Avoid Yandere Constellation

Is this a dream?

I quickly scanned the room.

Expensive-looking items filled the space, and the walls bore a style unlike any modern building.

Something seemed familiar.

"What... What?!"

Why does my voice sound like this?

My voice is typically high-pitched, but it was unmistakably deep now.

"What... What's happening? My voice is really deep?"

I was stunned by the situation.

Not only had my surroundings changed, my voice had too.

A bad feeling washed over me.

My instincts, honed from years of being a nerd, were buzzing.

...No. That's impossible.

This kind of thing only happens in games or novels, not real life.

But despite my logical thoughts, my body acted on its own.

I moved towards a mirror on the wall.

-Thump! Thump!

"Why do I look like this?!!"

Seeing my reflection, I gasped.

Dark brown hair, slightly wide eyes with a hint of fatigue, a pronounced nose bridge. Proportions any model would envy.

Based on looks alone, this face would attract many women.

But that wasn't the problem. This face was the extra villain's from the game I was just playing.

This has to be a dream. Yes. A dream.

-BANG!

Suddenly, the door flew open. My eyes darted to the entrance.

The woman who entered had her face covered like a militant, only her eyes and nose visible. She quickly approached me.

"Sir Cain, you need to leave. If you stay, you'll die."

"What, why?"

Die? Me? Why?

Her abrupt entrance and warning further unsettled me. She spoke again, her voice trembling.

"Sir Cain, an intruder has bypassed most of our hideout's traps."

"This... it's a dream, right?"

It has to be. The current situation was too bizarre to accept.

Kidnapped to an unfamiliar place, a militant woman warning me of death - none of this made sense.

I couldn't accept it.

The moment I did, it would mean I was no longer on Earth.

"Sir Cain, this isn't a dream."

"What... what?"

Before I could recover from my shock,

Someone else entered the room.

"Sigh... finally caught you."

"Mr. Cain! I'll hold him off! You need to run!!"

Kim Soo-yong?!

The newcomer was Kim Soo-yong, the game's protagonist destined for a tragic fate. His jet black hair and eyes, and handsome Korean features, were unmistakable.

His character wasn't particularly good or bad. But now, his eyes brimmed with the intent to kill.

Whether this was a dream or reality, I had to run!!

I took the woman's advice, opened a rear door, and bolted.

-Bang!

The clash of combat echoed behind me.

Could she hold him off?

It seemed unlikely. In the story, David Von Cain falls to Kim Soo-yong early on.

It's essentially a tutorial.

Even if I wasn't in control, I remember this part being so simple that blind button mashing was enough.

So, her chances of holding him back were slim.

"Pant! Pant! Why am I out of breath?"

I hadn't run far, but I was already gasping for air.

I stopped to catch my breath.

"Pant! Pant!"

"Done running?"

A voice, dripping with murderous intent, came from behind me.

-Squish! Squish!

The sound of his steps grew louder. I needed to run. If I stayed, I'd die.

But despite my logical thoughts, my body refused to move.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

My heart hammered in my chest. I couldn't tell if it was due to the run or the threat of impending death.

My head turned back mechanically.

Kim Soo-yong stood there, his body drenched in blood. He spoke, his voice ice-cold and devoid of emotion.

"So, a schoolmate was messing around in the underworld."

He didn't hesitate to plunge his sword into my stomach.

-Whoosh!

"May your death be as painful as it gets."

"Argh!"

"#$@%"

His words faded under the onslaught of pain. My stomach felt like it was on fire. It seemed like all my blood vessels were rupturing.

This wasn't a dream.

But that realization came too late. The wound I had now couldn't be healed.

"Cough!!"

I wanted to scream my pain but lacked the strength. It felt so unjust.

Why was I, an innocent bystander, suffering?

I was forced into this body. Why should I die for no reason?

If I had done even one thing Cain did, this might not feel so unjust.

The injustice was so stark that I bit down hard on my lower lip.

I couldn't distinguish between the blood from my bitten lip and the wound in my stomach.

Damn it! If only I had stayed calm!!

The regret was immense.

If I had kept my cool, I could have survived with the woman's help.

...But regrets were useless now.

My vision blurred. At the same time, my phone started to ring.

-Ding!

[#@$%^?]

My sight was too blurry to see clearly. However, my seasoned otaku instincts were telling me something.

My instincts were telling me not to question anything here, just to accept it.

With all my remaining strength, blood trickling from my mouth, I managed to utter,

"Ac...cept."

With those words, everything went dark.

Meanwhile, at that very moment.

Kim Soo-yong was lost in thought.

What to tell the guild master and the client...

