《Madness of the secondary character》 Chapter 1: The beginning of madness CH 1 Some people are willing to do anything for enjoyment, even if it means putting themselves in danger. And of course, I am not one of them¡­ ¡ª---------- The Fortress, the academy that formed humanity¡¯s greatest hope, a place meant to nurture the youth of this generation and make them the pillars of society in the years to come. This academy is located at the center of the human nation and its borders are protected as if they were the borders of a superpower. It sits on land the size of a small city, with all the necessary and recreational amenities, so that students rarely need to leave. The average time a student spends within the academy¡¯s boundaries without leaving is four months, a testament to how well The Fortress was designed. Students here learn everything important, everything humanity relies on to excel over other races. Without this academy and the outstanding students who graduate each year, humanity¡¯s resistance against demons and other hostile races would be much weaker, and some border cities might even be captured. In one of the dormitories of this academy, there was a certain student who managed to get in despite not being noble or wealthy. This student lay in his room, seemingly suffering from a severe headache, barely able to stay in place without screaming. His name was Perrin Thorn, the son of a mercenary with above-average skills but not much talent. Perrin wasn¡¯t chosen for a scholarship because there were others more deserving, so his father had to take on a huge debt to get him in without recommendations. All this so that his son could be the hope of his humble mercenary group. But did Perrin want this? No. But would he do everything he could? Yes. No matter how cowardly or rude, the sacrifices his father made to put him in this dorm within the academy''s boundaries were countless. Not giving his best would render him unable to sleep in the future. But currently, Perrin was facing immense pain, pain that almost made him scream out loud. Strange memories were invading his mind, memories of someone not from his world and with no connection to it. Someone from a place so far away it made him doubt his reality and the importance of his life in this universe. But this wasn¡¯t the most significant impact right now. Perrin put one hand on his head, and the other was around his neck, trying to choke himself. "This can''t be real... this can''t be real!" The memories in his mind were of a person around his age on a planet called "Earth," a person who lived an ordinary life there and died in a car accident. This person worked in game production or creative production, the name isn¡¯t important right now. This person supervised several departments responsible for creating a specific game story. The story writing team, the design team, and the art team¡­ All these teams worked hard to create a realistic game aimed at entertaining the audience and, of course, making some money. And the story they created was about... this world... Perrin¡¯s life, all the hardships he and his father went through, the millions of victims from all the demon attacks¡­ Everything in this world, all the achievements, pains, sacrifices, sweat, and blood! Everything was just a game to a random person! A game they played, enjoyed, got bored of, and then forgot forever, a temporary pleasure for one person based on the sweat and blood of billions of humans in this world! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sweat and blood! A strange foam came out of his mouth after a short while, and he felt himself choking. He couldn¡¯t breathe, how could he when these memories had just attacked him? He ran immediately to the nearby bathroom, opened the faucet to clear his throat and breathe again. While doing so, he was lost in his thoughts, all his worries had already disappeared and all that was left were thoughts of self-denial. His initial reaction was to deny these memories, but he found them too detailed to be a mere illusion. The memories of someone who lived for about forty years had just flooded his mind, he saw this person¡¯s youth, his university days. He saw this person writing the story of this world in one of his notebooks before bed, then later turning those notes into a game. Ironically, Perrin was a nobody even in the game, actually more than that, he didn¡¯t exist at all! Just a character designed to populate the game, a filler to make the game seem lively and for the player to interact with. Perrin vomited the dinner he had eaten before sleeping the previous night, starting to feel insane. "I won''t allow this¡­ I won''t allow this¡­" his voice was trembling, unable to accept what was happening. He would have accepted it more if he were the hero of the game, for instance, or a main character, but he wasn¡¯t. His existence was meaningless, he was just data made up of zeros and ones in a random data storage. Everything around him was made up of zeros and ones, how could he take anything seriously after knowing this? Reviewing the memories in his brain once again, he became certain that what he was experiencing wasn¡¯t an illusion. It was a strange feeling, he wanted