The Protagonists Keep Adding Scenes For Me | Chapter 38 | The Demon's Prophecy | Novela.app

“Tell me the truth, do you want to join the Plot Department?” Yun Luo sat at the reception desk, propping up her chin with a serious expression. Mu Ran, who had been forced to watch the "Puppeteer" script from the previous world, replied weakly, “No... besides, I haven’t studied their procedures. I definitely wouldn’t get in.” ...Fine, so he was just a natural talent. Recalling Ye Lan’s instructions, Yun Luo feigned a troubled sigh. “Sigh, but you were the last one to return again... your performance metrics are at the bottom of the barrel.” Seeing Mu Ran’s eyes visibly droop, she blinked. “However, Sister Ye Lan has a request. You could earn some extra credit on the side during the next world. Want to consider it?” ... Mu Ran curiously poked the small silver lock on his bracelet and looked up. “I just need to wear this? I don’t need to do anything active?” Yun Luo nodded with a smile and handed over a pure black necklace, patiently instructing him, “Give this one to your System. During the mission, these two colors might transform into each other. The more they convert, the better the effect. If these two ever break... though it seems unlikely, if it really happens, it means you can return immediately!” *But that would mean you’ve subverted the fundamental plot points of the small world. That should be impossible, right?* she thought privately. Noticing the absence of the familiar blue light beside Mu Ran, she asked curiously: “Oh, right, where is your System? Why didn't he come with you today?” “He went to choose a body~” Mu Ran took the necklace. “He hadn't been able to decide before, but after returning from the last world, he suddenly told me he was going to pick a shell.” Yun Luo pursed her lips and smiled. “I see.” “Aren't you going to supervise? What if the shell he chooses doesn't suit your taste?” “Cough, as long as he likes it himself.” Mu Ran, who had once been so stunned by a shell the System created that he forgot to act his part, felt a slight twinge of embarrassment and changed the subject. “When is the next experiment?” “In two days.” Yun Luo gave a mysterious smile. “Someone is very much looking forward to your results this time.” — “May the Gods protect you, child.” Twelve-year-old Al accepted the old man’s embrace and blessing before walking alone into the Forest of Trials. He carried only a rusted iron sword and a cloth bag containing a few pieces of shriveled, hard bread. But he needed to stay in this forest for three full days and kill a single magical beast. “Honestly, I don’t want any of those squishy little monsters at all,” Al muttered to himself, sitting by the water and staring at his reflection. “Commoners should just accept their fate, shouldn't they? Why risk our lives to obtain things that don't belong to us?” The wind was cool, and the silence and emptiness of the woods caused the child to gradually feel uneasy, his voice choking up. Under the influence of fear, his words became increasingly bold and radical. “Aren't Spirit Forms a sign of the Gods' favor? Why must abandoned people like us act so... so despicably!” “The prophecies in the Holy Book never mentioned that a child could become a great figure just by wandering around here once. Why force me to come?!” He whispered, “Why can’t I stay a child forever...” The boy gazed despondently at his reflection in the water. The originally calm surface suddenly swirled into a vortex, shattering his youthful image. In its place appeared the bewitchingly pale face of a youth. His black hair drifted softly on the water like floating algae. Tiny, sparkling droplets clung to his eyelashes. His eyes were tightly shut, and a strange crimson flower was tattooed at the corner of his eye, making him look like a dangerous and enchanting Siren from legend. Under Al’s incredulous gaze, the youth in the water opened those deep, blood-red eyes. They turned slowly, like a python’s, fixing upon the boy on the bank. Al: !!! His heart hammered wildly. He scrambled to his feet to flee, but his wrist was firmly caught by a pale, slender hand, feeling as though a cold snake had coiled around him. Looking back, the youth was gripping his hand, rising inch by inch from the water. “Ugh...” He was still a child, after all. Terrified by the scene and remembering the irreverent words he had just spoken against the Gods, Al assumed the youth before him was a demon sent by the Divine to punish him. In his terror, he covered his eyes with one hand and burst into tears. “Waaa, I was wrong... I was wrong...” Mu Ran, who had just climbed out: ? *I haven't even done anything yet, why is he crying?* “What a coward.” Mu Ran let go of his hand, amused by the boy’s self-deceiving act of covering his face to pretend he wasn't there. He poked the boy’s cheek. “What are you afraid of? I’m not going to do anything to you.” *This demon’s voice is so pleasant...