"What?" Lin Yu's voice came out barely a whisper.
"Zephyr. The Dragon Lord. Your ultimate endgame love interest." Shen Yue's expression was grim. "He wasn't supposed to wake for another hundred chapters. But the reality breaks disturbed his centuries-long sleep. And now he's awake, he's aware something is wrong, and he's looking for the cause."
Lin Yu remembered Zephyr from his outline. Ancient, powerful, intelligent beyond measure. A dragon who could see through lies and illusions, who commanded respect from all the clans. He was supposed to be the final and most important romantic interest, the one who completed Shen Yue's harem and helped unite the fractured beast world.
"Is that bad?" Kaelen asked.
"It's very bad," Wei said. "Because dragons in this world can sense narrative inconsistencies. They're basically living plot hole detectors."
"Which means," Shen Yue continued, "that Zephyr will find the Author. Probably soon. And when he does—" He looked at Lin Yu. "Dragons are possessive. If he decides you're important—and you are, you're the most important person in this entire reality—he won't let you go."
"So we avoid him," Lin Yu said.
"You can't avoid a dragon," Shen Yue said. "Trust me, I've been trying. He found me twice already. I barely escaped both times." He rubbed his temples. "And there's more. The Phoenix Prince, Ember—"
"Yeah, we've met," Lin Yu interrupted. "He's currently hunting me."
"He's obsessed with you," Shen Yue corrected. "I can see it in the narrative threads. You were supposed to be a background character, completely irrelevant to the main plot. But now you're the center of everything, and Ember's entire character arc is rewriting itself around you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means he's becoming one of your love interests whether you planned it or not," Wei said. "The world is creating a reverse harem for the Author. It's actually kind of hilarious."
"It's NOT hilarious!" Lin Yu squeaked.
"It's a little hilarious," Wei insisted.
"Can we focus?" Shen Yue snapped. "We have frozen guards, a crack in reality, phoenix hunters, an awakened dragon, and a world that's collapsing. We need to make a decision. Now."
Lin Yu looked around at the bizarre tableau: frozen guards, the reality crack, his three companions all waiting for him to choose. His protagonist,fellow transmigrator who'd been suffering alone for two years. A wolf general who'd decided they were fated mates based on smell and instinct.
"Okay," Lin Yu said. "Okay. We work together. All of us. We go to the key locations, we complete the important story beats, but we do it OUR way. We save the people who were supposed to die. We fix the tragedy. We make something better."
"The narrative might resist," Shen Yue warned.
"Then we fight the narrative," Lin Yu said with more confidence than he felt. "I created this world. That has to count for something."
Shen Yue studied him for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright. But we do this smart. First priority: get somewhere safe. Somewhere the Phoenix Prince and the Dragon Lord can't easily reach."
"The Northern Wolf Lands," Kaelen suggested. "My former pack—"
"No," Shen Yue interrupted. "That's where the next major plot disaster is supposed to happen. We need somewhere neutral. Somewhere off the main story path."
"The Serpent King's territory," Wei said suddenly. "Thorne's domain."
Lin Yu's stomach dropped. "The Serpent King? The one who collects rare treasures and is completely amoral?"
"That's the one," Wei confirmed. "But here's the thing—in your outline, Thorne doesn't appear until Volume 3. His territory is completely underdeveloped. There are barely any plot points there. It's basically a blank space in the story."
"Which makes it stable," Shen Yue said slowly, understanding dawning. "The least affected by the reality breaks."
"And Thorne is powerful enough that even a Phoenix Prince would think twice about invading his territory," Wei added. "Plus, he's a collector. If we present the Author as something valuable and interesting, Thorne might shelter us just to study the phenomenon."
"You want to offer me up like a curiosity?" Lin Yu said.
"Better than being hunted," Wei pointed out.
Shen Yue considered this. "It could work. But Thorne is dangerous. Unpredictable."
"So is everything else right now," Lin Yu said. "At least this is a plan."
"Then it's settled." Shen Yue walked over to the reality crack and placed his hand against the glowing edge. "I can stabilize this enough to create a portal. Get us to the border of Serpent territory."
"You can do that?" Lin Yu asked.
"I'm the protagonist who broke the fourth wall and gained meta-awareness," Shen Yue said dryly. "I can do a lot of things I shouldn't be able to do. It's one of the few perks of our situation." The crack began to widen, reshaping itself into a doorway of sorts. "Everyone through. And quickly—I can't hold this for long."
