Note:
The body the protagonist is using right now... isn’t his real body. 👀
And those first 16 Chapters? Consider them nothing more than a preview of the madness and greatness that’s about to begin.
If you think you’ve figured everything out... you haven’t seen anything yet.
♡~~~~~~٠٠ Enjoy ٠٠~~~~~~♡
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The air was thick with the stench of ozone and charred flesh. Screams echoed through the ruined streets of Lumeria, drowned out only by the thunderous footsteps of the Shadow Beasts.
"Move! You useless trash! Keep running if you want to see tomorrow!"
A soldier in battered armor shoved Kai aside. Kai stumbled, his knees hitting the muddy cobblestones. He didn’t complain. He was an ’Extra’—a background character whose only purpose in this world was to fill the space, scream in terror, and die at the right moment to make the Hero’s journey look more tragic. In the grand Script of this world, Kai wasn’t a person; he was a disposable prop.
He looked up, watching the semi-translucent blue screen flickering in his vision.
[Warning: Current Screen Time: 00:02 seconds. Fading will commence shortly.]
"Two seconds," Kai whispered, wiping soot from his forehead. "Not even enough time for a final prayer before the Script deletes me."
Suddenly, the dark clouds above parted. A pillar of golden light descended, slamming into the center of the plaza. From the dust emerged a young man in shimmering white armor. His golden hair flowed perfectly despite the chaos, and his sword radiated a blinding brilliance.
It was Aidan, the **’Lead Protagonist’**—the Hero of Prophecy. Unlike Kai, Aidan was the center of the universe. Every move he made was designed to capture the hearts of the audience.
"Fear not!" Aidan’s voice boomed, carrying a magical weight that made the cowering refugees stop in their tracks. "I am here! The light shall never perish!"
Kai watched from the mud, his eyes narrowing. "Here to save us? Or just here to farm more ’Likes’ from the Eternal Audience?"
Aidan charged. His movements were a blur of gold and steel. With every swing, sparks of light—’Screen Presence’—shimmered around him like stardust. The crowd cheered, their fear momentarily replaced by awe.
But Kai saw what they didn’t. He saw the Script’s flaw. He saw the moment Aidan overextended, a mistake written into the plot to create ’tension.’
Roar!
A wave of black energy erupted from the beast, catching Aidan mid-air. The golden armor shattered. The Hero was sent flying, crashing into a pile of debris just a few feet away from where Kai sat.
"Aidan!" his companions screamed from the distance, but they were blocked by a wall of fire.
Kai crawled toward the fallen hero. Aidan was gasping, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth. The legendary sword, *Sunbringer*, lay inches from his trembling hand.
"You..." Aidan wheezed, looking at Kai with desperation. "Help me... pull the dagger from my shoulder... I need to stand... the audience is watching..."
Kai stood over him. He didn’t reach for the dagger to help. Instead, he looked up at the sky, at the invisible eyes of the Eternal Audience.
"Aidan," Kai said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Do you know what an ’Extra’ is? We are the ones who die so you can look brave. We are the shadows that make your light look brighter."
Aidan winced, clutching his chest. "What... what are you talking about? Save me, you fool! I’m the Hero!"
"You were the Hero," Kai knelt, his hand gripping the hilt of the black dagger embedded in Aidan’s shoulder. He didn’t pull it out; he twisted it deeper. "But the audience is getting bored of your perfection. They want a twist. They want a tragedy."
Aidan’s eyes bulged. "You... you’re just a background character! You can’t change the Script!"
"Watch me rewrite it."
With a swift, brutal motion, Kai ripped the dagger out and drove it straight into Aidan’s throat. There was no heroic final speech. Just a wet, gurgling sound as the ’Protagonist’s’ light flickered and died.
[Alert! You have executed the ’Lead Protagonist’!]
[Absorbing ’Screen Time’...]
[Acquired: 999+ Hours!]
[Skill Awakened: Role Stealer (Rank: Unique)]
A surge of raw, golden electricity surged through Kai’s veins. His frail body began to knit itself back together, his presence expanding until he felt like the world itself was revolving around him. He picked up the golden sword, *Sunbringer*. It hummed, accepting its new master.
"Kai? Is that you?" a survivor shouted, running toward him. "Where is the Hero? Did he save us?"
Kai turned. His face had shifted—his gaze was now cold, commanding, and undeniably ’Main Character.’
"Aidan gave his life to save me," Kai said, his voice vibrating with newfound power. "But don’t worry. I’ll finish the Script myself."
He looked at the monsters closing in, then at the blue screen now showing a massive countdown of hours.
"The show isn’t over," Kai whispered. "It’s just under new management."
..
Author’s Note: Add the novel to library, and send support if you like it!