Why is Background Character the Strongest Now?

Chapter 7

A quiet room bathed in soft golden lamplight.

The walls were lined with thick bookshelves and glowing crystal monitors. At the center sat a man with tousled, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, tapping steadily on a sleek black tablet.

His fingers paused mid-stroke as a cold voice echoed through the room.

"Marcus. Have you found it?"

Marcus looked up, his sharp gaze locking with the figure across from him—a young man with wavy black hair and golden eyes that shimmered like dusk before a storm.

"Before I answer that…" Marcus said calmly, "is it true, Daelen? That a large number of mana bombs have been planted in the Human Continent's top academy—led by a Rank 9 awakener?"

Daelen Voncrest quietly closed the book he'd been reading, adjusting his glasses with a soft click. His voice was steady, but something in his eyes flickered—shame? Guilt?

"I overheard it from members of the Dark Order," he said. "When I was kidnapped."

Marcus didn't speak for a moment. His stare was hard, searching. Suspicion curled around the silence like smoke.

Finally, he sighed and sat back. "I've already informed my network. If any of my people find the bomb's trigger, they'll report to me immediately."

Daelen nodded. "I don't have anyone like that. Not anymore. I've already been disowned."

"I know," Marcus replied, gaze returning to his tablet. "But still… do what you can."

⸻

Inside his mind, Daelen muttered:

"System. Status."

A soft ding echoed in his consciousness. A blue translucent screen appeared.

⸻

[SYSTEM STATUS – ACTIVE]

Name: Daelen Voncrest

Age: 18

Body Host: Former Villain – Possessed

Soul Origin: Earth – Daniel Ansel, Age 22

Class: Magic Swordsman

Core Rank: S-Rank

Realm: Intermediate Rank 2

Disciple of: Sword Saintess Lysara

STATS

• Stamina: 20

• Agility: 18

• Strength: 17

• Endurance: 18

• Intelligence: 19

• Swordsmanship: Intermediate Master – 70%

• Magic Mastery (Basic Spells): 80%

Traits: Fire Affinity, Wind Affinity

⸻

MAIN MISSION: Prevent the destruction of this world.

• Reward: [Unknown]

• Failure Penalty: Eternal soul banishment into the Void.

SIDE MISSION: Sabotage the Dark Order's mana bomb plot.

• Reward: Unlock Talent Trait

• Failure Penalty: Realm regression (–1 entire stage)

⸻

Daelen exhaled slowly, his expression calm—but his heart was never still.

"I won't lose everything I've worked for… I can't," he thought. "Three months ago, I was just Daniel—some loser on Earth, obsessed with fantasy novels. I didn't even get to finish the damn story before dying."

He clenched his fist under the table.

"Of all people… why reincarnate me into this trash character? A guy who tried to hit on Marcus's fiancée before the academy entrance ceremony… who got beaten to a pulp in public and then turned to the Dark Order out of spite?"

His lips curled in disgust—not at Marcus, but at the body he now inhabited.

"When I opened my eyes, I was already in chains, being dragged to a Dark Order hideout. They thought I was still the old Daelen… but with the system's help, I tricked them. I escaped. And I swore—I will rewrite his fate… no, my fate."

The quiet in the room deepened. Daelen's eyes drifted back to the book in his hands, but his mind was adrift.

Even now, people avoided him. His classmates whispered behind his back. The Stars—the seven elite students of the academy—barely acknowledged his existence. Not that he could blame them. To them, he was still that arrogant bastard who tried to mess with Marcus's engagement.

Only Marcus treated him with cold professionalism. No trust. No hatred. Just silence.

And maybe that was worse.

"Marcus," Daelen said suddenly, shaking off the cloud of thoughts. "Can you arrange a meeting with the Stars?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "They don't like you," he said bluntly. "Or rather, they don't trust you. But I already asked. They agreed to meet you. Tomorrow night."

Daelen gave a short nod and returned to his book.

The Stars.

Seven prodigies who entered the academy with the highest scores in their regions. All of them had formed A-Rank Cores—and one of them, Marcus, had even formed the coveted S-Rank. They were the pride of humanity.

And now… Daelen stood among them.

Not because he was accepted. Not because he was forgiven.

But because he had earned it.

Through blood. Through sweat. Through three relentless months of sword drills, spellcasting, and sleepless nights.

He was no longer the Daelen Voncrest from the novel.

He was Daniel Ansel—and this time, he'd walk his own path.

Marcus glanced at him quietly from across the table.

There was something about the way Daelen moved now. The focus in his stance. The way he fought without wasted effort.

It reminded him…

…of someone he used to know.

—————-

Somewhere far from the noise of cities and kingdoms, beneath a sky stained in hues of violet and gold, Ezra walked quietly behind two figures—one, a dragon in human form; the other, the greatest swordsman alive.

