Extra To Protagonist

Vivienne tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "These aren't just theoretical simulations, are they?"

Alden glanced at her. "No. These scenarios are based on real military engagements. Every battle we analyze here has either already happened, is happening now, or is predicted to happen in the far future..However the predictions aren't exactly accurate."

That got the class's attention.

Ethan let out a low whistle. "So this is where they predict wars before they start?"

"More or less," Alden replied.

Merlin remained silent, scanning the displays.

He recognized some of the locations being analyzed.

They were battlefields from later in the novel—conflicts that hadn't happened yet but were going to.

That meant the military already had some degree of foresight.

The question was—how much did they know?

And how far had the story's timeline already diverged?

Alden turned back to the students. "For today's exercise, you will experience a live combat simulation firsthand."

Several students stiffened.

Nathan frowned slightly. "A simulation of what, exactly?"

Alden didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gestured to a nearby officer, who tapped a few commands into his terminal.

The massive holographic display shifted, revealing a city in ruins.

Tall skyscrapers collapsed into dust, streets were torn apart by craters and wreckage, and smoke billowed into the sky.

A field of destruction.

"This," Alden said, "is a classified simulation. A scenario that has not happened yet—but may happen in the far future."

Merlin's breath stilled for a moment.

Because he knew this place.

It was Eldoria.

The city they were standing in.

Burned to the ground.

—

The room fell into silence as the students took in the sight.

Liliana's hand tightened on her notebook. Seraphina's silver eyes narrowed slightly. Dorian remained expressionless, while Elara's gaze lingered on the ruins longer than the others.

Nathan took a step forward. "This… is a prediction?"

Alden nodded. "A low-probability outcome based on current intelligence reports. The conditions leading to this scenario are still developing, but if certain events continue on their current path, then yes—this could happen. Of course, this would only happen if all of our military forces fail, there is less than a 0.1% chance of this happening. So there isn't a reason for panic."

"Who attacks?" Ethan asked, his usual boredom replaced with sharp interest.

Alden glanced at the display. "Unknown. The simulation accounts for multiple possible aggressors—rogue factions, external military forces, terrorist groups. We're still refining the projections."

That was a half-truth.

Merlin knew who would attack.

Because in the novel, Eldoria was destroyed and everyone was killed.

By sheer destruction..

Merlin exhaled quietly.

'So the military knows something is coming. But they don't know what…and they can't predict it. I'm guessing Morgana has a play in this with her time affinity as well.'

That meant he still had time.

And he was going to use every second of it.

Alden turned back to the students. "We won't be explaining further. Instead, you'll be entering the simulation yourselves."

Several students tensed.

"You will be divided into three-person squads," Alden continued. "Your objective: survive for thirty minutes while gathering intel on enemy movements. The difficulty is set to real combat levels—injuries sustained in the simulation will not carry over, but the pain response will be fully active."

Merlin's expression didn't change.

Nathan, however, stiffened.

Adrian grinned, nudging him. "Guess we'll see what you're made of, huh?"

Liliana pursed her lips. "So we're supposed to be… soldiers?"

"Think of it as a stress test," Alden said. "If you intend to operate in the real world, you should understand what real warfare feels like."

One by one, students were called to different simulation pods—high-tech capsules that connected directly to the combat system.

Vivienne, despite her usual warm demeanor, wasn't arguing against it.

Merlin wasn't surprised.

Vivienne was kind, but she wasn't weak—she understood that reality wouldn't give them safety nets.

Alden glanced at his tablet, reading off names. "Squad Three—Nathaniel Varen, Adrian Kain, and Liliana Astralis."

Nathan took a breath, nodding slightly as he stepped toward the pods.

Merlin leaned back, waiting for his name.

Alden continued.

"Squad Five—Merlin Everhart, Seraphina Alden, and Dorian Graves."

Merlin's fingers tapped against his arm.

'Interesting group. We'll have to use what we've got I guess.'

Seraphina was a tactical thinker, methodical in execution. Dorian was a lone wolf, cold and efficient.

Merlin? He was the wild card.

Alden's gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before moving on. "You'll have five minutes to prepare. Enter the pods when ready."

Merlin turned toward his squadmates.

Seraphina was already analyzing the simulation parameters. "We should establish a plan before deployment," she said, her tone clipped.