to reject it but all the evidence proved otherwise. He wanted to forget, but there was no possible way to do so. "This can''t be... this can''t be..." He shivered as he thought about what to do next. How could he continue his life normally after all this? Impossible. He no longer thought about his previous desires, he just wanted to prove that he was important, not someone existing for a purpose that wasn¡¯t even secondary. A real person with desires that weren¡¯t imposed on him¡­ In the game itself, there are three endings. ''If I want to prove my existence... and reject these strange memories, I have to create a fourth ending myself¡­'' Someone without any power trying to challenge the world¡¯s context, how ironic¡­ From this point forward, there is no stopping... there is a point to reach... =+= I washed my face thoroughly, drank some water, then went to rest on the bed I had only slept on once. "I¡­" Ironically, these were the first coherent words to come out of my mouth after all that¡­ I. "It seems that my ego is what''s driving me after all¡­" I put my hand on my head to rest it, I had just woken up and I was already tired. I lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling of the room with boredom, or so it appeared outwardly. My mind entered a state of chaos, I didn''t even know what to think about now, what to do? Should I go out to search for a cheat item to make me stronger? I knew this term from the works watched by the unknown person whose memories attacked me. In that world, the entertainment industry had reached extremely high peaks, and its development was incomparable to this world. I found in some of those fictional stories wisdom and advice that were not just fantasies, but things that could be considered treasures here. It was truly unfortunate that this game was made with maximum difficulty, and there was no easy way to move forward in it. The first and easiest thought that crossed my mind was to kill the game''s main character, it was really the easiest way to create a fourth ending. But there were two questions that determined the seriousness and success of this idea: 1- Could I really do it? With my skills? 2- Was I brave enough? The answer to both questions was a big "no." First, the MC''s ability was too strong, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be the hero, to begin with, this was a game, not a story. The MC finds a steady and easy way to level up unlike the others, people in reality have to understand their skills well to develop, and that requires unbelievable intelligence and adaptation. And since excessive complexity makes the game less popular, the MC wouldn¡¯t face those problems. Also, due to his exceptional skill, the MC wouldn¡¯t have difficulty fighting some people stronger than him, he was a real miracle. Strength, wisdom, and appearance¡­ he defeated me in all areas completely and overwhelmingly. As for the second question... killing him from behind might be hard but still possible, but¡­ His death now would cause widespread destruction around the world, as he was the only one capable of defeating the ultimate enemy. No matter how strong a person was, without a way to prevent the regeneration and destruction of that giant creature¡¯s cells once and for all, it was impossible to defeat it. And what a coincidence! One of the MC''s abilities was to destroy cells! What a plot twist¡­ I covered my face with my hands, feeling the tears forming. "I wish I hadn''t gotten these memories¡­" I was completely mentally destroyed, it was impossible to return to the same peace I once had. *** The sunlight woke me up once again, the summer heat made sleeping again impossible, and I didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore. Despite that, I didn¡¯t get up from the bed. Chapter 2: Seven Races A hundred years ago, a devastating earthquake reshaped the earth, causing hundreds of millions of human deaths. Nuclear reactors exploded, leading to unprecedented pollution, but that was actually a blessing. Despite the millions of other deaths that struck humanity due to nuclear contamination and infection, they managed to pull themselves together after a while, even after a great winter era settled in. A large-scale demonic invasion was supposed to begin at that time, but it turned out that nuclear radiation was lethal to them. It posed a greater threat to them than it did to humans. Gates to the demons'' realm opened, but they did not come out due to fear of the radiation. However, the energy of consciousness seeped out and spread across the earth. This energy, originating from the consciousness of all living beings in this universe, was called Zen. People discovered this energy and quickly found ways to use it. Humans'' bodies evolved significantly due to exposure to this energy, and they found a way to treat those affected by nuclear radiation. They even developed a vaccine for children, and soon things began to stabilize. If there¡¯s one thing humans excel at over other races, it''s adaptation. Adapting to any situation, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem to live in. Advanced technology and new weapons were developed, and humans'' bodies adapted to the consciousness