Interlude - Fixing These Unfair Scenarios: Chapter 2

  Lauren had quickly learned that time in the Patron’s Domain did not function in any way she was accustomed to. There were no days, no measurable passing of hours or minutes—if anything, it felt as though the very concept of time was different for each Patron, or perhaps as if it simply did not exist at all.

  Dreaming_Tyrant had attempted to explain it to her, saying that it was quite simple once she understood. For Patrons, the idea of "timing" held no meaning. They would always arrive precisely when they intended to, no matter where they wished to go or what they wanted to see. That meant they could watch or even participate in as many scenarios as they wanted without the fear of missing anything. It had always been this way, an inherent rule of their existence, with only one exception—events that had occurred before a Patron’s own birth were entirely out of reach.

  That limitation had been disappointing to Lauren. The original novel had alluded to many important events that had happened long before the protagonists arrived in the system, but they had never been explored in depth. She had always found it frustrating that such significant moments remained vague references in the story, and she had hoped that now, having entered this world, she would finally be able to witness them firsthand. However, that was not the case—anything that predated her existence as a Patron was inaccessible to her.

  Even so, she found comfort in the fact that Dreaming_Tyrant had been more than willing to share stories about her favorite moments from the past. It was a small consolation, but a valuable one.

  Despite knowing that Dreaming_Tyrant was an entity far older and more powerful than her, Lauren had grown quite fond of the small Patron. There was something undeniably endearing about how the girl, despite her immense nature, looked and acted like an excited child.

  It was almost as if Lauren had suddenly gained the adorable little cousin she had always wanted—someone who clung to her with infectious enthusiasm, who was eager to share every little thing that excited her, pulling her along to see everything she loved. There was a kind of innocent joy in the way Dreaming_Tyrant spoke about her favorite teams, her eyes lighting up as she eagerly explained their accomplishments, their struggles, and why she rooted for them.

  Lauren found it comforting, almost nostalgic, a warmth she hadn't expected in a place like this. More than once, Dreaming_Tyrant had grabbed her hand without hesitation, leading her from one viewing area to another with boundless energy that made it impossible not to follow along. It was easy to forget that this small, excitable Patron was an ancient entity beyond mortal comprehension when she was bouncing on her heels, eager to share the next big moment. And honestly, Lauren didn’t mind one bit.

  All in all, this whole experience had been a revelation to Lauren. The novel focused almost exclusively on Drake’s "Black Phoenix" team and, to a lesser extent, Adam’s "Team Abyss". Yet now, for the first time, she was seeing others—teams that had their own stories, their own struggles, their own heroic moments. These weren’t mere background characters doomed to insignificance. They were living, breathing warriors with dreams and destinies, their tales unfolding just as richly and dynamically as the ones she had read about in the novel. It struck her with force—this wasn’t just the book’s world; it was a world itself. Everything she was seeing was real. Understanding how it all worked, how all these interwoven stories came together, seemed like an invaluable pursuit.

  As they explored, she recognized a few familiar faces from various scenarios. None of them were major figures—mostly teams that had minor interactions with the protagonists during certain arcs, or unfortunate groups that had met grim fates during one of Adam’s more... well, infamous storylines. Occasionally, however, she would stumble upon someone truly significant.

  The most recent scenario they had watched together was one such instance. It was being exhibited across multiple screens in what could only be described as an immense, otherworldly restaurant—if one could even call it that. The establishment stretched seemingly without end, filled with tables of varying sizes and shapes, some floating midair while others merged seamlessly with the floor. The ceiling shimmered like the night sky, shifting and swirling with cosmic energy, giving the entire space an ethereal ambiance.

  Despite the sheer vastness of the place, it was alive with chatter and movement, packed with Patrons of all sizes, forms, and peculiarities. Some had humanoid appearances, while others bore monstrous or celestial shapes, each one lost in conversation or completely fixated on the screens before them.

  What stood out most, however, was the strange service that took place within the restaurant. No one paid for their food, nor did anyone seem to order in any conventional sense. Instead, peculiar beings drifted through the area, effortlessly placing dishes and drinks before any Patron who so much as glanced in their direction. These servers varied just as much as the Patrons themselves—some resembled floating wisps of energy, others moved with the grace of elongated shadowy figures, while a few even resembled mechanical constructs that worked in perfect synchronization. Plates of delicacies, drinks in colors that defied logic, and even bowls filled with what seemed to be shifting liquid light appeared before those who desired them.

  Lauren had been completely baffled by it at first. Dreaming_Tyrant, however, had laughed at her confusion and explained the simple truth: Patrons did not need to eat or drink. Their forms were not bound by mortal necessities, nor did they suffer from hunger or thirst. Yet, despite that, they still indulged in these things—not out of necessity, but purely for the experience, for the sensation of doing something, of engaging in small pleasures that, while meaningless in the grand scope of their existence, brought them a kind of simple joy.