Kaelen went first, pulling Lin Yu with him. Wei followed, and Shen Yue came last, the portal snapping shut behind them.
They emerged into a landscape,Everything was green—not the healthy green of a forest, but an eerie, luminescent green that seemed to glow from within. Massive trees twisted in impossible spirals, their bark covered in scales that shifted colors. The air smelled like rain and something else, something ancient and slightly dangerous.
"The Serpent Lands," Wei breathed. "I've never been this far in."
"No one comes here without an invitation," Kaelen said, hand on his weapon. "It's considered suicide."
"Great," Lin Yu muttered. "This keeps getting better."
"We need to find Thorne's palace," Shen Yue said. "It should be—"
"Behind you," a new voice said
They turned around.
A man leaned against one of the spiral trees, seemingly having appeared from nowhere. He was tall and lean, with features that were almost too perfect to be real. His hair was black with an iridescent sheen, like oil on water, and his eyes were golden with vertical pupils. He wore expensive clothes in deep greens and blacks, and when he smiled, Lin Yu caught a glimpse of fangs.
"Thorne," Shen Yue said, stepping protectively in front of Lin Yu.
"Shen Yue," Thorne replied, amused. "The protagonist himself, in my territory. How unexpected." His golden eyes slid past Shen Yue to land on Lin Yu. "And you've brought me something fascinating."
The Serpent King jumped off from the tree and moved towards them.
Kaelen growled low in his throat, but Thorne ignored him entirely, his focus fixed on Lin Yu.
Thorne said, circling Lin Yu slowly. "Not like a breeding male, though you have that scent too. Not like any beastman I've encountered. You smell like—" He said.
Lin Yu said, deciding that honesty might be the only currency that worked here. "I'm the Author. I created this world."
Thorne stopped circling. For a long moment, he simply stared.
Then he laughed—a delighted, genuinely amused sound.
"Oh, this is PERFECT," Thorne said. "The Author, running from his own creations. And you came to me for shelter?" His smile widened. "You must be truly desperate."
"We are," Lin Yu admitted.
"Good." Thorne's golden eyes gleamed. "Desperation makes for interesting negotiations. Come to my palace. Let's discuss what you're willing to give me in exchange for my protection."
"And if we refuse?" Kaelen challenged.
Thorne's gaze flicked to him, acknowledging his presence for the first time. "Then you can take your chances with the Phoenix Prince, the Dragon Lord, and the growing army of people who want to possess the Author." His smile never wavered. "But something tells me you won't refuse. Because you're not stupid."
He turned and walked deeper into the strange, glowing forest. After a moment, Shen Yue followed. Then Wei. Then Kaelen, pulling Lin Yu with him.
"I'm starting to think my writing was too good," Lin Yu whispered to Kaelen. "Everyone's so dramatically intense."
"You created a world of beastmen with intense instincts and possessive natures," Kaelen whispered back. "What did you expect?"
"Not THIS."
They followed Thorne through the serpent lands, toward a palace that materialized from the mist like something from a dream—all flowing architecture.
And Lin Yu couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just walked into the one part of his story he'd never actually written.
Which meant anything could happen.
"So," Thorne said cheerfully as they approached the palace gates, "who wants to tell me the full story of how the Author ended up as a breeding male? Because I have a feeling it's going to be entertaining."
Thorne's palace was exactly the kind of place Lin Yu would have written if he'd been trying too hard to be mysterious and atmospheric.
Which was frustrating, because he'd never actually written about Thorne's palace. He'd only made notes: "Serpent King's lair—creepy, elegant, full of treasures." The world had apparently taken that vague description and run with it, creating a sprawling structure that looked like someone had convinced architecture to abandon right angles entirely.
The entrance hall alone was the size of a cathedral, with pillars.Every surface gleamed—walls of polished obsidian, floors of jade, chandeliers made from what looked like crystallized venom that cast everything in an eerie green-gold light.
And everywhere, were treasures.
Paintings that seemed to move when you weren't looking directly at them. Sculptures of precious metals twisted into impossible shapes.Books bound in materials Lin Yu couldn't identify. Jewels the size of his fist scattered casually on tables like someone's spare change.
Lin Yu admitted. "This is insane."
