The Man Who Doesn't Belong

The inn “The Rusted Sword” was quieter than Ren expected, considering that an event boss had almost destroyed the village.The warmth of the fireplace filled the air with the smell of freshly baked bread, and the voices downstairs sounded distant.

At a table, Ren and Liria shared a stew.

—“Well?” she asked, resting her chin on one hand. “How do you… do that?”

—“Do what?”

—“Switch weapons and abilities like it’s nothing. Nobody can do that.”

Ren swallowed a piece of bread to buy himself some time.

He couldn’t tell her that he came from another world, that all of this was a video game he already knew… much less that his class didn’t even exist in the normal system.

—“Let’s just say… I have a special contract with destiny.”

—“That sounds like a cheap excuse.”

—“It is.” Ren smiled.

The conversation was interrupted when the inn’s door opened.A tall man, dressed in a black cloak, walked in slowly.He didn’t look like an ordinary mercenary: his posture was far too relaxed, but his eyes… his eyes seemed to scan every corner of the room.

As he passed by the bar, an icon floated above his head.

Ren saw it clearly:

> Class: ??? Lv. 28

That triple question mark sent a chill down his spine.

Normal NPCs always displayed their class and level. This guy was… like him.

The man turned slightly, and for an instant, Ren swore he smiled.

Not a friendly smile, but one that said “I know exactly who you are.”



Later that night, while Liria slept in the room next door, Ren went downstairs.The man in the black cloak was sitting at a table, alone, idly spinning a gold coin between his fingers.

—“Sit down, kid,” he said without looking at him.

Ren hesitated, but obeyed.—“Who are you?”

—“Someone like you. A mistake in this world.”

—“A mistake?”

—“Call it whatever you want: anomaly, variable, glitch… The point is, we’re not supposed to exist.”

Ren clenched his fists.—“So… do you want to help me?”

—“No.” The man smiled coldly. “I want to see which of us survives longer.”

Before Ren could reply, the man stood up and walked out the door, vanishing into the darkness.

When Ren returned to his room, Liria stirred awake at the sound of him entering.

—“Something happen?” she asked sleepily.Ren hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

—“Nothing. Just that… I think things are about to get a lot more complicated.”

On his interface, a new message was glowing:

> Main Quest updated: “Survival Among Anomalies”

Objective: Defeat the Man in the Black Cloak.Reward: ???


Ren dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.If that guy was like him… then the game was no longer following any story he knew.