough to make any older sibling proud.
'Even though it's my first day in this world, it won't wait for me to adapt to it.'
As fast as everything was happening, I needed to keep up.
I realized I would have to talk to their teacher and apologize.
'Is taking care of Emma and Noah going to be my responsibility now?'
I asked myself internally as I looked at them.
Emma interrupted my thoughts.
"Evan, are you okay? You look worried..."
I shook my head, brushing away my concerns.
"Sorry, I was just thinking. It's lunchtime—are you two hungry?" I asked, heading toward the kitchen.
"Yes!!"
Their enthusiastic response mirrored my own hunger.
"Great, let's see what we can whip up," I said, rummaging through the cabinets for ingredients.
I knew overthinking wouldn't solve anything, so I decided to set it aside for now.
====
Living alone on Earth had taught me to be independent, and cooking had become a useful skill.
I decided to prepare something simple yet nutritious: garlic and oil pasta with sautéed vegetables. The aromas began to fill the kitchen, bringing a sense of warmth to the home.
While lunch was being prepared, Emma and Noah watched intently, their eyes following my every move.
Eventually, lunch was ready, and we sat down to eat.
The silence that followed, broken only by the sounds of utensils, became a testament to my improvised culinary skills.
'…'
After the meal, as Emma and Noah returned to the couch, I decided to retreat to the bedroom.
Reaching the bedroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise again.
The simplicity of the room struck me once more as I stepped inside.
Evan's bedroom, unlike the rest of the house, was marked by austerity. A mattress directly on the floor, a small bedside table with a lamp, an old wardrobe, and a few shelves filled with worn books and notebooks.
Not even a decent phone—something so common—was present.
In fact, what he had was so outdated it could hardly be called a phone; it looked like it belonged in a tech museum.
As I observed the room, a heavy sense of sadness settled over me.
I sighed…
"…Maybe I was too hard on Evan when creating him," I murmured to myself, feeling a pang of guilt as I scratched my head.
Evan, despite all the hardships, remained resilient, taking care of his siblings with so little in terms of comfort or luxury.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I allowed myself a moment of reflection.
The bare walls echoed a life of struggle and simplicity.
However, it was too late to regret the challenges I had written into Evan's story.
"It's too late to think about these things now."
I stood up, shaking off the melancholy.
In three days, I would have to participate in the group practical test at Spectra.
I needed to stay focused and prepare myself.
It was then, for a moment, that I thought about the status window, wondering about its existence in this world.
And then, as if commanded by my thought, it materialized before me, floating in the air.
A translucent interface displayed my attributes, abilities, and an overview of my current state. It was something only I could see.
"As I thought, I just need to think about it for it to appear."
The status window wasn't just a tool; it was proof that all of this was real and that I was truly living in another world.
[Name: Evan]
[Age: 17 years]
[Vitality: 7]
[Stamina: 3]
[Magical Power: 6]
[Physical Strength: 3]
[Abilities]
Shadow Manipulation
[Points: 55]
"So, these are my stats now?" I muttered, surprised by the clarity of the information.
My eyes quickly focused on the "55 points."
These points were rewards for tasks Evan had completed. Evan wasn't obligated to complete the system's missions, but the more he accomplished, the more points he earned. These points could be used to unlock new abilities.
He could also earn points by using his shadow abilities.
These points were granted as a reward for increasing his mastery of certain skills he possessed.
I stared at two specific abilities that were locked.
▷ Shadow Camouflage [Cost: 200 Points]
▷ Black Moon Blades [Cost: 500 Points]
"Shadow Camouflage and Black Moon Blades—both are pretty good."
"Hmmm!" I murmured, rubbing my chin.
"Of the two abilities, the one worth getting is Shadow Camouflage."
This was a highly useful ability I had created for Evan. It allowed me to envelop my body in shadows, making me virtually invisible and undetectable.
With determination, I affirmed to myself.
"I need to acquire that ability in the future."
"Ah~ Wait, what's this?"
▷ [Eyes of the Abyss – Special time-limited ability!]
What is this ability doing here?
"Eyes of the Abyss" was an ability I had planned to introduce much later in the story. I didn't understand why it was appearing for me now.
▷ Eyes of the Abyss [1000 Points → 200 Points]
"It's so cheap."
