The night passed quietly in the forest.
Too quietly.
Damien remained motionless under a thick layer of fallen leaves, processing everything he'd taken. The relic was still active inside him, humming softly like a second heartbeat.
> "Guardian's Core – Passive regeneration increased. All damage reduced by 5%."
"Warning: Trait conflict detected. Core not compatible with current evolution path."<
"That's… fine, I guess? At least I'm harder to kill."
He glanced around.
No enemies. No wolves. Not even birds.
The beasts had fled, still disturbed by the false predator aura he'd used earlier.
He was alone.
Until—
> Tchk—
A faint sound. Mechanical. Out of place.
"A trap?"
No. It came again. Closer this time. Rhythmic. Metallic footsteps.
> "Race: Human (Scout)
Level: 21
Affiliation: Ardent Guild – Pathfinders Division"<
"Human?" Damien froze, then slithered into a bush, shrinking his form to the size of a rock.
A woman stepped into view, clad in worn leathers, a short dagger at her side, and a strange rune-covered compass in her hand.
She tapped it once.
It flickered. The needle spun violently.
"…It's here. The Fate Tracker doesn't lie," she muttered. "Something's twisted the path."
Behind her, two more humans emerged—one holding a staff, the other with a heavy axe. All wore the same symbol on their shoulder: a burning sun over crossed swords.
> "Ardent Guild – Special Unit: Temporal Distortion Trackers."<
"They weren't supposed to show up until chapter 20," Damien thought, panicking.
"I've drawn attention way too early."
The scout kneeled by a tree and placed her hand on the ground. A faint ripple of light spread across the soil.
"…Traces of divine energy. And monster essence. But weak. It's fading."
"We're losing the signal," said the mage. "If it was a beast, it's not normal. Something's mimicking relic-bearer signatures."
"…Or stealing them," the scout said flatly.
They stayed a while longer, then slowly moved on—deeper into the woods.
Damien didn't move until they were completely out of range.
Only then did he breathe out, if a slime could even do that.
> "Quest Updated: Avoid capture by Ardent Guild (0/3 Successes)"
"New Trait Unlocked: Veil Core I – Light signature suppressed by 40%."<
"The world's already reacting. They've sent trackers. Probably thinking the protagonist's power got leaked or something."
He didn't know how long he had before someone figured out he was the problem.
But he did know one thing.
The rules were breaking. And he was now a variable fate hadn't accounted for.
And in the distance, far beyond the capital and its towering halls, the true Child of Fate was born—ten years too early.
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