=== STATUS ===
Name: Henry Krynhart
Level: 0 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
Deaths: 0
Universes Traveled: 1
Class: None
[HP]: 100 / 100
[Energy]: 100 / 100
=== STATISTICS ===
Strength: 30
Speed: 30
Durability: 30
Stamina: 30
Intelligence: 30
[Abilities / Powers]: None
[Available Points]: 0
=== INVENTORY ===
=== RULES ===
"W-What... What is this display...?"
A transparent blue panel floated before his eyes, so vivid yet so absurd.
"Is this... a system? Like in those novels?" he muttered in disbelief. "How is this even here?"
Henry, who had just woken up, felt like his brain hadn't fully booted up yet. This had to be a dream. A side effect of reading too many fantasy novels and not getting enough sleep.
With a swift motion, he slapped his own cheek. Right, then left.
SMACK! SMACK!
"Damn... that actually hurts," he hissed, rubbing his reddening cheeks. "Is this... for real?"
He let out a bitter laugh. "Hahaha... this is what I get for daydreaming too much. Whatever, I'll just take a shower to clear my head."
Henry grabbed his best set of clothes from the closet—a lonely birthday ritual he performed every year—and hurried to the bathroom, hoping the cold water would wake him from this strange delusion.
***
Splashes of cold water hit his face again and again, but the blue panel remained faithfully floating before him, as if mocking his efforts.
"Wake up, Henry, just wake up..." He chanted the mantra repeatedly, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of the running water. "There's no way a system exists in the real world. This isn't fiction! Did I die and this is my last wish granted? But I don't remember ever asking for something this absurd!"
Frustration began to creep in. "Come on, System, disappear!"
Silence. The panel didn't budge.
Suddenly, a ridiculous idea, inspired by one of the novels he'd read, crossed his mind. A simple command often used by protagonists. What was the harm in trying?
"System Closed!"
ZING!
Instantly, the blue panel vanished without a trace. Henry stood stunned for a moment, then decided not to overthink it and quickly finished his shower.
***
Henry stepped out of the bathroom. A clean white t-shirt as a base layer, covered by an elegant black suit jacket and matching trousers. He stared at his reflection in the mirror.
"Even though I always say birthdays aren't important, for some reason I always want to look my best on this day," he sighed. "As usual, I can never stick to my own words. Yesterday I was saying today is just like any other day, and now look at me, all dressed up."
He heaved a long sigh. "Another bad habit I can't seem to change."
His thoughts returned to the strange incident. "Okay, when I said 'System Closed,' that thing really disappeared. So then... if I say the opposite..."
Curiosity overcame his logic. With a bit of hesitation, he said softly, "System Open."
And just like that, the blue panel reappeared before him.
"Whoa, it really works!" his eyes sparkled. This time, he examined every detail on the panel carefully.
"Okay, okay, calm down... what does all this mean?" he asked himself. "The interface looks familiar, like a mix of all the systems from the novels, comics, and anime I've seen. But... 'Universes Traversed: 1'? What the hell is this?"
His eyes narrowed as he read the next line. "'Deaths: 0.' Hey, who's planning on dying? That's a totally useless piece of information!"
Then his gaze fell on 'Class'. "Class? As in a title? Am I going to get a title? Maybe... Doctor? Successful Entrepreneur? Or maybe... 'Grand Magus'?" His imagination started running wild.
"Ah, whatever. My stats are pretty decent, all even at 30. But... wait a minute, there's 'Rules' and 'Inventory'?"
A sly grin spread across his face. "Inventory! Who knows, maybe it's full of gold bars or a legendary starter pack item!"
Without a second thought, his finger pressed the virtual 'INVENTORY' button.
=== INVENTORY ===
EMPTY
=== BACK ===
Henry's shoulders slumped. "Well... I thought I was going to get rich quick," he mumbled, disappointed. He pressed the 'BACK' button dejectedly, his gaze then shifting to the 'RULES' button.
When he opened it, a long, dense wall of text immediately greeted him. He instantly felt lazy.
"Ugh, who wants to read such long Terms and rules?" he complained. "Besides, the cool protagonists in stories usually don't have systems with rules like this."
He ignored the 'RULES' window. Bigger questions were swirling in his head. Was this an answer to his unspoken prayers? Why him?
"Why did this system appear before me? What's so special about me? I'm just an ordinary guy full of regrets." He paused. "Wait... it might not be just me. This could be a global phenomenon. Is a major disaster about to happen, like a monster invasion or something?"