The ability's original cost of 1000 points had dropped to 200 points. This was far too good for anyone to pass up.
A smile spread across my face as I saw it.
"This cunning system..."
It was offering me an excellent ability right at the start because it knew I wouldn't be able to handle the consequences of using it.
'It wants to see how far my greed will go.'
[View ability details]
I expanded the details window to see the ability more clearly.
Eyes of the Abyss
Eyes of the Abyss is a rare and devastating ocular ability capable of distorting reality for the opponent. When activated, the user's eyes glow with a deep, almost sinister crimson, plunging the enemy into illusions that confuse their senses and drastically alter their perception of time, making seconds feel like an eternity.
Additionally, the user gains heightened perception, allowing them to sense the presence and aura of opponents even with their eyes closed, as if perceiving their intentions and movements in the air around them.
Capabilities:
Terrifying Illusions: Creates specific illusory scenarios for each opponent based on their deepest fears or past traumas, paralyzing them with terror or hesitation.Time and Space Distortion: Alters the opponent's perception of time, making seconds feel like hours or vice versa, completely disorienting their sense of timing in combat.
Limitations:
Mental exhaustion: Eyes of the Abyss demands extreme concentration and severely drains the user's mental and physical energy. Overuse can lead to severe exhaustion and even collapse.
"That's insane," I murmured softly.
"If I used any of these abilities in my current state, how long would I last before collapsing?"
The ability I had created already caused problems for Evan in my novel, even when he was strong and had absolute mastery over his shadows.
For someone like me, who had just received these powers, acquiring such an ability would be madness.
With one hand on my chin, I thought for a moment, closed the system window, and focused on experimenting with the shadow power mentioned in the system.
'I'll ignore the system store abilities for now.'
I closed my eyes for a moment, concentrating.
That's when I felt a dark presence intensify within me, as if awakening from a long slumber.
When I opened my eyes, the shadows began to expand, slowly emerging from my body. They were dense, dark, and seemed alive, moving with an almost hypnotic fluidity.
These shadowy tendrils danced around me, undulating in the air like serpents, perfectly aligning with my intentions.
"Wow…"
Fascinated, I extended my hand, and the shadows responded instantly, as if they were an extension of my own muscles.
I moved my arms, and the shadows followed, replicating the movements with terrifying precision, matching my every gesture seamlessly.
"Whoosh…"
They cut through the air in a controlled yet brutal manner.
'I need to take it easy; I don't want to destroy the bedroom wall.'
It was my first time manipulating these shadows, and an intense excitement surged through me.
I decided to push things a little further.
"…"
"….."
I spent the afternoon training my abilities until my magical power was nearly depleted.
Getting up from the floor, exhausted, I clenched one of my fists. A wave of happiness and motivation washed over me, having achieved such natural control over the shadows.
'I thought it would be harder to manipulate the shadows I created, but it feels like they're an extension of my body.'
Leaving the bedroom, it was already 7:33 PM.
I found Noah and Emma in the living room, surrounded by candy wrappers.
"Are you hungry?" I asked, still smiling.
"We had some candy."
I noticed.
I said as I looked at the empty wrappers scattered around.
Placing my hand on both their heads, I gently scolded them, explaining that eating candy instead of proper meals wasn't healthy.
For some reason, I felt an unexpected sense of happiness—perhaps from the satisfaction of successfully controlling Evan's powers.
"I'll prepare something for us after taking a shower," I promised, heading to the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror once again, I reflected:
'It's still hard to believe this is me now.'
I finally understood why people had stared at me when I entered the auditorium at Spectra.
My appearance was unusual, more striking than average, and my red eyes stood out especially.
"This is a fitting look for someone destined to be a villain," I said to myself with a smile.
After the shower, as I was preparing for the evening, a subtle notification caught my attention.
It was the status window floating in front of me, but this time, something was different. A new notification was flashing—an unexpected invitation that made my heart race.
[System Mission: Challenge at the Training Grounds]
Objective: Face Seraphina in a friendly duel at Spectra's training grounds.
Reward: 100 system points.
….
...
For a moment, I froze, the information processing slowly in my mind.
'Fight Seraphina?'
The idea seemed absurd. I knew full well what she was capable of; unlike me, she had been training since she was a child.
'And I just arrived in this world.'
