NoveLight ™
[Exiting the game.]
The Crown Prince opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his bedroom ceiling. He sat up, rubbing his temples.
“...This is bad.”
He hadn’t seen it coming. Not in the slightest.
The fact that Orpheus could bypass the save-and-load mechanic was unthinkable.
“Was it just the Seven Sins of Destruction that were independent from the story? Or… was Orpheus himself part of them?”
Either way, it didn’t matter. The story was already irreparably broken. Even if he returned to the beginning of the narrative, Orpheus would still retain his memories of the current iteration.
“How is this even possible? Don’t tell me… this isn’t just a game?”
An enemy that remembers everything, even after a full reset. This wasn’t just an advanced game mechanic—it was like someone had created an actual world.
Everything the Crown Prince thought he understood about games and programs was being turned on its head.
He leaned back, exhaling deeply, and pondered his next move.
How does one fight an enemy who can recall everything across resets?
After a moment of reflection, the solution came to him.
It wasn’t as complicated as he initially thought.
The power to reset lay entirely in his hands.
Unless he mistakenly used the save function, whether or not he looped back was entirely up to him.
Resetting only when things went south and saving when they went well—that was the key to victory.
This battle wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed.
It was, in fact, tilted in his favor.
***
"Hero! You’re awake!"
[Hero Born to Repel the Abyssal Invasion]
As the game reconnected, the Saintess greeted the Crown Prince warmly at the beginning of the story.
‘Even if that bastard loops back like me, they can’t reverse the environmental changes.’
As long as the game’s progress wasn’t saved, the Crown Prince’s opportunities were infinite.
‘Then I’ll just keep trying.’
With that resolve, the Crown Prince relocated Ian Carlyuga and the magitech division. He established a new lab deep within the paladin corps' quarters, confident that this would block Orpheus’s path.
But—
“Did you think this would be enough to stop me?”
CRACK.
Even here, Ian Carlyuga’s death was unavoidable.
…Another reset.
This time, he set up the lab at the paladin corps' main stronghold, reinforcing it with wizards for added protection. Surely, this configuration was impenetrable.
“You persist with these meaningless acts.”
CRACK.
Another failure.
Reset.
“I warned you, didn’t I?”
CRACK.
Reset.
“Is this all you’ve got, Curator?”
CRACK.
Reset.
“This is disappointing.”
CRACK.
No matter how many resets he initiated, Orpheus was always one step ahead.
Reset.
CRACK.
“Hero! You’re awake!”
“Damn it all!”
Frustrated, the Crown Prince slammed his fist into the stone coffin.
What am I doing wrong?
Why can’t I win?
Both he and Orpheus carried over memories from previous cycles, so why was it impossible to gain an advantage?
An overwhelming sense of inferiority and helplessness crept over him, threatening to consume his resolve.
“If that’s the case, I’ll bet everything on Ian Carlyuga.”
For reasons unknown, Orpheus was singularly obsessed with Ian’s death, pursuing him relentlessly in every iteration.
If Ian was destined to be the target, then abandoning plans to reclaim the surface and focusing entirely on protecting him seemed like the best course of action.
They would lay traps, wait, and eliminate Orpheus when he appeared. If they failed, they could simply reset and try again.
“You’re saying... you’ll personally guard me, Hero?” Ian asked, bewildered.
“That’s correct. The Abyss is targeting you. Until I’m certain of your safety, you’ll remain by my side.”
Thus began their days in confinement. The Crown Prince, Ian, and the Saintess stayed locked in a heavily fortified chamber, rigged with countless traps ready to spring on any intruders.
While inspecting the defenses surrounding the room, the Crown Prince overheard a conversation between Ian and the Saintess inside.
“Do you really think it’s right for the Hero to protect me?” Ian asked hesitantly.
“Don’t overthink it, Ian,” the Saintess replied gently. “You’re the key to our sanctuary’s magitech. Of course, you’re worth protecting.”
