I stepped out of my room, gripping a broom, heading toward the third floor. I was still adjusting to my new body, but the overwhelming sense of not belonging suffocated me.
As I looked around, I noticed that a luxurious room's door was left open. On the plaque mounted beside it, a name was elegantly engraved:
"Frosita."
I let out a deep sigh.
"I'm screwed!"
I had found her room without raising any suspicion.
Summoning the system, I clenched my fist in frustration.
The usual annoying notification popped up, as if the system was mocking me:
My eyebrows shot up in shock.
But I quickly realized there was no point in arguing with this piece of digital junk. I sighed and asked about the map's price.
I gritted my teeth.
Instead of continuing the argument, I started cleaning. The room was spacious, with a king-sized bed, a massive mirror, and a wardrobe filled with luxurious clothes. Books were stacked neatly on one of the shelves.
As I dusted, my hand accidentally knocked a book off the shelf.
I picked it up and read the title:
A smirk tugged at my lips, and I started flipping through its pages.
"Blah, blah, blah⦠the same cliché introduction in every magic-based world."
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
But the next part caught my interest:
Taking a deep breath, I gave it a try. At first, it felt like an empty void, but after a moment⦠suddenly, mana exploded around me!
I felt it surging inside me like a raging ocean, flowing unnaturallyâas if I were a black hole consuming everything.
A new notification appeared before me:
Name: Lin Noctarine (Transmigrator)
Clan: Noctarine (Partially Sealed)
Age: 13
Level: 1 â 6
Strength: 5 â 20
Agility: 8 â 25
Endurance: 10 â 28
Mana: 20 â 100
Blessing: Not Activated
Mana Gluttony (F) â An abnormal ability to absorb mana at an extremely fast rate and convert it into internal energy.
"What?!"
I expected some advantages, but this⦠this was insane! I could absorb massive amounts of mana in just four hours! Even the geniuses in the original novel took months!
Before I could process it further, Camellia's voice called out to me:
I jumped up and quickly returned the book to its place.
Camellia eyed me suspiciously.
I lowered my head, feigning exhaustion.
She didn't seem entirely convinced, but she didn't press further.
A while later, we carried the food to the family's dining hall. As I was leaving, the patriarch entered, followed by his wife, Arin, their daughter, Frosita, and her brother, Silvren.
The moment my eyes met Frosita's, I froze in place.
She was smiling.
But it wasn't a childish, innocent smile. It wasn't sarcastic or even amused. It was just a calm, faint smile⦠yet it felt like it was penetrating my soul.
"Shit⦠why do I feel like a rat under a microscope?!"
Had the symptoms already begun?
I hadn't even interacted with her yetâ¦
Then, suddenly, the system popped up.
I silently gasped. But what I read next nearly made me slam my head against the wall.
I clenched my teeth.
"Damn you, you bastardâ¦"
"You're trying to imprison me. This is insane! You want me to kiss a 12-year-old kid while I'm 18?! Are you out of your mind?!"
"What else was I expecting from a shoujo novel?!"
Before I could think of a way out, a new notification popped up.
At that moment, I felt my heart stop.
"Huh?!"
Kiss !!!!!!!!
Fury exploded inside me.
But the system remained unfazed:
My hands trembled, and I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself.
"That insane author who wrote this cursed story! I know you're watching me! Are you enjoying my suffering?!"
Then, a thought crossed my mind.
"Alright⦠if I'm inside this novel, there must be a way to turn it upside down!"
I tightened my fist and smirked darkly.
"I won't be the hero of this shoujo nonsense⦠I'll be its downfall."