The System Awakened

In the year 9991 of the Yulan Calendar, in late autumn.

Carriages lined the square in front of the Church of Light in Fenlai City, while nobles exchanged greetings all around. Boys and girls dressed in finery trailed behind their parents. Some nervously clenched their fists, while others pretended to be calm, chins held high.

I stood beside a black carriage and looked up at the towering Radiant Temple, taking a deep breath.

It had been three days since I'd crossed over.

In my previous life, I'd been a programmer who'd worked himself to death pulling all-nighters. In the final second before I died, I'd still been fixing bugs on my computer. When I woke up, I'd become the legitimate son of the Akes Family of the Fenlai Kingdom—Aikesi Yan. I was eight years old, and today I was here to take the magic aptitude test.

"Young Master Yan, don't be nervous." The old butler Carl bent down beside me, looking at me with kind, cloudy eyes. "With your talent, you're sure to pass."

I nodded without saying anything.

The Akes Family was an old noble house in the Fenlai Kingdom. Its territory wasn't large, but it had been in business for generations and amassed quite a fortune. My new body's father was a shrewd merchant, and my mother had died young. At home, only the old butler and a few servants remained. Over the past three days, relying on the memories left behind by my body's previous owner and the things I'd learned by asking around, I'd finally pieced together the basics of this world—

The Yulan Continent, the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the Radiant Church, and... the Baruch Clan.

Linley should be here by now, too, I thought, sweeping my gaze over the crowd.

I'd read the original story three times. I knew this world inside and out. Dragonblood Warriors, the Four Ultimate Warriors, Grandpa Doehring in the Coiling Dragon Ring... Their names had been going around in my head for ages. Too bad I'd crossed over a little late and missed the moment Linley found the ring.

"Everyone, head inside! Line up!"

A priest's voice snapped me back to reality. The crowd began moving into the church, and I followed them into the hall. The polished marble beneath my feet reflected blurry shadows. The hall was already packed. The nobles gathered in one group, talking quietly, while commoners and minor country nobles stood off to the side.

I glanced around but didn't see Linley.

Right. He should be with Hillman. Maybe he's still outside, waiting in line. I looked away and turned my attention to the testing area in the center of the hall.

The test was simple: first, they measured elemental affinity, then spiritual force.

A bald, elderly priest sat beside the testing platform. Next to him stood a crystal ball and a hexagonal magic array. One by one, the boys and girls stepped forward. Some left in disappointment, while others were delighted to be ushered over to the recruitment staff.

"Next."

The boy in front of me walked away with his head down. I stepped forward.

"Put your hand on it," the old priest said without looking up.

I pressed my right hand against the crystal ball.

The next second, the entire crystal ball lit up.

A crimson glow surged from within it like a blazing fire. Its dazzling light made everyone nearby squint. The glow grew brighter and brighter, and the old priest cried out, nearly letting go.

"F-Fire Element, supreme-grade!" His voice cracked.

A collective gasp swept through the hall.

"Supreme-grade? Are kids really this monstrous these days?"

"The Akes Family? The ones who are in business?"

"Supreme-grade Fire Element... That's a future great figure right there..."

I ignored the murmurs around me, my hand still pressed against the crystal ball. Just then—

Ding—

A cold voice rang out in my mind.

[Eligible host detected. Sign-in System activating...]

[Activation complete.]

[First sign-in triggered. Current scene detected: Magic Aptitude Test.]

[Sign-in reward: Fallen Heart Flame (Heavenly Flame. Can merge with the body, enhance Fire Element magic, and evolve by devouring other flames).]

[Claim reward?]

I froze for a second.

Then I shouted in my mind without hesitation: Claim it!

The next instant, a warm current surged from my heart and spread throughout my body. The sensation... was like a tiny flame moving through my blood. It wasn't hot; it was actually quite soothing. I could feel it clearly, as if it had always belonged there.

"Young master?" The old priest's voice pulled me back. "Are you all right? You can take your hand away now."

I lifted my hand from the crystal ball, took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm.

