Prologue

Three Disasters and an Ending. Also known as 3D-ED. 

That was the name of the web novel that I had just completed after three long years.

It was a basic and straightforward academy type story. A lot of people called it vanilla, but vanilla was still good.

Especially when the other flavors were all weird combinations like strawberry mint and chocolate orange.

But it was done now. 

After I spent every scrap of spare time I had working on it, carefully plotting everything to go smoothly, noting the details of the world and constant referencing back... it was finished.

And then this f*cker has the nerve to ask me to rewrite the damn thing.

I glared at the DM I got and reread the message to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

> Rob_2583429_x: Hey. I like your story a lot, but I think it's too plain. Would you be willing to rewrite it? You'd get a lot more people interested if you did.

I scoffed and then closed my browser, pointedly ignoring the message.

Something like that didn't merit a response. 

Asking me to rewrite a story over millions of words long... Especially when I barely got any income for it... Yeah right.

Let's pretend we didn't see that.

I was in my house, and the sun was starting to set. The last chapter had just been uploaded with the epilogue of the MC, Roland Lionheart, and the female lead, Marisa Sagewind, getting married.

Which meant it was time to celebrate while the comments rolled in.

I got out of my office chair and then grabbed my car keys.

Let's see... a nice steak dinner would be good to celebrate, right?

---

A loud and cheery atmosphere. The sounds of clanking silverware and light chatter all around, creating a warm ambience. 

I smiled and sliced up a t-bone steak that I ordered at my favorite steakhouse while waiting for comments to pop up on my story.

Oh! There's the first one.

> It was vanilla, but a nice and tasty vanilla! 

> I really liked how Roland struggled hard before realizing his 'cheat'!

> I thought this was a harem story, but it wasn't! Amazing!

> Really predictable, but still enjoyable.

> I wish that the princess was saved though! She was really pitiful.

> No time loop shenanigans, no multiverse stuff... Great. 10/10

Reading all of that brought a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart.

There were a few harsher and hate comments... but those were people who were trashing it on being vanilla and boring.

But that was the whole point of the story, so I ignored them.

It wasn't the first time on this rodeo. My first web novel had been a complicated mix of a bunch of genres, and it was a chaotic mess by the end.

I finished it, of course. And there was a hardcore fanbase for it. But it never became a breakout novel. But for 3D-ED...

It was funny. By keeping it to the literal cliches and archetypes as well as being less original, the story managed to be more successful.

I shook my head and sipped on a glass of cola. "The world works in mysterious ways, I guess." Muttering that, I scrolled through the comments some more.

But then I got an email notification.

I blinked and opened up my email to see a message from the official Bluefire Studio. That famous Korean studio that made the breakout hits like <I Level Up Alone in This World>.

Summing it up, they basically said that they'd be in touch soon about a webtoon adaptation since they thought my story had potential.

Mine. 

Was this what they meant when they said that hard work would be rewarded?

I had dreamed of working with them in the past and even submitted a few stories, but this time, unprompted, they reached out first.

A miracle. And the best feeling in the world.

After reading that, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. 

A great reception, an invitation from my favorite studio, good food...

I felt on top of the world. And when I got home to sleep, I couldn't wait to get up and face the shining future.

It was the best feeling in the world. A dream come true...

...So then why the hell was I suddenly standing in line at a university auditorium?

A fancy amphitheater, large enough to fit a thousand students. Up in front, a giant screen showing a student's portrait, name, and then a list of... talents?

Wait, did that guy's talents just list out <Fire Affinity (Major)>?

...Oh no.

A realization that I desperately wanted to deny. 

That message that I got. The set up for it was familiar in hindsight. And the username too.

"Rob" was commonly used in stories as a pseudonym for "Random Omnipotent Being." AKA, a trolling god who plucked people out from Earth into wild situations.

I had ignored his message... but it seemed like the bastard had a grudge.

"Roland Lionheart. Please approach the podium for your assessment." 

It was a typical bored female voice. The sort that you'd hear at the DMV.

But the name wasn't. 

Roland Lionheart... It was a pretty generic name, so there was a chance that it wasn't the one I was thinking of.

Because if it was, that would mean I got transferred into my own story. But that was impossible, right?

An objectively handsome young man with kind blue eyes walked up to the stage and placed his hand on a handprint reader device. And then the screen changed.

There was a portrait of him, with his name beneath. And then for his talents...

<Sword Saint> and <Healing Magic Affinity>.

The female staff doing the assessment blinked. "...That's an odd combination."

It wasn't, really. 

I designed Roland after the typical JRPG Hero build where he was good with swords and could heal in a pinch.

But...

"You're free to go. Next!"

Roland left, no doubt heading out to explore the campus and meet the rest of the cast.

I shimmied along with the line, my mind whirring to process this information.

This was my story. Without a doubt.

