"This is why I fricking hate webnovels," the pale but tall boy seethed as he smashed his fist against the brick wall in frustration.
In his mind, only visible to himself, a series of words came about as if in reply to his outburst.
[The Author demands to know who you are]
That was the author of the webnovel, which the boy was currently residing in as a living character. Except he wasn't always one.
Before he was a nobody in a distant part of the author's world, working hours upon hours for an ungrateful company and an even more thankless boss.
And now he found himself as the reluctant leader of a cult in bumfuck nowhere, of a place eerily similar to Narnia but in more mature terms.
"What do you think happened? I've been cursed stupid," the boy glanced up and around then at his reflection in a dry mirror.
According to his memories of this body, his name was Arken Kronas and he was the leader of a dying cult that shared the value systems of third graders on meth.
[The Author is hugely excited about your presence!]
To Arken the tone seemed too excited.
"Are you enjoying this? Huh? Get me out of here right now!"
[The Author has no ability to do that]
Arken's eyes widened when he heard banging on the door to the small dingy room he had retreated back into.
BANG
BANG
"My Lord are you alright? Do you need help?" One voice spoke up and another parroted the same. "Please tell us Lord."
I'm not your fucking Lord!!
"Fuck what am I supposed to go and say to them?" He said to himself.
He didn't expect the author to reply but he almost felt relieved when they did.
[The Author asks you about your knowledge of Ambrenia]
What do I know about Ambrenia?
"Is that what this shithole cult is called? What a fart of a name indeed, author!"
[The Author is suddenly hesitant. Author believes you're mistaken about the 'cult' as none exist in Ambrenia.]
Arken tilted his head up and groaned, "no but what the hell would you even call...that, that thing that I was greeted with the moment I woke up?"
Hours earlier, he had blinked open to find himself staring at a dull low ceiling and as he turned he saw them. Two bald freaks prostrated on the ground for him and hailing him like he was their savior.
The next minute he had bolted and shut himself inside the nearest room he found where he had also discovered he was trapped inside an ongoing webnovel with a sentient author.
"Fuck my life," he shook his head and stood up. He gathered himself and opened the doors with a fake smile to the bald heads.
"Sorry just needed a minute."
He found two pairs of eyes staring at him devotedly and held back from hurling on the spot.
"Now as your Lord...consider me a child and tell me what the fuck is going on? Pretty please."
☆
The Continent of Ambrenia was a sweeping landmass of mountains, forests, deserts, rivers that inhabited several kingdoms and empires.
Some parts remained uncharted due to the simple vastness and some just because of old myths and legends. Nevertheless it held a vibrant mix of life.
But Ambrenia's story is incomplete or rather impossible to tell without mentioning the God King and the Traitor Demon.
According to its history, generations upon generations ago when the Gods roamed the surface, a mistake was made. Mortals were granted power to fight the enemies of the Gods who had descended from another world altogether.
But one Mortal vehemently opposed to go back to his previous existence, citing the unfairness of being able to wield great power only to have it taken away. Like giving a starving child food and teasing it instead of feeding it. Despite his own associates decision he refused to give up and instead drove his sword into the very God who had given him power.
Thus was born the God King. Along with him the divine beings lost hope on Ambrenia and began their departure. The God King consolidated the entire continent into one unified rule which lasted years. His rule wasn't just, neither was it terrible. It was simply wrong in all manner and form.
His associates, one of whom decided to end the God King's mad ambition, began a campaign as revenge for the murder of the God as well as for being trapped in a foreign world, against their will.
Some call him the unkillable demon as he had unparalleled healing abilities. Some call him the Traitor for simply defying the God King.
In the end their battle forged a legacy of ruin that threatened to crumble Ambrenia forever. That was until their battle reached a conclusion and the vast remnants of their campaign scattered around the world.
A prophecy sounded just then. From the watching Gods it came down on them.
"Whosoever holds the relics, will rule supreme."
When the dust settled a new Ambrenia was born.
Along with it, a new type of conquest. The conquest for the Relics of the war between the God King and the Traitor.
Here was where Arken came in, according to his followers. When the Relic Wars began, temples that celebrated Gods, the heroes of the Gods, the God King and even the Demon were erected.
Masses followed the teachings, turning on their brethren as each of them decided only their belief was true and the only one deserving to obtain the relics.
A timid but sharp boy called Arken Kronas had enough. Seeing his entire village burned and eroded by the mania he decided to form his own temple. The Free Temple.
So...this isn't a cult?
[The Author jumps in excitement at being proved right!]
"Well that explains some of it, carry on."
Arken's Temple was definitely not seen in a good light by the others. But when Arken had traced the locations of the twelve relics everything changed.
Baldy one looked up with tears in his eyes, "my lord, everything, everyone is gone. They've destroyed everything."
"When they couldn't find the relics you had hidden away, they turned their anger on us. But you remained strong, you didn't deter. You only waited for us to help you escape and now you're the most powerful..."
"Hold on a second now, I did what now?" Arken asked with a stupefied expression on his face.