novelraw Chapter 25: The Unthinkable Ability to Manipulate Scenarios
Chapter 25: The Unthinkable Ability to Manipulate Scenarios
[Scenario Manipulation]
Rank: Mythical
Type: Active
A reality-altering ability that allows the user to subtly or drastically rewrite the course of a scenario or quest. By paying plausibility, the user can bend rules, change objectives, and impose narrative changes that align with their desired result. The plausibility cost depends on the scale of manipulation and the complexity of the change.
Can alter scenario conditions, objectives, or environmental factors within reasonable plausibility.Allows for retconning minor past events, provided they remain internally consistent.Enables the creation of scenario-specific anomalies, such as hidden paths, fortuitous encounters, or unexpected reinforcements.The greater the deviation from the original scenario framework, the higher the plausibility cost.Unable to directly manipulate Divine Will… yet.What the fuck? What kind of skill is this?! I nearly cursed out loud.
This skill didn’t simply grant power—it granted control over the scenario itself, turning the impossible into the inevitable. Some of its abilities outright manipulated reality. Take the ability to retcon minor past events, for example; it was an abstract yet terrifyingly powerful function. If I were gravely injured, I could simply rewrite where the attack landed, reducing a fatal wound to a mere scratch. That alone made it utterly broken.
And that was just one of five features of the skill. There were so many possibilities that I could play with the skill’s other abilities. Many tricks and deceptions could be played out, like I was the mastermind orchestrating the board. No longer would I be the pawn controlled by others; I’d be the one writing the script itself.
A mythical-rank skill indeed. Even legendary-rank skills paled in comparison. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this surpassed some divine-rank skills—the kind of powers reserved for god-like beings. I guessed its only drawback was that it required plausibility to activate. But given what I could do with it… that hardly seemed like a weakness at all.
“This is so exhilarating.” I clutched the lower half of my face, feeling the creeping, wide smile stretching across my lips. Even in the silent night, the sound of laughter echoed faintly.
Am I laughing?
Of course, I was. How could I not? This was akin to regaining a fragment of my past life’s power—something I had craved ever since I was transported into this game. But without plausibility, this skill was meaningless. I needed a way to secure a steady supply of it, no matter what.
Speaking of which…
A thought struck me. With my status screen open, I muttered, “Grant Plausibility.”
You have used Grant Plausibility.
You have altered the concept of your status screen.
A total of 22 Plausibility has been consumed.
Ordinary divine warriors couldn’t see my status screen unless they had a specific skill, but higher beings like Istellia and Raphael could do so effortlessly. And since I lacked any skill to obscure my status screen, my only option was to manipulate a concept itself: my status screen’s visibility. By using Grant Plausibility, I could alter it just enough to prevent prying eyes from seeing what they shouldn’t by changing some details. It would be dangerous if they discovered that I had an absurd skill like Fabled Vessel, Grant Plausibility, or even Scenario Manipulation.
Next, I checked the total number of soul coins that I accumulated.
Soul Coins: 1,620
Not bad. With this amount, I could afford a decent set of armor and perhaps even a useful skill or two. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was still a sum that most Aleph-rank divine warriors wouldn’t easily come by.
That said, I needed to be strategic with my spending. While equipment was important, skills were what truly determined a divine warrior’s potential. A well-chosen skill could be the difference between survival and death, whereas even the best armor would eventually break under enough pressure. Besides, I never liked fighting in rigid armor when my main skills required adaptability and versatility.
Putting that aside, I remembered the Uncommon-Grade Armament Voucher I had earned as part of the main reward from the second scenario. Without hesitation, I redeemed it, scrolling through the available options to find a suitable replacement for my broken sword. Regrettably, nothing particularly caught my attention. While there were a few decent choices, none stood out as exceptional. In the end, I settled for a solid steel sword.
Solid Steel Sword
Grade: Uncommon
Type: Sword
An excellent-quality steel sword designed for precise and powerful strikes, offering reliable performance in close combat.
Durability: 35/35Grants +2 StrengthJust as I finished making my selection, Boris came to an abrupt stop, and a wary glint flickered in his eyes.
“Lads, I think we might have company,” he muttered.
Almost immediately, I sensed it too—a presence creeping in from multiple directions. The faint sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet night. I turned my head slightly, and my gaze immediately sharpened. Seven figures had closed in, surrounding our group.
Three of them were familiar—the same trio of divine warriors who had tried to mug us before. Unlike last time, however, they weren’t alone. The remaining four exuded a noticeably stronger aura, their movements far more controlled. Bet-rank divine warriors.
Boris let out a low chuckle, cracking his knuckles as a smirk tugged at his lips. “Heh. Looks like some rats have crawled back out of the gutter.”
Michelle narrowed her eyes, her hand instinctively moving toward her weapon. “What should we do?”
“You dare steal our weapons!” The leader of the trio from before—his face still bearing faint bruises from his last encounter with Boris—gritted his teeth. “You think you can humiliate us and just walk away?”
“Yeah! This time, you’re dead!” one of his lackeys spat. “Boss Ryan, a member of the great Graham’s mercenary group, will teach you a harsh lesson!”
“That’s right! If you wanna keep your pathetic lives, hand over all your soul coins and everythin’ in your inventory!” the other chimed in.
