The war room was a cavern of obsidian and bone. A massive table shaped like the continent of Eudros sat at the center, veins of red light glowing across its surface. This was the Tactical Nexus, an artifact that displayed real-time movements across the world—one of the villain's many unfair advantages.
I remembered unlocking it back in the game only at Chapter 800.
But here? I already had it.The difference between player knowledge and character timeline was now my greatest weapon.
Three of my generals stood by the table, waiting for my command.
Yurein, the Lich General, bowed slightly. "Shall we resume our campaign in the eastern marshes, my Lord? The Kingdom of Virelden grows bolder."
I shook my head.
"No. We won't start with Virelden."
The three looked at me in confusion.
"The eastern marshes are a trap. In three months, the Church of the Sacred Sun will send a paladin squad with holy relics—artifacts that bypass necrotic defenses."
Yurein's eyes flared green. "But… how could you—?"
"Because I've seen the future," I said flatly.
Gorhax growled. "You speak like a seer."
"No," I said. "I'm something more dangerous. I'm a man who's played this game before."
The First Step: Kill the Future Heroes Early
I touched the map. The table zoomed into a region—Kingdom of Liora, the starting area for one of the heroes: Kael, the "Protagonist Knight."
The golden boy. Morally upright. Stupidly brave. The same Kael who would slay me in the final battle.
Not this time.
"We strike early," I said. "Not with armies. That would draw attention."
Vaenira's crimson eyes narrowed. "Then how?"
I turned toward her. "You'll go yourself. Alone. A silent mission."
"Assassinate him?"
"No," I said. "Save him."
They all went silent.
"Pull him from a burning village. Pretend to be a wandering warrior. Earn his trust. Infiltrate his circle. And when the time is right... we turn the hero into our weapon."
Vaenira grinned, understanding. "The perfect manipulation."
"And if he resists?" Gorhax asked.
"Then you kill him," I replied coldly. "Before he becomes more than just a naive farm boy."
Quest Updated: Dark Rewrite Begins
[Quest: Infiltrate the Protagonist's Destiny – In Progress]Objective: Alter the Hero's Fate before Chapter 20.Bonus Reward: Shadowbind Skill Tree Unlocked
The Beginning of Kingdom Domination
My next move was political.
I pointed to a small kingdom bordering a neutral trade route—Lethandria.
In the original timeline, it would fall at Chapter 340, triggering a continent-wide war.
"But if I take it now…" I murmured.
Yurein's grin widened, skeletal and rotten. "It would destabilize the alliance before it's even born."
"Exactly. We won't just survive. We'll divide the heroes before they unite."
I leaned back in my throne.
"This world thinks it can script my death.But I've read the script...Now I'm rewriting it."