The Trash Author Cleans his Novel

—Tiring.

Lomel was a bartender in the alleyways, making a living selling alcohol to thugs. Though he was respected enough that the thugs didn't touch him, the same couldn't be said for anyone else.

Looking at the poor woman they had grabbed off of the streets, vomiting all over her clothes, Lomel sighed.

He had to clean up all of that mess.

Looking up, he spotted a young boy walking in. A frown formed on his face.

"I don't sell alcohol to minors," He still had his principles, "Find a different place to— Ack!"

A hand jabbed forward, striking his larynx, and began constricting his throat. The boy stood before him with a demonic grin plastered across his soft features.

A pang of terror shot through Lomel's heart just then as he gasped for air.

"What are you—"

—Snap!

Arcine snapped his neck.

"....Is this guy stupid? Does he have zero survival instincts?" He muttered as he looked at the bartender slumped on the counter. Given the format of his story, he indeed believed that such a thing was possible. Aura of Depth had yet to activate.

Thus, his shadow opened its abyssal maw and swallowed the corpse whole.

***

[ > Shadow Demon Body (Physique): E-Rank (0/9) -> (1/9) ]

"Wow... I see," I chuckled. "He was just worth one point."

 I turned to face the only other customers in the bar. Snoring and passed out, they were defenseless.

—Shing!

I borrowed a knife. Then, with a few simple...

—Stab.

—Stab.

—Stab.

—Stab.

—Stab.

—Stab.

A river of blood flowed out of the bar, earning a frown on my face.

"Let's not waste anything, my dear shadow."

My shadow expanded, looming beneath each corpse. Then, it opened its abyssal maws and clamped down.

—Crunch!

[ > Shadow Demon Body (Physique): E-Rank (1/9) -> (6/9) ]

They were all worth a single point. Save for two, who were only worth half.

"...Cannon fodder,"

I waited several hours for this. Though I now had my revenge... It was an inefficient use of my time. Other than the free kills, I earned nothing.

—Ptui!

Until my shadow spat something out.

"Hm?"

—Ding!

[ Aura of Depth is in effect! ]

[ Changes are being made to the world... ]

[ Changes have been realized! ]

[ Displaying... ]

[]=[]=[]=[]=[]

Character: Gavin Hosva

Rank: E

Description: What should have been a regular street thug is now part of something bigger. Greater. A plot that goes deep into the waters of Vircadia.

[]=[]=[]=[]=[]

"An insignia..."

Picking the item up, I turned the high-quality metal around my fingers. It was heavy, made out of a very conductive material that absorbed the warmth of my hands.

I knew what this was.

It was a quest item, though the System didn't call it that. If I chose to keep it, future questlines would open up, and I would be forced to act in certain situations.

This left me pondering.

Should I keep it or leave it?

Squinting, an idea popped into my head.

'I'll mark it instead.' I left a nick on the insignia's shadow.

This way, I could track it down in the future to see where it would land. My eyes drifted over to the bar, spotting nothing amiss other than the absent owner.

"Hm,"

Seeing that I was done here, I left the insignia on the counter and left.

***

'Status,'

[]=[]=[]=[]=[]

Name: Arcine d'Vyde

Race: Shadow Demon [F-Rank (0/3)]

Age: 15

=======

TRAITS

> Author's Authority: F-Rank (0/3)

> Angelic Light (Elemental Affinity): F-Rank (0/3)

> Shadow Demon Body (Physique): E-Rank (6/9) [Hidden: E-Rank (0/9)]

> True Shadow (Racial Trait): F-Rank (0/3)

> Eight Senses (Unique Trait): F-Rank (0/3)

PHYSIQUE

> STR: F-Rank (0/3) -> (1/3) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

> DEX: F-Rank (0/3) -> (1/3) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

> RES: F-Rank (0/3) -> (1/3) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

MAGIC

> INT: F-Rank (0/3)

> FLUX: F-Rank (0/3) -> (1/3) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

> M-RES: F-Rank (0/3)

MISC

> LCK: F-Rank (0/3) [Hidden: F-Rank (2/3)]

> PER: F-Rank (0/3)

> CHA: F-Rank (0/3)

> WIL: E-Rank (0/9) [Hidden: D-Rank (12/27)]

[]=[]=[]=[]=[]

My status was updated once again. Seeing the rising attributes brought about a certain pleasure that I could only find in video games.

A systematic growth in strength.

Exhilarating was a good word to describe this feeling.

"Now... That encounter confirms it."

From the sheer ease with which I had been able to snap people's necks and stab people's hearts, there was something fundamentally wrong with this world. Something that was slowly changing with every second of my continued existence.

The simplicity I had once written was still in effect.

Reaching this conclusion, I realized something else.

"I can profit from this..."

Before the world gained a quality of sentience greater than what it originally was designed with.

There were tricks I could abuse and Traits I could gain.

***

As I walked, I could feel the world rapidly filling itself in with details. The incessant notifications caused by my Aura of Depth were neverending information bombs that I was forced to take note of despite my best wishes.

From the interpersonal relationships of those random faces to the whole length of their backstories, the System notified me of everything.

I felt incredibly out of place, jarred by the surreal phenomenon enforced around me.

In a way, I could feel my sanity slipping. The world as I knew it was changing in real-time, all because of my wandering footfalls.

Had I not existed, this world would've been nothing but a shallow static story.

...Was that why I was brought here?

A migraine pierced my head at that thought. Luckily, I successfully took a bus to one of the Wilderness Parks located in the city. I could focus on something else.

Stepping into the park while taking note of the fact that the bus driver was a secret gang member according to the system, I took a deep breath.

"Hooo,"

As with any novel transmigration, I aimed to retrieve an item that others would have discovered by luck.

The crunch of grass under my feet was rhythmic, and the fresh air of a clean city filled my lungs. Ancient trees, towering as high as the skyscrapers themselves were an uncanny sight.

Beneath their canopy was a deep shade, covering all that stood beneath it. Bioluminescent moss was scattered everywhere, creating a Da Vinci-esque sight with its swirls and lines.

While I was admiring this sight, my brows suddenly creased when I spotted a familiar face. The System seemed to agree with me as a screen popped up in front of my face.

—Ding!

[ Aura of Depth is in effect! ]

[ Changes are being made to the world... ]

[ Changes have been realized! ]

[ Displaying... ]