Arcane Era - Chapter 3: Emancipation

The clock struck midnight when Ruelle heard the echo of footsteps. She tensed, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end in the cool night air.“You shouldn't be here,” Ruelle whispered, her voice a breathless murmur. The silhouette finally came to stand under the moonlight, his dark red eyes watching her and his inky black hair ruffling.“Shouldn't I?” His voice was a dark caress, and she stood there captivated by the danger he exuded like perfume.“I haven’t seen you for the last two days,” his tone low. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the silk of her nightgown, tracing the trembling outline of her collarbone. “Tell me, were you avoiding me, or perhaps... entertaining other offers?”Ruelle’s heart raced, her breaths shallow. She declared, “I don't belong to anyone.”“A bold claim,“ he murmured, his breath a tantalising chill against her skin as he leaned in. ”Yet here you are, pulse racing, your body tensed as if in anticipation of my touch.”His fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face towards his. The moonlight caught his eyes, revealing a glint of predatory intent. “Or must I remind you whose touch you truly crave?”

The oldest myth between heaven and earth reappears in the world, countless spaces begin to slowly interweave, and the dark side of the world quietly emerges.

Advocate the friars who are weak in flesh and blood and eternal in spirit. Showing a tyrannical body, there is my invincible martial artist.

Looking at the changes in the world, Lu Ren exhaled in a panic.

“Ding, because of your uninterrupted breathing for 26 years, you suddenly realized something, and successfully realized the breathing technique.”

Hearing the prompt sound in his mind, Lu Ren waved his sword hesitantly.

“Ding, because you were blindly poking a few times with your sword, you suddenly realized something and successfully learned basic swordsmanship.”

After a long time, he looked at the army invading from another world, raised his long sword and slashed it out.

In an instant, the endless air waves rolled back, and the mountains and rivers where they passed collapsed, and the rivers fell.

Then the army was annihilated and bombarded towards the different world. The entire other world was completely shattered by the explosion of infinite fire, and slowly disappeared into the air.

- Description from novelbuddy

Waking up in an unfamiliar world with no memories, I had only one advantage—a mind filled with knowledge of fictional tropes, clichés, and common sense learned from countless novels.At first, I thought I was trapped in a romcom nightmare when I started triggering events like “Helping a Girl on a Rainy Day”, “Damsel in Distress”, and “Tripping Into the Heroine’s Arms.” Naturally, I shut those nonsense down before they could escalate. No forced romances. No misunderstandings. No cringe.But something was clearly off.The world wasn’t just a slice-of-life comedy.Beneath the cliché academy setting, there were whispers of awakening powers, hidden dangers, and a brutal magic academy entrance exam.And every challenge I prevented or manipulated was an opportunity to grow stronger.[Title Earned: Background Character.][Achievement Unlocked: Firm Mind.][New Skill Acquired: Background Character's Aura.][New Ability Acquired: Anti-Narrative Influence.]I may be just a background character, but if fate insists on throwing these events at me, I’ll turn them into stepping stones.Let the protagonists play their scripted roles—I have my own path to power.

I’m not a gamer. In fact, I barely touched games—never had the time or interest.I’m a 23-year-old college dropout, part-time construction worker, and full-time avoider of adult responsibilities.That is, until my little sister nagged me into trying a romance simulation game called Echoes of the Crimson Throne.I played it. Liked it more than I expected. I even completed it.And the next thing I knew… I woke up inside the game.Not as the hero.Not even as a love interest.I was now the personal attendant of Alice Draken—the villainess, the Prince’s fiancée, and the iron-fisted Ruler of the North.A woman whose downfall was guaranteed... unless I do something about it.