Elian remained crouched behind the fern, his breath held tight in his chest. The Knight was less than ten meters away, a shining beacon of silver steel in a forest of grey and brown. Under normal circumstances, encountering a high-level Knight in a starter zone was a stroke of immense luck—a "carry" who could escort a low-level player to safety.
But Elian knew better than to trust the surface visuals. This world was broken. The dragon was spawn-camping, the wolves were glitching, and the hero was dead. If this Knight was another bug, he might just cut Elian in half for looking at him wrong.
Information first, Elian thought, gripping his dagger. Action second.
He focused his gaze on the trembling armored figure. The urge to activate his skill bubbled up, an instinctual itch in the back of his mind.
"Annotate," Elian whispered.
[Skill Activated.]
[Ink Cost: 5 Points.]
[Target Analysis in Progress...]
A familiar translucent window popped up next to the Knight's head, tethered to him by a thin, glowing blue line. Unlike the wolf, which had been a simple corrupted file, this target was complex. The text scrolled rapidly, revealing the hidden data that made up the character's soul.
[Name: Sir Kaelen of the Silver Rose]
[Class: Royal Guardian]
[Level: 25]
[HP: 2500/2500]
[Status: Terrified / Morale Broken]
[Character Note: Sir Kaelen was scripted to arrive at the village after the Dragon attack to offer a ride to the survivors. However, due to the Dragon arriving 50 chapters early, Kaelen witnessed the event from a distance and his AI logic processor has crashed due to fear overload.]
[Hidden Trait: "Glass Heart" - High defense against physical attacks, zero defense against emotional trauma.]
Elian read the description and nearly laughed out loud.
"He's not a traitor or a villain," Elian realized, lowering his dagger. "He's just an NPC who wandered into a boss fight he wasn't leveled for."
The "Annotate" skill was far more dangerous than he had realized. It didn't just show health bars; it showed the narrative framework. It deconstructed the majestic, imposing figure of a Royal Guardian into a few lines of code and a pitiful psychological profile. It was a god-like perspective.
Kaelen stopped walking. He dropped his heavy shield with a thud that shook the wet earth. He sat down on a mossy log, putting his helmeted head in his gauntleted hands.
"It's over," the Knight muffled voice came through the visor. "The Wyrm... it ate the Chosen One. The script is ruined. I... I should just uninstall myself."
Elian's eyebrows shot up. Uninstall? The NPCs were becoming self-aware of the game mechanics because the chaos was thinning the barrier between the story and the system.
This was an opportunity.
Elian looked at his own stats. Strength: 4. He couldn't fight his way to the capital. But Kaelen? Kaelen had Level 25 stats and plate armor. If Elian could fix the Knight's broken AI, he would have the ultimate meat shield.
But he couldn't "Edit" the Knight directly.
[System Alert: Target Level is too high for Direct Narrative Intervention.]
[Suggestion: Use Dialogue to manipulate the outcome.]
"Right," Elian straightened his muddy tunic and wiped the purple slime from his face. "Time to use that high Intelligence stat."
He stepped out from behind the fern, deliberately snapping a twig under his boot to announce his presence.
"Stand up, Knight!" Elian's voice rang out, projected with the arrogant confidence of a senior editor scolding a junior writer.
Kaelen yelped, jumping to his feet with a clatter of armor. He drew his longsword in a panic, waving it wildly. "Stay back! I warn you, I am... I am currently experiencing a mental breakdown!"
"I can see that," Elian said dryly, not flinching as the razor-sharp blade hovered inches from his nose. He pointed a finger at the Knight's chest. "Sir Kaelen of the Silver Rose. You are off-script."
Kaelen froze. The sword lowered slightly. "How... how do you know my name? I haven't introduced myself. The dialogue box hasn't appeared yet."
"I know more than your name," Elian lied smoothly, stepping closer. "I know that you were supposed to be the cavalry. I know you watched the Hero die. And I know you are currently contemplating running away to the edge of the map to despawn."
The Knight trembled. "Who are you? Are you... a Developer?"
"No," Elian said, channeling every ounce of his inner critic. "I am an Editor. And your story isn't over just because you're scared."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bloodstained letter he had looted from the tutorial chest—the letter addressed to the now-dead Arthur. He held it up like a holy relic.
"The Hero is dead," Elian declared, his voice dropping to a grave whisper. "But the plot item survives. As long as this letter reaches the Capital, the narrative continues."
He looked Kaelen in the eye—or at least, where his eyes would be behind the visor.
"I cannot carry this alone, Sir Kaelen. I need a shield. I need a sword. I need someone who can tank the damage while I fix this broken world."
Elian extended his hand.
"So, are you going to sit on that log and wait for the deletion wave, or are you going to escort me to the King?"
Kaelen stared at the hand. The "Annotate" window beside his head flickered.
[Target Logic Updating...]
[New Objective Acquired: Protect The Editor.]
[Morale: Recovering...]
The Knight slowly sheathed his sword. He reached out and grasped Elian's forearm. His grip was iron-strong, crushing Elian's weak bones, but the intent was solid.
"I... I will serve," Kaelen stammered, his voice gaining a shred of dignity. "But I warn you, Editor. If that Dragon comes back, I might scream."
"That's fine," Elian said, forcing a smile as he tried to pull his arm back from the crushing handshake. "As long as you scream while holding your shield up."
[Party Formed.]
[Member: Sir Kaelen (Level 25 Tank) joined the party.]
Elian breathed a sigh of relief. He had his bodyguard. Now, the real journey could begin. He turned back to the road, pointing north.
"Let's move, Sir Coward. We have a plot hole to fix."