energy, and even the planet itself became more resilient. This was the time when people began to receive genetic skills they were supposed to have had from birth. Since then, 90% of humans have gained the ability to use Zen, while the remaining 10% were considered disabled. As the planet neared the end of its recovery from nuclear radiation, the demons and some hostile races dared to finally emerge from their gates. Although they wiped out 20% of humanity at that time and took control of 60% of the land, the result would have been worse if not for their delay due to nuclear contamination. Around seven races competed for the highest amount of land. Humans and demons stood out significantly, but the cooperation of the remaining races posed a severe threat as well. Seventy years have passed since the demons and other races emerged, and now I am in The Fortress, a place meant to prepare me to become another pillar supporting humanity. Either a warrior to push other races out of our lands or an expert in other professions that distinguish humans from the rest. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. After all, what distinguishes humans is their technology and exclusive professions. Since my skill is only useful in direct confrontations, it¡¯s clear I will be trained as a soldier. Really bad news for me... Before the strange events that happened to me a short while ago, my goals were very different and very peaceful. All I wanted to do was reach level 40 and lead my father''s mercenary group, make it a little better than it is, and pass it on to my children after me. I wanted to spend the rest of my life in continuous laziness, leaving the hard work to the combat-addicted soldiers, and the thinking to the geniuses who are not in short supply. Live off the money I saved all my life, slowly and steadily gain weight, spend my time sleeping or with some friends. The first thing is to move my home to the center of the human nation where I wouldn''t face any dangers. That would be extremely expensive, but the money I was supposed to earn would be enough. Achieve not only my dream but my parents¡¯ dream as well. We all live a long life, long enough to witness humanity''s final triumph over other races and live in peace. And if my demands were not too many, I wanted to meet some grandchildren and show them to my father. Although all this requires a massive amount of money, I had already calculated everything. If I graduated from The Fortress successfully, no field of work would refuse our mercenary group at all; having a member who graduated successfully in a mercenary group is a certification in itself. Also, I wouldn''t have to pay the mercenary tax of 23%, it would decrease significantly to only 3%. All these are the benefits of graduating from The Fortress; my father and I calculated everything to the end. Words are easy but actions are harder; graduating from The Fortress is much harder than graduating from anywhere else. It''s harder than going through military training for four years, by miles! Given my lazy nature, I didn¡¯t want to put in all this effort for a long time, but I realized that being lazy for the rest of my life comes at a price. I would earn a lot of money and rest for a long time¡­ That dream flew far away without return, I felt disgusted just thinking about it. "My father is made of zeros and ones¡­ my mother is made of zeros and ones¡­ my dreams, my struggles, and my efforts! All of it isn¡¯t real!" I trembled while on the bed, thinking I had finally calmed down but I hadn¡¯t. Why should I go through all this¡­? Why did I get these memories? If I didn¡¯t do something about what I saw, I might end up hanging myself in this room in a few days, and I didn¡¯t want that. "I know I¡¯m not real, but I¡¯m still afraid of dying¡­" My world is an illusion, but it''s a very real illusion, and it never stops... The harsh truth hit me like a hammer and completely shattered my mind. To make this illusion a reality, I have to disrupt the course of events imposed on this world and restore the meaning of life, at least to myself! And to disrupt the course of events, I have to intervene, whether I want to or not. I refuse to let my life end without meaning, but to give it meaning, I have to intervene, whether I want to or not. And the bitter truth is that whether I want to or not, without these memories, I cannot give meaning to life. The thing that destroyed the meaning of life is the only way to restore it, how ironic. I finally made my decision, and my heart calmed down... I calmed down now, and I must become stronger to keep it that way... Chapter 3: Weakness *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* I looked at the door of the room; it seemed there was a visitor. I entered the academy last night and slept immediately in the dormitory, so I didn¡¯t get a chance to explore the place. Apart from the bathroom, everything was new to me. The light here is perfect for the eyes, the bed is comfortable, and a soothing fragrance comes from the ventilation. There is a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. In the bedroom, there was a place to seat guests and a table to serve them anything. The room¡¯s decor screamed