Some destinies don't fail because they're doomed.
They fail because you never believed they could succeed.
---
[System Notification]:
> The current script intervention has entered a "Variable Divergence" stage.
External editor detected attempting to alter [Node Three] trajectory.
Permission verification is advised.
Activate "Editor Tracking Protocol"?
[Shen Yan]:
"Activate it."
---
Shen Yan was still working on Zhao Muchen's script when, just as he initiated editing the next node, the system interface suddenly flickered:
—A "cousin" character, never part of the original storyline, was forcibly inserted into the script.
An unscripted role.
The insertion was subtle but came with extremely high permissions. It tried to overwrite Shen Yan's existing "teacher intervention branch," replacing it with a darker path: "teacher grows distant + family pressure intensifies."
Shen Yan's eyes turned cold as his fingers danced across the keyboard, inputting verification code at lightning speed.
A system trace decoded the intrusion:
> [External Script Source Code: Editor-∞·Yinan]
Intervention by Fate Designer Yinan confirmed
Current false script intent:
Deepen protagonist's sense of isolation
Accelerate fatalistic worldview formation
Guide narrative toward a false "functional exterior, shattered interior" ending
[Lin Lan]:
"You get it now, don't you? He's not playing a game.
He's writing failure."
[Shen Yan]:
"Then I'm here to rewrite the answer."
---
In the clash of permissions, Shen Yan gradually wrestled back control.
He precisely blocked the "cousin interference branch," then rebuilt an alternate route:
> [Node Substitution]:
Trigger school counseling program.
Zhao Muchen's artwork selected as "cover piece,"
activating the "self-worth recognition" branch.
Leads to "Temporary Mentor Program" —
An external art mentor provides emotional support and creative guidance.
System notification appeared:
> [Branch Score: B+]
The script has now escaped the minimum threshold of a failed outcome.
Positive development in progress.
But then—a new message surfaced.
---
[System Hidden Mechanism Triggered]:
> Fate Designer Yinan — Now Present
---
The virtual space distorted.
A shadow emerged from the data stream.
Not as a system-generated avatar—
But disguised as a human editor.
Clad in black, composed, sharp-eyed.
He spoke in a low, calm tone:
> "You want to win?
Without writing failure first, how will you ever know if you can succeed?"
Shen Yan didn't respond.
Yinan stepped closer.
> "You're smart, and persistent.
But you still refuse to face the truth—
Human destiny isn't rewritten by external hands."
> "You're just projecting.
Trying to save every version of yourself."
Shen Yan was silent.
Then, in a quiet but steady voice, he replied:
> "Yes. I am saving myself."
> "So what?"
---
At that moment, a system glitch occurred.
Zhao Muchen's emotional trajectory spiked—
Unscheduled behaviors emerged: skipping class, anxiety, instability.
Shen Yan understood:
—Though he had blocked Yinan this time,
the script had already been cracked.
Yinan hadn't left.
He was still out there—
Hiding within another script,
waiting to strike again.
---
[System Notification]:
> First-round script intervention result has been preserved.
Fate Editor rights remain active.
Global Variable Triggered: "Anti-Editor Protocol"
Next stage will enter: Script Synchronization Challenge
—Simultaneous fate editing of two target characters.
If either script collapses, intervention fails.
If both are successfully rewritten,
you may proceed to the next core fate challenge.
[Lin Lan]:
"…Are you ready?
This is only the beginning."
[Shen Yan]:
"Yeah. I know."
"We're here to rewrite the world."