They were full of bravado, but their eyes seemed to have traces of desperation in them.
One of the stronger divine warriors, a man with a mohawk wearing punk-like attire, scoffed. “Enough talking, you three pieces of trash. You can’t even handle these newbies.”
Turning his gaze toward us, his lips curled into a sinister smile. “So, you’re the ones who roughed up my underlings? You sure took your time in the scenario. Must’ve gained quite a lot.” His eyes gleamed with greed. “Good… very good.”
He then took a step forward. “Kneel before me, and maybe—just maybe—I’ll spare you if you hand over everything. Your soul coins, your items—all of it.”
Typical cliché pathetic muggers. I quietly scoffed in disdain. It appeared that Scarface’s group had finally decided to make a move and had targeted us. My guts were correct.
Whatever the case, I wasn’t about to underestimate them. Four of them were Bet-rank divine warriors, and among the three of us, I was the only one at Bet rank. This Ryan, especially, radiated a dangerous aura—he was likely a high-level Bet-rank divine warrior. Even with my class advancement, he was someone I couldn’t afford to take lightly.
“You think a bunch of thugs like you can threaten me
?” Boris mocked, crossing his arms with unwavering confidence. His smirk widened, completely unfazed by the situation. “Show me your worst.”“Tch. Men, attack that old man!” Ryan barked. “Don’t worry about the penalty. The big boss gave the order to kill them—he’ll compensate us.”
At his command, the other six of them roared in glee, unsheathing their weapons as they rushed at Boris, murderous intent gleaming in their eyes.
“Boris, I will he—”
“Not yet. Just watch,” Boris interrupted.
In an instant, all six assailants swung their weapons, aiming for Boris’s vitals—precise strikes meant to kill. Contrary to my initial belief, Michelle wasn’t looking anxious as Boris was about to lose his life, and instead calmly watched the situation. The moment the weapons made contact—
Clang!
Instead of slicing through flesh, the weapons rebounded with a loud metallic ring. The attacker staggered back in shock, their hands trembling from the sheer impact.
“What the—?!”
Boris let out a low chuckle, his skin now glistening with a hardened, jet-black sheen. “Adamant Flesh: Obsidian Body.”
This must have been Boris’s signature skill—the very ability he had mentioned getting before, and the source of his unwavering confidence. Thanks to Boris’s sheer muscle mass, this skill was incredibly effective at reinforcing his body, making him impervious to most physical attacks below a certain threshold. Unlike mine, I was certain this kind of skill could be leveled up, evolving into even stronger forms over time.
“I was hoping you’d give me a good fight,” Boris said, rolling his shoulders. “But if this is all you’ve got, I’m gonna be disappointed.”
Ryan, instead of looking frustrated, clapped his hands slowly. “Interesting. You actually possess a signature skill.” His lips curled into a smirk before he continued, “A man of your stature would be useful in our mercenary group. How ‘bout it? Join us, become one of Graham’s underlings, and you’ll get anything you want—women, protection, money.” His eyes gleamed with false generosity. “Oh, and of course, we’ll graciously spare your two little friends.”
As if your words can be trusted.
It was obvious that this guy had no intention of sparing either of us—especially me. Still, for many, joining a group of powerful individuals would be tempting. Strength, status, security—it was an appealing prospect for ordinary people. Too bad Graham’s mercenary group was far from trustworthy. Moreover, Boris was not someone who could be enticed by something like that.
As if to prove my thoughts, Boris let out a loud scoff. “Hah! You want me to join your little band of land pirates! Dream on!”
Ryan’s expression darkened, his teeth grinding in irritation. “Refusing my generous offer? How dare you!”
With a sharp gesture, he barked, “Kill him! I’ll reward anyone who kills him with five hundred soul coins!”
This time, one of the attackers switched his weapon into a warhammer, then charged in and brought his weapon down with full force. It quickly struck Boris square in the chest—yet he didn’t even flinch. Instead, the weapon’s head cracked from the sheer impact, sending vibrations through its wielder’s arms.
Damn! Boris is so resilient! Just how high are his Strength and Stamina stats?!
One of the other divine warriors stumbled back in panic. “What the hell is this guy?!”
Boris let out a booming laugh. “Didn’t expect this, huh? Too bad—I won’t give you another chance!” With that, he sent a punch toward the assailant, hitting squarely on the attacker’s jaw. A sickening crack followed, and a few teeth flew from the man’s mouth as he crumpled to the ground.
But I wasn’t fooled.
Even though Boris didn’t let it show on his face, I noticed the subtle tension in his stance—he had taken some damage. Nevertheless, the fact that he had tanked a direct hit from a Bet-rank divine warrior wielding a warhammer while still hadn’t gone through a class advancement was nothing short of remarkable. Even in my previous life, divine warriors at this rank rarely achieved this level of durability.
However, that single exchange was enough to make the enemies hesitate and their confidence plummet in an instant.
I see now… Boris isn’t just showing off, he’s deliberately crushing their morale. He must have been worried that, since Michelle and I were once ordinary people, we might hesitate when facing fellow humans. Now, I understand his intention. But this was needless worry because I was no ordinary human being. There was no need for him to hold back anymore.
In any case, it was time for us to join the fray.