One specific day, a young teenager with short silver hair and exquisite silver eyes wearing a torn cape can be seen wandering around a small village.
He looked powerful and may be investigating some sort of crime; he even had a somewhat intimidating aura.
But the reason for visiting this village wasn't anything like that; he was simply weak and had no money to afford any inn to sleep in.
He stopped in his tracks as he stood still, facing a torn-down wooden house.
...
I'm Hanzou.
Zankoku Hanzou.
I'm a weak teenager barely surviving in this shithole of a world. Magic and monsters—they all exist. I'm really trying to make a living out of it but failed miserably.
I stood before the entrance, opening the door, walked inside, and leaped on the small mattress in the corner.
"Damn, I'm hungry today too," I say while gripping my stomach, feeling it grumble.
A few moments of silence passed by as I lay on a small, thin mattress. I looked at the ceiling and was distracted by my thoughts, contemplating my life.
Can I really find a purpose in living this life all alone?
Do I really need to live? Am I really needed?
Thoughts like this came crashing down on my mind like a huge wave, not knowing what to do at this point, making my situation all the more hopeless.
I suddenly slapped myself on my cheek, sitting upright on my mattress, exclaiming and yelling, trying to get myself fired up, at least.
"I shouldn't think like that. If I just resist and endure more, surely..."
"...surely I'll be able to find a purpose." I say sleepily. I lay back down on my mattress, trying to fight for my consciousness. I raised my arm, forming a fist bump towards a god, if there was even one.
I involuntarily stretched my arms, and then my eyes became heavy all of a sudden.
Yawn
...
I woke up to find myself in an endless expanse of the sky, as if floating in a dream. My feet touched a surface that shimmered like liquid glass, as every step I took sent small ripples across its surface. I looked in front of me, and the first thing I saw was a mysterious black-hooded man who stood a few steps away, his back facing my direction.
"You..." the black-hooded man said, his voice unyielding and cold, refusing to turn his head to look at me.
"Huh?" I reply, confused. Why was he calling me, and why was he here with me in this breathtaking scenery, the sky stretching infinitely to the horizon?
I began to look around and try to analyze my surroundings; it seemed ethereal and too vivid to be a dream.
This must be a dream—a weird, peculiar dream—I managed to think out before his voice interrupted me.
"Don't give up," he said, finally turning his head to face me.
"What, what do you mean?" I hastily reply, not knowing what to say and confused.
I can barely see his face, but there's something about him... that—I can't put my words to explain. I kind of... recognize him a little.
But he's trying to cheer me up? Is he saying that I should never give up and dream more?
...
A few moments of silence passed by as I looked at the reflective ground and as he waited for my response.
"I'll try," I reply, with determined eyes.
This might be a sign to change my ways of living and think...
...in another perspective.
He made a sound that seemed fairly content. Was it a chuckle? Was it a sigh? I don't know.
"I'll survive and endure everything this shitty world throws at my face if you promise it'll make me stronger." I continue, my determined demeanor never changing.
He makes that sound again; what is that sound supposed to convey? Are you chuckling because you're proud, or you found it funny?
Or are you sighing because you found it disappointing?
My train of thought was interrupted once again by the sudden voice of the mysterious man.
"That's the spirit," he says, with a bit more emotion hinting towards his tone.
...
"Can you please elaborate further? Why are you here?" I ask and manage to let out, my curiosity reaching its limits.
"I can't tell you that." He interrupts my question, his voice low, his eyes narrowing as the sky started to crack.
Wait a second, I have too many questions to ask-
I couldn't finish my question when the entire place fully broke apart, and I fell inside a deep, abyssal, void...
Gasp!
I sit upright on my bed as I lift my hand and wipe off the sweat that is slowly pouring down my face.
Was that a dream? How was it so vivid that I remember everything that happened?
My train of thought was interrupted when a blue, system-like window instantaneously emerged out of nowhere, making me flinch.
"...! That scared me; what the hell?" I say, shocked and surprised. I decide to read the contents of what the window was trying to convey.
[You are an anomaly.]
"What?"
[You weren't supposed to exist in this world today. You weren't supposed to interact with that person.]
"What does this thing mean? Am I hallucinating now that I'm about to starve?"
[This world has a set storyline. You are a threat to the balance in this world.]
"I'm a possible threat that could deviate your "story" because... I met that person from my dream. Can you tell me who he is?"
[I cannot disclose that kind of information.]
"...okay."
A few moments of silence pass as I ask the system window another question that was racing throughout my mind.
"But, if that's really the case, why did that person choose me out of all people?"
[I cannot disclose that kind of information.]
"God damn it. This thing is really useless, isn't it?"
[...]
Or, I've just gone insane from the fact that I'm hungry as hell. I'll forage some mushrooms to eat.
Meanwhile, I'm going to ignore this useless system window and just try to survive.
A few hours later, the sun had reached its peak, blasting the highest temperatures. After getting back home, I had already foraged enough mushrooms to keep me from starving for a day.
"Hah..." I sighed, looking at the mushrooms I foraged.
I looked at the system window, still not responding, as all the content it was showing was three simple dots.
"Hey, system. For being an anomaly, do I have some sort of special ability at least?"
The system window instantly changed its text, forming a status window.
[Zankoku Hanzou
Age: 16 Gender: M
Level: 21 Race: Human
Class: All-Rounder (Adaptable)
HP: 531
MP:213
STR: 21
VIT: 33
AGI: 14
INT: 40
DEX: 17
LUK: 7 (-5)
Special: Anomaly's Perspective (SSS), Unlucky One (F)]
"I see," I say, nodding my head in contentment and appreciation.
[System Message:
Since you are an anomaly, your stats will be deducted for the sake of plausibility.]
"Wait, what?!" I say, confused and shocked by this sudden message. I try to plead for my stats to keep their numbers.
[Zankoku Hanzou
Age: 16 Gender: M
Level: 21 Race: Human
Class: All-Rounder (Adaptable)
HP: 526 (-5)
MP: 208 (-5)
STR: 16 (-5)
VIT: 28 (-5)
AGI: 9 (-5)
INT: 35 (-5)
DEX: 12 (-5)
LUK: 2 (-10)
Special: Anomaly's Perspective (SSS), Unlucky One (F), Anomaly(F)]
...
"You've got to be bullshitting me right now. Whoever made this system, I'll find you and kill you!" I yell, demanding a proper explanation.
Why were my stats decreased when that person just gave me encouragement, just telling me to not give up?
It doesn't make sense.
I look up to the clear, blue sky as the glow of the beaming sun hits the tips of my silver hair.
Well, I'll find out if it's necessary or not.