Side Character Who Became the Pseudo-Protagonist

Chapter 7: Correct The Course

My body moved before my mind could process what was happening.

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Kinetic Displacement Type —]

[Push]

THUD—!

The impact rang out from my hands just before the creature’s jaw could close around my arm.

It went flying backwards, claws scraping against metal, leaving large indents. But it couldn’t hold on for much longer before slipping and falling into the abyss.

Aidan managed to get on his feet, the effects of the roar wearing off.

"Did you...get it?"

No, why would you say that!? That’s how you raise a death flag in these types of situations!

And just as I feared, sounds of claws scraping against metal echoed from underneath us once more.

The Alpha was making its way up to us once again, like my full power [Push] was just a slight tickle.

’How the hell did it manage to survive that fall? We’re on the 10th floor!’

"How much longer until we make it to the top?!"

Aidan looked up and down before shouting.

"Ten more floors! We’re only halfway there!"

Damn, we were only barely alive at the tenth floor, standing on top of a creaking elevator that was moving slower than an elderly turtle.

And beneath us, the Ironmane Alpha was catching up fast. There was no way we could keep doing this for ten more floors.

My [Push] could knock it away, but it couldn’t kill the damn thing. Aidan’s swords were precise, but they bounced off its mane unless he hit the perfect angle.

What now?

In this game, this thing was the tutorial boss that was killed easily through the weak point just like the others. But unfortunately, neither of us had the ability to stick to the shaft wall to match this thing.

Think...if I couldn’t beat it with my own strength, then I needed something stronger than me.

My eyes moved around the shaft itself. The walls were too narrow for the Alpha to move freely, there was no way it could properly dodge, not while running up the shaft.

Which meant if something big enough fell straight down...

My gaze drifted upward immediately, past the darkness, before finally seeing it.

Far above, hanging in the neighboring shaft, was the other elevator that was broken.

Its undercarriage was tilted at an ugly angle, stuck somewhere near the twentieth floor. The doors around it had been ripped open and it was just barely hanging in one piece.

’No way...it actually might work.’

"Aidan! We need to drop that second elevator on it, there’s no way it can dodge that thing in time."

"Then why are you not doing it already?!"

"I hate to break it to you, but my Projection is at F-Rank."

"Goddamn it. Mine’s not much better."

I know man. I know.

"Alright, when can you reach it?"

"My polarity field only extends around fifteen meters away from my body. Roughly three floors, give or take."

I looked at the flickering display on the side of the shaft.

[11F]

Six more floors. That’s not too bad...right?

Below us, the Alpha’s claws slammed into the shaft wall again. Each impact made the elevator tremble beneath our feet.

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Vector Displacement Type—]

[Repulse]

The sword became a silver streak, flying straight toward the Alpha’s face.

Dodging to the side, the blade missed its mark and buried itself straight into the elevator shaft.

But Aidan’s fingers moved immediately, using his index and middle fingers to motion the sword to come back.

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Vector Recall Type—]

[Attract]

This time, the blade carved along the Alpha’s lower jaw as it returned.

SHLK—!

Blood sprayed into the shaft, causing the Alpha to miss its next step and sliding several meters down before catching itself again.

"Nice!"

[13F]

The Alpha shook its head before advancing towards us again. But this time, it had gotten used to Aidan’s timing.

Instead of climbing straight up, it bounced between the narrow walls, using each side like a platform.

’That’s cheating!’

Every time Aidan’s sword flew down to try and intercept it, the Alpha would always be one step ahead, dodging the attacks with effortless ease.

As soon as it tried to launch itself towards our elevator, I had to step up and do my job, which was to be the best bodyguard possible.

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Kinetic Displacement Type—]

[Push]

THUD—!

The blast punched straight into the Alpha’s face causing it to drop several meters down. But this time it caught on way quicker than before, falling only about three floors down.

"Gghkk—!"

The recoil shot through my shoulders, causing me to stumble back. Aidan grabbed the back of my collar before I could stumble off the edge.

"Careful!"

"Trying!"

[15F]

Just two more to go!

For the first time since this depressing prologue, hope dared to crawl its way into my chest. Which was exactly why I should’ve known something was about to happen.

A gray blur suddenly rushed past us like a bullet as the Alpha slammed into the shaft just a few meters over our heads.

SCREEEECH—!

Aidan’s sword flew upward, trying to aim for the light pink patch of skin underneath its jaw, but the monster twisted just enough for the sword to scrape it instead.

That was when I realized that the monster had abandoned its mane of iron spikes just like the other Ironmane Wolf had done.

’We’re so freakin’ screwed.’

It kicked off against the wall, straight toward us.

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Kinetic Displacement Type—]

[Push]

THUD—!

The blast caught the Alpha mid-pounce.

Its body was forced backward, but not nearly far enough. One of its claws still managed to rake across the elevator roof, tearing through the metal like paper.

The whole elevator tilted.

"Whoa—!"

Aidan grabbed the maintenance railing with one hand and my collar with the other.

