Far from the Crownfall Academy, deep within a candlelit hall lined with cracked statues and bleeding runes, a lone figure watched the broadcast.
"Breaking News – Tragedy at Crownfall Academy!
In an unprecedented incident, Rael Everhart, Crownfall Academy's top-ranked student, has been pronounced dead following a training duel gone awry.
The accused, Leon Ardell, a minor noble and third-year student, is currently missing. The Academy has entered emergency lockdown.
House Everhart has yet to release an official statement. Tensions are high as the Academy council meets to discuss immediate actions. Speculations rise about the stability of the region and the fate of the Academy's future leadership."
Another scene was shown, a roundtable of commentators.
"I'm telling you, it's too clean," growled a balding man in formal robes. "Leon Ardell may be a minor figure, but for him to take down Rael Everhart? There's foul play here. An assassination attempt, perhaps — politically motivated."
"By whom?" a woman in a violet veil challenged. "The Ardell family is a footnote. They gain nothing from this. And reports suggest it was Rael who challenged him."
"That boy ran afterward. Innocent men don't run."
"Or maybe he panicked because he killed a national treasure and knew he'd be executed before a fair hearing."
He leaned forward, face hidden by shadows, lips curling in amusement.
"House Everhart... and Crownfall Academy."
He stood, voice echoing with power and menace.
"Change is coming," he whispered. "Whether they like it or not."
***
My knees scraped along the narrow tunnel inside the base of the tree — Falsifying Tree, if I remembered correctly. The air was thick with damp moss and the scent of ancient wood. Somewhere above me, wind rustled black leaves like whispers.
I collapsed inside a wider chamber, breathless and trembling.
Silence. For the first time since Rael's death, I had time to think.
To panic.
To unravel.
I stared at my shaking hands.
"I… I killed him."
The words came out as a whisper. Then again, louder.
"I killed the protagonist."
Even now, it didn't feel real.
Rael wasn't just a character — he was the character. The chosen one. The Sovereign-to-be. Everything revolved around him.
And I… what was I? A nobody. A sarcastic, mid-tier reader who fell into a fantasy world and pulled a stupid anime dodge that landed a fatal stab.
I laughed. Then choked. Then laughed again, leaning against the stone wall until my knuckles went white.
"I'm so screwed."
The bracelet Aria gave me shimmered faintly. A quiet pulse — like a heartbeat — kept me grounded. At least she believed I wasn't completely evil.
Or maybe that Favorability Fragment was doing overtime.
"…Right."
That thing.
I sat up straighter, and just as I did — a familiar ding echoed in my mind.
[Welcome, Leon Ardell.]
[Personal System Status: Synced.]
A translucent blue panel floated in front of me. Compared to that rigid crimson frames and serious tone, this one felt softer — almost like a personalized assistant.
[Basic Functions Unlocked:]
[Status Overview]
[Inventory Access]
[Skill Management]
"Alright… show me Status Overview?"
[Name: Leon Ardell]
[Titles: Protagonist Slayer (Unique)]
[Protagonist's Fragment: Favorability]
[Traits: Swordsmanship (Basic), Quick Reflexes (Basic)]
[Relic: Akrion Village Token (Equipped)]
I blinked.
That alignment made me nervous.
"Inventory?"
I had:
– A bloodstained training sword
– The enchanted silver bracelet (Active: Pathfinding, Limited Guidance)
– A small coin pouch (24 silver, 3 gold)
– A half-eaten ration bar (gross)
I groaned. "I'm under-leveled, under-geared, and under-qualified."
Still, something stirred deep in my chest — the absurd feeling that I might survive this. That this system wasn't just here for exposition. It was here to help me cheat fate.
To take the shattered world the protagonist left behind… and maybe reshape it.
But even that thought was cut short when I noticed the wall ahead of me.
Or more accurately — the body slumped against it.
"…Huh?"
At first, I thought it was a statue. Pale stone skin. Flowing dark hair. Draped in what looked like robes made of silk and starlight.
Then I saw her chest rise.
Barely.
She was alive.
A woman — older than me, maybe by a few years. Regal. Ethereal. Her body was surrounded by strange glyphs embedded into the floor, glowing faintly in a pattern I didn't recognize.
She looked like someone who had been asleep for a long time.
And right above her head, a single panel flickered.
{Do Not Approach}
"…Right."
Of course.
Because why wouldn't there be a sleeping, mystical lady in the middle of a creepy ancient tree in a cursed forest after I just broke the plot?
But... where is that relic?
Has this women replaced that relic?
I hope not.
I took a cautious step forward.
And then her eyes opened.
Not fully. Just a sliver. But in that moment, I felt something crackle in the air — power, age, and something else I couldn't name.
She whispered a word.
Something ancient. Not in any language I knew.
And all the glyphs lit up.
{Worldline Collapse Eminent}