Part 1: The Scriptwriter's Game
The Church's grand library smelled of old parchment and lies. Moonlight bled through stained glass as Seraphina dragged me between towering shelves, her grip tight enough to bruise.
"You need to see this," she hissed, slamming a forbidden tome open. The pages glowed crimson—names written in what looked like blood.
Aiden: "Charming bedtime reading."
Seraphina: "These are all the previous 'Aiden von Reinharts.' "
My breath caught. Dozens of entries, each with the same fate: "Executed by Kael Ardent, Chapter 3."
But one line stood out—"Iteration #47 survived 11 days. Cause of death: System malfunction."
System Notification:
> [WARNING: TRUTH DETECTED]
[You are Iteration #48.]
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Part 2: The Hero's Fatal Flaw
Lysara returned at dawn, her cloak splattered with someone else's blood.
"Kael's 'invincibility' is a lie," she reported, tossing a shattered amulet on the table. "The Scriptwriter gave him one weakness—"
Elara burst in, panting: "He can't resist a challenge to his pride!"
I blinked. "So if I—"
Lysara grinned: "Insult his sword skills in public? He'll abandon strategy to prove himself."
System Notification:
> [NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: "Pride Bait"]
[Taunt the Hero to trigger a blind rage.]
---
Part 3: The Saintess's Sacrifice
The ambush came at the cathedral. Kael, glowing with divine energy, cornered Seraphina on the altar—his sword aimed at her heart.
Kael: "You were made to love me, Saintess."
Seraphina smiled bitterly: "Then I choose to break."
She grabbed the blade, and her blood splashed across the holy symbols. The stained-glass windows shattered as the Scriptwriter's control faltered.
System SCREAMED:
> [FATE ALTERED: SAINTESS DEFIANCE ACHIEVED]
[Kael's Plot Armor -30%!]
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Part 4: The Villain's Counterattack
I lunged, not with a sword, but with words:
"Kael Ardent!" My voice echoed through the broken cathedral. "The real hero died seven iterations ago. You're just a puppet who can't even cry!"
His god-given glow flickered. For the first time, doubt crossed his face.
Lysara's knife found his back the moment he hesitated.
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The Scriptwriter's Voice
As Kael collapsed, the sky split open—and a voice boomed:
"INTERFERENCE DETECTED. ITERATION #48 WILL BE TERMINATED."
The system glitched violently:
> [EMERGENCY OVERRIDE: FINAL QUEST]
[SEDUCE THE GOD.]
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