Games are different from reality.

Especially turn-based RPGs—those hardly resemble reality at all.

In real life, you don’t take turns hitting each other when fighting for your life. You don’t waste precious seconds preparing a powerful attack, and you certainly don’t miss a blow on an enemy standing right in front of you.

In other words…

When casting magic, you don’t just stand there, accepting all incoming attacks.

In *Azerna Legends*, there are moves that can cancel an opponent’s turn, interrupting their major attacks. If a skill has “action cancel” as one of its attributes, there’s a certain chance it’ll cancel a big move the enemy was about to execute.

Unless it’s an instant ultimate skill, all spells show their name upon activation, and the number of turns required to complete the spell depends on the monster or character’s agility. If hit by an action-canceling skill during this period, the spell will be interrupted, and instead of casting it, that character will simply wait for the next command with refreshed action points.

The best way to increase the chances of an action-canceling skill is to choose a spell or instant skill of the opposite attribute of the one being cast. Of course, this skill or spell must also have “action cancel” as a feature.

This approach seemed logical enough.

If you douse fire magic with water, it makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s not easy to keep your composure while drenched in water pouring from above.

The problem is, that theory only works in a controlled setting.

...What kind of enemy wouldn’t try to avoid a huge downpour if they knew it would work against them?

The Elemental Bear is, after all, a *bear*. And though bears may look slow, they’re fearsome beasts packed with muscle.

And the Elemental Bear standing before us was far larger than any bear I’d ever known.

Naturally, that meant more muscle mass as well.

“Ah…!”

The bullet I fired didn’t seem to be a critical hit. As I pulled the trigger, Mia Crowfield’s spell activated, and water poured down from above. The bullet grazed the bear’s cheek but didn’t kill it.

The main reason I asked Mia to cast that spell was that I feared the fire-wielding Elemental Bear might set the forest ablaze. There were indeed spots where flames sprang up where its claws touched.

But that could have been dealt with after the attack.

By the time I lowered my rifle from the recoil, the Elemental Bear had already moved from its last position.

Though the time it took to bring my gun down wasn’t long, it was enough for the bear to shift its position and change its stance.

When I lowered my gun, it was no longer where it had been, lying flat on its belly with its forepaws planted in the ground, thoroughly soaked but still baring its teeth.

The spell wasn’t canceled.

And the bear’s gaze was fixed on Mia Crowfield.

“Again!” I shouted urgently.

*

Gasping, I sat up abruptly.

The room was still dark.

…I had returned to the time when I woke up this morning, just before Claire came to wake me, right before I’d started cleaning my gun.

“...”

Ah.

I’d rewound time a bit too far in my haste.

In hindsight, maybe it would’ve been better to rewind just a little, like during training, and ensure I hit the bear in the head. Even if the bear was about to cast its spell, I’d been watching it.

I ran my hands over my face.

Still…

Yes, my own short-sightedness played a big part in this.

The name “Azerna Empire.”

And the countless character names I’d seen in the game.

For these reasons, I couldn’t help but perceive this world as if I were still inside the game.

But… this world was undeniably different.

In the game, even if you get hit by a bear’s swipe, you only lose a bit of HP. You restore it with a spell or potion.

Even losing HP doesn’t matter much. 

Cutscenes may show scenes of assassinations by gunshot or bomb explosions, but in combat, no matter how many bullets or bombs hit you and your HP drops to zero, you’re merely “knocked down” unless it results in a game-over.

After the battle, you just heal up with magic, potions, or the recovery device at each checkpoint.

But reality isn’t like that.

There are no convenient recovery points in the forest. No autosave spots.

If a bear’s paw strikes, it’s not HP you’d be worried about—it would likely tear flesh and break bones before you even thought about healing.

…Taking a fire-aligned laser head-on could cost you a finger or melt part of your face, leaving you with horrifying scars for life.

“In the original story…”

“In the original story” is a concept that applies only to the plot and the layout of towns.

Thinking back, if I hadn’t been there, I doubt Leo and the others could’ve taken down the enemy camp so easily. Even if they’d asked Mia Crowfield for help… could they have pulled it off without my rifle to eliminate threats before they struck?

“Is it because of me?”

Could the events diverging from the original story be happening because I, someone not in the story, have joined their ranks?

I frowned, lost in thought, unable to reach a definitive answer.

Could my presence make that much difference in battles like these? Facing enemies armed with guns or knives, one strike could be fatal. For the story to progress, they’d need to keep fighting without suffering more than scratches.

