The path not written
—Arman—
The sword rested across his lap, quiet now, but never truly silent.
It was as if it watched him, not with eyes, but with memory. Every scar on its rusted frame, every notch along its edge—it all told a story that hadn't ended yet.
He leaned back against the wall of his room, staring out the window. The horizon gleamed faintly beneath the morning light, untouched by war or prophecy. At least, not yet.
"This world…," he murmured. "How close is it to the one I read?"
He closed his eyes.
The Crowned King and the Seven Vows. A long, sweeping epic about a chosen hero, fallen kingdoms, and seven heroines bound by ancient echoes. A story filled with glory, suffering, and sacrifice. Arman—the real Arman—had been nothing more than a footnote in that tale. A third-rate noble who failed the entrance exam twice. Irrelevant to the story. A name readers barely remembered.
But that was the thing.
He wasn't Arman.
And this wasn't just a story anymore.
"The main character…" he frowned. "Right. Leon. That was his name."
He remembered now. Leon, the humble orphan with hidden talent, born of a forgotten bloodline. The protagonist who rose from nothing to challenge gods and win the hearts of seven women—each representing a Vow tied to the fate of the world.
And yet—
"…He never beat the final boss."
It came back in fragments. Forums, reader comments, speculation threads. The novel had ended with a cliffhanger. Leon's sword shattered. His body broken. The Seventh Vow incomplete.
No epilogue.
No closure.
"Does that mean this world is unfinished?" he whispered. "Or was I brought here… to finish it?"
He glanced at the blade again.
It didn't answer. But it didn't need to.
The silence was loud enough.
If the original protagonist failed… then maybe someone else was meant to carry the burden.
Him.
He clenched a fist.
"I have no plot armor. No chosen bloodline. No ancient prophecy protecting me."
Only instincts carved from death.
Only the system that called him an Anomaly.
Only the refusal to die.
---
The system shimmered again. A soft pulse—this time not a message, but a quiet reminder.
> [System Time: 13 Days Until Arcanum Academy Entrance Trials]
> [Recommended Preparation: Physical Training, Artifact Acquisition, Combat Application]
He blinked.
"Thirteen days… so I really don't have time to wander."
The Academy.
Arcanum Academy. The elite citadel of magic, swordsmanship, and politics. Where nobles and commoners alike fought for power, prestige, and legacy.
The heart of the novel's first arc.
Leon's rise began there.
And now… his would begin there, too.
If he could survive it.
If he didn't want to be buried before the story even began.
---
Arman stood up slowly, stretching his limbs. The body still felt foreign—less trained, more fragile—but he was already molding it.
"I need power," he whispered. "And I need it fast."
Then, right on cue:
> [System Update – Anomaly Route Activated]
> [New Questline Generated: "Threads of the Unwritten"]
> [Number of Sub-Objectives: 3]
> [Estimated Completion Time: Variable]
> [Synchronization with Narrative Thread: LOW]
The map unfurled again—this time, only three glowing points burned into the parchment of his mind.
> [Objective: Rescue the Enslaved Foxkin – "The Silent Ember"]
> Location: Caravan Route 19, Crossing through the Cinderglade Pass
> Danger Rating: Moderate
> Description: A young girl from the beastkin tribes has been taken by slavers and is due to be sold at the southern black markets. Her origins tie her to a forgotten Vow.
> Reward: Potential Vow Echo | Companion: ??? | Sword Art Trigger (Emotion Type: Compassion)
> [Objective: Recover Forbidden Relic – "Core of Still Bloom"]
> Location: Verdant Depths beneath the Shrine of Withering Rain
> Danger Rating: High
> Description: An ancient relic hidden beneath a crumbling sanctuary, pulsing with residual divine energy. Long thought destroyed. Said to grant accelerated healing of mind, body, and spirit.
> Reward: Passive Skill – "Still Bloom" | Passive Regeneration (HP/MP/Mental)
> [Objective: Inherit Sealed Physique – "Marrow of Rebirth"]
> Location: Tomb of the Iron-Spined Titan, buried beneath the Blackridge Mountains
> Danger Rating: Extreme
> Description: The preserved remnants of a long-extinct warrior race, sealed within a tomb where the body still radiates power. A ritual must be completed to inherit their reconstructive physique.
> Reward: Special Physique – "Rebirth Core Constitution" | Greatly enhances growth speed, stamina, and magical receptivity
Arman stared at the objectives—each more distant and dangerous than the last.
Three keys.
Three paths.
All different, but each essential to survival.
And maybe… something more.
"The system wants me to survive," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "But it's also watching what I'll become."
The wind howled louder.
And the story continued.