Alden sat on his dorm room bed, his back leaning against the wooden headboard. The dim glow of his mana-powered tablet illuminated his face as he scrolled through the latest news updates.

[Breaking News: Demon Worshippers Attack Academy – Multiple Students Dead]

His fingers tightened around the device.

It wasn't just a small incident. It was a massacre.

The attack had happened just days after their return from the forest. The academy had barely given them time to recover before chaos erupted within its walls.

The Demon Worshippers had infiltrated the academy.

Some disguised as students. Others as faculty.

And when they struck, they struck hard.

According to the reports, the worshippers had been after something hidden within the academy—something that even the professors hadn't known about. The knights had managed to push them back, but not before over a dozen students died.

Alden exhaled, his black eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

He scrolled further, reading through the public reactions.

> "The academy's security is a joke! How did they even get in?!"

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"My son was there! He barely survived!"

"This is just the beginning. Mark my words."

Alden sighed. They weren't wrong.

This was only the start.

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. His mind was racing, piecing together everything.

The demon attack. The difference in the forest battle. The second orc warlord.

At first, he had brushed it off as slight deviations. Every world had minor changes. It wasn't unusual for things to not play out exactly as they had in the game.

But now, it was undeniable.

This wasn't the normal version of the game.

This was Hard Mode.

And that changed everything.

---

The Difference Between Normal Mode and Hard Mode

Back when he played the game, there were two main difficulty settings.

Normal Mode: The standard version. The story played out as intended. The protagonist and the main cast faced challenges, but they always had a way to win.

Hard Mode: The nightmare setting. Enemies weren't just stronger—they were smarter, more ruthless. Boss fights weren't just difficult; sometimes they multiplied. Instead of one powerful orc warlord, Hard Mode would throw in two.

The reason Alden hadn't realized sooner was because the differences at the start weren't that major.

The academy events, the ranking duels, the teleportation incident… all of them played out similarly in both versions.

But the forest battle…

That was the first real divergence.

The orc warlord wasn't supposed to have a mate.

And yet, they had fought two.

Now, the demon worshippers had attacked earlier than expected, and students had actually died.

Alden rubbed his temples.

The game was already brutal.

But Hard Mode?

Hard Mode was a death sentence.

The world had already been doomed in the normal game. But now?

Now, it was worse.

---

Alden closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath.

He needed to adjust his plans.

Before, he had intended to stay in the background.

To guide the protagonist and the main cast from the shadows.

But if this really was Hard Mode, then that approach wasn't enough.

Leon and the others weren't strong enough.

They were talented, yes. They were powerful, yes. But in the original game, they had the luxury of time.

Time to train. Time to develop. Time to grow into their full potential.

In Hard Mode?

Time was a luxury they didn't have.

Alden's fingers tightened into a fist. He needed to make them stronger—faster.

Which meant accelerating their growth.

Training them harder.

Forcing them into battles that would push them to their limits.

Because if they weren't strong enough?

They would die.

And in this world, death wasn't just a game over screen.

It was real.

Alden exhaled, his mind already racing with ideas.

There were ways to push them. Ways to make them grow without making it obvious that he knew more than he should.

He would guide them, but he wouldn't hold their hands.

And himself?

He couldn't stay stagnant either.

His control over Mark of Connection had improved, but it wasn't enough. His Telekinesis had evolved, but it still had limits.

He needed to push his own strength as well.

Because if this was Hard Mode, then it meant the final boss was also stronger than before.

And if that was the case?

Then the world was already on the brink of destruction.