Taryn closed the door behind him with a soft click, the muted hum of the evening fading as he stepped into the silence of his room.
He exhaled, finally alone again.
So, all of them are coming back…
His heart beat with a strange rhythm—half nervous, half excited. His siblings weren't just family. They were legends in their own rights. And he? He was the footnote. The afterthought. The weakling youngest.
Taryn ran a hand through his hair.
No. That's not who I am anymore.
And just as he sat at the edge of his bed, arms resting on his knees, a voice exploded from thin air—
"HAHA! That's the reaction I was looking for!"
Taryn jumped. He almost toppled sideways, hands flying up like he'd been caught watching something embarrassing.
"What the—!?"
Floating just above his bed was a faintly glowing, translucent figure made entirely of shifting blue lines—like some hologram come to life. It didn't have a face, just expressive, exaggerated eyes and a mischievous animated mouth.
"You should've seen your face!" the system howled, twisting mid-air into a somersault of delight. "Oh man. Worth every byte of energy!"
Taryn stared, flat. "Was the dramatic entrance really necessary?"
"Necessary? No. Hilarious? Absolutely." The system grinned wide. "Anyway! I overheard your little chat earlier…"
Taryn tensed.
"Oh yes," the system continued, floating closer. "The whole 'All your siblings are amazing' thing. The 'My third brother just became a minister' moment. Wow, look at that family—warriors, scholars, alchemists, commanders…"
It drifted around him in a slow circle.
"...And then there's you."
Taryn's eyebrow twitched. "I know what you're trying to do."
The system threw tiny confetti into the air. "Oh? And what's that?"
"Motivate me by making me mad."
"Ding ding ding! Give the man a spiritual cookie!"
Taryn rolled his eyes, but his smirk betrayed his amusement.
"Okay, now that we've gotten through the character-shaming phase," he said dryly, "what's next?"
The system stopped midair. Its goofy face sharpened with sudden mock-seriousness.
"Well... I have a surprise for you. Wanna hear it?"
Taryn leaned back on his hands. "Let me guess. You've secretly been training my body this whole time and I'm now a martial arts prodigy?"
"Pfft, please. Do I look like a shortcut machine?"
"Yes."
"Fair."
The system gave a twirl, then threw out a scroll that materialized mid-air with a flash of light and a jingle sound that was far too cheerful.
It unfurled.
[MISSION: Step Into Level 1 of Stage One]
Objective: Begin your cultivation journey. Form spiritual sense and draw in external energy.
Reward: Complete restoration of body from all negative elements.
Failure: No penalty.
Time Limit: None.
Bonus XP for Style Points!
The system posed mid-air like a circus host.
"Howzaaaaaat?!" it yelled in a voice too dramatic for the size of the announcement.
Taryn blinked.
Then raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say 'Howzat' like a cricket commentator?"
"You bet I did. That's called flavor, baby!"
Taryn sighed, but the side of his lips twitched again. "So if I complete this mission… my body recovers? No more lingering sickness?"
The system gave a thumbs-up with glowing fingers. "Back to brand-new model! No rust, no cracks, no wheezing lungs. You'll be the deluxe edition."
Taryn sat up straighter, fingers curling into his bedsheets.
"…Then let's do it."
"Atta boy."
The scroll shimmered once, then vanished into light as the system beamed.
"Welcome to your first step, Taryn. Let's show this world what a so-called 'worthless' youngest son can really do."