Wow... the silence is deafening. I swear I can hear their heartbeats. They’re all staring at me like I’m some kind of freak. Maybe I can still pull this off with an "It was all a misunderstanding"? I glance at Glorius: his face is practically steaming. Guess not. Haha...
"Nothing happened today..." The guild master finally speaks, his voice trembling, breaths short and uneven. "All three of you received mythic-grade cores. No word escapes about the grade above—am I clear?" Sweat beads on his forehead, his hands trembling as if he’s holding back a storm. "If word of this gets out and reaches the wrong people... I’m afraid you’ll never have the luxury to grow into your potential, young one..."
Is that... a warning? As long as they’re not part of the main plot, I don’t care. Actually, now I’m intrigued. Haha.
Suddenly, I feel a strange, heavy sensation pressing down from above. Like someone’s judging me, unimpressed with how I’m handling this.
What? Am I supposed to cry and run around screaming in fear? Please. First, I have the quill in my hand—I can do anything I want. Second, I’m done being a coward.
A system screen flashes in front of me, making me blink. Wait... did what I just say really boost my stats by so much?
{Glorius feels rage ignite in his chest. This was my fate... my fate! His teeth grit. I’ll kill him! BASTARD! His aura flares, shaking the entire room.}
The system’s warning flashes in blinding red, and I move on instinct. A blade whistles past my neck, so close I feel the wind split against my skin. A second slower, and my head would’ve been rolling on the floor.
Glorius’s speed is terrifying... I can barely follow his movements. Without my author powers, I’m nothing against him.
"Quill!" Powder rushes to my side, quick as ever, while a chill floods the air from Roxy’s direction. Her axe blurs toward Glorius, only for him to swat it aside like it’s nothing.
[Pull Roxy’s waist to you. You have one second before she dies.]
No hesitation. The system’s predicting the protagonist’s moves; amazing, sure, but it’s also shoving me into direct clashes with him. Big Boss is not going to .
I yank Roxy to me just as Glorius’s sword sweeps past, missing her by inches. The look in his eyes... he can’t believe what just happened.
{Glorius feels his chest tighten. Seriously... who is this man? How can he predict my attacks so perfectly? Something isn’t right here... and I’ll uncover it. Even if I have to slaughter this entire town.}
[Warning! Warning! Anomaly detected. The main plot is swaying off course. Correct the hero’s worldview before he is deemed unworthy. If he slaughters random civilians, he will become the villain—permanently altering the plot.]
AAAAHHHH!!! Why is this my problem?! He’s the twisted one! I blame the previous author—what kind of "hero" comes with such a warped heart?!
"Let’s run!" I shout, grabbing both of them by the wrists and bolting for the door. If I can just get us outside, I can vanish—literally. I’ll just make us invisible for a moment, or teleport us somewhere else. Anything to keep him from seeing me.
"Catch those three!" Glorius roars. The guild master steps in, holding him back and trying to talk him down.
Good. If I’m gone, he’ll calm—
Nope. My path is instantly cut off. A wall of people stands in front of the exit, smug expressions plastered on their faces. Glorius’s party.
"And where do you think you’re going?" A man with a shield wide enough to block the entire doorway laughs, planting himself firmly in place.
My pulse hammers in my ears. "Let us pass," I say.
More laughter. "Who do you think you are?"
{Auror glares down at the man before him. The trio looks confused, even frightened, but Auror’s gaze drifts past them to where Glorius is shoving the guild master into a wall. He’s closing in, fury radiating from every step. Glorius is a fool. Reckless. Defying the goddess herself. If I were the leader, we’d be far greater... Hatred coils in his chest, but greater powers have bound him to the man he despises.}
"Get out of here! All of you! Except these three—now!"
Oh? He hates Glorius? That’s... interesting. A whole new page in this story just opened for me. There’s a secret here, one I will unravel. But for now, I have to play along.
"Let them go. Glorius only needs me," I say, locking eyes with Auror.
We hold each other’s gaze for a beat. The others beside him smirk: a blue-haired girl and the dagger-wielding bastard who sent Glorius to punch me last time. Arrogant piece of trash.
"Quill, we’ll fight alongside you. Don’t be a fool—you stand no chance!" Powder shouts. He glances back at Glorius, the man he once respected, now looking him in the eyes like a sworn enemy. I can feel that Roxy feels it too. Her axe is already raised in front of me in defense, ready to strike Glorius if he gets too close.
{Roxy and Powder agree to wait for Quill outside. They’re reluctant, but they understand this is something he wishes to handle alone—it will help him grow as a leader.} I scribble the words quickly into the air in secret. I feel them push past me, their gazes heavy with reluctance, and the other party makes no move to stop them.
[Leadership skill acquired]
[Self-sacrifice acknowledged as a great feat]
[First Great Feat achieved: Reward — Title of Hero]
[You will no longer be punished for fighting the Hero. Killing remains impossible]
The man with the daggers leans toward them. "Say goodbye to your leader. He’s not coming back today." His laugh follows them out, dripping with mockery.
I hate this. I hate that even as the author, I can’t make them suffer right here, right now. What kind of trash system is this? I denounce the main plotline—it’s pure garbage. The old author was trash for creating them, too! This whole story is trash!
Rage boils in my chest. I turn to face Glorius, heat pounding in my veins.
Fuck it. Die or not, today I’m teaching his arrogant party a lesson. Glorius’s blade hand twitches, his party’s smirks widen, and the air between us sharpens like a drawn edge.