Aiko trudged up the creaking stairs to her small room at the inn, every step a battle against gravity

  She colpsed onto her bed, letting out a long groan.

  “…Finally… sleep,” she muttered.

  Then her eyes shot open.

  “STATUS… I need to check STATUS…”

  The goddess’s words echoed in her mind:

  “Speak ‘STATUS’ to see your details.”

  Aiko rolled onto her side, hair falling into her face, and muttered reluctantly:

  “STATUS.”

  Silence.

  She waited. Ten seconds… twenty… thirty.

  Nothing.

  “…Really? Is this a joke?” she muttered, staring anxiously at the empty air.

  She slumped back on the bed, disappointed.

  “…Figures.”

  Then, suddenly, the air shimmered like heat waves over a summer road.

  A translucent panel appeared, glowing softly in front of her.

  Aiko blinked. Slowly, her jaw dropped.

  ─────────────────────────────

  Aiko

  ─────────────────────────────

  Age: 18

  Race: Human

  Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

  Level: 1

  HP: 100 / 100

  MP: 50 / 50

  ─────────────────────────────

  Elemental Affinity:

  ─────────────────────────────

  Wind: 8

  Fire: 7

  Water: 7

  Earth: 6

  Light: —

  Dark: —

  ─────────────────────────────

  Attributes:

  ─────────────────────────────

  Strength: 10

  Dexterity: 12

  Intelligence: 18

  Wisdom: 17

  Charisma: 13

  Endurance: 11

  ─────────────────────────────

  Traits (Passive Skills):

  ─────────────────────────────

  - SPIRIT AFFINITY (SSS)

  - GROWTH ACCELERATION (S)

  - Scientist (Intrinsic Skill)

  ─────────────────────────────

  Skills (Active Skills):

  ─────────────────────────────

  - WORLD RECORD (EX)

  ─────────────────────────────

  Resistance:

  ─────────────────────────────

  Pain Resistance – Medium

  Poison Resistance – Small

  Mental Resistance – Large

  Sleep Resistance – Large

  Paralysis Resistance – Large

  ─────────────────────────────

  Titles:

  ─────────────────────────────

  - None yet

  ________________________________________________

  Aiko scanned the glowing status window, her tired eyes blinking as she read through the numbers and text.

  “…Elemental Affinity, huh?” she muttered. “So… I can actually use magic?”

  A spark of curiosity ignited, and she tried to recall the spells from her previous life… the generic spells she vaguely remembered from her childhood.

  “Wind Cutter…” she whispered, her hand slicing through the air.

  Nothing.

  “Fireball…” she muttered, imagining a bzing sphere in her palm.

  Nothing...

  “Water Shot…”

  …Still nothing.

  “Earth Bullet…”

  Aiko exhaled sharply.

  “…Great. So apparently, I can’t even activate magic.”

  Her shoulders slumped. She sank into the bed, staring bnkly at the ceiling.

  “…I feel… scammed.”

  Her eyes flicked to the Light and Dark fields on the status window.

  “…And what’s with this? Not even a number. Just my luck…”

  Aiko’s disappointed look could have been described as tragically pathetic, if anyone had been there to see it.

  Then her eyes caught the first “cheat” she had requested from the goddess:

  SPIRIT AFFINITY.

  A tiny spark of hope ignited.

  “…Alright,” she muttered, sitting up slightly. “Come! O spirits! Answer my call!”

  A moment of silence followed.

  …And killed all of her excitement.

  Aiko slumped back onto the bed like a vegetable that hadn’t been watered in weeks.

  “…Fantastic. Nothing. Again.”

  Her gaze drifted downward, nding on the “Skills” section.

  WORLD RECORD (EX)

  “…What…?”

  She froze, eyes wide.

  She remembered asking the goddess for some kind of AI to help her, but this? This was something else. She had no idea what WORLD RECORD even meant.

  “…Probably another disappointment,” she muttered, hugging her knees.

  Still, curiosity got the better of her.

  Aiko took a deep breath, struck a dramatic pose—one hand pointing to the ceiling, the other resting firmly on her waist—and shouted:

  “ACTIVATE WORLD RECORD!”

  …Nothing.

  She blinked, drooped her hand, and groaned.

  “…Figures.”

  Already resigned, she accepted the disappointment… but unbeknownst to her, WORLD RECORD had heard her voice. Somewhere in the unseen yers of the system, it hurriedly began to boot and load, accelerating to activate on its own schedule.

