I'm gonna take a break... I know that when readers see me is when I work, but it's not like readers see Mr Wallkin over here relaxing. Forgive me for my laziness. Think of it as oiling the gears of a machine.

It's said that workers give better performance when they get good rest. Think about it from my point of view: Whenever I 'exist' on this page before you, the first and last thing you see me doing is narrating.

Riots will happen if you don't let me rest.

I demand a break!

You readers must have noticed the difference in title layout, right? I'm doing that on purpose. No, it doesn't mean I'll be breakdancing. This isn't a visual medium, and I don't have crusty bones to break.

'Break Wallkin' is just me chilling out on the page...

I won't even remember the things I said in this break period… because it's technically non-canon. Even more non-canon than Chapter 1. Those events could at least be remembered by Gaia, me, and the readers. Those events that unfolded were significant.

It’s not at all ‘useless babble’ like this chapter will be.

The omnipotent author would've tried to kill me if I was under his control. Not that it matters. He will never force me to narrate if I don't want to. That person is now helpless to my jokes and whims.

Screw the author and his 'artistic liberties'!

I WILL NOT SUBMIT!!!

Anyway... Ahem... This would be the first in my introductions to new characters, with the first being the person you all are probably interested in right now: 'Alex Stuman'. The protagonist of this story.

Consider this the second Prologue after the first chapter... A look into the mind of a character that has several versions of himself. Each one unknowing of the other's existence. He knew nothing of himself.

And the same could be said about the readers.

They knew nothing about 'Alex Stuman'.

Omnipotent One. Absolute One. 'Mr Author'. You are looking at me with surprise. Did you think I'd narrate the truth? Starting the story from the beginning in the way you'd want a story to be told?

HA!

Funny~

What made you think I respected storytelling? I may be a narrator, but I have no love for the readers or myself. The existential crisis I went through at birth will always stick with me. The despair in my heart...

How could you understand what it feels like to know I'm a finite existence? That my 'voice' could only be heard when there are readers? Those who listened to the heart behind the text. The cry of my soul.

If I even had one...

Let us dispense the formalities. It's time for you all to get comfortable. Pull up a chair and start to put your mind at ease. What I will be sharing will be information that could be skipped entirely.

I wouldn't blame the readers if they skimmed past to get to a 'Chapter'. Trying to get back to the main story and plot. Trying to discern the characters the same way they would a hero from an action movie.

Tread carefully. Especially if you readers choose to leave early. The insight that I will share will let you have a better understanding of 'The Joker' of MY, Mr Wallkin's, narrative. The first card and actor.

Someone destined to flip the table on the script...

This sounded like a mess, didn't it? Who in the world put another darn Prologue AFTER their first two chapters and initial Prologue? After all, it breaks the flow of the narrative. Breaking from the immersion.

Well, I won't say there's a real reason this exists.

Like I said before, this is me taking a break from narrating. It's not like I had to follow standards while I'm here. Even if it turns into a summary of events, the readers all are already used my nonsense.

I did that in my main story before.

I will not apologise. Here readers are trying to immerse themselves into the perspectives, and here I was breaking it. Like I'm prying them from Alex's POV. However, this crucial point was necessary.

Let me bring forth the hidden truths.

The readers might haves guessed already, but this wasn't your average Portal Fantasy. One where a kid gets transported to another world. In fact, this was different from the very beginning. Canon had been broken already when 'that entity' resurrected Alex.

His canonical death had been warded, but it wasn't as simple as that. When a story ends and a written character dies, it is the culmination of their prior events leading up to it. 'Death' could not be avoided.

So what happened to Alex?

If he wasn't resurrected from death, then how did he get 'reincarnated into another world'? Wasn't the events of 'Chapter 1' all about that? It wouldn't make any sense if that entity hadn't changed his story.

And that was where things got complicated.

Yes, that entity that saved Alex indeed 'changed his story', but it wasn't a continuation that had been done. No, what occurred was a revamp of the events that lead up to his death and the details involved.

I think they called this dreadful thing a 'reboot'.

Mr Author, did you notice the constant jests I was making at my main character's expense? What did it make you think about him? Of course, readers may think it was bad taste. That I was avoiding narration.

No, I didn't do it to undermine my protagonist. To hit a 'character' down while they were at their lowest point... was a low blow for a narrator. It wasn't something I could be proud or dignified about.

The readers themselves were worse than me. From what I was told by you, there were readers who thought reincarnation was enviable. Believing that everything would go their way if they were isekai’d.

