Kaien leaned against a rusted pipe, panting. His body burned with aftershocks from the "Instinct Override." His head throbbed, like it was going to split open. But he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself.
[Neural Instability: 37%]
The red warning was flashing in his vision, but he ignored it. He'd never had a choice in the first place.
The underground tunnel stretched before him—grimy, stinking of mildew and decay. But beneath that, there was a pulse. A life force that wasn't part of the city above.
Kaien staggered toward it. Something was calling him down here.
His phone buzzed again. This time, a message from an unknown number:
"You made a mistake."
No shit, Sherlock.
The glow of distant lights flickered in the tunnel. A soft hum of electricity, as though some unseen force buzzed beneath the ground, waiting for him.
[DANGER DETECTED.]
"Again?" Kaien muttered.
He was barely holding it together, and yet, the world wouldn't let him rest.
He stepped forward. The floor gave a slight groan beneath his boots, but he ignored it.
Until it shifted again—this time, a low, rumbling growl.
Kaien froze.
Then, all at once, the walls exploded with noise.
A massive shadow lunged from the dark—a hulking creature, towering nearly eight feet, with glowing green eyes and teeth as long as knives. Its skin was a jagged patchwork of scales and muscle, dripping with bile.
[LEVEL 5: FERAL BEAST – WARNING: HOSTILE]
Without thinking, Kaien's hands shot out. [Veinburst II] flared.
[Attack Activated: Feral Strike]
He slammed into the creature, cracking the ground beneath them. For a second, the creature's surprise mirrored his own.
Then it let out a roar that rattled his bones.
[HP: 42%]
"Shit," Kaien muttered.
The beast swung its claws, catching his arm. Pain seared through his body. The wound burned worse than before.
[Neural Instability: 58%]
"No. No. I'm not dying here," Kaien gritted out.
He dug into his pocket, his fingers scraping through grime until they found what he was looking for—a shard of jagged crystal. A fragment of the first upgrade he bought from the System Store.
[Use Item: Soul Shard – Heal]
The shard disintegrated in his palm, pouring raw energy into his veins. The pain dulled. His body surged with strength. His breath steadied.
And he lunged.
He grabbed the beast's throat with both hands, feeling the pulse of life beneath the beast's jagged hide.
"Let's see how strong you are when I pull your spine out."
With one powerful twist, Kaien ripped—and the beast's neck snapped, the body crumpling lifeless to the ground.
Kaien breathed hard. Blood ran from his mouth. His vision wavered.
[EXP Gained: +30]
[Level Up!]
[LEVEL 5 → 6]
Kaien looked at the beast's lifeless body. This wasn't just a fight—it was a message. Every power he gained, every inch of strength he unlocked… they were watching.
But who was "they"?
Kaien's heart raced. He didn't even know if it was the System or the Order pulling the strings anymore. But he had a bad feeling about this whole mess.
Before he could even process what happened, a cold, metallic voice echoed from the shadows.
"Well done, Kaien Vale."
He spun, eyes wide, pulse racing.
Out of the dark stepped a man—tall, draped in shadow. He wore a long black coat that seemed to absorb the light around him. His eyes glowed red, almost like the visor of the Order.
"Who the hell are you?" Kaien spat, wiping blood from his lip.
The man smirked. "I'm someone who's been watching you since you first accessed the Store."
Kaien took a step back. "You—what?"
"I'm part of the Veilborn Order, the real one. Not the dogs that chase after you."
Kaien's fists clenched. He felt that familiar sickening chill run through his spine.
"I know what you're thinking, Kaien. They're hunting you because you're different. You're… ascending. But that's just the beginning. The true war is coming. The question is: Do you want to fight it alone?" The man's voice dropped lower, almost whispering. "Because you won't survive this fight on your own."
Kaien took a breath. His heart still hammered in his chest, but something about this man seemed different. He didn't trust him. Not at all. But…
He didn't have a choice.
The man held out a gloved hand, offering a blackened crystal. "Take it. It'll give you more power. More control. Everything you need to fight the real enemy."
Kaien hesitated. For a second, all he wanted was to burn the world around him. But then his mind clicked.
No.
"I don't trust you."
The man smirked. "No one does. But you'll trust me soon enough. The System you're tapping into? It's just the surface. Beneath it lies something much darker."
Kaien stepped forward, knocking the crystal from his hand. "I'll take my chances."
The man's eyes flashed with fury. But then, just as quickly, the anger vanished. "Very well. But remember this: Power is never given. It's always taken. And when you start taking it, you'll attract attention."
He turned, fading into the shadows.
Kaien was left standing there, the words echoing in his mind. Something darker beneath the System? He didn't know what that meant. But he was about to find out.