He had taken a job to make some money during the academy break. The job wasn't about causing trouble, just a simple investigation.

So, he was supposed to only look into the Shadow Guild, but their activities were suspicious.

He wasn't sure what they were up to, but one thing was clear: if he had only investigated, innocent people would've been harmed.

"Ah... Anyway, how did I end up here?"

[The goddess who sees fate gives you courage.]

He let the comforting words from the Constellation pass in one ear and out the other.

He closed his eyes for a moment, pondering how things had turned out this way.

Normally, he'd be diligently attending classes at university.

But.

A year ago, on his university's induction day.

Suddenly, a strange rift appeared out of nowhere and sucked him in.

Immediately, his surroundings changed to buildings that looked typically European.

At first, he thought they were foreign people. So, he tried to communicate with them in broken English.

But contrary to his expectations, they didn't understand English. Moreover, communication wasn't the only problem.

Their clothes were quite odd for modern people.

Yes, that's it. Their attire looked like something out of a manga or anime.

"I was so confused back then..."

[The goddess who sees fate nods in sympathy.]

At first, he thought he had special powers, like a manga protagonist.

So, he was a bit scared, but also somewhat excited.

But this world completely shattered such naive thoughts. A world filled with monsters that eat humans, people who commit murder as if it's no big deal.

Such fanciful imaginations had no place in reality.

And cheat codes? They don't exist.

Well, talent does exist.

But no matter how gifted he was, he had only been in this world for a year. The prodigies born in this world would've already become strong by his age, even without much training.

"But not me."

Even if he was brimming with talent, initially he was no different from an average person.

If it weren't for the Constellation watching over him now and his mentor who had trained him harshly for half a year, he would've ended up like David von Cain who just died.

...Anyway, I didn't expect Cain to be the leader of the Shadow Guild.

He was indeed a noble who attended the same academy as me. I had never actually met or talked to him, but rumors described him as quite a good-for-nothing.

He was always late, always drinking, and brimming with arrogance.

Did I really kill him for no reason...

He wasn't just anyone. He was the son of a Marquis from the Leyston Continent. Regardless of his reckless behavior, he was still a noble.

...No. It was right to kill him.

I've successfully covered up all evidence leading to me.

Even if the Marquis family discovered I was the one who killed him, they couldn't easily kill me. I've been chosen by one of the five Thrones spanning the entire continent.

The moment they take such action, it's certain the followers of the fate-seeing Goddess would create chaos.

As I pondered this...

"What's happening?! Why won't my body listen to me?"

My body started backing away against my will.

Caught off guard, Kim Soo-yong asked the goddess.

"What's going on?"

[Even the fate-seeing Goddess is surprised and claims she doesn't know!!]

I looked behind me.

There, Cain, who should've been dead, appeared. My body raised the sword on its own.

My blade sinks into Cain's abdomen wound, and then I slowly pull it out.

"?!"

Suddenly, the blood pooling at his belly started to recede.

The wound in his abdomen began to heal.

I blinked open my eyes to the dim surroundings.

"Was it all just a dream?" I muttered.

Just to be certain, I glanced around.

But, as I feared, all the fancy stuff I saw earlier was still hanging about.

Yeah. This isn't a dream. This is real.

Thinking that, I shifted my gaze to the status window hovering before me.

David Von Cain.

Age: 20 years old.

Traits: Game Configuration Ability, Death Regression.

Talent: None.

Points: 0.

Death Regression... Could that be why I've come back to life?

That would make sense. Given my recent ordeal, I was sure Kim Soo-yong had beaten me to death.

Game Configuration Ability... What's this?

It wasn't an ability I remembered from playing the game, nor from watching strategy videos or browsing the community discussions.

Well, let's see what it is.

I touched the label saying 'Game Configuration Ability'.

Game Configuration Ability: This ability lets you manage game settings such as volume, visual effects, color options, map viewing, inventory, cash shop, and more.

Ah... So, it's exactly what it sounds like - a game configuration ability.

Let's test the Cash Shop function first.

If I can use it now as I please, it might help me escape easier than I originally planned.

As I selected the Cash Shop, a store window popped up, filled with the game's cash items.

But, wait.

Drat! What good does this do if I can't buy anything?

I need points to purchase the items.

In the game's world, I'd never heard of 'points'. The usual currency was gold and silver coins, like in any regular fantasy tale. There were no 'points'.

So, to gain points, I need to use real money.

The question is, how do I go about that now I'm an in-game character?

Just as I was about to give up,

-Ding!

[A Continuous Quest Has Been Initiated - Death Avoidance!]

[Description: Survive the imminent threat of death. (This quest is continuously active for you.)]

[Reward: 500 points]