Will's eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above him was wooden, old, and faintly cracked. A dull ache pulsed along his ribs and skull. The scent of herbs, alcohol, and dried blood drifted through the air.
An infirmary.
Beside him sat a man in light knight armor, polished but worn from use. A thin scar ran across the knight's cheek, giving him a stern but not unfriendly appearance.
"You're awake," the knight said. "Good. I was worried you had cracked your skull worse than it looked."
Will blinked, steadying his breath. His mind sharpened almost instantly. He needed to craft his story.
"I am the Knight Captain of Redstone Town," the man continued.
"Before anything else, why were you found unconscious at the town gate, coming out of the forest? Most people who try that path end up dead."
Will lowered his gaze, arranging the expression of a grieving boy.
He spoke slowly, weaving truth with well-crafted lies.
"My adoptive grandparents… they passed away." He paused, drawing a small tremor into his voice. "I didn't have anyone left in Oak Village. I planned to travel to Opera Town to meet distant relatives."
The knight's posture softened a little.
Will then continued, "I took the main road at first, but… some robbers spotted me. I panicked and ran into the forest."
His expression showed embarrassment, vulnerability, and fear
[hehe...an Oscar-worthy performance.]
Internally, though, he had already transferred every valuable item into his infinite inventory. No storage ring, no amulet remained on him. Only mundane clothing and a simple crossbow.
The knight captain studied him for a moment, long enough to make Will's muscles tense, but eventually sighed.
"You've been through a lot. Rest for now," the man said. "Your infirmary expenses are covered. And in a few days, a merchant caravan will head west, they will pass the Opera Town. You can join them."
Will bowed his head politely. "Thank you… truly."
At the end, he tried offering a few silver coins. But the knight rejected them firmly.
"Keep your money, boy. You'll need it more than I do."
Before Will could reply, the knight turned and left, boots clanking against the wooden floor.
***
Three days passed...
Will's ribs were fractured, minor breaks, but painful.
Redstone Town lacked the resources for real healing magic. Healers were reserved for nobles or emergencies.
Ordinary patients received a diluted concoction made from a low-tier potion. One bottle of real potion cost an entire gold coin, far beyond what the town could allocate to every injured citizen.
Still, the diluted mixture worked to a degree.
By the third day, Will's bones had knitted together. The external injuries remained, wrapped in bandages around his head and left arm, but internally he could move without sharp agony.
He stepped out of the infirmary with a careful breath, heading for the western gate where the caravan had gathered.
A merchant, his daughter, two wagons, and a small group of hired mercenaries and adventurers composed the caravan. A modest escort, but well-equipped enough to handle bandits and wild beasts on a normal road.
Will walked beside the knight captain, who introduced him to the merchant.
The merchant clicked his tongue. "We're not a charity, Sir Knight. If he wants to ride with us, he pays."
Will wasn't surprised. Merchants were merchants.
He caught the subtle guilt in the knight's eyes, he wanted to insist but Will spoke first.
"Sir, it's fine. Allow me to pay for myself."
After a long sigh, the knight conceded.
Formalities concluded, Will climbed into the second wagon with the servants. The journey began shortly after.
The road was bumpy. The servants were noisy. A few of them pried into Will's background with annoyingly eager curiosity.
"So where you from, kid?"
"You traveling alone?"
"You got family waiting?"
Will maintained a calm face, responding casually with lies. He had grown used to lying till now.
Still, the journey was peaceful. The adventurers dispatched beasts and goblins with ease, and the pace though slow, was safe.
But Will groaned inwardly when he learned from the servants that Opera Town was ten days away.
Ten days of chatterboxes.
Ten days of cramped wagons.
Ten days of pretending to be a normal kid.
But still… things had proceeded smoothly.
Ten days later.
Will stood at the gates of Opera Town, the place where the protagonist Ethan lived. The starting point of the world's great upheaval. The town looked peaceful, lively, utterly unaware of its impending doom.
Two months from now, according to the novel, demons would engulf this place in blood.
Will paid the entrance fee, knowing full well the guards had taken a bribe to inflate the amount. But he didn't argue. A lone child arguing with guards never ended well.
He slipped through the town gate, walking with a purpose.
His heart thudded strangely.
"It's hard to believe," he murmured, "that in two months this place will burn."
[yea - look at them] the system chimed in.
[that lady over there, that newborn in her arms. none of them know they'll be dead soon.]
Will's eyes barely flickered. "What are you on about, system? Their fate was already doomed. I'm not obligated to save anyone."
[now imagine… a young boy who was never supposed to be here shows up and messes with the timeline.]
Will froze.
A cold breath escaped him.
He hadn't considered this deeply.
His presence.
His movements.
if the calamity never stuck then what?
[you're not a saint, my boy. the calamity might happen EARLIER, not later.]
The system's tone was mocking… but it wasn't wrong.
Will's brows twitched upward. "Even if it happens early, so what? I'm placing the binder on Ethan today."
The system chuckled.
[your binder won't mean shit if Ethan dies, bro]
Will stopped walking.
[don't you remember how Ethan survived the demon raid in the novel? At this point - I remember your past-life memories better than you do.]
Will clenched his jaw.
The novel's memory resurfaced.
Ethan the protagonist was saved by the Sword Saint. A legendary figure wandering the western parts of the empire during that period, searching for abyssal portals and cultists.
By sheer coincidence, he arrived in Opera Town exactly when the demon invasion began.
He saved Ethan.
But—
If Will's presence altered the timing…If the demons attacked too early…If the Sword Saint wasn't here yet…
Ethan would die.
And with him,
Will's biggest source of strength would be gone.His early advantage.His strategy for rapid growth.His chance to skyrocket using Ethan's monstrous future talent.
Will swallowed hard.
For the first time since entering Opera Town, he felt real pressure.