Minute Mage: A Time-Traveling LitRPG - Chapter 87: Making the Choice

As the owner of an ordinary bookstore, Ling PingAn’s biggest wish was to muddle through life and do absolutely nothing.

On Terra, everyone has a 58% chance to “Awaken” as a Traveler—a chosen few who can access mystical portals called Flumes, allowing them to travel to Genovia, a world filled with unimaginable power, chaos, and danger. But not everyone gets to be a hero.Born into a struggling family with nothing but ragged clothes and a bleak future, Aoni Thurston, a total nobody with a humiliating One-Star Potential and G- stats across the board, knows his only chance at survival hinges on unlocking his hidden ability, something which all Traveler’s are gifted “Attributes.”But Aoni’s Attribute, “Progression,” holds a secret—a power to bend the rules of his ruthless reality. Each small victory, every step forward, earns him mysterious Progress Points, enabling him to transform his weaknesses into strength. Surviving the unforgiving snows of his desolate Territory, he faces isolation, despair, and near-death, all while unraveling the potential of his Attribute.In a world where power is everything, can Aoni claw his way from obscurity to greatness, or will the system grind him into dust? His future is uncertain, but one thing is clear—everything in his world can change through his Attribute: Progression.

On one dark night in Tokyo, japanInside an abandoned factory…Shizuka Marikawa, a working woman was returning from her work but ran into an unfortunate situation where she almost lost something more precious than her own life but got saved at the last second by someoneShe couldn't help but look at the boy in front of her with wide-opened eyes as she was too stunned to speakAll she could do was stare at a boy with white hair soaked in blood as Around him was nothing but corpses of humans he just killedAnd From this instant, she instantly knew the boy was not human at all because, unlike humans, he had one red eye as he had some weird things coming from his back which he used to pierce through human chests with ease‘monster’ Shizuka Inwardly said this as this was the only answer to her questions even though she said this but she somehow also knew he wouldn't harmShizuka is someone who has always been able to read the intentions of other people from their faces due to events that keep happening in her life which is the reason can tell this boy or a monster moreover she found nothing in his eyes but sadness and painMaking him very pitiful in her eyes, since even though he himself is in so much pain and sadness and even then he is saving herIn her eyes, He is not only Pitiful but also very kind“Please come with me!” Shizuka blurted it out unconsciously even though she had no idea what she was saying because she said it instinctivelyOr maybe she knew? She just knows she can't leave him alone otherwise this boy will be all alone as she decided to take him with HerThe boy couldn't help but look at the woman with a cold graze even though it seemed cold but inside he was very confused as he was even considering a woman's mental healthUnknowingly at this moment, the boy made a bond that he never imagined in his entire lifeUnfortunately for them, his and Shizuka's lives will be totally flipped upside down soon due to unseen events..…

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz