Oliver pushed open the office door and stepped out into the hallway.
The moment he did, someone immediately walked into him.
The collision itself barely affected Oliver, but the smaller figure bounced back slightly from the impact.
Oliver instinctively reached out and steadied the person before they could lose balance completely.
Then he looked down.
Black braids.
Pale skin.
Dark emotionless eyes currently staring at him with open irritation.
Wednesday Addams.
For a second, Oliver simply froze internally.
Wow.
It’s actually Wednesday Addams in person.
Seeing her in real life felt strangely surreal.
Up close, she looked even smaller than he expected, though the cold stare directed at him made the atmosphere feel several degrees colder instantly.
At the same time, one very unfortunate realization appeared inside his mind.
Yeah.
Any hope for peace at Nevermore is officially dead.
Wednesday slowly looked up at him.
“Based on your complete lack of spatial awareness,” she said in a flat voice, “I assume every nutrient you’ve consumed throughout your life went directly into your body instead of your brain. It’s the only explanation for failing to notice another person standing directly in front of you.”
Oliver blinked once.
“I’m sorry,” he replied calmly.
“You’re so tiny I genuinely didn’t see you.”
Silence.
The hallway became very quiet for several seconds.
Wednesday stared at him without changing expression, though internally she immediately began considering multiple efficient burial methods for this six-foot idiot standing in front of her.
“It’s amusing that you believe height offers any meaningful advantage,” Wednesday Addams said calmly while looking directly into his eyes.
“The tallest person is usually the easiest to target first.”
Oliver shrugged as if that did not bother him.
“Don’t worry. If I ever end up in danger, I’ll drag everyone around me into the disaster too. At least I won’t suffer alone.”
Wednesday stared at him for several silent seconds.
“You’re admitting that remarkably casually.”
“I believe in shared experiences.”
“That isn’t a shared experience,” Wednesday replied dryly.
“That’s hostage mentality.”
Oliver looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding slightly.
“…Okay, that’s fair.”
Wednesday folded her arms while continuing to examine him with open suspicion.
“Most people possess enough basic decency to avoid involving others in their problems. You, however, appear fully prepared to turn innocent bystanders into collateral damage for the sake of companionship.”
Oliver looked completely unapologetic.
“I’m just saying misery becomes easier to tolerate with witnesses.”
“That may be the most pathetic survival philosophy I’ve heard this month,” Wednesday said flatly.
“Which is impressive considering I once met a man who attempted taxidermy on his own pets to cope with loneliness.”
Oliver blinked.
“…You know some deeply concerning people.”
“I make an effort to.”
Before Oliver could respond again, another figure suddenly appeared behind Wednesday.
Morticia Addams gracefully placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder while offering Oliver a polite smile.
“Wednesday,” Morticia said smoothly, “try not to threaten your fellow students before enrollment is finalized. It creates unfortunate first impressions.”
“I was merely offering him practical survival advice,” Wednesday replied without looking away from Oliver.
“His height makes him an easy target for snipers and hanging accidents.”
Morticia looked mildly pleased by that answer for some reason.
“How thoughtful of you.”
Beside her, Gomez Addams stepped forward enthusiastically before placing both hands on Wednesday’s shoulders.
“My little storm cloud making friends already,” Gomez said proudly.
“Ah, youth.”
“We are not friends,” Wednesday corrected immediately.
“Not yet,” Gomez replied with complete confidence.
Meanwhile, Morticia gently guided Wednesday toward the administration office doors.
“Come, darling. Larissa is waiting for us.”
Wednesday allowed herself to be pushed toward the office, though not before giving Oliver one final unreadable look.
Oliver casually waved a hand.
“Well, I’m sure we’ll meet again since I also joined today.”
Wednesday stared at him for a brief moment.
“The only people I repeatedly encounter tend to become corpses eventually.”
Then Wednesday Addams walked into the administration office alongside her parents, and the doors slowly closed behind them.
The hallway finally became quiet again.
Oliver let out a long tired sigh before rubbing the side of his head.
“…Now I understand why everyone says talking to her is exhausting.”
Honestly, every sentence coming out of Wednesday’s mouth somehow sounded like either a threat, an insult, or a psychological evaluation.
Sometimes all three together.
And the worst part was that she delivered everything with such a calm expression that it became impossible to tell whether she was joking or genuinely planning homicide.
Then the familiar eerie background music suddenly started playing again near his ears.
Oliver’s eye twitched immediately.
“…Can you stop with the dramatic soundtrack already?”
The blue system panel quietly appeared in front of him.
[ The main character has successfully made a deep impression on Wednesday Addams. ]
[ Unfortunately, that impression mostly involves thoughts of burying him beneath several feet of soil. ]
[ Reward Acquired : 1 Common Modification ]
Oliver stared at the screen thoughtfully.
“Oh.”
So that was how this worked.
By changing events or affecting important characters, he gained modification chances.
Which explained why the system constantly encouraged him toward the center of the plot instead of letting him quietly disappear into the background.
The more he interfered, the more rewards he received.
Honestly, that sounded dangerously easy for him.
Because if there was one thing Oliver excelled at naturally, it was accidentally making situations worse.
Keeping life stable required effort.
Creating chaos, however, happened almost automatically.