I rushed out of the annex with a single-minded determination to save Misha—only to immediately shrink back and freeze in my tracks.

  The moment I stepped beyond the Endeberg estate, a breathtaking world unfolded before my eyes.

  A sprawling medieval European cityscape stretched as far as I could see. The cobblestone main street bustled with horse-drawn carriages and crowds of people, filled with a cmorous energy.

  Unlike in a game, where only the immediate area is rendered, this world had no such limitations. Grand buildings lined the streets, towering mountain ranges loomed in the distance, and the blue sky stretched endlessly above.

  "—!"

  The sights before my eyes, the scents in the air, the sounds reaching my ears, even the taste of the wind on my tongue—everything carried a tangible realism no game could replicate, far surpassing anything I had imagined.

  From the perspective of a seven-year-old child, this world was utterly overwhelming.

  *I* was supposed to change *this* world?

  Suddenly, I felt pathetically small. No—not just *felt*. I *was* small.

  My body was that of a talentless child, and the mind inside it belonged to a useless NEET from Japan. The only thing I had going for me was magic, which I’d managed to develop through effort, but there were still plenty stronger than me.

  How was a brat like me supposed to change the world? How was I supposed to save Clesencia?

  Hell, how was I even supposed to save Misha *right now*?

  "Hah..."

  Just moments ago, I had been riding high on my game knowledge, feeling almost omnipotent. Now, the sheer stupidity of that mindset struck me as so absurd that all I could do was ugh.

  What good was knowing the game? Even if I understood this world’s secrets and possessed knowledge akin to foresight, I was still just a seven-year-old kid.

  Even if I went all out right now, I’d barely leave a scratch on this world.

  It’d be like dropping a single drop of bck ink into a vast ocean. That’s all I amounted to right now.

  Maybe I should just hole up in the annex and never come out.

  Just as my thoughts began spiraling into negativity, Misha’s face fshed through my mind.

  For the past three months, she had risked her life for me. The days we’d spent together weren’t so meaningless that I could just abandon her now.

  …And yet, my legs wouldn’t move.

  Ah, damn it. I’m so sorry. This is exactly why I was a NEET.

  I’m terrified.

  Because I’ve already realized—this world isn’t a game.

  Most likely—no, *definitely*—things won’t go the way I want them to.

  "Ugh, damn it all!"

  No more negative thinking! Stay positive!

  First, the enemy is a *vampire*.

  Their physical abilities far surpass humans, and higher-ranked ones wield powerful innate magic. The one I’m dealing with now is the same individual who appears as a mid-game boss in *Arcueid*’s main story. While not a higher-ranked vampire, its combat skills are still formidable.

  But—*but*.

  That’s eight years from now, during the mid-game.

  It took him eight years to reach boss-level strength. Right now, when he’s only just started preying on humans, I might still stand a chance.

  The pn is simple.

  Vampires are arrogant. He’ll likely underestimate me at a gnce—that’s how he was in the game.

  I’ll exploit that opening, using body-enhancement magic and holy-attribute spells (a vampire’s weakness) to overwhelm him in one go.

  Of course, whether I can pull off such a reckless pn—with zero combat experience, let alone any real fighting skills—is another question entirely.

  Still, with my resolve wavering, I decided to start searching for the vampire’s hideout.

  ---

  First, the vampire’s hiding pce. Since they require specific conditions to operate comfortably, I can narrow it down somewhat.

  First condition: No sunlight.Vampires are weak to sunlight—even a sliver of light through a curtain can burn their skin. They’ll only hide somewhere completely shielded from it.

  Second condition: No flowing water nearby.As ageless, "unflowing" beings, vampires have terrible compatibility with water, which represents movement. Crossing directly over water weakens them drastically, so they’ll avoid areas with it nearby.

  **Third condition: Close to nature.** Vampires can transform into bats and command small animals they’ve fed their blood to. They typically use creatures to set up surveilnce and, if needed, escape by blending into nature as bats.

  I just need to find a pce that meets all three.

  But how, with no knowledge of the area?

  This is where my game knowledge comes in.

  The city I live in, *Lomeria*, is a major location in the game’s final act. After clearing it over a thousand times, I’ve memorized the map perfectly. Within the city, there’s only *one* pce with anything resembling nature.

  I immediately headed there.

  Passing through the main street, the bustling merchant district, and then the residential area, I eventually arrived at a spacious park.

  Grassy fields stretched out, and the sounds of small animals were unmistakable. As for water—there *was* a river, but just one. If the vampire secured an escape route beforehand, it shouldn’t be a problem.

  The only remaining factor was shade from sunlight, but nothing obvious stood out.

  Had I guessed wrong?

  No, the vampire wasn’t necessarily *in* the park. I needed to widen my search.

  This time, I focused on buildings near the park. Though not part of the residential area, the city had plenty of structures—from sturdy new builds to dipidated ruins. Finding the vampire’s hideout among them wouldn’t be easy.

  "—?!"

  Just then, a rat scurried past my feet.

  *Could it be one of the vampire’s familiars?*

  If so, I needed to search without being noticed.

  So—

  "Waaah! M-Mama…! Where’s Mama?!"

  I burst into fake sobs, calling for my "mother." Now I was the perfect lost child. Peering around desperately gave me an excuse to scrutinize every suspicious alley and building.

  But despite my efforts, I still found no trace of the vampire.

  I kept searching, but time slipped away with no progress.

  Before I knew it, I had circled back to the main street. My legs, exhausted from walking since morning, ached, and my child’s body was begging for sleep.

  *This isn’t working.* *But what else can I do?*

  I stood motionless in the middle of the crowded street.

  The people here were surprisingly cold—everyone ignored a lost seven-year-old standing dumbfounded.

  *Heh. Just like Japan. Nothing ever goes right.*

  But I couldn’t give up.

  If I did, Misha would die.

  No—for all I knew, she might already be—

  "Like hell that’s true!"

  I spped my cheeks hard and forced myself to focus.

  The weak, indecisive version of me was left behind in Japan.

  The me here was *Norwin, the one who would change the world*. I couldn’t afford to falter over something like this.

  "Alright. I’m fine."

  I still had fight left in me.

  Steeling myself, I took a step forward to resume my search—

  "Hey, kid. You lost?"

  A voice called out from behind.

  I turned—and my eyes widened.

  Why is* this person here now?

  "G-General… *Schneizel?!"

  "Oh? You know me?"

  The man—Schneizel—grinned and ruffled my hair.

  Schneizel was a character from *Arcueid*’s main story: the Grand General of the Arcadia Kingdom’s army. Renowned as one of the strongest in the game, he even becomes the protagonist’s ally in certain routes.

  Faced with such an encounter, my mouth moved before my brain could catch up.

  "P-Please… help me!"