0% Sothing unexpected materialized in the corner of my eye. Sothing that defied explanation by any known concept or phenonon in this world. Even the erudite masters of the mage towers would likely be at a loss to describe it.
If I were to question Sir ltas or Miss Didoa about this, I’d probably be t with nothing more than a puzzled tilt of the head.
In monts like these, mories from my past life were a huge help. They provided unique perspectives and experiences that the people of this world could never possess.
I imdiately recognized what it was.
“A Status Window...?”
It resembled a translucent panel affixed to thin air, reminiscent of sothing one would only expect to see in a ga.
A torrent of thoughts flooded my mind. The shock was so profound that under normal circumstances, I might have spent days or even weeks lost in deep contemplation.
Such was the impact of this Window that had suddenly intruded upon my life.
But fortunately—if I could call it that—the Window’s contents were so significant that they eclipsed all other musings.
[43:05:21:54:55]
In all honesty, I was terrible with numbers.
As a child, I nearly lost my mind trying to morize multiplication tables. Once variables and strange symbols entered the equation, I had to tap into the very essence of my life force just to comprehend them.
Given my woeful mathematical prowess, this jumble of numbers appeared to follow no discernible pattern or formula. So normally, I would never have deciphered the aning behind this cryptic sequence.
But then...
[43:05:21:54:52]
“Uhhh...”
The numbers began to change.
[43:05:21:54:47]
No.
[43:05:21:54:43]
They were moving now, following a clear, unmistakable pattern. As hopeless with numbers as I was, even I could see it instantly. This shifting array of numbers represented ti—remaining ti.
In essence, this Window was a countdown tir.
“Seconds...minutes...hours...days...and...weeks?”
According to the tir, approximately 43 weeks remained...and that was it.
The Window rely displayed the ti left, offering no hint as to what would happen when it reached zero.
That uncertainty was maddening. Humans, after all, are creatures who read anxiety into finite ti.
That anxiety led to one possibility—the most symbolic concept associated with limited ti.
“...Yeah, no way.”
I tried my best to dismiss the possibility, but no alternative ca to mind. Lately, there had been far too many reasons to suspect otherwise.
The sudden manifestation of new power, my rapid growth, and the resulting accumulation of fatigue and strain on my body.
And that brief glimpse of the afterlife during my mana overflux.
“This can’t be my remaining lifespan...right?”
Yes, it was absurd. A Status Window appearing out of nowhere, showing my remaining ti to live? And less than a year at that?
I shook my head repeatedly, my expression full of disbelief—evidence of my brain working overti to find a silver lining. That little hope circuit in there was a dangerous thing. So good at spinning baseless optimism, it ruined peoples’ lives for fun.
Just one more push, right?
Yeah no.
Surely my life won’t be ruined?
It will.
Surely I won’t die?
You will.
But this ti I was counting on that power of optimism more than ever.
Please, save from this terrifying possibility of a terminal life.
Then, as I struggled to shake off my anxiety with these scattered thoughts, it happened.
***
Choose a recipient for experience point distribution.
[Self] , [Faction]
***
If no selection is made within the ti limit, a recipient will be automatically chosen.
***...
...
...
***
Experience points will be distributed automatically.
Recipient: Self
***
[You have leveled up]
***
■Risir
Level: 39 > 41
***
[You have reached a level milestone (6th Rank)]
[Corresponding perks will be awarded]
***...
...
...
***
Experience points to distribute remains.
Choose a recipient for experience point distribution.
[Self] , [Faction]
***
If no selection is made within the ti limit, a recipient will be automatically chosen.
***“...!”
Goddammit all. Of all tis, it had to be now?
And it’s a big one, comparable to that ti with Gerhen. Maybe even greater.
“Frrgh...!”
Sothing lukewarm seeped from every orifice on my face. I figured it was blood and that my condition was critical.
Yet, who knew what got into ? The first thing I did in this dire situation was to check the Window.
[00:00:39:02:12:54:23]
There was no need to even ticulously compare how much ti had decreased, as the highest digit had vanished entirely. How generous.
“Oh, that’s just great.”
An intense headache hit —at least this ti, I was sure it wasn’t from mana overflux.
My body was ravaged by a surge in mana and in response, the tir’s countdown accelerated.
This confird that the Window was linked to my lifespan. In other words, I had less than a year left to live.