* Al thought sluggishly while covering his face, not fully processing what he had heard. He heard the demon let out what sounded like a helpless sigh—*it must be a hallucination, how could a demon feel helpless? He must be thinking about how to eat me*—and then a strange sensation suddenly brushed against the back of his hand, causing him to instinctively peek through the gaps of his fingers. The sight that met his eyes made him forget his fear. He blankly lowered his hands just to see more— It was a beautiful, majestic, miniature grey wolf with smooth fur, floating in the air. Under the boy’s longing, dreamlike gaze, it paced elegantly through the air and came to rest on the demon youth’s shoulder. A pair of deep, haughty eyes glanced coldly at Al before the creature tucked its limbs and settled down in a relaxed posture on the youth’s shoulder. A Spirit Form! And a high-level beast-type Spirit Form at that! Not everyone possessed a Spirit Form, and beast-types were reserved only for geniuses with extraordinary mental strength. In the small town where Al lived, there had never been a genius capable of birthing a beast-type Spirit Form. Even the child the adults called the "Child of Hope" only had a beast-like Spirit Form condensed from elements! The reason Al and his fellow villagers risked coming to the Forest of Trials was merely to snatch a few slimes to fuse into their own "Spirit Forms" before their mental strength was fully awakened. But now, he was actually seeing such a beautiful beast-type Spirit Form! “Yo, not scared anymore?” The demon youth curled his lips, stroking the little wolf on his shoulder as he looked teasingly at the boy’s starstruck face. Al nodded dizzily. “Scared. But I feel like it was worth it.” Mu Ran: ... He didn't quite understand the kid’s logic, but he didn't care. He needed to start the experiment now. “Why be afraid of me? I’m here to help you.” The boy looked like a slow-witted guinea pig, his hands hovering in mid-air, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the grey wolf. “Help... me?” The demon nodded with a smile and spoke briskly, “I’m here to tell you that a sharp and magnificent sword is hidden at the northern end of the forest.” He leaned down to meet Al’s gaze at eye level. The pattern at the corner of his eye seemed as vivid and bewitching as flowing blood. “And I say, you shall be the little hero who obtains it.” “Do you believe me?” The demon youth’s voice was light and melodious, elegant like a plucked cello. These words sounded like a trick a noble young master would use to deceive a commoner child, just to enjoy the sight of the child’s transition from expectation to disappointment from a position of superiority. But... perhaps because he understood the meaning behind the words, or because he sensed the focus and tenderness beneath those crimson eyes when they met, Al didn't feel his self-esteem wounded or doubt that he was being played. Instead, a tiny spark of hope inexplicably sprouted within him. “R-Really!” *Am I a hero? Can... can someone like me be a hero?* *If I really get the sword, I can go home, I can go to the academy...* Al stared intently at the demon, pursing his lips as he asked cautiously, “Is this your prophecy?” That question again. Mu Ran’s eyes crinkled as he patted the child’s face, nodding casually. “As long as you believe it, it is.” *If I believe it... it’s a prophecy!* The child’s bright black eyes darted nervously. He stammered, “But there’s no such entry in the Sacred Records I’ve memorized. The closest one was five years ago, and it was about a noble lady obtaining a spirit pet in her own territory’s forest... Did—did I miss a book?” There was another suspicion he didn't dare voice. “Wow, you actually have to memorize that kind of stuff.” Mu Ran patted the child’s head and said breezily, “Don’t be bound by the things in those books. Since you believe my words, why not go and give it a try?” He took Al’s small, dark, thin hand and patiently used elemental power to trace a safe path onto the boy’s palm. Al didn't dare move, not only because of the moist, wondrous sensation on his palm but also because of the youth’s shocking statement. *Things in books? Bound? What is he talking about!* *Doesn't the Great God prophesy all anomalies, and the Divine Envoys arrange the lives of all beings according to His will?* *Isn't that how it is?* Al snapped out of his shock again when he heard the low howl of the miniature grey wolf. Before he could voice the confusion in his heart, the youth gave him a gentle smile and then stepped into the water, vanishing. He scrambled to the water’s edge. The image in the water scattered and reformed, leaving only his own youthful face. Was it a hallucination? Al tremblingly opened his palm and saw a pulsing, water-blue arrow. It pointed north. Like a silent temptation. The boy scrambled up from the ground and stood by the water, filled with bewilderment. *Should I believe him?* *Should I believe the words of a youth who looks like a demon and speaks with the teasing mockery of one? Especially when he treats the Gods and prophecies with such contempt.