Without a second of waiting, Ciel opened the Story route tab again.
Now welcomed by a different menu.
The quest system that went on like a skill tree.
He looked into the very first one, as others were yet to be unlocked. Carefully he read through the instructions.
There were three options.
Main quest: Escape from the grasp
- Escape the Nola tribe.
Rewards:
- [1 per every life saved] attribute points
- [1] skill cards
- [1] Epic grade weapon crates
Completion routes:
1. Force escape
- silently kill the guards and escape
Vanish:
- use skills to make an absolutely stealthy escape without anyone noticing
Stay till rescue arrives [original story]:
- tomorrow, passing adventurers will come and rescue you
Ciel read through everything and came to a conclusion, "He's not expecting me to kill them, is he? I could do that but… it's all… real." He paused for a moment before dismissing it. "Second one is to use skills but… I don't have skills, let alone stealth types. Ciel awakened his skills later on. The only logical answer is to wait. But that's the original story. How is this different? Also…" he started to recall, "… I remember discussing about this. If the this goes like the original idea, those adventurers will hand us over to a lord of a nearby domain. But instead of returning us, he would sell us. Even if I get an advanced skill, I won't be able to fight them. I don't know if he changed it but… that's still out of the question."
He started to deeply consider the only two options.
Then…
"I won't be getting any skills till I complete the first quest. So, there's no other way." He looked over to the dagger on the table outside.
He knew the guards were out there at the cave entrance. If he tried something that didn't work, the dagger will fall and the echo would alert them.
"What can I do…" he thought as he looked around the room, looking for anything to use. Nothing.
The cage itself is only meant to temporarily hold the prisoners. So, there's nothing in here that could possibly help him. Weak people and some wooden plates with food.
That's when his eyes landed on the two girls. "Wait… I chose the new route. So, does that mean I can take them both with me? Wait—" His eyes fixed on the red haired girl. Her slightly darker skin tone, the arm filled with mystic tattoos, and the scar going through her left eye… everything made him remember, "That's right! She's a member of the Pyro tribe. She can use her abilities to melt the lock. We don't need the dagger. But… why are they…" then it clicked, "The restriction shackles!"
Ciel stood up and walked over to the two girls. He sat beside her and hoped they'd be as chill as the original novel.
Ciel sat down and cleared his throat—
"If you're looking for friends, don't bother. We're leaving tomorrow."
He was startled by her sudden words. But her calm tone was a green flag.
"So, you were awake this whole time?" he asked, leaning back on the wall.
She just gave him a side eye before looking down at the sleeping fox girl on her lap. "I can't afford to sleep. She's counting on me to survive. I can't let my guard down. You have no idea what vile things these savages do to woman. Specially…" she paused, gently touching the fox girls ears. "… specially woman like her."
Ciel looked at the innocent girl. He knew how precious he was. Obviously, because he literally deigned her whole character with Zero.
He weakly chuckled before giving her a look of admiration. "I couldn't introduce myself. Sorry. My name is Caelis. Though I prefer, Ciel."
The red-haired girl sighed as she responded, "My name is Veyra. And this is Luna."
"Veyra and Luna…" he noted in his mind. Then, out of nowhere, he gave a proposal, "let me give you an offer. If you help me escape, I'll give you and your friend a place to live. I may not look likeit but… I hold some amount of influence. I can get you two a land to settle in."
His offer caught Veyra off guard. "You—what now—I don't…" she stuttered before telling him in a cold tone, "Don't play with me! I don't know what you're trying to pull but, I'm not stupid enough to trust people like that!"
Ciel panicked, "N-no! I would never do that! I just want your help with breaking the lock. That's all. And I wasn't joking. I'm going to a domain called the Blacktide. I can get you two a piece of land to peacefully live in."
"Don't be ridiculous!" she said in a low voice. Giving an eye of skepticism she added, "That place didn't have a lord for years. It's just full of corruption. Nobody would be able to live there."
Ciel was stunned as he realized it's harder to do the dialogues then to think of the story idea.
Respect to my man Zero working his butt off for the writing.
[Respect to me too… I guess? Maybe not.]
Ciel had no other choice.
There was no way anyone—especially them—would willingly go to a place like Blacktide.
If brute honesty wouldn't work… then he'd do what he did best.
Lie convincingly.
Then it clicked.
"But you don't have anywhere else to run, do you?" Ciel said quietly. "You and Luna were caught while trying to escape, weren't you?"
Veyra stiffened.
"The Blacktide isn't safe," he continued carefully, "but compared to any other place, It offers something far better—"
Before he could finish, her hand shot up and slammed against his throat.
"Who are you?" she hissed, barely above a whisper. "Are you one of them too? Are you that stupid to think we'd help you escape?"
"N-no—wait," Ciel croaked. He slowly lowered her hand, careful not to provoke her further.
Placing a hand over his chest, he straightened his posture.
"I come from a neighboring territory—Veldrake," he said firmly. "I was appointed as the new lord of Blacktide by the Archduke himself."
Her grip loosened.
