The first thing Elias Vane noticed upon waking up was the distinct smell of freshly turned earth and anxiety. The second thing was the giant, glowing blue notification hovering directly in front of his face.
[Multiverse Main Character System v1.1 Activated] Initializing Core Function...Welcome, Host: Elias Vane Current Tier: F (Couch Potato) Current World: #47-B (High-Speed Ninja Realm)
Elias blinked. "Nope. Don't like that at all."
He was lying flat on his back in a dense, mossy forest. Above him, the afternoon sun dappled through leaves that looked suspiciously like the generic trees drawn in every combat-focused anime background.
"Listen, System, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I was in the middle of a truly excellent bowl of instant ramen," Elias muttered, sitting up. "If this is some kind of elaborate virtual reality game, I want my refund."
Host Query: Refund Status. Status: Refund Unavailable. You have been designated the new Main Character of the Multiverse.Designation is final. Plot Armor has been applied.Current Power: Plot Armor (A-Tier) - Prevents narrative failure and ensures survival until the final confrontation. (Warning: May not prevent minor inconveniences, humiliation, or paper cuts.)
Elias stared at the A-Tier status. "Okay, wait. A-Tier Plot Armor? That's actually pretty high. Usually, you start with D- or E-Tier, giving you just enough luck to trip and fall into the hidden training ground." He sighed, running a hand through his slightly unkempt hair. "Fine. If I have to be the MC, I'm at least going to critique the narrative."
Just then, a frantic, high-pitched scream sliced through the forest quiet, followed by the sound of rapid footfalls.
"Oh, here we go. The opening scene conflict. Always a damsel or a desperate runaway." Elias hopped behind a large, suspiciously convenient boulder. "System, log that as Trope 1: The Inciting Incident Chase Scene. Predict the outcome."
Prediction: A young, inexperienced ally is being pursued by a minor antagonist (Mid-Tier Goon). Host intervention is mandatory for Relationship Development (Friendship/Rivalry Arc).
The fleeing person burst into the small clearing—a teenage boy with spiky, unruly green hair and large, anxious eyes. He was clutching a scroll tightly, breathing like he'd just run a marathon fueled by pure adrenaline.
Right behind him, moving with the practiced swiftness of a seasoned killer, was a figure in dark, bulky armor. The antagonist's face was covered by a metallic mask, but the malice radiating off him was palpable.
"You won't escape, Leafling!" the armored man roared, pulling out two razor-sharp, hooked blades.
The teenage boy, clearly terrified, skidded to a stop, his hands blurring into a rapid sequence of complex gestures.
"Kage Bunshin no J...!" the boy shouted, attempting a famous duplication seal.
Elias recognized the scene instantly. This was the critical moment—the tense, split-second chance for the hero to execute a technique before being interrupted. It was peak Trope 2: The Clutch, Last-Minute Technique.
"Alright, System, watch how the pro does it," Elias murmured, stepping out from behind the boulder, hands shoved casually into the pockets of his decidedly non-ninja-like cargo shorts.
The ninja antagonist, mid-lunge, stopped dead. The boy, mid-seal, froze, fingers locked in the 'Ram' position. Both combatants gaped at the sudden appearance of the strange man.
Elias walked into the center of the clearing, pulling a brightly colored, moderately deflated rubber ball from his pocket. It was the kind you'd win at a carnival.
"Hey," Elias said simply, tossing the ball underhand toward the armored ninja. "Here. Catch."
The ball bounced lightly off the ninja's breastplate and rolled harmlessly on the ground.
The armored antagonist slowly lowered his blades. His masked face was tilted in utter bewilderment. "What… what is this pathetic distraction?"
"It's not a distraction, my man, it's a plot counter-attack," Elias explained with a helpful smile. "Look, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to break the seal, interrupt the technique, and then get the dramatic monologue about how skill beats hope."
Elias stepped closer, speaking conspiratorially. "But you're doing it all wrong. Stopping a high-level seal with a counter-attack is messy, difficult, and prone to bad CGI in the animated adaptation. What you need is a moment of pure, narrative-breaking confusion."
He gestured to the ball on the ground. "Think about it. You're a cold-blooded killer. Your entire life is focused on the kill. Now, someone throws a brightly colored toy at you. It forces you to ask: Why? Is this a bomb? Is it a paralysis genjutsu disguised as leisure equipment? The mental load breaks your focus way better than a sword block."
The antagonist stood there, genuinely paralyzed by philosophical doubt.
