Lady Elise stood at the city gate with the rigid posture of someone who'd been waiting far too long and was very unhappy about it. The evening sun cast long shadows across the cobblestones, painting everything in shades of orange and gold that would have been beautiful if Rem wasn't currently covered in monster blood and exhausted enough to sleep for a week. why was she so exhausted all the time?
The moment Elise's eyes locked onto them—Rem and Kaisen walking back together from the forest, both looking like they'd fought a war—her expression shifted from worry to fury so fast it was almost impressive.
"You disappeared into the forest together for HOURS!" Elise's voice cut through the evening air sharp enough to make the guards at the gate wince.
Rem stopped a few feet away from the furious noblewoman, too tired to deal with whatever drama was about to unfold. Her whole body ached, exhaustion having settled into her bones in a way that no magical healing could fix. All she wanted was to collapse in her shed and sleep until her brain stopped replaying the moment that creature's jaws had opened impossibly wide.
"We heard a kid crying," Kaisen said, his tone reasonable despite the blood drying on his clothes. " We went to help but got attacked by monsters instead."
"And you just HAPPENED to bring HER along?" Elise's eyes flickered to Rem with something that looked uncomfortably like betrayal mixed with possessiveness. She was lucky elise was not a yandare
Kaisen blinked, genuine confusion crossing his features. "I didn't bring anyone, she just followed me. Which turned out to be lucky since we nearly died."
"I'm standing right here," Rem muttered, crossing her arms. "And for the record, i dont fancy him or anything, hes all yours so dont strangle me into your mess"
Elise's cheeks flushed, but she pushed on, her voice rising. "I don't—that's not what I—you can't just run off into danger without—" She was floundering now, her carefully maintained composure cracking under the weight of emotions she clearly didn't want to acknowledge.
"Without telling you?" Kaisen asked, his confusion deepening into something that might have been realization if he wasn't so dense. "Why would I need to tell you?"
Rem watched Elise's expression cycle through at least three different emotions in the span of two seconds—anger, hurt, frustration—before settling on cold imperious dignity that didn't quite hide the vulnerability underneath.
"I'm inspecting the southern farms tomorrow afternoon," Elise said, her voice carefully controlled now. "Official business. I just thought you should know since you seem to enjoy... wandering into danger."
The way she said it made it clear the message was aimed at Kaisen, but her eyes kept flickering to Rem like she was a problem that needed solving. The tsundere was in full force now, unable to just say what she actually meant—that she'd been worried when Kaisen had disappeared, that seeing him return with another woman had triggered something uncomfortable, that she cared despite all her protests otherwise.
Rem almost felt bad for her. Almost.
"Don't follow us," Elise added, and this time she was looking directly at Rem with an expression that bordered on hostile.
The warning hung in the air between them clear as day. Stay away from Kaisen. Stay away from me. Stay in your lane.
Rem bit back the warning that wanted to escape—that bandits were planning an ambush, that people would die if Elise went unprepared, tomorrow afternoon was going to be a bloodbath. But how could she explain knowing that without sounding completely insane? "Hey, I know about a bandit ambush because I wrote this world and everything in it" definitely wasn't going to fly.
So instead she just said, "Whatever you say, princess."
Elise's eyes narrowed at the casual dismissal, but before she could respond, one of her attendants hurried over with a reminder about dinner preparations. With one last look that promised this conversation wasn't over, Elise swept away toward the inn with all the dignity she could muster, her attendants scrambling to follow.
Kaisen stood there watching her go with an expression of complete bewilderment. "What was that about?"
"She likes you, idiot," Rem said, too tired to be diplomatic.
"What? No. She just... hates me."
Rem stared at him, trying to figure out if he was genuinely this dense or if it was an act. "She waited at the gate for hours to yell at you for disappearing. That's not hate, that's tsundere."
"Tsun-what?"
"Never mind." Rem waved him off, already turning toward her shed. "I need sleep. Or alcohol. Possibly both."
