The study was silent, save for the rhythmic clack-clack-clack of Si-Yoon's bony fingers tapping against the obsidian desk.
He was alone. He had dismissed Boney to polish the door handles and sent Mortem to patrol the perimeter. He needed absolute isolation to process the piece of paper lying before him.
The map smelled of cheap leather and lavender perfume—the scent of a tourist.
Si-Yoon traced the jagged line of the Northern Mountains, down past the Black Keep, and stopped at the vast, open space designated as Sector 7.
In the webnovel The Ballad of the Holy Hero, Sector 7 was the "Empty Plains of Silence."
Si-Yoon remembered this part of the story vividly. Not because it was exciting, but because it was the most boring arc in the entire series. He remembered sitting in his studio apartment on Earth, scrolling through ten chapters of the Hero walking through gray dust. He remembered the comment section on the app being filled with complaints:
"Author-nim, pls skip travel arc."
"Why is there nothing to kill here?"
"Dropped. Too slow."
It was supposed to be a dead zone. A narrative buffer where nothing happened until Chapter 40.
But on this map—this updated map dropped by the fleeing adventurer—there was a bright red circle right in the middle of that desolation.
Inside the circle was a drawing of a smiling sun and a cluster of cute cottages.
"Happy Sunshine Village (New Player Zone - Lv 10-15)"
"Happy Sunshine Village," Si-Yoon whispered to the empty room. The words felt like gravel in his throat.
He closed his empty eye sockets, diving into his memory of the novel. He tried to recall the text.
The Hero gazed upon the Empty Plains. A void where life dared not tread. For a hundred miles, there was only silence.
He opened his eyes and glared at the map.
"The novel says 'Void'," Si-Yoon muttered. "The map says 'Gift Shop'."
A cold sensation, colder than the grave, washed over him.
If his memory of the plot was wrong about this, what else was it wrong about? The weakness of the Demon King? The timing of the Holy War? The location of the hidden items he planned to steal later?
His cheat sheet—his only advantage in this terrifying world—was flawed.
Is the world changing? Si-Yoon thought, panic rising like bile. Or did the author rewrite this part while I wasn't looking?
He needed answers.
System, he projected mentally. Query: Discrepancy detected between Host Memory and Current Topography. Explain existence of 'Happy Sunshine Village'.
A moment of silence. The room seemed to darken.
Then, a blue window flickered into existence directly over the map. It didn't look stable. The text was glitching, shifting between ancient runic script and modern font.
[SYSTEM ALERT: NARRATIVE REVISION DETECTED]
[Analyzing Plot Structure...]
[Result: The story has been optimized.]
[Reason: To accelerate the Protagonist's growth, a 'Starter Village' has been inserted into the narrative void.]
Si-Yoon stared at the floating text, his jaw slack.
"Optimized?" he hissed.
This wasn't just a world following a set script anymore. It was adapting. The "World"—or the Author, or whatever god ran this show—realized the travel arc was boring, so they fixed it. They added a village to help the Hero level up faster.
If there's a village, Si-Yoon realized, gripping the edge of the desk until the stone cracked. The Hero won't starve in the wasteland. He'll rest. He'll quest. He'll get stronger, faster.
The deadline hadn't just moved; it had sprinted toward him.
"The enemy is closer than I thought," Si-Yoon murmured. "The world is feeding them experience points right under my nose."
He stood up, clutching the Scepter of the Void. He paced the room, the metal ferrule clicking rhythmically against the stone.
If he destroyed a "Narrative Addition," the System might retaliate. The World clearly wanted this village here. If Si-Yoon burned it down, the World might send a "High-Level Enforcer"—or just a deus ex machina lightning bolt—to stop the villain from ruining the plot.
He couldn't just smash it. He had to be smart. He had to play the genre.
"I need eyes on that village," Si-Yoon whispered. "I need to know exactly what kind of 'Sunshine' they are selling."
He looked at the door. He couldn't send Mortem. The Death Knight was a seven-foot tall suit of screaming armor. He couldn't send Kryll; the Baron was currently functioning as a foreman for a nail factory.
He needed a scout. Someone small. Someone fast. Someone who could get close to a "Holy Ward" without instantly turning into ash.
He didn't have anyone like that.
"Then I'll find someone," Si-Yoon decided.
He grabbed a small brass bell from his desk and rang it.
Ding.
The door cracked open immediately. Boney poked his skull in, holding a feather duster.
"My Lord! Is it time for the dusting of the shelving units?"
"No, Boney," Si-Yoon said, rolling up the map. "Go find Mortem. Tell him to assemble the troops in the courtyard."
"The troops? Is it a war?"
"No," Si-Yoon said, a dry, terrifying smile stretching his jaw. "It's an audition."
Boney tilted his head. "An... audition?"
"A casting call," Si-Yoon corrected, sweeping his cape as he headed for the door. "We are looking for a specific talent..."