"On my way there, I was betrayed," he continued smoothly. "A woman disguised as my maid attacked me and left me in the forest to die."
Veyra fell silent.
It wasn't that his story was convincing.
It was that Veldrake wasn't a name anyone used lightly.
"I'll trust you—for now," she said at last. Then her eyes sharpened.
"But answer me this. How did you know we were running from someone?"
Oh crap.
His thoughts raced.
Then—
"I possess the blessing of a dragon progenitor," Ciel said without hesitation. "It grants me… unusual abilities. Appraisal, for one. Limited dimensional magic as well."
Her breath hitched.
"That's why the Archduke chose me."
The effect was immediate.
"P-please forgive me!" Veyra dropped her head in a deep bow, panic flooding her voice. "I didn't know—!"
Her sudden movement startled Luna awake.
Before the fox girl could speak, Veyra covered her mouth, whispering frantically,
"Please spare us, my lord! I beg you!"
Ciel winced internally.
Yeah… that escalated fast.
Casually claiming the blessing of a progenitor—this world's equivalent of a god—wasn't something you just do. The seven great progenitors had created the world itself.
And among them, the three Dragon Progenitors stood above all.
Two governed space and time.
The third ruled the void.
If he was claiming dimensional abilities… there was only one possible association.
Before he could even regret it—
Footsteps.
Ciel's eyes sharpened.
He pulled Veyra close and pressed her head against his chest.
"Shh," he whispered. "Someone's coming."
They understood instantly.
Both girls pretended to fall asleep, hiding their expressions against him. Any hesitation would give them away.
A man approached the cage, torchlight flickering against the cavern walls.
Chains rattled. Bone ornaments clinked.
A Nola tribesman.
He stopped, examined the prisoners closely, then—finding nothing amiss—turned and walked away.
Only after the sound faded did Ciel exhale.
"He's gone," he whispered. "You can—"
He froze.
Veyra was still clinging to him.
Her face was burning red.
The lack of clothing on his upper body made things… worse.
"Um…" Luna tilted her head, glancing between them.
"Did you two… already know each other?"
Veyra nearly combusted.
She pulled Luna into a tight hug, burying her face, while the fox girl immediately took the opportunity to tease her.
"There, there~," Luna giggled, patting her head.
Ciel sighed internally.
He cleared his throat. "So. About my offer."
Veyra avoided his gaze completely.
"W-we accept."
He knew why.
The progenitor lie carried the negotiation hard. If they ever found out the truth, she'd probably kill him.
But outcomes mattered more than methods.
"…But," Veyra continued softly, "the restriction shackles suppress my strength. Even if they're removed, I'm weak—"
"Who said we need strength?" Ciel interrupted.
She looked up, startled.
"I asked for your magic, not your power," he said. "I can remove the shackles. You just need to silently melt the lock."
Her pupils shrank.
How does he know?
Those vertical pupils.
That calm, confident gaze.
That pressure—like high nobility from the empire.
Only a dragon…
Her thoughts spiraled.
Defying a bearer of a progenitor's blessing was unthinkable.
"…I understand," she said at last, bowing deeply. "I will do as you wish."
Luna blinked. "Wait—what's happening?"
"I'll explain later," Ciel said gently. "After we get out."
She nodded.
Ciel turned his attention to the shackles, inspecting them closely, trying to recall how the adventurers removed them in the original story.
Then—
Another system window opened.
<
Would you like to sacrifice 10 attribute points to disable all magic-based artifacts in the area for 24 hours?
Ciel froze.
"…H-huh?!"
He looked over the messenger again and again.
It seemed insane to him.
That's definitely something Zero added in.
Either way, it was convenient.
The issue was…
He was literally broke as hell. He had no attribute points to sacrifice.
Even then, he accepted anyway.
And his wishes reached through.
<
Your current balance in attribute points is insufficient. If you proceed, your future earnings will be sacrificed instead. Would you like to proceed?
It's a debt system.
Thank God…
He accepted without a second thought.
Almost immediately, all the shackles that were restricting everyone glowed a bright red and shattered like glass.
"It worked!" he exclaimed as everyone started to wake up from the noise and the strange sensation.
Immediately, everyone's magic returned.
When he checked the status window, there was a debt of -10 attribute points. But he wasn't worried. There were more than twenty people here. He'd get at least fifteen if only five were caught. That would leave him with five points in profit—and that was no big deal.
When he turned to Veyra, her tattoos were literally burning. Her aura was intense. Luna's powers had also returned. Since the shackles restrained and imprisoned their energy reserves inside their bodies, it had been building up for a long time now.
So this… was the full extent of their magical reserves.
And…
It was only natural for the guards to notice instantly.
One of the tribesmen rushed in, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the melted iron bars. In fear, he ran back, screaming in his native language.
Ciel walked out first. Calmly, he took the poison-tipped dagger and examined it closely.
The design looked familiar. He never designed the weapons and outfits himself—Zero did. But this… looked different from what they had settled on.
