The glowing screen floated silently before Ethan.
Its soft blue light reflected in his widened eyes.
He didn't move.
Neither did the screen.
The only sound in the room was his uneven breathing.
"…"
"…I've finally lost it."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
A pleasant chime rang through the room.
"Negative."
A new line of text appeared beneath the first
[ Host's mental condition has been evaluated.
Status: Stable.
Recommendation: Drink water.]
Ethan stared.
"…What?"
The screen flickered again.
[Greetings, Host Ethan Carter.
Hero Saving System online.]
He slowly looked around the room.
"…Who's talking?"
No answer came.
The words simply appeared one after another.
[This unit communicates through the System Interface.
Voice output has been disabled to avoid alarming nearby individuals.]
"…Too late." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm already alarmed."
The System waited exactly three seconds.
Then—
[Host alarm acknowledged.]
"…"
"Are you making fun of me?"
[Negative.]
"… I don't believe you."
Silence.
Then another window appeared.
[Host Information
Name: Ethan Carter
Current Body: Lucien Veris
Age: 18 (25)
Status: Healthy
Location: Veris Estate
Current Timeline: Seven days before the Hero enters the Royal Academy.]
His eyes stopped on one line.
Current Body.
Current.
Not original.
His chest tightened.
"So….This really isn't my body."
Even though he'd already figured that out. Seeing it written so plainly made it impossible to deny.
He swallowed. "…Am I dead?"
The System responded immediately.
[Unknown.]
His eyebrows knitted together. "Unknown?"
[Host's original body's condition cannot be confirmed.]
"You mean you don't know?
[Correct.]
His stomach sank.
"So I might be dead."
[Possibility exists.]
"…And if I'm not?"
[Unknown.]
"…"
The answer somehow made everything worse. He had hoped the System would reassure him. Instead it knew even less than he did. Or isn't telling the full story. He sank onto the edge of the bed. For several moments, he simply stared at the floor
His apartment.
His Family
His coworkers expecting him tomorrow morning.
Would anyone notice?
Would someone eventually unlock his apartment and find…He stopped the thought before it could continue.
He took a slow breath. One question at a time.
"If you're called the Hero Saving System…"
He looked toward the floating screen.
"…What's my purpose of being here and why me?"
The answer appeared almost instantly.
[Compatibility: 99.97%.]
"…That doesn't answer anything."
Another line appeared.
[Host possesses extensive knowledge of the original storyline.
Host demonstrated strong emotional investment in the Hero]
Ethan blinked.
"…Because I left my one-star review?"
[Correct.]
"…You're joking."
[Negative.]
He covered his face with one hand. "So because I complained online… Igot kidnapped into another world?"
The System remained silent.
Silence itself became the answer.
"…That's insane."
Another notification appeared.
[Primary Mission
Prevent the death of Adrian Ashbourne.
Reward:
Return to Original World
Failure:
Host Death]
Ethan read it twice.
Then a third time. "…You're serious."
[Affirmative.]
"I have to keep one person alive…"
Correct.
"…For how long?"
The screen flickered.
A loading symbol spun for several seconds.
Finally—
[Until the Hero survives the original ending.]
His mouth slowly opened.
"…The ending?" He remembered the execution. The war. The betrayals. Everything Adrian suffered. "That takes years!"
[Estimated completion time: Five to six years.]
"…Five years?" His voice cracked. "I have to stay here for five years?!"
[Estimate may increase depending on storyline deviation.]
Ethan stared blankly. "Increase?"
[Correct.]
"…I want to file a complaint." He mutters.
[Complaint feature unavailable.]
"Of course it is." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Let's say…I refuse."
Nothing happened.
He waited.
The System waited.
"…Well?"
[Clarification requested.]
"I said I refuse."
[Mission refusal acknowledged.]
"…That's it?"
[Host will die upon mission failure.]
"…Right." He sighed. "So refusing isn't actually refusing."
[Correct.]
"…Thats very helpful ."
[Thank you.]
"…That wasn't a compliment." Ethan stood and began pacing. His headache had dulled into a constant ache. Lucien's memories still drifted through his mind like scattered pages. Without thinking, he walked toward a cabinet. His hand reached for the handle automatically. Inside sat a porcelain tea set.
He froze.
"…I didn't know that was there."
A notification appeared.
[Lucien Veris' memories have been successfully integrated.]
Placing the tea set back and closing the cabinet He frowns. "They're still…mine?"
[Correction.
They are Lucien Veris' memories.
Host merely possesses access to them.]
"So I haven't…" He hesitated. "I haven't become him?"
A brief pause.
[Host remains Ethan Carter.]
For some reason…
That answer eased the tightness in his chest.
He still remembered his parents.
His childhood.
His own life.
He wasn't disappearing.
Another knock sounded at the door.
"Young Master?"
It was the maid again.
"Your tea is ready."
Ethan instinctively answered,
"I'll be there in a minute."
He blinked.
That response had come naturally. He could even remember the maid's name now. Clara.
"…This is going to take some getting used to."
As the maid's footsteps faded down the hallway, another blue window appeared.
[Tutorial Quest
Meet Adrian Ashbourne at the Royal Academy.
Time Remaining:
7 Days
Reward:
Beginner Gift Box
100 System Points
Failure Penalty: None]
He let out a slow breath. "So…I'm not saving him immediately."
[Correct.]
"Just…meeting him."
[Correct.]
"That's surprisingly reasonable."
[Hidden Notification
Original Storyline Stability: 100%
Story Deviation: 0%
Warning: Changing major events may produce unforeseen consequences.]
He stared at the final sentence. "So even if I save Adrian. The story won't stay the same."
No answer came.
But he already knew. The moment he interfered… Everything he knew about the novel would begin to change. The future he relied on would slowly become unreliable. And one day… He would be making choices without knowing what came next. The thought was unsettling.
Yet… He had already made his decision back in his apartment, even if he'd never expected to be held to it. He looked out the window toward the distant road leading to the capital. Somewhere beyond the horizon… A boy named Adrian Ashbourne was preparing to enter the Royal Academy, completely unaware that his tragic fate had attracted someone from another world.
Ethan straightened his posture. "…Five years." He let the words settle. "If that's what it takes…"
His expression hardened with quiet determination. "…Then I'll make sure you live long enough to complain about me."
The System chimed.
[Host motivation detected.(^v^)]
"…Don't ruin the moment."
The blue screen obediently disappeared.
Left alone in the quiet room, Ethan took one last look at his unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. The face looking back still wasn't his.
But for now… It was the face he would have to wear.