Chapter 3 Serial Start (2)

***

Despite the immediate hostile situation, I couldn't help but be deeply moved by the current circumstances. His uniquely cheerful and innocent face, his mouth quivering as if about to burst into laughter. There were some differences from what I had seen in comic books, but still, it was Leo. To actually see the guy I had only met in dreams was incredible.

I desperately wanted to run up and greet him, to tell him that I had been a fan of his for a very long time. However,

"Hehe, little kid, we've been waiting for you!"

"Are you leaving today?"

"Who said so! If you want to go, you'll have to leave a leg behind!"

The sudden voices left me no choice but to hold back my excitement. Turning to look, I saw these incredibly crude villains threatening me. They were shouting and making a fuss, but I found it all rather ridiculous. And as expected, it didn't even crack Leo's calm expression.

'Well, maybe it's for the best.'

If I could overcome this obstacle, there would be plenty of opportunities to build a rapport with Leo. And that might be the only way for me to survive here.

I composed myself. I needed to focus on resolving the current situation. Just then, Leo spoke for the first time.

"What, you guys again?"

Surprisingly, his voice sounded familiar. For some reason, it was quite similar to the voice actor's from the animated version. It was a strange coincidence.

Then,

"Hehe, kid, today will be different. I even called my brother, who's active in the big city. He's a real brute."

The leader pushed my shoulder slightly and said,

"Hehe, that kid I was talking about is right there. Give him a good beating."

"Yeah, show us!"

"Hurry up!"

The pressure was more intense than I expected. Not only the leader but everyone around was pushing me. Even Leo seemed to notice, as he started staring at me with sparkling eyes.

'What do I do...?'

Despite his innocent appearance, Leo is a monster I can't possibly match. There's no point in fighting. In the end, I only have two choices: express my unwillingness to fight or run away.

But running away would be just as meaningless. Without getting involved with the protagonist, there would be no future for an extra like me.

The former is the right choice. If I play my cards right, I might even become a companion.

Just as I was about to approach Leo and suggest a conversation,

"Hey, I have something to say..."

Beep.

Suddenly, a hologram turned red, and a warning message appeared.

[Warning!]

[Intention to violate plausibility detected]

[Action prohibited by the established plot]

[Penalty: Forced silence for 10 seconds]

'What is this?'

I was thoroughly confused. As the warning message stated, I couldn't speak or even open my mouth. It felt as if an inexplicable force was binding my body.

But the real problem wasn't the unprecedented pressure on my body.

'Established plot? I have to act according to the scripted plot?'

I was speechless.

So, I'm supposed to act just like in the original and get deleted?

That's a death sentence.

The force binding my body quickly disappeared, but the uncomfortable situation remained.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

"Is something the matter?"

Everyone looked at me with puzzled expressions.

'Should I just run away?'

No, I shook my head. If I did, the same thing would probably happen again, and I might face even harsher penalties.

I needed time to think.

To avoid the immediate situation, I called out to one of the extras. He was the one who looked the most like an extra among them.

"You first."

"Me... me?"

"Yeah, no excuses."

I made a stern face. The '3' behind the villain's name probably indicated the hierarchy. It might work.

The confused extra reluctantly stepped forward, gripping a wooden club in both hands.

I tensed up, waiting, but no warning message appeared. It seemed that deviating slightly from the original was acceptable.

The leader approached me and asked,

"What's wrong with you?"

"Just a moment."

I raised my hand to stop him, adding a serious expression for good measure.

I needed to think quickly.

What is the limit of this 'plausibility'?

Trying to start a conversation to avoid fighting was prohibited, but delaying my turn was allowed.

The key must be to not contradict the author's intent.

'Intent...'

The author's intent in the beginning of any story is clear: to make the characters spark the reader's curiosity.

And I knew exactly what device was prepared in 'Adventure King' for this purpose.

Leo's overwhelming power.

The villains in the village, including me, are merely means to showcase this power. My large size is also a device to highlight it.

I can't avoid the fight. To reveal Leo's strength, a sacrificial lamb is needed. No matter how much I delay my turn, the outcome will be the same.

'What should I do, what...?'

Just then,

"Kyaah!"

The first extra flew away.

A scene that used to seem exhilarating in comic books now felt anything but. I was breaking out in cold sweat.

"None of you complaining, right? Who's next?"

Leo chuckled and swung his arm, causing everyone to take a step back.

The focus returned to me. The leader, trying to hide his embarrassment, cleared his throat and said,

"Ahem, you saw that guy's skills, right? He's just a kid, but he's worth your attention. So, hurry up..."

But I pretended not to hear and pointed to another extra.

The extra's face turned pale, but I ignored it.

"Y-Yeah! You, go teach that brat a lesson!"

The leader's support for my actions wouldn't last long. He was already looking at me with doubt.

Time was running out.

The important thing was that my character needed to stand out from the other extras.

'Should I fall over in a ridiculous way? Or make a strange noise?'

But then,

"Kyaah!"

Seeing the second extra fly away, I abandoned that thought. He spun like a windmill, and it was clear I couldn't win.

Besides, as a reader, I had never paid attention to how the extras fell. The focus was always on Leo's power. The reactions of the extras were all the same.

A different approach was needed.

Just then,

"You're not... no, you wouldn't, right?"

The leader leaned in and asked. He couldn't bring himself to say, "Are you scared?"

Instead of answering, I pointed to another extra.

The extra's face turned white, but I ignored it.

