By the time the afternoon sun came through the window.
Elijah Kane had a pretty good handle on one thing: the system was a relentless taskmaster, and his life wasn't going to get any easier.
Leaning back in his chair, he ran a hand down his face, sighing loudly. "Okay, so Endless World is huge, dangerous, and full of people who won't care if we live or die. I get it."
As if on cue, the system added in.
[New Quest: Study the Dawn Empire.]
Elijah blinked. "Excuse me, what now?"
The glowing screen in front of him shifted, and a list of objectives appeared.
---
Quest: Dawn Empire 101
Study the history of the Dawn Empire.
Learn its political structure, laws, and philosophies.
Familiarize yourself with its primary ethnicities, religions, and cultures.
Reward: +10 Comprehension.
---
Elijah stared at the list, then at the reward at the bottom. "Comprehension? What's that supposed to mean? Like, I'll just magically understand everything if I read enough? This feels like an elaborate way to force me back into school."
[The comprehension stat increases your ability to analyze, adapt, and process information. Completion of this quest will also activate your status board.]
He perked up at that. "Wait, there's a status board? Like in RPGs? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
[Status board access is locked until initial quest completion.]
"Of course it is," Elijah muttered. "Because why give me anything useful right away? That would be too easy."
The glowing screen shifted, showing a list of recommended resources for studying the Dawn Empire.
Titles like "The Foundations of Dawn: A History" and "Philosophies of the Imperial Scholars" appeared alongside intimidatingly thick tomes.
Elijah groaned. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm supposed to read all this? What am I, a medieval college student?"
[Progress is measured by your ability to engage with the material and apply it to future tasks. Time spent studying is directly proportional to skill development.]
"Translation: You're going to make me read until my brain melts," Elijah grumbled. He rubbed his temples, staring at the blinking quest notification.
He pushed the chair back, pacing the room like a caged animal. "This is not how this was supposed to go. I'm supposed to be the cool, overpowered main character. You know, the guy who gets all the powers, wins all the fights, and saves the day without breaking a sweat."
He stopped, gesturing wildly at the screen. "Instead, I'm stuck here cramming for a test while dragons or gods or whatever are probably out there plotting how to step on me like a bug."
The system didn't respond, which only made Elijah more exasperated. "I'm the worst protagonist ever. Readers would riot if they saw this. 'Oh no, the hero has to study before he can do anything cool!'"
He mimicked an exaggerated groan.
Then, the absurdity of it all hit him, and he sat on the bed, burying his face in his hands.
"I can't believe this. I'm going to die again, aren't I? Only this time, it's not going to be a snake it's going to be because I didn't memorize the names of some imperial nobles."
The screen flickered again, displaying a message:
[Knowledge is the foundation of survival in the Endless World. Ignorance will lead to failure. Begin the quest immediately to maximize your chances.]
Elijah let out a dry laugh. "Thanks for the pep talk, System. You really know how to make a guy feel special."
The screen stayed silent.
Finally, Elijah resigned himself to his fate.
He grabbed the first recommended book from the virtual library the system provided, "The Foundations of Dawn: A History".
As he opened it, text began scrolling across the glowing screen, accompanied by a calm, robotic narrator.
"The Empire of Dawn was founded over three millennia ago by the first Emperor Solara, whose conquests unified the Eastern Territories under one banner..."
Elijah's eyes glazed over almost instantly. "Three millennia? Great. I'm reading the history of a place that makes Earth's empires look like toddlers."
The narrator continued mercilessly, detailing the empire's rise, the establishment of its central government, and its expansion into the Outer Territories.
"Okay," Elijah said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Cliff notes, please. Can we just skip to the part where I don't fail this quest?"
[Effort is required to gain rewards,] the system replied, its tone as indifferent as ever.
"Of course it is," Elijah muttered. "Because nothing in this new life is allowed to be easy."
Hours passed, and Elijah found himself hunched over the screen, reading about the empire's major ethnic groups, their customs, and the philosophy of the Eternal Sun, the empire's primary religious doctrine.
"The Eternal Sun represents balance and prosperity," he recited mockingly. "And here I thought it was just a fancy way to say 'pay your taxes.'"
The more he read, the more his frustration grew.
Every time he thought he was making progress, the system would present another section to read or another layer of complexity to understand.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, he slammed the book shut or at least mimed doing so on the virtual screen.
"That's it. I'm done. No more imperial philosophy. If I have to read one more paragraph about 'harmony in governance,' I'm going to scream."
He flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "This is it. This is how I go down in history. Not as a hero, not as a savior, but as the guy who gave up because he couldn't memorize the difference between the Verdant Council and the Crimson Pact."
His voice broke slightly as he muttered, "I don't even know what I'm doing here. I'm not a soldier. I'm not a genius strategist. I'm just a guy who wrote fantasy novels. And now I'm supposed to save Earth?"
His chest tightened, and for a moment, he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.
The weight of everything the merge, the shield, the system crashed down on him all at once.
"I'm not a hero," he whispered. "I'm just... me."
The screen flickered again, and for once, the system's tone wasn't completely devoid of emotion.
[You are not required to be a hero. You are required to act. Success is achieved through persistence, not perfection.]
Elijah snorted, wiping at his eyes. "Thanks, System. Real inspirational. Did you pull that from a fortune cookie?"
Still, he sat up, the tiniest flicker of resolve stirring in his chest.
He wasn't ready to give up not yet.
Grabbing the screen again, Elijah opened the next section of the library.
This time, the topic was laws and governance within the empire.
"Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what your legal system looks like. I swear, if it's as convoluted as the tax code back home, I'm out."
As the hours ticked by, Elijah kept reading, alternating between sarcastic commentary and actual focus.
He might have been the most reluctant scholar in history, but if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was stick with something even when it sucked.
And somewhere, deep down, he realized that if Earth's survival depended on him, he didn't have the luxury of giving up.