So what if I am just a mob in a novel : I will get what I want

The campfire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the faces of the group. Exhaustion lingered in the air, but the adrenaline of their first day in the forest still hummed in their veins. As they sat in a loose circle, catching their breath, one by one, their gazes turned toward their respective system panels, the glowing interfaces that hung before them like phantom guides.

Rishitha stared at hers, her thoughts a swirling storm. Each word etched on the screen felt like a weight pressing on her chest. Her hand trembled slightly as she scrolled through the missions laid out before her.

Main Mission - 1: Survival in the Forest

Category: Level 1

Difficulty: Rank 0, F, Level 5

Clear Condition: Survive

Time Limit: 10 days

Reward: World Basics Knowledge, General Map, Token of Mercenary, 100 Coins

Failure: Death

The words glowed ominously, a stark reminder of their precarious situation. But as she read on, the missions grew more daunting.

Story Mission - Save the Kingdom

"The forces of darkness have kidnapped the princess of Elza. The kingdom is in chaos, its people tortured and twisted by despair. You must restore balance and correct the path of this collapsing world."

Objectives:

Rescue Princess Anya from the clutches of the sorceress. Kill ten level-one monsters to prove your worth. Convince the Wise Dragon to assist you in your journey. Survive the Forest: Endure its threats for ten days. Defeat the Minions of the wizard to weaken his grasp on the kingdom. Ensure Princess Anya marries the Prince to restore the kingdom's unity.

Rewards:

Title: "Protector of Balance" Enhanced Stats Special Relic: Ring of Unity

Failure: Collapse of the world.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Ragith muttered, his voice low but laced with simmering anger. His screen reflected in his stormy eyes as he clenched his fists. "A princess, a sorceress, dragons, and... matchmaking? What kind of mission is this?"

Erin, sitting cross-legged, studied his own panel intently. "Yeah, in a talent awakening mission, you're supposed to unlock abilities, climb ranks, and become stronger," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. "There's a global ranking system. The higher your rank, the harder the missions."

"Story mission?" Rishitha asked quietly, breaking her silence.

Erin nodded, his gaze flickering toward her. "The path ahead isn't just about survival. It's about correcting this world's course. The forces of darkness aren't just an enemy—they're the symptom of a deeper problem. Every piece of this world—the people, the land, the magic—it's falling apart because the story is incomplete."

Mo Tang's brows furrowed as she skimmed through her own panel. "Incomplete? How? What does that even mean?"

Rishitha swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral. She couldn't tell them the truth. The truth that this world was an abandoned story, its characters left adrift, its plot riddled with contradictions and gaps.

"Just think of it as fixing the balance," she said vaguely, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "If we don't, the consequences aren't just for this kingdom. They're for all of us."

The group fell into uneasy silence as they processed their tasks.

"Kill ten monsters?" Erin said finally, his voice tinged with frustration. "We haven't even seen one yet, and now we're supposed to take down ten? What are they thinking, throwing us in here like this?"

"And convince a dragon to help us?" Mo Tang added, her tone incredulous. "How are we supposed to find a dragon, let alone convince it to join our cause?"

"It's not just about surviving," Rishitha said softly, her eyes fixed on the fire. "It's about proving ourselves. This forest is a test, but it's also a battlefield. If we can't handle this, we won't stand a chance against what's coming."

Ragith let out a harsh laugh. "What's coming? Oh, you mean the sorceress holding the princess captive? Or the wizard's minions? Or maybe it's the arranged marriage we're apparently responsible for setting up?"

His words dripped with sarcasm, but beneath it was an edge of fear.

Rishitha's hands tightened into fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her system missions were different—hidden from the others, etched in secrecy and layered with consequences she couldn't explain.

Her real task wasn't just to survive or save the kingdom. It was to rewrite the ending, to ensure this world followed its intended path.

But at what cost?

Her chest ached with the weight of her guilt. These people—the ones sitting around her—they felt so real. Their fears, their dreams, their struggles. And yet, in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the knowledge that they were characters in a story.

A story she was bound to finish

"I don't like this," Ragith said finally, breaking the silence. His gaze was fixed on Mo Tang, his expression dark. "But if you're staying, I'm staying. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

Mo Tang met his eyes, her expression softening slightly. "We'll get through it, Ragith. Together."

Erin glanced between them, his expression unreadable. "We don't have a choice, anyway. If we don't complete the missions, we're dead."

"And if we fail the story mission, the world collapses," Mo Tang added grimly.

"Then we don't fail," Rishitha said, her voice steady. Her gaze swept over the group, lingering on each of them. "We survive. We fight. And we make it through this. Together."

The fire crackled as her words hung in the air, a fragile thread of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Ragith nodded reluctantly, Erin gave a curt shrug, and Mo Tang offered a faint smile.

