novelraw Chapter 44 : Chapter 44
Chapter 44 : Chapter 44
The cold wind swept across the training grounds of the military camp.
Rian stood quietly among the soldiers, his expression calm, but his mind was racing.
In the original game, this was the moment when everything started to go wrong.
The unit he belonged to was nothing more than a disposable force. In the story, they were sent to the battlefield as expendable troops, and most of them died without anyone even remembering their names.
Rian knew that fate better than anyone.
After all, he had played the game countless times in his previous life.
“If things go exactly like the game… this entire unit will be wiped out.”
His eyes slowly scanned the soldiers around him.
Some were joking with each other.
Some were complaining about the harsh training.
None of them knew what kind of future awaited them.
To them, this was just another ordinary day in the army.
But to Rian, it was the beginning of a disaster.
“Still… the story has already started changing.”
Since arriving in this world, he had interfered with several key events. Small things had begun to shift.
And those small changes could eventually alter the entire future.
But that didn’t mean he could relax.
The game world was brutal. One wrong decision could easily lead to death.
At that moment, a loud voice suddenly echoed across the training ground.
“All soldiers, gather!”
The commander’s voice was sharp and commanding.
The soldiers immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed to form a line.
Rian quietly joined them.
A tall officer stepped forward, looking over the assembled soldiers with a cold gaze.
“You’ve all been selected for the next mission.”
Murmurs spread through the formation.
A mission.
For ordinary soldiers, that word could mean anything—from a simple patrol to a deadly battle.
Rian, however, already had a bad feeling.
In the game, this mission was the start of a major event.
An event where countless low-ranking soldiers died.
Rian lowered his gaze slightly.
“So it’s finally starting…”
The officer waited until the murmurs died down before continuing.
“This mission will be a reconnaissance operation near the border.”
Some soldiers immediately relaxed after hearing that.
Reconnaissance missions were usually considered safer than full battles.
But Rian didn’t feel relieved at all.
He remembered this event clearly.
In the game, the reconnaissance team accidentally encountered an enemy force far larger than expected. What was supposed to be a simple mission quickly turned into a massacre.
Most of the soldiers sent on that mission never returned.
Rian kept his expression neutral.
“Looks like the same event is happening after all.”
The officer continued explaining the mission.
“You will depart at dawn tomorrow. Prepare your equipment and rest well tonight.”
After finishing the announcement, he dismissed the formation.
The soldiers quickly broke into small groups, talking excitedly about the mission.
Some were nervous.
Others were simply curious.
To them, this was just another order.
But Rian quietly walked away from the crowd.
“If I follow the original story, I’ll die along with the others.”
That wasn’t an option.
He had survived this long by using the knowledge he gained from the game. And he intended to keep surviving.
Rian began to think carefully.
“In the game, the ambush happened in a narrow valley.”
If he could avoid that location, his chances of survival would increase significantly.
But there was another problem.
He was only a low-ranking soldier.
He had no authority to change the route of the mission.
Which meant he needed another solution.
Rian looked toward the distant mountains where the mission would take place.
“If I can’t change the mission… then I’ll change how I move within it.”
His eyes hardened with determination.
That night, the camp was quieter than usual.
Most soldiers went to sleep early in preparation for the mission.
But Rian remained awake.
He sat alone near the edge of the camp, staring at the dark horizon.
His mind was filled with calculations.
Enemy positions.
Possible escape routes.
The timing of the ambush.
Every detail he could remember from the game.
“If my memory is correct, the enemy attack begins shortly after noon.”
The reconnaissance team would enter the valley around that time.
And then—
The ambush would begin.
Rian slowly exhaled.
“There’s still a chance to survive.”
The key was timing.
If he positioned himself correctly, he could avoid the worst part of the battle.
But there was another thought lingering in his mind.
“What if the story has already changed?”
Since arriving in this world, he had already altered several events.
If the future changed too much, his knowledge from the game might become unreliable.
That possibility made things even more dangerous.
Still, doing nothing was worse.
Rian stood up.
“No matter what happens… I’ll survive.”
Morning arrived quickly.
The soldiers gathered at the entrance of the camp, fully equipped for the mission.
Armor clinked.
Weapons were checked.
The atmosphere was tense.
Rian joined the formation silently.
The officer leading the mission stepped forward.
“We move now.”
The group began marching toward the mountains.
As the camp disappeared behind them, the terrain gradually became rougher and more dangerous.
Rian carefully observed the surroundings.
Every hill.
Every tree.
Every possible hiding place.
Hours passed as the group moved deeper into the wilderness.
Then—
Rian suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
The narrow path ahead.
The steep cliffs on both sides.
His expression hardened.
“This is the valley.”
The exact location where the ambush happened in the game.
The soldiers ahead continued walking without suspicion.
None of them realized the danger approaching.
Rian’s hand slowly moved toward the handle of his weapon.
His instincts were screaming.
Something was wrong.
And then—
From the cliffs above, a shadow moved.
Rian’s eyes widened slightly.
“…It’s starting.”
The ambush had begun.