Lev slowed his pace, his indecision warring with him. Each step felt heavy, yet he continued to walk without pause.

It's okay. I am only going to be asking for an apprenticeship. He consoled himself as the populated area was left behind, now only seeing a gray stone road and grassland in front of him. Two suns were showing themselves on the horizon, dawn having arrived an hour ago.

Far in the distance were the walls of WhiteFall's third outpost, Lev's current home city. Though calling it a city was perhaps a stretch with the current population of twenty thousand.

If he doesn't want to see me, then I'll just turn back. Perhaps he will get a little angry and I will get a little beating, unlikely as it is.

The person Lev wanted to see was someone renowned throughout the plains. The man was, according to the rumors, an extremely talented crafter and also a strong hunter. Someone who never backed down in the face of monsters and continued to forge excellent equipment for humanity.

The same rumors also painted him in a positive- nay, saintly light. Alec Zar, the once in a millennia talent, often gave away free equipment, trinkets, and storage rings. The last were obscenely expensive to someone like Lev, which made him wonder if the crafter was completely sane in the head.

I sure hope not, Lev sighed in his head. Kindness is what I need from him to be accepted. If insanity is what it takes for him to be kind, then I'm fine with it.

As it was, Lev was far from the picture of a bright future. He was almost seven years old, and his body stature matched that. With bright blue eyes and black hair, Lev could be considered somewhat tall for his age, which was a good sign for his growth.

But none of that helped in how strong he would become in the future. That would only depend on his own efforts. The System would make sure of that.

Lev was only following through with his idea because he had two things nobody else did.

The memories of a past life and access to The System six years before he should have gotten it.

His past life on Earth came to an abrupt end, the cause remaining a mystery. What he did know however, was that he had a chance to redo it all again. In this fantastical world, everyone was empowered by The System, and no one had even the faintest clue about its limit.

It made his excitement surge. There was so much to see in this apocalyptic world and beyond, and the tool to accomplish that was in his grasp.

He just had to deal with the endless hordes of monsters and other mind-bending dangers to even survive.

To that end, he was risking the knowledge of his past to try and win over the enigmatic crafter and earn himself an apprenticeship.

No two ways about it, Lev concluded with a deep breath and picked up his pace again.

His walk continued uninterrupted for several minutes while his mind wandered. Lev's gaze kept returning to the walls of his outpost, the huge obstacles keeping the endless hordes of monsters at bay.

How long till they were breached again?

Despite being a kid living in an orphanage, Lev still knew that those towering walls had fallen more than once. The same walls that seemed so indestructible from up close to him, had come tumbling down against harrowing abominations.

It was one of the main reasons he was risking something like this. He didn't want to be powerless in the case of another breach, and acquiring a class would be the first step in solving that.

He absolutely loathed the thought of staying weak when he could save lives around him as well, which pushed him over the edge to risk it. Getting a class would still take more than a year though, but that was fine. He just needed to get started as soon as he could.

Even if the knowledge of my reincarnation is leaked, what's the worst that can happen?

…

Way to go, me.

The death flag was definitely reassuring. Having set up a reason to blame everything on in case things went wrong, Lev finally saw the crafter's residence in the distance. He had expected to see a giant laboratory, or perhaps a heavily fortified bunker.

He was not prepared for a cottage that looked downright homely.

The cozy space was both a good sign and a bad sign. Good because someone who wanted such a residence was unlikely to be evil. Surely. Bad because he had no idea what to expect anymore. It was hard to predict a Master who would prefer such a modest living space.

With slow, hesitant steps, Lev approached the cottage. The crafter was currently inside, he could feel it in his bones, and Lev had been noticed too.

Humans could feel the strength of other humans and monsters through something called 'auras'. There were no concrete explanations about what they were, only that they could be felt rather accurately unless cloaked or hidden.

The aura Lev could perceive inside was only half-cloaked. There was no impression of the crafter's capabilities, only the general strength. And boy, was he strong.

Lev had seen a few Masters pass through the outpost before. They couldn't hold a candle to the Master crafter inside despite being combatants themselves.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

When he was about to knock on the door, it opened. Lev beheld a man who looked to be in his late twenties gazing at him with equal parts curiosity and amusement. Alec Zar was a dashing young-looking man with hair so dark blue they almost looked black. His casual blue shirt and black pants didn't match his status but they were befitting a person living in the cottage.

The man waved Lev inside before he could open his mouth. Lev obliged, not daring to earn the crafter's ire. Already, he was regretting coming here, for the man was far stronger than Lev's estimates.

The interior of the cottage was just as snug as the exterior. To Lev's left was a large bed and wardrobe, and to his right was a white table and chairs. They stood out against the brown wood used everywhere, and Lev could tell they were special just by being in their vicinity.

"Take a seat," a voice behind him called out. Lev belatedly realized he was staring at everything like a clueless tourist, so he quickly looked to where the crafter was pointing.

Lev blinked. There was a high-quality sofa behind him. He could've sworn there was nothing there before.

Must've been brought out of a storage item, observed a distant part of his mind. Most of it was currently coming up with plans to best proceed with the upcoming conversation.

Lev's heartbeat gradually quickened as the silence dragged on. The crafter didn't seem to mind his presence. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying Lev's discomfort.

