TFCG 31

Chapter 31

Why?
No, seriously—why?

“I haven’t even finished the main quest yet!”

So why on earth was the next area unlocked on its own?
All that effort I put into changing my name and upgrading my gear before moving on—gone in an instant.
What the hell was going on?

My head was spinning with confusion.
And it wasn’t just me—everyone else looked just as shaken.

“It’s something we expected would happen after the hero chosen by the goddess appeared… but I didn’t think it’d happen this soon.”

Captain Clemens sighed, and her words were followed by a heavy silence.

“They say even the local forces panicked and sent an urgent report. Over the past few days, the number of ferocious monsters has grown, and this morning… the forest was suddenly swallowed by darkness.”

Belinda’s voice was calm, but the tension she tried to hide trembled beneath the surface.

A forest covered in darkness—not natural darkness, but a thick, impenetrable black that didn’t fade under any light, not even bright sunlight.
Even with the best magic lamps, the light only reached a few feet ahead.

And inside that darkness—it was dangerous.
Not only could you not see a step in front of you, but it was as if something pressed down on you, suppressing your strength.

In gaming terms, the moment you stepped inside, you’d be hit with a debuff—
the opposite of a buff, a negative status effect.

The “Darkness” debuff limited humans to only 30% of their full power inside it.
But for those who served the Demon God Phoneros, it became a buff, tripling their attack, speed, and defense.

It was horrific.

Humans weakened.
Enemies strengthened.
And the number of monsters lurking in that darkness was beyond counting.

But even worse—
that darkness spread over time.
For now, it covered only the uninhabited depths of Silva Grove Forest, but if left unchecked, it could eventually reach the villages.

No wonder every knight looked grim and worried.

But for me, that wasn’t the real problem.

Because I already knew this was going to happen.
In the game, Silva Grove being swallowed by darkness was part of the storyline.

The problem was when it happened.

In the game, this event only triggered after I cleared all the main quests on Mid-Isle Island.
That’s why I had deliberately stopped right before finishing the final main quest—
to postpone this very event.

So why was the next region opening now?
Suddenly, randomly, completely out of nowhere?

“Right… this isn’t a game world. It’s a real, living world.”

Hadn’t I already seen how different things were here?
Even a random background NPC had a family and backstory.
A shopkeeper once refused to buy an item, saying it was too precious—
something no NPC in the game would ever do.

People even laughed at my username—“UltimateShooterElaine”—for being ridiculous.
In the game, nobody cared.

And yet, I’d been stupid enough to think that if I just didn’t trigger the quest, the story wouldn’t progress.
How naïve could I get?

“Hey, Elaine. What’re you doing?”

I snapped out of my thoughts at Darren’s voice and the tap on my shoulder.

“Huh? Oh?”
“Grandma’s calling you. What’re you so deep in thought for?”

He jerked his chin toward his grandmother, Captain Clemens, who was looking at me with genuine concern.

“You seem tense, child. The weight on your shoulders must feel heavy.”

Everyone’s eyes were full of sympathy.
I must’ve gone pale without realizing it.

“I understand,” said Johanna, propping her chin in her hand and clicking her tongue softly.
“It’s only natural you’d feel burdened—an entire region’s fate resting on your shoulders.”

Of course she’d say that.
Because I was the only one unaffected by the “Darkness” debuff.

Technically, I still got it—but the “Blessing of the Goddess” buff canceled it out.
As the chosen hero—the protagonist—I could still fight at 100% power inside the darkness.

Which meant everyone had no choice but to depend on me.

“…This is insane.”

I dragged my hands down my face.
Yeah, it was stressful.

I had to walk into a cursed forest and defeat the source of the darkness—the boss monster itself.
Who wouldn’t feel pressured?

But what really drove me crazy was the realization that all the effort I’d put in up to now—
poof. Gone. Like a soap bubble floating away.

“My name change… ruined.”

The 29 rainbow stones I’d worked so hard to collect, shining beautifully in my inventory, meant nothing now.
Just one more was all I needed.
One!

So close—like Eurydice, dragged back into the underworld just as she was about to escape.
Or like a serpent about to ascend into a dragon, only to fail because someone caught a glimpse of it.

All I could do was laugh weakly at the absurdity.

I knew this wasn’t the time to be thinking about it.
I was the only one who could fight in that darkness, the only one who could save everyone living in Silva Grove.

These weren’t NPCs.
They were real people, living real lives.

There was no way I could just say,

“Sorry, can’t go yet. Haven’t changed my name.”

I wanted to cry.
But I pulled myself together—this was a strategy meeting, after all.
Everyone was staring at me, waiting.

“I—I’m fine. Really. Sorry, I didn’t hear you calling me. I got lost in thought. What did you want to ask?”

Captain Clemens smiled gently.

“I was just wondering if you’re prepared. From here on, you’ll be leading the charge.”

Prepared.
That cursed word.
I’d been trying to prepare, and then the event triggered anyway.

If the goddess were standing in front of me, I’d grab her by the collar and shake her.
Why me, of all people?

“…Even if I’m not ready, it can’t be helped. It’s not something I can avoid. I’ll do what I can.”

I answered her honestly—just like the first time we met.
How did my life end up like this?

The air in the room shifted.
People looked inspired.
Some even looked… awestruck.

“What’s with this atmosphere? You’re making me embarrassed…”

It’s not like I was being noble.
I was just the poor sap who got scammed by a goddess and thrown into this mess.

Thankfully, the mood settled again as the meeting continued.
We’d probably head for Silva Grove right after this, I thought.
Maybe I should start packing?

Then again, most of my stuff was already organized in my inventory, so I could leave right away.

That was when I heard the record keeper, Adrian, reading aloud:

“Then, as agreed—our team will consist of UltimateShooterElaine, Darren Chervik, Lena and Leo Clarus, and myself, Adrian Flierus, as the recorder. Departure will be… three days from now, at nine in the morning.”

Three days?
Not now?

In the game, the moment the emergency meeting cutscene ended, we were teleported straight to Silva Grove.
So why were we waiting three days?

“When did I miss that part of the discussion?”

I scratched my head, trying to recall.
No way I could admit I’d spaced out again, so I nudged Darren and whispered:

“Hey, did he say we’re leaving in three days?”
“Yeah. You zoned out again, didn’t you? Seriously, how do you have worse focus than me? Everyone needs time to pack and prepare.”

Fair point.
Not everyone had the luxury of carrying their entire life in an inventory.