Chapter 24: I’ll just stop playing by the script too.

’Wasn’t today the day the main protagonist was supposed to show up?’

The thought surfaced so suddenly that Kael stopped walking. He stared toward the academy entrance for a few seconds, as if expecting some late-arriving transfer student to suddenly appear through the gates.

However, there’s nothing. Not even a dramatic entrance.

Kael’s mouth twitched.

’Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.’

The protagonist’s arrival was supposed to be one of the major events in the entire story. In the original game, it marked the true beginning of Eclipse Hearts. Once that guy showed up, the peaceful academy life was basically put on a countdown timer.

But now?

The protagonist hadn’t appeared and Professor Magnus hadn’t returned either. That was a problem. Kael’s brows furrowed as he recalled the opening sequence of the game.

Professor Magnus had been traveling with his caravan when they came across a village being ransacked by bandits. Amid the chaos, he noticed a young boy desperately fighting against them.

The boy fought bravely, but he was hopelessly outnumbered. Eventually, the bandit leader cornered him and prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

That was when Professor Magnus intervened.

He rescued the boy, and the opening cinematic ended shortly afterward. The next scene showed Magnus examining the boy with obvious surprise after discovering his extraordinary potential. He then asked whether the boy was willing to accompany him.

The answer was obvious. The following scene showed the two of them entering the City of Eldoris, where Astral Dominion Academy stood.

That was how the protagonist entered the story. He was introduced to the class as a special transfer student. And, naturally, the noble students hated it.

Not only did the protagonist come from a commoner background, but the title of ’special transfer student’ attached to his name made him an easy target. Several students considered him an outsider who had somehow received preferential treatment.

So they challenged him again and again. Kael almost felt sorry for them. The protagonist was ridiculously overpowered.

Most of the students who challenged him were defeated in a single attack. Victor was among those who suffered early losses, though he never accepted defeat easily.

He challenged him repeatedly, only to lose repeatedly. Eventually, even his pride had to surrender to reality. The protagonist was simply on another level.

The same thing happened to almost everyone who stood against him. Even several heroines eventually crossed swords with him and suffered defeats.

Then came his first major achievement.

The Wilderness Survival Examination.

Despite arriving at the academy late and having almost no time to prepare, the protagonist somehow managed to obtain the highest score in the entire examination.

From there, things only became more ridiculous. One achievement followed another. The students who initially looked down on him gradually changed their opinions. Their hostility slowly turned into respect, admiration, and eventually something considerably more complicated.

That was the original storyline.

And yet...

The afternoon classes had ended. Students were already leaving the academy grounds. No special transfer student had appeared and no Professor Magnus had returned.

Kael looked up at the sky and let out a quiet sigh.

’So much for having a walkthrough.’

His one and only advantage in this world had always been his knowledge of the game. It was supposed to be his cheat. Except lately, that cheat had been acting less like a reliable strategy guide and more like a badly maintained wiki.

Events were changing. Characters were appearing at the wrong times. Some events happened differently from what he remembered. And now the protagonist himself was missing.

Kael rubbed the back of his neck.

’Great. My only cheat is getting nerfed.’

A faintly bitter smile appeared on his face.

If his knowledge could no longer guarantee what would happen next, then he couldn’t afford to rely on it completely.

He needed strength. Real strength. The kind that didn’t care whether an event happened three days early or three months late.

’Guess I really do have to train myself to the bone.’

A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"Kael, are you going to the Combat Simulation Chamber?"

Kael turned around.

Elias was approaching him, his bow resting against his shoulder.

"Oh, Elias."

Kael glanced toward the direction of the Combat Simulation Chamber before shaking his head.

"I think I’ll pass for today. I already spent all my AP last time."

"So you’re going to do some side jobs?"

Kael shook his head again.

Authority Points could be earned in several ways. Students received them for high scores in examinations and certain academy activities, but that wasn’t the only method.

They could also earn AP through side jobs.

The Combat Simulation Chamber had a lobby where several mission panels were displayed. Those missions were collectively called side jobs, and each one rewarded a certain amount of AP depending on its difficulty.

Some were simple errands. Others involved actual combat. For Kael, they were basically another way to farm resources.

"No," Kael said. "I’m going to the commercial district."

Elias raised an eyebrow.

"Are you buying supplies for the Wilderness Survival Examination?"

"I already prepared those a long time ago."

Kael paused.

"I’m just going to see if I can get lucky and find some low-grade ores and Enhancement Stones."

"Enhancement Stones?"

Elias looked doubtful.

"Are you going to enhance your sword?"

Kael nodded.

"Well. As you can see, I can only rely on it since my Hero Core is as y’know."

Elias smiled faintly.

"I see. But those things are incredibly rare, especially here in Eldoris. If you really want them, you’ll probably have to travel to the mining city in the north."

"I know."

Kael slipped his hands into his pockets.

"But my luck has been pretty good lately."

He wasn’t entirely joking. He had already obtained several things that were supposed to be difficult to acquire. Then again, relying on luck was hardly a strategy.

Still, there was no harm in checking.

"Let’s see what happens."

Elias shrugged.

"I see. In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow. Hopefully you’ll find some."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

The two parted ways.

Elias headed toward the Combat Simulation Chamber to practice his archery, while Kael made his way toward the commercial district.

As he walked, however, his mind returned to the game. Something about all of this bothered him. His knowledge wasn’t completely useless. That much was becoming clear. The problem was that he had been treating the game’s storyline like a fixed schedule.

Reality was different. The major events could shift. People could make different choices. And once one event changed, the consequences could spread to everything that followed.

However, information about some rare items was different. They had fixed locations, had acquisition conditions, and had requirements.

Those things were much less likely to change simply because one character decided to take a different path.

Kael’s expression gradually became more thoughtful.

’So the storyline is unreliable, but the world’s mechanics might still be consistent.’

That distinction could save his life.

If he remembered correctly, some of the rarest items in Eclipse Hearts weren’t obtained through the main storyline at all. They were hidden in obscure locations, locked behind strange conditions, or available only during specific situations.

Those were the things he needed to focus on. Not simply remembering what happened, but understanding why it happened.

Kael’s lips curved slightly.

’If the world wants to stop following the game’s script, fine.’ His eyes sharpened. ’I’ll just stop playing by the script too.’