The symbol didn't vanish.
It stayed etched into the ground, glowing with an impossible light:
somewhere between a blinking cursor and static fire.
Not magic. Not tech. Something older than both.
I memorized it. Copied it.
Drew it on scrolls—and onto the skin of my left arm with a needle and ink made from nightroot.
Because if I was going to search for it, I had to risk forgetting it.
---
Three days later, I found the entrance.
Not in any dungeon, temple, or shrine.
But buried beneath an event farm, where "heroes" slaughtered NPCs for low-level quest points.
A simple metal hatch, sealed with a lock that had no visible keyhole.
But on its surface… the same symbol.
I pressed my tattooed arm against it.
The hatch whispered. It didn't creak or grind. It whispered.
> "User verification… incomplete. Access granted with limited privileges."
It was a system voice. But broken.
Like a corrupted file trying to talk to itself.
And then, the hatch opened.
---
I descended.
A spiral tunnel made of ancient concrete and rusted steel.
Broken screens embedded in the walls. Dry cables hanging like dead roots.
A place that shouldn't exist in a world of swords and mana.
But it did.
---
At the bottom, an octagonal chamber awaited me.
In the center: a console.
Not magical. Not spiritual. A computer console.
Black screen. Green letters. A blinking command line.
> Welcome, Extra_9387
Do you wish to execute [CLAIM.S]?
Y/N
My hands trembled.
Not from fear.
But because for the first time, I didn't feel like a piece in someone else's game.
I felt like I could write a line of my own.
I pressed the key.
Y
---
The console made a strange noise—somewhere between a digital laugh and a compressed scream.
The screen flickered.
> Permission denied.
User not recognized as creator.
Do you wish to attempt to trick the system?
That line… wasn't supposed to be there.
It wasn't even a valid option.
But it appeared.
As if the system was tempting me.
And, as always, I chose the most broken path.
YES.
---
The console shrieked.
And a new line appeared on screen:
> Let the forgery begin.