“Welcome back, young master.”
“Ah, Yui… good morning,” I greeted my personal maid, Yui, with a small bow. She beamed at me from in front of my door, busy cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of my room, despite my absence for more than a week while staying in the infirmary.
“Let me take care of that, young master. Please take some rest and relax a little,” Yui said as she immediately grabbed the pile of bags I was carrying, which were stuffed with various items.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully, handing over the bags. I stepped inside my room, while Yui headed towards the storage center in the corner.
Three days had passed since the incident with Snow, and now I was finally back in my own private space.
For some reason, I felt more relaxed, a weird sense of comfort washing over me.
Perhaps it was because I had already established this place as my home.
‘The human mind is truly fascinating.’
I glanced around my room, appreciating the familiar surroundings.
Yui’s diligent care was evident everywhere, from the neatly arranged books on the shelves to the freshly laundered curtains gently swaying by the window.
I sank into the plush armchair near my desk, letting out a deep sigh of relief.
“Yui, you’ve done an excellent job as always,” I called out, my voice filled with genuine appreciation.
“It’s my pleasure, young master Riley” Yui responded cheerfully, her voice carrying a hint of pride.
After making a small bow, Yui said her goodbye before leaving the room to continue her usual dorm duties.
“I’ll get going now, young master Riley.”
“Yes, take care,” I replied, waving at her as she slowly exited the room.
As the doors closed behind her, I let out a relieved sigh. Finally, I didn’t have to continue putting on the act. I immediately plummeted down onto my bed, my body aching in pain.
“Ack…!” I winced, the discomfort intensifying.
‘I overdid it…’ I thought. During the past three days, instead of recuperating as the doctor had advised, I had forced myself into heavy workouts.
I knew what I did was stupid, and now I was paying the price. But it was well worth it. After all, I finally had a feel for how much strength to use normally with my newly acquired stats.
Since I now had a B-rank strength level, controlling my newfound power was challenging. Even with three days of constant training, I didn’t feel tired at all.
That was why it was necessary to readjust myself and find out my new limits, though it was a painful process.
With a deep breath, I allowed myself to relax, letting the tension melt away, before I began pondering on the things I needed to prepare for once again.
Looking to my right, I saw my private training room.
My body instinctively felt the urge to go in and polish some of my new skills, but… training could come later.
I needed time to relax for a bit.
Days had already been very hectic as it was, so following the doctor’s advice would probably be for the best right now. I couldn’t afford to stress both my body and mind at the same time.
Ignoring the pain for now, I got up from my bed and looked towards my left where a small working table was placed. Beneath it was a small cabinet.
I opened it and grabbed a book inside.
Although it was just a common writing notebook, it was probably the most important piece of informational item in this world right now.
It contained most of the things that would happen in the future.
It was my personal diary, as well as the notebook where I had been keeping and writing all the important details about the game scenarios that were to come.
All the way from Act 1 to Act 5, I had been jotting down notes constantly every time I had free time, reminding myself of the crucial events that would unfold in the future.
Although I may be one of the few players who had beaten all routes in the game, including all the secret endings, that didn’t mean I would remember everything that had happened so far.
Relying solely on my memory would be foolish and serve no purpose. As a human, there were certain limits to what I could retain.
Flipping through the pages, I reviewed the notes I had written. Each entry was a piece of a larger puzzle, detailing characters, events, and outcomes.
I had meticulously documented key moments, strategies, and hidden secrets. This diary was
my lifeline, a guide to navigating this world and ensuring my survival.
Well, for the time being that is…. As I don’t know when the moment would come when this book would become entirely unreliable.
After all, I’ve influenced and changed too many aspects of the main scenarios now.
Flip…!
‘As, expected…’
Flipping through the key details of Act 1, I was once again reminded of how messed up the
main scenarios were:
[Act 1, Chapter 1: Princess Snow’s Abduction]
[Act 1, Chapter 2: The Forest of Monsters]
[Act 1, Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounters]
[Act 1, Chapter 4: A Friend’s Care]
[Act 1, Chapter 5: The Grand Abduction]
From Chapter 3 onwards, everything was greatly disrupted.
With Auvin’s death and his subordinates’ demise, there was no way the scenarios for chapters
3 to 5 could happen again, as they were key details and characters needed for such acts to
begin with.
Although this might not seem like a big problem for now, as most of Act 1 was just introductory gameplay to make players get used to the game’s overall feel, it was still a fact that key moments from chapters 3-5 were needed for Lucas to grow.
Without the protagonist’s development, my options for surviving in this world were greatly limited. Lucas was a key character needed to defeat Liyana.
Sighing deeply, I knew I had to find a way to adapt to these changes.
My foreknowledge was becoming increasingly unreliable, and I needed to account for the consequences of my actions.
Each alteration I made to the timeline could have unforeseen repercussions, and I had to be prepared for anything now.
‘I should try to at least maintain the flow of scenario’s for Act 2’
I knew I had already altered and changed the course of the scenario ever since I pushed Alice
off the boat during that time in Chapter 1, but that was more of a test on how limited my actions were in the face of the scenarios.
My initial intentions may have co in lined with this situation right now, but seeing it actually happen, brought forth more complications than anything….
‘Tsk…’
Although I was the only one to blame for this mistake, there was no use crying over spilled
milk now.
I just had to proceed with my Plan B in case Lucas showed no signs of growth throughout the remaining time in the semester.
Since the Grand Festival was bound to happen at the end of the semester, it would be a good way to assess his overall strength and growth there-whether as his opponent or just a bystander watching his fights.
If I don’t feel like he’s ever going to grow, then… I’ll just have to abandon my hopes for him and actually survive this romance fantasy world on my own terms.
Of course, he will remain essential, but in order for me to successfully survive in this world and achieve my happy ending, I knew I needed to do whatever it takes.
[Mission: Reach the Next Semester!]
Looking at the floating golden notification board in the air, I knew my fate was still sealed
with the looming threat of my inevitable death.
There was little I could do about it. I let out another sigh, feeling the weight of the decisions
ahead.
With Act 1 essentially finished, the number of things I needed to prepare for during this
semester was slim to none.
But that didn’t mean I had nothing to do.
‘I still needed to get stronger.’
There were still going to be random dungeons popping up here and there.
There were also some key characters I hadn’t met yet, and there were unexpected situations I
seriously needed to prepare for.
The heroines, for example, were all too unpredictable right now.
Except for Seo, I basically had no idea what they would do on a whim.
Not to mention all the class practical tests that would happen when classes start back up. So,
for now, I better keep a low profile.
I should probably visit that shrine soon as well, as it was a perfect hotspot for an XP farm.
The monsters that come out there are either in the C to B rank with an A-rank boss inside.
I can’t miss it when the Night of the Two Moons comes.
‘Haha… even though all of the chapter scenarios are gone, there’s still no freedom for me,
huh?’
Taking the notebook back to the cabinet, I stretched my arms far and wide, feeling the crackling bones beneath.
Biting through the pain, I slowly laid back on the bed once more and closed my eyes.
Yawn…!
‘I’m really tired right now…’
‘Tomorrow, I’ll start training again tomorrow…’
‘leveling up is a must…’
‘Tempest wolf…. I should probably visit that wolf soon as well…..’
‘The grand fest- I must prepare…. Act 2-‘
Mumbling silently into the empty air, the soft touch of sleep finally took over.