10 — The Mark of Suppression
The plains beyond Blackwind City were silent.
Not peaceful.
Silent.
The kind of silence that followed pressure.
The night wind bent tall grass in slow waves, but neither Kael nor Ren moved immediately. Both stood still, listening—not to sound, but to fluctuations.
Kael activated Fate Thread Visualization once more.
The silver threads appeared across the dark landscape.
Most were faint, stable.
But above him—
A thin golden filament stretched upward into the sky.
Not fully connected.
Not fully locked.
But anchored.
[ ─── Tracking Residue Analysis ─── ]
[ External Mark: Low-Level Suppression Imprint ]
[ Function: Probability Anchoring ]
[ Effect: Increased Scan Precision Within 500km Radius ]
[ Estimated Dissipation Time: 12–18 Days ]
[ Manual Removal: Requires Higher Realm or Advanced Countermeasure ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Kael exhaled slowly.
They were not fully tracked.
But they were anchored.
Ren's artificial interface shimmered faintly.
"I was afraid of that," Ren said calmly.
"You've been marked before," Kael observed.
Ren nodded slightly.
"Imperial Hunters use suppression anchors. They don't chase blindly. They let probability converge."
Meaning—
They would not rush recklessly.
They would wait.
Observe movement patterns.
Allow deviation to tighten the net.
Kael opened his full system panel.
[ ═════ HEAVEN'S DEBUG SYSTEM — LEVEL 2 ═════ ]
[ Host: Kael Ardyn ]
[ Realm: Blood Refinement — Late Stage ]
[ Core Attributes ]
[ Strength : 18 ]
[ Agility : 13 ]
[ Vitality : 17 ]
[ Spirit : 5 ]
[ Luck : 2 ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 26% ]
[ Tracking Residue: Active ]
[ Fate Divergence Index: High ]
[ Structural Stability: 78% ]
[ ─────────────────────────────────── ]
Concealment had dropped significantly.
If it fell below twenty—
The next scan would likely lock fully.
Ren broke the silence.
"Running randomly increases divergence."
"Standing still increases convergence," Kael replied.
Ren smiled faintly.
"So we need a controlled breakthrough."
Kael turned toward him.
"Bone Forging."
Ren nodded.
"Exactly."
Blood Refinement stabilized internal structure.
Bone Forging reinforced skeletal density and energy channel stability.
Once Kael stepped into Bone Forging—
His structural integrity would increase.
More importantly—
His energy signature would shift.
Tracking residue calibrated to Blood Refinement patterns might lose precision.
The system pulsed faintly.
[ Strategy Alignment Confirmed ]
[ Advancement to Bone Forging Increases Residue Dissipation Probability ]
[ Estimated Residue Stability Post-Advancement: -41% ]
[ Breakthrough Success Probability (Current Stability): 62% ]
[ Optimization Required ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Sixty-two percent was not enough.
A failed breakthrough under suppression pressure could destabilize everything.
Kael looked toward the distant mountain ridges.
"There should be compression caves nearby," he said.
Ren nodded.
"Natural mineral density accelerates structural reinforcement."
They began moving northward, avoiding major trade paths.
Kael minimized system activity to reduce noise.
Ren did the same.
The plains gradually shifted into rocky terrain as dawn approached.
After several hours, they reached a shallow canyon formation.
Kael paused.
The system scanned automatically.
[ ─── Environmental Analysis ─── ]
[ Mineral Density: High ]
[ Ambient Spiritual Flow: Stable ]
[ Structural Compression Potential: Suitable ]
[ Host Breakthrough Feasibility: Elevated ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
This would work.
They entered the canyon and found a narrow cave opening reinforced by dense stone layers.
Inside, the air was cool and heavy.
Perfect.
Kael sat cross-legged.
Ren positioned himself near the entrance.
"I'll distort external probability threads periodically," Ren said calmly.
"Not enough to trigger full alert. Just enough to blur convergence."
Kael nodded once.
He closed his eyes.
Bone Forging was not about accumulation.
It was compression.
Blood Refinement strengthened circulation.
Bone Forging strengthened framework.
The system activated controlled optimization.
[ Structural Editing — Self Only ]
[ Temporary Efficiency Boost: Active ]
[ Duration: 30 Seconds ]
[ Focus: Skeletal Reinforcement Initiation ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Kael guided his energy inward.
