Lunchtime at Astral Academy was an elaborate social hierarchy made visible. The cafeteria—a massive hall with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city—was divided into invisible territories. The scholarship students huddled at tables near the back. Middle-class students claimed the center. And the elite, the children of wealth and power, occupied the prime spots near the windows where sunlight made everything look like a fashion photoshoot.
Leon grabbed a tray of food—some kind of grilled meat, rice, and vegetables—and scanned for a safe, unremarkable seat. Somewhere in the middle. Not too isolated to draw attention, not too prominent to be noticed.
He found a spot at a half-empty table with a few other quiet students who seemed content to eat in peace. Perfect.
Leon set down his tray and carefully placed his snake on the table. The creature had been surprisingly well-behaved, though it kept eyeing his food with unsettling focus.
"You can't have my lunch," Leon muttered, cutting a piece of meat. "I'll get you proper monster food after—"
The snake's head darted forward, snatching the meat right off his fork.
"Hey!"
The snake swallowed it whole, then looked at Leon expectantly, tongue flicking.
"Unbelievable." Leon sighed and cut another piece, this time feeding it directly to the snake. "You're lucky you're cute."
"Talking to your monster?" A cheerful voice startled him.
Leon looked up to find Seria Moonlight standing beside his table, her silver hair cascading over one shoulder, her Holy Unicorn miniaturized to the size of a cat perched on her arm. She smiled warmly—the kind of genuine smile that made her the heroine.
"Oh, uh, yes. Just he stole my food."
Seria giggled. "Monsters can be like that. My Lumina tried to eat my textbook this morning." She gestured to the empty seat. "Mind if I sit? The other tables are pretty full."
Leon's mind raced. This didn't happen in the novel. Seria never approached background characters. She only interacted with Kai and her friend group. Why is she—
"Sure," Leon heard himself say. Idiot! You're supposed to stay invisible!
Seria sat down, setting her own tray beside his. Her unicorn hopped onto the table, eyeing Leon's snake with curiosity. The two monsters studied each other—the elegant, holy creature and the small green snake.
"Your snake is interesting," Seria said, taking a sip of juice. "I saw what happened during Combat Training. That was impressive for an F-rank."
"Beginner's luck, probably."
"Maybe." Seria's grey eyes were kind but perceptive. "Or maybe your snake has hidden potential. My father always says that rank isn't everything. The bond between Tamer and monster matters more."
Leon relaxed slightly. Seria was disarming like that—genuinely nice without pretense. He could see why Kai would fall for her in the story.
"Your father's the Guild Master, right? Moonlight Guild?"
"Mmm-hmm. He's been a Tamer for thirty years. He always tells me stories about underestimated monsters that became legendary." She smiled. "So don't feel bad about your snake being F-rank. With proper training, who knows?"
They ate in comfortable silence for a moment. Leon tried to figure out why this deviation was happening. Was it because he'd drawn attention during Combat Training? Or had his presence somehow altered Seria's routine?
"By the way," Seria said, "have you met Kai Ryusaki yet? The scholarship student with the Divine Wolf?"
Here it comes, Leon thought. In the original story, Seria became interested in Kai after seeing his determination despite his circumstances. But they shouldn't interact meaningfully until chapter 5, during the first dungeon exploration.
"I've seen him in class. Seems determined."
"He does, doesn't he?" Seria's expression softened. "I think it's admirable, working so hard despite not having the advantages others have. My father started as a low-rank Tamer too, so I understand the struggle."
Leon nodded, cutting more meat for his increasingly demanding snake. This conversation was mostly harmless. Just small talk. Nothing that would dramatically affect—
A commotion erupted across the cafeteria.
Leon's heart sank as he recognized the scene unfolding. No. Not now. This is supposed to happen tomorrow, not today!
Near the windows, Kai stood with his tray, clearly trying to find a seat. He'd made the mistake of walking too close to the elite section. And there, at the center table surrounded by her entourage, sat Angela Everhart.
One of Angela's companions—a girl with a C-rank Frost Fox—had "accidentally" stuck out her foot. Kai tripped, his tray flying forward, food spilling across the pristine white floor.
Laughter rippled through the elite section.
"Clumsy scholarship student," the girl with the Frost Fox said loudly. "Can't even walk properly. How did someone like you get into Astral Academy?"
Kai's face flushed red as he knelt to clean up the mess. His Divine Wolf growled softly, sensing its master's humiliation.
Angela watched the scene with cold detachment, neither encouraging nor stopping her companion's cruelty. She simply continued eating her salad, as if Kai's embarrassment was beneath her notice.
This is it, Leon realized. The cafeteria incident. Chapter 7 in the novel. This is where Angela's villainy truly begins. Where she establishes herself as Kai's antagonist.
In the original story, no one helped Kai. He cleaned up alone, cementing his status as an outsider. It became a defining moment—his humiliation at the hands of the elite, witnessed by everyone. It was the spark that would eventually ignite into hatred between him and Angela.