KairosZeth, the Time Dragon, glanced over his shoulder and spoke in his usual lazy drawl, "The place we're heading to is the Time Dilation Zone. It's a device—well, something like that. Inside, time flows differently. One month in there equals 300 days."

He smirked. "To put it simply: for every single day outside, you'll live ten days inside."

Ezra's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't respond. He already knew this. It was the reason Daelen Voncrest, in the original novel, had managed to catch up to Marcus despite being weaker at the start. Time dilation training was the hidden key to that gap.

KairosZeth continued, "Now don't get your hopes up. This thing can handle you because you're only Rank 3. If your rank were any higher, it wouldn't work properly. So don't think you'll be using it forever."

Ren Kurogane, walking beside the dragon with his arms crossed, shot Ezra a look. "Don't slack off once you're inside. You'll be living for months in there—training every single day."

Ezra nodded respectfully.

"Also," Ren added, tossing a small glass vial toward him, "your physical age won't increase, but your body will feel hunger. About eight months' worth, to be exact. These pills will suppress that. One pill per month."

Ezra caught the vial. Inside were eight glowing blue pills, each the size of a coin. He bowed slightly. "Thank you, Master."

Ren turned away. "Don't thank me. Just show me the results. Advance your realm quickly. The moment you come out, we'll resume your swordsmanship training."

Ezra's expression hardened with determination. "Understood."

KairosZeth chuckled. "Enough chit-chat. We've arrived."

He gestured ahead. "Go on, Celestrian kid. Sit over there."

Ezra turned to see a wide, open field stretching before him. Trees dotted the landscape, but what stood out was the sheer concentration of mana in the air. It was thick—almost tangible. Just breathing here felt like drinking from a deep well compared to the thin air outside.

He stepped forward slowly, letting the atmosphere wash over him. The hum of raw energy vibrated in his bones. He walked beneath the shade of a tall silver-leaved tree and sat down at its base, crossing his legs.

KairosZeth's voice rang out one last time.

"I'm activating the Time Dilation Zone now. Once it begins, we won't be able to see or interfere with what happens inside. So don't waste this opportunity. Got it?"

Ezra nodded without opening his eyes. "Got it."

The dragon smiled faintly.

He lifted a finger—and flicked.

⸻

BOOM.

It wasn't an explosion, but a shift—a cosmic pulse that echoed through the field.

Suddenly, the world around Ezra shimmered. Dozens of massive, translucent clock faces appeared in the sky, orbiting the field in a majestic ring. Each one ticked at a different pace. Time itself bent, twisted, and reformed around him.

In the blink of an eye, the outer world froze—and his world began.

Ezra opened his eyes briefly, watching the impossible magic unfold. He had read about this phenomenon in the novel, but reading could never compare to experiencing it. His breath caught in his throat.

"So this… is the law of time," he whispered.

He closed his eyes again, pulled out one of the blue pills, and bit into it. The bitter-sweet taste vanished instantly, and so did his hunger. His mind cleared.

He took a deep breath, placed his hands on his knees, and let mana flow through him.

"No distractions," he murmured.

His aura shimmered faintly. He began circulating mana, guiding it through every nerve and vessel with surgical focus. Over and over again.

This was his time.

Ten days for every single one.

And he would make every second count.

——————-

As the last of the floating clocks faded into silence and the field returned to stillness, Ren turned away from the Time Dilation Zone, his boots crunching lightly over the grass.

KairosZeth walked beside him, hands behind his back, gaze turned to the distant sky.

After a few moments, Ren broke the silence.

"The demons have stopped sending armies. That's not like them."

KairosZeth nodded, his expression unreadable. "They've grown patient. Smarter. Instead of fire, they're using shadows now."

Ren's eyes narrowed. "The vampire lords are stirring again. Border raids, broken treaties… they're being pushed from somewhere."

"And the werewolves?" KairosZeth asked, almost absently.

"Following blood, as always," Ren muttered. "They never learn."

There was a short pause before the dragon added, voice lower now,

"Three rank 6 demons were caught inside Alliance territory last month. Disguised. Human faces. Clean records. One of them had been serving in the Alliance for years."

Ren frowned. "How many weren't caught?"

KairosZeth didn't answer. He didn't need to.

The wind moved through the grass like a whisper from another world.

"They're not trying to conquer yet," the dragon said finally. "They're preparing the board. Making sure the next war starts from within."

Ren's jaw tightened. "Then it won't be a war. It'll be a collapse."

"Exactly." KairosZeth turned, golden eyes reflecting the sinking sun. "And that… is harder to stop."

The two stood in silence, watching the sealed field where time no longer flowed normally.

Ezra had begun his training.

But outside the barrier, the world had already started to change.