When I opened my omniscient vision again, I had found that the boy who was certainly dead was no longer simply 'deceased'. His story continued despite the tragic event that occurred just moments ago.

The boy opened his eyes to see he was in an unfamiliar place. There was this odd lighting, but somehow comfortable to the eyes. Alex didn't know what exactly he had gotten himself into at this point.

After patting himself down and seeing his injuries were gone, he had started to get scared of the strange circumstances. This place wasn't the infirmary at school, nor was it any place he had visited before.

There were indicators to what this place was from the bookshelves and decorations. It was nicely lit library. One with rows of neat, tidy bookshelves. The corridors nearby seemed to stretch on endlessly. 

Alex couldn't fathom how enormous this place was or how long it'd take to find an exit. There was no windows, which made the place feel all the more claustrophobic. His breath started to reverberate.

Speeding up from the anxiety.

The youth rubbed his eyes a few times, but nothing changed at all. This was definitely reality... but the abruptness of this strange situation had made him stiff. His eyes were lost. Swimming across the walls.

Where the hell was he?!!!

"A library...? Am I still at school-? No, this place seems a lot more cleaner..." Alex thought while checking his body again and again. Not finding any note or letter to explain this. He nibbled on air.

Slowly gulping it down after swallowing his saliva.

A tremor ran through his mind. Suddenly, the boy realised that 'world' around him was different from that of Earth. It was too weird. There was no way this kind of absurd place could exist there at all!

It was only after finally lifting his chin did he realise something. That 'ceiling' wasn't as close as Alex had originally thought- No, there wasn't even anything above him to begin with. He didn't notice that visual.

There was a sunless purple sky over his head, and yet... there was enough radiance. Allowing him to see the 'outdoor library' clearly. Was he inside a building or outside? This question had popped in his head.

But if he was, then...

This scenery went against the laws of physics!

There was only one explanation that could possibly explain this, but he didn't want it to be true. He was shaking vividly. Getting off the seat and sitting back down. Combing through his hair with his fingers.

"I died?" Alex came to such a grand conclusion. The fact that he was brought here to this strange world after falling unconscious meant that it was either just a dream, or a place in the so-called 'Afterlife'.

His internal injury couldn't have disappeared with time. Although Alex was still young, he wasn't so foolish to think time could heal everything. He'd experienced enough health issues to get experience on this. Enough to be confident in this theory.

Since he had full awareness right now and could even feel pain on the hand he pinched... Well, that meant the only explanation was the second theory he came to: That he died after being beaten too much.

Alex really didn't know how to react. What way should he react? Well, I had some ideas. One of them was having a variety of expressions. He just realised that the bullying towards him lead to his doom...!

Of course he wasn't happy!

"Isn't killing me going overboard?!" Alex shouted out after realising this fact. No longer caring if anyone was watching. Grumbling insults at the dumb girls who'd essentially clobbered his loser self to death...! 

Ahem... Well, Alex didn't personally think that... 

...But it was true.

Just as he was about to look around for someone to talk to, a reception desk appeared before him. This was followed with the mature figure of a regular librarian. Someone had finally showed themselves.

The face and looks was just like his teacher... Or was staff in the afterlife professional these days? Alex's eyes scanned her up and down, but couldn't find the common sense to explain this situation. Nothing.

Bro was looking like he was thinking nothing.

Like: ( º _ º)

His eyes were blank for a second before they regained their light. There was no anger or regret in his gaze. After all, that would've implied he had some maturity in those pea-sized bones of his.

Instead, he was seemingly distressed.

"Am I being interviewed here before going to heaven?" Alex started to shout and scream to her. He was immediately causing others to panic from seeing him lose his mind. The 'librarian' had stepped back.

My protagonist boy was definitely a good person!

There's no way he was going to hell, alright!?!

It was such a funny reaction despite the severity of the scenario. I couldn't help but chuckle. He really was a worthy main character. I wish there was a way to watch him while eating popcorn as a disembodied voice. Sadly, I could only 'see' without interfering.

"Who said you're going to heaven?" The librarian woman asked back with a smile that didn't match her glaring eyes. This made Alex look like a chicken bone got stuck in his throat. He was chocking air...

Panicking even further about this big issue.

"Wait! I don't want to go to Hell! At least let me haunt those bullies who killed me first!" The stupid boy- I mean, nice lad, shivered like a deer in Antarctica. He then wailed at the top of his lungs:

"I don't want to go to hell!" Alex kicked up a fuss:

"I'm a good boy!!!" I wasn't sure whether to go deeper into his pains or not right now. I mean, he was being serious, but seeing him cry was somehow funny to me. It was also cute seeing him like this.