From blood to marrow.
From surface to core.
Pain began slowly.
Not explosive.
Not chaotic.
But deep.
His bones vibrated faintly as spiritual energy condensed along their surfaces.
The system monitored continuously.
[ Bone Density Increasing: 3% ]
[ Structural Compression Ratio: Rising ]
[ Energy Channel Stability: Improving ]
Outside, Ren activated subtle probability distortions.
Minor landslide in distant ridge.
Spirit beast migration shift.
Unrelated.
But sufficient to create noise in the Hunter's tracking field.
Hours passed.
Sweat drenched Kael's body.
His breathing deepened.
The pain intensified as micro-fractures formed within bone structure.
This was the necessary destruction before reconstruction.
The system warned.
[ Structural Integrity Dropping: 61% ]
[ Breakthrough Threshold Approaching ]
[ External Mark Stability: Weakening Slightly ]
Suddenly—
The golden filament above flickered violently.
The Hunter had resumed high-resolution tracking.
Ren's voice echoed faintly from the cave entrance.
"They're narrowing the field."
Kael did not stop.
He pushed further.
Bone density rose.
Fractures deepened.
Energy condensed.
Then—
The cave trembled.
A faint golden pulse descended toward the canyon.
The Hunter was testing.
Not fully committing.
But probing.
Ren's artificial engine surged.
A distortion field expanded outward across the canyon's perimeter.
For a moment—
The golden pulse hesitated.
The system screamed.
[ ⚠ PROBABILITY LOCK ATTEMPT DETECTED ⚠ ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 22% ]
[ Tracking Residue Resonating ]
[ Breakthrough Required Immediately ]
Kael clenched his jaw.
He drove energy inward violently.
Every bone within his body cracked simultaneously.
Agony exploded through him.
But beneath the agony—
Alignment.
Compression.
Reconstruction.
The system flared.
[ Bone Forging Stage Accessible ]
[ Breakthrough Probability: 78% ]
[ External Interference Increasing ]
Ren shouted from outside.
"They're focusing here!"
The golden filament intensified.
The canyon walls shimmered faintly under external scanning pressure.
Kael's bones restructured.
Dense.
Layered.
Stronger.
Then—
Snap.
A deep internal resonance echoed through his body.
[ Breakthrough Complete ]
[ Realm Advanced: Bone Forging — Early Stage ]
[ Skeletal Density Increased by 41% ]
[ Energy Channel Stability: Significantly Enhanced ]
[ External Mark Stability Reduced ]
The golden filament flickered violently.
The tracking anchor destabilized.
The Hunter paused mid-scan.
Above the plains—
The probability model recalibrated.
Below—
Kael opened his eyes.
The pain subsided into clarity.
He stood slowly.
His posture felt heavier.
More grounded.
Each step pressed deeper into stone.
He opened his interface.
[ ═════ HEAVEN'S DEBUG SYSTEM — LEVEL 2 ═════ ]
[ Host: Kael Ardyn ]
[ Realm: Bone Forging — Early Stage ]
[ Core Attributes ]
[ Strength : 24 ]
[ Agility : 16 ]
[ Vitality : 22 ]
[ Spirit : 6 ]
[ Luck : 2 ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 31% ]
[ Tracking Residue: Weakening ]
[ Fate Divergence Index: Stable ]
[ ─────────────────────────────────── ]
Concealment had risen.
Tracking residue destabilized.
They had broken the immediate lock.
Outside, Ren entered the cave slowly.
"Congratulations," he said calmly.
Kael stepped forward.
The canyon trembled slightly under his weight.
Above them—
The golden filament withdrew partially.
The Hunter's voice echoed faintly across the plains.
"Interesting…"
He did not descend.
He did not attack.
He was recalculating.
Kael understood now.
This was not simple pursuit.
This was chess.
And the first move had been answered.
Ren looked toward the northern horizon.
"They won't stop."
Kael nodded.
"They don't need to."
He activated Fate Visualization.
The silver threads had stabilized.
But one new thread had formed—
Thicker.
Brighter.
Extending far beyond the continent.
Toward something larger.
Something watching from deeper within the Imperial structure.
Kael's eyes hardened.
"This is only the beginning."
Ren smiled faintly.
"Good."
Because the board had expanded.
And neither of them intended to remain pawns.