Chapter 3: The Villain Knows Too Much**
Arthur was getting drunk. Really drunk.
"To the Hero!" he slurred, raising a mug that spilled half its contents on his shiny armor.
"To the Hero!" his companions cheered.
I was vibrating with anxiety. Well, as much as a disembodied force of fate can vibrate.
The golden thread was pulling me north, toward the Slums. But Arthur was firmly planted in this tavern, 2 kilometers away from the Villain.
My 50-meter limit felt like a prison wall.
**[Current Plot Points: 5]**
**[Warning: Low Balance. Critical Functions may be disabled.]**
"Five points," I thought. "I need to spend them wisely."
I couldn't move Arthur physically. But I could manipulate… coincidences.
I focused on the tavern window. Outside, a stray dog was barking at a carriage.
I pushed my will into the event.
**[Spend 5 PP to Manipulate Minor Event?]**
**[Yes/No]**
*Yes.*
The dog bolted. The carriage horse spooked. The carriage swerved… and crashed right into the tavern door.
Chaos erupted.
"What the—?" Arthur stumbled up. "Is everyone okay?"
The carriage driver, a man in a hooded cloak, stepped out. "My apologies! I lost control. I need… I need help carrying these crates to the Northern District. I'll pay double!"
Arthur's eyes lit up. "Gold? Did someone say gold?"
He turned to his party. "Let's help him! A Hero's work is never done!"
I nearly cheered. *You idiot. You're walking right into my trap.*
As Arthur carried the crates through the streets, I stretched with him. The golden thread pulled tighter.
We were getting closer. 100 meters… 80 meters… 50 meters…
The pain returned. It felt like my essence was being stretched thin.
Then, we stopped. The Slums.
The hooded driver pointed to a dilapidated house. "Just leave them here."
Arthur dropped the crates. "Alright, where's our gold?"
The driver smiled sadly. "There is no gold. But there is truth."
He pulled back his hood.
It wasn't a random driver. It was *him*. The Villain.
Dark hair, pale skin, and those amber eyes that seemed to see through reality itself.
Arthur drew his sword. "You! The Dark Lord!"
"Stand down, Hero," the Villain said calmly. "I'm not here for you."
He looked up. Directly at me.
"I'm here for *you*."
My system screamed.
**[WARNING: DIRECT CONTACT WITH ANOMALY]**
**[Plot Points Drain Initiated…]**
"You can see me?" I thought, projecting my voice into his mind.
The Villain's lips didn't move, but his voice echoed in my core. *"I can see the strings. All of them. The red ones of death. The blue ones of fate. And yours… the golden one of rebellion."*
Arthur was confused. "Who are you talking to?"
"Silence, puppet," the Villain snapped. Arthur froze, unable to move. *[Status Effect: Narrative Pause]*
*"Listen to me, Armor,"* the Villain's voice was urgent. *"This world is a story. You know it. I know it. But the Hero… he doesn't."*
*"What do you want?"* I asked.
*"To break the cycle. Every time the Hero wins, the world resets. Every time I die, the story restarts."*
My core shook. *"Reset? Like… a loop?"*
*"Like a novel being rewritten,"* he corrected. *"You're the first variable that wasn't in the original draft. You're our only chance."*
**[System Alert: Hostile Narrative Detected]**
**[Emergency Protocol: Return to Host]**
I felt myself being yanked back toward Arthur. The Villain reached out, his hand passing through my ethereal form.
*"Find me again. When you have more power. Before Chapter 50."*
The connection snapped.
Arthur blinked, regaining movement. "Where did he go?"
I hovered above him, shaking.
The Villain knew about the resets. He knew about the chapters.
And he knew I was the only one who could change the ending.
**[Quest Updated: Survive Until Chapter 50]**
**[Reward: Truth of the World]**
**[Failure: Total Erasure]**
I looked at Arthur, who was now complaining about the los
t gold.
*Sorry, Hero,* I thought. *But I think I'm rooting for the bad guy now.*