I spent the entire night studying the system's capabilities. Even though the original novel detailed how the system functioned, I wanted to see its features with my own eyes.
To begin with, I had just noticed the tab that displayed all of my abilities. At the moment, I didn't have many. Or rather, compared to the peak of Aurelius Emberforge—the protagonist of the novel and wielder of the SSS Talent: The Cursed Path of the Chosen Hero—my skill set was pitiful. But that did not change the fact that my stats and special powers were still far above average.
Another indispensable feature of the system was the shop. It contained everything from basic potions to unbelievable powers, all purchasable with the system's own special coins. Cheap items included things like mana-restoration potions and temporary enhancement elixirs, while permanent abilities—such as invisibility, gravity manipulation, or an infinity barrier—were also available, though naturally at outrageous prices.
There was even a so-called Level 1 God Skill priced at one trillion coins. I had no idea what to say when I saw that. It made one thing very clear: the system shop would be my greatest source of advantage.
But there was one problem…
How was I supposed to earn these coins?
The answer was buried at the very bottom of the system menu. A tab so easy to overlook it seemed almost insignificant at first glance: [Quests].
When I tapped the tab, three categories appeared before me.
[Daily Quests]
[Regional Quests]
[Fate Quests]
Daily quests were fairly ordinary. "Meditate for thirty minutes, practice basic sword techniques, slay a monster, stabilize your mana circulation." The rewards were modest—almost laughably small. But steady.
Regional quests were more dangerous. Clearing a nearby goblin band, stopping smugglers, fulfilling requests from local nobles. The coin rewards were satisfying, but the risk of dying was rather obvious.
But the truly important ones were…
Fate Quests.
The moment I touched the tab, the system responded in a cold tone.
[New Fate Registered: Stray From the Hero's Path]
[Difficulty: SSSS — Unpredictable]
[Description: The destiny of Aurelius Emberforge, hero of the original novel, is to walk the path of light. But you… you rejected that path. Thus, the system encourages you to deviate from the original fate. Every major divergence, every turning point, every cascading alteration will be rewarded with system coins.]
A chill ran through me as the Fate Quest menu opened. It felt as though the system wasn't merely watching, but weighing every step I took, measuring it, and reweaving the threads of the future.
Another line appeared on the screen.
[Reward Mechanism: The Greater the Change = The Greater the Gain]
I leaned back with a sigh. As someone who had read the original story of this world, I knew exactly when Aurelius Emberforge would take his key steps, make his pivotal decisions, and achieve his major milestones.
Deviating from his path would plunge me into an unpredictable world.
In other words, the system was telling me, "Break everything the author wrote, and rewrite it yourself."
Images of the novel's critical scenes flashed through my mind: the moment the hero rescued his first companion. The choosing of the Holy Sword. The academy tournament. The first sign from the God of Light. And much later, the legendary showdown with the Demon King…
All of them, every single one, was a potential coin source for me.
A second later, the screen went black and a cold notification appeared.
[New Fate Quest Generated]
[Fate Quest: Remain Indifferent to the Girl the Hero Was Destined to Love]
[Difficulty: B+]
[Description: In the original story, Aurelius Emberforge falls in love at first sight with a young woman who later becomes one of the most important emotional anchors on his path. This sentiment shapes his growth, inner conflict, ideals, and ultimate transformation. You have rejected this path.]
[Objective: To remain cold or indifferent towards her. To avoid forming an emotional bond.]
[Reward: 20,000 System Coins]
[Note: This divergence will erase the hero's romantic development, severing a small-scale fate chain.]
Before the window closed, another line appeared.
[Fate Chain Forecast]
[– This intervention will eliminate the original source of inspiration that accelerated Aurelius's growth.]
[– Future team dynamics will shift; the emotional bond between the two characters will collapse.]
[– The female character, unable to bond with the chosen hero, may be pushed out of the story or evolve into a darker variant.]
[Forecast Level: Dangerous – High Variation Probability]
The system fell silent for a moment… then issued one final warning.
[Warning: This choice indirectly disrupts Aurelius's original power-growth curve. The world will react.]
I smiled.
This wasn't some small romantic detour.
This was severing the hero's most foundational emotional arc.
And the girl in question was currently in this castle, the one the baroness sponsored and trusted the most after me.
The girl who, in the original story, became the target of Aurelius's first pure feelings.
But she wasn't portrayed as a "shy, innocent, ideal bride" in the eyes of either the characters or the readers. On the contrary…
She was confident, socially radiant, and unashamed of using her popularity. High social standing, outspoken, and more than a little attention-grabbing.
The system's "first love of the hero" wasn't some fragile trope. She was the novel's popular-girl archetype: friendly, outgoing, and brimming with life.
And her name…
Lucienne Werdant.
Aurelius's innocent crush on her had always made me laugh during the novel, because Lucienne never once viewed him as a romantic possibility. To her, he was an energetic friend or a loyal teammate at most.
Acting completely emotionless and neutralizing her meant extinguishing the first spark of Aurelius's original journey.
I sat on the chair near the window, tapping my fingers against the table as I thought.
In the story, she was an outgoing, popular, and talented young mage… but also someone who wanted to feel special among people. The fact that she was the only young person who had won the Baroness's favor before me made perfect sense.
Their relationship began with Aurelius's one-sided admiration gradually being met with her softening attitude, eventually turning into affection after he saved her life.
Meaning all I had to do was remain indifferent and treat her strictly like a colleague or teammate.
[Do You Accept Your New Fate and New Fate Quest?]
[Accept] [Cancel]
[Warning: This choice is irreversible.]
My eyes fixed on the two options glowing on the screen. There was no turning back now. My fingers moved swiftly, and with a quiet thought, 'I hope I won't regret this,' I selected "Accept." A vibration ran through me as new system notifications unfolded.
[New Fate Path Confirmed]
[Designation: Strayed Hero Trajectory – Increased Difficulty Detected]
[Initial Support Package Automatically Adjusted]
[Previous Value: Single Support Package (1 unit)]
[New Value: Enhanced Support Package (3 units)]
The screen shifted rapidly, and a glowing marker appeared above the shop icon. The moment I tapped it, three boxes materialized before me as if emerging from a dark void. They were identical in size, but the symbols carved upon them glowed in different colors.
[System Gift: Random Reward Box x3]
[Description: Because the user chose a more dangerous and unpredictable fate by abandoning the hero's original path, additional support has been granted.]
[Note: These enhanced gifts are one-time only. The system does not leave the user entirely defenseless when the difficulty increases.]
The inscriptions on the boxes lit up one by one:
Bronze Box – Low to Mid-Tier Random Reward
Silver Box – Mid to High-Tier Random Reward
Gold Box – High-Rarity Random Reward
My eyes widened slightly.
"Holy Mother… What have I done?"
It seemed I had chosen a fate route so unpredictable, risky, and potentially disastrous that the system handed me three boxes instead of one.
As if saying, "You will probably die, but here are some toys so you won't complain on your way out."
[Warning: User Commentary Detected. System deems the response: "Yes, that is precisely correct," appropriate.]
"...."