Now that I was here, I remembered it.

'Roland was surprised at his talents. He thought he would just obtain one related to swords, but the healing magic was unexpected. Curious, he headed off to see if there was a training room where he could practice.'

...Yeah. That was how it went. Generic at first, but it was also an excuse for him to run into the first potential female lead.

Wait, what am I thinking? Who cares if that's what's going on! 

I need to figure out what *I* need to do!

3D-ED was a vanilla academy life story, but that didn't mean it was safe! The three disasters, in order, were the imperial princess getting corrupted and killed as a demon, the Eternal Empire falling, and then the Demon God being resurrected.

Roland and his crew of pals were safe because I gave them plot armor, but hella extras died off screen.

And I was currently an extra.

!@#$!$!#@!

The line moved forward.

I was about a dozen people away.

...Okay. Maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe the system or whatever was still synchronizing-

*ding*

A soft chime echoed.

I blinked. And the moment I did, a floating transparent window appeared in front of my eyes.

---

[Main Quest: Story Revision]

To prepare for a proper adaptation, the story will be revised to introduce more drama and plot points. Do your best to help the protagonist resolve the unexpected situatiosn.

---

...You freaking-!

No. Calm down.

Although it pissed me off that some asshole god or whatever had shoved me into my story and was going to screw around with it for the sake of 'entertainment' and what they thought was 'better,' I had the advantage here.

The setting for this world was pretty robust, and the main dangers were clear.

First, the main objective was to defeat the Demon God. But Roland would naturally be able to do that when he awakened to Durandal, the Sword of Miracles. The awakening also wasn't too hard to do, so it would be a non-issue.

Second, the Void Arbiters who were the Demon God's followers would cause issues and try to get rid of Roland, causing collateral damage. But that could be avoided by keeping track of things and flying under the radar.

Third, and most importantly... the Crown Prince was a traitorous bastard who was willing to go to any depth to secure his power, so it was important to avoid his machinations.

If I kept all that in mind, I'd be fine.

My protagonist was more than strong enough to handle the story, so I'd just need to sit back and focus on not dying long enough to get back home.

Well, that, or get rich enough to live it up here.

I wasn't picky.

"Alex Smith. Alex Smith!"

I blinked at the repeated name calling. And then I realized I was at the front of the line.

The female staff member looked annoyed.

I put on my best poker face and walked up to the stage.

Alright. This was the chance to see if I got any cheats. If I did, this would make things a lot easier...

The screen shimmered, displaying an image of a tired young man with neatly parted brown hair and green eyes. Beneath it was the name "Alexander Smith" and a list of talents...

No. A single talent.

I blinked and subconsciously said it out loud. "Average?"

Right. There was a single word listed there.

Average.

The female staff member looked surprised, and then gave me a pitiful smile. "...On the bright side, you have no weaknesses?"

I gave her a blank look and sighed before walking off.

Surprisingly, nobody said anything. There weren't any jeers or comments... though I guess that everyone here was focused on finding out what their talents were.

Still, average...

It was the placeholder skill for someone without talent.

This system was developed by the Headmistress of this academy who had the unique domain of assessing a person's natural talents.

And she had put 'Average' as the default for someone who was just ordinary. Like, they could work hard and get to a respectable level, but they weren't going to be changing the world any time soon.

I let out a sigh and walked out of the amphitheater, thinking about what to do next. Out of habit, I reached my hand into my pocket to grab my phone and pulled it out.

And then I froze. 

Since 3D-ED was a mix of fantasy and modern setting, they definitely had smart devices and tech. So it wasn't surprising that the extra I took over had one.

But...

This was my phone. MY phone.

Complete with the screensaver of my VTuber oshi and everything.

"What the hell?" 

I blinked and then quickly made my way out of the amphitheater to find a quiet place to check it out.

From what I remembered, there was a long hallway leading out from the amphitheater to the main building's plaza, and then a courtyard outside with a water fountain, benches, and various greenery.

Using that vague recollection as a guide, I casually walked outside, making my way past the students along the way.

As I did, I caught a glance of Roland talking with an apathetic green-haired young woman.

Okay, good. Main story on track then.

So let's figure out what the hell they've got in store for me.

Outside, there was a clear blue sky, warm sunlight, and the pleasant sound of birds chirping amidst the bubbling of the water fountain.

I made my way over to a bench shaded by a tree and then turned on my phone, unlocking it with my fingerprint.

...But it didn't work.

I was confused for a bit, but then I realized why.

Although it was my phone, I wasn't 'me' right now.

So with that in mind, I entered in my password to unlock it instead. And with a small 'click' sound, it opened.

All of my apps had been uninstalled except for two. My email app, and my documents app.

That made sense, of course. But there was also this weird app with an icon that was just the three letters RPG.

...Alright. Let's see what these are.

The documents app had all my notes on 3D-ED. Characters, settings, power scales, etc.