"Normally, even Masters rarely visit me. Why then, was a kid wobbling to my humble abode with such determination?"

Lev swallowed. "I wanted to request an apprenticeship."

"Apprenticeship, huh," Alec mused. "How old are you?"

"Six."

"At what age does The System unlock?"

"Twelve, normally."

The crafter nodded. "Twelve to fourteen. If you can't even use The System before that, what would the point of the apprenticeship be?"

… Here it comes.

"I… My System access was unlocked a few months ago,"

The crafter stared at him, the smile on his face frozen. Lev wondered if he should start running when the aura around him turned from neutral to oppressive, rooting him in place.

"I will need you to answer some questions, and boy, don't you dare think of lying."

The aura loosened its hold on Lev, who nodded rapidly. Beads of sweat flew around from the motion, each holding enough terror to keep a whole country in check.

"Why did it unlock?"

"I don't know. I just woke up and my status was suddenly available."

"Why did you check the status after waking up?"

"It was a habit. I swear I simply checked it daily to see if something changed."

"Why? Even kids get bored of things after doing them for a few weeks or months."

Lev contemplated what to say. Lying was not an option, the Master Crafter's Perception was more than enough to read the signs from his body language. Not that Lev could control his body to any decent extent, to begin with.

"Don't lie," came the warning, again.

"I… don't have any proof for this. It might sound crazy, but I remember living another life."

"It does sound crazy," Alec agreed, skeptical. "Let's start with the name of this theoretical world."

"Earth," Lev replied hesitantly. Some of his fear and apprehension turned into surprise when the crafter paused, calming down significantly.

"How did you end up on Monarch?"

"I don't know. I just went to sleep after a… not a good day, and then I woke up in an orphanage."

The crafter did not ask any questions after that, which Lev took as a good sign. But he was far too curious to let the silence linger.

"… Do you believe me?"

"I believe in the possibility being real," The crafter replied curtly. "You will need to answer a lot of questions to really prove yourself."

Lev nodded in assent, happy to just be alive.

****

"No mana or monsters?" Alec questioned again.

"Not to my knowledge. Information was censored frequently on the internet so I can't be completely certain," Lev voiced, now much more assured of his chances.

Chances to live, that is. The crafter had gradually eased too, believing Lev to not be … whatever he was expecting. He would remember to ask one day if he ever got the apprenticeship.

"Intriguing but not impossible," Alec remarked, "but enough of that. What is your name?"

Lev blinked stupidly. They had been talking for an hour now without even an introduction. "Lev."

"Well met, Lev. It may sound cheap but I apologize for my earlier behavior," he held up a hand to forestall his question. "I cannot answer any questions related to it, either. Suffice to say, there are some things that can never be allowed inside the walls."

"… Shapeshifters?"

The crafter sighed in exasperation. "Fiction?"

"Yeah," Lev answered, daring to smile a little.

"It's scary how much of that overlaps with our reality," Alec thought out loud. "I will not confirm or deny anything. Let's return to your first request. Why did you want to start an apprenticeship so early?"

Lev gave him a flat stare. "We just talked about that for so long?"

"I know that, but why do you want to start so early? Surely you know about the attribute training."

"Is that even an issue? I don't see why it would be harmful if I eat proper food and avoid any taxing exercises or weightlifting."

"You're missing the point. Why not wait till you grow up more?"

Lev considered his answer in silence, trying to find the correct words. The crafter didn't push him either.

"I… I can't sit still. Having lived nineteen years as an orphan before, it is impossible to do nothing when I could be working towards a better future."

"To what end?" Alec challenged.

"The kids in the orphanage all dream of becoming famous hunters," Lev began with conviction, the previous apprehension and fear slowly evaporating. "To go fight monsters, just like their parents once did. Just like their grandparents once did. Just like their predecessors once did."

He took a deep breath. "I hate it there. I hate seeing little kids dream of marching to their deaths, hoping to bring about a brighter future when even the Exalted don't dare promise a better future."

Steeling his already cemented resolve even further, Lev stared directly into the eyes of the crafter. "I want to change that, no matter what it takes."

"Foolishness," Alec remarked with a scoff.

"Maybe," Lev snapped back, "but if I don't try, how will I ever know if it could come true?"

"And what makes you think you can do better than the rest of us?"

"Why can't I?" Lev challenged.

The implications in his words were not lost on the crafter. Lev had blatantly questioned Alec's resolve and, more importantly, his ability to teach Lev enough to set him up for such success.

"Even if it costs you your life? For a negligible chance to truly make a difference?"

"Yes," Lev replied without missing a beat, holding the man's stare. "It will be a worthy end. Far better than my first."

The staring contest lasted for several seconds, neither refusing to back down. In the end, Alec looked away first.

"You have to be either completely out of your mind or too determined for your own good to be like this," he sighed. "I hope it works out for you better than it did for us, regardless."

"I hope so too," Lev agreed easily.

They both lapsed into silence after that. The passage of time brought with it several realizations, including the fact that Lev had just argued with an extremely strong human who could remove him with a thought.

I'm fucking crazy, Lev thought, unable to hold back a grin.

"What's so funny?" Alec questioned, though he was smiling too.

"Just thinking back to everything I said," Lev replied. "I, uh, meant no disrespect."

Laughter was the only response he got, though Lev could admit it didn't sound bad at all.

It bode well for his future.