Reincarnated with an SSS-rank Tamer System: My Harem of Villainesses-Chapter 10 - Changes in the World

Adam walked through the hallways with a serious gaze, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the mansion. The pain in his muscles had faded into the background; now, his mind was completely occupied with something else.

Something didn’t add up.

When he reached his room, he closed the door behind him with more force than necessary. He stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched.

’System,’ he called out mentally.

The screen appeared instantly before him with its characteristic blue glow.

[Tamer System]

[What’s wrong, host? Did you miss talking to me already?]

Adam frowned, irritated. "Don’t play games. You know what I mean."

[Tamer System]

[Eh? I have no idea what you’re talking about.]

"Don’t mess with me!" Adam exclaimed, taking a step forward as if he could physically confront the screen. "Dorian never appeared in the novel. I don’t remember a professor by that name, and not even a mention of him."

There was a brief silence as the screen showed no message.

Adam grit his teeth and continued. "And not only that. My younger sister, Seraphina. Someone with so much potential, a magical prodigy at eighteen... and she never appeared in the novel? Not even once. Someone like her should be conspicuous; she should have at least a supporting role. But no. Nothing."

He paused again, his breathing ragged. Then he took another step toward the screen.

"When were you planning on telling me?"

The screen flickered slightly. Then, the system’s tone changed completely. There was no longer any humor or sarcasm. The message that appeared was cold, almost unsettling.

[Tamer System]

[...]

[Host, there are things you think you know. Things you believe exist exactly as you remember them.]

[But something changed.]

For some reason, Adam felt a chill run down his spine. "What does that mean?"

[Tamer System]

[Before you arrived in this world, something... happened. I cannot give you specific details because even I do not have full access to that information. But what I can tell you is this:]

[This world is no longer exactly the same as the one you read about in the novel.]

Adam stood motionless, processing the words. "What do you mean ’no longer the same’? What changed?"

[Tamer System]

[I do not know for certain. It could be that certain characters who did not exist before now exist. It could be that events that should occur no longer occur. Or vice versa.]

[The only thing I can confirm for you is that the main timeline remains intact: the protagonist will enter the academy in one month. The heroines will be there. The main villainesses as well.]

[But the rest... is out of my control.]

Adam let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Perfect. So I’m flying blind."

[Tamer System]

[Not exactly. You still have a massive advantage over the rest. You know the main plot; you know the key characters. But you must be prepared for the unexpected.]

[Dorian and Seraphina are examples of that. They were not in the novel, but now they are here. And there will likely be more.]

Adam slumped into his desk chair, eyes narrowed as he stared at the ceiling. "And why didn’t you tell me this from the beginning?"

[Tamer System]

[Because I didn’t have confirmation until you received the memories. Now that you have them, it is evident that there are discrepancies.]

[Besides, host, would you have believed me if I had told you before? You probably would have thought it was an excuse or a lie.]

Adam didn’t respond. He knew the system was right.

There was a long silence. Adam stared at the screen with a mixture of frustration and resignation. Finally, he sighed.

"Anything else I should know?"

[Tamer System]

[Only this: prepare yourself.]

[Do not underestimate anyone. Do not assume things will go as they did in the novel. And above all, do not lower your guard.]

[Because if this world changed before you arrived... who’s to say it won’t keep changing?]

The screen vanished, leaving Adam alone in the room.

He sat in silence for several minutes, processing everything. Then, he let out a dry laugh.

’Everything went to hell,’ he thought bitterly. ’Now I don’t just have to deal with the villainesses and the protagonist, but also with a world that can change at any moment.’

He stood up from the chair and walked toward the window, looking at the dark landscape outside. Night had fallen completely.

’I must be prepared for anything,’ he thought, clenching his fists. ’I can’t afford to lower my guard. Not for a second.’

***

Adam headed toward the bookshelf and picked up one of the books he had been reading over the past few days. It was a thick volume titled Fundamentals of Magic: Mana Absorption.

He opened it and flipped through the pages until he reached the section that interested him: meditation.

According to the book, to be able to use magic effectively, you first had to be able to visualize your mana core. This core was the center where all the body’s magical energy was stored.

But visualizing it wasn’t something achieved overnight. The book explained that it required hours, days, even weeks of deep meditation. Only those with high magical potential could achieve it in less time.

’Hours of meditation... what a load of crap,’ Adam thought, closing the book. ’But I have no choice.’

He sat on the floor in the center of the room, legs crossed, placing his hands on his knees and closing his eyes.

He breathed deeply, trying to concentrate.

The book had given specific instructions: you had to empty your mind completely, eliminate any thought, and focus solely on the internal sensation of your body.

Adam tried to do it, but it was harder than it seemed. His mind kept wandering. He thought about Dorian, Seraphina, the system, the novel.

’Concentrate, dammit,’ he told himself.

He breathed deeply again, slower this time. He inhaled for five seconds, then exhaled for five seconds, repeating the process.

Little by little, his thoughts began to recede and his mind cleared, as if a thick fog were beginning to dissipate.

Then, he felt something.

It was a strange, almost imperceptible sensation. Like a small warm spot in the center of his chest. It wasn’t painful, but it was recognizable.

’Is that it?’ he thought, trying not to lose his focus.

He focused all his attention on that sensation. The warm spot began to grow clearer, more defined. He could feel it pulsing slightly, as if it had a life of its own.

But just as he was about to visualize it completely, the sensation vanished.

Adam snapped his eyes open, gasping. He had lost his concentration.

"Shit..." he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He looked out the window and noticed that at least an hour had passed.

’Only an hour and I’m already mentally drained,’ he thought with annoyance. ’This is going to be harder than I thought.’

He got up from the floor, stretching his legs. Then he looked at the book again.

According to what he had read, once he managed to visualize his mana core completely, he could begin to absorb mana from the outside. That would strengthen his core and allow him to use magic more efficiently.

But for that, he needed to meditate for hours. Many hours. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

’Great,’ he thought sarcastically. ’Just what I needed. More torture.’

He flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Nox appeared at that moment, materializing by his side. The small dragon looked at him with curiosity before settling on his chest.

Adam didn’t push him away. He just let the dragon’s weight comfort him.

’One month,’ he thought, closing his eyes. ’I have one month to get strong enough to face Dorian. And in the meantime, I must be prepared for whatever this changed world throws at me.’

’There’s no turning back.’

With that final thought, Adam finally let himself be carried away by exhaustion and fell asleep.