Chapter 2
Two wolves moved in slow circles, growling low, tightening the ring with each pass.
"I don't have all day. Attack, or I will."
As if understanding him, the first wolf lunged. Its blazing claws cut through the air in a wide arc.
He stepped back a single meter — clean, unhurried — and let it miss.
His hand rose. An ice spear materialized in an instant, thin and precise, and shot forward with a sound like cracking glass. It punched straight through the wolf's skull.
The animal dropped without a sound.
The second wolf went still for a fraction of a second. Then it saw its companion on the ground and something behind its eyes shifted. The low growl died. What replaced it was not sound but heat — a deep, rising glow that spread from its chest outward until its entire body was wrapped in blazing flames. The grass beneath its paws blackened and curled.
It was no longer hunting.
It was furious.
"Did that upset you? Don't worry, you'll meet him soon."
Edric sprinted forward. A sword materialized in his hand. The wolf charged to meet him, flames trailing behind it like a comet dragging its tail.
They closed the distance fast.
The wolf swiped. Edric ducked under the claw and drove his blade into its front leg. The wolf snarled and twisted, snapping at his face. He pulled back, reset his footing, and circled.
The wolf lunged again. Edric sidestepped, grabbed it by the scruff, and slammed it into the ground. It scrambled back to its feet, flames flickering unevenly now, one leg dragging.
It was slowing.
Edric walked toward it. The wolf backed up, growling through the pain. He feinted left, drew its last swipe, and drove the blade through its chest.
He held it there until it stopped moving.
Then he pulled the sword free and let the body fall
[ Hey idiot, we need the core. Remember. ]
A translucent screen appeared, and with it came the voice that had haunted him for three weeks.
"The second one is still intact, so shut up."
He shot back without looking at it.
[ Like that will be enough. Honestly, why did the master choose a loser like you. ]
It disappeared.
Edric could only sigh.
The last three weeks had been a nightmare. He still wished it was one. He was in Aethoria now. Inside the actual story.
At first he hadn't been able to accept it. The whole thing was too absurd. Then the system appeared and made it very clear that this was real.
His last comment had somehow managed to anger a God.
The author of the story.
A God. Could you believe it. Were Gods not supposed to be benevolent? This was just petty.
As if that wasn't bad enough, he had woken up in the body of a terrible character. Edric Voss. Second born of the Voss family, one of the four most powerful noble houses on the continent.
Edric had been talented once. That was the problem. The talent got to him and turned him into someone insufferable arrogant, ill-mannered, and seemingly determined to make an enemy out of everyone he encountered. The man had been signing off on his own death without even realising it.
To make matters worse, Edric had struck an agreement with the Patriarch of the house. Turn around a dying territory, and he would be given a seat in the race for Patriarch.
Now, in order to return to his world, Ethan had to change the ending of the story. The deal was simple if his ending was better than the author's, he goes back and gets a wish granted on top of it. Sounds reasonable enough.
Except it was entirely up to that bastard to decide whether it was better than his own work. Assuming Ethan didn't die before it ever came to that.
Adjusting to life here had been hard at first. Then, gradually, it became easier. He spoke like Edric. He moved like Edric. He carried himself like Edric without thinking about it anymore. There were moments when he couldn't even remember his real name and that frightened him more than anything else in this world. Sometimes he felt like he was losing himself, slowly, piece by piece, to a dead man's identity.
"Young Master. Are you done?"
Ena's calm voice broke through his thoughts. He tilted his head toward her.
Ena. Edric's personal maid. She stood a short distance away in a maid's dress, silver hair pulled back in a ponytail, holding a hand towel and a glass of water.
Edric titled his head toward her direction.
Edric walked toward the wolf he had killed with the icr spear. In one clean strike he tore into its torso and pulled out the core.
"Wow, Young Master. Your skills have improved." Ena said in a dry, nonchalant voice.
"Enough with the flattery."
He walked to her, took the towel and cleaned his hands, then took a sip of the water. "Let's go." He said, not turning back.
Ena's gaze lingered on the dead wolf for a moment before she fell in behind him.
Coming out of the clearing, a carriage was waiting. Two guards stood in front of it. Seeing Edric emerge they straightened immediately.
One moved to open the door. "Welcome back, Young Master Edric."
Edric's gaze fell on him for a moment. The guard was practically shaking.
I bet this bastard wished I died in there.
He stepped in. Ena followed behind him.
The carriage rolled forward and before long they arrived at Rova territory. The gate slowly opened.
[ Death Variable Detected. ]
He glanced at the screen. You always have to remind me.
He looked back out the window. From the commoners lining the road there was no warmth, no indifference. Just stares. Cold and quiet and full of something that needed no words.
They all wanted him dead.