'A different approach...'

Was there no other way to reveal Leo's strength besides getting beaten up?

I knew he wasn't just strong. Strength was just one of his many abilities. His other abilities could prove his worth without me being a sacrifice.

The problem was that trying to bring out Leo's other abilities didn't fit my role. I was just an extra in the first chapter, not a suitable opponent to reveal the protagonist's hidden abilities. This would likely be prohibited by 'plausibility.'

Anxiety started to set in.

Was there a way to highlight Leo's strength while also making my character stand out?

'If only there was a hint...'

Then it hit me.

A hint?

"..."

A bolt of lightning struck my mind.

There was a hint.

The author's permission.

"Damn..."

Once I thought about it, it was so simple.

Trying to start a conversation was rejected, but delaying my turn was allowed. This meant it didn't contradict the author's intent.

I, with my strong appearance and everyone's expectations, subtly delaying my turn, was another way to highlight the protagonist's strength.

In other words, I was already implementing the author's intent in my own unique way.

'If I do this well...'

Of course, just acting differently from others wouldn't guarantee survival. Something more fundamental was needed.

For example, a unique charm of the character.

Just then,

"Kyaah!"

The third extra was thrown away.

"Why don't you all attack at once? I'll take you all down!"

Leo smiled brightly, as if enjoying the fight.

The leader, unable to hold back any longer, pressed me.

"What are you doing? If we keep this up, we'll all be beaten by that kid!"

His face was now filled with anxiety.

But I was confident. A strategy had just come to mind.

Extras who reappear later usually have one thing in common: they made the readers laugh.

I needed to become a 'comedy character' that the readers would want to see again.

'I'm not very good at humor...'

But what choice did I have? There were no other options.

Fortunately, as a comic enthusiast, I was quite familiar with 'comedy clichés.'

I started staring at the leader.

"No! How long are you going to stand there...?"

"Tell them to attack together."

"What?"

"Hurry up!"

The leader, confused, followed my command.

"Y-Yeah, attack together!"

Of course, I didn't move.

The leader looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Why are you just standing there?"

I crossed my arms and calmly said,

"That's not what you told me."

"What? Oh, that's..."

"That kid is strong."

The leader visibly panicked.

"No, no... If you say that now..."

"But even so, he's not my match. I have a slight advantage."

Of course, it was a lie.

But due to my calm expression and serious tone, the leader's face brightened.

"Ah, I see! You're holding back to ensure a sure win!"

I shook my head.

"More like... there's a minor issue."

"An issue? What is it?"

"My stomach hurts."

A moment of silence fell.

"Looks like I really did get food poisoning."

"R-Really?"

"I can't do it."

Then I took a step back.

"..."

Looking ahead, no one was standing there anymore.

Just then, Leo chuckled and approached us.

"Now it's just you guys."

He swung his arm, and the pressure was immense. Honestly, I couldn't help but flinch.

No matter how fictional, the pain would be real. Getting hit by that kid's fist would definitely hurt a lot.

"Kyaah!"

The leader took a step back, terrified.

But I forced myself to stay in place. Retreating now would make me just another extra. I needed to maintain my concept.

I tightened my throat and shouted,

"Consider yourself lucky, brat. I can't deal with you because my stomach hurts."

"My stomach hurts? But you look fine."

"It hurts. I'm barely holding back the urge to collapse. Can't you see my legs shaking? When your stomach hurts, your legs get weak first."

"Really?"

It wasn't an act. I was incredibly tense at this point.

Of course, it wasn't because I was afraid of Leo's punch. He wouldn't attack unless provoked.

What I was worried about was how 'plausibility' would judge my actions.

A moment later,

"So, you're not fighting?"

Leo chuckled and turned around.

"Be grateful. I'm letting you go."

"Alright, I'm leaving."

Leo started walking away.

I silently counted.

One, two, three...

Fortunately, 'plausibility' didn't intervene.

'I did it!'

I inwardly cheered.

And I didn't forget to add the finishing touch to this 'comedy cliché.'

"Brat, we'll see! Next time, I won't go easy on you!"

*

How long had Leo been gone?

A new message appeared on the hologram screen.

I read it with bated breath.

[Chapter 1 – 'The Beginning of the Adventure' has ended]

[Villain3's character evaluation has been updated]

[New trait: 'Arrogance' added]

[Received support from a few readers]

[Popularity increased by 1]

[Status]

-Name: Villain3

-Traits: Slightly strong, Arrogant

-Popularity: 1

-Author's favor: 0

-Chance of re-appearance: 0%

'Wait, what...?'

This was bad. The results were poor.

My popularity increased by 1, but the most important factor, the chance of re-appearance, didn't budge.

'Could this be the end?'

Just then,

Ding.

Another message arrived.

[Final character evaluation by the author]

[Villain3 is on 'Deletion Probation']

[The probation period is '2 chapters']

[Character points awarded: 3p]

The message ended there.

Character points? There was an unknown element, but I understood the gist.

'If I'm on deletion probation... does that mean I've survived for now?'

I let out a sigh of relief.

I did it.

But it wasn't time to relax. I needed to prove my worth again before the two chapters were over. Repeating a clumsy comedy routine wouldn't be enough. I needed to get involved in the story or learn a new ability...

Looking around, I swallowed hard.

The characters lying on the ground were gradually fading away.

The leader, the other villains... all being deleted.

"...Cruel."

At the spot where Leo had left,

I was the only one left standing.