«You have failed to protect the stone. Therefore, you will suffer a penalty.»

These were the words on the sign.

As a reminder, I'm currently on the third trial of the sanctuary, which involves protecting a type of stone. However, some orcs have stolen it from me and I've decided to get it back by infiltrating their village.

But unfortunately, a barrier prevented me from entering. So I lured monsters into the forest to break it down.

So far, so good. I even managed to sneak into the orc chief's hut, where the stone was sitting on an enchantment table next to a blue sphere.

Just then, an orc appeared and warned me not to remove it.

Ignoring his warning, I yanked it out. An explosion followed, caused by the blue sphere.

"And now the stone's in bad shape."

Indeed, the shockwave caused by the blue sphere smashed the stone to smithereens in my hands.

Now I anxiously await the penalty I'm due to receive.

« Penalty in process...»

"Maybe the penalty won't be too severe, after all, I only broke a stone." That's what I'd say if I weren't reincarnated in this novel.

A novel I had a hand in creating, and whose dangers I know all too well.

Therefore, it would be a miracle to come out of it with all my limbs intact.

"This is the moment of truth."

The words on the sign faded, giving way to new ones. I read them carefully.

«Your penalty is to survive a horde of dragons.»

"I'm screwed, there's no way I'll survive."

In this world, the most powerful race by nature are the dragons.

To give you an idea of just how dangerous these creatures are, the main character, at his peak, had to fight a dragon for an entire week.

Worst of all, his objective was simply to cut off one of the beast's wings and escape with his companion.

"And I'm asked to survive a whole horde ?"

Honestly, I'm completely lost. Not only do I have no way out, but I feel helpless in this place.

How can a legendary creature appear at the snap of a finger and, on top of that, come in a group to kill a mere insignificant being like me ?

As I pondered my plight, something caught my eye.

"How can this be ?"

The enchantment table containing the stone is intact, despite the explosion.

The explosion hadn't been that powerful, since I'd survived, but the table should have sustained some damage, yet there was no sign of that.

I approached gently and began dusting the surface.

"As I thought, the enchantment table suffered no damage, however..."

However, the symbols inscribed on them seemed all too familiar.

Analyzing them more closely, I was shocked by what I had just discovered.

"These writings are mine!"

Or more precisely, they belonged to my country.

"But how could they have ended up here ?"

As far as I know, it's impossible for a person to know them, because I've made them so complex that even I have trouble reading them. So why are they here ?

"Ah..."

I remember now. At the time, Luca lacked the inspiration and ingenuity to create a new language, supposed to be the old language in the novel.

To ease his burden, I offered to take his place. So I mixed three languages from my homeland and added his handwriting.

The aim of all this was to confuse readers, as they had managed to anticipate future events in the work.

"That's the most logical explanation I can come up with."

*Shudder

*Growl

As I admired the traces I'd left in this world, a tremor was felt from the sky, vibrating the ground beneath my feet.

"They're coming."

Scanning the sky, I see dots lining up and closing in on me at full speed.

They must be dragons. For the moment, they're far enough away that I can't make out their silhouettes.

I take one last look at the enchantment table before the dragons arrive, abandoning all hope of survival.

"What the..."

As I looked at the table, I noticed a text engraved on it.

"Create a barrier around the orc village using..."

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The text was long, but it explained the creation of the barrier I had just destroyed earlier.

At that moment, an idea sprang to mind.

"What if I repaired the stone using the enchantment table? Maybe the sanctuary will spare me."

It doesn't hurt to try.

Editing the entire text and moving the letters around, I wrote...

"Repair the stone using all the monsters living in this place as an energy source."

In the text written earlier, it was mentioned that the blue sphere had been used as an energy source to create the barrier. So I too used an energy source: the monsters.

"I hope that..."

Before I could even finish my thought, a mighty roar echoed through the ruins, followed by the sound of collapsing rubble.

"You !!!" screamed Ganki, emerging from the rubble, his gaze filled with rage.

Damn ! I don't have the strength to face him again.

My wounds were burning, caused by the explosion that had almost cost me my life. I could barely stand.

Ganki, however, didn't seem to share this feeling. Ignoring his own condition, he grabbed his heavy axe, his muscles straining from the effort, and launched a furious assault, his sharp weapon poised to reach me.

My heart was pounding. I could see death approaching in his blazing eyes, in the cold gleam of the blade coming towards me.

But against all odds, Ganki suddenly stopped in his tracks, his axe suspended in mid-air.

"What's going on ?" he murmured, his gaze shifting from me to his own hands in disbelief.

Then his body began to glow, a strange glow emanating from his skin. Luminous particles slowly detached from him, as if his very essence were disintegrating, before moving inexorably towards the enchantment table.

I stared at him, dumbfounded, as he collapsed to the floor, his energy sucked away by the mystical object. His titanic strength had left him, leaving only an empty shell, lying lifeless on the floor.

"It works !"

At that instant, the entire village seemed to metamorphose.

Wisps of crystalline dust, similar to those emanating from Ganki, rose into the air, swirling in a hypnotic dance.

The enchantment table greedily absorbed these particles, each one strengthening its power.

*Vibration

The ground shook beneath my feet, echoing the mystical forces at play. I expected to see the stone in my hands reform. But nothing happened.