"This is five hundred years of collecting," Thorne corrected. He led them through the hall into a circular room dominated by a massive table made from a single slice of what appeared to be petrified tree. "And before you ask—yes, I've personally acquired everything you see. No theft. I always negotiate."
"Even for the things that probably shouldn't be owned?" Wei asked, eyeing a sword that was definitely cursed.
"Especially for those." Thorne gestured for them to sit. Chairs materialized—literally appeared from nothing—arranged around the table. "Now. Let's discuss your situation."
They sat. Lin Yu found himself between Kaelen (who remained tense and protective) and Shen Yue (who looked exhausted now that the adrenaline was wearing off). Wei took the chair opposite, and Thorne settled at the head of the table like a king on his throne.
"First question," Thorne said, golden eyes fixed on Lin Yu. "How does it feel to meet your own creations?"
"Terrifying, and guilty" Lin Yu answered.
"Guilty?" Thorne's eyebrow rose. "Interesting. Why guilty?"
"Because I created people—thinking, feeling people—and then abandoned the story halfway through." Lin Yu met Thorne's gaze. "If Wei and Shen Yue are right, that abandonment is literally destroying your world."
"Your world," Thorne corrected. "You made it. That makes it yours, whether you want the responsibility or not." He leaned back. "But I appreciate the honesty. Most people would have lied, tried to manipulate me. You're either very brave or very stupid."
"Probably stupid," Lin Yu muttered.
Thorne's lips "Second question: What exactly do you want from me?"
"Protection," Shen Yue said before Lin Yu could answer. "The Phoenix Prince is hunting him. The Dragon Lord will be soon. The auction house wants to recapture him. He needs somewhere safe."
"And you think my territory is that place?"
"Your territory is the least developed in the story," Wei explained. "Which means it's the most stable. The reality breaks are concentrated around areas with high narrative density."
"Fascinating." Thorne's said.
Thorne turned back to Lin Yu. "Third question, and this is the important one: What are you willing to trade for my protection?"
Lin Yu had been expecting this. In his notes, Thorne was a collector who never gave anything away for free. Everything was a transaction, a negotiation, a carefully balanced exchange.
"What do you want?" Lin Yu asked.
"Information," Thorne said immediately. "About the story. About how it's supposed to go. About the other characters, their fates, their secrets." He leaned forward. "You're a living encyclopedia of this world's future. That's more valuable than gold."
"No," Kaelen said flatly. "Knowledge of the future is dangerous. It could be weaponized."
"Everything can be weaponized," Thorne said pleasantly. "That's not a reason to hoard information."
"He's right though," Shen Yue interjected. "If you know what's supposed to happen, you could manipulate events. Change things for your own benefit."
"I could," Thorne agreed. "But I could also help prevent disasters. Save lives. Isn't that worth the risk?" His golden eyes gleamed. "Besides, the Author is already changing things simply by existing here. The original timeline is irrelevant. I just want to know what was supposed to happen."
Lin Yu considered this. Thorne had a point—the story was already derailed. And if they were going to rewrite things anyway, maybe having Thorne as an informed ally was better than having him as an enemy.
"I'll tell you some things," Lin Yu said carefully. "But not everything. And I get to decide what information is too dangerous to share."
"Negotiating already. I like you." Thorne smiled.
"Excellent." Thorne stood and extended his hand. "Welcome to my territory, Author. You're now under the protection of the Serpent King. Anyone who wants to harm you will have to go through me first."
Lin Yu shook his hand.
Thorne said cheerfully. "Now, let's get you all settled. You look exhausted, and we have much to discuss." He clapped his hands, and servants appeared—serpent beastmen with scaled skin and silent movements. "Rooms for our guests. The best chambers. And food—I assume you're all starving?"
"Thought so." Thorne gave instructions to the servants in a language that sounded like wind through grass. "They'll take care of you. Rest, eat, clean up. We'll convene again this evening for dinner and proper introductions."
"Proper introductions?" Lin Yu asked. "We already introduced ourselves."
Thorne's smile was mysterious. "You introduced yourselves to me. But I have other guests currently staying in my palace. Other people who would be very interested to meet the Author."
A chill ran down Lin Yu's spine. "What other guests?"
"You'll see." Thorne was already walking away. "Oh, and Author? Don't try to leave the palace grounds without my permission. The serpent lands are beautiful but deadly. Especially to those who don't know the safe paths."