"As proud graduates of the 99th class, we pledge to live each moment with utmost diligence and passion, never bringing shame upon ourselves as we venture into the world—"
The original protagonist, Brayden, who had achieved the highest overall scores in the 99th class at the academy, stood on the platform as the class representative, reading the declaration aloud.
Even as the graduation ceremony proceeded, I couldn't take my eyes off Lenis, Elfin, and Ravi.
I'd managed to strike up a conversation with Ravi, but it wasn't exactly the most substantial talk.
I hadn't even had a chance to exchange words with Lenis or Elfin.
Those two were in such a foul mood that a guy like me approaching them might've gotten me attacked.
Once this graduation ceremony ended, everyone would head back to their respective homes, and if that happened, I wouldn't be able to stop the events that unfolded after the original novel's storyline... in other words, the game events.
In the setting, about three years from now, an empire reveals its ambitions, sparking a war on a continental scale.
That war dragged on for years, and the JOAT game Holy Warrior Brayden NX was set five years in the future from the present.
By the time the war broke out, it'd be too late, so I was left with roughly three years.
But if I spent those three years training alone or something while leaving everyone else be, the story would inevitably follow its original path anyway.
Not that it deserved to be called the "main story," but still.
So, first, I needed to narrow down possibilities to futures where I'd have the most freedom of movement...
Even after the ceremony ended, I racked my brain, recalling the various routes in Holy Warrior Brayden NX.
Thinking about those infuriating branching paths, one possibility stood out as the most likely.
I need to become a mercenary.
When incidents were about to erupt all over the place, the easiest way to be there was, no matter how I thought about it, as a mercenary.
If I became a knight under some lord, I couldn't deploy without permission, and I lacked the understanding of this world to manipulate politics or commerce.
I wasn't a native here; I was an outsider who'd only experienced this world through a novel and game.
So, if I wanted to move when I pleased, throw my weight around, and resolve things through brute force, mercenary work was the only option.
And conveniently, there was a perfect group for me to join.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙'Ebony Shadow Mercenaries.'
True to their mercenary nature, they were the most annoying enemies in some routes and allies in others.
Usually, you faced them as foes more often, and in those cases, the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries operated as the shadowy vanguard, stirring up incidents on behalf of their clients.
In the routes where they were enemies, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say most problems stemmed from them.
If they could just be kept in check to prevent their antics, the number of cursed future scenarios could be drastically reduced.
And ideally, I'd seize control of the group myself.
But to do that, I'd need power...
The problem was that, per the setting, Alvis was a thoroughly ruined fallen noble—his parents had fled somewhere with no contact, and he'd been kicked out of his castle onto the streets.
All I had was a shabby little house, rundown enough that it barely qualified as a place to crash.
A musty room that rejected comparison to the cozy, ten-pyeong academy dorm.
No servants, no maids, no sword or magic tutors—I had to fend for myself.
Wasn't this a bit too harsh?
"That damn 'Resister of Fate' thing—shouldn't it tell me what benefits it actually gives me by now?!"
Right after graduating from the academy, my quality of life plummeted, and in frustration, I yelled aloud to myself.
Then, text appeared before my eyes once more.
⚔ STATUS ⚔The 'Resister of Fate' possesses power enough to change destiny itself, rather than facing trials at every choice. The 'Resister of Fate' is innately gifted to lead groups and boasts an immense mana reserve.⚔ STATUS ⚔The 'Resister of Fate' possesses the 'Eye that Pierces Truth.' However, it can only be used up to three times per day.⚔ STATUS ⚔The 'Resister of Fate' is extremely weak in their base state but possesses talent in wielding both sword and magic simultaneously. The more skills acquired, the more efficiently they can be used—over twice as effectively as normal. Methods to acquire skills vary, and the 'Resister of Fate' must discover them independently.
Oh. Should've yelled sooner.
It wasn't just full of gut-wrenching penalties that flared up whenever things went slightly off—there were plenty of solid advantages too.