  As Lauren watched one Patron idly sip from a goblet filled with a shimmering, silver liquid while another casually devoured an entire roasted beast that vanished into their maw without so much as a trace, she realized just how detached from normalcy this place truly was. The Patrons did things not because they had to, but because they could. Whether it was eating, drinking, or even just watching the unfolding scenarios for their own amusement, it was all about indulgence. And as she turned her gaze back to the screen displaying the latest scenario, she couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of wonder and unease at the sheer scale of the world she had found herself in.

  This particular scenario followed a team known as ‘Dragon Utopia’, a group that had once played a crucial role in the novel’s original timeline. Their presence alone sent a wave of unease through Lauren’s body, a cold sensation settling in her chest as she watched them move across the battlefield, working together in perfect synchronization.

  Every action, every word exchanged between them, exuded trust built from countless battles. They were a unit, a true team in every sense of the word, bound not by obligation but by genuine camaraderie. Each of them had their own distinct strengths, their own quirks, but together, they had once been one of the most unshakable forces in the system. She could see it clearly—the way they instinctively covered for each other, how they pushed forward with unwavering confidence, knowing that no matter what happened, none of them would be left behind.

  And yet, she knew the truth.

  Their fate in the original story was sealed. And it was a fate so cruel, so utterly unfair, that even remembering it sent a sharp pang of regret through her.

  It started slow, almost imperceptibly at first. One of them—a companion whose loyalty should have been absolute—began to waver. The cracks were so small, so insignificant in the beginning, that even his closest companions had failed to notice. But Lauren knew… She knew that somewhere within him, a seed of doubt had been planted, nurtured by the whispers of a shadow far stronger than they could comprehend. And that shadow was Adam.

  But not the Adam she had seen struggling in the early arcs of the novel. Not the one clawing his way through impossible battles, defying fate with sheer willpower. No—this was Adam as he was meant to be later in the story. A force of destruction. A manipulator whose words alone could shatter even the strongest of warriors. He had become something terrifyingly unstoppable, and when he had reached out to the weakest link in ‘Dragon Utopia’, offering power beyond imagination, it had been inevitable. The temptation had been too great. The promise of strength, of survival, had cracked the resolve of a once-proud fighter.

  And so, in the original story, the betrayal had begun.

  Lauren watched in tense anticipation, unable to shake the dread pooling in her stomach. It wouldn’t happen here—at least, not yet. But was it even still destined to happen? The process had already begun in the novel, the small cracks in loyalty forming long before anyone noticed. She could remember the subtle hesitation in his movements, the fleeting moments where his eyes lingered on his comrades with an unreadable expression. That had been the first sign. In time, he would be tempted and eventually accept Adam’s offer, turning against those who had once trusted him completely.

  But that had been originally, before Adam changed his own fate. Before a new variable—her—had entered the equation.

  Would it still happen? Would he still succumb to the same temptation, the same whispered promises of power that Adam had once offered? Or had Adam himself already set a different course, rendering the future Lauren had memorized from the novel meaningless?

  In the original timeline, she knew exactly what would have happened. The team member who should have been their unwavering shield would stand beside Adam, his former friends staring in horror and disbelief as he drove his newly acquired skills to kill their leader and then use her body as a puppet.

  There would be no going back. The team would crumble. The unity that had once been their greatest strength would be twisted into their downfall. One by one, they would fall, broken by the very man they had once called their friend.

  And the worst part? He had not been forced into it. No external pressure had coerced his hand. He had chosen to do it, he had embraced the power given to him, cast aside his past without hesitation, and joined ‘Team Abyss’ as one of its deadliest assets.

  Lauren clenched her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms. That had been the story. The version of events she had read, agonized over, and ultimately accepted as canon. But now, she was here. She had already changed something fundamental. Would that be enough to rewrite what was supposed to happen? Or was fate something that could only bend so far before it snapped back into place?

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  She swallowed hard, her mind filled with memories of what should have happened.

  She remembered how, during the final battle, he had stood at Adam’s side, unstoppable, unwavering, the very embodiment of an assassin without remorse. She remembered how he had been the one to strike the killing blow on… No.

  Her breath came out shaky as she forced herself to push the memory away. She didn’t want to relive it. She didn’t want to see it happen again. But she couldn’t help it—she had always cared about this team. Even back in the original novel, she had developed a deep attachment to them, especially to their leader.

  She remembered vividly how they had crossed paths with the protagonists in a collab scenario nearly halfway through the novel, an event that had taken place in ‘Nyxmaris, Realm of the Deep’, an underwater scenario. That world had been a nightmare—an A+ ranked scenario filled with relentless dangers, where the abyss itself had seemed alive, whispering to the minds of those who dared to traverse its blackened waters.

