Lego was tossed into a vast, empty room where the lights flickered incessantly, and a stench like a public latrine filled the air.
"You bastards! Where the hell are you keeping me? Don't let me get out, or I'll turn you into mincemeat!" Lego roared in fury.
The two men who had dragged him in feigned a look of terror before their faces broke into mocking grins.
"Pretty aggressive for a guy who looks like a bag of bones, aren't you?"
Left alone in the dark room, Lego began to piece together what had happened. It seemed that damn god had indeed thrust him into his "writer-blocked" novel. In the original plot, the protagonist was a pitifully weak loser who relied entirely on his girlfriend. Whenever things got tough, he let her handle it. Even when he knew she was cheating on him with multiple other men, he pretended to be oblivious just to cling to her fame.
The girl, wanting to save face for her boyfriend, had agreed to hand over all the credit for monster-slaying and the title of "the strong one" to him.
"Good god, this is the most constipated novel I've ever read! Why did I even click on it?"
Even if Lego felt regret now, it was far too late.
Unlike the spineless original character, the "real" Lego was a hot-tempered man. Back in his old world, he had been obsessed with MMA and Boxing and feared no one. If someone picked a fight, he fought back until the end. Even if he was losing, he never backed down. He knew how to weaponize anything in his surroundings, which made bullies fear him and eventually leave him alone.
However, this body was completely foreign to him. No six-pack, no broad chest.
"Where did all my muscles go? Damn it..." Lego lamented inwardly.
Meanwhile, at the school office, Lego's father stepped out of his car and hurried inside. He opened the door to find the teacher waiting.
"I had to arrange some work, so I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
"It's no trouble. Please, have a seat," the teacher replied.
Lego's father was the physical opposite of his son. He stood 1.7 meters tall, boasting a muscular and rugged frame. His facial features were somewhat similar to Lego's—quite handsome—though aged by deep wrinkles and the wear and tear of life.
The teacher cut straight to the point, pulling a test paper from her bag.
"Take a look at your son. His academic performance is non-existent. He couldn't even answer simple questions like these. I'm starting to think Lego's IQ is near zero. On the multiple-choice section, he marked 'A' for everything, getting only 3 out of 10 right, and he left the essay portion completely blank. Basic questions like: How many planets have we conquered? At what age does one Awaken? or What percentage of the global population is Awakened?... he got every single one wrong."
As the teacher spoke, Lego's father's brow furrowed into a grimace.
"Has your son been hanging around with gangs lately?"
He was taken aback by the question.
"No way! My son is kind-hearted and shy. There's no way he'd be involved with those kinds of people."
"Well, I am formally informing you that he has shown violent behavior. If I hadn't stepped in, things would have escalated. He even dared to attack his own teacher."
Lego's father's pupils dilated in shock. The teacher added:
"I fear your son might have been lured into using 'illegal substances,' causing mental instability and hallucinations. He's been talking nonsense."
"Where is my son now?"
"Don't worry. I've tied him up to prevent him from harming others. Follow me."
The teacher led Lego's father to a room that looked like a long-abandoned warehouse. When the door opened, their eyes met.
Lego froze. Looking into the man's eyes, he felt an unspoken, instinctual fear. He didn't understand why he felt this way, but it was overwhelming.
The father walked in and grabbed the back of Lego's shirt—he was still bound by the teacher's spider silk—and hoisted him out to the car with one hand like a stray cat. Lego was tossed into the back seat and didn't dare utter a sound. If it had been anyone else, Lego would have been screaming curses, but something about this man's aura kept his mouth shut.
Once home, the father used a knife to slice through the silk layers, freeing him. He said nothing, only staring at Lego with a piercing gaze. A strange sensation welled up inside the boy.
Lego's mother interrupted the tension, calling out: "Dinner's ready! I made your favorite today, Lego!"
The awkward silence shattered. Lego bolted to the dining table at top speed to avoid his father's gaze, focusing entirely on his food without saying a word. After eating, he headed straight to his room, guided by the memories of the body's previous owner.
This house was a far cry from his wealthy home in the old world; it was somewhat dilapidated. According to his new memories, only his father was an Awakened with a special ability, but even then, he was low-rank. He couldn't earn much compared to higher ranks and was limited to hauling freight or cleaning up monster carcasses.
Lego, once a rich man and now stuck in this desperate struggle, cursed the god responsible for this. "When I get strong, I'm going to rip that god's head off and use it as a footstool," he vowed to himself.
In this world, 70% of the population are Awakened. Lego wondered what ability or rank he would get. Even a low rank could be improved through training, though it was difficult and required a lot of money.
"But what if I don't Awaken at all? Am I really part of the 30% of normal, useless humans?"
In the novel, the character Lego inhabits would undergo a massive shock to Awaken his F-rank (Bronze) ability. Specifically, he was betrayed by his lover and pushed off a cliff.
But the current Lego wasn't in love with anyone. Even if a betrayal happened, he wouldn't feel the same intense emotion as the original protagonist.
Lego's personality was a total 180-degree flip from the original.
So, how was he supposed to Awaken?