Their paths were uncertain, their missions daunting, but in that moment, they were united.

And for now, that was enough.

Erin leaned back against the rough bark of a tree, his panel still glowing faintly in the dim light. His eyes flicked across the mission objectives with practiced precision, his mind already working through probabilities and strategies.

Kill ten level-one monsters.

That was the simplest task, though "simple" was relative in this place. Erin knew better than to underestimate the forest. He'd heard the rustle of leaves that carried more than just the wind, seen shadows move where they shouldn't.

But it wasn't the monsters that unnerved him. It was the weight of the story missions, the implication that their survival hinged not on individual skill but on their ability to fit into a larger narrative.

Rescue the princess. Convince a dragon. Defeat a sorceress. Unite a kingdom.

These weren't tasks designed for ordinary people. They were the work of heroes—chosen ones. Erin glanced around the group, his gaze lingering on each of them.

Ragith was strong, sure. Mo Tang was sharp, resourceful. And Rishitha… she was an enigma. There was something about her that made his instincts buzz, an undercurrent of tension that she tried to hide but couldn't completely suppress.

But heroes? No. They weren't heroes.

His fists clenched. Not yet.

Erin knew he couldn't rely on fate or chance. If they were going to make it, they needed a plan—a real one.

Mo Tang sat cross-legged near the fire, her panel hovering in front of her. She stared at the missions, her brow furrowed in concentration. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on her shoulders.

Kill ten level-one monsters.

Survive for ten days.

It sounded simple when written out in neat, glowing text, but she knew better. Every shadow in this forest felt alive, every sound a potential threat.

Her fingers hovered over the panel as she reread the story missions.

Rescue Princess Anya. Convince the Wise Dragon. Unite the kingdom.

The sheer scale of it all made her stomach churn. How were they supposed to do this? They didn't have weapons, training, or even a proper map. And yet, despite the odds, she felt a spark of determination ignite within her.

Mo Tang wasn't the type to back down from a challenge. She had spent her life fighting for survival, for her brother, for herself. This was just another battle—one with higher stakes, perhaps, but a battle nonetheless.

Her gaze flicked to Rishitha, who sat a little apart from the group. Mo Tang couldn't shake the feeling that Rishitha was hiding something. But she also couldn't deny the strength she'd seen in her, the quiet resilience that seemed to hold the group together.

Ragith glared at his mission panel, the glowing text mocking him with its impossibility.

Kill ten level-one monsters. Rescue a princess. Convince a dragon.

What kind of madness had they been thrown into? He slammed his fist against the ground, the sharp pain grounding him.

His gaze shifted to Mo Tang, who was reading her panel with a quiet intensity. She had always been the stronger one between them, the one who found hope even in the darkest of times. But this? This was too much.

The missions were a cruel reminder of his own inadequacy. He had vowed to protect her, to keep her safe. And yet, here she was, caught in a web of dangers far beyond his control.

And then there was Rishitha. The sight of her made his blood boil. She was too calm, too composed for someone thrown into a life-or-death scenario. She had dragged Mo Tang into this chaos, and now they were expected to trust her?

But even as he seethed, a small part of him felt guilty. Rishitha wasn't entirely to blame. They were all trapped in this nightmare together.

Still, he resolved to keep his distance. Trust was a luxury they couldn't afford, especially not with so much at stake.

Rishitha stared at her panel, the missions blurring before her eyes. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the objectives, each one a cruel reminder of the role she had been forced to play.

Rescue Princess Anya. Convince the Wise Dragon. Unite the kingdom.

Her heart clenched at the thought of the others. They had no idea what this world truly was, the twisted reality of being pawns in a story left unfinished. And she couldn't tell them.

Not yet.

The system had made it clear: her mission was to guide the story to its intended conclusion. Failure wasn't an option—not if she wanted to save her family, to rewrite the past and undo the pain that had defined her life.

But the others didn't understand. They saw the missions as challenges, obstacles to overcome. For Rishitha, they were a lifeline—a fragile thread of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

She glanced at the group. Mo Tang, with her quiet strength. Erin, with his sharp mind. Ragith, with his fierce loyalty. They were her companions in this journey, whether they liked it or not.

And yet, a part of her ached with guilt. She wasn't just fighting for their survival. She was fighting for something far more personal.

Her family.

Can I do this? she wondered, her chest tightening. Can I keep leading them, knowing I'm keeping so much from them?

But there was no time for doubt. The missions were clear, and the stakes were too high.

Her gaze hardened as she closed her panel. "We have to focus," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "The missions won't wait for us to be ready."

In that moment, she resolved to carry the weight of her secrets alone. The others didn't need to know the truth—not yet. All they needed to know was that they had a chance.

And Rishitha would do everything in her power to make sure they took it.