One more crucial question remained: "Can other people see this?"
"Alright, no point in theorizing. Time for a test run."
Henry closed the system interface, grabbed his wallet and keys, and hurried out the door. Since it was his day off, there was no better time to find some answers.
***
His steps halted in front of a café that looked... expensive. Very expensive.
Man, can I really afford to celebrate my birthday alone in a place like this? he thought nervously. I hope the prices don't make my wallet weep.
Running on pure nerve and the 500 thousand rupiah in his wallet, he walked in. He found an empty table in the corner, a perfect spot for observation.
When the menu arrived, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The price of a single cup of coffee here was equivalent to his food budget for three days. Swallowing hard, he made the safest choice.
"Excuse me, I'll just have one of the cookies and a bottle of mineral water."
Total Cost: 68 thousand rupiah.
Damn, I'm down to around 400 thousand. Never coming to a place like this again, he cursed inwardly.
While waiting for his order, he scanned the room. Everyone seemed normal, busy with their food and conversations. Not a single person looked like they were staring at a virtual panel. Maybe they're hiding it? It makes sense, it would be rude to have a system open while you're eating, he thought, trying to be logical.
After his order arrived, he decided to begin his experiment. He opened his system panel again, then called over the waiter who had served him.
"Excuse me, Sir. Can I ask you something?"
The waiter approached with a friendly smile. "Yes, sir? How can I help?"
"Sir, look in front of me. Do you... see anything strange?"
The waiter looked at Henry's table. There was a small plate with a cookie and a bottle of mineral water. He frowned. "Strange? What do you mean, sir?"
Henry pointed toward the system display. "The floating thing, Sir. It's transparent, kind of blue..."
The waiter's expression changed from confusion to concern. "There's nothing there, sir. Just your cookie and mineral water." He offered an awkward smile. "Sir... are you under a lot of stress? Or maybe you just went through a breakup? I'm sorry, so young and already so stressed."
The waiter cleared his throat and politely excused himself, leaving Henry frozen in his seat.
Henry sat in silence, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. Okay, so it's confirmed, no one else can see it. The question now is, why only me? What's so special about me? I'm nothing more than a criminal and a disobedient son and... I always regret my actions.
He quickly finished his cookie and water, then hurried home.
***
Upon arriving home, he threw himself onto the sofa and summoned the system panel again.
"System Open!"
"Give me an explanation! I really don't know what's happening!" he yelled at the virtual object.
Silence. Of course, there was no answer.
Could it be... the answer is in that 'Rules' button?
With a heavy heart, he pressed the 'RULES' button again. This time, he forced himself to scroll all the way to the bottom, past the boring paragraphs of rules. And there, he found something different.
=== RULES === === BACK ===
...
I HOPE YOU HAVE READ THE ABOVE RULES CAREFULLY. YOU WILL RECEIVE SOMETHING SPECIAL IF YOU REACH LEVEL 100.
IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT ALL CONDITIONS AND RISKS, PLEASE PRESS THE 'I AM WILLING' BUTTON BELOW. IF NOT, YOU MAY PRESS 'I AM NOT WILLING'.
WARNING: YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR CHOICE ONCE IT IS MADE. THINK CAREFULLY.
[ I AM WILLING ]
[ I AM NOT WILLING ]
He stared at the two buttons. This was a crossroads.
Whether this is a dream or not, this is a chance... I must not regret my choice,
his mind raced.
A chance to start over, to become something more. If I keep living like this, my life might never change... I am sure of this decision, I will not regret it. I will find the peace I've always been searching for.
There was no more hesitation. This was the best birthday present he had ever received.
With a steady finger, he pressed the [ I AM WILLING ] button.
Suddenly, the entire display in front of him changed completely.
SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE UNIVERSE AND BODY...
UNIVERSE HAS BEEN DETERMINED.
NEW BODY HAS BEEN FOUND.
TRANSFER PROCESS WILL COMMENCE IN:
10
9
8
Henry's heart pounded in his chest.
7
6
5
This is really happening!
4
3
2
1
PLEASE STATE THE TRIGGER WORDS TO INITIATE TELEPORTATION WHEN YOU ARE READY.
Henry stared at the final message, confused.
"Trigger words? What does that mean?"
He looked around his room one last time. There was no time to think. He had to say something. Anything. A magic spell? The name of a move from an anime?
Ah, screw it! I'll just wing it, who knows if it'll work!
With a deep breath and a hint of embarrassment, he closed his eyes and yelled.
"TELEPORT!"