A beautiful girl stood at the entrance, long golden hair shimmering like strands woven from sunlight itself. Her bright blue eyes sparkled like polished sapphires. Everything about her radiated a pure, ethereal charm.
Kai blinked.
Wait a second…
Golden hair?
Blue eyes?
Ridiculously pretty?
—Oh hell.
Wasn't this the Heroine?
He opened his mouth to confirm but instead collapsed face-first onto the floor. Very majestic.
"Yeah, I'm kind of crazy," he groaned, rolling onto his back. "But can I ask who you are and for how long you've been watching this show?"
The girl narrowed her sky-colored eyes. "Well, I saw you entering this place, so I followed."
She shrugged casually, as if stalking strange boys into cursed ruins was completely normal.
She wore a white dress that somehow stayed spotless in this dust-filled dungeon, and a small silver pendant glowed faintly on her chest—pulsing with black silk-like power.
And on her tiny waist hung a sword that did not look like it belonged to someone with hands that adorable.
Kai squinted.
She didn't look like she could swing a pillow, let alone a sword.
"Did your parents never teach you that you shouldn't follow strangers?" Kai asked, ruffling his hair and taking a deep breath.
Her beautiful face twisted as she screamed, "I AM NOT A CHILD!"
"Oh yeah, every child says that they're not a child."
Kai instantly regretted speaking something so noncence.
"Argh— anyway, get out of here. This isn't a playground."
"Yeah? I can say the same thing to you," she shot back.
Kai's eyes glinted. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Aren't you a little stingy, kid?"
His tone came out heroic and noble without him trying, and the girl actually blushed.
Then a rock hit him square on the head.
His 99999+ heroic aura shattered instantly.
"Don't try to impress me," she pouted.
"What?!" Kai screamed like an annoyed toddler. "I wasn't trying to impress anyone! Just get out of here—this place isn't safe for you!"
The girl stood with the dignity of a queen. "Look, I am Victoria Falken. And I am MUCH more powerful than you."
Kai froze.
Victoria Falken?
The Victoria Falken?
His eyes lit up for a split second—
—then the light died.
"Hah. Yeah right. Like I'd believe that."
He dropped to his knees dramatically, angelic light shining down on him like divine spotlights. Hands clasped, eyes shimmering, he entered prayer mode.
"Victoria Falken is the most innocent… the purest girl in the novel. She is beautiful like a fallen angel touched by spring—gentle, kind, soft—"
Victoria straightened proudly.
Yes. Praise her mortal.
Then Kai continued.
"—but YOU look like a tomboy. And look at your expression! From where do you look like Victoria Falken?"
Her smile shattered like thin glass.
Deflecting the heroine, Kai continued in holy despair, "Say anything but do NOT slander my angel—"
"YOU !!"
Victoria lunged at him, grabbed his ear, and yanked with the strength of a furious fire dragon while sitting on his stomach.
"ARRGHHH STOP DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS!"
Kai burst out laughing, a genuine sound he hadn't made in forever.
"Hahaha okay, okay! Get off!"
He held her by the waist, lifting her up effortlessly and placing her on the ground—
SLAP.
Straight to his head.
A new mushroom sprouted instantly.
"What was THAT for?!"
"For holding a girl's waist casually!" she barked.
Kai stared suspiciously.
"But you aren't a girl… you're a child—"
Another brutal smack.
Another mushroom.
Kai winced. "You're really strong, you know that?"
Ignoring him entirely, Victoria walked ahead. "Anyway, let's move forward. We can't leave until we kill the Boss."
"Yeah, but I wasn't going to kill the Boss anyway," Kai said, sliding down against a pillar. His stomach burned. "I sent my sister to get help. I'll wait till someone strong shows up."
He lifted his shirt—
Victoria stopped breathing.
Kai's torso was carved like a Greek statue, muscles glistening with sweat and the faint mysterious light from the walls. His skin practically sparkled.
Kai examined his own injury.
'Ah, just a cut. Not a big deal.'
He ripped a strip of cloth with his teeth and tied it around his waist.
"Hiss—damn…"
On the other side, Victoria watched as if time had stopped, her soul leaving her body and ascending to the heavens.
When Kai turned, he flicked her forehead lightly.
"Kids shouldn't stare like that."
Another smack.
Another mushroom.
Kai sighed. "Okay, yeah. You definitely can't be Victoria. My goddess wouldn't hit someone like this."
Victoria smiled sweetly—too sweetly.
"Sure. Believe whatever you want."
Then she gracefully slid a glowing blue shard from the ground into her small bag.
Kai noticed.
He also noticed she thought he didn't notice.
He pretended not to notice.
As always.
Kai ruffled his hair hard. "Look, I'm not strong enough to fight anything else, so no going forward."
His inner thoughts whispered:
'My only goal is to ENTER the Shattered Oracle Ruins.
It doesn't say I have to fight the beasts.
Or enter alone.
If Vivi gets people, I'll just… follow behind them till I get the notification of quest completed.
Perfect plan.'
While he was busy trying to think like a coward philosopher, Victoria stared at the next hall's door—its surface pulsing with eerie black energy, whispering to her like a forbidden song.
She was mesmerized.
"We should explore what's next," she murmured, her voice distant.
'What the hell…?'
Kai stiffened.
"If you want to, then I won't stop you," Kai said, already dismissing the idea.
It was a dangerous ruin—one no kid, no mage, no regular awakened fighter should enter alone.
But Victoria moved forward.
As if invisible threads were pulling her spirit, she opened the door and stepped inside.
CRACK.
The door snapped shut behind her.
Kai jumped. "Damn it—IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?!"
He ran to the entrance, but it was only darkness.
Nothing.
No silhouette.
No sound.
No trace.
Kai stood there, fists shaking as he muttered under his breath:
'No need to go.'
'I never told her to go.'
'She entered on her own.'
'I don't have to follow, right?'
'…Right?'
'Arhhh f***ing hell.'
"Status."
---
═══════════════════════
<< SYSTEM WINDOW >>
═══════════════════════
User: Kai (a.k.a Prince Who Wants a Nap)
Designation: EXTRA
Threat Level: Irrelevant
HP: 33% MP: 88%
Sleep Level: 3% (Go to bed.)
— PRIMARY STATS —
Strength… 23
Defense… 22
Agility… 13
Magic… 30
Willpower… 55 (Supported by pure annoyance)
Luck… 3
— SPECIAL TRAITS —
[ PLANT WHISPER ] (E rank)
Plants adore nagging at him.
[ POISON NAILS ] (Lvl 20)
Can destroy anything under 5 minutes.
— ACTIVE EFFECTS —
• Heroine Affection: +2
• Doomed Fate: +87
[Cursed Mana detected.]
[Absorbing…]
Skill growth +2 (Plant Whisper 68%)
═══════════════════════
"A lot of new things have been added," Kai muttered, "but what the hell is with this heroine affection thing?"
His gaze shifted toward the black door Victoria had entered.
"Wait… she really WAS Victoria Falken? The actual female lead? And if the heroine is in danger because of me… does the WORLD reset if she dies?!"
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose so hard it hurt.
"Damn this system. The more I try to stay OUT of trouble, the more I get dragged INTO it."
He stared at the dark hall.
He took one step forward.
Then another.
And then—
Kai whispered:
"…If that kid dies, I'm screwed."
And with a deep sigh that carried the weight of ten lifetimes of regret, he walked into the darkness after her.