Whoosh!
Arthur felt his consciousness pulled by an invisible force. Everything around him was dark, without even a glimmer of light.
"[Ding! Master is entering the world of the book and requires a brief verification process. Progress: 10%... 20%... 30%... 80%... 100%!]"
"[Ding! Welcome to the book titled Living My Normal Day as a Non-Prominent Character!]"
Buzz!
A bright white light shone from in front of him, and he quickly closed his eyes. Moments later, the light faded, and Arthur slowly opened them.
"This..." he gasped in surprise.
Before him was a simple, neat, and clean room. He had never seen decor like this before, yet for some reason, it intrigued him.
The room wasn't very big—maybe half the size of his hospital room.
The bed he lay on was a single foam mattress. A small nightstand stood to his right, while the wall ran along the other side.
A window, about forty centimeters from his bed, looked directly outside. Judging by its view, the room was clearly on the second floor.
A simple wardrobe stood at the end of the room, next to a desk and chair.
"Am I really in the world of the novel?" Arthur wondered inwardly.
"[Yes, Master, you are indeed in a novel.]"
The system's flat voice echoed in his mind, bringing him a small sense of relief.
"I understand. So, can you explain my identity in this world?"
"[Master, your current identity is that of a transfer student from a country called England. Your name is Arthur Linishter, and you are currently in Tokyo, Japan.]"
At the words "England" and "Japan," Arthur froze. Both countries were nations from the past, destroyed by the appearance of mysterious gates about a hundred and fifty years ago.
He hadn't expected to enter a novel world where both still existed.
"System, what year is it now? Are the events here the same as in my world?" he asked seriously.
"[It is now the year 2024, Master. Don't worry, this world is just a novel and has no connection to your world. Whatever happens in your world will not affect this one.]"
Arthur let out a relieved sigh. He had feared this world might share the same fate, but his worries had been unnecessary.
"So, am I a high school student or a college student now?"
"[You are a student at a prestigious high school in this country—Shirogane Academy. This school gathers the elite from all over Japan, and you will be a transfer student in class 1-A,]" the system explained. "[Oh, right, I forgot to mention—Shirogane Academy is no ordinary school. It's home to the children of powerful conglomerates from across the country, so be prepared, Master.]"
Arthur fell silent, processing the explanation for a moment before fully grasping his situation.
"I understand. Please tell me what I need to do in this world."
"[This novel's world revolves around the main character, Yuuji Nakamura, who excels in both academics and sports. However, he is extremely lazy and always hides his abilities from others. By the way, this novel has a harem theme, so there will be more than one woman who likes the main character.]"
"[Your task is to prevent one of the heroines, Charlotte Freinhert, from falling in love with him. Make her yours instead. You have sixty days—two months—to accomplish this. Side missions will appear at certain times, granting you system points. These points can be used to purchase abilities or items at the System Mall.]"
With that, the system panel appeared in front of Arthur.
[System Mall]
1. Speed reading ability: 10 system points
2. Strong memory: 15 system points
3. Basketball skills: 20 system points
4. …
The System Mall displayed so many abilities and items that Arthur was mesmerized, unable to speak.
"System, can I take the abilities I purchase into the real world?" he asked.
"[Of course, Master. You can rest assured,]" the system replied.
Arthur felt a surge of happiness. Although the abilities in the System Mall weren't extraordinary, they were more than enough to give him a solid foundation in this novel's world.
After all, he had never attended formal schooling, so his knowledge was naturally limited.
"System, open the mission panel," he commanded.
"[Ding! Mission panel has been opened!]"
[Missions in the Novel World: Living My Normal Day as a Non-Prominent Character!]
Main Mission: Conquer Charlotte Freinhert. Progress: 0/100
Side Missions:
Daily:
1. Eat breakfast (5 system points). 0/1
2. Greet your aunt in the morning (10 system points). 0/1
Triggered:
1. Attend school for the first time (20 system points).
2. Introduce yourself to your classmates (15 system points).
Arthur studied the system panel for a moment before nodding slightly.
"This is pretty easy to understand. This is going to be interesting," he muttered with a small smile.
Quickly, he stood and stretched his stiff body. Then he glanced down at his legs and couldn't help but smile wryly.
"So, this is what it feels like to have healthy legs, huh? Fifteen years of disability made me forget what it feels like to stand," he whispered weakly.
Shaking off the thought, he walked to the mirror near the closet and stared at his reflection.
"So handsome…" he murmured in awe.
He was tall—about 184 centimeters—with a slightly muscular build and fair skin. His hair was golden blond, and his eyes were as blue as the ocean.
If he had a handsomeness score of 100 in the real world, here he would be a 99.
Satisfied with his reflection, Arthur took a towel and a simple white T-shirt from the wardrobe.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the room and house felt oddly familiar.
Perhaps the system had secretly implanted the memories of Arthur Linishter, making it easier for him to step fully into the character's role.
As he approached the bedroom door and opened it, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him, colliding with his chest.
Thud!
"Ouch!" Arthur clutched his chest in pain, glaring at the culprit. His eyes widened in instant shock.
"You are... Melissa?"