The cold air bit at my bones as I stood before the dungeon gate, which loomed like the mouth of an ancient dragon. The smell of rusted iron mixed with old blood wafted out, making the Hunters around me swallow hard. I glanced at them an elite team of A-Rankers specifically chosen for this raid. They all stared at me like I was a god.
Yeah, that's me. Reginald Arvand, S-Rank Hunter.
Shit, their gazes are making me itch. If they only knew what I was really thinking right now, their respect would probably crumble instantly.
I yawned slightly, fighting a cynical smile.
Come on, hurry up… I have a date tonight. Not with a real woman, of course. But with my beloved heroine in Eternal Crown: Maiden's Symphony. Hey, don't judge, Angelene's route is waiting for me to finish it. Way more important than this cheap-ass dungeon raid.
One of the Hunters approached. "Mr. Arvand, we're ready to enter anytime. What are your orders?"
I raised an eyebrow. "My order is simple: don't die. I'll handle the rest."
They exchanged glances, then nodded seriously.
Swosh!
My black sword came out of my Inventory with a faint blue glow. Its official name: [Nightfang], an S-Rank artifact that can channel mana like electricity.
I stepped inside, and the dungeon's atmosphere instantly changed.
Drip… drip…
Water dripped from the stalactites above, the echoes giving it an eerie feel. Crystal lights on the walls shimmered faintly, illuminating the endless rough stone path.
"Diamond formation!" one of the Hunters called out.
I snorted. "Forget the formation. You'll just be dead weight if you come forward. Just wait behind me. I don't want anyone to die senselessly."
They fell silent, then reluctantly backed up a few steps.
Heh, this is better. Solo raids are much faster. Plus, I can get home earlier to play my otome game. Everyone gets a happy ending, right?
Rooaaar!
The sound shook the entire dungeon. From the darkness, a giant monster emerged. Its body was three stories tall, its skin covered in moss-green scales, and its eyes glowed red like embers.
[Dungeon Boss Detected: Basilisk King]
"Tch, a Basilisk again. How cliché." I raised my sword. "Alright, let's get this over with."
Boom!
The ground trembled as the monster stomped its foot. Rocks flew, the air vibrated, and the Hunters behind me screamed in fear.
I smirked.
Time to work, Reginald.
"Skill Activate: [Shadow Step]!"
Swosh!
My body shot forward, cutting through the darkness. In an instant, I was standing in front of the monster's face. Its red eyes widened, but it was too late.
"Take this! [Moon Fang Slash]!"
Shing!
My sword drew a curving line of light.
Gwooooooohhh!!!
The Basilisk King roared in pain, black blood spurting and soaking the ground.
Ugh, disgusting… but still less epic than the CG cutscene of a crying heroine on a bad ending route. This world's priorities are totally messed up.
The monster tried to retaliate with a swing of its massive tail.
Booooom!
The ground shattered, rocks flew, but I had already disappeared from its sight.
Swosh!
I reappeared on its back.
"Skill Activate: [Dark Nova Burst]!"
An explosion of black light burst forth, tearing through the monster's scales. The sound was deafening.
Kabooom!
The Basilisk's body shook violently, then fell with a resounding crash.
Doooom!
Dust filled the room. I stood tall on its crushed head, my sword still dripping black blood.
"Boss clear."
[System Notification: Dungeon Boss Eliminated. Rewards sent to Inventory.]
I let out a long breath.
Done? Hmm… still some time before 11 PM. That means I can go home, take a shower, and comfortably finish Angelene's route. Ha, life is perfect.
I glanced at the Hunters. Their faces were ashen, a mix of awe and terror.
One of them whispered, "Is he… human or demon…?"
I pretended not to hear him.
If they knew I was more enthusiastic about staring at a 2D heroine than this Basilisk's head, they'd probably pass out.
I activated a skill.
"Return Gate: [Portal Exit]."
A blue light opened, taking me out of the dungeon.
The night air greeted me as soon as I stepped out of the Portal. Lights in front of the Hunter Guild headquarters glittered, illuminating the waiting crowd. Several reporters were already setting up cameras, their voices buzzing like a night market.
