Adam stood there, the wind brushing against his face as he tried to steady his racing thoughts.
A fire burned in his chest—a mix of excitement and determination.
His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes shining with a newfound resolve.
"I'll live this life to the fullest," he had promised himself only moments ago. But now, something else—a thought, a memory—was clawing its way into his consciousness.
Magus Tower.
The words surfaced suddenly, and Adam's eyes lit up with wonder. He whispered to himself, almost breathlessly, "So… there's a Magus Tower here? That's so cool!"
The idea of a place where magicians trained and performed great feats ignited his imagination.
Stories of mages wielding power beyond comprehension, of sorcery that could bend reality itself, flooded his mind.
A grin spread across Adam's face, and his heart pounded with excitement.
"I'll become a magician too—just like them!" he declared, his voice brimming with conviction.
But before Adam could lose himself in his fantasies, something strange happened.
A wave of unfamiliar memories—sharp, sudden, and vivid—crashed into his mind. It was as though his brain was force-feeding him fragments of knowledge that didn't belong to him.
These were the memories of the body he now inhabited.
Adam saw a small village surrounded by vast forests, much like the one he had glimpsed earlier.
The villagers' lives were simple, untouched by grandeur or ambition. He saw snippets of conversations, older villagers talking about the Magus Tower with both awe and despair.
From these memories, one thing became painfully clear: very few people in this land ever became magicians.
The path to the Magus Tower was treacherous, and even among those who attempted it, only the rarest and most gifted individuals succeeded.
Adam exhaled deeply, his excitement dimming slightly as reality set in. The odds were against him. Still, he refused to let it discourage him.
"No," he shouted, the word bursting from his mouth as though he were arguing with fate itself. "It can't be like this!"
He took a moment to breathe, trying to calm his nerves. His emotions were all over the place—excitement, frustration, determination.
It was as if he were teetering on the edge of something monumental, but he couldn't quite see what it was.
"I just decided I would live my life to the fullest," Adam muttered, his voice filled with irritation. "And now… the challenges are already piling up?"
He fell silent, biting his lip as he thought. His mind buzzed with possibilities—ideas drawn straight from the fantasy novels he had read in his previous life.
In those stories, whenever someone from Earth transmigrated into a fantasy world, they would receive some kind of system or cheat ability.
A magical guide, a special power, something to help them survive and thrive in their new world.
That's it, Adam thought, his eyes widening with sudden hope.
"What if I have a system too?"
With that thought, Adam squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating as hard as he could. His heart raced with anticipation, and he whispered under his breath:
"Status window."
Adam opened his eyes quickly, staring into the space in front of him as though expecting something to appear.
The air was still, the meadow silent. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. No glowing window appeared. No magical prompts filled the air.
Adam frowned, his brows furrowing deeply.
"Nothing?" he murmured, his voice laced with growing concern. He looked around, scanning the empty meadow as though searching for answers.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong, he thought. What if there's another activation command?
Determined not to give up, Adam shut his eyes again, this time speaking more confidently.
"Magician system."
His voice carried a tone of command, like someone issuing an order.
Adam opened his eyes again, hopeful, but the result was the same. The empty meadow stretched out before him, undisturbed.
Disappointment weighed heavily on his chest. "Come on… this isn't right."
He tried again, desperation creeping into his voice.
"System window, activate!"
The wind whistled softly in response, but nothing else happened. The silence felt deafening now, mocking him.
Adam's shoulders slumped, and he sat down in the grass, running a hand through his hair. A knot of worry tightened in his stomach. "No system. No cheat code. Then why was I even brought here?"
His voice trembled slightly, and for the first time, doubt began to creep into his mind.
If he didn't have any special abilities or powers, how was he supposed to survive, let alone achieve anything grand?
He clenched his fists, his thoughts racing as he tried to make sense of it all.
"I'll just end up living an ordinary life here too," he muttered bitterly, lying back down on the grass. The sky stretched endlessly above him, blue and empty. "Maybe this is just some cruel joke."
The thought of his previous life came rushing back—his quiet, peaceful days as a college student, the part-time job that gave him independence, and the family that supported him.
He remembered feeling content, even happy. But now? Now he was here, in a world that promised so much yet seemed ready to take it all away.
Adam sighed deeply, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I'm such an idiot. I always wished for something like this to happen… and now I'm miserable."
But then, something shifted inside him. A small ember of determination reignited, cutting through the fog of doubt. Adam's eyes snapped open, and he sat up suddenly.
"No," he said aloud, his voice steady and strong. "I'm not giving up that easily."
He pushed himself to his feet, brushing the grass from his clothes. His hands curled into fists, and he raised one arm high into the air, his knuckles white with resolve.
"Who cares if I don't have a system?" he shouted, his voice echoing across the meadow. "There has to be something—anything—that'll help me! I'll find it. I'll figure it out. I'm not giving up!"
The fire in his chest blazed brighter than ever, fueled by the very challenges that had tried to pull him down. Adam gritted his teeth, his voice rising in a triumphant roar:
"I'll live this life my way!"
The wind howled around him as though the world itself had heard his declaration. Adam stood tall, his arm raised and his face filled with determination.
He would not back down. No matter what this world threw at him, no matter how impossible the odds seemed, he would keep moving forward.
---
End of Chapter Three