There seemed to be a naturalness in the boy's movements. He went from standing up abruptly to preforming a perfect dogeza after a deep bow towards the woman. I could tell by her look that she was also vibing with me. Trying to suppress a smirk.

"You're not going to hell." The librarian held her head in a dumbfounded manner at his reaction. I'd be more willing to believe she was just 'surprised' if her shoulders weren't shaking. Her breathing had become irregular for a moment before coughing.

Trying to get back to the main topic.

"Then am I in Limbo?" Alex instantly got up and was about to bombard her with multiple questions. I was surprised he knew such a big word and understood what it meant. Was he a nerd at school back then?

One look using my omniscience told me that I was correct. He was so bad socially likely because of his neglect to talk to kids. The first book he borrowed from school was also a non-fiction? The name of it being 'Facts about the World'? Damn. No wonder.

I had to reassess my judgment on his personality.

"I do not wish to banter." She interrupted his words without giving him time to say more nonsense. It was amazing how she was able to take such a stance when he was acting so cute. What a cold woman!

She started to monologue:

"Let us move on to the main topic... I am Gaia, the World and its 'Will'. As for you, you're the fool who crossed over from another dimension. The one who caused a disaster in my neat and tidy world."

"Look at the mess you've made in my library of destiny!" Gaia spoke without holding back her frustration. The real reason for the beauty's intense anger was finally revealed. She angrily pointed at all the colour coded books on the bookshelves. 

There was somehow a complicated look in Alex's observant eyes... He couldn't help but follow her finger to see how none of these colour-coded books were in their right order anymore... It was like someone carelessly placed them around at random.

Oh, so she really WAS a librarian!?

Makes sense~ (NOT!)

After acknowledging the joke-like situation he was in, I suddenly realised what was going on. My 'eyes' widened briefly, then was followed by a long-drawn whistle. Pretending I had nothing to do with this.

"That sounds really bad..." Alex had replied after a pause. This was all while trying to NOT convey his thoughts out loud. I felt a bit embarrassed my main character was given the hot potato for my actions.

"It is." Gaia finally acknowledged his response.

"And also unbelievably META!" The boy had stated.

Truly, Alex was a man of culture like me. We would definitely get along if there wasn't a layer of reality separating us. I hoped he wouldn't stop talking so I could use this scene as incriminating evidence.

(￣□￣;)

I wasn't being a jerk. Trust me. There was a good reason I'd deflected the blame to Alex. Which would be that... The reason was because... Err... Because the one who benefited most was this boy himself.

"...What?" The librarian almost fell off her seat.

Unable to underwrite him.

Only to hear him monologue about this:

"This is like one of my Japanese anime!"

"Everything from the point I woke up sounds like a metaphor. If you're the 'will' of the world, why do you look like a librarian? I don't get it. And on top of that, why are we in a library with colour-coded books of destiny?! It's not like I'm ALSO going to be reincarnated into another world as well, right...?"

"..." Gaia became silent momentarily.

Alex had hit the nail on the head. 

What was she to do about this observant guy who knew the tropes? I stopped myself from laughing at her annoyed expression. Alex's know-it-all attitude was precious. Wish there was a camera to record it.

"This doesn't even seem real anymore..." Alex had sighed deeply. His eyes held an 'otaku mysticism' he'd gained from reading webnovels and comics. A great alternative to actually experiencing reality.

I wasn't sure if his hopes and dreams would be dashed... If they did then 'I' would be sad, but if they didn't then my existence would be in danger. After all, my voice only existed when readers... 'read'.

"You think this is a dream?" Gaia smiled at him dangerously. She then got up off her seat with a clenched fist. That frail youth reacted a tiny beat too late. He was too enamoured to notice her actions.

He should have noticed. That flushed face she'd made wasn't of embarrassment. I probably would've warned him if he could hear me... Actually, no. This was too funny to deflect by using common sense.

Perhaps he'd learn the truth of this 'event' later on.

"I... Wait! What are-" Alex panicked. 

Once again, the boy's words were cut off by this mysterious 'librarian' forcefully. However, this time it was by a strong knockout punch to the jaw! He could faintly see a bright red boxing glove appear in Gaia's hand before it landed squarely onto his chin...

"Is this a dream or not!?" Alex thought. 

He couldn't make sense of things anymore. 