Seria stood abruptly. "That's not right. I'm going to—"
"Wait." Leon grabbed her wrist without thinking.
Seria looked at him, surprised.
Leon's mind raced. If Seria helped Kai now, it would accelerate their relationship development. That might be okay—might keep the timeline closer to normal. But if he interfered, if he changed this key moment...
But can I really just watch?
His snake raised its head, looking at him with those intelligent ruby eyes. Somehow, Leon got the impression it was judging him.
"I'll go," Leon said, surprising himself.
"What?"
Leon stood, leaving his snake with Seria. "Just give me a second."
Before he could second-guess himself, Leon walked toward the elite section. Every step felt like wading through concrete. Students turned to watch—this nobody, this F-rank Tamer, approaching Angela Everhart's table.
Kai was still on his knees, using napkins to clean up the spilled food. The girl with the Frost Fox smirked. "Oh look, another charity case coming to—"
"Excuse me," Leon interrupted, his voice surprisingly steady. He knelt beside Kai and started helping pick up the fallen utensils. "Let me give you a hand."
Kai looked at him, startled. "You don't have to—"
"It's fine. Accidents happen."
The cafeteria had gone quiet. Leon could feel hundreds of eyes on him, including the cold gaze he'd been trying to avoid.
"How touching," the Frost Fox girl said mockingly. "Two weaklings helping each other. Maybe you should form a support group for failed Tamers."
"That's enough, Melissa," a voice cut through the mockery like ice.
Everyone froze. Angela had spoken.
Leon's hands stilled on a fallen fork. He didn't dare look up.
"But Angela," Melissa protested, "I was just—"
"I said that's enough." Angela's tone remained cold but carried absolute authority. "Your entertainment is disrupting my meal."
Melissa fell silent immediately, looking chastised. Angela returned to her salad, and just like that, the incident was over.
Kai and Leon finished cleaning up in silence. As they stood, Kai met Leon's eyes. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."
"Like I said, accidents happen." Leon managed a small smile. "I'm Leon, by the way."
"Kai. And this is Fenrir." The Divine Wolf at his side dipped its head in acknowledgment.
"Nice to meet you both."
As Leon turned to walk back to his table, he risked a glance at Angela. She was looking directly at him, fork paused halfway to her mouth. Their eyes met for the second time that day.
Her expression was unreadable. Not quite surprised, not quite curious. But definitely aware.
Then she looked away, continuing her meal as if nothing had happened.
Leon returned to his seat, legs slightly shaky. His snake immediately climbed onto his arm, and Seria was staring at him with newfound respect.
"That was brave," she said softly.
"That was stupid," Leon corrected, slumping into his chair.
[System Notice]
[Timeline Deviation: 7.4%]
[ALERT: Major Plot Point Altered]
[Event Modified: "Cafeteria Humiliation" - Original outcome changed]
[Warning: Cascade effects possible. Monitor closely.]
Leon dismissed the notification with growing anxiety. 7.4%. He'd jumped from 2.8% to 7.4% in a single action.
What have I done?
His snake nuzzled against his neck, and Leon couldn't tell if it was being comforting or smug.
For the rest of lunch, Leon barely tasted his food. Seria tried to make conversation, but his mind was elsewhere, calculating possible consequences. Kai had now interacted with him positively. Seria had witnessed his actions. And Angela... Angela had intervened.
That last part especially worried him. In the original novel, Angela let her companions humiliate Kai without comment. Her silence was part of her villainous characterization. But she'd stopped it today. Why?
"Leon?" Seria's voice pulled him back. "You okay? You look pale."
"Just tired. Long morning."
"Well, we have Dungeon Studies next. Professor Martinez is supposed to be interesting at least." She stood, collecting her tray. "Want to walk together?"
No. I should distance myself. Reset to background character status.
"Sure," Leon said instead, apparently incapable of making smart decisions today.
As they left the cafeteria, Leon caught one more glimpse of Angela. She was standing now, her phoenix perched majestically on her shoulder. And she was looking at him again, those ice-blue eyes calculating something he couldn't decipher.
Then she turned and walked away, her entourage following like royal attendants.
"She's scary," Seria whispered. "Beautiful, but scary."
"Yeah," Leon agreed. "Scary."
What he didn't say was that scary wasn't the problem. The problem was that Angela Everhart was now aware of his existence far earlier than planned. And in a story where he knew the ending, changing the beginning was the most dangerous thing he could do.
His snake tightened slightly around his arm—reassuring or warning, Leon couldn't tell.
Dungeon Studies was held in a specialized classroom equipped with holographic projectors. Professor Martinez—a middle-aged woman with an A-rank Shadow Panther—was already setting up when Leon and Seria arrived.
"Take your seats quickly. Today we're discussing the fundamentals of dungeon exploration and the ranking system for dungeon gates."
