1: Golden Grand Technique

New York University, New York, USA. The school isn't particularly famous in this sprawling American mega-city spanning 1,214.4 square kilometers, and there aren't many notable figures around.

James chose to study here simply because it's close to home and has excellent facilities.

"Ah, looks like there's still a year left..." James muttered softly, a hint of worry furrowing his brow. He stepped across the soft green lawn, planning to take a shortcut to the school gate.

"Ugh!"

Staring at the bustling crowd near the school gate, James couldn't help but sigh deeply. In another year, the world would begin to undergo monumental changes, far beyond what most people could imagine.

"I'll say it again, I don't want to go for drinks with you. Please, leave me alone," a familiar voice tinged with anger reached James's ears. He turned and saw, not far from the gate, a tall, strong man surrounded by a group of people, arguing with a beautiful girl.

The girl had long blonde hair, delicate features, a prominent nose, and amber eyes that now flashed with impatience. Steve Anderson, the school's basketball team captain, was good-looking and popular. Though James wasn't acquainted with him, he recognized him by reputation.

"James Allen!?"

The tall man stood his ground, surprised to see James. He grinned casually, "Hey, Allen, it's none of your business. I just wanted to get to know the lady behind you."

"James!"

Behind James, the girl caught in the situation exclaimed in surprise, making Steve realize they knew each other.

"She's, my sister. Are you bothering her!?"

James replied coldly. Despite Steve's height and muscle advantage, James showed no fear.

"Your sister!?"

Steve was taken aback. He hadn't expected this twist and looked slightly embarrassed. His teammates were equally surprised, and by now, a crowd had gathered to watch the scene unfold.

Facing James's stern gaze, Steve took a step back, then arrogantly said, "I didn't know she was your sister. I was just asking her out for a drink."

"Then, are you deaf? She said she doesn't want to go with you."

James stared at Steve without flinching. He had no intention of backing down or being bullied.

"James, let's go," the girl tugged at James's sleeve, clearly wanting to avoid escalating the situation in front of so many people.

"Be careful, you might trip if you keep walking like that."

Aware of the onlookers, James didn't want to cause a scene. He glanced at Steve and muttered something under his breath before turning and guiding the girl away from the crowd.

Behind them, Steve was puzzled by James's words. He turned to his teammates, about to ask, "What did he mean..."

Before he could finish, Steve stumbled over his own feet and fell hard to the ground. He bit his lip, drawing blood. Though the injury wasn't serious, it looked painful.

The sudden fall startled everyone around. Several girls gasped, and James pulled the girl along, avoiding further attention.

In the car, the girl stared at James with curiosity, her big amber eyes fixed on him. "What just happened back there?"

"Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. When you're worried about something happening, it's more likely to happen," James shrugged casually.

"Hey." James pursed his lips and remained silent, visibly annoyed. She reached out and pinched James's ear, threatening, "What are you muttering about? I'll tell Mom and Dad you've been drinking again."

"Okay, okay, let go," James begged helplessly, then whispered, "If you hadn't dragged me into drinking that stuff, I wouldn't have needed to drink it!"

Dealing with his sister was always a challenge for James. He regretted not choosing a different sibling.

The incident with Steve wasn't due to Murphy's Law but rather one of the abilities James gained after arriving in this world.

James wasn't originally from this world. He didn't know how he arrived here; he only knew that when he woke up, he was a child who could barely speak, let alone understand anything.

Fortunately, he wasn't naked when he arrived. He also discovered he possessed a powerful system capable of extracting various skills from different anime worlds.

The "Golden Evolution Technique" was the first skill James extracted with this system. It was incredibly powerful, so potent that he could hardly believe it. Unfortunately, he still couldn't fully utilize its power.

"Golden Evolution Technique"

"From: Magic Forbidden Book Catalog"

"Introduction: Magic that alters reality according to one's thoughts."

This ability was the simplest way to describe it. When James first acquired this ability, he was ecstatic beyond words, screaming in delight. That night, he fantasized about a future full of possibilities, leaving his parents sleepless with worry.

However, his excitement soon turned to frustration when he realized the ability wasn't working. Maybe it had been too long since he'd noticed.

He quickly revisited the system and discovered that while it could extract skills, their effectiveness depended on individual circumstances.

He couldn't use his skills because of his own limitations.

Feeling as if he had fallen from heaven to earth, James wasn't too disappointed. He knew that while he couldn't use his abilities now, he could find a way to do so in the future.

After realizing the skill wasn't working, James put the "Golden Evolution Technique" aside and focused on understanding the extraction system he had named himself according to the system's function.

The entire system's function was straightforward. Other than the ability to extract, there was only an experience slot that appeared empty. It was full before extraction.

Clearly, the next step was to wait for it to fill completely. He tried various methods, but nothing seemed to work other than the slight growth of natural experience.

Until that accident.