The Crown Prince finally understood why the Saintess reacted so strongly to Ian’s deaths in previous cycles. She seemed deeply connected to him.
“Do others see me that way, Kate?” Ian asked softly.
“What do you mean?”
“You know why the magitech division was shoved into the farthest corner of the sanctuary. Everyone thinks we consume resources without contributing to the surface reclamation.”
“That’s just ignorance! Magitech is essential. I believe in you, Ian—you’ll play a vital role in reclaiming the surface!”
The Crown Prince mulled over their words, finally understanding the disdain for magitech in this world. In stark contrast to Earth, where magitech was the cornerstone of progress, here it was seen as wasteful.
“Well,” Ian said bitterly, “you’re always so kind to everyone.”
An inferiority complex weighed heavily on him, isolating him from even those who showed him kindness. The Crown Prince saw a reflection of himself in Ian’s struggle.
“Don’t worry about that,” the Saintess reassured. “I’ll protect you.”
But Ian’s expression darkened.
“If people find out the Hero and the Saintess are giving special treatment to the ‘resource-hogging magitech division,’ it might make things worse for my researchers.”
The Saintess hesitated, uncertain.
“That won’t be a problem,” the Crown Prince interrupted, stepping into the room.
“Hero!”
“I’ll protect you personally. Who would dare harass you under my watch?”
Magitech was indispensable. Without it, their ability to sustain the war would crumble. To the Crown Prince, magitech was the backbone of their survival—and Orpheus’s fixation on it only proved its importance.
“You are vital to the sanctuary and humanity’s survival. Don’t doubt yourself or feel guilty.”
The Saintess was moved. Ian, however, lowered his head, murmuring under his breath.
“If only we’d had a Hero like you back then, things might have been different.”
CLANG!
Suddenly, countless mechanical arms emerged from the walls, restraining the Crown Prince and the Saintess.
“Ian! What are you doing?!” the Saintess cried.
“I’m doing what must be done,” Ian said coldly, his face now obscured by a mask.
“...You’re Orpheus, aren’t you?” the Crown Prince demanded, struggling to process the situation.
“That’s impossible. The Ians I’ve seen die were real corpses!”
Ian removed the mask, revealing Orpheus’s familiar face.
“To be precise,” Orpheus sneered, “this isn’t me. I’m his future.”
“What do you mean?” the Crown Prince asked, alarmed.
“There’s no need for you to know. After all, you won’t be returning.”
[Game saved automatically.]
The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in terror.
Auto-save?!
In Akashic Archive, there was no concept of save slots. Auto-save meant he could no longer reset the game.
Orpheus activated a small device, opening a portal. From within stepped an older Ian—the Orpheus the Crown Prince had come to know.
“Ian?! How are there two of you?” the Saintess asked, horrified.
“Let’s end this,” Orpheus declared, merging with Ian’s body before smashing his head against the floor in a brutal, familiar act.
“Now, Curator, it’s our time.”
Orpheus’s arm transformed into a devastating energy weapon.
[Game saved automatically.]
‘Damn it! Another auto-save?’
Trapped and powerless, the Crown Prince braced himself as Orpheus prepared to fire—only for a dark-haired boy to appear, blocking the attack with a blade of light.
“...I knew you’d show up, Curator. It’s been a while.”
The boy was none other than the [Curator of Akashic Archive].
“So, Orpheus. A Sin of Destruction in my domain. How did you escape my sight?”
Orpheus smirked. “Because this story… this story belongs to me.”
“Late as always, Curator. The Abyss’s influence has surpassed its limits. The Archive’s authority no longer reaches here.”
But the Curator wasn’t finished. “The Archive’s power is far greater than you realize.”
He infused the Crown Prince with divine light. “You are the final hope, Zeol. Enter Orpheus’s mindscape, sever the Abyssal core, and end this nightmare.”
As the Crown Prince’s vision dimmed, he saw Orpheus’s face twisted in a satisfied grin.
Even now, it was as if everything was going exactly as planned.