The spiky-haired boy, still frozen in the Ram seal, whispered, "Who… who are you? And why are you critiquing the pacing?"
Elias turned to the boy. "And you! Kid, you never use a high-cost, high-risk technique in a desperate situation when you haven't mastered it! That is Trope 3: The Ill-Fated Desperation Seal. The only reason the technique works is if you have a hidden bloodline awakening or an internal demon spirit. Do you have either?"
The boy looked down guiltily. "No… I'm just really good at failing."
"Exactly! Stop wasting your chakra! You just broke the suspension of disbelief for the entire climax!" Elias scolded.
The armored ninja finally snapped, his confusion turning to blinding rage. "I don't know what nonsense you are spouting, but I will silence you first, civilian!" He lunged, his hooked blades carving twin arcs towards Elias's neck.
Elias didn't even flinch. He just sighed, tapping the floating, glowing System notification.
Plot Armor (A-Tier) Triggering: Narrative Convenience
Just as the blades were a hair's breadth from contact, a massive giant hawk, previously obscured by the canopy, plummeted from the sky with a fierce cry. It snagged the metallic mask of the antagonist with its talons—not his body, just the mask—and soared away.
The ninja, momentarily blinded and disoriented, stumbled backward, falling directly into a pre-existing, suspiciously deep mud pit hidden under a patch of ferns, dropping his blades in the process. He let out a muffled scream of disgust and frustration.
Elias waved dismissively at the struggling figure. "See? Trope 4: The Environmental Save. Usually, it's a loose branch or a conveniently placed boulder, but a giant, angry bird of prey stealing your headgear? That's gold. Pure, narrative-driven gold."
The ninja struggled, roaring, "My mask! It's custom made! You will pay for my dry cleaning, civilian!"
Elias smirked. "Yeah, yeah, save it for the sequel, pal. Your character arc is done for the day."
He turned to the spiky-haired boy, who had finally lowered his hands, jaw slack.
"My name is Elias Vane. I am the Main Character, and I just used a rubber ball to disrupt a crucial seal and a giant bird to deploy the Environmental Save trope," Elias announced, dusting off his shorts. "You, my friend, are now my mandatory first ally. What's your name?"
The boy stammered, still staring at the hawk-snatched mask. "I'm… I'm Kenji. Kenji of the Fallen Leaf Village. I was running because I stole the village's forbidden Scroll of… The Thousand Paper Cranes of Moderate Good Fortune."
Elias's eyebrow shot up. "Wait, not the Scroll of Shadow Clones? Or the one with the forbidden resurrection jutsu?"
"No. Just paper cranes. They give moderate good fortune," Kenji repeated sadly.
Elias groaned, running a hand down his face. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Okay, System, revise that prediction. This isn't a Rivalry Arc; this is a Mandatory Comic Relief/Moral Support Arc."
System Update: Revised Prediction. Ally: Kenji. Role: Moral Support/Source of Unnecessary Exposition. Narrative Utility: High.
"Alright, Kenji, get your moderately fortunate scroll. We have to get out of here before his friends show up, because nothing annoys an MC more than Trope 5: The Miniboss Squad Revenge."
As they hurried out of the clearing, leaving the masked ninja spluttering in the mud, a new, massive blue notification flashed, vibrating slightly with pride.
MISSION COMPLETE: 1st Inciting Incident Cleared Reward: 100 System Points, [Skill Unlock: Minor Narrative Foresight]Status Update: Current Tier: F (Couch Potato) -> E (Self-Aware Protagonist)
Elias grinned, actually feeling a tiny surge of energy—a distinct feeling of rightness that came with the System's acknowledgement.
"Narrative Foresight, huh? That's actually useful. Now I can predict the inevitable sudden betrayal of the suspiciously kind NPC at the next town," he muttered, adjusting the system display to be less intrusive.
He looked at Kenji, who was jogging beside him, clutching his Scroll of Moderate Good Fortune like it was the key to universal peace.
"So, Kenji," Elias began, "tell me everything you know about this world's equivalent of 'training montages' and 'fated encounters.' I need to hit my required power-up beats before the first major antagonist shows up, and frankly, I'm already behind schedule."
Kenji blinked, utterly confused, but also completely captivated by the chaotic energy of the man who defeated a ninja with a rubber ball and a bird. "Uh... we usually train near the river with the big waterfall, sir. It's really loud and great for yelling motivational slogans."
Elias nodded approvingly. "Perfect. Classic Training Location Trope. Let's go. We have a world to save, or at least, a plot to successfully complete."