Kai stood up, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck like a man warming up for a nap rather than a battle.
"Okay, let's finish this before she comes back," he muttered.
His voice was calm—too calm.
[You seem pretty different.]
"You forced me into this. Do you even have to say that?"
[Oh, please. Don't blame me. I'm doing exactly what I'm designed to do. Should I assume now that you don't want a peaceful life anymore?]
Kai let out a short laugh. "Don't make me laugh. No one can come between me and my lazy-ass lifestyle. I'll sort this out in no time and sleep for three straight days."
The system went silent—offended, probably plotting something horrible. But would that work on Kai, who would fight a dragon if it meant uninterrupted rest?
…Maybe. Or maybe not. Who knows.
Kai exhaled. "Status."
The screen glitched like a cheap hologram and finally materialized.
---
═══════════════════════
<< SYSTEM WINDOW >>
═══════════════════════
[STATUS]
User: Kai (a.k.a Prince Who Wants a Nap)
Designation: EXTRA (Congratulations…?)
Threat Level: Irrelevant
HP: 92% MP: 88%
Sleep Level: 3% (Go. To. Bed.)
— PRIMARY STATS —
Strength .... 21
Defense ..... 28
Agility ..... 18
Willpower ... 35 (Powered by spite)
Luck ... 3
— SPECIAL TRAITS —
[ PLANT WHISPER ](Rank: E)
Communicate with plants, fungi, and grass.
(Grass never shuts up.)
[ EXTRA'S CORRUPTED SYSTEM ]
Your system is 63% broken and 100% dangerous.
Congrats, you're doomed.
---
Kai's smile twitched. "Is this a joke?"
[Do I look like someone who jokes?]
"Well, I can't see you, so who knows."
[Whatever. This is my personality. Just deal with it.]
"DEAL WITH IT?! YOU TURNED MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE INTO A COMEDY SPECIAL!"
Kai screamed so loudly the air in the ruins vibrated.
The system ignored him with the elegance of someone enjoying his misery.
Kai sighed. "Fine, change it to something simple. Okay? SIMPLE."
Nothing changed.
[F*ck off.]
"Are you even allowed to curse at your host?"
[Didn't I just do that?]
After arguing for what felt like an eternity, Kai gave up and stepped into the ancient ruin.
---
[Entering the Shattered Oracle Ruins]
[First Hall: The Hall of Reflected Sins]
Ruins.
Like dungeons in modern urban novels—
—but this world called them Ruins.
During ancient times, a civilization called the Oracles ruled. Masters of lost magic, advanced technology, and foresight. They predicted futures, manipulated fate, imprisoned monsters, and shaped the world with spells now considered myths.
One day, they vanished.
No explanations. No survivors—maybe.
Only these ruins remained, ranked from E to SSS, though no one had ever found an SS or SSS ruin.
Kai had no idea if an E-rank Plant Whisperer had any business entering one.
Probably not.
Too late.
---
The grand stone hall rose before him, supported by tall pillars carved with strange mirrors.
But the reflections weren't normal.
Some mirrors showed him smiling creepily.
Some showed him crying blood.
Others showed figures standing right behind him.
The floor was cracked into intricate geometric patterns—circles overlapping triangles—and each of Kai's steps sent blue ripples across the tiles.
The air whispered his name. Hundreds of twisted voices overlapping.
"Kai… Kai… Kai…"
Kai's hands tightened. His steps slowed.
Then—
A ghostlike figure materialized from smoke.
Its two faces split down the middle, one crying, one laughing, both wrong.
The left face whispered, "Come with me, Kai…"
The right face grinned. "No, come with me. I can give you eternal peace…"
Then the left face hissed, "No, revenge… all those who hurt you…"
"Peace…"
"Revenge…"
The two halves argued violently despite sharing one body.
Kai blinked. "What the hell is this? Did I enter the wrong story?"
[Corrupted Echo Wraiths detected.]
[Warning: They manipulate hosts.]
[Warning: They replicate your movements.]
Kai groaned. "Great. Budget knock-offs of my trauma."
In the novel, Echo Wraiths made the MC lose control, attacking his own allies until the heroine saved him with Shadow Step.
But Kai felt… nothing. Not fear. Not temptation.
Just annoyance.
He walked forward casually.
'Wait… didn't they have one head in the novel?'
A moment later—
BAM!
He crashed into a pillar.
"ARRGH—!"
Blood filled his mouth.
BAM. BAM.
More hits. His ribs shook. His breath caught.
"What— ow—?! HEY YOU TRAITOR SYSTEM, HELP!"
[Your problem. Not mine.]
In front of him, the Echo Wraiths floated, shadowy limbs stretching unnaturally long.
"HEHEHEHEHEHE—"
Wonderful.
Before entering, he had dumped points into his stats:
Strength 21 → 31
Defense 28 → 38
Still useless.
The Wraiths used him as a mop.
"ARRGHH— It's not w-working—!"
His legs gave out. He hit the floor hard.
Wraith copied him seconds later, repeating:
"I-it's… not… w-working…"
Then it lunged.
Kai was whipped into a pillar.
Then dragged.
Then slammed.
Then swung like a poorly used broom.
"STOP DOING THAT!"
"Stop… doing… that…" the Wraith echoed mockingly.
Another grabbed him and dragged him to the mirror wall—
—but froze just before his face touched the surface.
Its hand trembled violently.
It couldn't go near mirrors.
Kai's eyes widened.
"The mirrors!"
Flash of memory triggerd in his mind.
He rolled away, slipping from its shadowy grip.
Kai sprinted toward the nearest mirror.
The Wraiths copied—
—late.
Perfect.
Kai slammed his fist into the glass.
CRRRACK!
The Wraith seized, body flickering erratically.
Kai grinned. "Arrh hah...Oh? That hurt? Hah...Good."
He sprinted to another mirror—
KICK!
CRACK!
The Wraiths shrieked in static.
Another mirror—
SHOULDER SLAM—
CRASH!
Shards dissolved into blue light.
The Wraith convulsed, his body melting like corrupted data.
One lunged, grabbing his arm—
—but Kai knew they mimicked old actions.
He twisted away.
Only one mirror remained.
[Echo Wraiths predict your OLD movements.]
[Suggestion: Try something new.]
Kai smirked.
Then—
He jumped backward.
flipping mid-air—
—AND DOUBLE-KICKED THE FINAL MIRROR.
SHATTER!
The last mirror burst.
The Wraith split apart like static ripped from existence before dissolving completely.
Silence.
Kai stood, panting, bruised, annoyed beyond reason.
"…Next time something tries to slam me into walls," he muttered, "I'm uninstalling this cursed system."
[ERROR: Uninstall not possible.]
"I WASN'T SERIOUS!"
[Congratulations on defeating the Echo Wraiths.]
"You don't sound happy."
[How well you know me.]
Kai rolled his eyes—
—and froze.
A girl sat by the entrance, munching an apple like she was spectating a circus.
"Are you crazy?" she asked, raising a brow. "Why are you talking to yourself?"
Kai's face twisted. "Eh??"