"You are abandoned because of money." Those were the words Aster's caretaker said to Aster when he asked her why he was in an orphanage.

At the time, Aster was left in disbelief, wondering why parents would abandon their child for pieces of paper.

Later on, he learned that the whole world was ruled by those pieces of paper.

'I can see why.' Aster thought while looking at the book in his hands. It was a guide to magic. The manual to being the strongest.

'I can finally learn Magic!' He was elated. Mages were highly respected beings with infinite potential and knowledge.

Some mages were more respected than kings. At least, that's what he was told in the temple.

More importantly, the only way of leaving the temple was through magic.

The only safe way, that is.

[ Do you wish to integrate the book with the System? ]

Aster received a notification.

Without any hesitation, he answered. "No."

'Who is it fooling?' He thought. 'Why would I lose the book without reading it?'

Opening the book, Aster started learning magic.

Well, that's what he expected to happen, but the book couldn't open, no matter what he did.

Using full force, punching it, even stabbing it. But the book was as immovable as a mountain.

'Damn scammer System.' He thought before saying aloud. "Integrate the book."

Suddenly, as if it was never there, the book disappeared.

[ You have opened 'Programming Magic Guidebook' ]

[ Proceeding... ]

[ Host doesn't meet the requirements. ]

[ Proceeding to filter the sections... ]

[ New Option acquired: 'Programmer Mage' ]

"What the?" Aster stared blankly at his notifications, confused. 'So the System really isn't sentient. Otherwise, it wouldn't look so robotic and compute and all.'

He called out. "System, show me all options."

[ System Options:

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Status, Shop, Programmer Mage ]

There it was, the new option.

Aster put his hand on his chin, pondering. 'So I am able to even unlock options from the gacha? Isn't this way too damn OP?!'

'My Status option is useful, but it doesn't help much.'

'My Shop option is usually unusable because most things there either cost too much or are locked because I don't have a Mana Core.'

Aster wasn't sure what Mana Core was, but he knew that he didn't have it.

'I really hope that the new option will be able to help me leave the temple.'

Just as he was about to order the System to select that option, he heard a loud fart behind him.

"Huh?" Aster looked to the side, but all he could see was a wall, paintings, a cold floor, and the darkness that his candle couldn't illuminate.

Another fart.

Aster narrowed his eyes. He stood up, holding his dagger.

Step. Step. Step.

He walked slowly and warily, trying to remember where exactly he had heard the sound.

And then, he slashed to the side.

[ You have killed a monster painting. ]

A notification rang in his ears.

[ Absorbing Energy... ]

[ You have gained 2 Energy Points. ]

"Maybe it's not a bad thing that I'm transported to this stup-" Aster started murmuring before remembering that he almost cursed the temple aloud. "- this temple."

Cursing it was a quick way to suicide.

The name of the temple Aster was currently in was the 'Temple of Trickery'.

It was a temple of an old god who had abandoned the world.

And not just one. Apparently, many gods had forsaken the world, cursing its residents and creating a new heaven somewhere far away.

It's the reason why the world was known as Cursed World, and it's also the reason why all Fate Providences had multiple effects.

One was a blessing that the gods left behind before they abandoned the world.

And the other was a curse they left behind after they abandoned the world.

Or so Aster was told.

'I should return for now. My candle will get extinguished soon.' He stood up, returning.

People randomly appeared in the temple. Some transmigrated, some in sleep, and some just walked randomly and appeared there.

Returning to the survivors' camp, as they called it, Aster knocked on a door.

"This damn temple! It's as creepy as it's deadly." He heard the voice of a person on guard duty who, after opening the door, eyed the bag on Aster's back.

"It's fine as long as we proceed slowly and carefully," Aster commented before opening his bag and giving the guard a small mass of blob.

"Thank you, Aster!" The guard showed Aster a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear. "You are my favorite explorer."

"No problem," Aster answered.

In case a stray monster appeared, the guard keeping watch was the first line of defense before the explorers arrived.

If the explorers were in the camp, that is.

Because of the difficulty, potential boredom, and death, guards were given a small tribute from explorers every time they returned.

"Oh, is that Miss Cecil?" The guard noticed a small light in the distance.

Aster hurriedly moved his head, observing the newcomer.

She had thin lips, skin as pale as snow, and pale crimson eyes. Her medium-length black hair entranced Aster's eyes as he watched her appear.

"Hello, Miss Cecil, will you gi-" The guard wanted to ask her about a tribute, but he was completely ignored.

Cecil passed by Aster and the guard as if they were random flies. Random paintings on the wall.

No, she'd at least keep an eye out for the paintings. Those were already proven to be dangerous.

"Don't make cowards stronger than they should be. If they were responsible, they'd go out and get the resources themselves." Before she disappeared, Aster could hear her voice.

The guard and Aster stared at her disappearing back blankly.

"Hahah." The guard scratched his head, embarrassed about the situation that just happened.

"Don't worry. If you were a leech, you wouldn't be on guard duty." Aster reassured the guard before leaving as well.

He left the remains of a candle on the side and passed by the busy corridor again.

'Time to learn what my new option, Programmer Mage, does. I really want to leave this temple.'