"All of this is your fault, you drunk!"
"Shut your damn mouth, you bustard!"
Day after day, the same scenario repeats itself—screaming, insults, punches.
My parents argue every time they come back from work. I always stare at them with lifeless eyes, no hope left for a bright life.
Until the day everything changed. I found my escape from this family chaos.
While the little boy sat there amidst his parents' argument, eyes fixed on them as always, something beside him caught his attention—a laptop belonging to his mother.
A window was open on it.
A window full of fantasy, bizarre events, and endless stories. They were captivating.
Since that day, I've been attached to something called "novels" in the midst of such circumstances.
...
As I lounged on my throne, a message popped up from that system.
I leaned in to read its description.
[Main Quest]
"The hero has infiltrated the palace.
Objective: Survive
Attempts remaining: 2"
Oh my god, what the hell do I do now? That damned hero is inside and I only have two attempts left—if I lose them, I'll die for sure.
I looked toward the maid standing beside me and called her.
"Lynette!"
She quickly stood before me and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Lord Klo. How may I serve you?"
"Don't do that, it's awkward. The important thing is—go call the head of the guards. I need him for something."
"As you command, my lord."
Lynette walked straight to the door and exited. Not long after, she returned with the head of the guards.
He entered, speaking words that made me feel like a scumbag for how I wrote Klo.
"Oh great and revered Lord Klo, I heard from Lady Lynette that you require me for something urgent. Might your humble knight be graced with your command?"
Damn you, Klo, what were you doing to these people?
"I want you to tighten security. There's an intruder currently inside the palace."
The knight placed his hand over the right side of his chest.
"Your orders are my command, sire."
I raised my hand to acknowledge his loyalty.
After he left, I checked the system again, hoping to find something useful.
In one of the tabs, there was a section labeled "Shop." I tapped it with my index finger.
It refused to open. The reason? My pathetic level—the shop unlocks at level 2.
Ugh.
At the top of the screen were two zeroes with a "C" next to them. Could that be the currency used in the shop?
No time to waste on a dumb store. My priority now is survival.
I stood up from the chair and headed to my private room. Based on this body's memories, Klo's room contains a demonic sword called "Ignis," engraved with runes whose meanings aren't revealed until the mid-chapters of the novel.
Since I'm the author, I know everything hidden here—this is my game, and I'm the game designer.
I entered the room and walked toward the bed, which had a silver-framed mirror beside it.
I checked under the bed and found the sword tossed aside.
Klo, you idiot, storing the strongest sword like it's trash.
I pulled it out. To activate it, I had to chant the runes.
"The sword returns to its chosen wielder, and the chosen is but a pawn in his hands."
As soon as I finished, the sword shifted from a dark blade to a glowing ruby red.
Kya—
But here's the catch: this sword shares blood with the one who chants the incantation, which means if it breaks or suffers any damage… I die too.
After grabbing the sword and deciding to leave, I passed by the mirror and caught a glimpse of my new self.
I stood in front of it, observing carefully.
Messy black hair down to the shoulders, red eyes signaling evil, and a crimson pendant with an unknown symbol.
So that's what Klo looked like.
I returned to the hall I was in before. The giant door was open—covered in blood.
I scanned the room and found the culprit—it could only be the hero.
As I stepped back slowly, my body bumped into something.
That something was emitting warm, soft wind. I realized instantly—
We're doing this scene again.
I turned around slowly to find the hero standing behind me with a wicked smile.
"Where was the little kitten hiding?"
"Alright, alright. You're here to take my soul, so just do what you came to do."
"What? You say that like it's nothing."
Krain raised his sword to slice me in half, but before it could reach me, I heard a voice in the distance.
"Duck, you idiot, Klo!"
What?
I ducked my head instinctively. When I raised it again, a slim girl was blocking Krain's sword with her own.
