The soft creak of the wooden stairs followed Kaelen as he made his way to the small bedroom at the end of the hall.
The warm scent of dinner still lingered faintly in the air, mixing with the earthy fragrance of herbs drying in the kitchen below.
He closed the door behind him, careful not to make a sound. The room was simple, a modest bed tucked against the far wall, a small wooden wardrobe, and a single chair beside the window.
Outside, the moonlight spilled over the fields, painting them in shades of silver and shadow.
Kaelen pulled the chair closer to the window and sat down, resting his elbows on the sill. The night air was cool against his face, and for the first time since waking up in this strange new life, the silence pressed in on him.
According to what his mother had said, this was Wonder Town. A quiet place in the countryside. In the novel, Wonder was barely mentioned, nothing more than a footnote in the grand story.
The real stage would be the Crimson Vale Institute, where the two male protagonists and the female protagonist's fates intertwined.
"Right now, they must be about my age. Just kids." He frowned slightly. "None of them have acquired that artifact yet…"
His mind raced as he remembered the plot. The special artifact—a relic hidden deep within an unmarked dungeon, a place no ordinary person would think to search.
In the novel, one of the male leads stumbled upon it by sheer luck, setting into motion the chain of events that shaped the story. That artifact was the turning point.
"If I can find it first…"
The thought sent a shiver through him. Not from fear, but from the weight of possibility. He wasn't here to "play God" with the story.
He knew enough about time paradoxes and butterfly effects to understand how dangerous it could be to tamper with the main plot.
"But… taking the artifact didn't have to ruin the entire story."
"They would still meet, still grow, still fight. Without that artifact, maybe their journey would be a little harder, maybe the story would unfold differently… but it wouldn't collapse."
"And for me… it could mean survival."
His hands curled into fists on his lap. This wasn't a game. If he died here, there would be no retry, no waking up in another life.
The dangers that awaited later in the plot weren't fiction anymore, they were real monsters, real wars, real gods who might not stay silent forever.
"If I want a chance to live through this… I need an edge. That artifact is my edge."
But there was one problem. In this world, power wasn't just about skill it was about talent. The gods might have abandoned Abandora, but their gift of magic remained, passed down through elemental affinities.
Fire, water, earth, wind… only those with awakened talent could even dream of venturing into a dungeon.
And Kaelen… had no idea what his talent was.
In the novel, the original Kaelen Arden was a side character. A name mentioned once in passing, with no real presence. His life, in that version of the story, was ordinary. He lived. He died. Nothing he did mattered.
But now? Now he had the knowledge of the entire early plot. And that meant he had a choice.
"If I can awaken my talent early, I can start preparing before anyone else even realizes what's out there."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "The artifact is hidden in a dungeon that won't be discovered for another five years… that's more than enough time to get strong enough to claim it."
The plan was dangerous. Reckless, even. But it was better than sitting around and waiting for the plot to swallow him whole.
He leaned back in the chair, staring up at the night sky. The stars above Wonder were bright and sharp, scattered like shards of glass across the velvet black.
In his old life, he'd only seen stars like this once, on a rare trip far from the city. Back then, he hadn't cared much. Now… he couldn't stop looking.
Finally, exhaustion began to creep in, dulling the sharp edge of his thoughts. He rose from the chair and walked to the bed, the old wooden frame creaking slightly under his weight. Pulling the blanket over himself, he let his eyes drift shut.
Tomorrow, he would start figuring out how to awaken his talent.
But for now… sleep claimed him, and the moon kept its silent watch.
Kaelen closed his eyes, determination burning in his chest. Whatever it took, he would awaken his talent and claim that artifact.
Five Years Later…
As the late afternoon sun spilled dappled light through the dense canopy of Wonder Forest. The air smelled of moss and rushing water, and somewhere nearby a river roared over stones worn smooth with time.
Amid the hush of the trees, a young man stood perfectly still on a patch of grass beside the riverbank, eyes closed, lips moving in a low chant. Sweat rolled down his temples, and the faint thrum of magic gathered around him like invisible threads tightening.
His eyes snapped open—deep blue, sharp and focused. He raised his right hand.
Black runes blazed to life across his skin, pulsing with power. Mana surged outward, condensing into a ripple of shadow that blasted forward and struck a boulder half his height.
The stone exploded into dust with a deafening crack. Pebbles and fragments scattered into the river with splashes.
Kaelen exhaled slowly, lowering his arm. A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"My talent is getting stronger… after all these years," he murmured, voice low but carrying a thread of pride. "Five years of relentless training… and it's finally paying off."
He was fifteen now. His hair had grown long and dark, framing a face that bore both youth and the sharp edges of a fighter. His body was lean yet powerful, each movement honed through countless hours of drills and combat practice.
The raw boy who had once stared wide-eyed at a strange new world was gone, in his place stood a young man who could match a seasoned warrior blow for blow.
He bent to pick up his weapon, a short well-balanced dagger with a worn leather grip, purchased from the spoils of his hunts.
