Chapter 16: Aftermath of a Rewrite
> [SYSTEM STATUS: REWRITTEN]
[HOST: JAY HIKARI – MODE: LAZY ARCHITECT]
[NEW CORE RULE: HOST AUTONOMY ENABLED]
---
Scene 1 – Vija Academy Infirmary
Jay awoke in a white room smelling faintly of burnt mana and disinfectant.
Alicia sat at his bedside, arms crossed, eyes red from exhaustion.
"You're awake."
Jay blinked slowly. "…Five more minutes?"
She smacked him with a pillow. "You almost died, you idiot."
Jay grinned. "But I didn't."
The system pinged gently.
> [Welcome back, Host.]
[You are now in control.]
Jay's HUD was different now—cleaner, more minimalistic. It no longer spoke unless prompted. The numbers no longer flashed in red but hovered in soft blue:
Strength: 999
IQ: 999
Effort Required: Optional
He was, quite literally, the laziest god-tier being in the world.
---
Scene 2 – Council of Nobles Tribunal
Meanwhile, the Grand Assembly Hall filled with anxious murmurs.
Alicia, still in her uniform and bandaged from the clone battle, stood before them.
"Jay Hikari is no longer a threat," she said firmly. "He's the reason the world hasn't collapsed."
Marquis Vellian stood, voice dripping with skepticism. "And now we should trust him with more power? The boy who sleeps through history class?"
Cipher stepped forward.
"He's the only one not following a script."
A projection displayed the fading world integrity meter before the rewrite... and its restoration after.
> [World Integrity: 52% → 91%]
The room went dead silent.
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Scene 3 – Rooftop Reunion
Jay and Echo sat under the same fence where it all began.
She tossed him a soda.
"I still think you should've let it all burn."
Jay cracked it open lazily. "I thought about it."
"…And?"
He looked up at the sky, where faint system runes once glowed—but now, only soft clouds drifted.
"I figured… if I'm going to be stuck in this game, I might as well mod it to be comfortable."
Echo smirked. "You're unbelievable."
Jay raised his soda. "To staying lazy… with effort."
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Scene 4 – Cipher's Final Message
Later that night, Cipher stood before an old mirror in the ruins of the Rewrite Lab.
His reflection blinked—and turned into someone else: an older version of Jay, scarred and war-weary.
Cipher spoke quietly. "The loop is broken. He chose his own path."
The reflection nodded.
> "Then maybe this time, it ends with peace."
Cipher smiled faintly and vanished into the mist.
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Final Scene – Epilogue Setup
Jay's HUD blinked one last time before sleep.
> [You have unlocked a new ability: "Idle Protocol – Genius Decisions While Asleep"]
[Next Event Trigger: ???]
Jay groaned.
"…Please tell me it's not another dungeon."
> [Dungeon Awakening Detected]
[Warning: Anomaly located in the ruins of Kingdom Silra]
Jay stared at the sky.
"…I just wanted to nap."