"Mr. Arvand! What was it like conquering the Basilisk King in just one raid?!"
"Mr. Arvand! Please look at the camera for a moment!"
I snorted while putting my sword back into the Inventory.
How tacky. Do they think I'm some kind of actor or idol? Huh, I'd rather go home, take a shower, and stare at Angelene's gentle smile. That's far more satisfying than dealing with this crowd.
Swosh!
I walked quickly, ignoring their shouts. Guild staff quickly cleared a path.
As soon as I entered the lobby, the cool air conditioning hit me. Crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, reflecting the luxury of the Guild's central headquarters. Everyone turned as I passed, some even bowing spontaneously.
"Welcome back, Mr. Arvand."
A female Guild staff member stood before me. Her blonde hair was tied neatly, and her tight uniform emphasized her figure. Her smile was formal, but there was a clear hint of admiration in her gaze.
"Your mission report has been filed. Are you injured? Do you need a medical team?"
I raised my hand, gently refusing. "No need. The monster didn't even get a chance to touch me."
She nodded, her face glowing. "As expected of an S-Rank…"
Heh, if you were an otome game heroine, I'd probably press all the sweet options for you. But unfortunately, you're just an NPC in the real world. No CG ending, no sweet voice, and definitely no confession option. Next.
I passed her without saying much. I heard her sigh in disappointment.
My apartment was on the top floor of a skyscraper. From the outside, it looked elegant and expensive, but as soon as the door opened…
Click.
"Home sweet home."
The view that greeted me wasn't a minimalist living room, but a sea of merch. Otome heroine posters were plastered on every wall. Shelves were filled with limited edition figures, stacks of art books in the corner of the table, and a three-screen monitor was lit up with a wallpaper of Angelene, long white hair, clear blue eyes, smiling gently.
Hahh… this is heaven. Who needs a real wife when you have an angel like you, Angelene?
I threw off my jacket and immediately sat in my gaming chair. My hand instinctively turned on the PC, logging into the game Eternal Crown: Maiden's Symphony.
Ding!
The main screen lit up. Soft music played, and my favorite heroine appeared.
"Welcome back, Master."
I pressed the Load Save option.
Today I will finally finish Angelene's last route. After months of grinding, after carefully setting every dialogue choice, I will finally get the perfect CG ending. No raids, no monsters, just me and your smile.
My fingers danced on the keyboard. I quickly skipped through the dialogue choices; my brain had memorized the sequence.
Tak… tak… tak…
And then...
[System Notification: Quest Complete]
I blinked. Huh? That's a Hunter System notification, not a game notification.
Suddenly, the monitor screen changed. The word ERROR filled the screen.
[SYSTEM ERROR]
[CRITICAL MALFUNCTION DETECTED]
[REBOOT FAILED]
"Hey, hey, hey, don't joke around. This is cutscene ending time! Not the time for the Hunter System to butt in!"
I panicked, slamming the keys repeatedly.
Tak tak tak!
"My save data! Don't tell me it's gone! I sacrificed three months of my life for this, you bastard system!"
The screen became even more chaotic. Red text scrolled quickly: ERROR ERROR ERROR.
[Initiating Transfer Protocol…]
Transfer…? Transfer what?! Hey, I didn't order a package! I only ordered a romantic ending with a heroine, not an inter-world teleportation!
Bzzzt!
The sound of electricity hissed, and the apartment lights flickered. The entire room was filled with dazzling white light.
Wooooosh!
I closed my eyes, my body felt like it was being sucked into a vortex.
Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute! I was about to see Angelene say "I love you"! Don't skip the cutscene, you stupid system!
Shiiiiing!
The light got brighter, until everything vanished.
Ugh…
My head… it feels like I was hit by a truck. Don't tell me I actually got hit by Truck-kun, because that's too cliché even by isekai standards.
I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight streamed through the trees, birds chirped, and a gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of soil and leaves.
I paused for a few seconds.
"...This isn't my apartment."