"Now, the spiritual force test." The old priest pointed to the magic array beside him.

I stepped into the array. White light flared, and a wave of pressure descended over me. Light Element magic—suppression. I gritted my teeth and held on, but my mind was still on the system.

A Sign-in System. One sign-in per year, with rewards related to the location. I'd signed in at the magic test and received the Fallen Heart Flame. What about next year? The year after that?

This cheat was even more outrageous than I'd imagined.

"Good." The old priest's voice rang out. "Spiritual force: twenty times that of your peers. Upper-grade."

The hall stirred again.

Supreme-grade Fire Element, upper-grade spiritual force, twenty times the norm—that put me firmly among the best of everyone tested today.

"The young master of the Akes Family?"

"Eight years old, supreme-grade Fire Element, twenty times the spiritual force... He's Ernst Institute material!"

Several recruiters had already started making their way over.

Just then, another boy walked in through the entrance.

Brown hair, determined eyes, and a burly middle-aged man at his side.

Linley.

I recognized him at a glance. That look, that stance, and the little bulge on his shoulder—Bebe was probably still hidden in his clothes. He walked up to the testing platform and put his hand on the crystal ball.

Ochre and cyan light blazed at the same time, dazzling everyone.

"Earth Element and Wind Element, both supreme-grade! Fire Element, upper-grade!"

The old priest's voice rose again.

The hall erupted.

"Two? We've got two supreme-grades today?"

"One has Fire Element, the other has two elements! What have the kids been eating this year?"

Watching Linley in the testing array, I couldn't help smiling.

This was the protagonist of the original story. I was seeing him with my own eyes.

Linley endured the spiritual force test for a long time before finally dropping to one knee. The results came in: eighteen times that of his peers, upper-grade.

"Congratulations." As Linley stepped out of the array, I went over and offered my hand. "Aikesi Yan. Fire Element."

Linley paused, then shook my hand. "Linley Baruch."

His grip was strong, and his eyes held a steadiness far beyond his years. I could tell he was sizing me up. A noble young master who went out of his way to strike up a conversation must have seemed a little strange to Linley, who'd grown up in the countryside.

"You're impressive," I said. "Two supreme-grade elements and eighteen times the spiritual force. Ernst Institute will be fighting to recruit you."

Linley smiled, showing a little canine tooth. "Your results aren't bad either."

"We might be classmates someday," I said.

As soon as the words left my mouth, a middle-aged man in white robes walked over and smiled at Linley. "Linley, the Ernst Institute sincerely invites you to join us."

At the same time, several recruiters crowded around me, all talking at once as they introduced their schools.

I waved them away and looked past the crowd, watching Linley accept a red envelope.

Ernst Institute.

Sure enough, the wheels of fate had started turning.

By the time I left the church, dusk had fallen. The old butler Carl was waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw me, he hurried over. "Young master, how did it go?"

"Supreme-grade Fire Element, and twenty times the spiritual force," I said.

The old butler froze for a second, then his eyes reddened. "Wonderful! Wonderful! The master will be overjoyed when he hears!"

I smiled but said nothing.

Once I was in the carriage, I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the flame inside me. The Fallen Heart Flame lay dormant near my heart, like a sleeping cub. I could tell that I could call upon it whenever I wanted.

[Fallen Heart Flame: Heavenly Flame. Can merge with Dou Qi or magic power, enhance Fire Element attacks, and evolve by devouring other flames. Current state: infant stage.]

The system's voice sounded in my mind.

Infant stage. That meant it could grow stronger.

The carriage rolled along with a gentle sway. I lifted the curtain and watched the Church of Light recede into the distance. The crowd had already dispersed from the square; only a few lamps flickered in the night.

Linley should have left by now, too. He'd be carrying his acceptance letter from Ernst back to Wushan Town, where he'd see his father and begin his legendary journey.

And me—

I leaned back against the carriage's soft cushions, a faint smile on my lips.

Three days since crossing over, and I'd already signed in for the Fallen Heart Flame, met Linley, and all but secured my place at Ernst Institute. The door to this world had opened for me.