My breath froze in my throat. The "Dark Hero," supposed to be the story's most terrifying force, was trembling. His eyes, described in the novel as "black voids knowing no mercy," now widened in disbelieving shock.
He wasn't looking at me. He was staring at the "shadow" standing right behind my shoulder.
[Alert: Interactive mode activated.]
[Warning: Enemy danger level dropped from (99%) to (45%).]
My dagger slipped from my hand but didn't hit the ground. It hovered centimeters above, surrounded by a faint purple glow. I turned slowly to the shadow, who remained eerily calm. His voice didn't come from a throat but echoed directly in my mind: "Don't bother with him. He's just a redundant code line. Look behind him, at the gate no one noticed."
I looked past the Hero. A small stone gate hid behind a tattered curtain—never mentioned in the original novel. The light leaking from it was neon blue, unlike ordinary lamps.
"You!" the Hero screamed, lunging at me wildly, sword gleaming deadly. "You shouldn't be here! The system should've erased you completely!"
I wasn't a fighter, but survival instinct in this strange world overrode my fear. I ducked instinctively; the Hero's sword whizzed past my head, nearly shearing my ear off. A message flashed before me:
[Hidden skill activated: "Path Emulator".]
[Required: Choose one original novel move to mimic.]
A list of the Hero's chapter 10 combat moves appeared before me. Time slowed. The battles from the book became choices. I picked "Lightning Dash".
A strange power coursed through my muscles—like I wasn't controlling my body. I dashed forward, bypassing the Hero in a blink. I found myself before the secret gate.
I turned to see the Hero slam into the wall I'd just left. He screamed in rage, his voice fading like digital static.
I approached the gate, reaching for its cold surface. Touching it, the blue system screen vanished, replaced by a dark red message:
[Alert: You are now off the Author's script.]
[Welcome to the "Dark Reality".]
Before I grasped the meaning, a magnetic force sucked me through the gate. It closed behind me as the Hero's desperate scream shook the palace.