The Master Floor corridor was bathed in the dull red wash of emergency lights. A low, persistent buzz emanated from the sodium fixtures overhead. Proctors stood at half-attention at their posts. The sealed package sat in the pickup niche, its wax seal—the finished, unknown symbol—gleaming under the crimson glow. It was an unlogged item in a logged system. The goal was immediate, lawful impound.
---
Qin Ye's fingers brushed the brass plaque marking the pickup niche.
[Daily Sign-In available.]
[Location: Niche Plaque.]
[Sign-In? Yes / No]
Yes.
[Ding! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: Custody Thread (Lv.1, 20 breaths — auto-tag chain points & flag breaks) + Seizure Warrant Slip (1 use — authorize immediate impound of unlogged sealed item; auto-notify panel).]
---
Intercept — Chain Starts Now.
He activated the Device Witness orb. Its lens focused on the package. "Clause 6.3. Any unlogged seal on apparatus or associated items must be impounded in public view to establish chain."
The lead proctor nodded. Qin Ye willed the Seizure Warrant Slip into effect.
An audible chime rang through the corridor. A warrant printed from a nearby log terminal, stamping itself with finality. The notification would already be with the hearing panel.
---
Friction — Routing Gambit.
A He-line representative in formal robes stepped forward. "This item requires routing to a secure review chamber. Standard security protocol."
"The no-delay, in-situ custody clause supersedes. Clause 6.4," Qin Ye stated, his body positioned to maintain a direct line-of-sight to the package. "The chain starts here."
A proctor stamped the log. "Chain established. Item remains in situ."
---
Chain-of-Custody Moves.
He applied the Evidence Seal to the package, leaving it intact. The soft chime echoed. The Custody Thread activated, casting a faint, shimmering net over the item, ready to highlight any break in the sequence.
The package's weight was logged. The niche ID was recorded. The timecode was stamped. His movements were economical, grounded by the familiar feel of his grip wraps. Stamps and time-calls were the only sounds, building the case through procedure.
---
Mid-Twist — Attempted Snatch.
The corridor lights stuttered. A grinding sound signaled the start of a security shutter sequence. A figure in a maintenance apron moved quickly, angling to "assist" with the package.
Qin Ye didn't shout. A Silent Step and a Quiet Pivot placed his body between the apron and the package, a clean, non-contact block. The Device Witness orb hummed, keeping all parties in its frame. The apron-bearer halted. No contact was made. No reset was triggered.
---
Supervised Open.
The head proctor gave the order. "Supervised open. On the audit bench."
The package was moved to a designated bench under the full gaze of the Device Witness. The unlogged wax seal was broken. Inside, nestled in custom foam, lay the second die—the source of the finished, unknown symbol. Beside it was a dispatch slip addressed to the Master Floor Audit Room and a tiny micro-shim, its unique burr matching the one from the S-Annex.
The Custody Thread glowed, its tags hopping from the die to the slip to the shim, visually linking them in an unbreakable chain.
---
Counter — Scope/Format Quibble.
"The Master Floor audit bench is not the correct format for this classification," the He-line representative argued, a last, weak effort.
"Clause 8.9 permits the use of any secured audit bench on the Master Floor for emergency impounds of unlogged items," Qin Ye cited.
A proctor's stamp came down. "Objection dismissed."
---
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Seal Before Dawn."]
[Reward: +250,000 Spirit Stones; Evidence Handling +1 (situational).]
The items were re-sealed in a new evidence bag, the chain preserved.
---
Transfer & Shadow Duet Gate.
En route to the Master Floor Audit Room, they reached a narrow personnel gate. A cross-draft whipped through the opening. Lin Xiu converged with them from a side passage.
For three steps, they fell into a Shadow Duet Step, their movements a silent, mirrored dance that navigated the choke point seamlessly. The evidence bag passed between them without breaking stride or line-of-sight. Then their paths split again, Lin Xiu falling back to cover the rear.
---
Ending Cliff — Stamp in the System.
At the threshold of the Audit Room, the main registry monitor flickered and refreshed. The unknown symbol appeared in the internal stamp index. Its descriptor field was blank, simply marked "—". The timestamp was from mere minutes before they had seized the die.
Someone had silently registered it into the system just before their arrival. A soft murmur went through the proctors.
[Ding! Side Quest updated: Trace the Hand (Second die secured; silent registration detected).]
[Ding! Optional Objective completed: Secure the second die before dawn.]
[Reward: Technique Cache (procedural, advanced, unlocked).]
[Ding! Main Quest updated — Inner Gate Trial: Assembly call in hours.]
The audit room lock clicked open. Behind the thick glass, the nameless symbol waited, bright as a blade edge in the dark.