Chapter 2 - The System is Turning Me Into a Busybody

"Enroll you into the academy.. Are you stupid, how is that supposed to help me?" Alexander asked, with a look of slight annoyance.

"No, no, no wait, listen. The Academy is filled with young powerhouses, and even some hidden gems.I can go there, and find the people that we need. When I bring them to you, you can judge their character for yourself, and have the final say. We'll make the guild in my name, and everyone will just think I am just a little kid who wants to roleplay as the great heroes of the past. The students will come around and think about how those same heroes inspired them, and we will slowly realize Miracle."

Alexander stopped to think. The Academy was referring to the Academy of Future Heroes. It was a place where the kingdom's talented gathered together to be nurtured into heroes. However there were several big events that took place there. First was a kidnapping attempt on an important character, a corrupt teacher who went berserk in class, and the protagonist struggling with developing his skill. There were many other events, and I would need to be close to make sure everything happened as intended.

While I was thinking of the things that were coming, Alexander had made up his mind. Nodding, he turned to me and said, "I'll enroll you, but what should I do during this time?"

At this I smiled. I was hoping that he would ask me this. There were many other things I had future knowledge of... for example: the businesses that would grow in the coming years. However, I knew I was in a teenager's body. I hadn't actually stopped to look at myself, but I had felt it weird while I was running. I was shorter, and my legs weren't as long. I only had a doubt at first, however when I was pulled into this house I caught a good look at myself in a mirror on the wall.

I was definitely a teenager, and one I didn't recognize. It wasn't me when I was younger, it was just some kid. I was handsome though, so at least there is that. I would have to give myself a solid 90 points. However I had the question: who was I? Was I a character in the story? Or was I someone who shouldn't have been involved in the story at all, and I took over his body?

[Basic Understanding of Character achieved!]

A flow of information flooded into my mind. My name was Merlin Soso, I was now a 15 year old kid who lived in the kingdom of Elysium, and I didn't have any family. My memories from before right now were not accessible. Another question bugged me more than who I was: what did I do to make assassins come after me?

"Boy?"

I looked up.

"Are you deaf? How many times do I have to call out to you for you to reply? What is your name?" Alexander shook his head, looking annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was organizing my thoughts. My name is Da-... Merlin, Merlin Soso... Anyways, what I need you to do, is make us money. All you have to do is invest in what I tell you, and I promise you it'll be a golden goose... Ally Finge. Find her, she's the key to all of this. She should be living in the slums, a disabled woman begging for money with one arm and one leg. However don't treat her with disrespect! She is someone who might be as powerful as you."

Alexander raised his eyebrows. He was someone with very few equals. He then listened as the boy before him began to list off different names of businesses I should pour money into.

'This boy is still bleeding from his leg but it's like he forgot about it completely. Also he is incredibly mature for his age, I wonder what his origins are.. I'll have to look into him independently when I have time.'

Merlin had indeed forgotten about the mechanical bird stuck in his leg. The bleeding had stopped oddly enough, and he had gotten lost in his thoughts again. It wasn't until Alexander threw a small orb at him that he woke up from his thoughts.

The orb was small enough to fit in Merlin's small palm, it was a bubblegum pink colored liquid, and the outer coating felt like gel.

'A health orb. They are supposed to promote healing, and the way to do it is to put it in my mouth. Then I just bite gently, and it will pop in my mouth. Swallow the liquid and it should do the rest.'

I did so, then felt a warm surge of energy spread through my leg, I watched as the mechanical bird was pushed out of my leg slowly, and then the wound close at a visible speed.

I didn't forget to express my gratitude, these things were not cheap.

"Thank you, I will be sure to pay you back appropriately." I bowed to Alexander.

He simply waved his hand.

"I will be heading out to deal with the issues of enrolling you in school and looking for that woman. You can stay here. The door is unlocked, there are security measures in place so you don't have to worry about someone dangerous showing up, but you need to be careful. More assassins will be sent after you innthe future." With that, Alexander walked out of the door, with his hood up again.

'Haahhhh... I don't think I would willingly leave for a while, I didn't want another life and death experience anytime soon...'

[Quest: Find and save Talon Derringer from thugs.]

[Reward: Boxing Technique]

Talon Derringer, a youth who attended the Academy in the protagonist's second year, meaning he wasn't discovered for his talent until next year. However the kid was incredibly talented. He had a talent for learning martial arts, he even learned how to create aura at the age of 18, making him one of the youngest auras of all time.

I remembered the area he spoke of in the novel. He grew up in the slums, on Dreary St, if I remembered correctly. I knew where to start, and I was confident I could find him, however I was still apprehensive about looking for him.

I looked down at the hole in my pant leg. My life was being targeted... I would be a liar if I said I wasn't scared...

