We landed in silence, the sword humming under our feet as it came to a slow stop. The valley below was steep and dark. Mist clung to the ridges, wetting the rocks, while the last fragments of night refused to give way to dawn. It was the seventh day. By the time the sun broke, we would be thrown back to reality, whether victorious or broken didn't matter. The Fluve Field didn't care. Sooner or later, this place would spit us out.
Thales stretched, scanning the cliffs, his sword dissolving into glittering motes behind us.
"It should be here."
A mass of slime slumped in the middle of the valley floor. It was enormous, taller than the cliffs themselves, like some titanic puddle that had tried to impersonate a mountain. It was just a silent, breathing glob.
"That's it. I found it while scouting. It didn't move an inch the entire time."
I narrowed my eyes. My memory screamed at me. In the story of MoDS, the Slime Octopus was never still. It stalked and tracked the party like a phantom hunter, striking at night when they thought they were safe. The whole arc was famous for its tension. never knowing when the slime would appear.
So why the hell was it sitting here like a lump?
"Something's wrong."
And then, as if hearing me, the glob rippled. Its surface quivered and a figure began pushing their way out of it, like a swimmer breaching a tar ocean. He stepped onto the stone, slime dripping off his outfit, off his glasses and smile. His presence didn't feel like a Fluxer's. It felt… off.
"Well, well, didn't expect to see members of the main cast here. Though not the heroine but Phasnovterich instead. Fitting."
My stomach tightened. Thales stiffened, hand twitching toward his blade.
"Who the hell are you?"
I didn't answer. I knew instantly. The air around him stank of familiarity. He was like me, an Outer. But unlike me, he didn't bother hiding it.
"Oh, just a humble lecturer. Name's Lucaren Vythis. Though before that, I was just some tired bastard playing MoDS one last time before killing myself. Funny how things turn out, hm?"
Thales frowned, clearly not following. "What are you—"
Lucaren cut him off with a bark of laughter.
"You wouldn't get it, little Erdict. But he does."
He jabbed a finger at me, and my blood went cold. I forced my face to stay blank.
"What did you do?"
"What did I do? I broke the toy box. Tampered with the Fluve Field. Why not? If the gods throw me in their playpen, I'll rearrange the pieces."
Thales's brows knitted. "You tampered? That's impossible. Only the Houses—"
"Oh, Houses. Useless aristocrats. Do you think they understand what this place is? They barely scratch the surface. I walked in, saw the threads, pulled them apart like yarn, all so I could see what happens when the main characters aren't coddled."
My stomach twisted. He was insane. He was brilliant, but cracked open in all the wrong ways. So he was the one who pulled the strings of this entire place.
"Why?" Thales demanded.
"Why not? The heroine survives. That's guaranteed. But the rest of you are fodder. So tell me, what happens when I nudge the script and make the Slime Octopus sit still, like a polite dog, waiting for prey to arrive? If it kills you, it won't matter. The plot keeps moving. The story doesn't care."
He said it with the ease of a gamer describing patch notes. Thales looked confused.
"You're insane. Why are you treating this as a story."
"Maybe I am, but I'm not wrong. I wasn't the only one. There was another Outer, an lecturer. Together, we killed every Class One and Two Fluvium and left the Class Threes roaming and chew on the students. Efficient, isn't it?"
Thales's knuckles whitened around his sword.
"You bastard—"
"To you? I sound crazy. To him?" Lucaren's gaze snapped back to me. "He understands. Don't you, Phasnovterich?"
I swallowed.
"Where's the other one?"
Lucaren waved his hand dismissively.
"Dead, probably. Houses don't like when lecturers go rogue. Their noose is fast, even here. But me? I'm not stupid. I left him burn while I claimed the real prize."
"And what prize is that?" Thales bit out.
"The Azure Sword."
The words hit like thunder. Even Thales flinched.
"You're lying. The Azure Sword's clue rests with the Ten Fluve Guardian staying here. Everyone knows that."
"Everyone knows wrong. You were supposed to find the giant deer yes, and it would whisper its little clue to you by killing the octopus. But I cheated. I killed the Slime Octopus instead. Do you know what it whispered to me when it died? It gave me the path to the sword."
Thales's anger cracked. He surged a step forward, his blade half-summoned.
"You stole it from me!"
Lucaren laughed in his face.
"From you? Don't make me laugh, boy. You were never meant to hold it. You're just another pawn, blessed by ancestry, caged by destiny. And you," he jabbed at me again, "you know exactly what I mean."
My heart pounded, but I forced myself to stay calm.
"What are you talking about?"
"Outers. Transmigration. Ring a bell?"
He said the words with deliberate weight, watching Thales's face for reaction. And thank every goddess, Thales just looked lost.