They had already mapped out the whole story. Nearly a hundred chapters were done. Yet only now did he realize that Zero was improving it, even in the smallest details.
That realization only deepened his admiration.
He shook it off and turned to the crowd behind him—people who had just woken up and been freed from their shackles.
"LISTEN UP! THEY'LL COME BACK WITH MORE PEOPLE! TAKE THIS CHANCE AND GET OUT OF HERE!"
He had successfully freed them.
As everyone exited the dungeon, a system window informed him of his quest progress. It updated in real time as they ran into the dense forest, hoping to escape the tribesmen. Some were still caught, reducing his attribute point reward.
That annoyed him, but he had no choice but to flee as well.
Just as he took both girls' hands and prepared to run into the forest with the others, something blocked their path.
A giant dire wolf.
Pure black fur.
Blood-red pupils.
This was no joke.
He swallowed hard, tightening his grip on the dagger.
I'm supposed to be the protagonist, right? I can take this on… right? he thought.
Just as he was beginning to reassure himself, a system notification popped up in front of his face.
<
To use the skill: Protagonist's Authority, you must first meet the following requirements:
Acquire the title: Protagonist [grade-exclusive]
Acquire the blessing: Absolute Zero [grade-???]
He stared at it in bafflement.
The system had basically told him that his plot armor wasn't going to save him.
"AW F*CK NO!" he screamed in his mind as he dragged the two girls in another direction.
But he was too late.
A group of tribesmen had already surrounded them.
"Ah… sh*t! What do we do now?! Did I choose the wrong route for the main quest?" he wondered as he slowly backed into a tree.
The tribesmen had somehow tamed the dire wolf.
"I didn't write this! ZERO!!!" he cursed in his mind as they began closing in on the trio.
Veyra, noticing the worry on Ciel's face, snatched the dagger from him and stepped forward. Looking back at him, she shouted, "RUN AWAY! TAKE HER WITH YOU! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!"
Ciel hesitated—no, he didn't want to.
He had chosen this specific story route so they would both live. He didn't want to see her sacrifice herself for him.
On top of that, he felt responsible.
He was their creator.
This was all because of him.
So he made up his mind.
He wasn't going to run away.
Even if he was just some loser on the inside, he was still in the body of one of the Veldrakes. And he was literally the author. He knew almost everything, even without being here.
If he couldn't figure this out, nobody could.
Just as he was about to step forward, something caught his eye.
A new notification.
<
Main Quest: Escape from the Grasp [Complete]
All rewards will be delivered to your inventory momentarily!
He froze.
"What… I completed it? But how—"
That's when he looked around.
They were in the forest.
They had successfully escaped the dungeon.
Thus, the quest was complete.
"Guess I do have some plot armor after all…" he muttered as he opened his inventory and status window.
Turning to the terrified Luna, he said, "Stay back for a minute, okay?"
She nodded and hid behind a tree.
The tribesmen grew cautious when they noticed the girl from the Pyro tribe, recognizable by her tattoos. They approached slowly, making sure to surround them properly. The dire wolf circled them like they were its next meal.
Veyra yelled again, "DIDN'T YOU JUST HEAR WHAT I SAID?! GO!"
Ignoring her, Ciel focused on the status window.
He had gathered eighteen points. Ten had been sacrificed for the debt. That left him with eight.
Without hesitation, he dumped them all into perception and agility.
The change was immediate.
His thoughts sharpened. His sensitivity to magic increased. His body felt lighter—more flexible.
Then he pulled out the skill card he had received from the quest.
<
Do you wish to consume the item [1-time use: Skill Card]?
Without a second thought, he selected Yes.
The card shattered like thin glass, dissolving into dust.
Then—
<
You have obtained the advanced skill: Martial Instincts!
<
Activating: Martial Instincts…
All of this happened within seconds.
Before Veyra could even react, Ciel snatched back the dagger and rushed forward with terrifying speed.
In moments, he cut down two people. The poison paralyzed them instantly as they collapsed, slowly dying.
Before the others could even process what had happened, his glowing eyes locked onto three more targets. With blurring speed, he drove the dagger through one man's chest while pummeling the other two to the ground with crushing blows to the gut and face. Moments later, the poison-tipped blade ended them as well.
Veyra and Luna watched in awe as Ciel continued cutting through them like an assassin. His eyes gleamed with killing intent as he reduced the forty-strong group to just two.
He approached them, raising his dagger to finish it—
But the dire wolf, now terrified, grabbed the two survivors by their clothes and fled back toward the tribe.
Ciel didn't chase them.
He didn't move an inch.
Then—
<
Overuse of mana detected. Recovery must proceed immediately!
The skill's effects faded, and he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
The two girls rushed to his side, panic written across their faces. He couldn't hear them, but he could see their concern.
Veyra lifted him onto her back, and together with Luna, they ran deeper into the forest.
The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was her face—desperate, focused—as she ran through the rough terrain.
As his vision turned black, he thought to himself:
This… still feels like a dream to me.
Thank you… Zero…
And just like that—
The journey of fantasy began,
in the world of his own creation.
…