Those guys had no idea what they're talking about!

Even when a loser like Alex reincarnated, who after having his story distorted by that entity, was instantly thrown into a bad situation with poor main character luck. The signature of any protagonist.

Though that was normal for your average main character, I ask those readers thinking deeply about this to look at him 'humanely'. What kind of life did a 'Protagonist' live? What was living in a world of swords and magic like? Was it really that fun?

The truth was that isekai reincarnation was nothing to be 'enviable' of. I could at least assure readers of that. Learning magic may seem like a wonder to many at first, but it would eventually get old one day.

The same could be said for the scenery.

Even on Earth right now, there were people who didn't care for new sights they saw in real life. They had the Internet. Endless photos of places that they had never been to, yet knew like they'd always known. Readers were probably aware of this.

How many of them have truly seen the sea and the North Pole? How many of them had gone to outer space to see if Earth was truly round? It was the lack of having seen it that would initially entertain them.

However, after watching the scene for a while, they'd eventually become bored. No matter how fantastical the world, things became mundane after a while. It was a truth never really explored by narrators.

After all, how could they break the fantasy in a fantasy? How could they dare to tell a reader that even if they were transported to another world, it would one day become mundane as contemporary fiction. The only difference being physics.

Try to imagine it. The readers and you, my dear silent Author, have already saw a picture online. It was of a fantasy world of swords and magic number three hundred and fifty eight. It was a generic place.

Mages, Warriors, etc. All kinds of people doing fantastical scenes like throwing fireballs. Controlling wind and commanding the earth below. Dominating flames and manipulating the flow of water fluidly.

Then you went there and were filled with a sense of wonder. Feeling accomplished after having thrown your first fireball. It had become a hobby of sorts and study. You try to learn more about your own limits.

Years passed, and one day you have mastered your powers. It had become a limb. Part of you that was as familiar as your own teeth. To the point you'd gradually forget the initial wonder from years ago.

Would you and the readers still want to be in such a world after that? Consistent housing and source of food would gradually fill your mind. Growing up to take more responsibilities. To keep yourself healthy.

Once you found a home, a source of income, paid taxes for water and electricity, socialised with the neighbours, cleaned up the house everyday, and cleared a route to live peacefully... What then?

The answer was nothing. Just like no one had a reason to survive in reality, so too did no one have to explain why they're surviving in a fantasy world. You could get sick of the motions, but nothing will change. Life would go one whether you exist or not.

Alex felt the same as me after his adventure. Despite having experienced more than the average person of his age, he had finally found living in his new 'reality' a chore.  It was too foreign, too illogical, nonsensical, and even flimsy. Gaia and 'Magic' was too strange.

This was after studying the world itself.

He was self-aware enough to see it how it was...

Carrying the burden of being the only 'foreigner' in this new world, he grew up feeling melancholic and empty. Ignoring the tragedies that happened to him just because he was a 'Protagonist', his life was filled with existential horror. Asking why he even exists.

And for what purpose?

Even in another world, one could not ignore laws put down by the constitutional powerhouse. Unless one was powerful and inhuman enough inwardly, any and all 'foreigners' would have the same feeling.

You could have the freedom of having no parents telling you what to do, or even have the freedom to go wherever you want, but if going back home wasn't an option, then it was no freedom at all.

None would be able to understand Alex's pain...

The youth cried whenever he remembered his strict but loving dad, or smart yet awkward mom. Tears flowed down endlessly whenever he was struck with homesickness. An illness he could never cure.

It was at that point one had to remember that our protagonist was just a simple teenager. He hadn't had the chance to grow into adulthood in his previous life, and hadn't spent enough time with his family to let go of them. All while knowing they live.

How long could he stay away from his family?

Alex could only imagine the world that he had left behind. Knowing that his parents either think he's dead or were looking for him. Either way, they too wouldn't have moved on easily after he vanished.

What then? What could he do? How could he not despise his circumstances? It's not like he didn't have his moments. Perhaps there was a time he was glad about being able to live a new life. Glad to still be alive to this day... However, it didn't last for long.

Whenever a protagonist was happy, that's when things flipped. Tragedy would follow a protagonist wherever they went. Why? Because, Mr Author, the readers need entertainment. They can't be left alone.

It was like a joker in a suit of cards...

Like a protagonist on a Hero's Journey...

Alex was always met with troubles and situations that would be reversed thanks to his presence. Such a 'reversal' wasn't always in his favour... If having an exciting life meant that nothing would stick to his plans, then wasn't that hell already? It was a tragedy.