"What the hell are you saying?"
Lucaren laughed again, hysterical this time, the sound bouncing off the valley walls.
"Oh, don't play dumb. You know what you are, Phasnovterich. You wear the mask well but I see it. You're not supposed to exist here. Neither am I. But isn't that the fun part?"
I didn't let a single twitch give me away. Inside, though, relief washed through me like fire. I really have to kill him here. Lucaren's voice carried across the valley.
"I am Outer_95000. You cannot defeat me as I am. You have only two choices. Wait until the Fluve Field throws you out, or fight me and die."
Thales didn't hesitate.
"I'll kill you and claim the clue of the Azure Sword. Phaser, help me!"
Lucaren's eyes flicked past him, dismissing Thales like an impatient teacher dealing with a loud student. Instead, his gaze found me.
"Phasnovterich. We're both from the outside. We're allies by nature. Why would you waste yourself on him?"
His hand opened, a strange glow spilling from his palm as if he held a miniature horizon.
"Fight with me instead. If we secure the clue of the Azure Sword, your strength will multiply. You know it. He is from Altera Earth. You are not of this world. Your destinies don't align. Why choose him?"
I let out a long sigh, dragging my fingers through my hair like I'd just woken up from a bad nap.
"Honestly… you make a good point."
Thales snapped his head toward me, his jaw tightening, but I kept talking.
"Lucaren, you're not dumb. You're a strategist. You understand leverage. If I switched sides, I'd gain plenty, no doubt about it. Thales would probably curse me to the grave while I got stronger."
My strings hummed at my fingertips as the moved between my knuckles.
"But, I didn't crawl through mud and blood, beg that damn giant deer for a hint, and nearly get eaten by Fluviums just so you could waltz in and steal my credit. You don't get to eat the meal I cooked, pal. I'm not abandoning my friend. You want me? Too late. My seat's already taken."
Lucaren smirked, but there was a gleam of respect in his stare.
"So you're not just some dumb Outer. You've got brains. I misjudged you."
Thales, half-outraged, half-relieved, shouted at me.
"Then help me cut him down already!"
I snapped my gaze to Thales, irritated.
"Hold on, loudmouth. First of all, he's lying. He hasn't claimed the clue yet."
Thales blinked.
"What?"
"Think about it. If he had, he wouldn't still be stalling us with his little speeches. He'd already be gone, clue in hand, laughing back at us. The only reason he's still here is because he can't. And you know why? It's because the Guardian made me a Witness. Until I acknowledge you claimed the clue, no one else can take it. The claim requires proof, and I'm the living record. If I don't see you take it, it doesn't matter who tries."
Lucaren chuckled amusedly.
"So you figured it out. You really are clever."
I tilted my head at him, letting the sarcasm drip.
"Wow, thanks. I'll carve that into my tombstone after you're done trying to kill me."
Thales tightened his grip on his sword.
"Then that means—"
"Yes. The octopus. He hasn't killed it. Which means the clue's still unclaimed."
Lucaren's smirk widened.
"Not bad. You're sharper than you look. But you're also wrong about one thing."
The Fluve Field warped, space curving like a glass dome flexing under pressure. The Slime Octopus, riddled with cracks in its gelatinous flesh, dragged itself upright again, its tentacles writhing with fury.
"I didn't need to kill it. I only needed to weaken it. And now, I'll kill you."
His body blurred. One heartbeat he was across the field, the next he was in front of Thales, sword materializing in his hand. I moved before my brain even caught up.
"Thales, move!"
I shoved him back with a burst of threads, enough force to throw him several meters away. Lucaren's blade cut where his throat had been a second earlier, slicing air instead of flesh.
My strings coiled tight around Lucaren's arm, then his torso. I yanked hard, lifting him off the ground and slamming him upward. Lucaren snarled in midair, cutting through my strands with a burst of dark energy, but I was already barking orders.
"Thales! Forget him! Deal with the damn octopus! Claim the sword clue before he does! I'll take care of this freak!"
Thales gritted his teeth, fury flashing across his face, but he turned toward the writhing beast. Lucaren twisted in midair, his form blurring as he dropped back down like a meteor. His eyes locked on me.
"So you'd rather hold me off alone. Foolish."
I tightened the strings around my arms like gauntlets.
"Foolish? No. It's called time management. You can't multitask Lucaren, but I can."
He crashed down, his blade swinging toward me. I met it with crossed strings, sparks screaming out as steel met string.
"Newsflash, Outer_95000. I'm not just a dumb witness. I'm the one holding the pen. And until Thales finishes that octopus, this story doesn't belong to you. So let's see how an NPC fights a main cast character, shall we?"