* The Holy Book said: do not be bewitched by those with enchanting looks, do not be deceived by those with silver tongues, do not be... The hymns of the cathedral echoed in his head one after another, but Al found that his heart still surged with a shameful longing. Even if it was a trap, how much worse could things get? But if it really was a prophecy, a prophecy about to come true... Al slowly closed his palm, picked up the small cloth bag from the rock, and marched toward the direction in his heart. — 【Mu Ran: Yay! Another one who believes me!】 Watching the child follow the safe route he had planned, Mu Ran withdrew his gaze with satisfaction from inside a hollow tree. At this moment, what sat on his shoulder was not a grey wolf, but a small lop-eared rabbit. The grey wolf was currently lying on the System’s head. This experiment tested the degree of trust passersby had in two different types of people, requiring a certain contrast between appearance and inner nature. Thus, the two had simply chosen shells that differed greatly from their original selves. “Hey! I look so imposing this time!” Mu Ran looked toward the System. The youth, with his refined features and melancholy aura, had his eyes downcast. The silver markings on his forehead sparkled like starlight. The mysterious, oppressive aura he once held had weakened significantly, making him look somewhat gentle and noble in the morning light filtering through the gaps in the tree hollow. Mu Ran had intended to tease the System using his current shell, but a weight suddenly dropped onto his shoulder. He picked it up to look—it was a small white rabbit with drooping ears and squinted eyes. Mu Ran: ? He looked at the System in confusion and found a majestic grey wolf with smooth fur lying on the System’s shoulder. Mu Ran: ?? For some reason, the rabbit in his hand suddenly kicked its legs and started punching the air randomly, looking quite foolish. Mu Ran: ??? ... After an emergency contact with Headquarters, they learned that these two little creatures were likely a setting of this world, reflecting certain characteristics of their masters. Mu Ran: Oh. :( *But the grey wolf is so cool...* “Let’s swap,” the System said. “It fits our appearances better.” Mu Ran’s eyes lit up. “Is that okay?” ... And so, it became a routine: whenever they went out separately, they would carry the other’s Spirit Form. When they returned to the tree hollow, their respective small animals would crawl back to their owners to rest. Although Spirit Forms were an important setting in this world, they weren't people of this world after all. To them, the Spirit Forms were like small pets; aside from needing to lie on their masters to "recharge," they were very free the rest of the time. “I keep hearing them talk about ‘prophecies.’ I wonder if anything will happen since I just went along with it.” Mu Ran lifted his wrist, then leaned behind the System to look at the necklace on the back of the other’s neck, squinting to discern any changes. “I feel like there’s a tiny, tiny bit of change. What do you think?” The System looked down. “There is, but the change is too small.” The design of these two chains was very unique. Not only were the pendants shaped like small locks, but the chains themselves were made of interlocking iron rings, making them very eye-catching. “They said these might break. I feel like it’ll be a ‘bang—’ kind of feeling, like breaking through the shackles of a chain!” The System said thoughtfully, “The worship these people have for the Gods and so-called ‘prophecies’...” could also be considered a shackle. Thinking about how he was revered as a "Divine Son" by passersby due to his shell’s appearance—even when he spoke words of rebuke, the passersby accepted them with pious faces—the System felt quite helpless. The little rabbit on his shoulder was also revered as a divine beast and fed many precious fruits and vegetables by passersby, returning with a bulging belly every time. He wondered if this "shackle" could be resolved. As he thought, he squeezed the belly of the rabbit on Mu Ran’s shoulder. Feeling the substantial weight, he guiltily withdrew his hand. After all, Mu Ran had recently begun to wonder why the rabbit was getting fatter and fatter. — “It’s him.” “He is the one in the prophecy.” “Use this... just strangle him to death.” Suffocation. “May the Gods protect you. Be a good person in your next life, child.” Struggling. “He’s still breathing? Truly ominous!” Breathe, breathe faster. ... “Hey! Wake up!!” He rose from a state of suffocation and struggle, only to find that the entire team was already up. Everyone was looking at him with eyes full of worry. He was drenched in cold sweat, his back completely soaked. “It’s nothing, just a nightmare.” He felt the air flowing through his chest. The panic of a narrow escape made his voice tremble imperceptibly. “It’s nothing.” As if speaking to himself, he repeated it in a low voice. “It was just a nightmare.” *** **Glossary**