"Rem, wait—"
"Tomorrow, Kaisen. Whatever questions you have, they can wait until tomorrow when I'm not about to pass out."
She walked away before he could argue, feeling his confused stare following her retreating back. Let him puzzle over Elise's behavior on his own time. She had bigger things to worry about—like the fact that tomorrow's ambush was going to happen whether she warned them or not, and she still hadn't decided what role she wanted to play in it.
The shed felt smaller than usual when Rem finally closed the door behind her, shutting out the world and its complications. She lit the single candle she'd managed to acquire, watching shadows dance across the rough wooden walls while her mind refused to quiet down despite her body's protests. She was slowly getting used to it.
Her hands were still shaking slightly from the adrenaline crash, the reality of what had happened in the forest finally catching up to her now that she was alone. She'd killed a monster today. A real monster with yellow eyes and too many teeth, something that had wanted to tear her apart and would have if she'd been a second slower.
The sword felt heavier than usual as she unbuckled it from her hip, setting it carefully against the wall, she didnt want to dismiss it. Monster blood had dried on the blade—dark and wrong-smelling, nothing like anything natural. She'd need to clean it properly tomorrow, but tonight she couldn't bring herself to look at it any longer.
Rem pulled up her status screen with a thought, the familiar translucent display appearing in her vision:
[Name: Rem]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[STATS]
STR: 8
DEX: 12
END: 10
VIT: 10
CHA: 19
LST: 10
[RESOURCES]
HP: 100/100
SP: 100/100
[LP: 525]
Five hundred twenty-five Lust Points. Finally enough to buy Basic Strike.
Her finger hovered over the purchase button for longer than it should have, some part of her reluctant to spend the points she'd worked so hard to earn. But tomorrow was the ambush, and she needed every advantage she could get if she was going to... what? Interfere? Watch from the sidelines? She still wasn't sure.
"Fuck it," she muttered, confirming the purchase.
[Basic Strike purchased: -500 LP]
[Remaining: 25 LP]
[Skill acquired: Basic Strike (Level 1)]
The change was immediate and profound. Knowledge didn't flow into her mind like she'd expected—instead, her body suddenly KNEW. Muscle memory installed itself in an instant, her arms understanding proper striking form, her legs knowing how to generate power from her core and transfer it through to her fists or whatever weapon she held. It was like going from flailing in the dark to suddenly having a flashlight, the fundamentals of combat clicking into place with perfect clarity. So this was the power of the system.
She stood, practicing a few experimental swings in the confined space of her shed. The movements felt natural now, efficient, her body flowing through the motions with a grace she'd never possessed before. Strike from the center line, weight shifting forward, recover to guard position. Simple. Clean. Effective.
Even without her sword, she could feel how the technique would work—the same principles applied whether she held a blade or threw a punch. Universal combat foundation, exactly as the skill description had promised.
"Holy shit," she breathed, practicing another strike that cut through the air with a sound like tearing fabric. "This actually works."
For the first time since arriving in this nightmare world, she felt like she might actually survive whatever came next.
Tomorrow's problem loomed large in her mind as she sat back down on her makeshift bed, the candle flickering and casting strange shadows across the walls. The bandit ambush was happening whether she wanted it to or not. Southern farms, afternoon.
She knew where and when. She knew roughly how many bandits there would be because she'd seen their camp and counted faces. And she knew that in her original story, this was supposed to be Kaisen's big moment—the first major action scene where he saved Elise and started winning her over. The beginning of the novel and his journey.
But she also knew people died in that ambush. Guards whose names she'd never bothered to write down. Attendants who were just background characters in a story that was supposed to be about sex and power fantasies. Real people now, with real lives and families back in the city.
"Could I even warn them?" she asked the empty room. Silence was the only answer to her meaningless question.
Kaisen would be there—she knew that much. Whether his system gave him a quest beforehand or he just followed his instincts during the attack, he'd show up to save the day. That was how these stories worked. And Elise would awaken her ice magic during the crisis, her latent powers manifesting through fear and desperation.
