Imagine this—one second you're working the fields, and the next you're some mythical author god or whatever. Can you imagine that happening to you?
No? Nobody?
Yeah, me neither.
But fate, well… fate's a friend nobody can predict. It plays us all like puppets whenever it gets bored.
Oh? Who am I, you ask? Name's Quill, a fourteen-year-old lad. Yeah, I know... Odd name for a farmer. But my papa gave it to me, so I wear it with pride. Like a proper noble peasant, haha...
Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm new to this whole 'writing' thing, you know?
I wasn't born with any strange abilities. I was never supposed to talk to you, whoever you are, lurking on the other side of this page.
So, we might as well be friends… or enemies, if you want. But let's not go there. I don't have the energy for that. I just want to live. And if entertaining you is the only way, then… well, you'll see. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Ahem.
Here's the truth: I killed somebody.
Not just anybody, either. No, apparently, I killed the author of my own world.
Now, wait! I know what you're thinking—"That's impossible! Nobody can kill the author, especially not some random NPC from a book."
You'd be right, on a normal day. But…
Honestly, I didn't even know I was a made-up character, the invention of some guy in his mother's basement. Even now, it doesn't feel real. How would you feel if someone told you your whole life was just what someone else imagined you to be…?
I'll let that sink in for a minute.
"..."
Are you ready now? Good. So, where were we?
Ah, right. The whole 'killing the author' thing. That's the only reason you and I are having this little chat in the first place.
So, let me tell you a story. The story of how I, a simple NPC, ended up taking control of the very book you're reading right now…
It all happened on a perfectly normal day, just yesterday, in fact. Nothing too wild: just a blazing sun, endless fields of wheat, and a so-called hero's party passing through the Village of Sunshade.
That afternoon, I was out in my usual getup: rough grey linen, straw hat slouched over my eyes, scythe in hand. I was dancing through the fields, cutting stalks for my daily copper coin. Not much, sure, but it kept me fed—and besides, I've always lived alone. For me, that was enough.
But all of that calm, quiet living shattered the moment the hero showed up.
To us simple folk, heroes were untouchable—the strongest people in all of Guarnia. (That's the name of the world, by the way, though I only learned later it was really the title of the book. Heroes fighting dragons and devils, getting strong enough to shake the sky… ah, what a dream.) But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Back to the hero, I don't want to keep you guessing.
Glorius, that's what everyone called him. He always wore the same pure golden armor, gleaming so bright you'd think the sun itself took lessons from him. The moment he set foot on the road, every girl in the village turned to look his way. How could they not? The man was handsome, strikingly so, green eyes sharp as emeralds, long brown hair wild and thick as a lion's mane, power radiating off him like heat from a forge. If he wanted, a single breath could probably wipe out someone like me.
But what really stood out was his sword. Massive, nearly as tall as he was, the thing looked like it was made from solid diamond, so dazzling it hurt to look straight at it.
He moved like he owned the world, strutting around with that cocky grin. And trailing behind him? His party: three men and five women. All of them gorgeous, all sticking to Glorius like honeybees on clover.
And me? Well… I was just a face in the crowd. Black hair cropped short, nothing remarkable, maybe even a little ugly if I'm honest. There was no way someone like me would ever dream of joining a party like that.
"What a show-off…" I muttered, not bothering to hide the jealousy. Maybe I said it a little too loud, because as I stood by the road watching them pass, one of the hero's companions—a young guy, maybe sixteen or seventeen—locked eyes with me. He leaned in close to Glorius, whispered something, and pointed straight at me.
That's when I knew I'd messed up. I tried to step away, but it was like my feet were glued to the ground. Some invisible force locked me in place; I had no free will of my own at all.
Looking back now, it must've been part of the old Author's plan… Asshole. But that's hindsight for you.
Glorius turned, fixing me with a subtle grin, eyes narrowing like he'd just found a new toy. I couldn't help but notice the crimson necklace hanging at his chest, a bloody splash of color against all that gold. It practically screamed for attention, I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to. Maybe that annoyed him too.
The next thing I knew, he was towering over me. And I mean towering. I'm not short—about 182 centimeters tall myself. But Glorius had to be pushing two meters, easy. Barely sixteen, and already a young giant.
"You've got some nerve, kid. Come here." His voice was irritated, a little too loud, and suddenly my body moved on its own. I stumbled toward him, looking more apologetic than I'd ever felt in my life, scratching the back of my head like an idiot.
What's happening to me? Panic set in. Why am I even questioning my choices today?
"Sorry, great hero! If I offended you by any chance, I didn't mea—!"
A sharp pain exploded through my gut as his massive fist slammed into me. Metal filled my mouth, blood, thick and hot, dripped down my chin. I could feel that my insides were shredded and destroyed by a single, effortless punch.
Everything blurred. My ears rang, the world muffled and distant, laughter echoing at the edge of my hearing. I saw their smiling and satisfied faces. No one even glanced my way. I reached out blindly, groping for anything to hold onto. My fingers brushed something small and hard, and I yanked it free just as my knees buckled and I crashed to the dirt.
Is this how it ends? The thought flickered through my mind, strangely calm. Cold crept up my limbs, blood pooling beneath me. I could feel myself fading. Time slowly went by, and I was still waiting, hoping someone would come to help. But nobody showed up, and I found myself all alone.
But when it seemed like everything was slipping away, a sudden, searing heat jolted me back. The thing I'd grabbed began to glow, brilliant crimson, burning against my skin.
A strange window popped up in front of my dying eyes. I didn't recognize it then, but that moment would change everything.
[You have acquired a forbidden item: Hero's Necklace of Destiny]
[You have gained new abilities:]
[Self-Consciousness]
[Break the Fourth Wall]
[New quest received:]
[Survive the Author's wrath]