A dog grabbed a piece of golden bread from a shop and bolted. Only to get crushed under a passing carriage.
No one batted an eye.
A dog with its leash held by a gentleman was given a silver bowl filled with unadulterated milk to feast on.
Everyone adored the mutt.
City guards stationed at each corner of the city took in the surroundings with their eyes, looking for one wrong move made by someone, giving them a chance to ask for a bribe or satisfy their lust.
Gutterborns walking with their heads hung low as if counting each concrete square they stepped on.
People looked at whatever they wanted to see but Zane saw everything whether he wanted or not.
He paid attention to everyone and saw no eyes directed at him. No heads were turned at him. None of them cared.
But still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had brought a gaze from someone.
And the system window had confirmed it by telling his merged skill was acting.
If I remember, the skill will activate when my life is threatened. But it hasn't been activated. Which I think is good. However, it has started acting. Which might mean, my life isn't threatened… yet?
Zane was stuck in one spot, his mind doing overtime just to understand how to go forward from here.
Then, his brows shot up.
The hair on his skin rose.
He gulped.
It's stronger now.
He felt it closer.
His throat went parched as sweat dribbled on his forehead.
[ DING! ]
The sound rang suddenly.
Zane flinched.
His hands flattened into blades, forearms tightening without conscious command.
"Haa! Don't come clos… er?"
…
People stopped their work.
Their eyes turned to Zane.
Their brows twitched.
Zane looked left and right.
Then he looked at his posture.
His hands were ready to chop, which would've looked normal if he wasn't aggressively threatening empty air.
He stood like that for a few seconds and then realised something.
I am a clown.
He retracted his hands, straightened his back and ran his fingers through his hair.
Nothing happened.
He acted like nothing happened.
No one was around him and he had yet shouted don't come closer. He had seen addicts in his slum do that. He became one of them at the moment for everyone.
Eyes lingered for a few more seconds at him but how much attention a gutterborn deserved. So they ignored him.
"Mad beggar."
People walked past him, shaking their heads and Zane's steps moved forward as well.
This happened because of you. Why did you make that sound?
Zane was already tense and the sudden sound from the system had taken him off guard.
He rested his hands inside his pockets and felt glad that no Halocrats were in the streets. He didn't want to find out what they would have done if he acted like that.
He shook his head and wanted to just reach home.
He walked on, matching his steps with the crowd.
His pace didn't change but his shoulders tightened.
Not consciously.
He shivered like he'd stepped into cold water and jerked his head to his right.
It's here.
The intent he felt had vanished when he had garnered attention but now it was here once more.
Am I being watched?
Zane's fingers stiffened.
This time it wasn't from behind him. It was from around him. Right or left. He didn't know.
[ Critical Quest Generated! ]
The system chimed in with a window.
What now? Is that why you made that sound?
[ Positive. The intent had vanished but now that it is here again, the Quest manifested. ]
What is it?
[ Quest: Homecoming ]
[ Objective: Reach home safely. ]
[ Rewards: Synchronization +0.5 ]
[ Failure is not acceptable! ]
[ Does the Host want to accept the Quest? ]
So someone is really after me. But not enough to trigger my skill.
Zane ran his mind.
[ Does the Host accept the Quest? ]
I am thinking, alright. I didn't know you would ask for my permission this time. The reward seems big and so is the danger. I can't accept it unless I have a plan.
Zane kept walking, his hands ready to fight back if something came from anywhere.
But he needed something solid. He can't trust his body to protect him. Not yet.
If he walked faster then the stalker would act faster too.
If he slowed down, he might die anyway.
How should I shake them off? How should I run away?
Zane roamed his eyes, he looked at all the mirrors and glasses he could find on the way just to catch a glimpse of anyone out of place.
He found nothing.
His heart pounded at each step, threatening to beat itself to death.
Then matching the sound of his heart…
TUNG!
A bell rang.
It echoed everywhere and people stopped whatever they were doing.
Shopkeepers left their shop open.
Customers put back whatever they were buying.
Carriage drivers stopped driving.
Passengers stepped out from the carriages.
Gutterborns with their heads hung low changed their steps.
Everyone around the area walked together to one place.
The Glory Order church.
As the bell rang, Zane looked at the sky.
The sun was at its peak.
It's that time already.
The Glory Order church was the place to worship the First Flame.
The churches were spread all around Dwarkam and all of them ring their bell three times in a day.
One when the sunrise happens.
Second when the sun is at its peak.
And third when the sunset is near.
This was the second bell of the day and no matter what, everyone had to visit the closest church to them for praying, dropping everything they were doing.
Zane's eyes glimmered as the bell meant that his stalker was also supposed to go inside the church. Zane already felt the intent becoming thin.
But the next second, his glimmering eyes lost their sparkle.
He remembered Gutterborns weren't an exception to this rule as well.
Whenever the bells rang, the slum dwellers were required to get out of their houses and go to the nearest peripheral shrine and pray. They didn't have to walk to the church from the slums. Mostly because the other worshippers won't like to meet Gutterborns three times in one day daily.
However, if the slum dwellers or Gutterborns weren't in their slum and happened to be in any city when the bell rang, then they were also required to visit the nearest church stopping whatever they were doing.
And right now, Zane was among one of those.
He would love to just run towards his Ashen Slum, far away from that intent, but not everyone in the area had gone to the church.
The guards standing at the corners of the city were still outside and worst of all, their eyes were glued to Zane.
Not speaking. Not making any faces. They just stared at him.
Zane swallowed.
He couldn't run away. If he did, he would be considered infidel. Anti-Flame. And the people won't like that. They would make sure to make a spectacle out of Zane to send a message.
He had never gone to churches. He only prayed in the Peripheral shrines like others of his kind.
The guards stared at him with no emotion and after a second, one of them moved his hand towards the blue crystal latched on their chests and because of just that one motion…
Zane finally stepped his foot towards the crowd.
The guard retracted his hand back and Zane walked behind the crowd, going for the church.
Conflux…
Zane sighed.
I am already deep in this.
His eyes locked on to each and everyone in the crowd in front of him.
I accept the Quest.