All according to the plot she'd written a thousand times in various drafts. He, gods when had she started referring to her as a 'she'? she was not really a woman, this was all just a fucked up scenario of a damned goddess.
Except now it was real, and the thought of people dying so that her protagonist could have his moment made her feel sick.
A new notification appeared in her vision:
[Story Quest Available: The Ambush]
[Objective: Be present at the southern farms during Lady Hartwell's inspection tomorrow]
[Time Window: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM]
[Rewards: Based on actions taken]
[Warning: High danger]
[Accept?]
Rem stared at the quest notification, her mind racing through possibilities and consequences. The system was giving her permission—or maybe a push—to be there. But it didn't specify what she should do, just that she should be present.
She accepted the quest, watching it move to her active quest log. She'd been planning to go anyway, but having it official somehow made it feel more real, more inevitable.
Tomorrow she'd find out if the story she'd written had any control over her, or if she could change things. Tomorrow she'd see if saving lives mattered more than following a plot.
Tomorrow everything would change.
But tonight, she needed sleep.
================================================================
Dawn came too early, sunlight filtering through the gaps in the shed's walls and painting thin lines of gold across her face. Rem woke with a startle, momentarily disoriented before the events of yesterday came crashing back.
She sat up, her body protesting slightly from sleeping on her makeshift bed, but the soreness was nothing compared to yesterday. The Basic Strike skill had settled into her muscles overnight, her body adapting to the new knowledge like it had always been there.
A notification waited in her vision:
[Daily Quest Available: Morning Training]
[Objective: Practice Basic Strike for 30 minutes]
[Reward: 50 LP + Recovery Bead]
[Time Limit: Before noon]
Recovery Bead? That was new. Rem pulled up the item description:
[Recovery Bead: Consumable item. Removes all exhaustion and injuries when used. One-time use.]
"Okay, that's actually useful," she muttered, accepting the quest. Having a full heal available could mean the difference between life and death if today went as badly as she thought it might.
She grabbed her sword and headed outside, the morning air cool and fresh against her skin. The city was just starting to wake up, farmers heading to their fields, shopkeepers opening their doors, the smell of fresh bread drifting from Elena's bakery.
Behind her shed where no one would see, Rem began her training session.
The Basic Strike skill guided her movements with perfect clarity. She started with her sword, practicing the fundamental striking form—weight centered, power generated from her core, blade cutting through the air along optimal angles. The technique was simple but devastating in its efficiency, each strike flowing naturally into a guard position that left her ready for the next attack or defense. she felt herself improving strike by strike.
She practiced for twenty minutes with the blade, then set it aside and continued with just her fists. The skill adapted perfectly—the same principles of weight transfer, the same clean lines of attack, just applied to punches instead of sword strikes. Jab from the center, power from the legs and hips, recover to guard.
By the time thirty minutes passed, sweat was dripping down her face and her muscles burned with exertion, but she felt... good. Competent. Like she might actually know what she was doing if things went bad today.
[Daily Quest Complete: Morning Training]
[Reward: 50 LP + Recovery Bead]
[Current LP: 75]
A small green orb materialized in her inventory, pulsing with gentle light. Rem examined it through her system interface, reading the description again to make sure she understood how it worked. One-time use, removes all exhaustion and injuries. She'd save it for after the ambush, assuming she survived long enough to need it.
"Rem? Is that you back there?"
Elena's voice made her jump. The baker appeared around the corner of the shed carrying a basket covered with cloth, her expression warm and maternal as always.
"You're up early," Elena said, eyeing the sword in Rem's hand with curiosity but no judgment. "Training?"
"Something like that." Rem sheathed the blade, trying to slow her breathing.
"Well, you should eat first." Elena uncovered the basket, revealing fresh bread and some kind of fruit pastry that smelled incredible. "Can't train on an empty stomach now can you?"
"Thank you," Rem said, accepting the food gratefully. "You don't have to keep bringing me breakfast."
"I know. But I want to." Elena smiled, though there was something sad in her eyes. "My son used to train with a sword before he left for the army. Seeing you reminds me of him—that same determined look, like you're preparing for something important."