the amount of money spent here, with white and brown used predominantly for everything. Within the academy''s boundaries, there is everything I could think of, not quite. Well, I don''t feel like I need anything at least. The distance between the student dormitory and the education center is about 2 kilometers; students can either walk there or use the moving sidewalk. The education center is almost opposite the dormitory. To the right of the dormitory, there is the guard center and then the barrier wall, nothing that interests the students. To the left, there is the commercial and recreational center about four kilometers away; you can get there by a bus that passes every quarter hour or the moving sidewalk, and of course, by walking. Opposite the commercial center, two kilometers away, there is the teachers¡¯ center, nothing that concerns the students. In the many open spaces, there are gardens and ponds¡­ natural and beautiful places where students can spend their time. In The Fortress, everything that can benefit an individual is present, no matter the field. There are three main specializations that students can apply for in this academy, each requiring talent in a slightly different direction. Those with quick thinking skills can go to the Leader specialization or enter the most distinguished class, General. Geniuses can go to the Support specialization, working either on developing current technology or medicine in general. There are several degrees in this specialization, and the advanced degree is Hero. The last and most desired by most people is the Soldier specialization, the individuals at the forefront of war, the distinguished class being Demon Slayer. The specialization I aimed for was the last one¡­ Despite the significant differences between the three specializations, there are some common lessons among them. I still have a few days before the official start of education; students are given two weeks to enter the academy''s boundaries after being accepted. If they are late by even a second, they can try again the following year. Discipline in The Fortress is fundamental, and students'' excuses don¡¯t matter. If they can¡¯t solve simple problems and avoid being late, their place isn¡¯t here. I thought about my ability and felt some tension; I was already accepted, so there was no need to fear now, but there are several things to consider now. The current academy director, Lucius Varro, the person who created the best educational system, which is so secretive that only students and teachers know about it. And what I know now is how harsh his methods are¡­ The survival rate in the first academy lesson does not exceed 10%, that¡¯s right¡­ 90% of students will either die or suffer irreversible injuries! Of course, this information is unknown to citizens; Director Lucius used countless tricks to cover up the educational system. And if I somehow survive the first lesson, the teachers can expel me at any time for any reason. Teachers have complete freedom in teaching, and the academy will accept their methods as long as they have positive effects on the students. For this reason, I must put in an indescribable amount of effort at least to avoid falling below the minimum. But now, my goal is to be equal to the main characters, a goal preceded by many impossibilities¡­ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I thought about my ability again, will I be able to do it? If a description of my ability were written on a paper, it would be: [Manipulating both the target''s and the user''s perspective simultaneously.] For example, instead of seeing me normally, I can make my opponent think they are a bit closer to me or further away, or even make them blind. I can make them see the battlefield from above instead of through their eyes¡­ I can manipulate the target¡¯s perspective as I want, but with two penalties: 1. Higher-than-average Zen consumption. 2. My perspective becomes distorted as well. It¡¯s an ability that is mostly useless except in the presence of an enemy, and this is why I entered the Soldier specialization among all specializations. And although it has countless uses and I can manipulate the target as I wish, it has many weaknesses, very many! If I want to rise to the distinguished class, I must cover these weaknesses as much as I can¡­ It will be difficult¡­ I can do anything I want, but that makes me more lost. I went to an outdoor training field, as the general and private academy facilities are still closed at the moment. I can only practice my skill here. My first and most obvious weakness: When I manipulate my opponent''s perspective, I can only see what they see. So, if they are ten meters away from me, and I make them see me right below them, I will see exactly what they see. Seeing what my opponent sees may seem like a useful ability, but I completely lose my sense of movement when doing so, as well as my balance. I become as if I am blind or as if I am moving a body that is not mine. After many years of having this skill, I can move normally in some perspectives, but I cannot fight. Due to my lazy nature, I only trained when my father forced me to, and now I am starting to regret it. This will be the problem