Chapter 14

The giant monster attacked Aliff wildly. Its sharp black claws sliced through the air, its spiked tail struck the ground, leaving large cracks, while its tooth-filled jaws snapped at the empty air, trying to tear Aliff apart. Relentless attacks came from various directions, creating a fierce wind every time the monster swung its hands.

Aliff, with a calm expression that bordered on boredom, dodged each attack with an unnatural grace. His body moved like water, flowing through the gaps in the monster's strikes as if he had predicted every move of his opponent.

"*This is too easy,*" Aliff thought as he performed a backflip, avoiding a claw swipe that had shattered the ground where he stood just a moment ago. "*If I wanted to, I could kill it right now. But that's not my role in this story.*"

"*Damn, the pain in my chest is getting worse...*"

Sweat began to trickle down his forehead, not from exhaustion, but from the pain that continued to spread from within his chest. The system kept warning him, but Aliff stubbornly ignored it.

The spectators gathered at a safe distance began to whisper in confusion. They hid behind the ruins of buildings, in narrow alleys, or behind parked vehicles, their eyes fixed on this unusual battle.

"Why isn't he fighting back?" asked a middle-aged man with a trembling voice.

"Is he scared?" chimed in a woman who held her child tightly.

"But his movements are too calm for someone who's afraid..." commented a young man recording the fight with his phone.

"He seems like... he's waiting for something," whispered an old woman, her eyes narrowed as she observed Aliff closely.

Aliff could hear all the whispers thanks to his sharp hearing. He smiled inwardly. "*They don't know that this is all just a play. I'm not the hero in this story, and I'm not really interested in being a hero even though my demeanor suggests otherwise.*"

Meanwhile, the monster grew increasingly frustrated. Each of its attacks only hit empty air, and its energy began to wane. Black beads of sweat dripped from its massive body, hitting the ground and making a hissing sound, as if the sweat was acid corroding the surface of the road.

"What are you?! " the monster roared in frustration, its red eyes gleaming with anger. Its breath was heavy, creating black steam that billowed from its large nostrils. "How long will you keep avoiding like a coward?!"

Aliff landed smoothly after jumping high to avoid the monster's tail attack. He glanced at the monster with a bored expression, as if facing an annoying bug.

"Don't talk so much," he said flatly. "I'm not interested in conversing with a weak monster like you." His tone was as cold as ice, as if discussing the weather on a sunny day.

"Oh really? Wasn't the weather supposed to rain earlier? Why hasn't it rained yet?" Aliff thought, indifferent to the monster attacking him.

Those words hit the monster harder than any physical blow. Its eyes widened, pupils shrinking to glowing red dots in the middle of its black sclera.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!!" The monster's roar shook the surrounding buildings. Some of the remaining intact windows shattered into pieces, the shards scattering like sharp rain. With rising anger, it increased its speed, creating afterimages as it attacked, as if multiple monsters were attacking Aliff simultaneously.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WEAK!" The monster unleashed all its strength, its strikes creating shockwaves that cracked the ground.

"Wow!..."

Yet Aliff remained calm, dodging with minimal precision—no excessive movements, every step and turn of his body perfectly calculated. He didn't even expend the energy that had previously enveloped him, as if facing this monster wasn't worth his effort.

"*How much longer do I have to play around with this creature?*" Aliff thought, his eyes glancing at his cracked wristwatch. "*Finally,*" Aliff smiled slightly, a sense of relief flooding over him. "*

"Hey, monster," he called out for the first time, taking the initiative to speak. "Aren't you getting bored? I'm starting to get bored with this cat-and-mouse game."

"YOU!" The monster swung its claw horizontally, the wind from its attack slicing through several nearby power poles. "STOP AVOIDING AND FIGHT ME SERIOUSLY!"

Aliff shrugged, a dismissive gesture that only further enraged the monster. "Why should I? I'm not the one who's going to end your life."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" The monster paused for a moment, confusion evident in its red eyes. "WHO WILL END MY LIFE IF NOT YOU?!"

Aliff didn't answer, only smiled mysteriously. He could sense Ren's presence drawing nearer, the aura of a strong protagonist filling the air, indicating that the hero would soon arrive.

Fifteen minutes that felt like an eternity finally passed. From a distance, Aliff saw Ren's sturdy figure running towards them, the unactivated fire sword tightly gripped in his hand.

"*Finally, this guy has arrived,*" Aliff glanced at Ren who had just arrived. "*Time for a dramatic exit.*"

"Alright, now it's time for me to go," Aliff activated his teleportation ability, gathering energy throughout his body.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" The monster prepared to attack again, but it was too late. Aliff vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving the monster alone in the middle of the battlefield.

"WHAT?! WHERE DID THAT HUMAN GO?!" The monster spun around in panic, searching for Aliff's figure that had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Its claws scraped the ground, its eyes wild as it searched in every direction, but there was no sign of Aliff.

What lay before it now was a young man with sharp eyes—Ren, the protagonist who was supposed to appear from the beginning. Ren stood tall, a gentle breeze tousling his jet-black hair. His bright blue eyes glared at the monster with deep hatred.

"Who are you—ARRRGHH!" The monster's question was cut off by a scream of pain as Ren, without warning, sliced off one of its arms with the now blazing fire sword. The monster's arm fell to the ground with a thud, black blood gushing from the wound.

The monster recoiled a few steps, shocked by Ren's unexpectedly swift attack. Its eyes widened, a mix of fear and anger.

"How could you—" the monster didn't finish its sentence as Ren leaped towards it again.