"I hope he's okay," Rem said quietly, remembering the story Elena had shared about her family.
"So do I, dear. So do I." Elena patted her shoulder. "Be careful out there honey, keep yourself safe, the world outside is a dangerous place."
She left before Rem could respond, heading back to her bakery and leaving Rem alone with her thoughts and the smell of fresh bread.
If only Elena knew just how dangerous today was going to be.
The morning passed slowly, each hour dragging like it was deliberately torturing her with anticipation. Rem stayed close to the city center to keep an eye on the main square where she knew Elise would be preparing for her inspection, just in case. Around noon, the activity picked up—guards assembling, a small carriage being prepared, attendants rushing around with last-minute preparations.
Rem positioned herself near a vendor's stall where she could watch without being obvious. Elise emerged from the inn around 1 PM, dressed in practical traveling clothes that still managed to look expensive. Four guards accompanied her, plus two attendants who looked nervous about the journey beyond the dome.
The inspection party set off toward the southern gate, the carriage rolling smoothly over the cobblestones while guards walked alongside. Rem watched them go, her stomach twisting with anticipation and dread. In a few hours, those guards might be dead. Those attendants might be screaming. Elise might be fighting for her life.
Unless Kaisen saved them. Unless the plot worked the way it was supposed to.
Unless Rem did something about it.
She waited fifteen minutes after they departed, then spotted exactly what she'd expected—Kaisen emerging from a side street, watching the inspection party's retreat with that same focused expression from yesterday. He looked determined, like he knew something was wrong and was planning to do something about it.
He knew something was wrong.
Their eyes met across the square for a brief moment, and understanding passed between them without words. They both knew something was going to happen. They were both going to follow. Questions could wait until after.
Kaisen headed toward the gate first, and rem was soon to follow, she waited just a few minutes in order to give space between them
The forest felt different in daylight than it had yesterday—less dark, more navigable, but still dangerous in ways that made her hand drift constantly toward her sword. She moved carefully through the underbrush, slowly but surely keeping on their tail.
She could also see Kaisen moving through the trees on the other side of the road, shadowing the inspection party from a parallel course. He was good at staying hidden, that was a treat she had given him to perv on girls. gosh
The journey to the southern farms would take about an hour and a half from the city. The bandit ambush would happen somewhere along this forest road, probably at a natural chokepoint where the trees pressed close and visibility was limited.
Rem had written this scene so many times she could picture it perfectly—the sudden attack followed by kaisen's heroic intervention then Elise's magical awakening. It was supposed to be exciting, dramatic, the perfect start to their relationship arc.
Now all she could think about were the guards who were supposed to die to make it happen, the attendants whose screams she'd never bothered to write because they weren't important characters, just background casualties in a protagonist's origin story.
The forest sounds shifted subtly as they continued deeper—birds falling silent, small animals disappearing into burrows, the kind of unnatural quiet that preceded violence. Rem's hand drifted to her sword hilt, her newly acquired Basic Strike skill making her hyper-aware of her body's readiness to fight, the way her weight was distributed and how quickly she could draw and strike if needed.
Then she saw them, positioned in the trees and behind cover on both sides of the road like predators waiting for prey to wander into their trap. At least fifteen bandits, maybe more, all armed with swords and bows and the patient stillness of experienced hunters who knew how to wait for the perfect moment to spring their ambush. The scarred leader from the camp was there too, crouched behind a fallen log with his hand raised in a signal to hold position and wait for the carriage to enter the kill zone.
This was it, the moment she'd been dreading and anticipating in equal measure since yesterday. The story had begun, and she still didn't know what role she wanted to play in it.
Elise's carriage rolled closer, the guards walking alongside completely unaware of the death waiting in the trees, and Rem's grip tightened on her sword until her knuckles went white. Across the road, she could see Kaisen tensing too, preparing to make his move, his system sword already half-materialized in his hand in that shimmer of light that marked divine power.
The bandit leader's hand dropped, and everything exploded into chaos.