Emergency detour [1]

Chapter 7

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Episode 3 - Emergency detour [1]

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Clarisse Ravenswood.

The second main character of 'The Hero in a Ruined World', who appears in the second scenario of the story.

She was one of my most different characters compared to the other protagonists.

I made an exception with Clarisse.

A solitary woman, mistreated by everyone since she was born.

The misfortune of her family.

A character that the world itself seemed to hate.

A life full of loneliness, but who, somehow, always found a way to be happy with the little she had.

No matter if she was alone all the years of her life, she never thought about hating others.

Because she blamed herself.

Because she thought everyone was telling the truth.

That she should never have grown up.

Once she wondered:

Why did everyone hate her? What had she done to deserve that hatred?

And it was at that very moment that the system appeared before her, and without hesitation, she accepted.

The "chosen ones" are people who live in misfortune, with painful pasts or simply unpleasant lives to live.

However, Clarisse is simply happy in her own way, yet she was still chosen.

Readers wondered why she was chosen, and I answered:

"Because she needs just one thing."

The readers pressed with their questions, and so I gave them the answer:

"Clarisse needs true love, someone by her side, and the smile of someone else."

Among the readers, Clarisse was known as the lovesick madwoman for Seth.

Unfortunately, it's true that she's mad… because of everything she's lived through her entire life.

Clarisse fell in love with Seth after clearing the detour of the temple ruins.

In situations like this, when I have to change the story, I also have to change the characters' relationships.

Clarisse's love for Seth shouldn't exist.

***

The next day.

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a dark gray sky, completely devoid of blue.

I stretched out my hand and tried to tear the sky.

However…

"It's useless."

I clenched my fist, and my smile faded.

"Tearing the sky…"

My voice was barely a whisper lost in the cold morning wind.

After a while, the three of us set out from the camp toward the starting point.

"So, who is she?"

Seth had asked that question last night, but Yuri didn't answer.

Seth is very meticulous, doesn't fully trust others, and tends to use everyone around him.

But that happens after the third scenario, not at the beginning of the story.

Seth, at this moment, is different. His past still drags him down, and he hasn't yet become the cold, calculating Seth the reader knows.

"She's a girl. Her name is Clarisse Ravenswood. It's better if you meet her yourselves… I don't like talking behind people's backs."

Seth sighed. His expression was hard to read.

I took the moment to glance at his face.

'It's me.'

Seth's appearance was identical to mine. Not the body I inhabit now, but the one I had before waking up in my novel.

'Seth is my past… It's surprising that he doesn't bring back memories.'

I thought seeing him would make me remember things. Feel something.

But it didn't happen.

It's as if something is preventing my memories of my past from returning.

However, the guy behind the screen gave me back my memories. But that's not the strangest thing.

'Something's happening with my memories…'

Shaking my head, I stopped thinking about it.

Looking ahead, I suddenly saw some cabins still under construction.

It was like a primitive village made of branches and leaves.

"….?"

People suddenly started looking at us.

Several eyes lingered on us for a moment before everyone went back to what they were doing.

A long sigh escaped my mouth.

'Conflict between humans is troublesome.'

Yuri led Seth and me to wherever Clarisse was.

Upon arriving at an area with several stacked tree trunks, we saw a woman with pink hair and eyes of different colors, like a rainbow.

She was sitting, gently swinging her legs. Her smile was soft as she watched the people working in the village.

"Hello, Clarisse."

Clarisse blinked before looking at Yuri with a smile.

"Oh, you're the one who helped me in the sewers."

Yuri nodded and then pointed at Seth and me.

Clarisse turned to the two of us.

"They are Zeth Dover and Seth Dorian."

Clarisse raised a hand in greeting.

"Hi, Zeth and Seth… Your names are almost the same, are you brothers?"

Seth and I looked at each other.

"No…"

"No…"

Clarisse tilted her head slightly, as if confused.

But after staring at us for a long moment, she simply looked back at Yuri.

"So, what brings you to see me, Yuri?"

Yuri cleared her throat and said:

"Zeth found a Detour. To maximize everyone's safety, it's ideal to go with more people, and I thought of you as a possible member of the raid group."

Clarisse stopped swinging her legs and, with a small push, stood up from where she was sitting. Then she stretched lazily and looked at Yuri.

"But isn't it dangerous? What if there are monsters?"

"….?"

Seth seemed disconcerted. I placed a hand on his shoulder and shook my head slightly.

Seth nodded in understanding, and then Yuri spoke.

"I know. But, do you remember the condition of the main scenario?"

"Hmm… of course."

"Then you should already have an idea. If we don't clear the Detours, the monsters could come out and reach here. To prevent that, we need to take care of them."

The monsters in a Detour were much stronger. Plus, their numbers were considerably higher than those roaming the nightmare forest.

People could handle the ones in the forest, but the ones in a Detour were different.

In the original story, no Rift is found until an emergency fracture occurs... and the monsters come out.

"Providing information about the location of a Rift is necessary... and it also slightly changes the story, at least."

Changing the story was necessary. It just had to be done with small changes, not drastic alterations from the start.

"I don't want that to happen."

Clarisse spoke with a nervous expression.

"Then, will you come with us?"

Clarisse looked at Yuri for a few seconds before finally responding.

"Alright, since you're asking me... and besides, I owe you a favor, Yuri."

Yuri didn't smile. She was a cold-minded person, though sociable enough with certain people.

"Good."

Since Yuri met Clarisse, she had never smiled at her. But Clarisse was already used to it.