Beside it lay the heavy body of a black eagle beast—a rare, mid-rank monster with talons that could tear through steel. Its wings were folded unnaturally, and its neck bore the clean, decisive cut of Kaelen's blade.
He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "This one should fetch at least five hundred gold coins… rare beast organs like these are worth a fortune to alchemists."
The forest floor crunched beneath his boots as he made his way back toward Wonder Town.
The years of hunting had given him a routine: kill, harvest, sell, repeat. It wasn't just for money, it was training, every fight sharpening his instincts, every victory building his strength.
By the time he reached the edge of town, the sun had dipped low, painting the sky in shades of amber and crimson. He stopped by the familiar shop whose owner knew him well and, after a quick negotiation, walked out with a heavy pouch of gold. The coins clinked softly as he tucked them into his satchel.
His pace quickened.
The home he returned to now was far from the small farmhouse of his childhood. Purchased with years of hunting profits, it stood in the main district of Wonder—a sturdy, well-kept house with warm brick walls and a small garden out front.
He climbed the short steps to the door and knocked lightly.
"Mom, I'm back!"
A moment later, the door swung open.
Elira Arden stood there, her long pink-silver hair loose around her shoulders, her figure wrapped in a simple red nightgown. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, if anything, time had only refined her features making her presence even more striking and charming.
Her eyes, however, were sharp.
She seized his collar before he could take another step. "Do you know what time it is? You left early this morning and you're only coming back now?"
Kaelen raised both hands in mock surrender, a lopsided grin tugging at his lips. "Whoa, easy, Mom… let me explain. I was training… out in Wonder Forest, near the river."
Her gaze lingered on him for a long moment, searching for any sign of a lie. Finally, with a quiet huff, she released his collar and stepped aside.
"Go take a shower," she said, her tone softer now but still tinged with that motherly edge. "Dinner will be ready soon."
Kaelen nodded and slipped inside, the familiar warmth of home wrapping around him. The scent of bread and herbs drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the faint sound of a knife chopping on the cutting board.
He walked to the bathroom, stripping off his travel-worn clothes before stepping under the warm flow of water from the enchanted basin. The heat seeped into his muscles, washing away the aches of the day, but his mind was far from calm.
Three years ago… His father, Luciano Arden, had left for a hunting expedition alongside seasoned warriors and noblemen.
The location had been dangerous, Kaelen knew that much, they were all seasoned fighters. Yet not a single one returned. No bodies. No final message. Just silence…
Kaelen had never spoken much with Luciano Arden, but the man's presence had been steady, like the unshakable trunk of a tree in the distance. Losing him… it had left a hollow space in the household.
Even so, what surprised him most had been his mother's reaction, or rather… her lack of one.
Elira hadn't cried. She hadn't screamed or broken down. She had simply carried on, her expression calm, her voice as steady as ever.
It had confused him deeply, but he hadn't asked why. Some questions felt too heavy to pull into the open.
His thoughts drifted further back to his previous life, the one on Earth. An orphanage, cold and impersonal. School hallways where he was invisible until someone wanted a target.
The bitterness of being overlooked, dismissed, or laughed at. Even in college, the pattern hadn't changed.
He sighed, letting the water run over his face. "At least here… I have her."
This world hadn't been kind to everyone, but it had given him something he'd never known before…
Elira Arden, his mom who loved him, who worried for him, who made sure he had a home to return to. And for that, he would protect her, no matter the cost.
But gratitude wasn't enough. He had a goal.
"Five years…" His eyes narrowed. "I've awakened my talent. I've fought, bled, and grown stronger. My body is ready. My mind is ready."
The time had finally come. His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and fear, but he wouldn't turn back now.
After bathing, Kaelen changed into fresh clothes, a crisp white t-shirt and fitted black trousers. He towel-dried his long black hair until it fell loose around his shoulders, still slightly damp, before stepping into the living room.
His mother was there, seated on the sofa with a book in hand, thin-rimmed reading glasses perched on her nose.
The warm lamplight traced soft shadows along her face, making her look like she'd stepped out of a painting—elegant, poised, and effortlessly beautiful.
Kaelen walked over and dropped onto the seat beside her. A small, genuine smile played on his lips. "Mom, you're looking cute and charming today~"
It wasn't just flattery. He knew she liked to hear compliments, and he meant it. She truly did look radiant.
Elira glanced up from her book, her emerald eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Why are you looking at me with those sparkling eyes? Is there something you want to say?"
He met her gaze without wavering, leaning forward just a little. "Actually, yes. Mom… I want to go on a short adventure outside Wonder Town. Just for a few days."
He'd expected an immediate refusal. In fact, he'd already rehearsed half a dozen persuasive arguments in his head, prepared to counter every possible "no."
But instead, Elira calmly closed her book, placed it on the table, and looked him straight in the eye.
"One month," she said simply.
Kaelen blinked. "…What?"
"One month," she repeated, her voice steady. "No more. No less."