Chapter 3: The Choice Before the Chaos
"This is so exciting!"
The words burst out of Krish's mouth with a big, weird smile stretched across his face.
His heart was racing, his hands trembling not with fear, but with something dangerously close to joy. Outside his window, the sky was cracked, demons were pouring into the world, and the system panels were flashing warnings like a broken alarm.
And yet…
This is insane, he thought. This is exactly what I always wanted.
An extraordinary world.
A broken sky.
A story where things actually happened.
Then reality punched him in the face.
The smile slowly slipped away.
"Wait," Krish muttered, his excitement cooling. "How am I supposed to stop them?"
He looked down at his hands.
Normal hands. No glowing aura. No super strength. No sword. No magic circle floating under his feet.
"I'm just a tenth-class student," he said quietly. "I don't even pass math without tension."
Outside, a distant explosion shook the air. Screams echoed from somewhere far away. The demon army wasn't waiting for him to figure things out.
Panic crept in.
Exciting or not… I'm going to die like this.
He took a shaky breath, trying to think.
"Okay. Calm down. If this really is adventure mode… then there has to be something. There's always something."
As if responding to his thoughts
DING.
A familiar golden glow bloomed in front of him.
The floating window appeared once again, cutting through the air like it owned reality.
Krish's eyes widened. "You again…"
The window shimmered, cleaner and sharper than before. New words formed on its surface, bold and impossible to ignore.
> CHOOSE YOUR ABILITY
Below the text, a smaller line blinked.
> NOTE: THIS CHOICE WILL DEFINE YOUR PATH.
CHOOSE CAREFULLY.
Krish's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"So it is like a game," he whispered.
A button hovered beneath the text.
> SELECT
Krish didn't hesitate this time.
He clicked it.
The window expanded instantly, unfolding like a book made of light. Dozens no, hundreds of options scrolled past his eyes.
Abilities. Titles. Paths.
> Sword Saint of the North
Dragon-Blooded Mage
Shadow Assassin
Necromancer of the End
Heavenly Spear Wielder
Each name carried pressure, power, destiny.
Krish's breath grew shallow.
"These are…" He swallowed. "These are like the stories I've read."
As he scrolled, his mind raced.
This is real power. The kind that decides whether I live or die.
But the more he looked, the heavier it felt.
Sword saints trained for decades.
Mages needed intelligence and control.
Assassins lived in darkness.
Necromancers… yeah, no.
"I don't want a tragic life," he said softly. "I don't want to suffer just to become strong."
His finger slowed.
Then one title caught his eye.
It didn't shine brighter than the others.
It didn't scream destruction or glory.
But it felt… oddly familiar.
> The Overpowered Hero Who Wants an Easy Life
Krish blinked.
"…What?"
He read it again.
> The Overpowered Hero Who Wants an Easy Life
"That's… way too specific," he muttered.
Curiosity pulled him closer. He tapped the title.
A description window opened.
> PATH SUMMARY:
Granted overwhelming strength and potential far beyond normal limits.
User possesses extreme growth rate with minimal effort.
Primary desire of the path holder: live comfortably, avoid unnecessary trouble, and survive all major events with ease.
WARNING: Trouble has a tendency to find you anyway.
Krish stared at the words.
Overpowered.
Easy life.
Minimal effort.
His mouth went dry.
"This… this is literally me," he whispered.
All his life, he had wanted excitement but not pain. Adventure but not endless suffering. Power but without becoming some tragic hero who sacrificed everything.
"I don't want to save the world because it's my duty," he said quietly. "I just don't want to die. And if I can live comfortably while everything goes crazy…"
He laughed nervously. "That would be nice."
Another explosion boomed in the distance, as if reminding him time was running out.
The window pulsed.
Waiting.
Krish took one last breath.
"If this world is going to turn into hell," he said, eyes sharp now, "then I'll survive it my way."
He pressed CONFIRM.
The title glowed.
> PATH SELECTED
> THE OVERPOWERED HERO WHO WANTS AN EASY LIFE
Light poured out of the window, wrapping around Krish like a promise and a curse.
Before everything went white, one final message appeared.
> ABILITY AWAKENING IN PROGRESS…
Krish smiled again.
Not wide.
Not crazy.
But confident.
"Alright," he said softly. "Let's see how easy this life really is."