That was good. I wouldn't be completely flying from memory then.

I didn't know about other people in these situations, but I knew that for me personally, I only remembered vague recollections about the world when I wrote.

This would help make sure I didn't miss anything, and also help me plan for the future.

The mail app... was my mail app.

The only thing different as that I had a new email from Bluefire Studios saying that they received my signed contract and looked forward to the revised manuscript.

...Freaking hell.

If I had my way, the moment I was done with this crap, I was going to beat the hell out of that Rob whatever guy who threw me here.

But okay. Those were normal.

Now, what was this RPG thing?

I clicked on the app and waited.

And then a status window popped up on my phone.

The top two-thirds of the screen listed my stats, while the bottom third of the screen had a scrolling log of notifications. 

There was an arrow on the left, which opened up into a slideout menu with buttons for Magic, Arts, Traits, Upgrades, and Inbox.

The Inbox button had a small red circle next to it, indicating there were messages like in most gacha games.

I blinked at the unexpected sight. And then I rubbed my chin, thinking about it. "Is this my version of Kim Hajin's cheat in the Novel's Extra?"

That guy had the ability to mess with the setting... Maybe I had something similar?

I was curious, but I focused on gathering information first.

Clicking the Magic, Arts, and Traits buttons each opened up to a screen with <None > listed.

I expected that. I was an extra with the generic name Alexander Smith of all things, so there wasn't anything there.

I tried clicking on Upgrades next, but it wouldn't open. Instead, my phone vibrated and the log at the bottom of the screen started flashing.

It seemed like they wanted me to read stuff first.

---

> Alex Smith has been initialized as a character.

> Due to lack of specification, default attributes have been applied.

> Completing story missions will grant Story Points (SP) that can be used to upgrade various aspects of your character.

> Note: Although this system is similar to a game, your character exists in a proper reality. The status screen will automatically update to reflect improvements and enlightenments obtained beyond the general Upgrade function. 

...Alright. So even though this made reality seem like a game, it was still reality. I could improve stuff here, but it was more like a status reader than the entire system.

That's what this seemed to be.

And to confirm that, let me click around a bit...

---

[Status Screen]

Name: Alex Smith

Age: 18

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Vitality: 10

Endurance: 10

Mana: 10

---

...This wasn't a system I was familiar with.

The power levels in 3D-ED were pretty straightforward.

For magicians and warriors, there were ten ranks, each representing the max range of potential destruction.

In order, it should be:

1 - a person

2 - a room

3 - a building

4 - a village

5 - a city

6 - a kingdom

7 - a country

8 - a continent

9 - the world

10 - the laws of existence

There were special names for each rank depending on which path you took, but that was roughly how it lined up.

Rank 6 was where a person started to be considered a heavy hitter in terms of power.

...But I never broke it down this discrete. 

The numbers seemed arbitrary. Especially considering that they were all '10.'

The numbers looked like they could be tapped on though, so I tapped on the first '10' in the list.

> Parameters range from 0-100, every 10 points corresponding to a rank. For mages, mana decides the rank (e.g. 10 = Rank 1, 20 = Rank 2). For warriors, the average of the physical stats decides the rank (Average of Str, Agi, Vit, End is greater than 10, less than 20, rank 1. Average greater than 20, less than 30, rank 2, etc.)

Huh.

...I guess that made sense.

For mages, the only thing that mattered to them was their total mana capacity. Each rank was determined by the number of mana circles around their heart, with each circle meaning another rank.

For warriors though, it depended on their physique... which could be broken into their strength, agility, vitality, and endurance, I guess.

And then going by my stats, I would be considered a rank 1 mage and a rank 1 warrior.

Or in other words, barely qualified to attend the prestigious Starlight Academy here.

I wonder how I got in? Was this like divine intervention, or were Alex's grades stellar or something?

A point I'd have to follow up on later. 

For now though, I needed to get this stuff set up.

This time, the Upgrade button opened up to a new screen. It looked similar to the typical stat allocation screens, with my SP listed at the bottom (100 right now) and the various stats. 

After clicking a bit to test it out, it seemed like it cost 10 SP for one point in a parameter... and probably more later on.

The smart thing to do would probably be to invest in mana since it was the most cost effective.

I also knew some ways to increase my physique with mana too, so it was definitely the best investment. But I held off for now and decided to save my points.

Scrolling down, there was a button labeled <Shop >.

Clicking it opened a list where I could purchase magic, martial arts, traits, talents... basically everything that I had ever designed for the story in terms of character attributes.

But they were also all way too expensive, with even basic <Fire Affinity> costing 10,000 SP.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous things like the Art <Durandal > which cost 1,000,000,000 SP.

I sighed and went back to the home screen. This time, I clicked on the Inbox button.

It was just like a gacha game inbox, and there was currently one unread message.

