Chapter 0
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Episode 0 - The Hero in a Ruined World
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From my point of view, everyone can be categorized as a hero, an ordinary person, or a villain.
However.
Not all heroes are great figures acclaimed as salvation or hope.
And not all ordinary people can be considered ordinary.
Therefore, not all villains are bad people.
Although many in our society might think otherwise.
"So, what am I then?"
Without a shred of doubt…
… Without justification or denial.
"I am a villain."
***
Thom. Thom.
Light.
A bright light that left everyone blinded.
"Damn, what is this?"
"Where are we?"
They say life takes turns in unexpected moments. Dramatic twists. Leaps out of reality that lead you to a new one.
"Don't panic, we have to stay calm and not lose it, okay?"
But this… this was another reality.
"Calm, my ass! You kidnapped us!"
An uproar broke out in the group.
Ugh, what a hassle it is to deal with people like these.
I could only shake my head.
'Thud!'
The man who shouted was grabbed by the neck by another, taller man. Before he could react, a fist sank into his stomach. The troublemaker fell to the ground, groaning in pain and writhing.
"Bastard…"
Still panting, he extended a trembling hand, but the tall man didn't budge.
"I don't know what's going on either. I woke up here just like you and the rest. I have no idea why we're in this empty room."
We glanced around.
White walls. No furniture. No windows. Just a light in the center of the ceiling. Four people trapped in a blank room.
"My name's Henry, so please don't make useless assumptions."
The guy with golden hair on the ground slapped Henry's hand away.
"Don't lie, you think."
But his voice faded when Henry stared at him.
Cold.
And immeasurably piercing.
That gaze made the atmosphere heavy, as if the air itself thickened. I felt a pressure in my chest… even I was a little scared.
Finally, I raised my hand and spoke.
"My name's Zeth Dover."
And right after, the girl next to me spoke too.
"Hah, and I'm Elia Kazan."
The golden-haired guy clicked his tongue and exhaled in annoyance.
"Damn… fine, I'm Frey Kaizen."
The introductions didn't ease the tension, but at least they gave us some clarity. Still, the question lingered, burning in my mind.
Where were we?
I couldn't remember anything. How did I get here? What was the last thing I did?
It was as if my memories had been ripped out by the roots. But… something lingered.
A title. Just one.
"The hero in a ruined world."
What did that mean?
I know it's a title, but I don't know what it refers to. And the most unsettling thing is that it's the only thing I remember.
No friends, no family, not even who I really am. Just my name and that title.
Was it from a story? A novel?
"Novel…"
'Click.'
Something clicked in my head. A rusty gear that suddenly started turning again.
"Right, now I remember… I'm a writer. The author of 'The Hero in a Ruined World'."
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the voices around me. Until something appeared in front of me.
— — — || Main Scenario || — — —
Category: Main
Difficulty: F+
Conditions: Survive the underground prison.
Time Limit: None.
Reward: 500 coins.
Failure: Death.
Progress: Ongoing.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A golden screen floated before me.
I touched the text, feeling the faint glow on my fingers.
"Does anyone else see this, right?"
"Damn, someone drugged me when they brought me here."
Incredulous glances were exchanged.
"Wait… if we all have this… that means…"
"… That we'll die if we don't survive…"
'Clank! Clank!'
"W-what is this… What's happening?"
The woman named Elia screamed, growing more frightened.
A darkness began to invade the entire white room, turning into a dark veil.
"Hello…"
No one answered.
I couldn't even see the people who were near me before, trying to find an explanation.
"What's happening?"
As I got lost in my thoughts, a glow appeared before me.
「How are you, author?」
A screen with floating letters hovered in the middle of the darkness.
My chest sank, and my heart began to pound fiercely.
"W-who are you…"
I felt a knot tightening in my throat, barely able to utter words.
A moment of silence. Then, the letters on the screen changed instantly.
「Who am I? It'd be boring to tell you now, so I won't. Ha, ha, ha.」
I stood frozen, trying to process what was happening.
It was mocking me.
"….!"
I clenched my fist so tightly that blood began to trickle between my fingers.
Someone was behind this golden screen, sending these messages.
I didn't understand the situation, but it was clear that whoever was responsible had something to do with all of this.
「Your memories are still sealed, but don't worry, I'll give them back to you now.」
"..…?"
"Ahhh!"
An overwhelming pain shot through my head.
A trickle of blood ran from my nose as I grabbed my hair, pulling at it desperately.
I fell to the ground, writhing. The darkness grew even deeper, and the screen's glow began to fade.
However…
The memories returned.
I know who I am. I know who I was. I know what I did.
".....!"
The words barely left my mouth.
"I'm in my novel…"
「Yes, you remember now. Very good. In that case, I have just one request.」
Just one request?
"What do you want?"
The letters on the screen changed rapidly.
「What I want is one thing… Change the story, author.」
Change the story?
"Why?"
「To have fun, of course. So, goodbye, author. I'll give you a gift, as the creator of this story.」
"Wait… you still haven't told me…"
My words faded into the air as the screen displayed an emoji with a terrifying smile.
Suddenly, my vision darkened.
The world around me began to crumble slowly.
***
'Thom! Thom!'
"Hey, wake up."
The voice echoed in my head like a distant reverberation. The darkness still enveloped me, but little by little, my vision began to clear.
I blinked several times before focusing on the figure in front of me.
A woman with white hair and red eyes.
Elia.
That was her name. We had introduced ourselves before the darkness swallowed us.
"You're finally awake."
The man named Henry was watching me with an expression that could be described as concern.
