The letters fade into the void, and a mysterious energy settles in my chest. For a second, it feels like my heart might burst, and then everything softens, a warm relief spreading through me, like I'm floating on a cloud.
[Success]
[Your party shall be called "Rewrite." You must now find at least five more members to complete the binding process to the new plotline.]
[You have received two new quests:]
[Register your party officially at the Adventurer's Guild. {Reward: +5 to all stats for each party member.}]
[Find five more party members within one week. {Reward: +2 to all stats for each new party member.}]
[Your readers have received a new quest:]
[Quill must create abilities for his scythe as his main weapon—two strong starting abilities needed. The two most liked abilities in the comments will become his signature moves. {Reward: Five extra chapters at the end of the voting period.}]
A quest not just for me, but for the readers too? Has that ever happened before? This could actually be fun. I bet everyone reading right now is scrambling for ideas. Just, please, keep it cool, okay? I don't want to be the guy swinging a scythe that shoots chickens like some kind of poultry archer. Give me something epic to work with!
And I guess… it's finally time to leave this tiny village behind. Feels a little scary, but mostly, I can't wait to get out there, see the world, and prove I'm more than just a quill and a feather. I want to fight! I want adventure!
I get so caught up in my thoughts that I don't even notice when time starts moving again. Roxy is giving me this odd look, and then she bursts out laughing, snapping me back to reality.
"I didn't know you were so happy to have me on your team, Quill. Pfft." Only then do I realize I'm literally grinning from ear to ear, arms thrown up in a victory pose like an idiot.
"I—uh…" I'm totally lost for words. Damn you, system! Screwing me over like this… Just wait. One day I'll get my revenge. I bite back the urge to groan, already knowing this is something Roxy will never let me live down.
"I'm so happy too!" she exclaims, grabbing my hand and yanking me toward the door—axe still in tow, obviously. "Powder! Guess what? Quill accepted me into the party after all!"
My eyes widen at the scene waiting outside. Powder is chilling on a chair, leaning back on two legs with his feet up on the table, gnawing on a piece of bread and admiring the sword I made him like it's a legendary artifact.
Our eyes meet, and I give him a hard stare, silently promising he'll have to explain himself… or else.
"What?" he blurts, then loses his balance, sending his chair crashing to the floor with a loud smack. Let's call it fate's little payback. Maybe the world hasn't completely abandoned me yet.
But this sneaky bastard… He's been hanging out here the whole time, acting like he was about to rush in and save me. Wait a second... Does that mean Roxy never actually planned to kill me? Just scare the crap out of me? These two… %#@$!
"What's going on here?" Is that why he gave me those eyes when he saw me naked with unconscious Roxy? Did they set up some prank, only for Powder to walk in and think I was… what, enjoying myself while he was busy acting out his hero routine?
…
And Roxy... Why the hell did she undress me, anyway? I think I'll just let that particular mystery go unsolved. Honestly, I probably don't want to know the answer.
"Quill! I can explain—" Powder shoots up from the floor as if it's on fire, scrambling over so fast his hair's a blur. He launches into apologies, babbling that Roxy asked him to pretend he was about to storm in and save me, maybe even fight her, but he never thought she'd actually pass out for real. He didn't know what else to do. He just wanted to bring back that childhood bond we all had. But this whole plan? Are they idiots? Who comes up with this stuff? Monkeys would have a better sense of timing…
Whatever. I accept both their apologies. When they're not looking, I pull out my quill and hit Powder with a little karma—let's just say he'll be a eunuch for a month. No more running off to "help" the local ladies and accidentally sleeping with half the village. For a shy guy, he's a bigger Casanova than he lets on.
And Roxy… oh, Roxy. She loves that face of hers; it's always spotless, even after a fight. So I give her a little payback—just a week of pimples. Let her suffer a bit.
What? Don't look at me like that. You'd do the same if you were me. It's all harmless, nothing permanent.
We end up sitting together, talking and laughing about the old days. Roxy tells us how she built this tiny house herself with nothing but her axe and raw determination, which honestly makes me realize she's probably the most talented of us all. Powder still won't meet my eyes, but honestly, that's what I get for pushing him off a cliff a few days ago. I guess it was only a matter of time before he found a way to get back at me.
As the night winds down, I stretch and announce, "Tomorrow morning, we head to the Adventurer's Guild in the next town and register our party."
I shuffle over to my corner, ready to pass out, but Powder and Roxy just stare at me like I've grown another head.
"You're serious? We're really joining your party?" they blurt out together, making me wonder if they're gullible or just hopeless.
"Of course. How could I leave my friends here and go out to see the world on my own? Go get some sleep—we head out at sunrise." I smirk, settling in. Tomorrow is the real beginning, and this weird quill of mine might be the best thing that's ever happened to me.