บท 3: CHAPTER (3): Get a license.

"Of all the novels I read in the past, why does it have to be this particular one? Why? Why?" Rick muttered bitterly as tears streamed down his eyes.

"This life keeps getting worse when I think it's going to change for the better. Why does it have to be this novel? In the novel, the MC died at the very end after saving the whole world. And since I was reborn as the MC, I'd surely suffer the same fate as him, wouldn't I? Why is my life so damn miserable!" He wailed out his frustration as he crunched until his butt touched the ground.

[What the hell is going on here? Are you out of your fucking mind? You're wailing right before your redemption, are you insane? I didn't know humans, no wizards were this stupid!], The AI assistant snarled at Rick.

She didn't understand why he was crying. Right after seeing his status page, he just began crying his eyes out like a kid.

"So this is what you call redemption, huh?! Liberating the whole world and then dying, is that really redemption? Answer me, is that redemption?! I'd prefer dying back then when I had a seizure than toiling to save an entire world in some goddamn novel only to die afterward!" He fired back in anger, still shedding tears.

[Oh, so that's the point of your tears. Well, I'm sorry to break you even further, but you don't have a choice here. You were chosen to fulfill this task and you can't run away from it. Do you even know why you had a system in the first place? In the novel you read in the past, I'm pretty sure the MC doesn't have a system, isn't it? Think about it.]

Rick thought for a while before he responded, "What the fuck is suddenly wrong with my head, I can't remember a single detail of what actually happened in the novel? Besides the name of the main character and what happened at the very end, I can't remember any other thing, not even the book's name."

[Then you should be thankful for that. You won't be needing it if you want to make things different. I just want you to know that this system is granted to you, so you can be able to change your fate when you go out there]

"You mean, I'll no longer die because I have a system, is that it?" Rick asked, lowering his sobs.

[Definitely, but it all depends on you. This is a new world and I'll be here to always guide you, so now it's completely up to you to heed my instructions. This world is entirely different from your former world. One major difference between them is that here there is mana. Through this mana, performing magic is made possible. As you can see on your status page, you're no longer human, in other words, you're now a wizard]

Rick wasn't shocked when he heard that. He had read many books about wizards to know how powerful and impressive that race was, so in that aspect, he was glad.

He wiped his tears and stood up. "Does this mean I can now perform magic? Wizards do perform magic, isn't it?" Rick asked, uninterested in the subject.

He was more concerned about what became of his fate after all this.

[I'm surprised you're not causing a fuss even after knowing you're now a wizard. Anyway, that's good. Over to your question, you can't practice magic until you're given a license to do so. Here in this world, it's a crime to practice magic without legal licensing. It was done this way to regulate the usage of magic and ensure that no dangerous magic is used recklessly. Wrapping all this up, you need a legal license before you can utilize magic here]

"I see, so how can I get this license? You can give me one, right, since you're here to assist me," Rick inquired, curious.

[I'm sorry, but I can't. You have to join a guild to get one for yourself. And to do so, you have to register as an adventurer. You can as well register as a student in a mage school to get a license]

"Damn, I remember all this guild thing from the novels I read in the past. Take up a quest, complete the quest, increase your adventurer rank, and earn money, isn't it? That's dangerous, am I wrong?" Rick stated, worried.

[That's right, but if you don't do it, you can never get a license. At least not from a guild. And if you don't have a license, you won't be able to use magic and that will significantly weaken your strength. You can't change your fate if you stay weak. This world is nothing like your previous world. If you're not strong, you can't survive here. I suppose you don't want to go through the mage school process of obtaining a license since I didn't hear you mention anything about it]

Rick thought with a deep sigh: 'Why do I have to be caught up in the middle of something like this? Wasn't it better if I'd died back then than come here and continue struggling?'

[Trust me, it is not. You're quite lucky to be given a second chance at life. You might not understand what I'm saying now, but later you will]

"Wait, did I say that out loud?" Rick asked, confused.

[I can hear your thoughts. You don't have to say it out loud before I can hear it.]

"That's kinda invading one's privacy, you know," Rick said. "Anyway, it's fine. It will be helpful when communicating with you in public because I can't keep talking to myself loudly, otherwise, people will think I'm crazy."

[Those things you see on your status page are your stats. They are still low but don't worry. Once you start practicing magic, you will get stronger]

"About that name, I hope I'm not.."

[That's your new name from now on. You will no longer go by your old name. That name stopped existing the instant you ceased breathing back then. So you're here as a new person]

Rick let out a sigh when he heard that. He had no choice. He had to comply. After all, what she said was right. He is no longer the same person from his former world. He died back then, so Rick no longer exists.

"What do you want me to call you? I can't call you an AI assistant, it makes me feel like I'm some robot. You can call me Rick, I mean Verlice. That'd be better, instead of 'Host'. What do you think?" Verlice finally replied.

[That's good to hear. You can call me Lera. I'd prefer that more than any other female name. I was programmed to operate like a female, hope you don't mind?]

"I don't care about what you want to answer, I just don't want to call you AI assistant," Verlice replied coldly. "Go on, show me how to get out of here. I need to get myself a license and that can't happen if I remain sitting in here."

Lera chuckled inaudibly.

[Sure, Verlice]