How could I possibly stand a chance against someone like her?
"But the system didn't specify anything about having to win the fight," I murmured.
"And 100 points…" That was a hefty amount for a simple friendly duel.
"I don't remember adding something like this to my novel," I thought aloud.
'Could this have something to do with the offer I received for the ability "Eyes of the Abyss"?'
'Interesting. I don't think I can beat her right away. But if all I have to do is fight her, I don't mind losing. I need those 100 points.'
I closed the notification window, feeling a renewed wave of determination wash over me.
After that, I prepared a simple dinner for myself and my siblings.
After eating, we settled down to watch a cartoon together, ending the night with a moment of family bonding that I wasn't used to.
====
6:00 AM.
Since I was accustomed to waking up early on Earth, doing so in this new world wasn't a problem. But I had to admit, I felt a little tired.
"Haaahm…"
A yawn escaped me.
"Maybe it's because I used too much magical power yesterday? Well, it doesn't matter."
I began preparing breakfast before taking Noah and Emma to school. I also had to head to my part-time job today.
"Shhh…"
Reflecting as the water for the coffee began to boil, I remembered the job Evan had taken to support himself—something I had meticulously planned in the story.
He worked at a car wash, a humble occupation, but one Evan embraced with dedication to ensure his siblings' well-being.
"Puff."
I let out an ironic laugh.
"A Spectra student working at a car wash?"
"Slurp… Ahh."
"It's as bitter as it should be," I said after taking a sip of coffee.
It was Wednesday, and I would only work until Saturday morning.
With the scholarship Evan had secured at Spectra, he no longer needed to worry about working to support himself and his two siblings.
This meant that after this week, I could focus all my time on Spectra.
After finishing breakfast and getting ready for the day, I woke up Emma and Noah to take them to school and apologize to their teacher.
After the chaos and revelations of the previous night, I knew this morning would demand extra effort on my part.
Making breakfast was just the beginning. Waking up Noah and Emma to the smell of pancakes and fresh juice brought smiles to their faces.
"Good morning! Ready for a new day?" I announced, serving them and trying to sound casual.
"Good morning, Evan!" they replied in unison, their enthusiasm dissipating any lingering fatigue I felt.
Breakfast was filled with laughter and plans for the day.
However, one unresolved task weighed on me: apologizing to Noah and Emma's teacher for their absence from school.
After putting on my Spectra uniform, we were on our way, under a morning sky that promised a clear day.
Arriving at the school, anxiety bubbled in my stomach as I led Noah and Emma to their classrooms, my hesitant steps echoing in the quiet hallway.
Once I had left them with their friends, I made my way to the teachers' room, looking for their teacher, Ms. Lidia.
"Good morning, Ms. Lidia," I greeted her, finding her organizing some papers at her desk.
She looked up, her initially serious expression softening when she recognized me.
"Ah, Evan. Good morning. I was expecting you."
There was a mix of reprimand and understanding in her voice.
"I heard about what happened yesterday. Your siblings explained everything."
I took a deep breath, gathering my courage.
"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have let anything stop them from coming to school. It won't happen again, I promise."
The words came out hurriedly, my gaze fixed on hers, searching for some sign of forgiveness.
"Ahhh."
Ms. Lidia sighed, a gentle expression replacing the concern on her face.
"Evan, I understand your circumstances. Don't push yourself too hard."
Her hand rested briefly on mine in a comforting gesture.
"I know things will get busier for you now, but don't forget about them, okay? They need you."
A shy smile formed on my lips.
"Thank you, Ms. Lidia. I promise, I'll do better."
I said goodbye with a nod, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
It was strange—within less than a week, I had gained two siblings and was already laden with responsibilities.
But I knew I couldn't falter.
With my siblings safe at school and my apology accepted, it was time to focus on what lay ahead.
Spectra.
The day of the practical test was approaching quickly, and I felt an increasing urgency to hone my abilities.
Walking toward the academy, the sun was already on the horizon, bathing the city in golden light.
"Today," I murmured to myself, my gaze fixed on the imposing structure of Spectra towering before me.
"This is the real beginning."
And so, with a renewed sense of purpose, I headed for the training area.
My goal?
To face Seraphina and earn the 100 points.
Consequences?
I had no idea.
"Author's Note: Image"