Instead, the stone houses that had been reduced to rubble rebuilt themselves. Brick by brick, they stood upright, as if animated by a will of their own, the walls rising again, solid and imposing.

"What's the matter ?"

I didn't understand. Why was it having no effect on my stone, when everything around me seemed reborn ?

"Stone... stone...?" My thoughts swirled in my head, desperately seeking an answer. Then, suddenly, a memory hit me hard. Ganki had called this stone the Scarlet Core.

"No! No! No!"

A wave of panic swept over me. How could I have been so stupid ? After realizing my mistake, I hurriedly stopped the enchantment table.

"I've really screwed up on this one..." I muttered, crestfallen by the realization of my failure.

The original text must have been long for a reason. Whoever had created this barrier had surely taken care to include numerous details to ensure its effectiveness. As for me, I'd settled for a few simplistic lines, leaving it to the enchantment table to decide what to do.

"My body..."

A feeling of weakness suddenly overcame me. I fell to my knees, my body unable to bear its own weight.

Looking up, I could make out the massive silhouettes of the dragons, their gigantic shadows silhouetted against the sky.

Don't tell me it's their presence that's keeping me grounded ?

Every flap of their wings brought these infernal creatures a little closer to me, the atmosphere growing heavier and heavier, almost suffocating.

"I've got to hurry !"

Gathering what little strength I had left, I struggled to my feet. The fear of imminent death was giving me an energy I thought I'd lost. I bent over the enchantment table again, thinking at full speed.

I didn't have time to write a complex text. Every second counted. So I made do with key words: repair, assemble, glue, fuse, reconstitute... Not forgetting to mention the Scarlet Core.

But I still had one major problem. I'd run out of energy to activate the table. All the monsters had been exhausted.

"In that case..."

A desperate solution crossed my mind. I had no choice but to use my own energy, or more precisely, the skill points I'd accumulated since the beginning of my reincarnation.

I had briefly considered drawing on the dragons' energy, but they were too far away for the enchantment table to reach.

"Let's start the process !"

The table activated, and I immediately felt an intense burning run through my entire body. A bright light emanated from me, similar to that of the monsters before me.

[Alert ! Your skill points are decreasing]

-2 strength points

[Alert ! your skill points are decreasing]

-1 agility point

[Alert ! Your skill points are decreasing]

-3 strength points

[Alert ! Your skill points are decreasing]

…

My skill points were slipping away at an alarming rate, with each lost unit draining a little more of my life force. Yet, despite the pain, I noticed that the stone, or rather the Scarlet Core, was returning to its original state.

"I've got to hold on !" I gritted my teeth, struggling not to lose consciousness. The heaviness of the atmosphere caused by the dragons, combined with the absorption of my abilities, made me feel as if I were sinking into an endless abyss.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Scarlet Core became whole again, radiating reddish energy.

«You have repaired the object to be defended, therefore, penalty removed» announced the sign.

A breath of relief escaped my lips. The dragons that had been flying dangerously close to me began to disappear one by one, dissipating in the air like mirages.

But before they disappeared completely, one of them let out a heart-rending scream in my direction. This simple howl generated a powerful gust of wind, which, though diminished by the absence of strength and energy, managed to perforate my abdomen.

"Arghh !!!" I let out a cry of agony, falling to the ground writhing in pain. But, despite everything, I had survived.

At that moment, a door sprang up from the ground, rising majestically in front of me, displaying the number 4.

"I've got to get out of here at all costs." I'd already suffered enough in this place. I knew that other monsters might be lurking around, and in my condition, I wouldn't be able to resist them.

I moved towards the door with difficulty, each step a titanic effort. The carcasses of monsters littered the ground around me, but I ignored them, concentrating solely on my survival.

Just before I reached the door, a new system message appeared.

[Alert ! Your skill points are decreasing]

"Huh ?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, confusion overwhelming me. Why were my points continuing to decrease ?

I turned to see the Scarlet Core floating in the air, glowing ominously. Before I could react, it slammed into my body, plunging me into total darkness.

[Alert: the Scarlet Core is attempting to merge with your body].

My body...? The Scarlet Core is trying to merge with me ?

"There must be some way to expel it, right ?"

[Negative.]

These simple words hit me like a sledgehammer. A feeling of panic washes over me, followed by a wave of intense pain that runs right through me.

My body writhes under the effect of the forced fusion. The sensation is unbearable, as if every cell of my being is being torn apart and reshaped by an alien force.

I collapse to the ground, my fingers clawing at the earth beneath me, seeking an anchor in this storm of suffering.

But despite the pain that threatens to overwhelm me, one thought imposes itself on me: I have no choice. I must endure this ordeal, I must survive, whatever the cost.

Time loses all meaning, each second seeming to stretch into an eternity of torment.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the pain begins to subside. My breath is ragged, but I'm alive. I'm still here.

Just then, the system sends me another notification.

[New skill acquired: Scarlet Eyes. Would you like to read the description ?]

A new skill ? Frankly, I couldn't care less about that right now. I've only got one priority: getting through that damned door.

I gather what little strength I have left, each step costing me a monumental effort. The door stands before me, imposing, almost a promise of respite from this hell. The urge to go through it, to leave this nightmarish place, pushes me forward.

As I finally reach the door, I whisper, almost to myself, with rage and determination bubbling up inside me:

"I will find the person who created this cursed ordeal of sanctuary... for all the evil she has done to me."