  The two teams had been forced to work together, albeit begrudgingly, each wary of the other’s methods and intentions. Yet despite the initial tension, she had loved how their rivalry with Drake’s team had evolved. Their leader, Solène, had clashed with Drake at every turn, the two stubborn users constantly testing each other’s strength, neither willing to back down. But beyond the competition, there had been a grudging respect between them, a recognition of the other’s skill that went beyond mere rivalry.

  In fact, one of her favorite moments in the novel had come during one of their greatest victories—the battle against the ‘Eden Alliance’. She could still picture it perfectly. The chaos of the battlefield, the air thick with magic and the scent of scorched earth, enemies closing in from all sides. And then, in the heart of it all, Solène and Drake, fighting back to back. Their movements had been seamless, blades cutting through the opposition in perfect synchronization, two warriors who should have been adversaries but had instead become each other’s greatest allies, if only for that fleeting moment. That battle had solidified her admiration for Solène, had made her one of the characters Lauren respected the most.

  And yet, what had it all been for? The next time Drake saw Solène, she had not been the same person anymore, she had not even been alive. She had become an Undead Dragon, her will consumed, her past self erased, reduced to nothing more than a weapon wielded by the very forces they had once fought against.

  Lauren’s grip tightened as she exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. She hated that part of the novel. It had been yet another cruel fate, yet another character she had cared about turned into nothing more than an obstacle for the protagonists to overcome. It was one of the things that had always left her feeling hollow, the way the story had refused to let characters like Solène find any lasting peace.

  But now? Now, there was a chance. She didn’t know what the future held anymore. She had already altered one major event. There was no telling what ripple effects that would cause, no way of knowing if Solène and her team were still fated to meet the same tragic end. But if there was anything she could do to keep them from walking that path, she would do it.

  She sighed, watching them on the screen, still fighting, still surviving, still themselves. If she could help it, they would never have to experience the cruel fate the novel had once laid out for them.

  And yet, despite her determination to change their future, she didn’t want to change everything. She didn’t want to erase the bond they had forged with Drake and his team. That rivalry, that camaraderie—they had been some of her favorite moments. If she had to rewrite their fate, then at the very least, she wanted to make sure they kept that.

  The scenario concluded smoothly, much to the excitement of most Patrons present. The restaurant filled with the sound of cheers, laughter, and the occasional clinking of glasses as many celebrated the overwhelming success of the team they had been watching. Not everyone was pleased, however. A handful of Patrons grumbled among themselves, clearly displeased with the outcome—most likely those who had bet against the victorious team and lost their wagers.

  Dreaming_Tyrant was nearly vibrating with excitement beside Lauren, barely able to contain herself as she began rambling enthusiastically about everything they had just witnessed. Her small frame practically bounced in place as she animatedly recounted her favorite moments, her wolfhead tail twitching along with her energy. Lauren listened with amusement, noting something she had suspected for a while now—Dreaming_Tyrant had a tendency to become a fan of users that caught her interest.

  And Lauren knew exactly where this was going. Eventually, Dreaming_Tyrant would become obsessed with Drake, the protagonist of the novel. Not yet, though. That wouldn’t happen until much later in the timeline—by the seventh scenario of Team Black Phoenix, when Drake’s actions and charisma would solidify him as one of the most compelling figures in the eyes of a lot of Patrons. But what if Lauren could push her to notice him sooner?

  The idea formed quickly in her mind, and she smirked to herself before deciding to act on it.

  She waited until Dreaming_Tyrant had finished her excited ramblings before responding casually, shifting the topic ever so slightly.

  "You know, that team we saw earlier in my first scenario with you…"

  She said, her voice light and thoughtful.

  "The one you took me to see when I first arrived… I was thinking about them."

  Dreaming_Tyrant blinked, tilting her head as she nibbled on what looked like a glowing piece of confectionary.

  "Huh? Oh, them? What about them?"

  She chewed thoughtfully before shrugging. Lauren feigned mild curiosity.

  "I just thought they were kind of interesting. The way they handled things."

  Dreaming_Tyrant made a face, her tone almost dismissive.

  "Mmm… I guess? They were weird. I’ve seen better."

  Lauren almost laughed. Not for long, she thought. Keeping her expression neutral, she leaned in just a bit, her voice lowering conspiratorially.

  "You know, I was actually hoping we could watch their next scenario. There was someone in particular I really wanted to see again…"

  She let her words trail off, glancing at Dreaming_Tyrant meaningfully. The small Patron raised a brow, curiosity flickering in her golden eyes.

  "Oh? Who?"

  Lauren smiled, knowing she had her.

  "That blond one."

  She said, casually yet deliberately.

  "You know, tall, handsome, blue eyes, really well-built. He was polite, but strong. Had this natural confidence, the kind that makes you want to keep watching him."

  Dreaming_Tyrant’s chewing slowed. She furrowed her brow, as if digging into her memory.

