"You're just an NPC... so why are you moving before the plot even starts?"
My name is Kim Jungwo. Just an ordinary college student. Not the main character type.
I'm not smart, not cool, and definitely not popular. I have only one hobby: reading novels. My favorite? Chronicles of the Nine Thrones — an epic tale of nine heroes and their battle against darkness in the Altiria Empire.
That day, like usual, I stopped by the bookstore after class. The sky was already orange with sunset, and the latest volume had finally been released. I bought it without hesitation.
While waiting for the bus at the stop, suddenly—
"AAAHHH!!!"
A scream.
People panicked. I turned—and saw a little kid standing frozen in the middle of the crosswalk. A truck was speeding straight at them.
Without thinking, I ran.
Thud.
Everything went dark.
"Ugh... Damn. Why did I have to die?"
Then—warmth.
Silence.
Softness.
"Kael Art... Kael, wake up, my child."
A woman's unfamiliar voice.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of adults — with gentle, loving faces. And when I looked at my own hands... small?
In my head: "Huh?! I... reincarnated?!"
More precisely — I had become a village NPC boy named Kael Art from my favorite novel. I even remembered that this character appeared once and then... died!
---
Four Years Later.
My name is now Kael Art, five years old. Son of a farmer and the owner of the most popular bakery in Ludrend Village.
This small village looks peaceful... but I know its fate: in two years, it will be destroyed by bandits. And worse — I die in that incident too, before the main character even shows up!
But not this time. I will survive.
Right after reincarnating, a system appeared in my head:
> [Condition to return to your original world: Survive for 1000 years.]
...A thousand years?! Crazy. But I won't die in vain.
Since I was three, I've been secretly training my body. Every night I swing a wooden stick, read magic books, and train my breathing. I even began opening the mana circuits in my body.
And today, I did it — I opened my first mana circle!
"YEAHH!!"
Also, I reached Swordsmanship Level 1. The sword ranking system in this world is: Common, Intermediate, Advanced, and Legendary. To advance tiers, you need to master techniques at least level 3.
I won't wait for fate to come. I'll break that fate!
---
That morning, someone knocked on our door.
"Kael! Let's play!" a little girl's voice called out.
Her name is Marie. My neighbor, my playmate... and more importantly — one of the main heroines in the novel! In the original story, she survives the bandit tragedy and becomes a 5th Circle Mage by the age of 13.
Now she's just a cheerful little girl with blonde hair and a bright smile.
"Wanna play tag or hide and seek, Kael?"
"I pick both!"
We played until the afternoon.
When I returned home, my mom picked me up with a smile. "My little boy is so dirty! Take a bath first, then dinner~"
I looked at my reflection in the bath water and muttered, "Why am I so handsome now...? I used to look like a potato. Maybe... reincarnation does come with perks." Hahaha.
---
The next day, I went with my dad into the forest. We were hunting wild boar for the village festival. My dad held his bow, and—
Thwack!
An arrow flew and hit the boar.
While my dad was tying it up, I quietly snuck off toward a nearby cave. Today, I felt like I could break through a limit.
I began training new sword techniques. My hands trembled. My breath was heavy. But I kept moving.
Then...
BOOM!
My system chimed. [Swordsmanship Level 2 Achieved!]
"I did it! I really leveled up!"
I laughed and jumped for joy. I even created my own technique: Slash Fire, a sword slash infused with fire magic.
As I headed back home, a giant bear blocked the path.
My eyes sharpened. My hand gripped the wooden sword I had infused with mana.
"All right. You're the first test of my sword."
"SLASH FIRE!"
Fwssshhh!!
My slash split the bear's head. I dragged its massive body back to the village.
"This bear's been lurking around here," I muttered. "Not anymore."
---
At the village, everyone panicked because I hadn't returned. My dad was shouting my name all over the place.
When I showed up with the bear's corpse, everyone went silent. Then—
"Kael! You killed... that bear?!"
"I was just... messing around..."
The place erupted. Everyone cheered. I, a 5-year-old boy, had killed a monster that terrified the entire village.
The feast began.
From afar, I saw the story's protagonist — Rael. An orphan boy who just moved into the village. In the novel, he becomes a sword hero who fights demons.
Beside him... was Marie.
I smiled.
"Marie really is a good fit to be Rael's heroine. But... strange, why am I closer to her first?"
Marie turned toward me, her cheeks blushing.
In her thoughts: "Why is Kael smiling like that...? Does he... like me?"
I looked up at the night sky.
The stars seemed to form a sword. I imagined it like a puzzle. Each of my small steps would form that legendary blade.
Kael gazed at the night sky, tracing constellations until they shaped a sword in his mind.
"Four years from now... the bandits will come for this village," he muttered. "But I refuse to die like a background character."
Far beyond the forest, hidden under shadows, the first rider of fate stirred.
---
End of Chapter 1