The shock to his jaw made his eyes roll backwards. 

Pretty much abusing children at this point. 

Didn't she care about being cancelled?

It was then his figure faded into the air like mist and joined Gaia's cycle of reincarnation... From the outside, it seemed that he was destined to be the protagonist of his own isekai story out of pure luck!

Ahem... I technically called it!

Please pretend I had no hand in this.

What Alex didn't know right now is that nothing that happened up to this point: Whether it's his crossing to another world... or his meeting with Gaia, was all a farce for you readers. This wasn't part of reality.

Not sure if this was canonical or not.

Everything had a reason and a cause... and Alex too existed for a purpose in life. Because he was fictional... and all fictional main characters, like people on real life, had an 'Essence' within them.

A reason for existing.

Now that was probably too fast of a shift.

Were things moving too fast? The readers are likely wondering what is with this generic little boy... How dare he ruin a perfectly good beginning by saying something so brutally honest! What a scoundrel...!

Being META isn't about slamming it into your reader's face about how 'META' you are being. Is it too much to ask that he respects the generic tropes without saying them out loud? He wasn't like me.

A subversion of a subversion is redundancy!

Some might think that I'm using him as a mouthpiece to show how literally every meeting with an Isekai God would happen. This isn't the truth though. I'm trying to narrate a complex story.

Does that sound sarcastic? Take what you will about how serious I'm narrating these words. You have no idea about the tone of my voice. Only the one in your head. Sometimes, stories only start off simple...

Alright, time for a summary of what happened after

You all asked for this by not believing me.

So, well... after being transported to another world without getting any explanation. He had a totally radical survival adventure with his newly acquired bro (companion) and unique magical abilities.

They'd fought the forces of evil together!

A mysterious plot was uncovered and all those Hero's Journey tropes were all straightforwardly done! Though he never 'Returned to the Ordinary World', he DID return to the old lifestyle he had...

Going back to his mundane slow life in a fantasy world. The dream of otaku who didn't want to pay taxes. It really did sound like an interesting journey filled of wonder and legendary feats, right?

This story... ISN'T about that. Instead, after the rollercoaster of a beginning, we set years AFTER he had his own adventure in another world. After a great adventure filled with dangers and threats...!

I know this is disappointing.

Maybe even a bit anticlimactic.

But I don't respect 'Lady Clockwork' or consistency.

'Lady Continuity' can screw off. 

Now... let's look at how Alex was doing recently:

"Excuse me, you've arrived at your destination. That will be to two silvers, Sir." A lean man, who worked hard to transport people to far places using his carriage, casually woke his passenger from his daze. 

He did not care if it was disrespectful in the youth's eyes. The constitution of 'Lancia Kingdom' focused on people doing their jobs. Those who got in the way of people fulfilling responsibilities were frowned at.

There was a trace of surprise in the Alex's pupils after waking. Eyes widening after glancing out the window, then looking straight back. He quickly paid the driver of the carriage and followed others to the gate of Lancia. Going right back into the sunlight.

It had been fifteen years after Alex had been reborn into 'another world', and seven years since finding his place in human society. A lot of his life has been skipped, but he was still the same youth as ever.

The moral, stubborn, and principled youngster.

Alex's scholarly robes and dignified appearance were clear signs showing that he wasn't a penniless vagabond. The young magic user hadn't only relied adventuring to fill his stomach. He had his trade.

There was more to him than met the eyes.

His clothes was a good indicator to that point, as well as his rare platinum blue hair in this world of blondes. Such an appearance would allow him to blend into the crowd... so long as they didn't pay attention. Everyone was doing their own little stuff.

Uncaring of a single inconsistency around them.

Maybe it was because main characters were never noticed if they weren't being introduced. It took actually talking to someone to break this stealthy walk. Maybe then it'd turn into heaps of praises.

Saying how he had such a handsome face.

That was a trope in power fantasies. Isekai tend to use that trope a lot. Saying how their reincarnated main character is so much better now. That their past life was just a phase for them to get past...

...for them to shed the butterfly cocoon.

For example: Despite having an outer robe of a scholar (that he wore like a jacket), our scholar still wore his own personal brand of shirts and pants underneath the clothing he crafted by himself.

His dazzling hair was even more outrageous...!

It was similar to the one of the most beautiful rays of moonlight in the darkest night. A poetic handsome face that needed lines of description to do justice in this world. Alex had grown up into a self-made man.

