Meanwhile, in a desolate and lifeless world, filled with ruins.
「It is detected that the Host's current behavior will cause the failure of the Fifth Task's completion. The Fifth Task is canceled, the Final Exam begins early.」
Beneath a sky cut into four pieces, a voice suddenly came from a tattered and broken black screen.
Despite being attacked by four Orbs of Light, the system's electronic voice remained cold and steady, unaffected by any external factors.
The system merely calmly announced the impending changes, as if it were a pre-established fact:
「Full energy utilization, Worldline loading, setting Graduation Conditions—」
「Detected task process change caused by program error, Graduation Conditions raised to highest difficulty level.」
「Set as—Find the System.」
「Before the Final Exam passes, system functions, Orbs of Light, and System Space are sealed.」
The next second.
An invisible wave suddenly swept across the Empty World, gray streaks, like chains, instantly spreading from the screen to every corner of the world.
From this moment on, no matter the boundless sky, or the four unique domains of the Orbs of Light, all colors froze in place, like a black-and-white photograph, with no room for the slightest resistance or struggle.
The desolate world returned to silence, the deadly gray color reverted to its original state.
Only the broken screen emitted a deep black light, as if silently running some high-tech game. The faint sound of overclocking operations could be heard, or as if the whole world was humming, continuously spreading an invisible power to distances unreachable by humans.
「This is, the last.」
Accompanied by a familiar soft voice.
*CRACK!* *CRACK!*
Suddenly, a few more cracks appeared on the screen, streaking across like scars.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Ouch!"
In the middle of her nap, the disheveled, voluptuous female ghost suddenly jumped out of bed. Her hand instinctively covered the part of her forehead that had just been hit. Her red, surprised eyes were wide open, and a pair of beautifully shaped white jade orbs gently swayed with her gasping breaths. Her whole self seemed frightened.
"W-Who... What's wrong?"
The pain in her forehead hadn't disappeared, so this wasn't a nightmare or an illusion.
Rather than calming down, she slowly became aware—Utaha gritted her teeth, looking left and right as if searching for the culprit. Her resentful and hateful gaze finally locked onto the notebook lying silently on the blanket.
After a slight shock, her not-so-friendly expression gradually became complicated, and then, as if accepting reality helplessly, she let out a resigned sigh.
"This thing... I clearly locked it in the drawer, how could it fall and hit me?"
Although no one would answer her, the answer could be summarized in one simple sentence—
What humans couldn't do, didn't mean the magical notebook couldn't.
So the problem wasn't with the principle, but with the reason.
"What's wrong, do you want to show your existence because you haven't appeared in a long time?"
Saying this sarcastically, Utaha brushed her messy hair back from her head, picking up the notebook that had been inactive for a long time since she successfully changed fate last time.
Strangely, this thing usually appeared quietly on the table, waiting for her to come to it. Why did it wake her up this time in such a rough way, like falling on her head...
"Wait, don't tell me?!" A possibility popped into her mind, her previously relaxed expression immediately turning serious. Utaha no longer hesitated, and immediately opened the inner pages of the notebook.
Sure enough, there was horrifying content written on the white paper that made her gasp, open her eyes wide, and unconsciously jump out of bed.
「"The Perfect First Act Ends, the Second Act Grandly Opens!"」
「Editor, you should follow fate's guidance, slowly steering the story towards the most perfect ending.」
「However, the Mysterious Existence does not allow any accidents to occur on the path It has set. Even if it means ending everything and restarting the next cycle, It stubbornly and foolishly chooses the worst ending!」
「And your task is, before all this begins, to find a way to grasp the lever of changing paths, for the sake of the world you are in and for your own sake, once again reversing the ending back to its original state so that everyone can achieve happiness.」
「Come, begin writing—the Second Act of constructing the perfect ending.」
「"Second Act"」
「Within 15:00 from now, arrive at the specified location (XX District X Chome, Number XX, Chiba City).」
「Seize the opportunity before others, help Tenkuji Yuu who is asleep on the street, and take him home to begin the next act of fate.」
「Reward: Random Author Experience Card, Writing Skill Enhancement, Enlightenment (Status).」
「Failure to rewrite, or being preempted by others, your future will fall into an abyss, never to return, please be cautious.」
「Note: When the Protagonist is asleep, the Notebook of Fate and future paths can be revealed to others, no longer threatened by the cycle of death.」
Content somewhat similar to the last, yet also amazing in an opposite sense—and, still using difficult-to-understand language.
Although Utaha should no longer be surprised, seeing the number 14:50 continuously counting down in the notebook—written in ink, but changing like a digital clock.
Utaha couldn't help but twist her beautiful face, clutching her head and stamping her foot hysterically.
"Aaaaaah? What the hell is this?! What the hell is this?!"
Why did the second task appear so suddenly?
Why did a junior named Tenkuji Yuu suddenly fall asleep on the street?
And why, if she wasn't the first to help him, would she immediately fall into an abyss and never return?!
It makes no sense at all! Imi wakannai! (I don't understand!)
And the most unreasonable thing was the countdown with less than fourteen and a half minutes left!
She bit her thumb nail, anxiously calculating: "That location is roughly near the luxury residential area... From here to there, even if I run as fast as I can, it'll take ten minutes..."
This was because she deliberately stayed in a hotel near the city for two weeks to focus on writing, so it wasn't far from the luxury residential area. If it were from her home, it would take at least thirty minutes or more to the specified location in the notebook.
As if her heart was squeezed by tension, Utaha couldn't help but scream: "Fourteen minutes is too urgent! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
She slammed the notebook against the wall in anger, ignoring unnecessary thoughts, kicking her suitcase aside, and preparing to leave.
For the sake of her future and also the seemingly abundant rewards, she had to follow what the notebook said, rush to the specified location as quickly as possible, and then see what other troublesome and unreasonable problems she would have to face!
Slipping off her lace nightgown, she deftly pulled thermal stockings up to her hips, encasing her black thong.
She chose outerwear with good color and comfortable for movement, then tucked her long, lazily maintained hair into a hat.
After putting her phone, wallet, room key, and that damn notebook into her bag, putting on her coat, Utaha rushed out of the hotel room with full enthusiasm and urgency.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After finishing talking with Asuna, and giving her his home address, letting her come anytime if she changed her mind about attending the party.
Yuu left Star○ck, and walked towards the apartment where Masuzu and Yukino lived.
As he walked from the city center towards the luxury residential area, he lowered his head and began to think: "Hmm, I'd better call Masuzu first... I need to make sure if she still retains memories from the previous time."
He took out his phone, opened his LINE contacts, and just as he was about to tap Masuzu's profile picture.
「Congratulations Host, you have met the initial requirements for the Fifth Task.」
"What?"
The soft female voice echoing in his mind made Yuu unconsciously stop his steps, and involuntarily exclaim in surprise.
However, he reacted very quickly. Before anyone could stare at him in confusion, he had already activated the Earless Wall state, and continued to step forward.
At the same time, he asked the system in confusion: "System, I didn't do anything, and it hasn't been half a day since I completed the Fourth Task, why did I meet those initial requirements?"
However, the system remained as usual, choosing not to answer his question.
「Now the Final Exam can begin.」
「After the Final Exam is completed, the system's task will end here. After granting any of the Host's requests, the system will automatically disappear from this world.」
After listening calmly, Yuu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows with great interest.
"Wow, there's such a good thing?"