"I'll end this quickly," Ren said coldly, his voice low and filled with vengeance. In an instant, a sacred fire larger than before enveloped the monster's body.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?! HOT! HOT! HOT!" The monster writhed in pain as its body slowly turned to ash. It screamed, trying to extinguish the flames engulfing it, but it was futile. Ren's sacred fire could not be extinguished in a normal way.

"Creatures like you," Ren whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the monster's screams of agony, "do not deserve to live in this world."

The monster stared at Ren in disbelief, as if it could not fathom that its life would end so easily. It reached out its remaining hand towards Ren, whether to plead for mercy or to attack for the last time, but it was too late. Its body had turned to ash completely, and a gentle evening breeze carried the ashes away, erasing it from the face of the earth forever.

Ren stood still, gazing at the spot where the monster had burned with a cold expression. His face unreadable—a mix of satisfaction, anger, and... confusion.

"What just happened?" he muttered to himself. "Why do I feel like... I'm late?"

The sounds of the gathered crowd began to be heard. They applauded, cheering for Ren, the hero who had saved them from the monster.

But Ren did not listen. His eyes searched for the mysterious figure who, according to eyewitnesses, had battled the monster before he arrived.

"Who is he?" Ren whispered. "And why didn't he fight the monster?"

--- Flashback: A few hours earlier ---

"Ina," Ren called out after class ended. Ina was packing her books, her long black hair covering part of her face.

"Yes?" Ina looked up, her eyes meeting Ren's.

"Do you want to go to the café? It's been a while since we met," Ren scratched the back of his head, looking a bit nervous.

Ina nodded in agreement. "Sure." She closed her book and put it in her bag. "Which café?"

"Café Bulan," Ren replied. "It's a new café near the city park. It's a bit far from the academy, but I've heard the coffee and cake are good."

Ina smiled slightly. "Alright. I want to try that new café too."

They both left the classroom, walking side by side towards the bus stop. Light conversation flowed between them, discussing lessons.

No one knew that this simple decision—to go to a café far from the academy—had changed the course of the story. If they had chosen a closer café, Ren might have arrived just in time to fight the monster from the start, and Aliff wouldn't have needed to step in.

But fate had different plans.

[ System: Timeline has been permanently altered. Original plot cannot be recovered ]

On the way to the café, Ren and Ina were unaware that Ren's phone had died from running out of battery. They didn't know that the academy had been trying to contact Ren for help against the monster attacking the city.

Only when Ren was recharging his phone at the café did he see dozens of missed calls and urgent messages from the academy. His face turned pale instantly.

"Ina," he said, his voice tense, "there's a monster attack in the city center. I have to go."

Ina immediately stood up, her face pale too. "I'm coming with you."

"No," Ren shook his head firmly. "It's too dangerous. Stay here."

Before Ina could protest, Ren had already dashed out of the café, leaving money on the table to pay for their drinks and snacks. Ina watched Ren leave with an unsatisfied expression, but she did not obey his order to stay in the café. She felt like he still thought of her as weak.

°°°

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a building not far from the battleground, Aliff observed everything with a slight smile. He watched how Ren defeated the monster easily, how people cheered for Ren, and how Ren searched for his mysterious figure.

"*Sorry for messing up your plot,*" he thought, whether speaking to the system, the story's author, or perhaps fate itself. "*But I think this story needed a little... improvisation.*"

He stood up, gazing at the evening sky that was starting to turn orange. The pain in his chest still lingered, but he ignored it. He knew that his actions today had forever altered the course of the story, but he didn't regret it.

"*Mother,*" he thought, "*I have done what I believed was right. I hope you see me from afar.*"

With that, Aliff disappeared again, leaving the battleground without a trace. He didn't know that Ina had seen him from a distance.

"Aliff.... " She thought he seemed to be alright, whispering.

In the real world,

That evening, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. Aisyah, wearing her old but clean blue apron, was diligently stirring something in a pot. Her hair, beginning to turn gray, was neatly tied back, while her forehead occasionally furrowed in concentration.

Kazuki, who had just returned from somewhere, sniffed the air with curiosity. With light steps, he approached his wife in the kitchen.

"Hm... What are you cooking, Aisyah?" Kazuki asked, peeking over his wife's shoulder.

Aisyah smiled gently, "I'm making your favorite dish."

"Is that so?" Kazuki's eyes lit up with joy. "Wow,

"Suddenly, her husband felt something was off with his wife.

"What's wrong, Aisyah? You seem to have something on your mind," Kazuki pulled out a chair and sat near the stove.

Aisyah sighed deeply. "Kazuki... do you think he will be alright?"

"Ah..." Kazuki understood the direction of the conversation. "Are you still worried about him?"

"Of course," Aisyah momentarily stopped her cooking activity. Her eyes began to well with tears. "Even though he's our biological child, I still feel worried...."

Kazuki stood up and gently patted his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry too much. He will be fine because he is my son, hehehe..." he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, you..." Aisyah lightly punched her husband's arm, but a small smile began to spread across her lips.

"Besides, he's grown up and he's smart enough to take care of himself. Haven't we raised him well?"

"Yeah..." Aisyah resumed stirring her dish. "But still..."

"Ssst," Kazuki gently interrupted. "Just believe in him."

Aisyah nodded slowly. "Alright, I will trust you. Thank you, my dear husband," she said with a brighter smile. "You always know how to calm my heart."

"That's my job," Kazuki chuckled. "By the way... Is the food ready soon? My stomach is already growling."

"Such a child!" Aisyah laughed softly.