Could the protagonist’s party reach the end unscathed even if the story proceeds as intended?

In the first place, if they could, would I even be here? Surely, some goddess of this world, or perhaps a god from another religion—or even some kind of system—created my presence for a reason?

“...”

I don’t know. No one’s told me why I’m here, so for now, all I can do is come up with my own reason.

Becoming a character suited for this game, one who won’t be discarded by anyone. That’s the path I’ve chosen.

“Huff…”

At least knowing what lay ahead snapped me wide awake.

I stood up.

Claire would be bursting through the door soon enough.

*

“Is there a blacksmith nearby?”

The guide, who had been about to rest after giving us a quick briefing, shot me a glare when I asked that question.

“At this hour? You planning to wake someone up to forge a weapon?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

He scoffed, but when I met his gaze without wavering, he blinked, momentarily thrown off.

“Sylvia?”

Claire, who had been watching nearby, called my name in surprise.

“I have money. It must be tiring to rush a weapon at this hour. I’ll tip you if you wake the craftsman for me.”

“...”

My sure tone seemed to give him pause. The guide stared at me for a long moment.

He must’ve known who I was; Jennifer would’ve mentioned it.

The guide from last night had been different, of course. They couldn’t work through the night indefinitely, so shifts were natural.

Even if they rotated, he would’ve been briefed.

“…Fine. No tip necessary.”

Honestly, I couldn’t tell what had changed his mind, but the guide picked up the receiver on the table.

“Put me through to the blacksmith.”

He spoke in a surprisingly calm voice, so different from before, and then fell silent, glancing over me with a thoughtful gaze.

In the game, it took no time to attach components to equipment, as if you were playing with toy parts, but reality was different. Adding marmaross to a magic staff would take time—perhaps a bit less if you had the right parts, but it would still need at least a few minutes to adjust and secure it properly.

Fortunately, we weren’t heading out right away. We had a little time, so we could leave the weapon with the blacksmith in the meantime.

“Got some newfound confidence?” Alice asked, and I nodded. Seeing my expression, Alice stopped asking.

“Hey, sorry to bother you this late. It’s Frida from the assignment center—”

The guide, receiver in hand, finally spoke.

*

On the way back to the Elemental Bear’s lair, Mia Crowfield seemed lost in thought.

Though still out of breath, there was something more pressing occupying her mind, a serious contemplation beneath her outward fatigue.

The blue gemstone embedded in the tip of her staff glowed faintly.

It was the marmaross I’d found in the underground waterways.

…I couldn’t deny I felt a little afraid. If she cast that spell on me, I wouldn’t even have time to scream.

But even more than that, I didn’t want the protagonist’s party to get hurt.

There might have been ways to avoid this mission from the start. But even that had its downsides.

So, I’d just have to explore alternatives while taking calculated risks.

“Let’s rest for a moment.”

The group hadn’t realized someone was lagging behind since Mia Crowfield had been masking her exhaustion, but when they heard me, they turned around, a bit surprised.

Mia Crowfield, sweating profusely, was there, looking more worn than I’d realized.

“You could’ve said something if you were struggling,” Claire remarked, and we sat down to rest.

Just like before, I handed Mia Crowfield my water bottle in silence.

She accepted it without a word, drinking cautiously while casting me a curious look.

Considering I’d handed over a rare piece of marmaross, it was natural for her to be wary.

I’d have been suspicious too.

But I had no intention of explaining that I

’d foreseen this. I could only hope this approach worked as I accepted the warm bottle she returned.

*

The more marmaross of a particular element is embedded in a staff, the shorter the casting time becomes.

In practical terms, it meant the marmaross itself provides magical support, reducing the need for intense focus.

More spells become available, and their activation speed increases.

…Reality might not be a game, but games do draw on certain real-world principles.

“Spiritus Glaceus!”

Ice spirit.

Mia’s voice rang out.

A massive ice spike shot into the gaping mouth of the Elemental Bear lying flat with its jaws open.

The glow within the bear’s maw turned crimson as the ice lodged deep inside. Blood seeped through cracks in the solid ice.

But the bear didn’t die.

Bang!

Well, its head was soon skewered right after that.

As my shot struck the bear’s right eye—already wounded by a previous bullet—its skull caved in around the area.

With ice lodged in its throat, shredded hide, and a collapsed head, the bear finally slumped over, looking grotesque.

Jake looked at the bear and commented, “Doesn’t look like we’ll get much for that hide.”

No one laughed at his joke.