Adrian Blake stood on the soil of the dimensional realm, his silver hair glimmering faintly beneath the ambient glow of the rift behind him. Before him stood the shimmering gateway-an interdimensional portal humming with unstable energy, like a pulse connecting worlds.
"According to the mechanics of this Gate," Adrian murmured, eyes narrowing, "I'll most likely be sent somewhere near the 'protagonist' of the world."
With measured calm, he stepped forward and passed through the portal.
The sensation was instantaneous-an intense pressure on his body as space warped around him. When his feet touched solid ground again, he found himself surrounded by a dense forest. Sunlight pierced through the canopy above, dappled patterns playing on the soft underbrush.
He scanned the treeline, then turned to the distant silhouette of a village nestled in the hills.
Until he understood the rules of this world, caution would be his ally.
"Beastlord Trait: Invisibility."
With a single step, his body vanished-not through true transparency, but by blending seamlessly into his surroundings. A skill he'd acquired by hunting a chameleon-like monster, later refined and fused into his [Beastlord's Power (Blue)] trait. Now, the camouflage extended beyond his skin-his clothes, gear, even his shadow adapted.
Quiet as a ghost, he made his way into the village.
His target: information.
"Dream Magic: Memory Manipulation."
A lone villager crossing the road paused as Adrian's fingers brushed against his forehead. A whisper, and the man's eyes glazed over. Adrian siphoned what he needed-language, geography, recent events-and just as easily wiped the encounter from the man's memory.
From the fragments he gathered, the structure of this world became clear.
Leveling. Classes. Grinding for experience by slaying monsters.
The location? A minor village within the borders of the Kingdom of Gioral.
Adrian's gaze turned colder. "So this is the world of the Healing Hero…"
A flick of his fingers activated the third function of the Boosted Gear-Penetration now adapted for ocular use.
His vision sharpened instantly, cutting through walls and distance. Every corner of the village lay exposed.
And then, he saw him.
Inside a modest hut, lying unconscious on a straw bed, was a young man with messy chestnut hair-Keyaru.
The original protagonist of this world.
Adrian's eyes softened briefly.
He knew Keyaru's story. The first cycle of his life had been a waking nightmare-violence, drugs, manipulation, exploitation. His descent into madness was etched into the history of the multiverse, a lesson in how cruelty warps even the noblest intentions.
But pity wouldn't stay his hand.
Adrian's Boosted Gear lit up, a soft crimson glow emanating from his palm.
"Piercing Light Lance."
A condensed bolt of radiant energy materialized in his hand. Infused with penetrating power, the spear-like projectile ignored physical barriers as it shot forth, cleanly piercing Kael's skull before he could even dream of resistance.
There was no scream. No final thought.
Just death.
A crisp notification followed.
> [Dimensional Gate Progress: +15%]
[Ding! "Protagonist Slayer (Red)" triggered. Would you like to Plunder this existence?]
"Yes," Adrian said without hesitation.
The world bent around him.
In the blink of an eye, he stood in Keyaru's place-within the same hut, the same bed. But the corpse was gone. His soul, presence, identity-all replaced.
It was more than impersonation. It was assimilation.
"Like playing a life simulation game," Adrian murmured, flexing his fingers, now entirely synchronized with Keyaru's physiology. "Only I've become the player and the character."
A new cascade of alerts blinked into view.
> [Ding! Acquired Traits: Chosen Hero (Gold), Healing Hero (Gold), Protagonist Aura (Blue)]
Chosen Hero (Gold): You are the world's fated savior. Your level cap is removed. Your bodily fluids may, on rare occasion, help others surpass natural limitations.
Healing Hero (Gold): You wield the power of 'Restoration'-a divine magic capable of reverting targets to their original state.
Protagonist Aura (Blue): Your luck, potential, and growth rate are moderately enhanced.
"My old trait 'Descendant of Heroes (White)' just got overwritten," he whispered. "And this… this is insane."
He could feel it.
Power.
Like muscle memory being unsealed-his body knew how to wield "Restoration" on instinct. But he also understood its truth.
This wasn't healing. It was reversal. Time-magic disguised as recovery.
"Like Doraemon's time cloth," he muttered, amused. "If used on a world, it'd roll it back entirely."
But such might came at a cost.
If used on people, the caster experienced their full memory-every wound, every scream. Their lifetime of suffering downloaded into his soul.
A gift. And a curse.
"Spiritually resilient casters can endure it," he reasoned, "but if I could filter the data-only keeping their combat skills and discarding the pain... That would be ideal."
A theory worth pursuing later.
For now, there were more practical matters.
"The Hero-exclusive Divine Armaments… and Freya, the Hero of Magic. I'll need to claim them before leaving."
Adrian sat up, the straw creaking beneath him. Muscle and memory adjusted in tandem. A gentle warmth filtered through the open slits in the hut's roof.
The earliest obtainable treasure he remembered from this world's narrative was a blessing from the Spirit of the Stars. But he lacked the ancient incantations required to summon her.
Still, there were always… alternatives.
"If I can't win her favor," Adrian mused, "I'll just take what I need."
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock.
The door creaked open, letting in a beam of morning light-and with it, a figure.
She stepped through with an easy grace.
A girl dressed in simple clothes-faded linen, modest fabric, a wooden bucket in hand. But no clothing could hide her beauty. Chestnut-brown hair braided into a neat plait rested over her shoulder. Clear skin, petite figure, soft curves traced gently by her worn dress.
She radiated warmth.
A familiar face. One that, in Keyaru's memories, had never once shown cruelty.
"Good morning, Keyaru," she said, smiling softly. Her voice was tender, full of fondness and sunlight.
Adrian-no, Keyaru-felt his muscles relax instinctively. His mind, filled with foreign pain, found an anchor in her presence.
"Morning, Anna."
Anna. The neighbor. The caretaker. A girl who'd acted older sister. As far back as the inherited memories stretched, she'd been there.
Concerned. Constant. Kind.
Adrian's gaze flicked to the HUD.
> [Affection Level: 99]
One point away from complete devotion.
Without thinking, he stood and pulled her gently into his arms, arms wrapping around her slender waist.
Anna froze-just a breath-but then relaxed into the embrace, cheeks blooming with a warm blush.
"Keyaru?" she asked shyly. "Since when did you become so… clingy?"
Adrian didn't answer with logic.
He answered with truth.
"Because I like you, Anna. I always have."
His words struck deeper than he expected. Her eyes widened-not in fear, but stunned silence. The kind of silence born from a heart unguarded.
Before she could form a reply, he leaned down and kissed her.
It was gentle at first, then firm-his confidence meeting her innocence. Anna tensed, unfamiliar with such sudden passion, but she didn't resist. Her hands clutched at his shirt, her body pressing lightly into his as she responded with awkward affection.
The kiss lingered.
Time became syrup.
Only the distant sound of children playing outside-approaching fast-broke the spell.
Anna blinked, as if waking from a dream. Her face flushed scarlet.
"I-I should go! I left the soup cooking, and-uh-"
She didn't finish the sentence, practically fleeing through the doorway, braid bouncing behind her.
Adrian chuckled to himself.
That kiss had been bold. But it was also genuine.
He opened his palm and stared at it.
This body, this identity-Keyaru's potential-was now his.
But he wouldn't let it rot in blind vengeance like Keyaru once had.
He'd forge something stronger.
He looked out the window, the sun now high in the sky.