I have a question for you.
"Are we equal?"
The idealistic would say yes.
I say no.
We are not equal.
Equality is the illusion the higher powers crafted —
A pretty lie to pacify the ones clawing at the bottom.
Tell me then.
If we really are equal, why do some coast through life while others slave to just survive it?
Why do some smile at birth, silver spoon already shoved in their mouths,
While others are born mid-fall, already too far gone to reach the ground standing?
Why are some destined to shine...
And others like me, just drift?
A lazy genius.
A prodigy.
A golden child.
And then... just the ordinary.
Yeah. I was the last one.
No academic awards.
No high test scores.
No big wins. Just—average.
Mediocre.
I had no tragic backstory. No heroic dream.
But I wasn't miserable either. I had a quiet life.
A small one.
I worked as a game tester for The Hero Chronicles, one of most popular games currently.
Played competitively on the side — got top 4. They called me Jack'O in the leaderboards.
Also dabbled in writing novels. Never blew up. Never went viral.
But I had a few readers. A small community. It was enough.
Then came the diagnosis.
A Terminal illness.
I had months, the doctor said.
So I did what any guy with a ticking time bomb in his chest would do:
Said goodbye to the real ones.
Talked sh*t in ranked chat just because I could.
Watched the anime I kept shelving.
Read that manga I told myself I'd wait to finish. The one I let marinate.
Played one last tournament — placed third. Not bad.
Said goodbye to my online friends — the ones who knew me. The real ones who were there from the start. Those I knew well enough to go karaoke with.
I lived more in those last three months than I had in the last few years.
And today marked the end...
---
Tac tac tac.
The rhythmic clicking of keys filled the dark room.
The blue LED light cast shadows across my face. My fingers hovered and fell, dancing over worn keys, writing words that probably didn't matter.
I was typing the final chapter of my last story.
> Chapter 139: The End of the Side Character
Not poetic, but it was real.
The cursor blinked. My fingers slowed.
How many chapters had I written now?
To think... this is where it ends.
No grand finale. No explosive twist.
Just... an end.
I clicked [Post] and leaned back. Like muscle memory, my hand went to the comments section.
Scroll.
> Edgelord007: Dang, that was anticlimactic
> Helloktyy: This chapter was so sad.
> Unknown7765: Kinda mid tbh... I feel like it was rushed and the author had written this one half-heartedly.
…Yeah. Fair.
The truth is, I had written it half-heartedly.
How do you pour soul into something when you know you won't be around to finish it?
The cursor blinked again. My vision blurred.
...Huh?
I blinked.
And blinked again.
My chest tightened.
Heartbeat slowing.
Breath hitched. My lungs felt heavy.
It felt like my eyes were going to pop out of their sockets.
My head drooped forward—
Thud.
The desk met my forehead.
"So this is how it ends..."
It's strange how peacefully death felt after chasing after nothing for so long.
"Sh*t I didn't delete my browser history"
---
When I opened my eyes, it was morning.
Strange.
It had been night just a moment ago.
Sunlight filtered through white blinds.
I sat up in a bed I didn't recognize, wearing clothes I didn't own.
The walls were pristine. Neatly furnished. Uniformed.
A dorm?
Had I fallen asleep?
No...
No, I remembered.
The slowing breath.
The cold fingertips.
My vision fading to black.
I died.
And yet...
Here I was.
Sitting. Breathing. Awake.
Was this the afterlife?
Reincarnation?
A dream?
Then I saw it.
Hovering just before me, floating gently in the air like a video game HUD.
---
[Status Screen Loaded]
> Name: Axel Calford
Rank: E
Mana: 0/0
Strength: D
Agility: C
Magic: FF
Dexterity: B
Traits:
→ [Understanding (???)]: An unparalleled intellect for theoretical knowledge. Can intuitively grasp complex systems. [Game knowledge intergrated]
→ [Otherworldly Beauty (B)]: Unnervingly pretty. Cute.
→ [(???'s Chip)]: A sealed artifact embedded within the soul. Unknown. Gradually alters personality per use. Cold. Efficient. Detached.
Skills:
→ [Super Cognition (EX)]
→ [Eagle Eyes (F)]
→ [Hunter's Aim (D)]
→ [Mana Leakage]: Mana pathways are unstable and self-destructive. Casting spells causes damage. Mana capacity is zero.
---
Axel...?
Who the hell is that?
I stood and caught my reflection in the mirror beside the bed.
Short frame. Cute face. Sharp grey eyes that seemed detached. Long lashes. Long flowing black hair falling over my shoulders. Flawless skin and a tattoo on the neck. I could easily be mistaken for a girl with these features.