"Then, that will be enough."

I finally spoke, and Yuri nodded.

"Yes, it's enough..."

She looked directly into my eyes, while I maintained a slight smile with half-closed eyes.

"....."

'What's wrong with her...?'

***

The ruined temple.

The first Rift to have an emergency fracture.

It wasn't a particularly long Rift, but it was full of monsters.

It was the Rift with the most monsters out of the three that existed.

Originally, this Rift was never cleared... not until the emergency fracture occurred, which allowed its location to be discovered.

"H-haah... My legs hurt, can someone carry me?"

"....."

Seth, at my side, had a rather strange look. His eyebrow raised slightly, as if he didn't know whether to laugh or stay silent.

Approaching him, I said:

"Everyone has their reasons for being the way they are, for their personalities."

Seth nodded gently.

"I know, Zeth."

For a moment, we both looked at each other. And without realizing it, smiles appeared on our faces, as if we shared a small, silent complicity.

"Why are you tired? You told me all your stats are at Lv 60, didn't you?"

"....."

Seth turned his head toward Yuri, who was further back, dragging her feet as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

Seeing Seth's surprised face made me want to laugh.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I took a moment to think.

The difference in stats in 'The Hero in a Ruined World' wasn't due to whether you were the protagonist... or if the script was simply on your side.

I wanted to make one thing clear to the readers:

'Depending on each character's past, their stats will be higher.'

Seth started with 40 in all his stats, Yuri began with more than 30, and Clarisse with more than 60 in each.

'However… because I'm different.'

I started with such low stats that even an ordinary mage was stronger than me at the beginning.

"Heh, heh... Yeah, but... I'm really exhausted. Can you help me?"

Yuri shook her head slowly and looked at Seth.

"Tell Seth. Or Zeth."

Seth paused for a moment. His expression hardened. Then, without saying a word, he began to walk faster, moving away from us with determined steps.

"....."

For a moment, I was bewildered.

'No... if this continues like this, then…'

Just as I was about to quicken my pace to catch up with him, a warm hand grabbed my shoulder.

As I slowly turned around, I saw that Clarisse had a bright smile on her face. Her tone was playful when she said:

"Can you carry me, Zeth?"

"....."

And it was supposed to be Yuri who carried Clarisse in the original story...

Sighing, I simply crouched down without saying anything more.

"Fine, get on."

Clarisse rested her head on my shoulder as I stood up. Her body was surprisingly light, but her presence... not so much.

'I never specified these things, but... her breasts are large.'

"....."

I continued walking in silence, until, just when I thought this was already annoying enough, she spoke:

"I'll sleep for a bit, okay?"

"....."

'Why did I add a character like this?'

...

The ruins of the temple where the Rift was located had some pretty good rewards.

The first were the coins.

'The monsters in the Rifts grant coins after being killed.'

One coin for each F-rank monster.

With each rank, the coins doubled.

Seth, in this Detour, obtained a large number of coins, in addition to getting closer to E-rank, which was the next rank after F.

"We're here. This is where I found the Rift."

The group stopped, frozen, upon seeing what appeared to be the entrance to a crack before their eyes.

"This... is the entrance, a crack."

A crack was like a portal, though this Rift led to a parallel world: a recreation of the temple, but when it was still intact.

Rifts weren't exactly like traditional dungeons.

Depending on where they appeared, upon entering, it was necessary to meet certain conditions to clear them. As if you were completing a scenario with specific objectives.

It's not just about killing monsters and done, cleared.

That's not how it works in my novel.

"Now that I think about it… Zeth, how did you discover this Rift? It took us eight hours to get here, and the only time we were separated, you came back just an hour later."

Yuri's eyes pierced through me like daggers. Then, Seth looked at me too.

'I've had my suspicions… but Yuri is starting to distrust me.'

This wasn't part of the plan.

Yuri had no reason to suspect… or maybe she did.

Suddenly, I understood.

My heart skipped a beat as I recalled the moment Yuri found me in the sewers.

'Oh, that's right... She appeared out of nowhere right when I used Henry and Elia to save myself.'

I remembered Yuri's sudden appearance at that precise moment… right when I killed the two of them.

A cold, bitter smile formed on my lips.

"How do I know?"

Yuri took a step back, surprised by my attitude.

"...Yes. How did you discover this Rift? It's so far away, and the time you were separated from us wasn't even an hour. If you had gone out at night, Seth and I would have noticed immediately."

Just as I thought.

'This isn't the time for distrust among characters…'

However, a vein pulsed on my forehead.

'Ha. A creation of mine… turning against me.'

My simple piece for survival... was starting to challenge me. Just as I was about to respond, Seth stepped between us.

"Alright, enough, don't you think? If we keep this up, all we're going to do is waste time. We came to clear a Rift, and if Zeth has a secret or whatever... it's none of our business. And if he knows about this place, all the better for us."

A more sincere smile appeared on my face as Seth continued.

"Anyway, Yuri… you're the one I distrust the most."

Yuri's eyes widened, incredulous.

"What? Me!?"

Seth nodded without hesitation.

"I don't know how to say it, but… there's something about you that bothers me. Something makes me distrust you."

That distrust was easy to understand.

'Yuri's stigma…'

It was the reason why Seth, with his keen intuition for detecting something strange in people, couldn't trust her.

'But… why doesn't Seth feel the same about me? I also have a stigma. One even worse than Yuri's.'

There was something strange about the things the guy behind the screen gave me…