The ceiling dripped.
Riven Cross jolted upright in a cold sweat. His chest heaved like he had run a marathon, but his surroundings weren't the same marble void as before.
Now, he was in a stone cell, lit by a single flickering torch. Moss crept along the walls. Chains dangled from rusted hooks. It smelled like old blood and wet earth.
A dungeon.
"You have entered Dungeon No.001 – The Fool's Trial."
The robotic voice echoed in his mind like a whisper.
He staggered to his feet, barely keeping his balance. The floor felt uneven, the air heavy.
[Meta Reader System Active.]
A transparent blue interface blinked to life in front of him. It looked like a mix between a gamer's HUD and a glowing book. His name pulsed on the screen:
Name: Riven CrossTitle: The Final Boss (Locked)Class: NoneHP: 80/100MP: 10/10Skills:– Narrative Override Lv.1– Chapter Memory Fragment x3
Objective:
Survive The Fool's Trial
Locate the Fool's Tarot Card
Exit the dungeon alive
Riven squinted.
"Okay... so I'm inside the novel, I've got a system, and I'm about to be tested?"
He gulped.
"…Why does that sound exactly like the start of Chapter 1?"
His hands were shaking, but he clenched them into fists. No one was going to save him now. He was the cheat character. He just had to figure out how to use the cheat.
⚔️ THUD!
The iron cell door slammed open on its own.
Beyond it stretched a narrow hallway filled with fog. The stones glowed faintly, inscribed with symbols—one of them looked like a jester's mask.
Suddenly, words appeared in front of his eyes.
The Fool's Rule:"Lies and truth wear the same face. To survive, unmask the false."
[Warning: Failure to act within 10 minutes will result in auto-death.]
"Auto-death?!" Riven hissed. "That's messed up!"
He stepped into the corridor, heart pounding. With every step, the hallway changed—stretching, shrinking, tilting. It felt more like a dream than a place.
At the end stood three figures, backs turned, dressed in jester robes—each holding a glowing Tarot Card behind their back.
A message popped up:
One holds the real Fool's Card. Two are illusions. Choose wrong, and perish.
Riven swallowed hard. This was it. The first real test.
He closed his eyes and focused.
"System, activate Narrative Override."
Narrative Override Lv.1 Activated – You may alter a minor plot detail within the next 30 seconds.
A strange pressure pressed against his skull. Options flashed before his eyes.
[Reveal a small truth][Force one illusion to blink][See 3 seconds into an NPC's memory]
He chose "See 3 seconds into memory."
His eyes flared with blue light.
Flash.
The first jester—dark memory, silence, blankness.
Illusion.
Second jester—
He was whispering something… "The Reader must fail. The Reader must die."
Another illusion. Definitely.
Third jester—
He was crying.
A trembling voice whispered:"I didn't ask for this… I was just a villager…"
Bingo.
Riven stepped forward and pointed to the third jester.
"You. Give me the card."
The other two turned toward him, their faces splitting open—empty voids with rows of jagged teeth.
They screeched and lunged—
But the third jester dropped the card.
💥 A wave of golden light exploded outward, burning the two illusions into dust.
Riven covered his face as the force nearly knocked him off his feet.
Then…
You have obtained: Major Arcana – The FoolSkill Unlocked: "Wildcard Instinct" – Once per dungeon, escape instant death with absurd luck.Dungeon No.001 Complete.
Riven dropped to his knees, gasping.
He looked at the glowing card in his hand. It showed a cloaked figure dancing on the edge of a cliff, a bag over his shoulder, a dog nipping at his heels.
The Fool.
Naïve, yes. But the beginning of the entire journey.
"That's me, isn't it?" Riven whispered.
The torchlight shifted.
A doorway opened where the jester had stood. A staircase of light spiraled upward.
Riven forced himself to stand.
"No turning back now."
As he stepped through, a whisper echoed behind him.
"One choice made. 107 remain."
Suddenly, everything blinked.
He stood in a clean stone chamber, like a checkpoint room in a game. A tall mirror shimmered in the center.
Inside it… was himself.
But not quite.
This version of Riven had glowing eyes, silver hair, and a black cloak embroidered with arcane symbols.
The system chirped.
Meta Memory Fragment Found – Timeline #27"Playback?" [Y/N]
He hesitated.
Then tapped Y.
[Memory Fragment: Timeline #27 – Final Moments]
The other Riven stood atop a tower of bones, bleeding from the chest.
A thousand gods surrounded him.
He looked up at the sky and laughed.
"You wanted a reader?" he snarled."Then read this ending…"
He snapped his fingers.
And the world exploded.
[Memory Ended.]
Riven collapsed to his knees.
"That was me? In another life?"
He wiped his face, trembling.
This wasn't just a game. This was a loop. A prison of fates.
And he had already died 27 times before.
Maybe more.
But this time… this time had to be different.
[Chapter Complete] Rewards Gained:
Tarot Card: The Fool
Skill: Wildcard Instinct
Narrative Override EXP +3
Memory Fragment: Timeline 27
Next Objective: Enter Dungeon No.002 – The Magician's Labyrinth