Reincarnated as a Background Character — Boss Fell in Love With Me
Chapter 5: The Quest Nobody Gave Me
Raze had never embarked on a quest before in his entire life.
While he had spent countless hours absorbing narratives, reading about grand adventures and incredible exploits of legendary heroes, the reality of such quests had always seemed distant and elusive to him. He had watched others set off on their journeys, their figures receding into the horizon with the promise of glory and treasure. Even in his previous life as a game enthusiast, he had often chosen to bypass side-quests, dismissing them as mere distractions that impeded his dedicated efforts toward loot farming.
Yet now, here he was, standing before an ancient and magically enchanted tome that had just audibly whispered his name—a whisper not imbued with the warmth and charm of a fairytale, but rather charged with an unnerving urgency.
"Raze… bearer of the Null Thread…"
It was precisely *that* kind of whisper—ominous and foreboding in its tone.
Behind him, Velzeria lingered a few paces away, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her gaze piercing and unwavering.
"You activated it," she stated quietly, a mix of surprise and concern threading through her words.
"I merely touched it," Raze replied defensively. "It looked dusty and neglected, like it could use some attention."
"The Archive of Forbidden Threads is not so easily awakened. It engages only with anomalies. This tome is imbued with a will of its own. It has chosen you," she informed him, her voice steady and resolute.
"…I really don't like that," Raze muttered, a hint of anxiety creeping into his words.
Her expression remained neutral, her unwavering gaze trained on him—a blend of predator's instinct and philosopher's insight, challenging him to understand the gravity of the situation.
Raze took a cautious step back from the tome, the soft glow around it diminishing as the air returned to a stillness that felt almost too heavy to bear.
He turned to face Velzeria squarely. "This whole 'chosen one' business? That was definitely *not* in my contract."
"You don't have a contract," she retorted, raising an eyebrow as if challenging his very existence in their current predicament.
"Exactly," Raze replied, frustration bubbling underneath the surface like a simmering pot.
They fell into an uneasy silence, the only sounds between them the faint rustling of dried fruit as Raze chewed on his snack, trying to concentrate on the familiar taste while Velzeria remained perfectly still, her posture rigid as she stared out through the tall, intricately designed stained-glass windows. The colorful glass depicted swirling battle scenes from long-forgotten wars, and she seemed to be gazing at it as if she were anticipating the world outside to explode anew at any moment.
Cautiously, Raze stole a glance at her, curiosity piquing within him. "So," he ventured cautiously, "would you like to share why you fell from the sky half-dead? Because that seems like quite the story."
For a moment, she hesitated, calculating her response as if weighing the repercussions of her words before finally saying, "There was betrayal. From within my own ranks."
Her voice, though calm, carried an undercurrent of tension; Raze could almost feel the tension in the air, as her fingers tightened on the edge of the chair's armrest, betraying her otherwise composed demeanor.
"The Ash Court?" he ventured, gambling on a guess that sent chills down his spine.
She nodded once, her expression unwavering. "Yes, they have grown increasingly ambitious, more than I had anticipated."
Raze understood. In the land known as Eternal Elysium, the Ash Court represented her elite inner circle—a nightmarish assembly of twelve demonic generals bearing frightening titles like "The Gravedancer" and "The Smiling Maw." These were not individuals who would take well to disobedience or changes in plan, especially not when it meant diminishing their own power.
"So, they attempted to overthrow you?" he asked, astonished. "What possible motive could they have?"
Velzeria's countenance remained impassive, devoid of visible emotion.
"Because I began to question the script, the very nature of our existence."
That revelation caught him off guard. Raze blinked in disbelief, truly puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"There was a divergence occurring within me," she explained slowly, her voice dipped in sorrowful nostalgia. "I started to change. I began to feel emotions, sensations they deemed too… mortal. The moment they noticed, they feared I would weaken and become a being they no longer recognized."
Raze found himself at a loss for words, reflecting on the moment she had collapsed into his arms. He remembered the heavy weight of her body, the way her voice trembled as she had whispered, "You stayed." It struck him deeply; something fragile had cracked within her, perhaps something that had been meant to shatter, to sever the chains that had bound her.
"They tried to erase my existence entirely," she concluded, her voice heavy with the burden of her memories. "Yet somehow, I escaped. And now, I find myself here, with you."
Taking a moment to gather himself, Raze released a slow, steadying breath. "Lucky me," he replied wryly, half-serious, half-making light of their dire situation.
She met his gaze with a piercing intensity, and his heart skipped a beat as seriousness returned to her expression. "No, Raze. It is I who am lucky… to have you here."
Suddenly, a notification chimed through the air, surrounded by an ethereal glow.
[Quest Log Updated]
Main Quest: Fragments of the Fallen Empress
Locate and secure the First Fragment of Velzeria's Core Authority.
Location: Ashvale Catacombs
Suggested Level: 80+
Your Level: 1
Status: You're joking, right?
Raze groaned audibly, the weight of the realization crashing over him. "Eighty plus? Are you serious right now?"
Without missing a beat, Velzeria rose gracefully to her feet, dark and crackling energy emanating subtly from her fingertips, casting shadows as she moved.
"You won't be fighting," she assured him, her voice steady, carrying a weight of authority that reinforced her power. "I will."
"Super comforting," he replied sarcastically, rubbing his temples in frustration as he tried to process the enormity of the situation.
He was not the hero of this story. He wasn't even a sidekick in the traditional sense. But here he was, paradoxically entrusted with the fate of the most powerful being he had ever encountered. The final boss of this twisted game had placed her life—and perhaps her very essence—in his hands.
That responsibility had to mean something, right?
And if she was truly changing—if her very soul was fracturing, growing, evolving—then perhaps he could shield her from dangers that lurked both outside and within.
With newfound determination coursing through him, he stood up, meeting her gaze with unexpected resolve. "Alright," he said firmly. "Let's go to the catacombs."
Velzeria arched an elegant brow, surprise flickering across her otherwise composed face. "You accept this task?"
"No one else is stepping up, so I might as well play the reluctant background character," he shrugged, an attempt to downplay the situation even as the stakes felt monumental.
A moment passed between them, punctuated by the gravity of their circumstances.
Then, for the very first time, a hint of a smile crept to the corners of her lips, a subtle expression that transformed her fierce persona into something almost warm.
"Very well then… my anomaly."
To be continued...