********
A faint scoff escaped him.
'And now… I'm never cast as one.'
His eyes narrowed slightly.
'Does this have something to do with you, Silver…?'
« Answering the esteemed host, the reason for Silver's emergency deportation of your soul from that worldline is due to the system detecting a sudden destruction of the world's structural plan… »
He snapped out of his thoughts the moment Silver finally appeared before him.
Materializing—
In its usual chosen form.
A small, fluffy white rabbit.
Soft.
Harmless-looking.
The form itself was not random.
It was chosen because of his own preference—something influenced by a novel he had once read during one of his past worldline experiences.
He frowned deeply upon hearing the explanation.
"How the hell did that even happen?! A sudden destruction?"
His tone grew sharper.
"Was it because of the male protagonist… the one who's also a dimensional traveler?"
The thought had already settled in his mind.
And the more he considered it—
The more unsettling it became.
'Just who the hell is that guy…?'
'How did he even manage to take over the protagonist role?'
Because that—
Should have been impossible.
Among all the roles within a worldline, the protagonist was a special case.
An exception.
Untouchable.
No dimensional traveler was supposed to take over it.
That was one of the unspoken rules.
And yet—
That rule…
Had been broken.
A contradiction.
An error within the system.
An anomaly.
A faint sense of unease began to settle within him.
Subtle.
Yet persistent.
Even in his long-forgotten original world, there was one thing that never faded from him—
His instincts.
For a moment, Silver remained silent.
Unresponsive.
And that silence…
Only made things worse.
Because he knew one thing—
Whenever Silver hesitated to answer…
It meant something was seriously wrong.
"An anomaly."
He exhaled slowly.
"What should we do for now, Silver?"
« Answering the esteemed host, this is indeed an anomaly. The system also confirms something regarding the male protagonist from the last worldline. The one who took over the body of Xiao Zixin… possesses a similar aura to those encountered in other worldlines the esteemed host has previously entered… »
'Similar aura…'
At the reminder of that particular detail—something that was both familiar and deeply unsettling—a chill ran down his spine. It felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured directly over his head the moment Silver dropped that revelation.
Because he understood.
He knew exactly what his system companion was referring to.
"Y-you mean…"
His voice faltered.
The words refused to come out.
His chest tightened, constricting painfully as if something invisible was squeezing the air out of his lungs. For a moment, he struggled to breathe, his thoughts scattering into fragments.
Silver immediately detected the shift.
« Esteemed host, please calm down! Your heartbeat is rapidly accelerating. If this continues, there is a high risk of entering a state of mental shock again! Esteemed host! ECLIPSE! …. »
The name echoed more strongly.
Firm.
Grounding.
Eclipse.
That name—one he chose for himself—served as an anchor. It was meant to sever the lingering ties to his previous life, a past he deemed weak, pathetic, and not worth remembering.
It was a name he used to move forward.
Not backward.
Gradually, with Silver's assistance, his breathing stabilized. The erratic thudding in his chest slowly returned to a steady rhythm.
Eclipse exhaled deeply, his hand instinctively clutching at his chest as though ensuring that it was still there—that everything was still within control.
"I-if that similar aura… the one we've encountered in multiple worldlines…"
His voice softened, tinged with unease.
"…why does it feel like it keeps following me?"
Even as he voiced the question, the answer remained unclear.
He could understand if the intentions behind that unknown dimensional traveler were hostile.
If that entity sought to eliminate him.
After all, Eclipse was not just any ordinary dimensional traveler.
Aside from holding the prestigious Platinum rank, placing him among the highest-tier operatives within the Main House System—
He was also one of the selected candidates.
A successor.
Someone deemed worthy of possibly inheriting the Main House System itself.
To become—
A God.
A ruler over the countless intersecting worldlines.
'Even then…'
A faint bitterness crept into his thoughts.
'It's not my fault I was chosen.'
There was no arrogance in the thought.
Only quiet acceptance.
Yet, in spite of that, the peculiar presence tied to that "aura" never directly threatened his life.
On the contrary—
There were instances.
Rare.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
Moments where he had been saved from dangers he hadn't even detected.
Situations that slipped past even Silver's awareness.
And each time—
That same presence lingered.
Watching.
Intervening.
Disappearing.
As if it was always just out of reach.
And that wasn't the only troubling detail.
The unknown dimensional traveler…
Seemed to know about his condition.
A fact that should have been impossible.
Eclipse's soul was, and had always been, undergoing a continuous restoration process. A fragile, ongoing state that only a select few were aware of.
Aside from Silver—
The only individuals with knowledge of this condition were the Higher Councils of the Dimensional Department.
And that information…
Was strictly confidential.
'Unless…'
His expression darkened slightly.
'Unless there's a traitor within the ranks.'
A dangerous thought.
But one he could not ignore.
'…But who?'
The answer remained elusive.
With a quiet sigh, Eclipse ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"So… what now?"
His voice carried a mix of exhaustion and impatience.
This situation—
Was beyond ordinary anomalies.
« Silver has already submitted a detailed report to the Higher Councils immediately after your forced ejection from the previous worldline. The report includes all recorded abnormalities, as well as references from your previous encounters across other worldlines for comparative analysis. »
Silver's tone remained steady.
Calm.
Efficient.
« For now, the esteemed host is advised to wait for further instructions from the Higher Councils regarding this case… »
Eclipse gave a slight nod, silently acknowledging that decision.
It was the correct course of action.
Even if it had been made without his direct command.
Situations like this—
Required immediate escalation.
Time passed.
Slowly.
With every second stretching longer than the last.
Eclipse remained standing before the monitors, arms still crossed, his gaze fixed yet unfocused as his mind wandered.
Waiting.
Anticipating.
And unconsciously—
His anxiety began to surface.
Fluctuating.
Unstable.
Silver detected it instantly.
« Esteemed host, please calm yourself. Your mental wavelength is becoming erratic again. If this continues, you may enter another state of mental shock… »
***********