A few onlookers, who were sitting on long benches around the central plaza past the main gate he entered through, couldn't help but look at him in interest. This was mostly due to his hair colour. 

Such glances that didn't seem to move Alex. He got used to such things in this world of swords and magic called 'Gaia'. Remember, he already had a big adventure at this point... with their ups and downs.

And enough character development that he was practically unrecognisable from that snot-nosed brat from earlier. Exuding an atmosphere that made others want to trust him. Both professional and kind.

"Arthur... It has been years since we last met. I wonder if he changed? Well, I'm sure I have!" Alex thought to himself while looking around. There was nothing more pleasing than a long-awaited reunion.

He toured around in order to find the place both he and that old pal from his first 'adventure' planned to meet up at. There were a lot of shops at each corner and streets, so doing it was a little difficult,

A happy-go-lucky smile appeared on his face. 

Joyful...

....Just like any protagonist starting an epic journey.

Alex was in no rush to search for the right building.

There were a few reasons why he came to Lancia after spending years making a name for himself as a scholar in the arts of magic... and one of them just happened to be his curiosity for Lancia culture! 

Observing his surroundings in wonder...

Life and expression clear on his face now.

'Gaia' was a largely peaceful place if you ignored the tensions between Humans and Beasts... In fact, the conflicts these two races had didn't seem to stop the Bards around him from preforming catchy songs on the streets. Dancing without a care in the world.

"Good job!" Alex, despite now being the scholarly magician that he was, shouted in admiration towards the entertainers scattered around the South District. A place of nobility and the common folk.

Lighthearted music filled the air.

There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in his movements. It was only on such occasions Alex threw copper coins towards the every entertainer he came across. He wanted to show his gratitude...

The scholarly youth appreciated 'Art'.

"Thank you for your patronage!" Bards had thanked him with warm smiles, then they continued singing and dancing with even more vigour. Our musical admirer felt rejuvenated by their upbeat songs.

Alex walked with the rhythmic tapping of his feet...

He really enjoyed his first impressions of this place after getting to know the entertainment... and fast food on the streets. A meat skewer was in his hands as he put on quite a comical appearance.

"Found it." Alex's eyes flashed in thought after noticing a certain restaurant. It seemed to be going by the funny name of 'Silver Spoon'. As if to say that they might not reach gold standard, but were definitely silver. A typical advertisement these days.

There was a trend going around to make big names for business like 'Dragon Den', 'Giant Luxury', and other brand-like names about fantastical species they heard of but never met. It felt out of norm.

Using this particular name...

The place was odd.

The naming was as if they didn't want to stand out.

But the inside was ordinary.

It was a place where many customers seemed to be part of the Mercenary Guild judging from their armour and clothing. A change occurred in the youth's eyes. He quickly noticed one particular person with a sword tattoo hidden under his sleeve.

Alex put the skewer he held into a nearby trash bin and decided not to enter the restaurant hastily. He wasn't confident in whether this conjecture was actually correct, or if he was just imagining things.

His last journey had taught him a lot...

"The 'Radiant Sword Mirror Cult'... There's no way they're alive, right?" Our scholarly youth thought inwardly. He vividly remembered the kind of madness the members of that cult displayed when he fought against their members in his childhood. 

Back then, he thought they'd disbanded, but it looked like he was far too naive for his own good. A runic glow arose in his pupils... Alex scanned the people inside Silver Spoon's large and busy establishment one by one, without pause.

"This is really serious... but they're not something I can go against by myself. Arthur... You can't be thinking of taking them on again, right? This isn't a joke...! Are you planning on getting us killed?! Why am I not surprised? You should stop bringing along troubles whenever we meet!" Alex thought with alertness. Our main character was wary. Their last encounter had left a deep impression on him. He'd rather escape than have to deal with 'Crazies' again.

The runic glow within his two pupils vanished. 

In his point of view, he had already retired from his position as some wannabe hero a long time ago. The strong desire for justice was quelled. Realising he was simply a human being that could be killed.

As Alex was figuring out what to do, the shadow behind the curtains began to move... A stage was being set for the musical theatrical set to shake Lancia at its core! The fates of many started to intertwine even as he was lost in thoughts...!

A wandering warrior, a charming physician, a battle mage, and an abandoned priestess of the Cult... now would have their destinies collide! The person at the centre of would be none other than the otherworldly prodigy of a century: Magic Scholar, Alex Stuman!

This would be a tale of Hidden Dragons and martial artists fighting against ACTUAL Fire Dragons!

The world was about to be flipped on its head!