NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: The Emergence of the System
"By the way, Young Master, Lord Ardhis, Lady Livia, and Young Lady Catrine are waiting for you in the dining hall. Please hurry, or you might get punished again," Maya said as she helped Merlin put on his clothes.
Merlin was surprised to hear those words. The three names Maya mentioned were his father, mother, and sister.
They were the people who loved Merlin Clay the most in the story—except for Catrine.
She was indeed his younger sister, but not by blood. She was adopted.
In the past, his father had a very close friend named Theo from the Viscount Hermes family, one of the most respected families at the time.
Unfortunately, disaster struck. The entire family was slaughtered without a trace—including their servants and guards.
Yet miraculously, a baby survived the massacre—Catrine.
She was the daughter of Theo, his father's best friend. Because of their bond, his father decided to adopt her.
His mother, Livia, was also very fond of Catrine and treated her as her own daughter.
Both parents hoped Merlin would love his sister. And he did—until he turned six. For the past two years, he had bullied Catrine, leaving her in constant fear of him.
His mother and father were often angry with him and frequently punished him.
Catrine, by the way, was one of the heroines in The Lost Hero. With the main character's help, she managed to escape the shadow of Merlin's torment.
More than that, Catrine even became a key figure who encouraged the main character to rise and grow stronger.
Merlin Clay's death in the future was also closely tied to Catrine.
Just imagining how that girl would torture him so cruelly made goosebumps rise on his skin.
'Damn it… I have to avoid that damn plot! I don't want to die a horrible death!' he muttered, clenching his right fist.
Catrine was actually an innocent girl. The trauma she carried was all caused by that bastard Merlin Clay in the story.
Fortunately, he had been reincarnated before the main plot began. That way, he could prepare everything from the very start!
"Alright, Maya. Thank you for letting me know. I'll go there right away," he replied softly.
Maya blinked in surprise at his response. If it had been the old Merlin, he would have definitely refused and beaten her up.
But now, he didn't. It was truly strange, almost unreal.
Snapping out of her daze, Maya smiled as she tied the straps of his robe at the back, nodding in satisfaction.
"You look very handsome, Young Master. I'm sure many noble girls will fall in love with you," Maya teased with a playful smile.
Merlin looked at his reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but marvel.
'Merlin's appearance is truly… extraordinary,' he murmured softly.
His white hair was cut short to his ears, and his violet eyes shone as beautifully as finely cut sapphires.
Because Merlin had always worn a sullen expression before, faint wrinkles had formed on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. But those would fade with time.
The body Merlin now inhabited was only eight years old, yet his height had already reached about 1.45 meters—roughly that of a ten-year-old child. Well, it wasn't surprising, considering he had inherited the remarkable genes of his father and mother.
"Alright," Maya said as she straightened his slightly wrinkled collar. "I have to go finish my other work. You can make your way to the dining room by yourself, right?"
Merlin rolled his eyes and replied in a dissatisfied tone, "Do you think I'm still a child?"
Maya giggled and gently pinched his cheeks. "Isn't that so? You're still a child, Young Master."
"Pfft!" Merlin let out a small chuckle. "You're right about that."
Maya couldn't help but smile. She didn't know whether Merlin's sudden change was a good or bad thing, but one thing was clear—she liked it very much, and she hoped he would never return to his old self.
After exchanging a few more words, Maya finally left his room.
"Alright…" Merlin smiled faintly as he stretched his stiff body. "Let's go meet Ardhis, Livia, and Catrine. I can't wait to see how they look."
In the original novel, the appearance of Merlin's parents was never described in detail. That was only natural, since Merlin himself was merely an extra.
Just as Merlin was about to step out, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his head.
"[Ding! Hello, Master! Nice to meet you!]"
Merlin froze, his eyes widening in fear.
"What was that?" He glanced around warily. "Am I hallucinating?"
"[Hallucination? Master, what are you talking about? I'm right in front of you!]"
The voice came again, clearer this time. Merlin quickly looked forward—and there it was: a system panel floating before him, smiling at him.
"S-System!?" Merlin gasped. "How is this possible!? Why is there a system? Am I dreaming!?"
The system stayed silent for a moment at his outburst, then let out a small sigh. "[Please don't overreact, alright? I'm real, not a hallucination. So, please show me some respect.]"
Hearing that, Merlin finally started to regain his composure.
"Then… if you're real, did you come to help me?" he asked cautiously.
He had no idea whether this system would prove to be an ally or an enemy. If it was good, it could become his greatest aid. But if it was malicious… Merlin wouldn't hesitate to see it as a threat.
Unaware of his thoughts, the system smiled again and explained, "[I am here to help you, Master! You have been reincarnated into the world of the novel The Lost Hero. Your goal is to survive and change the fate of death written for you in the plot!]"
Merlin felt a little relieved, but he didn't let his guard down in the slightest.
"Alright, I understand," he nodded softly. "Then, what should I do? And how exactly do you work?"
"[As I said, your task is to survive and alter your fate. I will assign you missions connected to future events in the plot, and your job is to complete them. Of course, you won't be working for nothing. Every mission you finish will earn you extraordinary rewards!]"
"Oh?" Merlin was taken aback. "That sounds pretty cool. Still, I want to confirm one thing first."
His eyes narrowed coldly as he asked, "Can I kill the main character, Abel, right now?"
Abel was destined to be the cause of his death in the future. True, looking back, it was all because of Merlin Clay's foolishness in the story.
But if Abel died first, that would mean cutting off the problem at its root.
"[Hmm…]" The system rubbed its chin. "[To be honest, you do have the authority to kill the main character directly. But I would strongly advise against it.]"
Merlin's eyes widened slightly at the response. He raised an eyebrow, folded his arms across his chest, and asked, "Why do you say that?"
"[Think about it, Master. If you kill the main character, this world will lose its core. The storyline will become unclear and may even twist into something beyond your imagination. When that happens… are you prepared for it?]"
Merlin fell silent at those words. But the system wasn't finished yet.
"[And another thing—if you kill the main character, you'll lose the chance to earn rewards from the missions I'll give you. Don't you think that would be… unfortunate?]"