Death and Rebirth
The last thing Han Seojun remembered was the blinding headlights of a truck.
He had been walking home from another grueling shift at the convenience store, earbuds in, listening to the audiobook of his favorite web novel—Chronicles of the Radiant Hero. It was a guilty pleasure, a story about a chosen hero named Lucien Ashford who attended the prestigious Celestia Royal Academy, gathered a harem of beautiful heroines, and saved the world from the Demon King.
Seojun had read the novel seventeen times. He knew every plot twist, every character's fate, every secret hidden in the story.
And now, apparently, he was going to die thinking about it.
What a pathetic way to go.
Darkness consumed him.

When Seojun opened his eyes, he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
His body felt wrong—lighter, younger. His hands were pale and slender, not the calloused hands of a twenty-six-year-old who worked three jobs.
A translucent blue window materialized before his eyes.

[SYSTEM AWAKENING]
Welcome, Transmigrator.
You have been reborn as Ethan Blackwood, a background character in the novel Chronicles of the Radiant Hero.
Character Status: Extra (Cannon Fodder)
Original Fate: Death in Chapter 47 (Demon Beast Attack)
Days Until Death: 127
Would you like to activate the [Regressor's Advantage System]?
[YES] / [NO]

Seojun—no, Ethan now—felt his heart stop.
Ethan Blackwood. He remembered that name. A forgettable side character who appeared in exactly three scenes before being killed off to demonstrate the danger of the academy's practical exam.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered.
His voice was different. Younger. He stumbled to a mirror hanging on the wall of what appeared to be a modest dormitory room.
A handsome young man with ink-black hair and silver-gray eyes stared back at him. He was attractive—far more so than his previous life—but his features were forgettable in the way that background characters often were. Pleasant but unremarkable.
He was eighteen years old, a first-year student at Celestia Royal Academy.
And in 127 days, he was supposed to die.
"System," he said aloud. "Yes. Activate."

[REGRESSOR'S ADVANTAGE SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
As someone who has read the novel, you possess knowledge of future events. This system will help you leverage that knowledge.
SYSTEM FEATURES:

* Status Window: View your attributes
* Quest System: Complete quests for rewards
* Knowledge Archive: Access your memories of the novel
* Skill Shop: Purchase skills with points
* Affection Tracker: Monitor relationships with key characters

STARTING BONUS: 500 System Points
Current Quest:
Survive the First Week
Reward: 100 Points, Random Skill Box

Ethan took a deep breath. He could work with this.
He pulled up his status window.

[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Ethan Blackwood
Age: 18
Class: Unawakened
Rank: F (Lowest)
ATTRIBUTES:

* Strength: 12
* Agility: 14
* Intelligence: 45
* Mana Capacity: 8
* Charm: 32

SKILLS: None
SPECIAL TRAIT: [Eyes of the Reader] - Can perceive hidden information about characters and items you remember from the novel.

His stats were abysmal. In a world where the average person had attributes around 20, his physical stats were below average. Only his intelligence was notable—a remnant of his previous life, perhaps.
But Ethan smiled grimly.
He didn't need to be strong. He had something far more valuable.
He knew the future.

That night, Ethan sat in his cramped communal dormitory, surrounded by other F-Rank students who had already given up hope.


He opened his system's Knowledge Archive, reviewing everything he remembered about the novel's antagonists.


Supreme ruler of the demon realm S-Rank+ existence Seeks to merge the human and demon realms Final boss of the novel Won't be directly confronted until the finale


THE SEVEN APOSTLES (Demon King's Generals)


Seven S-Rank demons, each with unique abilities Appear throughout the story as arc villains Two are disguised and hidden among humans


Second prince of the empire Seraphina's political rival Secretly allied with demons for power Primary political villain Orchestrates multiple assassination attempts on Lucien


Criminal organization Luna originally belonged to Controls the underworld Luna's father leads them Will eventually be reformed by Luna


As noted, hidden demon agent Orchestrates the chapter 47 disaster Must be dealt with carefully


Ethan closed the archive and stared at the ceiling.


The road ahead was treacherous. He was weak, without resources, without allies. He knew the future, but knowledge alone couldn't save him.


[QUEST COMPLETE: Survive the First Week]


Would you like to open the Random Skill Box?


Allows the user to process multiple thought streams simultaneously Increases learning speed by 50% Reduces mental fatigue from complex calculations Synergizes with high Intelligence attribute


It wasn't a combat skill. It wasn't flashy.


But for someone who needed to learn years' worth of material in months, it was perfect.


This is it, he thought. This is how I survive.


This is how I become more than an extra.


Chapter 5 - The Villains in the Shadows