Kaien didn't like being watched.
It wasn't paranoia.
He simply understood how dangerous attention could be.
Especially now.
He sat at his desk that night, staring at the message from Seraphina.
Someone has been asking questions about you.
He typed a reply.
Who?
The response came quickly.
Unknown.
Kaien frowned.
That's not helpful.
Another message appeared.
We're looking into it.
Kaien put his phone down.
For once, he wasn't going to chase the problem.
If someone was investigating him, panicking would only make him look suspicious.
He opened his notebook instead.
On the first page were names.
Ren.
Aria.
Mira.
Several others.
Characters from the original story.
Some had already appeared.
Others hadn't.
Kaien added another note beneath them.
Things are changing earlier than expected.
He stared at the sentence.
Then crossed out the word "earlier."
He replaced it with:
Things are changing differently.
That felt more accurate.
The next morning began normally.
Too normally.
Kaien walked into class and immediately noticed something.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Mira wasn't there.
He looked at the clock.
Five minutes late.
Ten.
Still nothing.
Kaien's fingers tapped against his desk.
Maybe she was sick.
Maybe she overslept.
He knew he shouldn't worry.
But Mira had terrible luck.
In the original story, she'd gotten injured constantly.
Sometimes because she was careless.
Sometimes because she simply happened to be standing in the wrong place.
And now the story itself was changing.
Kaien stood.
The instructor looked up.
"Kaien?"
"Bathroom."
The instructor sighed.
"Class started five minutes ago."
"I'll be quick."
He left before the instructor could argue.
Kaien found Mira near the eastern training grounds.
She was sitting on the ground.
One hand was pressed against her ankle.
Kaien immediately ran toward her.
"Mira."
She looked up.
"Oh."
She smiled.
"Hey, Sheep."
Kaien crouched beside her.
"What happened?"
"I tripped."
He stared at her.
"You tripped?"
"Yeah."
"On what?"
She pointed toward a small stone.
Kaien stared at it.
Then at her.
"You got injured by a rock?"
"It was a very aggressive rock."
Kaien tried not to laugh.
"Of course it was."
Mira smiled.
"See? I'm fine."
Kaien examined her ankle.
It wasn't badly injured.
Just swollen.
"You shouldn't walk on it."
"I have class."
"You have an injured ankle."
"I can still walk."
"No."
Mira blinked.
Kaien stood.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Medical room."
"I can go myself."
Kaien looked at her.
"Mira."
She sighed.
"Fine."
He helped her stand.
She leaned against his shoulder.
After a few steps, she glanced up.
"You're really strong."
Kaien looked down.
"Not really."
"You carried me like I weighed nothing."
Kaien paused.
"...Please don't tell anyone."
She smiled.
"Why?"
"Because I like being underestimated."
Mira laughed.
"You're weird."
"So I've been told."
Neither of them noticed the person watching from the roof.
A figure stood near the edge of the building.
They watched Kaien help Mira toward the medical room.
Then lowered a camera.
"So that's the girl."
A voice came through the earpiece.
"Yes."
"And Kaien?"
"Still being monitored."
The figure looked at the two students disappearing into the building.
"He's protective of her."
"Apparently."
A pause.
"Anything else?"
"Nothing unusual."
The figure smiled.
"Then keep watching."
Later that afternoon, Kaien received another message.
Request postponed.
He stared at the screen.
That's unusual.
Another message followed.
The client changed the objective.
Kaien frowned.
New objective: Investigate the Eastern District Dungeon.
His expression immediately changed.
No.
Not that dungeon.
He typed back.
Why?
The response came.
Reports of abnormal monster activity.
Kaien stood.
The Eastern District Dungeon.
The same place from the document.
The same dungeon that wasn't supposed to become important yet.
Kaien grabbed his jacket.
He knew he shouldn't interfere.
But he also knew what happened in the original story.
Mira would eventually be involved.
If something was already changing there...
He couldn't ignore it.
That evening, Kaien stood outside the dungeon entrance.
A large barrier surrounded the area.
Several adventurers were stationed around it.
Kaien kept his hood up.
He wasn't here as a student.
He wasn't here as Kaien.
Tonight, he was Gluttony.
He touched the mark beneath his right rib.
A faint warmth spread through his body.
His pistol appeared in his hand.
He checked the magazine.
Then dismissed it.
Kaien looked toward the dungeon.
"Let's see what's changed."
He stepped through the entrance.
Deep inside the dungeon, something moved.
Not intelligent.
Not waiting for him.
Just another monster.
But unlike the others...
Its body was covered in strange black veins.
Kaien stopped.
He raised his weapon.
The creature noticed him.
It roared.
Kaien narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah."
He took aim.
"You're definitely not in the comic."
BANG!
The shot echoed through the dungeon.