Cane—formerly Yoru—stared at the glowing status panel with dead eyes. The numbers didn't lie.
"F minus… across the board," he muttered. "Except for charm. Great. I'm a glass twig with a pretty face."
He squinted at the lone shining letter among the disasters. "Does charm even help in combat? Can I seduce my enemies into submission?"
"eww, gross," came the system's voice, dry as sandpaper. "You're not that pretty. I've seen goblins with better cheekbones."
Cane blinked slowly. "…I have to live with this thing?"
"Unfortunately for both of us."
He gave the panel a long, unimpressed glare before dismissing it. "Fantastic. My only ally is an AI with self-esteem issues."
"You wish."
Cane stepped out of the bathroom with his katana in hand. The room beyond was modest: one creaky bed, a small desk, and a window letting in the pale blue light of early morning.
On the desk sat a folded shirt—and a letter.
He approached cautiously, unfolded the paper, and read.
To Mother and Father,
I'm sorry. I tried. I really did. Kaelmoor was supposed to be where things changed for me. I trained. I studied. I pushed. But nothing ever got better.
I thought… maybe it was my talent. Or maybe I just wasn't meant for this world. You worked so hard for me. I know you did. You sacrificed everything so I could try to make it into Arkanis.
I just can't keep pretending anymore.
Goodbye.
Cane.
The paper trembled slightly in his hands.
Yoru—no, Cane now—exhaled. "...So that's the kind of life I'm inheriting."
He gently folded the letter back and opened the desk drawer. Inside was a simple fire starter. With a single flick, flame licked the edge of the paper. He dropped it in a metal bowl nearby, watching the words curl into ash.
"Rest easy, Cane," he murmured. "I'll live this life better than you could. Or at least… I'll try."
He grabbed the katana again, slung it across his back, and stepped out the door.
Kaelmoor.
His first real view of the town was a patchwork of cracked cobblestone, low-roofed buildings, and dusty streets lined with old wooden signs. Rolling hills surrounded the village, while distant mountains pierced the sky like gray blades.
The scent of bread and smoke drifted in the air. Vendors argued. Chickens crossed the road.
A sign nailed to a crooked post read: Welcome to Kaelmoor – Gate of the Broken.
"How inspirational," Cane muttered.
[System Prompt: Welcome to Kaelmoor, Eastreach's premier drop-out zone.]
"Thanks. I feel so encouraged."
The further he walked, the more it made sense. The people looked tired. Not beaten, just used to disappointment. Young adventurers with rusted swords. Mages in hand-me-down robes. And one or two familiar 'types'—the kind that had once looked down on him in school.
He kept walking until the houses thinned and trees rose in the distance.
The edge of the forest.
Kaelmoor's wilderness training grounds. Overgrown, humid, and filled with low-tier monsters.
He stopped at the treeline and opened his status screen again.
[Status - Common Limit]
Strength: F-Endurance: F-Agility: F-Intelligence F-Mana: F-Mental: F-Durability: F-Charm: A
Below it, a blinking tag: [TALENT DETECTED - Tap to view]
He tapped.
Talent 1: I'm Crazy
"Gives you a temporary stat boost if your behavior gets out of control. Warning: side effects include terrified allies, broken dignity, and long-term emotional damage."
Cane read it. Then reread it. Then smiled.
A slow, wide grin.
"…What kind of cursed joke did that god pull on me?"
He looked around. Several rookie adventurers were preparing for their own hunt. A few glanced his way.
So Cane did what he did best:
He smiled like a lunatic.
Wide. Too wide.
The other adventurers flinched.
[Talent Activated: I'm Crazy – Minor stat boost applied.]
Cane groaned. "This is my life now."
He looked at the second talent.
Talent 2: Blade Snuggle Syndrome
"Holding a katana for extended periods dramatically accelerates your proficiency gain. Recommended: eat, sleep, and bathe with it. Probably."
Cane blinked.
Then the system chimed:
[LOL. Better sleep hugging it if you wanna get strong, loser.]
He sighed. "You're trying to kill me from embarrassment, aren't you?"
He unsheathed his katana and stared at it.
"I should cut you in half."
[Warning: 'I'm Crazy' still active.]
Several adventurers nearby gasped and moved away.
"…Perfect. They think I'm a lunatic now."
Embarrassed, Cane stormed into the woods.
Hours passed.
Cane stumbled deeper into the forest, scratching his arms against thorns and fending off mosquitoes the size of sparrows. The sweat soaked through his clothes. Leaves and mud clung to his boots.
