The city felt different today.
Adrian walked with his hands tucked inside his pockets, weaving through the early-morning rush. People moved around him in frantic patterns—suits, uniforms, street vendors setting up stalls—but he felt detached, like he was watching from a higher place. The system window from earlier still lingered in his mind, etched behind his eyelids.
The flicker.
The glitch.
The hint of a title.
Hidden Heir.
He didn't know what it meant yet, but he knew what it implied.
There was something buried in this identity—something dangerous, something that wanted to surface. The thought alone sent a thrill through him, a merging of fear and excitement that tightened his chest in a strangely addictive way.
He passed a row of parked motorcycles, their metal bodies gleaming under the morning sun. A group of students chatted loudly nearby. A couple argued beside a bus stop. Ordinary scenes. Normal life.
And yet, beneath this everyday noise, Adrian sensed something else.
A current.
A hum.
A weight in the air that only someone awakened to his level would feel.
The system was active.
Which meant the world was not as simple as it looked.
He crossed a street and entered a more secluded lane—quiet, lined with narrow shops and a few fading buildings. As he walked, he let his senses stretch outward. Sounds sharpened. Footsteps became distinct. Passing conversations layered themselves into patterns he could analyze.
His Observation skill was subtly active.
He didn't need to see the panel to know it.
A cold breeze rushed down the alley.
He stopped.
Not because something blocked his path—
but because the system chimed softly in his mind.
[ Passive Skill Enhanced: Observation Lv. 2 ]
[ Perception range increased. Accuracy improved. ]
He exhaled slowly.
So even walking through the city increased his skills now.
"Good," he whispered.
Adrian resumed his pace, but the shift in his senses pulled his attention to something else—someone leaning against the wall further down the street.
A girl.
Dark hair.
Slim figure.
A quiet, elegant presence that felt out of place in a run-down neighborhood like this.
Her eyes were downcast, phone in hand, but she wasn't doing anything with it.
She was waiting.
For someone.
Or something.
Adrian would've ignored her—if not for the system's sudden alert.
[ Notice: Unknown Individual Detected. Threat Level: Low — Suspicion Level: Moderate ]
His eyes narrowed.
Suspicion…?
Was she watching him?
He slowed down, not enough to be obvious but enough to observe. The girl glanced up, their eyes meeting for the briefest second.
Beautiful.
Sharp.
Mysterious.
The kind of face that gave trouble a pretty shape.
She dropped her gaze immediately, but Adrian caught the tension in her shoulders—the slightest stiffening, like she didn't want to be recognized.
Interesting.
He walked past her casually.
But the system chimed again.
[ Hidden Emotion Detected: Fear ]
[ Source: Unknown Individual ]
Fear? Why?
Who was she?
And why was she afraid of him?
He felt her gaze linger on his back as he continued walking. Only when he turned the corner did the pressure fade.
He filed the memory away.
He would meet her again.
The system didn't point things out without reason.
---
Later, Adrian stepped into a quiet café—one he'd visited occasionally in the inherited memories of this body. The familiar scent of roasted beans and freshly baked bread washed over him. Warm lights glowed from overhead fixtures, casting soft shadows along the wooden tables.
It felt… grounding.
He ordered nothing. Simply chose a seat by the window and sat. He needed space to think, to process, to plan.
He rested his elbows on the table and spoke under his breath:
"System. Open the Quest Log."
A translucent panel appeared again.
---
" ACTIVE QUESTS "
Main Quest:
Survive, adapt, and uncover your purpose in this world.
Progress: 3%
Side Quest — Urban Foundation I
Explore the city, establish basic presence, and gather small opportunities.
Reward: +50 EXP, +1 Urban Influence Point
---
The panel faded.
Urban development… influence… connections.
His rise wouldn't be through brute force alone; it required building a presence.
Then another thought hit him.
The shop.
"System," he murmured. "Open the Shop."
The air hummed. The screen divided, scrolling rows of faint icons and locked categories.
---
" SYSTEM SHOP "
[Consumables]
Beginner Energy Restore (10 Points)
Minor Physical Boost (15 Points)
Mental Clarity Pill (20 Points)
[Skills]
Novice Martial Form (Locked — Requires Level 3)
Street Negotiation (Unlocked — 30 Points)
[Utility]
Basic Identity Scan (5 Points)
Personal Safety Alert (10 Points)
[Special — Hidden Category]
— ??? (Glitched)
— ??? (Requires Heir Authorization)
---
Adrian's blood cooled.
There it was again—
that word.
Heir.
He clenched his jaw, tapping his fingers on the table.
A hidden clan.
A hidden role.
A hidden destiny.
All tied to him.
But it wasn't time to dig into it yet. For now, he needed clarity.
"System," he said. "What is my current balance?"
[ Balance: 10 Points ]
Barely anything.
Still, enough for something small.
Before he could decide, the café door opened, letting in a burst of cold air.
Footsteps approached.
A familiar voice followed.
"…Adrian?"
He looked up.
Standing in front of him was Lina—the girl from earlier.
Her eyes widened slightly, mixed shock and nervous tension flickering across her expression. Up close, she looked even more striking. A calm, elegant beauty with a subtle fragility, like someone trying hard to hold herself together.
"You're here…" she murmured.
Her voice trembled—barely noticeable to anyone else.
But Adrian noticed.
And so did the system.
[ Hidden Emotion Detected: Relief ]
[ Hidden Emotion Detected: Fear ]
[ Hidden Emotion Detected: Recognition? ]
Recognition?
He sat up straighter.
"Do I… know you?" he asked calmly.
She hesitated. Her lips parted—but no words came out. Instead, she glanced around nervously, then sat across from him without waiting for permission.
"Adrian…" she whispered, leaning forward. "There's something you need to know. Something important."
A long, cold breath escaped her lips.
"They're watching you."
The café suddenly felt smaller.
Quieter.
Darker.
Adrian's heartbeat slowed—not with fear, but with sharpened focus.
"And who exactly is 'they'?" he asked softly.
Her fingers trembled as she placed something on the table.
A small emblem.
Dark metal.
Carved with an ancient symbol.
Faintly glowing.
The system reacted instantly.
[ ALERT: Artifact Detected ]
[ Origin: Unknown Hidden Clan ]
[ Danger Level: HIGH ]
Adrian exhaled slowly.
A new path had just opened.
A dangerous one.
And deep down…
he could feel it.
This was just the beginning.