# Chapter 12: The Usurper of Fate
The dungeon simulation dissolved into particles of purple light.
We were back in the arena. The transition was jarring—one moment we were in a damp, blood-soaked cave, and the next, we were standing on clean cobblestones under the bright afternoon sun.
But the blood didn't vanish.
Caelum stood in the center of the arena, drenched in the sticky blue gore of the Cave Stalker. The rusted dagger was still gripped tight in his hand. He was trembling, his eyes darting around the crowd of stunned students like a cornered animal.
Instructor Kaelen rushed forward, his face pale. He looked at the phantom corpse of the B-Rank monster that was slowly fading away, then at Caelum.
"What... what happened in there?" Kaelen stammered. "The safety wards failed. That monster... it shouldn't have been there."
Guntram was on his knees, retching. "He's crazy! He butchered it! He just kept stabbing it!"
The students whispered. They weren't cheering for a hero. They were looking at a monster. Caelum's brutality had broken the image of the "Golden Boy."
I stepped forward.
"It was a survival instinct, Instructor," I said, my voice calm and carrying easily over the whispers.
I walked up to Caelum and placed a hand on his shoulder. I ignored the filth.
"When the wards failed, Caelum did what was necessary to protect his team. Is that not what the Academy teaches? Victory at any cost?"
I looked at Guntram, who was still crying on the floor.
"While the nobility wept," I said coldly, "the commoner killed the beast. Perhaps we should re-evaluate who the 'trash' really is."
Kaelen looked at me, then at the traumatized Guntram. He straightened his back, regaining his composure.
"Mr. Thorne is right," Kaelen announced, though his voice was shaky. "Caelum neutralized a B-Rank threat. 500 Points to Class 1-A."
He signaled the medics. "Get him cleaned up. And... someone call the Headmaster. We need to investigate why the wards failed."
As the medics led a dazed Caelum away, I felt a cold gaze on my back.
I turned. Seraphina was standing there. She wasn't looking at Caelum. She was looking at me.
She walked over, her heels clicking rhythmically. She stopped in front of me, her eyes scanning my clean uniform, then flicking to the blue blood on my hand where I had touched Caelum.
"You knew," she whispered.
"I knew what?"
"You weren't afraid," she said. "When the monster appeared. When the wards failed. You looked... bored."
She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blue blood off my hand. Her touch was possessive.
"Caelum is a rabid dog," she murmured, discarding the dirty handkerchief. "Disgusting. Unrefined."
She looked up into my eyes.
"But you, Valerius... you are the one holding the leash."
She smiled, a small, terrifying curve of her lips.
"I like men who own dogs. Just make sure it doesn't bite *me*."
She turned and walked away, the crowd parting for her.
[System Alert]
[Relationship Update: Seraphina]
[View of Hero: Contempt.]
[View of Valerius: Intrigue / Dominance.]
[The "Love Triangle" has been permanently broken.]
***
Night. The Omega Dorm.
I sat at my desk, the events of the day replaying in my mind. The chaos. The blood. The fear.
It was perfect.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew heavy. The shadows in the corner lengthened, twisting into thorn-like shapes. The System window appeared, but this time, it was gold, not blue.
**[Quest Complete: The Author's Game]**
**[Target Deviation: 50% Achieved.]**
**[The Author is extremely satisfied.]**
**[Hidden Class Unlocked.]**
A surge of energy rushed through my body. It wasn't mana. It felt like... ink. Liquid knowledge pouring into my brain, rewriting how I perceived reality.
**[Class: Narrative Usurper]**
**[Rank: Unique]**
**[Description: You are no longer just a character. You are a Co-Author.]**
**[New Skill Acquired: Narrative Edit (Level 1)]**
* **Effect:** Once per day, you can alter the description of a non-living object within your line of sight.
* **Limitation:** The change cannot violate the fundamental laws of physics (e.g., you cannot turn water into gold). You can only change the *state* of the object.
* **Cost:** 500 Villain Points per use.
I blinked.
"Edit reality?"
I looked at the rusty lock on my dormitory door.
"System. Target: Door Lock."
**[Target Selected.]**
**[Current Description: Old, rusted iron lock. Locked.]**
**[Enter Edit:]**
I focused. "Edit Description: Old, rusted iron lock. *Unlocked*."
**[Processing...]**
**[Cost: 500 VP.]**
**[Edit Complete.]**
*Click.*
The lock turned by itself. The door creaked open.
I laughed. A low, breathless sound.
This was it. This was the power of a God. I could turn a loaded gun into a jammed one. I could turn a sealed letter into an open one. I could turn a sturdy bridge into a rotten one.
"I am not just playing the game anymore," I whispered, clenching my fist. "I am modding it."
*Buzz.*
My pocket vibrated. It was my communication crystal—the one Aric had given me.
I picked it up. A holographic message projected into the air.
**Sender: President Aric.**
**Message:** "The beast bait was a nice touch, Valerius. The Board is in a panic. Kaelen is being investigated for negligence. The distraction is perfect. Meet me in the Council Room tomorrow. We have a visitor from the Draconis Institute. I need you to... welcome him."
I crushed the message, the hologram fading.
Draconis Institute. The rival school. The school known for dragon-riders and warmongers.
I stood up, walking to the window. The three moons looked down on me.
"A new stage," I said, smiling at the reflection of the villain in the glass. "And I have a new script."
[End of Volume 1: The Masquerade Begins.]