Suddenly, a cold, emotionless, and genderless voice rang out in Chu Yuan's ear, scaring the living daylights out of him!
How could he not be scared?
Just look at the surroundings, then listen to a voice suddenly echoing in your ear—I ask you, are you scared? Are you startled?
Answer me! Look into my eyes!!
At the same time, a ghostly, 3D blue translucent screen materialized before Chu Yuan's eyes. On it appeared a line of strange symbols, a language Chu Yuan had never seen before in his life.
But miraculously, Chu Yuan understood its meaning perfectly; it was exactly what the voice had just said.
A System!?
As a veteran web novel reader of many years, Chu Yuan recognized this thing instantly.
Filled with boundless curiosity, he reached out his hand to try and touch the glowing screen.
The result was obvious... his hand passed right through. He couldnt touch it...
"Not too surprising," Chu Yuan said calmly, though his heart was racing with excitement.
After all, Systems only existed in novels. Now that he was seeing one with his own eyes, being curious and excited was perfectly normal.
Chu Yuan looked up, turned right, turned left, and looked down; he noticed the virtual screen moved along with his line of sight.
Like a child with a new toy, he played with the screen in every way possible—poking it, squeezing it, pressing his face against it, even licking it...
System: "..."
All right.
Even though he couldnt touch it, Chu Yuan felt deeply satisfied.
The text on the glowing screen suddenly refreshed. Simultaneously, that same genderless, emotionless voice echoed in Chu Yuans ear once again.
[Your objective is simple: do whatever it takes to survive!]
[You have been granted a 7-day Newbie Period. During this time, your safety is guaranteed and enhanced. However, you will still perish if you fail to maintain your basic living conditions.]
[This world is treacherous, yet brimming with opportunity. Whether you choose to forge ahead and face the danger or retreat and hide from it—the choice is in your hands.]
[Finally, good luck!]
The voice fell silent. At that moment, Chu Yuan felt an unprecedented weight settle over him. His previous excitement and thrill vanished, replaced by cold seriousness and deep contemplation.
This world was real! If he died, he would stay dead!!
Pain, agony, and fear—they were all very real. And he, Chu Yuan, wasnt some cold, over-the-top, fearless protagonist from an OP (overpowered) novel.
He was just a college freshman! A regular guy, perhaps one with a slightly deeper and more profound perspective on the world and society, but ordinary nonetheless.
"I wonder if Im even the protagonist..."
The thought suddenly popped into his head.
Having read so many novels and seen so many main characters, Chu Yuan began to re-evaluate himself.
He was an ordinary person. No power, no wealth, no background, no influence. His parents were divorced, his childhood was plagued by hardship and misfortune; he had very few friends, and he didnt believe in love (every girl he dated was the one to break it up). Deep down in his thoughts, there was a trace of darkness.
"Fine... I feel like Im not exactly a righteous person, so maybe Im not the protagonist after all."
Chu Yuan sighed, no longer dwelling on the matter.
What if he was the protagonist? And what if he wasnt?
He, Chu Yuan, would show everyone what the rise of an ordinary man looked like!
Alright, fine, he still really wanted to be the protagonist!