But why would he be?
And who was he to care about me?
I gritted my teeth. My body felt numb as I slowly sat up, forcing myself to take in my surroundings.
We were in a place that looked like an underground sewer.
The dim light of torches flickered on the damp stone walls. On both sides of the corridor were rooms with rusty bars, like cells in a prison. A channel of dirty, foul-smelling water ran through the center of the hallway, filling the air with an unbearable stench.
"What is this place?"
Henry crossed his arms and answered with a furrowed brow.
"We don't know. We just appeared here suddenly… The last thing I remember is passing out in that blank place."
So I wasn't the only one confused.
Just then, my right hand brushed against something at my waist.
"Huh… why do I have this?"
I looked down and noticed a sword hanging from my waist. Besides that, my clothes were different from what I remembered.
My breathing quickened.
I ran to the filthy water channel and leaned over the murky surface. When I saw my reflection, my chest tightened with a terrifying force.
"Who is this…?"
The red eyes and black hair reflected in the water weren't mine.
The face I saw was… strikingly handsome, but it was covered in dust, and its disheveled hair looked as battered as the rest of its appearance.
I couldn't look away.
"Hey, you okay?"
Henry's voice sounded tense.
My breathing became ragged as I kept staring at myself in the water.
Red eyes so intense they seemed to pierce my soul.
"You're acting weird."
Henry insisted, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
"I'm in my novel… Aren't I…?"
I whispered to myself, though the horror in my voice betrayed me.
Henry looked at me with confusion, but I forced myself to calm down.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Henry exhaled, relieved.
"That's good. We need to stick together right now."
I turned my gaze to him more closely.
Black hair and dark eyes. Tall, at least 1.90 meters.
I definitely didn't know him.
"Hey, bastard, don't scare the others like that out of nowhere."
The annoyed voice came from a young man with golden hair. Frey.
He was sitting against the wall with his arms crossed, glaring at me with a furrowed brow.
I shook out my clothes and took a deep breath.
If this was my novel… then they were extras.
None of their names sounded familiar. They weren't in my story.
But the place, the oppressive feeling in the atmosphere, everything matched.
"This is the start of the story…"
The beginning took place in an underground prison that had been destroyed by monsters not long ago.
It was an abandoned site, but it still harbored terrifying creatures.
As if fate wanted to confirm it, a deep, guttural roar echoed in the distance.
"W-what was that…?"
"A-a monster's roar…"
"We're in danger."
The roar sounded again, this time closer.
Footsteps could be heard, and the water vibrated with each step.
It had to be something big.
"An orc… this place is full of orcs."
Now that I thought about it, 'that' guy should be around here somewhere.
"Let's move."
Henry spoke as he drew a long iron sword from his waist.
Elia, who held a staff with a black stone embedded in it, followed behind Henry.
Frey gripped a black iron mace with both hands, its length considerable.
I did the same, unsheathing my sword and moving forward with the group.
"This place isn't a sewer… it's a prison."
Henry scanned the surroundings and murmured his conclusion.
"But there are no windows."
Elia paused for a moment, frowning. Normally, prisons had small windows through which you could see outside, but here there was nothing. Just darkness, damp walls, and the faint glow of our torches.
Frey snorted impatiently.
"It's an underground prison, idiots."
He seemed familiar with places like this.
"Makes sense…"
Henry nodded.
As I walked ahead of the group, I suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
I looked forward and made out some shadows turning the corner at the end of the hallway.
The group halted immediately.
Henry raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong, Zeth?"
"There's something at the end of the hallway."
Everyone looked ahead, but their expressions didn't change.
"I don't see anything… How can you see in the dark?"
Now that I thought about it, it was strange. Despite the lack of light, I could clearly see the figures moving in the distance.
"I don't know… I just can."
Just as Henry was about to say something, a message appeared in front of everyone.
「The main scenario 'Underground Prison' has begun.」
「Say the following words: 'Survival Window' and check your personal skills and stats.」
Silence fell over the group.
I didn't need to think twice. I knew exactly what this was.
"Survival window."
A golden screen appeared before me. I heard the others whispering the same as their own screens materialized.
— — — || Survival window || — — —
「Zeth Dover」
– Rank F
– Level 1 「0%」
「Stats」
Strength Lv 1 | Endurance Lv 1 | Agility Lv 1 | Magic Power Lv 1
「Stigmas」
None.
「Skills」
Weapon Master Lv 1 | Intellectual Genius Lv 1 |
「Coins: 0」
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
I looked at my stats and skills, and my expression hardened.
"I'm too weak."
It didn't matter that I had two decent skills; my stats were pathetic.
"I have sword-related skills, and my stats are at Lv 10."
Henry spoke without taking his eyes off his screen.
"I have magic-related skills, but all my stats are at Lv 5."
Elia smiled bitterly, while Frey, on the other hand, grinned arrogantly.
"Ha, looks like I got lucky. I have two skills at Lv 2, and my stats are at Lv 13."
Henry turned his gaze to me.
"And you, Zeth? Want to share your skills and stats?"
My jaw tightened.
What should I say right now?
I was the weakest of all. I had only one decent skill, but it was useless at the moment.
"Weaker than a mage…"
For a moment, I hesitated to tell them.
"My skills and stats are…"
The words died in my mouth.
At that instant, a new notification appeared before my eyes.
「The '???' sends you a gift as the author of this story.」
My eyes widened.
I remembered the words from the screen when I was in that dark place.
I took a deep breath and opened the gift.
A cold smile spread across my face.