The NPC's Survival Guide

Chapter 2 – The Forest of the Forgotten

The roar of the waterfall drowned out the distant howls of monsters. Noah stumbled through the mist, his legs aching, his breath uneven.

Then—he saw it.

A small cave, hidden behind the cascading water. The entrance was narrow, just big enough for a person to slip through.

'This place…'

He knew it well.

It was a romantic event location in Fate of the Radiant Maiden, a place where one of the female leads shared a secret kiss with the protagonist.

'That was one of my favorite scenes',he thought

Now, instead of a beautifully scripted moment of love, it was his temporary refuge.

Slumping against the cold stone wall, Noah exhaled, embracing himself to fight off the chill. His armor had done little to protect him from the night air, and exhaustion was creeping in.

For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt… somewhat safe.

Even if it was only temporary.

---

Survival in the Depths

Days turned to weeks.

Noah adapted.

He used everything he remembered from the game—which berries were edible, which mushrooms weren't immediately fatal,The first bite of raw plant matter was bitter and dry, but Noah forced himself to chew. His stomach protested, but hunger won over taste. He had no choice—either he ate, or he died.

The first few days were hell. Hunger gnawed at his stomach like a wild animal, his throat dry from drinking murky water. Each bite of raw plant matter made him gag, but he forced himself to swallow.

Nights were worse—cold wind howled through the trees, his body shivering even as he curled into himself. If he made it through this, he swore he'd never take warm food for granted again.

He even managed to craft a crude spear from a fallen branch and sharpened stone.

Hunting was out of the question—he was still too weak. But scavenging? That, he could do.

Still… he knew he couldn't stay here forever.

The Great Kali Forest wasn't just dangerous because of its monsters.

It was home to something far worse.

Noah's fingers clenched around his makeshift spear.

"This place… it's the residence of dragons."

A terrifying truth burned in his memory.

In the FRM(Fate of the Radiant Maiden), dragons weren't just strong enemies.

They were unkillable.

Not even the main character could defeat them in-game. Every encounter ended in either escape… or death.

And if a dragon found him here?

There wouldn't be a third option.

He shuddered at the thought, but then—

A different idea crept into his mind.

"Wait… there was a quest."

A side quest. A rare, hidden event involving the dragons. It was one of the hardest quests in the game, but the reward—

The Blue Dragon's Sword.

A legendary A-rank weapon, one of the strongest in the game. A weapon that could turn the tide of any battle.

Noah sat up, his mind racing.

'What if… I complete the quest before the main character?',he thought

It was risky.

No, suicidal.

This was a quest given by the dragons themselves. Messing up wouldn't just mean failure—it would mean death.

In the game, dragons were worshiped like gods. Their wrath was absolute.

But Noah clenched his fists.

He had nothing to lose.

If he stayed in this cave, he would eventually run out of food. If he wandered blindly, he'd be killed by monsters. His only shot at survival was to gamble everything on what he knew best—

The game's mechanics.

Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.

He was going for it.

Even if the odds were against him—he had no other choice.

Noah had memorized the map. Every hidden path, every monster spawn point, every shortcut.

And so, he began his journey.

The deeper he ventured, the more dangerous the Great Kali Forest became.

Monsters lurked everywhere.

Some he outran. Some he hid from. Some he baited into traps, using the environment to escape.

Every day was a battle against hunger, exhaustion, and the ever-present threat of death.

And it lasted for an entire month.

By the time he reached his destination, Noah had lost all sense of time. His armor was damaged, his body thin, his mind running on pure determination.

Yet, as he pushed deeper into the forest, he finally saw it.

---

The Lost City of Dragons

The entrance was hidden behind layers of thick, ancient trees. No king, no adventurer, no historian in the game's world even knew this place existed.

A secret beyond all secrets—the lair of dragons.

He stepped forward and the landscape changed.

The dense jungle opened into a vast ruin—a city made of pure white marble.

Statues of majestic dragons towered into the sky.

Broken pillars stretched toward the clouds, remnants of a forgotten civilization.

The ground beneath him was scarred—massive cracks and shattered stone from battles lost to time.

Noah stood frozen.

Even in the game, he had only seen glimpses of this place. This was a holy ground, a graveyard of gods.

Then—

A shadow moved behind him.

The air shifted, thick with an ancient presence.

A voice—deep, powerful, and majestic—rippled through the ruins.

"Who are you?"

The sound sent shivers down Noah's spine.

His breath caught. His instincts screamed at him to run.

But it was too late.

He had been noticed.

A chill ran down Noah's spine.

Slowly—very slowly—he turned around.

And his breath stopped.

Floating above him was a giant red dragon.

Its scales gleamed like molten metal under the sunlight, and its wings stretched wider than the ruins themselves. Each slow beat of those wings sent powerful gusts of wind through the air.

Noah's entire body froze.

"It's… huge."

In the game, dragons were terrifying, but seeing one up close—feeling its presence—was beyond horror.

He wasn't even the size of its nail.

No—not even half of its nail.

The dragon's golden eyes locked onto him. Its gaze was ancient, unreadable—like it had seen the rise and fall of civilizations.

Then, it spoke again.

"Who are you?"

Its voice rumbled through the ruins, vibrating in Noah's bones.

"…How did you get here?"

Noah's throat tightened.

His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move.

He had no idea what to do.

Even worse—he couldn't even speak properly!

The only thing his mouth would let him say was—

'Welcome to the castle.'

If he blurted that out in front of a dragon, he was dead.

He clenched his jaw. No. He couldn't risk it.

So—he chose to stay silent.

Standing still, saying nothing, and praying he wouldn't be killed on the spot.

To be continued -