Aedan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands. His fingers twitched as the weight of a thousand memories ran through them. This wasn't just a world to survive anymore—it was the world he had loved and cursed over a decade of gameplay.

"Ten years," he muttered, more amused than concerned. "Ten years of playing this damned game... and now I'm living it."

For all the frustration it had brought—death flags, difficult decisions, and complex plots—there was a twisted joy in being here, knowing what came next. He had mastered this world like no one else, pouring countless hours into every corner of its labyrinthine dungeons and palace intrigues.

But now, the stakes were different. No save points. No retries.

He already knew what was coming: the poisoning, the siege, the civil war. And somewhere amidst that chaos, Aedan—no, Haruto—was fated to die. In every timeline, in every playthrough, there had never been a path that led to survival.

"But this time..." He leaned forward, clasping his hands tighter, eyes narrowing with resolve. "This time, I'll break the story."

He ran through every possible option. Warn the king? He'd be assassinated by the first prince's faction. Rally political allies? They would turn on him once the siege began. Escape? His carriage would crash, and he'd die. Every path ended the same.

Aedan gritted his teeth. "Damn it, this world's stacked against me." His frustration was palpable, but under it lay an undeniable thrill. It was real now.

And then there was the talisman.

Everyone who had ever taken on the impossible challenge of playing as Aedan in the game agreed on one thing: if only they had that item, survival would be possible. The Talisman of the Stone Heart—the object that could make even the frailest body resistant to physical harm and grant nearly limitless stamina. With it, Aedan's frailty wouldn't matter anymore.

But in the game, the only way to obtain the talisman was by killing Marquis Raven, a feat no one had ever survived long enough to achieve while playing as Aedan.

Aedan clenched his fists. "But this isn't a game anymore. I don't need to follow the timeline."

Marquis Raven, the king's most trusted chancellor, had always been more than he seemed. In truth, he was the first prince's right-hand man, sent by the Duke to orchestrate the palace siege. It was Raven who had manipulated events from the shadows, ensuring that the civil war would erupt and the palace would fall.

In the game's story, after the siege failed, Raven was forced to retreat. He stumbled into the dungeon while fleeing and found the talisman there by accident, claiming it for himself. It was only after he had the talisman that Raven became a truly unstoppable foe.

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Aedan's eyes flickered toward the dungeon beyond the palace walls. That's where the talisman was now. And if he could get to it before the siege...

"Why follow the rules when I can write new ones?" he whispered, the hint of a dangerous smirk playing on his lips.

Mana Reflux—this is a rare and dangerous condition that reversed the natural flow of mana within the body. The affliction was excruciating, often fatal if left untreated, and few ever recovered from it.

Aedan knew that if anyone believed he had this condition, it would create the perfect reason to enter the Black Hollow Dungeon, where the only known cure was located. Mimicking its symptoms would be agonizing, but it was the key to getting access to the dungeon—and the talisman.

"This'll hurt," Aedan murmured to himself, staring at his hands again. "But I'll survive. I have to."

Hours later, Aedan knelt on the cold stone floor of his room, his breathing steady, focusing inward. His body was already weak, but he needed to push it further. Reversing his mana flow was dangerous, but it would mimic the exact symptoms of Mana Reflux.

He took a deep breath and began the process, forcing the mana to reverse.

The pain hit him like a blade, sharp and relentless. His veins felt as if they were on fire, and blood began to seep from his nose, ears, and eyes. His vision blurred, but he gritted his teeth, fighting to stay conscious. His body convulsed violently as he collapsed onto the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

Stay awake. Just a little longer.

The door slammed open, and Siegfried rushed inside, his eyes widening at the sight of Aedan's bloodied form.

"Your Highness!" Siegfried's voice was laced with shock, but there was no softness in his gaze. Duty, disappointment, and something darker mixed behind his cold expression.

Aedan remained motionless, keeping up the charade as Siegfried shouted for help.

Soon enough, the door burst open again, and the court physician stumbled into the room. Darius Melverton—a man with trembling hands and eyes filled with panic. Aedan risked cracking his eyes open just enough to catch a glimpse of Darius's stats panel floating in the air.

[Name: Darius Melverton]

[Age: 51]

[Level: 17]

[Strength: F]

[Healing Magic: C]

[Diplomacy: F]

[Leadership: F]

[Ambition: B]

[Likeability: -15]

Aedan mentally sighed. Strength F. Healing Magic C. This man was barely competent. Ambition B? It made sense—Darius had likely schemed his way into this position.

As the physician examined him, his thoughts raced in panic, sharp and disorganized, as he grappled with the gravity of the prince's condition.

"Damn it... Why did it have to be him? And what is this Mana Reflux? I've only ever read about Mana Reflux in books... If I can't save him, the king will have my head." The physician's hands shook as he worked. "Frail little prince... If he's going to die, why drag me down with him?"

Notification: [Likability with Darius Melverton has dropped by -20. Current Likeability: -35.]

Aedan's eyes narrowed slightly. So, Likeability is in play too, just like the game. It was a mechanic used to manipulate characters into becoming allies or enemies, but in the game, it wouldn't be activated until later—after the siege. It's all happening sooner.

His gaze shifted to Siegfried, who stood nearby, arms crossed as he watched the physician work. Aedan could barely make out his status window, but it was there.

[Name: Siegfried Laertes]

[Age: 36]

[Level: 45]

[Strength: S]

[Magic: A]

[Diplomacy: C]

[Leadership: S]

[Loyalty: S]

[Likeability: 0]

"Strength S, Magic A, Leadership S? What a monster!". In the original timeline, he had died defending the king's chamber during the siege, cutting down wave after wave of enemies until his body finally gave out.

"Not this time", Aedan thought. "This time, I'll save him". He wasn't about to let a man this strong die for Nothing. "I'll make him mine."