[12:05 PM]
My novel started when the main character, Zaiden, awakened.
However, that was not the true start of the story.
To be honest, the story had started when Zaiden lost his childhood friend, Lily, to a monster outbreak. That day, a flame of determination was lit, and Zaiden swore that he would not let the others feel the same way he felt.
If he was a reincarnator, he surely understood that. He might be thinking of saving the heroines. But he missed one thing.
I named my novel 'Awakener's Dead Harem.'
The title told the story. The Awakener's Harem, in this case, Zaiden, were dead. However, throughout the story, Zaiden only stays with one girl each time.
That was not a harem. Someone who followed my story would be able to guess the ending from the title and the story until volume 29.
They wouldn't try to change the story because it was necessary for the heroines to die. Because… the story would end up a harem even though the heroines were fated to die.
So, it left one thing.
This person that was reincarnated as Zaiden hated my story, or he had a disease called hero complex and wanted to save the heroines that would die in the future.
He didn't follow my novel seriously, and from what I saw today, he was really childish.
"Tsk! I wanted to live leisurely while trying to find someone who transmigrated me here and a way back to Earth, but my plan needs to be changed with Lily being alive."
I was walking on the street of Los Angeles that was often called the Walk of Fame, trying to find a store that met my requirements. While I was walking, I saw a few people bringing weapons with them and dressed in armor, seemingly in a hurry. At first glance, I knew that they were Awakeners
They passed me with serious faces, and they were running hastily. Not only were awakeners running towards someplace, I saw a big humvee speeding up toward the same direction where the people ran.
I stopped on my track at the intersection and looked at the billboard that was on the building on my right.
The big billboard was broadcasting the appearance of a new dungeon that was found near the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.
"Oh…" I realized something, "The dungeon is only found today? I never specified it, so I thought it was found long before."
In my novel, the dungeon below the Hollywood sign was often known as Beginner Dungeon. Because it was called Beginner Dungeon, I never specified when the dungeon was found.
So it was today? Just 29 days before Zaiden's awakening.
But I couldn't care less about the dungeon. I needed a second identity and artifact that could hide my Talent before my debut in the dungeon.
Usually, the Awakener Association or guilds strictly controlled the dungeon; that was why to enter a dungeon, Awakener needed something called Awakener ID or join a guild. The ID could be made in the Association building.
Other than the dungeons controlled by the Association, there were private dungeons that big companies owned.
They didn't ask an Awakener from the guilds to clear the dungeons. Instead, they usually hired Mercenaries because they were more trustworthy and cheap.
When an Awakener made an ID, their identity would be recorded alongside their Talent. The Awakener Association had a special tool to know Awakener's Talent.
This was why I needed to enhance an item with an effect to hide my Talent before I made my Awakener ID with my second identity.
Well, who knew what would happen in the future? Maybe I didn't even need Awakener ID because I knew the hidden dungeons that the Association or the Guilds didn't manage.
However, for now, I needed a second identity because I couldn't leave the Academy yet, that was for sure.
Looking around the intersection, I found the store that I was looking for. I walked towards the store and put my hand on my hips.
"There it is."
It was hidden behind a movie studio store, so it was a bit hard to find it. Even when I relied on the description in my novel, I needed to look around before finding it.
Good thing I had great memories. I remembered all the things that I wrote, from volume 1 to volume 30. Even though I was confident with my memories, I should write down some important things.
The story in my novel lasted for at least eight years, from Zaiden being 17 years old until he became 25. It was a long ride, but there were some time skips in the middle of the story.
Because the story itself was already derailed, I only needed to write the hidden pieces and dungeons that I needed to raid and the important villains in my notebook. It was impossible to fix unless I went back to 9 years ago and killed Lily myself.
The rest of the story? I should say goodbye to them—one more reason to hate the reincarnated Zaiden.
'Because the story was already a mess, should I save my favorite character too? I didn't fucking care about the story now. Screw the story; I will do my best to survive while trying to find my way back. That's enough for me right now.'
With a new resolution, I opened the door in front of me, and the bell chimed in.
Ting–
The store was exactly like I described it. It was like an abandoned warehouse rather than a store because of the messy interior filled with stuff on the shelves lined up against the wall.
The only way people knew this was a store was the sign 'All-Purpose Store' above the old man sitting on a rocking chair behind a cashier that was located across the entrance.
Even though he looked old on the outside, that was actually just a disguise. His name was Park Injun, a Korean.
He was one of the side characters in my novel, and he was an important character that helped Zaiden get his item.
When he heard the chime of the bell that chimed each time a customer came in, he turned to me with a warm smile.
"Hello, young student. Is there anything that you seek from the store of his old man?"
"Yeah, there is something that I need. Maybe you have it in this store?"
I walked toward Park Injun and stopped in front of the cashier.
Because he was one of the important side characters, I put a little more effort compared to other side characters. When I wrote his character, I imagined an evil merchant that didn't care about anything other than money.
In other words–
"Hohoho, tell me about the item that you seek, young student. Because you entered this store without hesitation and answered me confidently, surely you know about this store. Then, you must know something that I love."
"…Of course. Everyone who knows this store knows that Park Injun loves money."
–He was the most influential money-grubber in this world.
"Oh? You know my name too. Although almost every Awakener in the big guilds knows my existence, only a few know my name." Park Injun's tone changed.
He talked like an old man earlier, but now he talked like a young man who had just hit his twenties. His appearance also changed as the windows at the entrance were covered in a black veil.
The atmosphere turned heavy all of a sudden, and now the one who sat in front of me was a young man with black hair wearing a monocle on his right eye.
"Tell me, young student. How did you find out my name?"
This was one of my plans. Or rather, I needed to make a connection with Park Injun before I could start my plan.
He was the biggest black merchant I knew who could be found rather easily in Los Angeles.
I had decided not to follow the actual plot because of that reincarnator. So getting connected with Park Injun, Zaiden's biggest supporter, was essential for my plan to make Zaiden suffer.
Calling him by his name was a big gamble on my part, but I knew something that Park Injun loved other than money.
"It's a secret." I replied confidently, "I will be grateful if you don't ask that. In exchange, I will tell you the location of [Napoleon's Sword]."
He loved artifacts more than money.
The legendary weapons in the world had turned into an artifact when the dungeons appeared on Earth. Mythology weapons such as Gungnir and the others had also materialized and could be found in dungeons.
Because [Napoleon's Sword] was a legendary sword itself, it also turned into an artifact, but it hasn't been found yet. It was still hidden in a dungeon and waiting to be found by someone.
Park Injun's eyes widened a little, and then a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like the customer right now is my favorite kind. Alright, I will take that offer, but at least tell me your name."
"Vincent Dihart, a student of the Academy."