Being able to discern truth from lies three times a day? That pulled at me hard.
During my chat with Ravi at graduation, it hadn't triggered since there were no truth-or-lie moments.
And from the sound of it, this was a classic late-bloomer archetype.
There'd been no such description for the original Alvis, so this must be a perk unique to me.
"Weak now, but grows stronger with skills... No one's gonna hand them to me, so I'll have to hunt them down myself. Guess it's dungeon time."
The main scenarios in Holy Warrior Brayden NX revolved around wars and battles between nations and groups, but resource gathering and growth came via dungeons.
The issue was they were annoyingly tedious with crap rewards, and skipping them stalled progress, forcing you to grind against your will.
Thinking about it again, what a shitty game.
But the dungeons' efficiency sucked then, and right now, they were still my best bet.
It was a garbage game, but my love for the series had me clear it to the end, so I knew all the dungeon locations.
Fortuitously, the academy had given me a standard-issue sword as a graduation gift.
And even better, the weakest Level 1 dungeon in Holy Warrior Brayden NX wasn't far off.
Lingering might let this shitty game's cursed scenarios unfold, so I grabbed some pocket change and headed straight for the dungeon.
No stomachache flared up, so at least it wasn't a wrong call.
I splurged my scant funds on a carriage to the mountain path near the dungeon, then trekked deeper into the woods.
Spear-lined fences and totems began appearing amid the trees.
It was the Goblin Camp, the weakest dungeon.
I'd never fought with a real sword, but the moment I gripped it, the feel was oddly familiar, like I'd done this before.
Did the body remember even if the soul changed?
The instant I stepped inside the spear-fenced enclosure, text appeared.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Entering Level 1? Dungeon: Goblin Camp.⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙You can exit via the portal when not in combat, but re-entry requires a 24-hour cooldown.⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙You may encounter others who entered first. Bonds can form here too, and rare rewards might come from such interactions.
Of course, I knew all that. Except the 24-hour entry cooldown.
I wasn't planning to farm this place nonstop—just snag a skillbook from trash mobs and bounce.
Why the question mark on the level, though? Kinda suspicious.
Dungeons looked different from outside versus inside, so caution was key the moment you stepped in.
Outside, no monsters visible—but switch to dungeon view, and they could swarm.
Bad luck, and you'd get ganked right at the entrance thinking it safe.
...Thinking back, another rage-inducing shitty game.
Luckily, this Goblin Camp didn't have monsters lunging from all sides even after the zone shift.
"If the layout's as I remember... there should be an entrance to the underground tunnels around here."
I scoured the camp for the goblins' tunnel entrance.
Outside, a campfire still flickered with unappetizing fish soup bubbling over it, empty weapon racks, and goblin gear strewn about.
The lived-in feel suggested a sizable operation...
"Hm?"
Mid-thought, a chill hit me, and I froze.
Yeah, this dungeon reeked of recent activity.
The atmosphere screamed they'd been cooking and maintaining gear right up until moments ago.
So... where the hell were the monsters?
Sudden dread washed over me, and I quietly drew my sword.
In a themed dungeon like this, no theme-relevant mobs was a bad omen.
If things went south, skillbooks be damned—I might need to bolt for my life.
Creeping as silently as possible toward the underground tunnels...
Rustle—
"!!!"
"!!!"
Someone emerged from around the tunnel wall corner.
I freaked and swung my sword; the ambusher spotted me and lunged right at me.
We locked eyes on each other...
"Wha?!"
"Wh-whoa?!"
Startled, we yanked back late, tangled up, and tumbled to the ground.
I ended up on my back, ambusher straddling me.
The ambusher stared down at me, dumbfounded, and asked,
"A-Alvis...? What are you doing here?"
"That's what I wanna ask you."
A cute, innocent-looking bunny-eared girl with a face to match—and violently contrasting chest.
I'd figured it be at least half a year before crossing paths again, but mere days after graduation, here I was reuniting with Ravi inside a dungeon.