Episode 2. The Silent Canyon (1)

‘'Before using the EP, let's first see where the name 'Rai' appears. Information is power, after all.’

I closed my eyes and searched for sentences where Rai appeared. If Rai was indeed a student at Erestia, he would have been mentioned at least once in the novel.

‘...Hmm?’

A particularly bothersome paragraph came to mind. However, the name 'Rai' was not explicitly mentioned.

'Could it be...?'

Feeling a rising sense of unease, I quickly opened the front window and asked the coachman.

"Excuse me! Where are we right now?"

"Hmm...?"

The coachman turned to look at me, glanced around, and nodded.

"Ah, the trees of the forest obscure the surroundings, so it's hard to tell. We're currently passing through the Silent Canyon. Once we descend from here and cross another plain, we'll reach the capital."

The coachman turned back to face forward and tightened the reins. At that moment, a cold shiver ran through my entire body.

『By the time I arrived at the Silent Canyon, everything was already over. The carriage was shattered into pieces. The ground was scorched. The acrid smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. And the bodies of two men lay sprawled out. Three men stood before the horrific scene. The one with brown hair was Brever, the chubby one was Bell, and the sly-looking one was Mud. I was deceived by Brever's lies 'before,' but this time, it will be different.』

This is part of the opening paragraph of the first episode of "The Continent of Therame." Of course, the name 'Rai' is not specified among them. So, is it just a coincidence that I'm passing through the Silent Canyon in a carriage right now? No, even though the name 'Rai' wasn't mentioned, the expression referring to me was already present in this paragraph.

'The bodies of two men.'

The sunset light seeped through the window beside me. As the trees that obscured the view disappeared, the majestic canyon unfolded before me. Instinctively, I reached out through the front window and grabbed the coachman's shoulder.

"Mister, stop!"

"Huh, huh? Wh-why all of a sudden?"

"I'll explain later! Hurry!"

"Ah, no, but you should at least explain..."

It was a reasonable reaction, but as a reader, it was just frustrating for me. I shouted as if I was vomiting words.

"Hurry!!!"

"Ah, got it─!"

But by the time the coachman pulled the reins, it was already too late.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted from the front. The force surged from the ground, lifting the horses and the carriage, and my vision flipped chaotically.

Crash!

The carriage, caught in the explosion, rolled over twice before coming to a stop. If it were my body before the possession, it wouldn't have been strange to have a fracture somewhere, but now it only left me with aches all over.

'...At least I avoided the worst.'

I groggily got up from the tilted carriage. If it had followed the original flow, I would have died from the explosion just now, but fortunately, stopping the carriage in advance had meaning.

Crack!

I tucked my phone into my chest and forcefully pushed open the door above my head. I pulled out a sword from the scabbard that had fallen at my feet and stepped outside.

'I've never wielded a sword before, but I should at least hold it.'

The situation is not over with this. Those guys will attack to kill me.

Thud─

I landed on the ground and looked around. Two horses were whimpering, and the coachman seemed unconscious. Upon checking the coachman's condition, it seemed he wasn't dead, fortunately.

"Geez, you should have died from that just now. It would have been easier for both of us. But you've got a good sense, I'll give you that."

A male voice came from the opposite side of the canyon. Just in time, you arrived. I swallowed my tension and stood up.

"Who are you?"

"Wow, our Rai. Did you forget my voice already after graduating from the academy?"

A sturdy man emerged from the forest, dragging a sword. Brown hair and a youthful face. Considering his appearance and the situation, only one name came to mind.

"Brever..."

Naturally, someone's mention replayed in my mind.

『Brever Aldirit. The second son of Baron Aldirit, and an academy graduate like the man who became a corpse over there. He was bullied in front of people during the Erestia entrance exam, and eventually, he died because of Brever's greed. He probably couldn't resist at the academy due to the status difference. But it's a story that doesn't concern me now.』

"What, you're not as surprised as I thought?"

Brever tilted his head.

"Did you know it was my doing?"

"Who knows."

I feigned a smile. I knew well enough. I just didn't know that the name of the person you killed in the original was 'Rai.'

"Pfft... Hahaha!"

He laughed leisurely, exuding arrogance as if he was orchestrating this entire situation.

"You've changed a bit? You couldn't even look me in the eye before, but now that you're an adult, have you changed a bit?"

"Why don't you change a bit?"

I met Brever's sharp gaze. There was no trace of noble dignity in him. He seemed more suited to be a back-alley thug. Of course, that appearance was exactly as I had imagined while reading the novel.

"But this bastard..."

I ignored him and glanced at the two men standing on either side of him. The chubby one was Bell, and the sly-looking one was Mud. They were clearly Brever's lackeys.

"So? What's your reason for doing this to me? If this is a joke, you've crossed the line."

Of course, I knew the reason, but I had to make sure if there were any differences from the original.

"Hmm, really strange..."

It must be strange. Rai, who couldn't even speak properly in front of him, was now confidently holding his head high.

"Well, does it matter?"

Brever shrugged his shoulders.

"You got accepted into Erestia Imperial University, right? I'm the first on the waiting list there. So, why don't you give up your spot? The school is prestigious, so I doubt a spot will open up."

His motive for the attack was as I knew it. To secretly kill Rai, the accepted student, to secure a spot at the 'Erestia Imperial University,' which guarantees a bright future upon graduation.

"What if I refuse?"

"Then you die here."

Brever tapped the ground with his sword. This place is the Silent Canyon, southeast of the capital. The carriage path is roughly laid out, but it's a place with very few people, making it suitable for such an act.

"You're going to kill me? If a student about to enter Erestia suddenly dies, the school won't stay silent."