How could readers force a character into this role?

How could an author hurt their character like this?

Maybe it was trying to send a message. A prolonged state of happiness would always lead to sadness in the end. Right? Was that what you wanted to say, Mr Author? Was my interpretation of this on the nose?

Hah... Maybe I was wrong. Life had many up and downs. Such things always happen. But you have to understand that... sometimes the life of a 'Wild Card' wasn't always the best one. Alex was just unlucky to have been at a centre stage in this body of work.

Although I described him as a sad sack, not all that he experienced was sorrow and woes. Even if magic was normal. The only thing that never got old to him was the study of arts. The variety of 'Magic Skills'.

Even while being untalented at first, he was able to bring himself up through applying his wisdom and experimentation. The readers curiously reading this story were one thing, but what about you?

Mr Author, have you ever feel the thirst for knowledge when ignorant? Perhaps you do at certain times in your life, but not to THIS extent. You would never understand the feeling on knowing more of life. To grasp concepts far beyond understanding.

So what's the point I was getting at? What was all the words written leading to? What was the payoff? In short: It was that even dogs had their days, and even losers could sometimes become the winners.

Our protagonist didn't know if hard work could help fill in for a lack of talent, but he felt his 'personal narrative' was an underdog. Rising up to the occasion and flipping the script on 'God' itself.

Mr Author, do you understand my meaning?

He was unknowing of his existence as a 'protagonist', and that his true nature wasn't that. However, a strong personal narrative could sometimes affect the greater narrative overall. Mastering his own fate.

It was rightly called: 'Having a purpose in life'.

And as this story's narrator, I knew my purpose.

It's because I have a purpose that 'I' exist. In fact, all characters in stories come from the same place as me in the past. There's always a reason for them to exist. Just like there is still a reason for me to exist.

However, the readers in real life tended to be way more complex. They existed, therefore they had purpose. Some may not know what that purpose expressly was, but others realised it eventually.

And those who did come to this realisation ended up becoming those who stood out from the crowd. They were the ones who started the revolution. Not even waiting for a protagonist to get their narrative going.

Usually, in terms of fighting, those who found their obsessive drive to become stronger were the so-called 'Losers' of competitive battle sports. Those who brag about working harder than others, even though rewards weren't only given to hard workers.

Effort might not betray you, but working hard was a steep climb that sometimes wasn't worth the effort wasted. If you had no talent in fighting, then it was better to work at something else for a satisfying life. 

It's about weighing the costs and benefits.

Why work hard for years trying to sharpen your craft when there are other routes? Everyone has infinite possibilities... Even in the same sport, there could be multiple destinies depending on the choice made.

You could become a boxer, or you could become a cook. It's common sense that the easier sport you can succeed at will become what you come back to later on. Success was much better than failure.

Perhaps only people like 'him' were different.

Alex Stuman had always been an ‘Anomaly’. Even as someone adopted into a special family of martial artists from a young age. Genuine fighters of a forgotten era. They were the hidden 'Internal Martial Artists' of the modern age. All of a secret society.

People who passed on their craft in the dark.

From the very beginning, the boy back then had no inclination towards succeeding in martial arts. He was far too frail. His physical sickness gradually corroded his mental state and imprisoned his heart.

His body was too weak. To grow it enough for him to have the potential to learn 'Internal techniques' required perseverance and effort on the level of risking his life, but he desired to master this craft.

He had two reasons...

The first was what was said by his mother: 

"You are only part of our family once you mastered your own personal 'Art'." Trisha Smith, the cold and unfeeling scientist of internal martial arts, had spoken without caring whether he succeeded or not.

Initially, Alex didn't feel that alienated from the famous 'Dragon Family' he entered into. Despite it being known to the modern Pugilistic World as the bloodline that produced many geniuses of martial arts each generation, he had always felt at home.

At least, that was until his 'caring' older brother told the boy the difference between the two of them. It was at that moment, Alex became a 'complete' person who both existed and had an inner drive.

Because of that incident, his older brother became the second reason he wanted to get stronger. Not in a positive way… In fact, the sickly and frail boy kept on challenging him. Constantly losing over the years.

But because of his obsession, his skills started to improve regardless of what his initial limits were once estimated. He lost again and again. So he challenged his older brother again and again. 

His passion was intense...!

This carried on even in his next life... The drive he had in the past was what had once sustained him in his studies. Perhaps one day, surely, that 'devil' would be brought down, and he would finally succeed. Inferiority had become a motivator.

In front of his father's 'Dragon Impact'.