I knew that I needed to prioritize my own life, and that meant I would need to find strong people to protect me in the long run. Talon was... Loyal. He was stayed with the protagonist through every situation, and never abandoned his friends. I now had the opportunity to make him indebted to me early, before he received any power.

After thinking about it for a few more minutes, I decided to be more proactive. I needed to take control of my life.

'I'll be different from now on... I live in a different world, where being selfish might be the only difference between me living or dying.'

So I left. I put the mechanical bird back into the armguard, and walked out the door. I walked for another ten minutes before I arrived at the slums.

It was almost like I stepped into a painting, the streets I stepped onto were covered in filth, and there was murky water flowing in the drains on the side of the road. There was no mud, so the color could only come from trash and excrement. I walked along the streets, until I came across a sign that said 'Dreary St' on it. I turned onto the street, and almost immediately I heard a commotion from one of the alleys.

"You fuck, you had enough or do you still need to be taught a lesson!?"

"I think your dick fell off, otherwise a fellow man would understand that I can't bow to anyone."

*Sigh*

Talon was a magnet for trouble. I forgot how annoying it was having him constantly get into problems because of his mouth. I pulled out my gun, and turned into the alley with it pointed at the thugs.

"Step away from the kid."

There were four thugs surrounding one kid on the ground, kicking him. When they heard the voice they were about to tell the person to leave before they got hurt, however when they turned around and saw the gun they thought otherwise. Putting their hands up, they backed away from the kid on the ground.

I walked up to him, with my gun still pointed at the thugs.

"Are you okay?" I asked, glancing at the kid. He was as the books described. Matted black hair, it was a mess almost like an unkempt mane. Piercing black eyes that had a glint to them that made the black stand out even more.

"I don't need your pity, fuck off."

*Sigh*

I was a little annoyed, so I decided now would be a good time to teach this kid a lesson.

"Here." I handed Talon my gun. "Only the strong get a choice, and I choose to save you. Until you have the strength to stop me, you don't get to refuse."

I then approached the thugs, and got into a boxing stance. I was confident only for one reason.

[Boxing Technique has been rewarded.]

I received the notification once the kids left him alone when I showed up with a gun. However I needed to use them to teach Talon a lesson, but also to get him interested in martial arts. The sooner he was sent down that path, the sooner he would become a useful bodyguard.

"Which one of you wants to get pieced up first?"

Without saying a word, the one who seemed to be the leader, took a big step forward and swung a haymaker.

'Step to the left. Pivot, twist, left hand uppercut.'

My fist cracked against his chin, and I felt the thug go limp.

I then punched him with a cross as he was going down. He crumpled upon himself as he fell. His legs folding under his body, and he fell forward hitting his face on the ground. It was accompanied by a crunch, so it was safe to say his nose was probably broken.

I looked at Talon for a brief moment, giving him a smirk. Talon had his jaw wide open, and his eyes were wide. I smiled inwardly, turning back to the other three thugs, I could tell they didn't want to fight anymore.

"Take him and leave." I waved my hand at the three hoodlums.

"Thank you sir!"

They all bowed and quickly picked up the leader. They hurriedly left the alley, leaving just Talon and me. Talon looked at me, trying to think of something to say. I walked over, unbothered, and took my gun back. I then began to walk away.

"T-t-thanks... They were trying to take my medicine I just bought for my mom. She is sick, and she needs this medicine badly. If you hadn't had helped me..." Tears began to stream down his face as he spoke. "Thank you, so much. I don't know why you helped me but I'll do whatever you ask."

"That'll do then. Go get your mother, you both will move out of the slums immediately. She won't get better living here, and if you get caught up again it could spell the end of your mother. So, go, bring her."

Talon then ran off towards a nearby house and soon came out with his mother. We left and walked towards the house Alexander brought me to earlier. It was a large house I was sure he wouldn't mind two people coming to live there.

After they got settled, his mother came to thank me. She was a woman who looked like the illness had drained her of almost all of her vitality, however she had traces left of a beautiful woman under all that fatigue. I wondered what illness she had, because his mother was not talked about in great extent in the book, because she had died before Talon enrolled in the academy.

However just by looking at the woman, I could figure why she died. It almost looked like she was on the verge of death now.

[You have meddled with the plot! Large change has been made!]

[Soloman's Eyes has been rewarded.]

'An eye? How does that wo-'

"AHHHHHHH!!!" Merlin collapsed to the ground. His eyes melted, his nerve endings stinging because of exposure to the air, and slowly new flesh grew in its place. Golden eyes mixed with flecks of purple that swirled in the center, grew in place of his old eyes. Talon and his mother looked on in horror, but knew better than to interrupt. They didn't understand what was happening to Merlin, but they knew it was past their ability.

Once the eyes finished condensing, Merlin simply collapsed and fainted.