So I've been reading this web novel called King Legend System and it hit a specific itch I didn't know i had. looking for recs for similar vibes
Alexander is early thirties. genuinely awful life. bullied in high school. dropped out of uni when his mom's surgery went wrong. married, cheated on, divorced. works a thankless job and finishes other people's assignments at 3am. gets hit by a car
Dies
While dying, a voice shows up and tells him his life was bad bc of choices he made. he argues (obviously). voice asks if he'd do better with another chance. he says yes. wakes up in his childhood bedroom as a teenager
Then an app appears: King Legend System. his stats are displayed and they are, i cannot stress this enough, ENTIRELY F GRADE except intelligence which is barely an E. system just opens with his trash stats. he's annoyed. first quest drops with a "complete this or the app deletes itself" timer
What i want in other books:
– protagonist has adult perspective in younger body. knows things but has to relearn social environment
– system is THREATENING not rewarding. will literally delete itself if you don't do tasks
– gang/crime element. by chapter 7 he's accidentally tracking criminals through an alley and ends up inside gang headquarters trying to rescue someone while three crime orgs fight over territory
– the small moments. seeing his mom again for the first time and having to hold it together. quiet and devastating in a way action beats aren't
Sophia Bromck dynamic is good too. most powerful girl in school, completely cold to everyone, gets interested in him bc he helped her without wanting anything. her family motto is "honor is law" and no one does anything for nothing in her world so his "why wouldn't I help" breaks her brain
If you know books with similar energy drop them below. modern setting, reincarnation, system with stakes, mix of school life and something darker
by Middle-Wafer4480