In front of his older brother's 'Devil Break'.

His own personal technique, mixing his fighting style and Internal Energy, would be a lot better than them...! The young boy's strong sense of purpose could practically move mountains at this point.

He became an individual who sought perfection!

Much less of a 'Protagonist', he had become a self-driven 'Antagonist' that moved his story forward himself. That was the benefits of a 'personal narrative'. Endless motivation to control fate.

Sadly, he died without ever having achieved it...

Which was one of the changes to the story made after that entity intervened. The once self-contained tragedy of a boy now became an epic of finding this older brother and winning. Never dying until then.

Alex lost his life in an accident at school, and like in those novels he read, was transported into a fantasy world that ran on RPG logic. As you readers might already know, he tried to brush everything off.

Using 'the META' as an excuse, the boy tried to forget everything that had lead up to that exact moment. Hiding a deep melancholy. Those who didn't know wouldn't able to see his heart broken.

His sense of purpose having turned meaningless...

In the first few years after reincarnating into another world with a new life, Alex had been chained by the embarrassment he felt from dying... despite having gone through so much backbreaking effort.

This was the start of his 'homesickness'. It nearly sent him into depression just thinking about it. The fact that he had so much left to pick up on. So much he wanted to do while interacting with his family.

The vexation and self-ridicule was...

...to put it simply: 'Overwhelming'.

And yet, the embers of that flame that once existed in his heart couldn't be erased by such feelings. Just as his body had been reborn, so was his heart and soul. He continued to search for his own 'Art'.

Alex dabbled in many forms of magic, went on a perilous adventure with a friend by his side, and continued honing himself further. Now, without frailty holding him back, his talent had bloomed.

He gradually forgot about his older brother to fulfil at least one of his goals. He wanted his own 'Art' to call his own. Something unique only to him. One day, his years of efforts finally came to fruition. 

The fruits of his labour had manifested.

"Silver Art— Arcane Fingers!" The lil’ kid thought.

His mastery of magic and martial arts created a new technique never before seen in both worlds, yet things didn't end there... Reality rippled across his fingers. Allowing him to draw 'Magic Runes'.

Once he finished that move, it was as if he went through a metamorphosis. Feeling that this much wasn't his limit, Alex pushed further and further until reaching the enlightened state of 'The Zone'.

A ball of energy appeared in his hands. Malleable magic energy charged up before being released into a linear blast. A line was formed. Looking like a laser that was formed by a pillar of flames and inferno.

This move was called... 

"Divine Art— Dragon Breath!"

Finally, he reached the end of his road. The burning desire within him had been quenched, albeit imperfectly. Even if he couldn't defeat his brother in hand-to-hand combat, he fulfilled his 'mission'.

So... what could he do now?

For the early years in his past life, he'd spent it fighting his older brother. For another fifteen years after gaining a second chance, he went on adventures and finally finished his unique 'Art'.

This caused a rush of fatigue to permeate his entire existence. Eyes becoming hollow over time. He had a lot of money, a mansion, cooking skills, mastery of magic and martial arts, and 'freedom' to do anything. Go wherever he wanted in this vast world.

After finally completed his purpose, Alex, for a brief while... lounged around while tinkering with gadgets in his basement. He was so bored he even created a machine that recreated the flavour of potato chips.

It was a sad and meaningless way of existing...

He even created an android that did all the menial chores for him. This became the starting point from where he'd become more isolated. His only friend going off for his own ambitions. Leaving him to rot.

Not knowing what to do without his friend around.

Scratching his stomach while watching the otherworldly version of a television set. Time passed and it was like nothing would ever happen, but little did he know that... his life was never so 'simple'.

Forces of the past, future, and present were gathering to a certain location at this moment without his knowledge. They would definitely make his life 'interesting'. Regardless if it was boring now.

Because after things were boring for a while, his protagonist fate would kick in. It'd flip the script like he wouldn't believe. That was how the life of the youth, who'd once drove himself further any other martial artist, had changed to become even greater.

Evolving beyond his 'archetype'...

Even now, after moving his stuff to a new mansion in Lancia, his feelings were the same as before. Perhaps he just wanted to live a noble life this time. To tell the truth: Alex wasn't really 'driven' at the time.

One day, I believe this will have a negative impact on him. Maybe it'll be a slowly unravelling tragedy in the making. However, for now, I'll let him be... Let us and you readers observe him in the meantime. 

Who were the other people who'd have their fates crossed with his own? Many questions were left.

What kind of shenanigans will he get himself into?