  With a heavy sigh and a completely defeated posture, Aiko finally flopped onto the bed and fell asleep, her depressed self drifting off into dreams of magic she couldn’t cast and powers she couldn’t use.

  In the luminous realm above the mortal world, the three goddesses hovered in a circle, their forms glowing softly.

  “…She asked for an AI support system,” said Eria, the One True God, her silver hair flowing like liquid light. She frowned slightly, tilting her head.

  “But we… have no idea what that actually was,” Mortheira, the Goddess of Life and Death, admitted, her brow furrowed in thought.

  Sylvaera, the Goddess of Nature, sighed, swirling a hand through a cascade of starlight.

  “She did ask for information,” Eria continued, a faint smile appearing. “So, I… compressed all the data in the world into a skill for her.”

  The other two gasped.

  “…You mean… you turned all knowledge into a single skill?”

  “Yes,” Eria said calmly, though her glowing eyes betrayed the worry beneath. “It will help her… eventually. But we have to admit…” She looked down at the mortal world below. “…We’re worried sick."

  All three goddesses nodded, their expressions heavy with concern.

  “She’s… so small, so inexperienced,” Mortheira said quietly. “And she doesn’t even understand how to use magic properly yet.”

  “Exactly,” Eria agreed. “WORLD RECORD… it’s a gift, but it’s also… overwhelming. She might not even realize what she has.”

  Sylvaera csped her hands together, a rare look of helplessness crossing her features.

  “…We can only watch,” she murmured. “And hope she survives the first few days without completely despairing.”

  Eria’s eyes softened.

  “She’s stubborn. She’ll find a way… eventually.”

  Yet even as she said it, all three goddesses floated silently, worried sick, their thoughts entirely on the small human girl who had unknowingly just received the most overwhelming gift in existence.

  A soft breeze drifted through the open window, moving the thin curtain in gentle waves. Clouds floated zily across the morning sky. “Rise and shine,” the world seemed to whisper.

  But Aiko… did not rise and shine.

  She opened her eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling. Her hair was messy, her posture slouched, and the shadows under her eyes were far rger than they should be. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days — or maybe had slept too much and dreamed of disappointment.

  Her lips twitched, not in a smile, but in that subtle way someone does when they’ve accepted the cruelty of the universe.

  Eventually, she pushed herself up and stumbled toward the stairs, rubbing her eyes, keeping them mostly glued to the floor. Every step was heavy. Every movement sluggish.

  The inn was already alive with the smells of breakfast. The innkeeper, busy arranging steaming ptes on the counter, noticed her dragging steps.

  “What happened to you? Did you not sleep well?” the innkeeper asked, concern in his voice.

  Aiko muttered softly, her gaze still downcast.

  “Well… a lot happened.”

  A faint smirk tugged at her lips — one that carried a hint of disappointment. Her eyes remained focused on the floor, revealing nothing but tiredness and silent frustration.

  The innkeeper sighed, shaking his head.

  “Alright, come eat. Breakfast is ready.”

  Aiko’s eyes flicked up as she entered the dining area. The aroma hit her first — warm, savory, comforting. Her expression changed almost immediately. Gone were the undead eye bags and the depressed slump. In their pce, a spark of anticipation.

  Her gaze locked on a particur dish, and a small, genuine smile formed.

  “Rabbit meat…” she accidentally shouted, voice tinged with delight.

  For the first time that morning, Aiko looked… like herself again.

  Aiko happily chewed through the tender rabbit meat, savoring each bite. Her mood had completely shifted from the morning gloom — at least until a shadow fell across the table.

  She looked up and saw Lewis walking toward her with a confident stride.

  “Good morning,” he said cheerfully. “I’m here to introduce you to the adventurers staying in the vilge. It’s perfect timing, too — you can sell whatever you find in the forest. You don’t have any money yet, right?” He ughed, a friendly, easy sound.

  Aiko’s gaze dropped instantly, remembering her embarrassing attempts st night. Her smile faltered, repced by a hint of disappointment.

  “Right…” she muttered quietly.

  She took one st bite of her meal, wiped her mouth, and straightened up, composing herself.

  “Let’s go… Mr. Lewis,” she said firmly.

  Lewis and the innkeeper exchanged a quick gnce. Then, after a brief moment, both of them ughed.

  “Alright then,” Lewis said, grinning. “Let’s go, little girl.”

  The innkeeper added, his voice warm but cautious, “Good luck on your exploration. Be careful.”

  Aiko slung the satchel over her shoulder and nodded. Together, she and Lewis stepped toward the door, leaving the inn behind as the morning sun bathed the vilge in light.