She had eyes burning red like fire, and black hair with orange-red streaks at the front. She wears a short blouse patterned with red flames, with fiery decorations that glow faintly. Her right arm, which she uses for the sword, is wrapped in long black sleeves. A mid-length skirt and long stockings cover her legs. On her left wrist, she wears her family's crest, while long earrings in the shape of leaves dangle from her ears.
It was Elithia.
While blocking Krain's blade, she grabbed me with her other arm, jumped, and shattered a glass window with our bodies to escape.
Elithia—one of Klo's harem members.
She's incredibly talented, far superior to other swordfighters, which earned her the title "Maiden of the Blade."
She moves gracefully and fluidly, outpacing and overwhelming her enemies with ease.
Ding~
[Side Quest]
"You received 10C from Elithia's help."
Proof that I'm a pathetic being who relies on others.
When Elithia's feet touched the ground in the gloomy garden, she threw me off her arms and I landed face-first.
"Why did you do that?" I yelled at her.
"Keep your voice down and hide. Leave the rest to me."
She turned to return to Krain, but I stopped her.
"Wait, Elithia."
She froze, then turned back to me with wide eyes.
"You don't have to go. I don't want you to get hurt."
I warned her because I knew how strong the heroes I wrote were.
Krain, in particular, is known for his powerful sword swings that could shatter a sword—and its wielder.
"Klo… is that really you?"
"Who else would it be?"
"I don't mean—"
Behind us, the sound of clapping echoed from the palace. It grew louder until the source appeared.
"Well, well… the prince and the swordswoman escaped, and now they're sharing a little moment behind the garden."
Escaping this guy will be tough.
"Listen, Klo. We'll finish this talk later. For now, just hide."
Elithia punched me hard enough to launch me far from the fight.
When I got up, I saw Elithia and Krain clashing.
Blades grinding, swords clashing, sparks flying—it looked like a fierce duel between masters.
But I couldn't bear to watch Elithia fight alone.
Ding~
A new interface appeared—this time, it was a random reward spin.
[Random Gift]
"Spin for 10C to receive a random gift."
This might not be so bad. I have great luck in Klo's body.
I hit the button. The wheel spun and spun… and landed on "Teleportation Stone."
Amazing. Finally, luck is on my side.
I grabbed Ignis and ran to Elithia to save her. Just as Krain was about to strike, I blocked his blade with mine.
The sword absorbed my blood from my palm. I felt it flowing into the blade.
I grabbed Elithia and crushed the teleportation stone in my hand. It turned to dust.
A green light engulfed us, and we slowly vanished…
...
After using the stone, we teleported to a familiar place—
A large city with blue skies and everything looking normal again.
Toot toot roo ~
Another interface appeared, and this time the scenario had ended.
[Congratulations]
"You've successfully escaped. Your rewards:
+120 EXP
100 C
Teleportation Stone
Magic Powder"
[You've reached Level 5]
[You can now upgrade physical skills and raw energies]
This is awesome. I can actually become stronger in this body—not like its original owner who wasted it.
"Why did you stop the fight and run away?" Elithia shouted at me.
"You wouldn't have won, even as the Maiden of the Blade."
"What do you mean by that?! What about my honor and pride?! What will the people say—"
I grabbed her by the shoulder while holding another teleportation stone to go back to the palace.
"Shut up. We don't have honor or pride while we're still in that palace."
The green light returned and we teleported back—straight to the throne room.
"Before you go… where did you come from?"
"I sensed danger near you, so I showed up."
Oh really.
"I don't know how I ended up working under you of all people, especially since you're acting suspicious today."
"Why?"
"You've always been cruel and vile since childhood, but today you're polite and thinking of others."
Is that really how you describe me? And since when were we childhood friends? I never wrote that.
"My father appointed me as your guard when I received the title Maiden of the Blade. Your family meant a lot to mine, and your father meant everything to my dad."
That part, I did write—Klo lost his parents when he turned 13, and Elithia was assigned to protect him, while the head butler raised him out of loyalty.
I forgot to level up my physical skills and raw energies.
I need to get stronger—
So I can return to my world and break the system.