that is easiest to fix, but it will take the longest time. The second weakness: opponents who do not rely primarily on vision. There is no shortage of people who can fight without looking. Although I will weaken them a lot with my skill, it is not enough. So I need to find a suitable fighting style... I will combine this problem with the first one for now. The third weakness: defense against projectiles. If someone throws something at me before I activate the skill, due to my weak body, it is difficult to avoid or defend against it. So, I need to strengthen my body and find a way to defend... There are also good things that I can improve. For example, I can support my companions against enemies, make their perspectives wider, and give them the ability to see more things. But for this to be truly beneficial, I need to practice applying this ability to more than one target. Just thinking about seeing two different perspectives makes me feel nauseous. I need to strengthen my mind... I sighed as I used my skill randomly, I can use it on myself, of course. Currently, I can only use it on one person; I might somewhat solve the first problem if I increase the number of my targets. But this requires strengthening my mind... I am drowning in a whirlpool right now... I need to focus on my movement now and leave those obstacles for later. Is there really no cheat I can use? Finding a tool using the memories or something... Most of the items in the game are tools or means to perform certain moves. These tools are mostly weapons or entire sets of armor, and the latter does not have the expected magical protection. Since there is no magical solution to my defense problem, I need to start addressing the other problems at least. In the game, the player can assemble a set of moves in a specific slot, and then use them one after the other. For example: First move: a sword slash from above infused with Zen. Second move: an energy explosion as soon as the sword reaches the target or the ground. Third move: a side kick before the target retreats. By combining a set of unrelated moves into one set, a complete fighting art can be created instantly. Of course, with proper training, everyone can perform these moves after a certain period, but these moves speed up the learning process by almost ten times. All this to prevent players from suffering unnecessary complexity, in addition to being a new and interesting style of play. If I held a sword now and tried to infuse it with Zen, I would likely fail. First: I do not have great control over Zen outside my body. Second: Preventing the Zen from spreading everywhere is difficult in itself, and keeping it surrounding the sword in a sharp form is even more difficult. As for the energy explosion in the second move, the problem is much simpler. My energy level is simply not enough, so I need to raise my level. Humans successfully developed a way to determine a person''s Zen level, on scales from 1-100. I looked at the watch tied around my left wrist, it has many more features than just showing the time. I tapped on it a bit, and a different screen was displayed inside it; the technology in this era is very different. [ Name: Perrin Thorn Age: 18 ID Number: XXXX876 Consciousness Level: 9 ] How pathetic, I was barely at the minimum level accepted by the academy. It¡¯s ironic that I am starting to regret my previous laziness now. To create an energy explosion from the sword blade, I need to reach at least level 10, but then I would lose all my reserves in one go. If I want to use it effectively in combat, I need to reach at least level 15. As for how to develop the energy, it is somewhat similar to muscle growth in the body. Muscles grow when they are strained, then heal themselves to become stronger. Zen grows in a similar way. The more Zen I spend, it will come back again but in slightly larger quantities, but the strain each time is excessive. That strain is the reason for my low level to this degree; some of the top students are at least at level 20, the average students are at level 15. Being below average, I need to do something immediately; my current goal is to reach level 15 as quickly as possible. And since there is no benefit in reaching that level if I do not have a use for the energy, I need to find one of those strange moves. I do not know if a game character like me can use those moves, but there is no harm in trying. I sighed; I still have about a week before the education starts here, and I will be prevented from going out for some time afterward. And by some time, I mean months! So if I want to move, I need to do it as soon as possible. Chapter 4: Movement Card It¡¯s been about an hour since I started randomly practicing my skill in the courtyard, and I¡¯m getting more and more exhausted. Most of my mental energy is also nearly depleted. The only reason I¡¯ve lasted this long is that I¡¯m using it on myself. If I had targeted someone else, my energy would have drained much faster. I rested on a nearby bench for ten minutes, then began walking back to my room at a slow pace, weary from the effort. I showed my student ID card to the gate guard, and after a quick scan, he allowed me through. I headed up to the fourth