Leon chose a seat in the middle row this time, with Seria sitting beside him. Kai entered shortly after and, to Leon's surprise, took the seat directly in front of them. The protagonist glanced back and nodded in thanks—a silent acknowledgment of Leon's earlier help.
Great. Now I'm on Kai's radar too.
When Angela entered, the room's energy shifted. She moved to the front row—her usual spot—but before sitting, she turned and looked directly at Leon. Just a brief glance, lasting maybe two seconds, before she took her seat.
But those two seconds felt like an eternity.
"Did Angela just look at you?" Seria whispered, eyes wide.
"Must've been someone behind me," Leon lied.
"Leon, you're literally against the back wall."
Before Leon could respond, Professor Martinez began her lecture. The holographic display showed various dungeon gate classifications:
F-Gate → E-Gate → D-Gate → C-Gate → B-Gate → A-Gate → S-Gate
"Dungeon gates appear randomly throughout the world," Martinez explained. "Each gate contains monsters and resources corresponding to its rank. F-Gates are suitable for beginners—low-level monsters, minimal danger. S-Gates, conversely, require teams of elite Tamers and can take weeks to clear."
She zoomed in on a holographic F-Gate. "Next week, all first-year students will participate in a supervised F-Gate exploration. This will be your first real dungeon experience. You'll work in teams of four, with an instructor monitoring from outside."
Excited murmurs filled the classroom. First dungeon raid—every Tamer's rite of passage.
"Team assignments will be posted tomorrow," Martinez continued. "For now, let's discuss dungeon ecology and monster behavior patterns"
Leon tried to focus on the lecture, but his mind kept wandering to the team assignments. In the original novel, Kai, Seria, and two other students formed a team. They faced a minor crisis when a stronger monster appeared, but Kai's leadership pulled them through. It was chapter 8—another crucial character development moment.
If I'm assigned to their team, Leon thought, I'll completely disrupt that dynamic.
His snake had fallen asleep around his arm, tiny chest rising and falling peacefully. At least one of them wasn't worried about timeline deviations.
The lecture continued for another forty minutes. Professor Martinez covered dungeon navigation, emergency protocols, and the importance of team coordination. Standard material that Leon had read about in the novel, but hearing it explained with actual tactical details was different.
When class ended, students filed out chattering about next week's dungeon raid. Leon packed his bag slowly, hoping to avoid—
"Leon Ashford."
He froze. That voice. Cold. Commanding. Impossible to ignore.
Leon turned to find Angela standing in the aisle, her phoenix eyeing him with what might have been curiosity. Up close, Angela was even more intimidating than from a distance. Her perfect posture, expensive perfume, and those ice-blue eyes that seemed to see straight through him.
"Y-yes?"
"We need to talk. Privately."
Around them, students were staring. Seria looked concerned. Kai had paused at the door, watching.
"About what?" Leon managed to ask.
"Your snake." Angela's gaze dropped to the sleeping creature on his arm. "And why an F-rank monster is exhibiting abilities beyond its classification."
Leon's mouth went dry. "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't play stupid. I observed during Combat Training. I also noticed your snake's behavior in the cafeteria—completely unbothered by my Phoenix's presence. That's not normal." She crossed her arms. "So either your snake is defective, or it's something else entirely. Which is it?"
Think, Leon. Think!
"Maybe it's just not very smart? Low survival instincts?"
Angela's expression didn't change, but something flickered in her eyes. "You're lying. Badly." She stepped closer, and Leon's snake stirred, raising its head to look at her phoenix. "But I'll let it go. For now."
"Why?"
"Because you did something interesting today." Angela's voice dropped slightly. "In the cafeteria. You helped that scholarship student. Why?"
"It was the right thing to do."
"The right thing." Angela repeated the words as if tasting them. "How naive."
She turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing, Ashford. Stay out of my way. Whatever game you're playing, whatever reason you have for drawing attention to yourself—stop. Weaklings who try to stand out get crushed."
Before Leon could respond, she walked away, her phoenix spreading its wings briefly as if punctuating her warning.
The classroom emptied. Leon stood alone, his snake now fully awake and watching Angela's departing figure.
[System Notice]
[Timeline Deviation: 9.1%]
[CRITICAL ALERT: Main Character Interaction Frequency Exceeding Projections]
[Angela Everhart Awareness Level: ELEVATED]
[Recommendation: Immediate profile reduction required]
Leon read the notification three times, each time feeling more helpless.
9.1% deviation. On the first day.
His plan to save Angela while staying invisible was falling apart faster than he could have imagined. And the worst part? He didn't know if Angela's warning to "stay out of her way" was generic elite arrogance, or if she'd somehow sensed that he knew more than he should.
His snake nuzzled against his cheek, and Leon sighed.
"Tomorrow," he told the snake firmly, "we're going to be invisible. No more attracting attention. No more heroic gestures. Just normal,Average and Forgettable."
The snake's ruby eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement, as if it knew that promise was already impossible to keep.
And deep down, Leon knew it too.