I sat up, realizing my body was lying on wide green grass. All around, a dense forest stretched as far as the eye could see. No skyscrapers, no car horns. Just calm wilderness.
Oh, great. Just great. So the system actually kidnapped me. Hey readers, you see this? I was about to enjoy Angelene's cutscene, and suddenly… bam… instant isekai. No refund, no skip option. Who is this ridiculous screenwriter?
Ding!
A familiar sound echoed in my ears.
[System Notification: Welcome to New World]
[ERROR: Data Corrupted]
[ERROR: Some functions disabled]
A transparent blue screen appeared in front of my eyes.
"...Okay, so the Hunter System was brought over too. But why is the error still here? Can't it at least upgrade to a stable version, huh?"
I swiped the screen. My status appeared:
Name: Reginald Arvand
Class: Hunter (Rank-S)
Level: ??? (ERROR)
HP: 99999+ (Overflow)
MP: 99999+ (Overflow)
Skills: [Shadow Step], [Moon Fang Slash], [Dark Nova Burst], [???] (ERROR)
Inventory: Accessible
Quests: [Main Quest Initialized]
[Main Quest: Survive in this World]
I scratched my head. "Is this system serious? Survive in this World? That's the laziest quest I've ever read. Even otome games have more dedicated plot writing."
Wait. This world… I know the atmosphere. The forest, the scenery, and even the font style of this quest notification… This is exactly like the game Eternal Crown: Maiden's Symphony. Don't tell me I entered the game?
Swosh!
I summoned my sword from the Inventory. [Nightfang] appeared with a faint blue sheen.
The sword felt real in my hand, more real than a PC controller. I looked at the reflection of my face on the blade, slightly messy black hair, cold gray eyes. My body was exactly the same as in the original world.
"...I'm really here."
Rustle…
The bushes rustled. I immediately tensed up.
"Who's there?"
Growl…
A large wolf appeared. Its fur was dark gray, its eyes glowing red. Saliva dripped from its fangs.
[Monster Detected: Dire Wolf]
Ah, so this is the tutorial battle, huh? So cliché. A heroine will definitely appear to help me after this, right? Like in the game…
I smirked. "Alright, let's play our parts."
Swosh!
My body shot forward with [Shadow Step].
Shing!
The sword slashed, and blood splattered. The Dire Wolf groaned before falling dead.
Thud!
[EXP Gained]
[Level Up]
[ERROR: EXP Overflow]
"EXP Overflow? What the hell is this now? So even the leveling system is bugged? Hhh... seriously, if the game developers saw this, they'd be embarrassed."
I kicked the wolf's corpse.
Wait a minute. If this really is the world of Eternal Crown: Maiden's Symphony… then that means my favorite otome heroines are here. Heh… okay, my main mission is clear: steal them all. I don't care who the original protagonist is, I won't lose to some random dude with plot armor.
I let out a small laugh.
Yeah, listen up, new world. The name Reginald Arvand will be recorded as the man who stole all the heroines in this game. Even Angelene, even all the others. And if some handsome, fake-wise protagonist wannabe tries to get in the way… well, I have an S-Rank sword in my hand.
Rustle!
This time, the sound of human footsteps was heard. From behind the trees, a girl appeared. Long brown hair, gentle green eyes, wearing a simple, dust-covered dress. She was panting, her face full of fear.
"Please, help me…!"
Behind her, several bandits appeared, carrying rusty swords.
"Hey, hey, sweet lady. Don't run away. Just hand over your treasures and your body."
I stood still, my sword still in hand.
...Okay, this is seriously just like the game prologue script. A pretty female NPC is being chased by bandits, the MC has to save her, and the first heroine flag is triggered. Perfect. But remember, I'm the MC here now. Heh, let me start making my name known.
I stepped forward, the late afternoon sunlight silhouetting my back.
"Hey, trash. If you want to live, leave the girl alone."
The bandits turned around. "Huh?! Who are you, playing the hero?!"
I smiled coldly.
"The name is Reginald Arvand. S-Rank Hunter. And you guys… are my first training targets."
Swosh!
I raised my sword.