A few years passed.
Ceadar was four years old now—steady on his feet, sharp with his words, and far more curious than any normal child his age would usually be.
The house felt smaller these days. Not because it had changed, but because he had. The world beyond its walls tugged at him constantly, filled with rules he didn't yet understand and a future he knew would eventually demand something from him.
Classes.
That word came up too often to ignore.
So, naturally, he started with the easiest source of information.
"Judy," Ceadar asked one afternoon, trotting after his sister as she sorted through her toys, "can you tell me everything there is to know about classes?"
Judy paused. Slowly turned around. Gave him a look.
"I can't tell you everything," she said, folding her arms with the confidence only a child could muster. "But I can tell you what I know."
Ceadar's eyes lit up.
"Yay!"
She sighed dramatically, but a hint of pride crept into her voice anyway.
"Okay, so… there are lots of classes. Like, a lot a lot. Too many to count." She held up her fingers, then gave up halfway. "And they all have ranks."
"Ranks?" Ceadar echoed.
"Yeah. From lowest to highest it goes E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS." She puffed out her chest. "The higher the rank, the stronger the class."
That tracks, Ceadar thought. Simple hierarchy. Predictable.
"Some classes can come in different ranks," Judy continued. "Like Archer. You could have a D-rank Archer… or an A-rank Archer. Same class, totally different level."
"So rank matters more than the name," Ceadar muttered.
"What?" Judy blinked.
"Nothing," he said quickly.
She narrowed her eyes but kept going. "Some classes can use magic, some can't. And that's… pretty much all I know."
Ceadar stared at her, genuinely impressed.
"Wooow," he said, dragging the word out in awe.
Judy smiled smugly.
"Oh! And when people turn twelve, they awaken their class," she added. "I can't wait."
"Yeah," Ceadar said casually, shrugging. "I already knew that part."
The room went quiet.
Judy's smile vanished.
"…Excuse me?" she said slowly.
"That was rude," she added, hands on her hips. "Apologize."
Ceadar froze.
Ah. Miscalculation.
"…Sorry," he said after a moment, lowering his head just enough to sell it.
Judy sniffed, satisfied. "Good."
As she turned away, Ceadar let out a quiet breath.
Twelve years old, huh?
Eight more years.
Plenty of time to prepare.
"Also, Dad is a B rank Scavenger, and Mom is a C rank Hearthwarden" Judy added.
"What's a hearthwarden?" Ceader questioned quickly.
"Ohh it's just something about domestic-support" Judy explained bluntly.
"What about school?" Ceadar asked.
"Well children usually start school when they're at the age of 10 and learn a few things before they awaken a class"
"Okay thanks bis sis," ceadar appreciated.
"No problem" she replied.
He walked into the house from the balcony. Went to their room and hopped on the bed, lost in thought.
For a few years now, that voice that brought me back to this world has been quiet. I haven't heard anything from it since I was still a few months old.
I have been trying ways to call it out, but nothing had worked yet. I need more answers.
He squeezed his fists harder, frustration bubbling up in his chest.
Where did you go?
Why show up once and disappear?
Slowly, he forced himself to relax. His fingers loosened. His shoulders dropped.
Getting angry won't help.
He straightened his back and sat still, mimicking the way he'd once seen monks meditate in his previous life. He focused on his breathing—slow in, slow out—letting his thoughts sink inward.
Then he began to test things.
"Status?" he whispered.
Nothing.
"Menu?"
Silence.
"…Reincarnation?"
Still nothing.
Minutes passed. His legs began to ache. Doubt crept in.
Maybe it was nothing more than a dying hallucination.
Maybe there was no system.
He was just about to give up when—
His body felt… lighter.
Not physically lifted, but unburdened. Like something invisible had clicked into place.
Without thinking—pure instinct—he spoke.
"System."
A translucent blue panel flickered into existence in front of him.
Ceadar's breath caught.
It hovered in the air, clean and unreal, letters forming neatly across its surface.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
User: Ceadar
Life Count: 2 / 3
Status: Locked
Condition for Full Access: Pending
More text appeared beneath it, dimmed, unreadable—like doors waiting to be opened.
His heart pounded.
It's real.
Before he could reach out—
"BOO!"
"Aaah!"
The panel vanished instantly.
Ceadar nearly jumped out of his skin as Judy burst into the room, laughing loudly.
"What were you doing alone in here?" she asked, hands on her hips, squinting at him suspiciously.
"N-no—noth-ing!" he blurted, voice cracking.
She leaned closer. "You know, you've been acting kinda strange lately." Her tone softened. "If something's bothering you, you can always talk to your big sis, you know?"
Ceadar hesitated.
Should I tell her?
"Umm, Judy… can—"
"Anyway," she cut in abruptly, wrinkling her nose, "you need a bath. You stink."
"…What?"
"I'll give you a good scrub."
His face flushed instantly. "N-no! I can bathe myself just fine! I don't like it when you get all touchy when you scrub me!"
"Oh?" Judy raised an eyebrow. "Then how are you gonna scrub your back properly?"
"Umm…"
Ceadar froze.
She grinned. "Thought so."
Before he could react, she grabbed his arm and tugged. "C'mon. Shower with your big sis."
"No!" Ceadar clung to the bed, fingers digging into the sheets like his life depended on it. "I don't wanna!"
His voice wobbled, dangerously close to tears.
Judy laughed. "Too late!"
As she dragged him off the bed, Ceadar's thoughts raced—not about the bath, but about the vanished blue panel.
The system was real.
And now that it had answered him once…
There was no way he was letting it go silent again.