< Displaying the status window >
But before I could even see it, the door to my room opened.
Click~
"Young Master, I'm coming in~" The same cheerful voice as before sounded.
Damn it.
At least let me check the damage before someone barges in.
Tsk.
I was annoyed. But I couldn't exactly complain. I recognized that voice this time.
Stella.
She'd been my maid since I was a toddler.
Her voice always sounded twenty, but she was actually thirty. And for some cosmic joke of a reason… She was a literal gorilla sometimes.
That wasn't an insult. She actually turns into one. A big, silver-furred, tea-serving gorilla.
It was her flaw.
Apparently, the power system in this world screws everyone over with a "flaw" when they awaken a class. Side effects, they said.
Flaws came in types—
Some were permanent.
Some were triggered by specific actions.
And some were cyclical, activating on a timer.
Stella's was the third type. She becomes a gorilla for a few hours once every full moon.
I'd understand if she turned into a wolf.
But a gorilla?
Yeah. This system's absolutely fucked.
No logic. No thematics. Just pure bullshit.
Her class was a simple [Gardener], by the way. And yet she transforms into a silverback monster once a month.
Still insists on serving tea in that form, too.
Ahem.
Let's not get sidetracked. Again.
Let's see what she wants, then send her off. I need to check my class.
__
"Thank the heavens you're awake, Young Master," Stella said gently as she entered the room.
Her voice was composed now. She closed the door with that signature grace and walked to my bedside, carrying a silver tray. On it—a gleaming vial of blue liquid.
A healing potion.
Common grade.
It was the lowest tier available.
It wasn't because I was some poor peasant or some abandoned son who couldn't afford high level elixir.
Nope.
The reason was simple.
If I used any potion higher than common grade, my body would explode rather than healing.
Another dumb fuck rule. But it kinda made sense.
Mana Potion had mana according to their grade. If I drink a potion with a mana amount higher than what my body could endure… I would explode.
"I was concerned when you suddenly went unconscious a few hours ago." she added, setting the tray down.
So the first time I woke up was just a few hours ago. That meant my trial did start yesterday. And I have zero memory of it.
Did Rael die during the trial, and I took over?
But then… I should've inherited everything, including that memory. I got all of his thoughts, emotions, regrets.
Everything but that.
Weird.
Whatever. I'll figure it out later.
For now, let's deal with the gorilla maid.
Thankfully, she was back in her human form now.
Long black hair tied neatly with silver accents. Pink eyes that reflected honest concern. Graceful, quiet, calm. You wouldn't believe she could punch through a brick wall while balancing teacups.
She didn't ask about the trial or my class.
Good.
I didn't have answers anyway.
I wanted to groan. Or curse. Maybe both.
But I didn't.
Rael might've been arrogant and cold but he wasn't cruel—at least not to Stella. She practically raised him.
"The Duke has requested your presence," she said, pouring the potion into a small crystal glass. "He asked to be informed the moment you woke."
Of course he did.
I'm barely alive, fresh out of a memory-wiped trial and the old man wants a sit-down.
"Did he mention what it was about?"
She shook her head. "Only that it's urgent. He's waiting in his study."
"...Alright."
I sat up slowly. My body felt heavy.
"I'll go after I freshen up."
"Yes, Young Master," she said with a small bow before going out of the room.
__
With Stella gone, I could finally check my status window.
—●[STATUS INTERFACE]●—
[Name] → Rael Von Ashborn
[Classification] → Human Variant
[Rank] → F-
[Core] → Unawakened
[Affinity] → Not Detected
[Nexus] → Jester (Partial awakening)
[Nexus Potential] → B+
[Flaw] → Trickster's Face
[Stat Matrix]
∟ STR → F-
∟ AGI → F+
∟ VIT → F-
∟ END → F+
∟ INT → B+
∟ WIL → E
∟ LUCK → Unpredictable
∟ CHARM → S+
***
[Mana Reserve] → 500 / 500
[Martial Technique] → None
[Registered Skills] → [Click to Expand]
[Class Quest] → [!!!!!]
—●[STATUS CLOSED]●—
I stared.
"…Wow."
Only that word came out.
I am useless.
Seriously.
I thought maybe—just maybe—I'd wake up with some cheat skill. A heaven-defying class. A golden finger. Anything.
Instead?
B+ Potential.
A Jester class no one's heard of. Garbage stats across the board. A flaw that sounds like the setup for a bad prank show.
The only impressive things here were INT and CHARM.
I suppose I'm a sexy nerd.
That's something.
But in this world—filled with dungeon beasts, eldritch horrors and intergalactic invaders—a B+ ranked Nexus potential is basically a death sentence.
People with that rank got sent to die on high-risk missions. They were the extras in disaster footage. The background corpses.
I need a plan. A cheat. A loophole.
But… nothing came to mind.
Most of the good shit Noah wrote in his novel was in other continents, locked behind endgame bosses or tied to lore events I couldn't access yet.
Even then I didn't remember most of it.
I really envy those reincarnated protagonists who remember everything down to the serial number of a hidden treasure chest.
Me?
I'm winging it.
Why the hell did that bastard make Rael so useless?
No point crying over it now.
Time to see if I had even a thread of hope.
Let's check that glowing Class Quest icon.
From what I remembered, Class Quests were rare.
They gave specific evolution paths and powerful rewards.
I tapped it.
__
—●[CLASS QUEST TRIGGERED]●—
[Objective] → Claim the Arcana Cards.
[Reward] → Class Evolution.
[Penalty] → None
[Time Limit] → 3 Months
—●[QUEST LOG UPDATED]●—
My eyes widened.
This is it.
Heaven hasn't abandoned me yet.
This is my ticket out of the grave.
A class evolution.
Exactly what I needed.
I didn't know what this class could become but anything had to be better than what I had now. All I had to do was find some cards.
Simple, right?
I opened the quest description for more details.
__
[Objective] → Claim the Arcana Cards
[Description] → You have awakened a unique Nexus: Jester. But your awakening is incomplete. A Trickster without their cards is but a jester. Seek the cards. Only by claiming them will your Nexus reveal its true potential.
Note: Receiving help of any kind will result in automatic failure.
[Location] → The Forest of Unmasked
__
And just like that, my hope died again.
The Forest of Unmasked.
I remembered it.
Not just from Noah's book but from Rael's memories too.
It was nicknamed "Beginner Zone of Doom."
The creatures inside weren't strong—but they were dangerous. Illusions, shape-shifting horrors and worse… conceptual monsters. The kind that messes with your mind more than your body.
Either I sit here and wait for my scripted death.
Or I march into a nightmare forest with no backup.
I'm fucked either way.
_______
Author Note:
World building Lore with Rael.
Alright, quick recap for you clueless isekai enjoyers:
Everyone in this world awakens a Nexus (fancy word for "Class") at seventeen. You get mana, your own personal system interface and a brand-new reason to die in creative ways.
Now, most people just awaken something normal and live average, monster-eaten lives. But a few unlucky bastards get what's called a Class Quest—basically a cosmic side mission from the universe itself. Complete it, and your Nexus might unlock some insane powers... or even evolve
Miss the deadline? You're screwed.
Guess who just won the cursed lottery?
Yep. Me.
Cheers.
Welcome to my fucked up life.