The first goblin came at him with a rusted dagger, snarling.
Cane, breathing heavily, raised his katana. "Alright… no 'crazy' this time. Let's see how much I suck."
It was a disaster.
Every swing he made was off-balance. His arms trembled with the weight of his own blade. The goblin weaved through his attacks with ease, giggling like it was toying with a child.
Cane gasped for breath after only ten seconds. A small cut had opened on his thigh.
"Damn it…"
He finally managed to land a single strike—a clumsy slash that grazed the goblin's chest. It wasn't enough. The goblin tackled him, knocking him onto his back, and raised its dagger.
Then Cane did the only thing he could think of.
He smiled.
A big, wide, unhinged smile.
The goblin hesitated.
Cane started giggling.
"Come on…" he whispered. "Let's play."
[Talent Activated: I'm Crazy – Minor stat boost applied.]
He rolled to the side, kicked the goblin in the gut, and swung his katana upward in a brutal, fast arc. The goblin squealed and collapsed, twitching.
Panting, Cane wiped blood off his face.
"…Okay. That worked. Somehow."
He didn't stop there.
Two more goblins appeared from the brush, drawn by the noise. Cane greeted them with a grin that made his eyes twitch.
His blade flashed.
He dodged more easily now. Moved faster. His cuts were sloppy, but backed by unnatural strength.
The goblins screamed as Cane danced between them, slicing one across the chest while laughing like a madman.
Nearby adventurers stopped and stared. Some dropped their gathering bags. One girl gasped.
"W-who is that?!"
"He's… he's smiling?"
"He's dancing!"
Cane twirled mid-strike, his katana carving a shallow wound across a goblin's shoulder.
His expression didn't change.
Wide grin. Bloody face. Swing after swing.
Cane's face flushed with exertion and humiliation. "Just kill me already," he muttered between gritted teeth—yet his hands never stopped moving.
He kept swinging. Slashing. Moving like a madman through the underbrush. The blood sprayed. The goblins shrieked. And all the while, his deranged smile only grew wider.
"This talent," he growled, eyes twitching, "is absolutely perfect for combat… and absolutely devastating for my mental health."
[System Prompt: Wow. You really are insane. I take it back—you're a perfect match for that talent. Honestly, some goblins look better than you right now.]
Cane didn't respond. He just screamed into the forest and hacked another goblin across the jaw.
By the time the last goblin collapsed, the small group of onlookers had retreated back into the woods, whispering about the lunatic who was "clearly possessed."
Cane, chest heaving, sat down with a heavy thud.
[Katana Mastery: Level 2]
"At least this is going up."
He glanced at his katana. "Guess I really do need to sleep with you."
He exhaled.
"This world… is brutal."
He thought back to kendo—its formality, its rhythm. It had no place here.
"I need a real teacher."
He paused.
"…But why am I doing this?"
A smile slowly crept onto his face. Not the mad kind, but a quiet one. "Right. I said I'd live easy. No more sacrifices. No more fighting for other people."
He turned, hands behind his head, and began strolling back toward the city, humming to himself.
Then came the sound:
[...Hiks… hiks…]
Cane blinked. "System?"
[I thought… we were finally going to accomplish something…]
"You're crying?"
[Hiks… I was this close to getting rid of another useless host… and then you start trying. And now you're giving up again…]
Cane frowned. "Wait… you were happy I was slacking?"
[Because I thought I was going to be free! You were going to lie around and die and I'd be reassigned! It would've been… beautiful.]
"…You were celebrating my death?"
[It's not personal! You were just being a lazy piece of garbage! A dignified end would've made everything easier!]
"You're unbelievable."
[Well, enjoy your nap. I'll prepare my farewell speech.]
"…Hold on."
[What?]
"You just said I was gonna die."
[...So?]
"Why?"
[Wouldn't you like to know.]
Cane's voice dropped. "System."
[No.]
"System."
[Still no.]
"I will sharpen this katana until I can stab voices."
[...Ugh, fine.]
[Mission Unlocked: Main Objective – Entrance Exam Preparation]
Raise at least one stat from F to C within 30 days.
Failure Condition: Death.
Time Remaining: 29 days, 18 hours, 4 minutes.
Cane's eyes widened.
He stared at the words. Read them again.
"…This is a joke."
[Nope.]
"You're telling me… if I don't power up in a month, I die?!"
[Yes.]
"…DAMNNN YOU GODD!!!"
His scream echoed through the woods like thunder, sending every bird within half a mile scrambling for the sky.
The goblins? They stayed down.