  "Blond… blue eyes…?"

  Lauren gave a small, knowing nod, leaning in just a little more.

  "Mmmhmm. He had this charming, effortless way of carrying himself. Looked like the kind of guy who always takes care of his teammates, you know? Always standing in front to shield others, always checking if they’re okay. And that smile? Just the right amount of kind and confident, the type that makes you think he could get away with anything."

  Dreaming_Tyrant’s ears twitched.

  "Wait… wait, I do remember someone like that!"

  Her eyes widened slightly.

  "Oh! Yeah, there was a guy like that in their group, wasn’t there?!"

  Lauren fought the urge to smirk.

  "Yeah, there was. And honestly, I think he’s pretty interesting."

  Dreaming_Tyrant’s expression shifted rapidly from mild recollection to growing interest, then excitement. Her fingers curled into her sleeves, and a small grin began to form.

  "Handsome, confident, strong and kind…?"

  She murmured to herself, her wolf tail twitching. The more she thought about it, the more she began to light up.

  "That does sound like my type…"

  Lauren almost laughed aloud at how easily Dreaming_Tyrant fell into the trap. Bingo! And then, as if a switch had been flipped, the little patron shot up from her seat, practically radiating excitement.

  "Architect_of_Fate, we have to go see them! The next scenario is probably about to start! I have to see him again!"

  Before Lauren could respond, Dreaming_Tyrant grabbed her hand with surprising strength for someone her size and started pulling her forward, eyes practically sparkling.

  "Come on, come on, we need to hurry! If we wait too long, we might miss something!"

  Lauren let herself be dragged along, barely holding back her laughter as she responded with amusement.

  "You do remember that you were the one who told me that Patrons never arrive late, right?"

  Dreaming_Tyrant barely slowed down, waving a hand dismissively.

  "Yeah, yeah, but I still feel like we should hurry!"

  Lauren just shook her head with a smile, letting the excited Patron lead the way… Step one: complete!

  However, there was something else Lauren wanted to do before they arrived at the second scenario. She needed to find a way to contact Drake directly, just as Dreaming_Tyrant had mentioned was possible. But doing so would cost her everything. Every single influence point she had.

  Patrons earned influence points in two ways: by placing bets on scenarios and winning against other Patrons or by waiting, as they passively generated a single point over time. This meant that high-stakes wagers could amass large amounts of influence quickly, while passive generation required patience. Lauren had barely begun accumulating influence, and using all of it now would leave her powerless in the next scenario. She wouldn’t be able to intervene, wouldn’t be able to influence outcomes, wouldn’t be able to undo anything that went wrong.

  But she had already made up her mind. It was worth the cost.

  As they walked, Dreaming_Tyrant hopped ahead excitedly, completely engrossed in her enthusiasm, her golden eyes practically sparkling. Lauren let out a small sigh, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Focusing her mind, she concentrated as her friend had explained, willing the system to respond to her call.

  A translucent screen materialized before her, its interface sleek and unfamiliar, filled with options that felt far beyond her current understanding. But she wasn’t here to explore. She knew exactly what she needed to do.

  From her perspective, the second scenario of Drake’s team had yet to begin. That meant that, right now, he was alone in the shop, trying to decide what to purchase. In the original timeline, this had been a slow, indecisive moment for him. The boy had struggled to choose, his uncertainty stretching across multiple scenarios until, much later in the story, he finally made the decision that would change everything.

  It wasn’t until the fourth scenario that he would obtain [Pinnacle Class Craft], the skill that evolved based on his effort and ultimately led him to acquire the S-Rank class ‘Celestial Knight’. It had been the perfect complement to his Personal Skill: Beloved by the Divines—the very foundation of his strength. But Lauren had always found it frustrating that it had taken so long for him to reach that conclusion. The early parts of the novel had been slow precisely because of this delay, because Drake had wandered through uncertainty before setting himself on the right path.

  She could fix that!

  The system connection established itself, and suddenly, she had access to him. The chat interface appeared, and for the first time, she could speak to Drake directly… Or something like that, she managed to type on his store search.

  She could already picture his confusion, the way his brows would furrow as he glanced around the empty shop, looking for the source of the message. But she didn’t give him time to dwell on it…

  Eventually, she closed the chat, her mission done even tho she was a bit forceful, she even mentioned Drake’s little brother to motivate him. The system window dissolved before her and the connection was severed. She had done all she could.

  A few steps ahead, Dreaming_Tyrant was still bouncing in excitement, completely unaware of what Lauren had just done. She hurried to catch up, falling into step beside her just as they reached the entrance to the viewing area.

  She had no influence left. No way to change anything in the coming scenario, but, for now, that was fine. Because she had just ensured that Drake was on the right path much earlier than he was ever supposed to be, and that was a good thing, right? The earlier the better, right?