[16F]

Just one more...one more floor!

[KRRRKK—Nolan!...Can you—hear me?!]

"Yes, Ruby! I’ve never been happier to hear your voice! Got something to save us?!"

[There should be...! Emergency yellow brake panel—KRRKKK, on the underside of...the—elevator!]

I looked up and spotted what she was talking about immediately. On the undercarriage, barely being held up, was a damaged emergency brake panel with a yellow casing.

"There! Yellow panel!"

"I see it!"

Aidan raised his arm, causing his sword to go flying straight up toward the lever. The sword curved and wobbled, swaying from side to side as it got further away from its owner.

"Grghhk—!"

Aidan’s wrist strained, sword wobbling as it reached the range limit outside of his polarity zone.

For one terrifying second, I thought he wouldn’t make it.

Then it struck the yellow emergency brake panel.

CLANG—!

The casing cracked, and something inside snapped.

The broken elevator above us groaned, its wires snapping one by one as they finally failed to hold the weight.

KKRRRRRRRRK—!

Sparks flew as the dead elevator scraped against the sides of the shaft, dropping like a guillotine.

"Down!"

Aidan didn’t need to be told twice.

Both of us flattened ourselves against the roof of our elevator as the broken car screamed past the neighboring shaft opening.

The Alpha managed to get one good look at the falling mass, before it slammed directly into the creature.

BOOOOOOOM—!

Metal screamed and glass shattered as an enormous THUD echoed from the darkness beneath us.

"...Did we get it?"

The moment I said it my own soul nearly left my body.

"Wait, no. Forget I said that. I take it back. I take it back immediately."

[18F]

[19F]

[20F]

Above us, the elevator shaft opened into a maintenance access point. Emergency lights flickered around a narrow landing, and beyond it, I could see a stairwell leading toward the roof.

Finally.

The end of this cursed prologue was actually in sight.

The elevator groaned to a stop just below the access platform and Aidan got up immediately.

One of his swords flew up, stabbed into the edge of the landing, and he used it to pull himself upward before looking over.

"Can you climb?"

"My arms feel like mush."

"..."

Aidan clicked his tongue, then extended his hand.

Right, he still didn’t like me. But at least, he disliked watching people fall to their deaths more.

That’s good to know.

I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up onto the platform with a grunt.

"You’re heavier than you look."

"I’m carrying the burden of being a fake protagonist."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Don’t worry about it."

We stumbled up the stairwell and shoved open the rooftop door, and for the first time, I managed to see the sky.

Dark clouds churned above the testing center, lit from beneath by the red emergency lights bleeding out of the building.

Yet the sky looked strange, like there was some kind of glass or mirror that was reflecting it.

’Is this...the Logos interference they were talking about?’

But I couldn’t be distracted any longer, as standing at the center of the rooftop, was the emergency relay tower.

The top of it spun weakly, releasing broken blue light that scattered into the air before fading.

That’s it. That’s the objective.

"Ruby, we’re here! Is there any instructions on how to recalibrate it?"

[Krrkk—Manual panel...base of the tower...]

Aidan reached the relay tower before she finished speaking. One of his swords slipped free, stabbed into the emergency panel, and pried it open with a sharp metallic crack.

Inside was a mess of glowing circuits, rotating cores, and half-burned cables.

I stared at it.

Ah.

Naturally, it was something only a professional could understand.

"Can you fix it?"

But as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I forgot that Aidan was also supposed to be part of the Engineering program. So naturally...

He frowned at me before getting to work.

And just a few clicks later...the emergency relay tower lit up. A pillar of blue light shot into the sky, cutting through the dark clouds above the testing center and breaking the glass-looking texture.

"...We did it."

Ruby’s voice came through the communicator, clearer than it had ever been.

[Nolan! The signal went through! Emergency response should receive it now!]

The tension in me had vanished completely, replaced by sheer relief. I laughed so hard that my stomach actually started hurting.

The signal had gone through. Ruby was safe. Help was coming.

Now all we had to do now was survive until rescue arrived. Ahh...there’s no way we managed to survive all of that without the protagonist!

You know, maybe being the fake protagonist isn’t that hard—

CRASH—!

The door suddenly snapped wide open, and from it, a massive white paw emerged.

My blood ran cold, causing my body to freeze up.

’No...no what the hell is it doing here?! Didn’t we just kill it!’

Still, the Ironmane Alpha stepped out onto the roof. Or rather, what was left of it.

Half of its body had been crushed inward and its ribs were jutting out at an impossible angle.

One of its legs dragged uselessly behind it, twisted the wrong way, while black blood poured from its wounds so much that it should’ve bled out by now.

Its broken body twitched with every movement, held together by something that was definitely not normal biology.

But that was when a system window flickered in front of my eyes.

[Warning!]

[Prologue Scenario has deviated and entered an Irregular State.]

[Please correct the course of the story. Good luck, Pseudo-Protagonist.]

"You’ve got to be kidding me."