Victor stood near the hill, taking in the view from the semi-high point, which offered a clear perspective of the surrounding area.
The landscape stretched out before him, revealing a mountain he hadn't noticed before. It had been obscured by the tree earlier. Everything else appeared the same, though there were a few more hills and expanses of land than he'd initially observed.
"Hmm. If the fragment is an inkpen..." he muttered, trailing off as he reached into his leather bag to retrieve the inkpen and notebook.
Flipping open the notebook, he found its pages completely blank—not a single drop of ink to be seen.
With a focused expression, Victor turned his attention to the inkpen in his hand, his mind racing with an idea to possibly summon the system once more.
[Story Item]
Name: [The Author's Quill]
Rarity: [Divine]
Abilities: [RE:]
Ability Information: Allows the user to alter a minor event or scene within the story. The change can subtly influence the larger narrative but cannot directly alter the main event. Attempts to rewrite pivotal moments will fail, as reality resists such direct interference.
Description: Once held by a Divine, the inkpen retains the faintest trace of Her smell, carrying with it a feeling: that even She, in the end, knew fear.
His idea had worked. As expected, any game would provide information about an item you were holding, and the system did exactly so.
"Rewrite reality?" Victor muttered, stunned by the ability labeled RE.
If what he read was correct, this meant that to survive—or better yet, to win—he could use the inkpen's power to change a minor event. But only once. The question now was: which minor event should he rewrite? And how?
He let his mind wander, recalling a memorable, humorous lesson he had once received. For instance, something as simple as a comma could drastically change the outcome of a sentence.
1. "Let's eat, Grandma."
Outcome: The speaker invites Grandma to join them for a meal.
2. "Let's eat Grandma."
Outcome: The speaker is suggesting that they should eat Grandma.
and
3. "He will survive, no matter what."
Outcome: The speaker is determined, encouraging hope that the person will endure.
4. "He will survive no matter what."
Outcome: The speaker's tone becomes dark, implying that the person will survive at all costs, even if it means brutal or horrific consequences to others.
Furthermore, there were countless examples of such subtle changes in writing, where layers of meaning _hid_ behind the smallest of adjustments.
Even the choice of a single word could alter everything:
1. "The princess welcomes the stranger with open arms."
Possible Outcome: The princess embraces the stranger warmly, and they become allies, forming a powerful bond that leads to important revelations.
2. "The princess accepts the stranger with open arms."
Possible Outcome: The princess is polite but distant, leading the stranger to believe they are not trusted, which results in the stranger hiding their true intentions and causing unforeseen problems later.
In both cases, the stranger forms some connection with the princess, but the nature of that bond would determine the trajectory of their relationship.
But what minor event in his trial could he change to gain the upper hand when the world seemed to have not a single event, or better yet a story.
So, he decided to explore.