The Transmigrated Author

It seems that A.T. had kept the concept in, implementing it into this current arc.

Then I began to feel curious.

What would my future self look like?

What would he say to me after everything that had happened?

Had the changes I'd made to the story affected my own destiny as well?

One thing was clear: I needed to gather all five crystals if I wanted answers.

This fragment alone wasn't enough to activate the communication, but it was a start.

The other four had to be out there somewhere, perhaps in the territories of the other three factions, or even in the mysterious central city.

I closed my fingers around the crystal, feeling its power pulse against my palm.

Then I looked up at the leader of New Eldervale, composing myself.

"I humbly accept this gift," I said, bowing deeply in respect.

"Your generosity honors me, as does your friendship. May New Eldervale prosper for generations to come."

The leader of New Eldervale clasped my hand firmly, his eyes reflecting gratitude beyond words.

"May the stars guide your journey," he said, stepping back to allow us passage through the gates.

With one final wave to the cheering villagers, we departed, our path taking us toward the eastern border of the Iron Fist territory.

The rising sun cast long shadows behind us as we walked in contemplative silence, each lost in our own thoughts.

After we'd put several miles between ourselves and New Eldervale, Anouz broke the silence.

"You know, I'm actually going to miss that place," he said, tossing a small stone across the path.

"Those people really grew on me."

Christian nodded, a wistful smile playing on his lips.

"Same here. I never thought I'd enjoy building houses and teaching kids how to defend themselves, but... it felt good. Meaningful."

I glanced between them, noting the easy development that occurred during our month in New Eldervale.

"You two seem to be getting along well for future enemies," I remarked casually.

They exchanged puzzled looks.

"Future enemies?" Christian repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Ah… It seems I slipped up.

Before I could respond, a notification flashed before my eyes:

FWANG!

[Character Relationship Update]

[Christian Allard Kaiser and Anouz Montclair]

[Previous Status: Future Enemies]

[Current Status: Potentially Great Friends]

[Note: Character development has altered predicted story trajectory]

I stared at the notification in disbelief. The system had actually updated their relationship status, completely changing a fundamental aspect of my original plot.

In my novel, these two were supposed to become bitter rivals, eventually facing off in a climactic battle that would shape the fate of the entire story.

But now...

I sighed heavily, running a palm down my face.

There was nothing I could do about it.

As I'd already accepted, this story had taken on a life of its own.

The characters were evolving beyond my original design, forging their own paths and relationships.

"Nothing," I finally said, waving off their concerned looks. "Just thinking out loud."

As we continued walking, I decided to change the subject.

"So, what are your quests showing now? I imagine they've updated."

Anouz and Christian both paused, their expressions becoming distant as they checked their systems.

"That's strange," Christian said after a moment.

"I'm not getting any new major quests. Just a notification that we need to wait for all regions to be cleared before advancing to the central city."

Anouz nodded in agreement.

"Same here. Looks like we're in a holding pattern until the other territories are taken care of."

I considered this new information carefully.

The system was following the original storyline framework, despite the changes in character relationships and minor plot developments.

Jan's separation from the main group hadn't been an accident.

In my original design, I'd deliberately isolated him to give him time to develop his arsenal of aura techniques.

His journey through his assigned region was meant to be transformative—a crucible that would forge him into a swordsman capable of standing against Vladimir's organization.

But that meant waiting. A lot of waiting.

Based on the original novel, it would take Jan at least three months to fully clear a region on his own.

His growth was tied to the challenges he would face, the techniques he would learn, the battles that would push him to his limits.

Rushing to help him would only short-circuit that development.

"We could help clear the other regions," Christian suggested, as if reading my thoughts.

"Speed things up a bit."

I shook my head.

"I don't think that's a wise idea. Just imagine the traveling we'd need to do to catch up with the others, and we aren't even sure where they are."

I know I was talking out of my ass, but I was essentially trying to say that Jan's development was crucial in this arc.

He needed to develop specific abilities that would be essential in the final confrontation. Sacrificing that for the sake of expediency wasn't an option I was willing to consider.

Anouz kicked a stone along the path, watching it bounce ahead of us. "So we just... wait? For months?"

"Not necessarily," I replied, an idea forming.

"If we're the first to reach the central city, we can scout the area, identify key locations, maybe even weaken some of the enemy forces there."

The thought crystallized as I spoke. With advance knowledge of the central city's layout, we could plan a coordinated assault when the others finally arrived.

We could identify the Soul Forger's prison, map out enemy strongholds, perhaps even establish safe houses and supply caches.

"A reconnaissance mission," Christian nodded thoughtfully. "I like it."

"More than reconnaissance," I corrected. "We'd be preparing the battlefield, tilting the odds in our favor before the final confrontation even begins."

Anouz's eyes lit up with excitement.

"And with the three of us working together, we could cause some serious damage before the main event."

That was true. Together, the combined strength of the three of us could clear an entire region within a month.

Christian was unmatched in elemental attribute control and magical prowess.

Anouz was a mighty tank and damage dealer, capable of challenging even the strongest characters.

And as for me?

I simply understand how most things work, that's all.