Dorian simply exhaled sharply, arms crossed. "Plans won't matter. The simulation adjusts dynamically."

Merlin smirked slightly. "Then I guess we improvise."

Neither of them argued.

Without another word, the three of them stepped into their pods.

The moment the metal hatch sealed, a digital voice echoed

[Initiating Combat Simulation.]

A bright flash consumed his vision.

Then—

Merlin opened his eyes to fire, smoke, and gunfire.

The city of Eldoria was burning.

And this time, he was inside the ending..

Where it all came to a stop.

—

The sky burned red.

Smoke billowed from the ruined skyscrapers, the once-thriving streets of Eldoria now littered with debris.

Automated streetlights flickered erratically, their neon-blue glow barely cutting through the chaos unfolding around them.

Gunfire rattled through the air, mixed with the distant roar of explosions.

Merlin stood on what used to be a high-rise avenue, now reduced to rubble. The air was thick with the scent of burning metal, scorched concrete, and something far worse—blood.

This wasn't just a training simulation.

It was a war zone.

A voice crackled in his earpiece, bringing him back to focus.

[Squad Five – Deployment Successful.]

[Survive for 30 minutes.]

[Intel Collection Objective: Ongoing.]

Merlin exhaled sharply, his senses adjusting to the battlefield environment.

A flicker of movement to his left.

Seraphina Alden, already crouched behind cover, her silver eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp efficiency.

To his right, Dorian Graves stood calmly amidst the destruction, his white hair untouched by dust, his crimson-red eyes glowing faintly as he assessed the battlefield with a cold, unreadable gaze.

Seraphina's voice was the first to break the silence. "We don't have time to stand around. We need to move."

Merlin didn't argue.

Dorian, however, exhaled sharply, his arms still crossed. "And where exactly do you suggest we go?"

Seraphina ignored his tone. "The simulation's objective is intel collection. That means there's something the military wants us to find. Our best bet is locating a command post or enemy outpost—something that holds strategic information."

Seraphina's voice remained calm and composed, but Merlin could already tell—this was new for her.

For both of them.

Seraphina and Dorian were talented, undeniably skilled, but they had never been on a real battlefield before.

Merlin had.

He had seen blood spill. He had seen people die.

And he had killed..of course only a couple. But it counts.

So when Seraphina and Dorian crouched behind cover, strategizing like this was just another academy exercise—Merlin knew it wasn't.

This was a turning point.

Because at some point, they would have to make a choice.

Hesitate and die…well they obviously wouldn't die. But the paint would be there.

Or fight and live.

Merlin adjusted his grip on Kyrix, his rapier gleaming faintly under the ruined city's burning light.

"Intel or not," he said, scanning the surroundings, "we won't be alone for long."

And he was right.

Because seconds later, they weren't.

A sharp clatter of boots against pavement echoed through the ruined streets.

Merlin's eyes narrowed as three figures emerged from the shadows of a collapsed metro station—dressed in tactical gear, their faces hidden behind reinforced combat masks. Black-market weapons rested in their hands, their movements sharp, precise.

To them they weren't just random enemies generated by the simulation.

They seemed to move like trained fighters.

And they had already locked onto them.

[Hostile Entities Identified – Armed Combatants.]

[Threat Level: Moderate.]

Seraphina's grip tightened on her crystalline wand, her silver eyes sharp.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Dorian exhaled slowly, his red gaze unreadable as his fingers flexed near his knives.

Neither of them had ever killed before.

Merlin had.

So he waited.

Because this moment mattered.

Would they hesitate?

Or would they fight and kill them?

One of the armed men moved first, raising his weapon—a mana-powered assault rifle aimed directly at Seraphina.

She reacted instantly, her hands flashing blue as a wall of ice erupted between them, the bullets slamming into the frozen barricade.

"Move," she ordered.

Dorian was already in motion, flickering between the shadows, his mana wrapping around him. He appeared behind the second gunman, his twin knives lashing out—

The blades connected—but it wasn't deep enough. Not even close.

The man whirled around unnaturally fast, slamming the butt of his rifle into Dorian's stomach.

Dorian staggered, his breath hitching.

The enemy aimed his weapon at Dorian's head.

'Do I deadass always have to save everyone..?'

Merlin sighed as he vanished from his spot.