floor and into my room, then immediately collapsed onto the comfortable bed. A sharp headache hit me. My skill doesn¡¯t just drain mental energy; it also pushes my mind to its limits after a short time. As I¡¯ve said before, my weak mind puts up a barrier for me, and unfortunately, the only solution takes a lot of time¡­ I took a deep breath to calm myself, grabbed a set of clothes, and went to take a shower. Since it¡¯s still early morning, I¡¯m thinking of going out to find my first movement card. Because this is a game, there must be obstacles for players from level 1 to level 100. To familiarize players quickly with combat methods and help them form a bond with the gameplay, there have to be easy or quick ways to access them. If every move were difficult to obtain, players might leave the game before even trying it. And for that reason, someone like me can hope to find such legendary items. I turned off the faucet, dried myself off, and put on my usual clothes before heading out. First, I went to the kitchen, prepared a quick meal so I wouldn¡¯t get hungry on the way, and packed a bag with enough water and food for at least two days. I added a large kitchen knife for good measure. After confirming that I had everything, I took a deep breath and left the apartment. Since the game starts a day before classes begin, most beginner items are either scattered around the city or in hidden places. Not wanting to go into those hidden spots, I decided to search for something else, something more fitting. As for the sword sweep I mentioned earlier, I¡¯ll find it when I reach level 20; it¡¯s in the same location as the explosion move. If I manage a one-in-a-thousand chance and am placed near the player in the first test, I might actually get it. If only it weren¡¯t so hard to obtain right now, I would have gone there immediately, but alas. Today¡¯s goal is a movement-focused skill: Wind Body. Wind Body, a movement card in three parts. Given my level, I¡¯ll only get the first part. I can save the rest for either the player or myself in the future. Most moves are usable at all levels, but beginner skills are designed to prevent players from overpowering themselves too soon. If the game was all about wandering around and easily slaying enemies, no one would enjoy it. It has its fair share of difficulty, after all. Taking all this into account, I know it will be challenging to improve my offense and defense. I¡¯ll focus on agility and Zen for now, with mental strength as a side goal. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.I looked up at the sky, thinking about how surprising it is to see how much I¡¯ve changed in just one night. My parents wouldn¡¯t recognize me if they saw me now¡­ If someone else had experienced those memories, they might have handled them better, maybe¡­ Because it happened to someone with a weak mind like me, some people might face unimaginable consequences. "Fourth ending¡­ Fourth ending¡­" I cut out all unnecessary thoughts and focused on my goal. I can return to my usual lazy self once I¡¯ve completed the fourth ending. Then I¡¯ll know for sure that my life and my thoughts aren¡¯t just things imposed on me. They aren¡¯t things someone else controls. They belong to me and only me. For that reason, I¡¯ll put in every ounce of effort I have, all to prove a point to myself¡­ Yes, my mind is indeed weak, If I hadn¡¯t gotten those memories¡­ if only¡­ I exited through the academy¡¯s northern gate and took another look at the high-quality security system. There are three gates you must pass through to enter the academy, each designed with incredible attention to detail. Strong warriors guard every corner; even a full army would find it impossible to breach this place easily. The walls are tall and extremely sturdy, made from unknown ¡ª but strong and valuable ¡ª materials. A place like this is enough to make anyone feel safe, but it¡¯s ironic that I experienced the most unfortunate event of my life here. I left quickly and easily after showing my ID to the guards at the exit, breathing in the air outside the fortress. "Yes¡­ the air outside is indeed more polluted¡­" Even though a new, cleaner energy source, one even better than nuclear power, has been discovered, some areas are still somewhat polluted. Still, it¡¯s much better than Earth before the catastrophe. I don¡¯t know how people lived with that air back then¡­ I opened my phone quickly and tapped on the map app. Since my home is in the western region of the human nation, I¡¯m entirely unfamiliar with places around here. Although I have the game developer¡¯s memories of this world, he only knew the significant places or those he had to spend time designing. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t remember where all fifteen-plus train stations are, and that¡¯s just within the central area. The good thing is I still know where many of the moves are located ¡ª too many, really. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t take them all; otherwise, I might trigger the second outcome I¡¯m trying to avoid. [Second Outcome: Death of the player due to External Influence: A Disaster Even Perrin Wants to Avoid] I finally arrived at the train station. I paid via phone, entered, and rested on the seats for a while. The place I want to reach is one of the natural areas located at the city¡¯s edge, about 17 kilometers from the fort. The train arrived six minutes later, and I grabbed one of the overhead handles as I boarded. Despite the significant advancement in transportation and the increasing number of transit stations, it¡¯s still impossible to board a train in the morning without it being crowded. "What a situation¡­" I could barely squeeze out when I reached my stop. Dozens of passengers made it nearly impossible to move at all. I took a breath of fresh air as soon as I got out, having suffered from shortness of breath throughout that train ride¡­ I quickly exited the underground station and emerged on the surface. There was a crossroads: The first path led to a nearby shopping center and an area filled with hotels for temporary stays. The second path had some shops and local restaurants, ending at a patch of trees. A sign warned that the area ahead could be disorienting and difficult to navigate. It didn¡¯t hold many dangers since city guards frequently patrolled it. And it wasn¡¯t large enough to justify erecting walls or anything. It¡¯s mostly a playground for neighborhood kids. In the game, the player receives a side quest as soon as they pass through this area, given by a girl worried about her younger brother who went into the forest and didn¡¯t return. When searching the area and following footprints, the player finds the boy in a hidden cave, trying to solve a puzzle. The player is supposed to return the child for the experience points (to level up) and can then revisit the cave to solve the puzzle themselves. Since this quest is due to take place in less than a week and the player isn¡¯t necessarily coming here, it¡¯s all left to me. Reaching that cave is easy enough: 200 steps forward, then 100 steps to the left. Even accounting for the difference between my stride and the player¡¯s, I should at least reach the general area of the cave. Taking a deep breath, I entered the forest. Chapter 5: The First Change "103-104..." I counted slowly and cautiously as I moved forward, quickly reaching my destination. An unbelievably massive boulder, shaped by nature, had ended up here. The overall size of the boulder was about the same as my house in the west, maybe even a bit larger. I recalled the instructions from the game, and soon, the environment around me began to change rapidly. "A hidden cave revealed with just a simple touch, how clich¨¦." The sunlight quickly disappeared, and I found myself in a strange cave. I looked behind me and saw a passage extending infinitely. I looked ahead, and I was met with the same sight. Anyone unfamiliar with what was happening might panic, thinking escape had become impossible. But in reality, it was much simpler than that. I wasn¡¯t sure how players were supposed to know this, but I had found it in the memories of the game¡¯s director. Even though I knew what to do, I still found it somewhat difficult to move¡ªnot because something specific was holding me back, but because my mind had suffered another shock. This scene around me could only mean one thing¡­ The memories I had gained weren¡¯t illusions... they were entirely real and accurate. This cave destroyed my last hope that those memories weren¡¯t real, and that I wasn¡¯t just a filler in some game. I suppressed my sadness with all my strength, but my facial expressions still twisted unnaturally. My eyes became slightly wet, but it didn¡¯t move beyond that point. "I have to keep moving..." I closed my eyes, calmed myself, and organized my thoughts before I started running. I ran¡­ and ran¡­ and ran. It lasted less than a minute, during which I thought about many things. ''It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I have to finish what I started, at least¡­'' I took a deep breath as I stopped and opened my eyes. I was standing in the middle of a strange circle. Nine stone slabs surrounded me from all sides, even from behind and in my blind spots. The slabs lit up in a specific sequence the moment I opened my eyes; when the light from one faded, the next lit up, and the same pattern continued. The entire process took three seconds. So, each second, I had to memorize the sequence of three stone slabs lighting up. This test was meant to assess a person¡¯s mental capacity and focus. Players would eventually resort to searching for the pattern in some browser... Luckily for me, the light sequence was fixed and didn¡¯t change, so I could simply input the same sequence from the game director''s memories. [9-5-6-4-7-1-3-2-8] After pressing the slabs in that specific order and pulling them down, they merged into the ground quickly. The ground was filled with sticky mud, and the area around me was generally dense with trees. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Suddenly, strange creatures started emerging from the ground¡ªgreen like grass and as fragile as it, too. Anyone around level 10 with moderate ability could defeat many of these creatures. Since these grass creatures relied on vision to move and attack properly, they were already within my range. My ability works on several layers¡ªperhaps "dimensions" would be a better word. The first layer: my regular vision. The second layer: the target¡¯s regular vision. The third layer: the target¡¯s manipulated vision. For my ability to affect the opponent, they must exist within my normal vision (the first layer). At that point, my mind ignores my own first layer and focuses entirely on the third, as if it were my regular vision. As for the second layer (the target¡¯s regular vision), it¡¯s completely ignored. The grass creatures slowly advanced toward me. I quickly manipulated the one at the front, causing it to trip. Everyone behind it stumbled in that instant, falling to the ground. Manipulating the perspective of one monster made four others almost incapable of fighting. I pulled out the kitchen knife I had brought with me earlier and began quickly plucking off their heads. Their only advantage was their numbers and sharp teeth. Everything else about them was weak and fragile. As long as they didn¡¯t surround me all at once, they¡¯d never beat me. Once they were on the ground, they became like bugs struggling to get up after falling. As soon as these creatures fell, I would stab and pluck them apart as fast as I could. Soon enough, I had defeated them all. This test clearly wasn¡¯t about strength; the monsters were too weak. The first test: channeling energy into the cave wall. The goal of this test was to confirm that the person entering had at least a normal amount of Zen. The second test: a memory challenge. As the name suggests, this test ensured that the person had better-than-average focus and memory, and possibly some level of intelligence. The third test: facing weak monsters. I wasn¡¯t sure what the goal of this test was, maybe to showcase my skill to whoever designed this trial in the first place? So, these three tests assessed the following: 1. The examinee can use consciousness energy. 2. The examinee¡¯s mental capabilities are above average. 3. The examinee¡¯s innate skill is showcased. Clearly, there was a deeper meaning to these three tests, but it was disappointing that the game developers hadn¡¯t thought it through more. Just puzzles and random monsters... Does this mean the world is trying to give meaning to the random actions they¡¯ve taken? Or is it all just coincidence? It seems I¡¯ve become obsessed with thinking about such things... things no one should really dwell on... I looked at the light emanating from a nearby tree, the source of that light being a girl engulfed in a fiery green aura. She was stunning¡ªher hair as green as her flames, and she hovered just centimeters above the ground. The aura around her was incredibly pure, and I felt a fresh breeze that filled the cave. It was as if nature itself had manifested before me... ''Just a programmed character with a predetermined will, mere random data stored on a disk resting on some desk somewhere...'' I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Ever since that incident, I had thought this way whenever I saw someone. The people at the academy, the people on the streets and trains¡­ even the rulers of the human nation and the strongest creatures on the planet. All had lost their grandeur and status in my eyes with this way of thinking¡ª''Just data.'' No matter how she appeared before me, no matter how striking her presence... Her appearance and demeanor were just like in the game, a perfect match... her movements, her facial expressions... Everything was exactly as it had been portrayed in the game, pre-programmed... The woman slowly approached me and extended her index finger toward my forehead. After doing this, she was supposed to give me the first movement of the . I would then be able to leave and do whatever I needed to do. I didn¡¯t know why the forehead tap was necessary, it was something the game director added for mystery and drama. No reason, just something for the players to enjoy... Suddenly, the woman¡¯s expression changed, as if she had seen a terrible nightmare. She fell to her knees, clutching her neck with both hands, beginning to choke herself. Her eyes turned black as if she had been hit by a deadly toxin, and she began crying blood. A strange green liquid oozed from the corners of her mouth, which then turned into thick foam. She began suffocating, falling on her back to the ground. One of her hands remained on her neck, while the other stretched toward me... not for help, but for something else. Despite all the pain she clearly felt, there was something in her eyes beyond terror. Something... curious. I heard a faint sound escape her mouth in that moment, "Y-you won''t endure¡­!!" Her body then exploded into pure energy, scattering everywhere. Since her form wasn¡¯t made of flesh and blood, there were no remains except for her clothes and three cards. I didn¡¯t bother with the cards, too occupied with doing something far more important. I laughed once, then again. "This didn¡¯t happen in the game! I made a change!" A powerful, noble creature had just died before me, a being that had protected humanity since its very existence. I should¡¯ve felt sorrow for its passing, but the joy of having altered something in this world for the first time overwhelmed me more. "I can!"