Erestia Imperial University is 'Imperial.' So, if someone tries to harm a student about to enter there, it would be considered an attack on the empire, and the school wouldn't let it slide. Moreover, if it's revealed to be a planned crime by someone aiming for Erestia admission, not only the person but also the family's continuation would be at stake.

"Ah, I'm well aware of that. But as long as there are no witnesses, it's fine, right? Besides, no one will look for an orphan like you."

So, Rai was an orphan like me. Thanks for kindly letting me know. Anyway, according to the original, he wouldn't have hired mercenaries. There wouldn't be any foolish mercenaries willing to take on such a task, and even requesting it from a guild would leave traces.

"So, what's your answer?"

Backing down here is also an option. There's no need to deal with him unnecessarily.

'But...'

I must enter Erestia Imperial University, the main stage of the story. It's where the story I know unfolds, allowing me to prepare in advance for the impending disaster. This way, the chances of me, an extra, surviving in this world will increase.

"I refuse."

So, to avoid dying, I must throw myself into the torrent of this story.

"There's no reason for me to back down against just you guys."

I raised the sword with both hands. From the moment Brever became the first on the waiting list, it was certain he was weaker than Rai, the accepted student. Although they are three and I have never wielded a sword, there is definitely a way to defeat them. I didn't fall into this world empty-handed.

"You keep crawling endlessly because I listened quietly."

Brever narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"You think you're something just because you, a commoner, got accepted there? But you're nothing, just like before. You're still my dog."

Brever approached, dragging his sword. The two men beside him seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

"So, know your place and die quietly."

Brever leaped, kicking off the ground. In an instant, he was right in front of me, swinging his sword down hard.

Thunk!

And at that moment, I turned around and dashed into the forest. Brever's sword naturally sliced through the air.

"What, what the hell?"

A bewildered voice came from behind. But I didn't stop running.

"What are you doing?! Chase him!"

As Brever regained his composure and shouted, they began to chase after me. Once I entered the forest, I took out my phone from my chest.

[Settings Camera] / [Settings Album]

The settings I'm about to change will surely turn this situation around.

*

"Damn, he's fast!"

Every time I ran between the trees, the distance between us increased. Indeed, Rai's physical abilities were superior to theirs.

'If it were just one, I might manage somehow, but in my current state, the risk is too high.'

So, it's wise to fight when I'm sure I can defeat them.

'But there's one more way to survive here besides killing them myself.'

That's to hold out until 'she' arrives here. Knowing Brever's crime plan, she will mercilessly kill them.

'But...'

I can't predict how she will treat me. In the original, she, Ellora, already knew about the carriage accident here due to her regression, so she came to preemptively deal with Brever, who would become a formidable villain. But if Rai, who was supposed to die, is alive, I can't predict what unexpected actions a flustered Ellora might take.

'She might kill me to eliminate variables...'

So, I must resolve this situation myself first and draw out the result I want.

"Where the hell did this bastard go?!"

I leaned against a massive tree. It was at the edge of the forest, with a cliff and the distant sunset visible 50 meters ahead.

'They'll probably search the forest. They wouldn't think I fled near the cliff.'

But it's only a matter of time before they find me. I quickly opened the [Settings Album] on my phone.

[Rai (Kang Jun-ho)]

The album contained the settings I had changed for 'Rai (Kang Jun-ho).' I currently have 949 EP. With this amount of EP, I can assign settings to overcome this situation.

'Should I use all the remaining EP to enhance my physical abilities?'

That would certainly help overcome this situation. But I don't want to use EP so simply. I wanted to find a more efficient way.

'But just 30 seconds. If it goes beyond that, I'll have to use the method I initially thought of.'

I can't hand over my life while pursuing efficiency. Think. Think. How can I achieve the best efficiency? How can I lead this to a development that satisfies me?

'The only weapon I have is that I remember every sentence of this novel.'

Then what can I gain from that advantage? At the same time, what can I do best with it?

'Wait, I remember the entire story...?'

Something struck me, and I quickly typed.

● Special

......

Second Creation: When 'Kang Jun-ho' intervenes in an episode he has already read, all of 'Rai's' stats increase by 1.5 times.

This doesn't permanently enhance physical abilities. It only activates when intervening in an episode I've read. So, that condition will act as plausibility.

[Total 'EP' required for changing 'Rai (Kang Jun-ho)' settings: 213.]

[Do you want to save the changes to 'Rai (Kang Jun-ho)' settings? Yes/No]

Done! Even after changing the settings, I have over 700 EP left. This meets the efficiency I desire. I chose 'Yes' without hesitation.

[The changed settings for 'Rai (Kang Jun-ho)' are saved in the 'Settings Album.']

Then a blue light enveloped my body. It meant the settings were successfully changed.

[Starting the 'Second Creation' of the story.]

A blue window appeared on my retina. My entire body's senses awakened as if I had downed a shot of coffee, and I could fully feel the subtle movements of my muscles. Is this the effect of 'Second Creation'? I gently applied strength to the hand holding the sword. Although the sword's grip was unfamiliar, it felt strangely familiar now.

'Is this also the effect of Second Creation? But it didn't feel awkward even before...'

Perhaps it's the sensation engraved in Rai's body. As I possessed this body, I naturally became accustomed to the sword. But the reason is still uncertain. I'll probably find out in due time.

"There you are!!"

Brever suddenly appeared beside me. The blade filled with murderous intent aimed at me. Previously, I would have chosen to run, but now the situation was completely different.

'Slow.'

I instinctively felt it. I gripped the sword tightly and swung it with all my might.

Clang!

With a cheerful friction sound, Brever's attack was deflected. The recoil pushed Brever back a few steps toward the cliff.

"What, what the hell?"

It must be bewildering. My strength is not at the level you expected.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to attack?"

I smiled slightly and pointed the tip of my sword at him. Now I was confident. Confident that I could defeat them alone.