I Don’t Want to Start a Story!

Facing the two prompts from the system, Max took a deep breath as he ignored the ramblings of the amnesiac shaking his shoulders. He could hear Noah’s voice telling the stranger to stop, but it was futile. After another ten seconds of shaking, he had had enough. Max broke away from his grip and stormed to the exit. If he said anything, it would start a story. The only solution he could think of was to walk away from the situation for now. This temporary solution wasn’t the best, but it will do for the time being.

It was effortless for him to move through the disturbed piles of metal. Behind him, he could hear the angry cries of the amnesiac trying to chase after him but finding himself thwarted by a stack of lamps. Just as Max was about to open the door, Aldwin appeared. “Hi Max, have you seen the amnesiac?”

He was in the way, again. Without hesitating, Max pushed by him without an apology or even a glance. Despite his inconsiderate actions, he didn’t fear for their friendship. He was a fool after all.

Max was still feeling irritated as he walked along the rusted fence on the edge of the farm. The gentle moos of the cows with the setting sun would normally calm his nerves, but today’s prompts left him on edge. The amnesiac wasn’t going to stop. If he said anything then it might be considered as a reply and kickstart a story. Becoming mute long-term wasn’t an ideal solution either. Not everyone will be tolerant and understanding, and troublesome outsiders can legally be put to death under the command of the ancient mayor. Even though everyone was betting on when the mayor would die, Max was one of the few that had a wager placed on a few months from now. With the mayor and the amnesiac still alive, this threat wasn’t going anywhere.

“Huh? How do you have no fate?”

??? Max looked out towards the woods, which lay outside of the farm’s fence. He couldn’t see where the male voice came from. For a moment, he felt relieved to see a system prompt before he read the contents.

Story Name:

???

Genre:

???

Description:

???

Goal:

???

Difficulty:

★★★★★

How to Start:

Ignore Cy!

Cy? Who was that? Moreover, what was with the absence of information? Occasionally, he had seen incomplete prompts from the system in his previous life, but this was the first time when four of the descriptors were redacted. The only thing he knew was it was a five stars story. Almost certain death was a good enough reason to actively avoid the starting prompt. “Who’s there?” Max called out. It felt counter intuitive to seek an interaction to avoid a story, but he suspected the voice belonged to ‘Cy.’

“I’ve never met someone with a complete absence of a fate.”

The voice called out from the woods again. Without hesitation, Max hopped over the fence and headed in the direction of the voice. “And what does it mean to not have a fate?” He could’ve guessed, but he wanted the voice to sound again.

“Haven’t a clue.”

Max finally realised his mistake and looked up into the leaves. It didn’t take long to spot him since he stood out from the rich green foliage. He had an otherworldly appearance, like the amnesiac, but he couldn’t be the same as them. Otherwise, he would know precisely what it meant to have an ‘absence of fate.’ He was sitting leisurely on a tree branch, with one boot on the branch and the other swinging whimsically below. His clothes didn’t seem too atypical in structure, but they were a deep purple. A colour that was expensive and rare to see, especially in this village. The most unusual part of his clothing was the cape, which was covering most of his face. It had been stitched together with delicate embroidery depicting various constellations. He was definitely not from around these parts. But, based on what Adelaide told him, he could be from the capital.

“Is it a good thing or bad thing?”

“… ‘I haven’t got a clue’ means I don’t know. This is my first time encountering someone like you. If anything, you should tell me. What’s it like having the freedom to choose your own fate? Many people dream of having that ability when they learn what destiny has in store for them.”

Max wanted to end the conversation and walk away, but there was a part of him that worried he hadn’t interacted with him enough to avoid triggering the mysterious story to start. In a weak moment, he considered pursuing this story. It was his first time seeing a prompt like that. And even though it was five stars, it would just mean death comes sooner in this lifetime. At least, he had some time to think about it. Until another person became the MC or another story cancelled this one, the prompt should resume. “What’s your name?” Max called out. It would be best to check if he really was ‘Cy.’

“If we meet again, then I’ll tell you next time.” The mysterious stranger had part of a smile poking out slightly from under his hood.

Max couldn’t help feeling irritated from the dismissive reply. “Okay, okay,” he said nonchalantly before turning his back on him. “I guess I’ll just have to wait until next time, Cy.” He waited for a reaction, hoping that his annoyance or surprise had passed on to its intended recipient. But there was no audible acknowledgement. He paused for half a second before turning back and realising that he was gone. There was no trace of his existence on the tree branch.

If he hadn’t been to other worlds, he would have assumed he had either imagined him or was going crazy. With his experience, there was another alternative answer: magic. He had heard from Aldwin that magic did exist in this world, but it was rare and often hidden from most people. None of the villagers showed any capability in it, and Max typically couldn’t use it either until a story which required it had been accepted. Since he didn’t intend to leave the farm nor start anything, there was no need for him to understand the magic system of this world. Between the vegan amnesiac and the mysterious magic user, things were changing quickly.