The leaf-shaped symbol on Arjun's hand shimmered once more, its glow deepening into a steady green. Thin lines of light rose above it, forming clear words in the air.
[DING!]
[HIDDEN CONDITION DETECTED]
[IF THE HIDDEN CONDITION IS DISCOVERED]
[WOOD CORE FRAGMENTS CAN BE TEMPORARILY SEALED]
The message lingered for several seconds before fading away.
Arjun stared at the spot where the words had been, his breathing slow and controlled. A hidden condition… not listed, not explained. That alone meant the Tower expected someone to figure it out rather than be told.
Seal the fragments from leaking… he thought. Not stop decay permanently—but pause it.
His mind replayed everything from the past two days: solo kills, mana circulation, rest penalties, technique usage, and intent. The Tower didn't reward strength alone—it rewarded understanding.
He lifted his head and looked at the others.
"There's another rule," Arjun said quietly.
That got their attention immediately.
He explained what he had seen, repeating the system message word for word. As he spoke, expressions shifted—surprise, hope, and renewed focus spreading across the group.
"So it's not hopeless," Rita said softly. "There's a way to hold on to what we earn."
Divya nodded. "Hidden conditions usually mean behavior-based triggers."
Tim crossed his arms. "Which means experimentation."
Arjun clenched his fist. "Exactly. The Tower isn't just testing power. It's testing whether we can think."
A shared resolve settled between them.
They weren't just climbing anymore.
They were learning how the Tower truly worked.
As they walked toward the main gate, Arjun's steps slowed, his mind drifting inward while the others spoke quietly among themselves.
A hidden condition… he thought. The Tower never gives anything for free.
Every reward so far had demanded something in return—risk, effort, understanding. If the wood core fragments were leaking during rest, then sealing them couldn't be as simple as waiting or hoping.
I must have to give something back.
His thoughts shifted to the mana manual he had read the night before. The basics. Flow, intent, circulation. Mana wasn't just a resource to be spent—it was something that could be shaped, guided, restrained.
Arjun lowered his gaze to the leaf-shaped symbol on his palm.
What if the fragments aren't leaking on their own… he reasoned, but because nothing is holding them in place?
He slowed even more, letting his awareness expand.
At first, there was nothing.
Then—warmth.
A faint, steady heat pulsed beneath his skin, centered on the symbol. It wasn't foreign. It felt like his own mana, quietly circulating, unnoticed until now.
There you are…
Carefully, he guided it.
Not like a technique. Not like a skill.
Just intent.
The mana responded sluggishly, clumsy and unrefined, but it moved. He shaped it around the symbol, trying to form a thin shell—like wrapping a fragile object to keep it from spilling.
Sweat formed on his brow.
Hold… just hold…
The sphere wavered, uneven and crude, but it stayed.
[DING!]
The sudden chime nearly made him lose control.
[HIDDEN CONDITION DISCOVERED]
[SEAL SUCCESSFULLY PLACED]
[SEAL CAN BE REMOVED AT ANY TIME]
[WHILE SEALED, WOOD CORE FRAGMENTS WILL NEITHER INCREASE NOR DECREASE]
Arjun's breath caught.
The warmth in his palm surged—and then something invisible tightened.
Thin, vine-like strands appeared around the leaf symbol, intertwining naturally as if grown rather than formed. They wrapped around the mark, firm yet gentle, locking the energy in place.
The others noticed him stop.
"Arjun?" Rita asked.
He looked down again.
The symbol pulsed once, then stabilized.
[SEALED STATE]
[29%]
His expression tightened.
It had dropped by one percent—likely during the moment before the seal fully formed.
But then it stopped.
No flicker. No decay.
Arjun slowly clenched his fist.
So this is the price, he realized. Mana. Continuous focus. Restraint.
The Tower wasn't cruel without reason.
It simply demanded that they pay attention.
As the town gate came into view ahead of them, Arjun lifted his head, eyes sharper than before.
"Arjun!" Rita called out again.
Only then did he realize how far he had fallen behind.
He looked up to see everyone standing a short distance ahead, already stopped and waiting for him. Embarrassment flickered across his face as he jogged to catch up.
"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Got lost in my thoughts."
Koushik smirked. "You always do that when something's bothering you."
Tim folded his arms. "So? What were you thinking about so seriously?"
Arjun hesitated—just a fraction—then spoke. "I was trying to figure out a way to stop the wood core fragments from decaying," he said evenly. "But… I couldn't reach any conclusion."
Rita sighed in frustration. "Figures. The Tower never makes things easy."
"Yeah," Tim muttered. "Would've been too nice."
No one pressed further.
They simply nodded and turned toward the massive gates ahead, their focus shifting back to the hunt waiting beyond.
Only Divya lingered.
As she passed Arjun, their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to narrow to that silent exchange. Divya studied his face—his calm, his composure, the faint tension he was trying too hard to hide.
Then she nodded once.
Arjun understood.
They continued walking.
At the gates, the group paused only long enough to confirm directions and targets. One by one, they split off, heading toward different paths and hunting grounds.
"Be careful," Rita called.
"Don't die," Koushik added casually.
Arjun gave a short wave, then turned away.
But instead of heading into the forest, he veered sideways—toward Divya.
He found her a short distance away, standing near the stone wall, pretending to adjust her pack.
"Mom," Arjun said quietly.
Divya looked at him. "You figured it out, didn't you?"
He nodded. "I did."
Without wasting words, Arjun showed her his palm. The leaf-shaped symbol glowed faintly, thin vine-like lines wrapped around it in a stable pattern.
Divya's eyes widened slightly.
"A seal…" she murmured. "You didn't tell the others."
Arjun met her gaze calmly. "They're companions," he said. "But they're temporary. I'm not going to share everything I learn—not things that can change survival itself."
Divya was silent for a moment.
Then her expression softened—but not with approval. With understanding.
"You've grown," she said quietly.
She closed her eyes and focused inward, mimicking what Arjun described. Slowly, green mana gathered around her palm, cautious but controlled. It wrapped around her symbol, forming the same vine-like seal.
[DING!]
[SEALED STATE CONFIRMED]
Divya opened her eyes and exhaled.
"So this is the price," she said. "Mana and awareness."
Arjun nodded. "The Tower rewards those who think."
Divya smiled faintly. "And hides truths from those who don't."
Side by side, mother and son turned toward the forest—each carrying knowledge they would share only when the time was right.