Obviously, I clicked on it.

> Good luck in your story revisions! I've added a small boost to help you get started, but I'm sure you'll figure things out. -ROB

...Asshole.

Still, there was a ticket attached to the message.

I claimed it, and then a menu popped up.

---

[Beginner Trait Selection Ticket]

> Fire Affinity

> Water Affinity

> Earth Affinity

> Wind Affinity

> Strength Boost (Minor)

> Agility Boost (Minor)

> Vitality Boost (Minor)

> Endurance Boost (Minor)

> Mana Boost (Minor)

---

Nine options. The basic elemental attributes, and then parameter boosts that increased the selected parameter by 10% of the current value.

In the grand scheme of things, practically worthless.

Elemental 'Affinity' only allowed you to understand how to use the element a bit better.

If it was something like Elemental 'Magic Affinity,' which let you instinctively use all magics of that element, it would be different.

It was the difference of knowing what numbers were versus knowing how to solve math equations.

Considering that I designed the whole magic system in this world, those were worthless.

As for the others...

Considering the way the stat system seemed to work, they were pretty good?

If I was doing my math right, the skill was something that would let me snowball later.

At 10 points, and assuming it rounded down, those passives would just give me an additional stat point. But at 50 base points, it'd be an additional 5 points. 60, 6 points. And then at 90, I'd immediately be at 99.

Meaning that when I became a rank 9 mage, I'd also immediately be a step away from rank 10.

...Of course that step was near insurmountable through ordinary means, but I'd be a lot closer than most people.

So the choice was obvious then.

The only asset I had here was my mind, knowledge, and memories.

Although this body was in good health, it would also take some getting used to.

I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary right now, but I had a feeling trying to do things like martial arts would cause a disconnect. 

Alex Smith was taller than I was, after all, sitting at what seemed to be around 6 foot tall.

Considering I was only 5 foot 6 on a good day, it'd take quite a bit to adjust.

So the choice was obvious.

I tapped on <Mana Boost (Minor)> to claim it and then closed out of the menus.

Nothing.

I didn't feel any difference, despite my mana stat increasing from 10 to 11.

Still, small gains were still gains.

I considered dumping all my points into mana right now, but I decided to save them for a rainy day.

The notes in the log did say that I could increase things on my own, so it was better to do that first.

But now-

*ding*

A notification went off, causing my phone to vibrate. When it did, a pop-up menu appeared on my phone.

---

[Optional Quest: Introduce yourself to the cast]

Objective: One way or another, meet the main characters.

Time limit: Until Evening

Reward: +10 SP per Main Character met. Additional SP depending on the interaction.

[Optional Quest: Stand-out Extra]

Objective: Do something that will cause you to stand out among the crowd.

Time limit: Until Evening

Reward: +100 SP

[Optional Quest: Munchkin]

Objective: Reach the next rank as either a Mage or a Martial Artist.

Time limit: Until Evening

Reward: Rank-up Voucher

---

Huh. Convenient... And it looked like a Quest button got added to the menu now too- Ah.

> The Quest function has been unlocked.

> The Map application has been installed.

I went back to my home screen and saw that there was indeed a new map application installed.

So the question was... what to do next?

I opened my notes to confirm what I remembered.

On the first day, there wasn't anything eventful. Roland meets the female lead, Marisa Sagewind, and then bumps into the other potential female leads. He also spends the rest of the day taking advantage of the training facilities before going to sleep in his dorm room.

And scrolling through my notes some more...

Yeah. Classes started on a Monday. Today was a Sunday, basically freshman orientation. 

It was noon, and the students were let loose to mingle, explore, and have fun before cracking down to business the next day.

...Which meant that I was free to wander around as I wanted without worrying about a random encounter today.

Great!

I checked the quests again and then rubbed my chin.

In situations like these, it was better to minimize changes.

I knew that Roland would be able to handle the story if I left him alone, so it was better to minimize contact with the cast as well as minimize my presence to not disturb things.

The butterfly effect couldn't be avoided, but it could definitely be minimized.

In that case, the only real quest I could take was <Munchkin >-

Wait.

I carefully reread the details. 

...Couldn't I clear this right now?

It just required reaching the next rank. And for me, ranks worked by increasing my stats. 

I also happened to have just enough SP to pump up my mana to the next tier, with a bit left over.

In that case...

No, no. 

Haste makes waste.

First, I had to see if I could increase it on my own.

SP was a finite resource, so I needed to be choosey on where to spend it. 

I also had plenty of time until evening fell too.

So in that case...

'Grinding it is.'

It was important to become familiar with how it felt to actually use magic and stuff too, so I might as well use this time for that.

And the best place for that would be the training facility.

...Where Roland was going to hang out until evening.

Hm... Well, it should be fine.

I was just an extra without any talent, so that guy shouldn't pay attention to me, right?