Beyond the Script: The Extra Who Stole the Mangakyo

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Wait... This Isn't My Body?!

Pain.

A dull throbbing at first, then a sharp jolt, like my head had just been used as a training dummy for a knight's morning drills. My body felt oddly stiff, like I hadn't moved in days, and my limbs... they weren't as weak as before. That was the first sign that something was wrong.

I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see the familiar, depressing white ceiling of the hospital. Instead, I was met with a grand room—dark wooden furniture, an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and large bookshelves filled with tomes that definitely weren't medical journals.

Okay... this was weird.

I sat up abruptly, and that's when I noticed my hands. They weren't frail, pale, or covered in IV marks. They were smooth, healthy, and—dare I say—elegant? My heart pounded as I flexed my fingers, feeling an unfamiliar strength in them. The hospital room was gone. The pain in my body, the beeping machines, the sterile smell... all gone.

Had I died?

Before panic could fully take over, my eyes landed on something—a large, full-body mirror on the far side of the room. A strange sense of dread crept up my spine as I slowly got up and approached it. Each step felt foreign, yet oddly natural, like my body was moving on its own.

And then I saw him.

No, I saw me.

Jet-black hair, slightly messy but effortlessly stylish. Piercing black eyes that gleamed under the soft candlelight. A well-defined jawline, high cheekbones, and skin so flawless it looked like I had just walked out of a beauty commercial. Dressed in elegant black and silver attire, I looked like some noble straight out of a fantasy novel.

Wait.

Fantasy novel.

My mind worked overtime, piecing together the impossible situation. My last memory was playing Mana's Ascension—the game I'd practically lived in during my hospital days. I was completely immersed in its world, obsessed with the intricate lore, characters, and battle mechanics. And now... I looked exactly like a random extra noble character from that very game.

This had to be a dream, right? A coma hallucination? Some weird afterlife bonus package?

Before I could make sense of anything, a searing pain shot through my skull, making me stagger backward. It felt like my brain was being forcibly rewritten—memories flooding in, clashing, merging.

Suddenly, I remembered.

This body's name was Alden Blackwood. A disgraced noble. The second son of the powerful Blackwood family, but disowned and cast aside for being talentless. A nobody in the grand scheme of things. A minor background character who, in the game's original story, existed only to serve as a stepping stone for the protagonist during one of the academy's introductory duels.

And like any good disposable extra, he was supposed to die.

A deep sigh escaped my lips as the memories settled. "Great. So I reincarnated... as a nobody who's about to be erased from the plot. Fantastic."

The irony of it all wasn't lost on me. After years of playing Mana's Ascension, memorizing every route, hunting for rare items, and even exploring obscure Easter eggs, I ended up in the game itself. But not as the hero. Not even as a major villain. No, I got stuck in the shoes of a disposable extra, the kind players wouldn't even remember existed.

Still, the fact that I had knowledge of the future meant I had a chance. I just needed to figure out exactly what I was working with.

"System."

At my command, a translucent blue screen blinked into existence before me.

---

[System Interface]

Name: Alden Blackwood

Race: Human

Class: None (Unawakened)

Rank: F-

Mana Capacity: Low

Skills: None @@novelbin@@

[System functions: Status | Skills | Traits]

---

I stared at the screen for a long moment.

"...Wow. I suck."

No class, no skills, and an F- rank? Even in a game world, my luck was garbage.

At this point, I had two options:

1. Follow the original script and die a tragic, forgettable death.

2. Use my knowledge of the game to cheat my way to survival.

The choice was obvious.

But first, I needed a plan. The academy entrance ceremony was in a week, which meant I had seven days before I'd be thrown into the same storyline as the protagonist. If I remembered correctly, Alden was supposed to be humiliated in a mock battle during the first class and then get dragged into an unfortunate encounter that led to his death.

Yeah, that wasn't happening.

I needed power. Fast.

And I knew exactly where to get it.

Back when Mana's Ascension had a collaboration event with Naruto, the developers added an absurdly broken Easter egg: the Mangekyō Sharingan. It was hidden in the game world, but because the event was rushed, it was never properly balanced. Most players ignored it since it drained mana too fast and was impractical under normal gameplay conditions.

But this wasn't just a game anymore. If I could find and unlock it, I might actually have a way to turn this pathetic F- extra into something dangerous.

And considering my new memories carried a burning hunger for power—probably from merging with Alden's emotions—it was all the motivation I needed.

I cracked my knuckles, determination settling in. "Alright, let's do this. Time to break the game."