Kaelen felt a cold shiver as Soren approached. The memory of the world's deletion was still fresh, like a phantom limb screaming in pain.
"Hey! You there!" Soren grinned, that same arrogant spark in his eyes. "You're a real person, aren't you? This game is insane!"
Kaelen forced a smile, masking the killing intent buried in his chest. "Yeah, I'm Kaelen. I've played this before. If you want to survive the first zone, follow me."
They spent the afternoon clearing the "Rat Infestation" in the Oakhaven cellar. It was a mindless Level 1 task, but Kaelen watched Soren closely. Soren wasn't just killing the rats; he was overkilling them, laughing as he hacked their digital remains into pixels long after their HP hit zero.
"I'm going to be a god in this world," Soren muttered, wiping green ichor from his blade. "I remember a guide saying there's a 'Sword Saint' nearby. Yooha, right? If I kill her now while she's a kid, I bet I get a massive hidden achievement."
Kaelen's blood ran cold. In the last timeline, Soren had murdered Yooha in her sleep, claiming she was "bugged" or "tried to kill him." Without her blade to hold back the demon tide three years later, the world had stood no chance.
"She's an essential NPC, Soren," Kaelen said, his voice steady. "If you kill her, the main questline might break."
"Good," Soren smirked. "I like breaking things."
As evening fell, Soren began trekking toward the small shrine on the outskirts of town where Yooha practiced her forms. Kaelen followed a few paces behind, his hand resting on the hilt of the rusted dagger.
Soren crouched in the tall grass, watching the silver-haired girl swing a wooden training sword. He drew his premium steel blade, the edge glowing with a faint, predatory light.
"Time to farm some unique XP," Soren whispered.
He leaned forward to spring, but he never got the chance.
Kaelen moved with the practiced silence of a man who had lived this day Before. He didn't hesitate. He didn't monologue. As Soren shifted his weight, Kaelen lunged from the shadows.
He wrapped one arm around Soren's forehead, pulling his head back to expose the line of his throat. With his other hand, Kaelen drove the rusted dagger deep. He felt the resistance of the flesh, the wet heat of the wound, and the desperate, gurgling gasp of a "Hero" who thought he was invincible.
Soren's eyes went wide, reflecting the moon and his own impending death. He tried to reach for his inventory, to use a command, but Kaelen twisted the blade, ensuring the HP bar hit zero instantly.
Soren's body began to pixelate, his digital soul shattering into a thousand blue shards that dissolved into the wind.
Kaelen stood alone in the grass, his chest heaving, his hands stained with the data-blood of the man he had once called a partner. The silence of the night was suddenly shattered by a sound like a tuning fork striking his brain.
A massive, golden window materialized in front of his face, pulsing with an aggressive light.
[CRITICAL ERROR: PROTAGONIST DECEASED]
[Scanning for suitable replacement...]
[Criteria Met: Knowledge of World (S+), Combat Experience (A), Narrative Impact (EX)]
[Emergency Synchronization Initiated.]
[Welcome, Kaelen. You are now the "Player" of Devas of Creation.]
[Current Objective: Survive the 'Slayer of Heroes' Penalty.]