The school was still buzzing hours after the monster incident.
Teachers whispered. Students stared. Someone had already started a rumor that Eli could teleport through walls and punch demons for fun.
Kyle leaned in close. "Dude. You're trending. Not online. Like… socially."
Eli groaned. "I hate that sentence."
Lyra walked beside them, arms crossed, eyes thoughtful. "You didn't hesitate back there."
Eli blinked. "Huh?"
"When the monster appeared," she said. "You moved first. Like you knew exactly what to do."
He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well… panic is a great motivator."
She smiled. Not a laugh. A real smile.
System notification popped up instantly, because of course it did.
[Emotional Stimulus Detected]
[Focus Recommended]
Eli muttered, "Mind your business."
---
The walk home felt different.
Sharper. Louder. Like the world had quietly turned the difficulty slider up.
Halfway down an empty street, the System chimed again.
[New Quest Available]
Eli stopped.
"Already?"
A translucent screen unfolded.
[Side Quest: Clear the Rift]
[Location: Abandoned Construction Site]
[Threat Level: Low–Moderate]
[Reward: EXP, Skill Proficiency Boost]
Eli stared at the blinking ACCEPT button.
"This is how side characters die," he muttered.
[Quest Time Limit: 3 Hours]
"…Okay, rude."
He glanced around. Empty street. No adults. No teachers. Just him, the System, and bad decision-making skills.
"Fine," he whispered. "One quick quest. Then home."
The ACCEPT button lit up.
---
The construction site looked abandoned for a reason.
Half-built concrete walls. Rusted beams. Shadows pooling where sunlight should have reached.
Eli swallowed.
"Every horror movie starts like this."
[Warning: User has exited Safe Zone]
The air shifted.
Something moved.
A low growl echoed between the walls.
Eli's heart slammed against his ribs.
"Low threat," he whispered. "Low threat means… manageable. Probably."
The creature crawled out from behind a collapsed pillar.
Not a slime.
Something worse.
A hunched, wolf-like monster with cracked black skin and glowing amber eyes. Its claws scraped concrete as it moved.
[Monster Detected]
[Name: Rift Hound]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
Eli exhaled slowly.
"Okay," he said. "No pressure."
The hound lunged.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Step]
Eli vanished, reappearing behind it. He slashed, barely cutting through the tough hide.
The monster snapped back, teeth grazing his sleeve.
"HEY—personal space!"
He Shadow Stepped again. Missed. Tripped. Rolled.
"Okay," he gasped. "Still learning."
The System chimed.
[Combat Analysis: User reacting faster than predicted]
[Suggestion: Combine movement with timing]
Eli's eyes narrowed.
"Timing… yeah. I can do timing."
He waited.
The hound charged.
At the last second—
Shadow Step.
He reappeared mid-air, blade angled downward, momentum carrying the strike straight into the creature's neck.
The Rift Hound let out a sharp howl before dissolving into black mist.
Eli dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
"…That worked."
The System lit up.
[Monster Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 80]
[Skill Proficiency Increased: Shadow Step]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Sense – Detect hostile intent within short range]
Eli's eyes widened.
"Wait. That's actually insane."
Another window appeared.
[Level Up]
[Level: 1 → 2]
[Stat Points Gained: 3]
Eli laughed, breathless. "Level two. Mom's gonna freak out."
Then—
The air vibrated.
A ripple spread across the site.
The System flickered.
[Warning]
[Unregistered Presence Detected]
Eli slowly stood.
"…Unregistered?"
From the shadows, a tall figure stepped forward.
Not a monster.
A man.
Long coat. Calm posture. Eyes that looked like they'd seen far too many worlds.
He studied Eli silently.
Then smiled.
"So," the man said, voice smooth and dangerous, "you're the kid the System keeps flagging."
Eli tightened his grip on his blade.
"Yeah," he said. "And you are…?"
The man chuckled.
"No one you need to fight today."
He turned, stepping back into the shadows.
"But tell your mother," he added softly, "that the past doesn't stay buried forever."
The figure vanished.
The System froze.
[Critical Anomaly Logged]
[User's Lineage: Restricted Access]
Eli stood there, heart racing.
"…What," he whispered, "does that even mean?"