The stark reality of such a short ti made my head spin. A terrible sense of helplessness engulfed , as if I were sinking into a swamp.
“...Kagh!”
Still, I had to do what I could. After all, living for another year is better than dying right away.
I gathered the mana swirling inside my body through Blue Breath.
“Kagh—! Hufff...urgh...! Huff...”
Even though I’d done this before and should have so experience, it wasn’t getting any easier.
Despite my initial assumption that it was comparably bad to the growth I experienced after dealing with Gerhen, it was actually much more intense.
Back then, I struggled because I lacked the skill to handle the overflux. At present, it was purely the sheer magnitude of the surging magic power that was overwhelming .
Suddenly, indignation nearly killed . How could this co out of nowhere? All I’d done was normalize so minor desert devil. Was that really enough to justify such a drastic surge in power?
It didn’t make sense.
Normally, I would’ve simply shrugged it off as a boon to be had. But after learning this process was rapidly draining my remaining lifespan, I was left with nothing but pure indignation.
“Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!”
After what felt like ages, I finally stabilized my magic power. My body was drenched in blood and sweat, and outside the window, twilight had already fallen.
I had planned to finish moving preparations today and bid farewell to the mage tower folks, but that had all fallen through.
And worst of all, one of the few days left in my short life had been wasted aninglessly.
“Fffu—”
With that half-ford curse, I blacked out.
***“Mastah! You okay?! Don’t die! I’ll be sad!”
“...!”
Awakened by a chirping voice, I first checked outside the window. It was a clear morning without a single cloud in the sky.
But as I gazed at that sky, dark clouds gradually filled my mind.
“I certainly slept like a log...Wasted a whole day...”
Was this really how soone should feel after undergoing explosive growth, getting so rest, and greeting a new morning?
A fresh wave of misery washed over . From now on, no matter how good things got, I’d probably react just like this. To think that a life once filled with positivity and optimism would end in such relentless pessimism.
I was starting to understand why the elderly were so bad-tempered.
“Mastah! You okay?! Does it hurt sowhere?! Is it because you’re bleeding?!”
Again, a voice chirped near my feet.
A semi-transparent little girl, seemingly made of sand, was looking up at with bright eyes—Verdandes.
I patted her head.
“I’m fine. Just a bit troubled because I have less than a year left to live.”
“Really?! That’s good! It’s nothing serious! Mastah shouldn’t be sick! Being sick is hard!”
“That’s quite philosophical.”
Just as I had realized why older people beco cranky, I felt like I understood why they were weak to little children.
Watching the little girl chirping away, oblivious to the world’s worries, my pessimistic outlook started to shift.
“...Right.”
I pulled myself together.
Not much ti left to live? All the more reason to push away despair and hold on to optimism. It’s not like I’d have the chance to regret it later.
“...”
For a mont, I felt a deep, overwhelming sense of fulfillnt. Was this what enlightennt felt like?
Now, I understood. For humans, living a long life wasn’t what truly mattered; it was about how you lived. That was where the real aning lay.
With a heart that had let go of everything yet embraced it all, I checked how much ti I had left. I needed to plan how to make the most of what little remained.
[51:01:55:42:15]
“?”
Eh? Why are you back, lifespan? And why are you even longer than when I first saw you?
“...Nice, I guess?”
I felt the corners of my mouth twitching.
Yeah. Who cares how you live? In the end, living longer is what really matters.
No wonder people say it’s better to struggle through life than to be dead.
A surge of motivation hit . Forget planning how to make the most of my remaining days—sothing far more exciting ca to mind.
Planning how to extend them.
I sat at my desk and went over my mories, noting anything that stood out in the process.
***
[Title : wtf is up with this tir?]
Post : I pushed Kehlryn story and a tir pops outta nowhere
don’t tell that’s a bomb collar around my char’s neck oy
: yeah no
-[OP] : phew
: the bombs on the world
-[OP] : ?
: When that tir hits zero, it’s the world-ending bad ending.
-[OP] : where tf this co from???
-[OP] : whyd pushing a fate quest suddenly start a doomsday countdown???
: is not suddenly starting a countdown. the ga lore says becoz u moved closer to fate, now you can feel it approaching~
-[OP] : bruh I only got 30 weeks left any way to extend it?
: uh yeah this ga would have a happy ending if it had sothing like that
: it’s fail to clear the final area in ti and get a shitfucked ending VS clear it in ti and get a sowhat less shitty ending
-[OP] : FFS
***...
...
...
***
Experience points will be distributed automatically.
Recipient: Self
***I made progress. I had discovered the key chanism for extending my lifespan, which could be considered the most crucial piece in my plan to survive longer.
I had no idea why it happened, but thanks to yet another sudden surge of magic power, the answer revealed itself.
Another overflux, another burst of magical growth.
[53:01:55:42:15]
And another extension to my lifespan.
It was now clear that my remaining ti was directly tied to my magic. Unstable mana, when surging out of control, drained my lifespan. But once refined and fully integrated into my body, it did the opposite, extending my life.
This chanism was certainly straightforward...and utterly despair-inducing.
Just yesterday, when I was still stuck at the lower level of the 5th rank, I had 43 weeks left to live.
Now, after enduring one magical outburst after another and barely stepping into the 6th rank, I had 53 weeks.
The infamous wall of the 6th rank had trapped countless mages, keeping them from advancing no matter how much of their lives they devoted to it. Yet after breaking through that very wall...all I gained was a re 10 extra weeks.
The inefficiency was staggering.
...But still. As the people around often pointed out, my constitution was a tad abnormal. My magic power increased whenever I normalized sothing corrupt or villainous. And occasionally, I experienced inexplicable surges of power.
I was soone who had nearly died multiple tis not from a lack of magic, but from having too much of it. So just maybe...
I might live long enough to kick the bucket from old age!
Only 53 weeks were left, barely a year. I still had a long way to go.
I wasn’t going to rest easy in my grave, not unless I at least lived to see my great-grandkids. If possible, I even wanted to use mana to achieve so form of immortality.
So, this was no ti to sit around.
I got up imdiately.
Normalization...gim normalization...
I stepped out, searching for my next target.
***They say people fail to appreciate what they take for granted.
Now, I understood exactly what that ant.
Where are you...my dear black mage friends...?
Targets for normalization and villains steeped in evil. Up until now, they had always co to on their own, getting normalized and dumping magic power into like an annoying chore.
So I had assud that if I put my mind to it, I could track them down anyti and achieve the dream of extending my life.
But apparently, that was just arrogance.
The past few days, I had been wandering all over Bondalles, searching for any anomalous presence— and I’d found nothing.
In hindsight, it made perfect sense. If this world were the kind of place where black mages—those next-level sons of bitches—freely road the streets, wouldn’t it have already teetered on the brink of destruction?
The world was peaceful. Despairingly so.
“Hah...”
Once again, I returned ho empty-handed.
What day is it today...?
Checking the calendar, I realized I had just two days left before my promised departure from the Gray Tower.
That was problematic. I had hoped to achieve so results before returning to my main profession as a freelancer. The thought of juggling work and this absurd quest made my head spin.
...Thinking about it, this is actually infuriating.
A surge of resentnt welled up inside as I glared at that damn Window.
Looking back, I had desperately wanted it. Back when I first regained my past life’s mories, I imagined myself soaring through life with the help of a Status Window, just like any protagonist of a reincarnation story.
But reality had offered no such thing. I had even called out to it, just in case, only to be t with natural silence.
So I gave up. Convinced that my life held no System or guiding interface, I had pushed the very idea out of my mind.
And yet, after all this ti, it had suddenly appeared—only to throw my remaining lifespan in my face and start working like a dog.
If it was going to do this, it could’ve at least provided so extra features.
As I pouted at this pure, 100% responsibility-laden system with zero gratification, a mory surfaced.
-Status Window...?!
Those were the very first words I had shouted upon regaining my past life’s mories...and I probably did it in whatever language those mories had been ford in.
“...”
No way...right?
A sudden thought struck , and cautiously, I decided to put it to the test.
“Status Window...?”
For the first ti, I uttered those words in the language of this world.
“Ah.”
***
■Risir
Level : 41
Race : Human
Class : ???
***“Oh, co on...seriously?”
It turned out there was a mistake with the language settings. I staggered in bewildernt.
But then...
“...Huh?”
A certain detail caught my eye.
“...Level 53? What rank is that again?”
Sothing was off about my party mbers’ statuses.
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