When the interrogation room door closed behind me, I let out a long breath.
The tension inside me slowly turned into a heavy kind of exhaustion.It felt like that little stone room had squeezed not just answers out of me, but air from my lungs as well.
The corridor was relatively quiet.One or two guards were carrying documents, another was adjusting the straps of his armor in a corner.
I met Bran's eyes where he was leaning against the wall.His arms were crossed; when he saw me, his expression softened just a little.
"You're alive," he said. "Good news."
"For now," I replied. "They didn't serve tea in there, but the chairs were… tolerable."
Bran raised an eyebrow.
"People who go one-on-one with Mira usually come out either drenched in sweat or not at all," he said. "You just look tired. That's… let's say a mid-range result."
"I still can't tell if you're trying to comfort me or mock me," I said.
He shrugged.
"Both," he said. "I'm not going to ask what you talked about and make life harder for the both of us.But know this: if Mira talks to someone in private like that,it means she sees them as either dangerous…or useful."
"Neither option screams 'peace of mind' to me," I said.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MICRO NOTE]
– External observation:• "Dangerous" and "useful" often come in the same package.
Comment:– That package rarely includes wrapping paper.
"At least our sense of humor lines up," I thought.
At the far end of the corridor, I noticed Torren.He was standing by a table, filling out a report; his pen scratched steadily across the page.
He spoke without looking up:
"So, you didn't die."
"I feel like that's today's catchphrase," I said. "Yes, I didn't. I'm just… a bit more full inside."
"It shows on your face," Torren said. "Your eyes look like the eyes of someone who's seen too much too early.In this city, if you gain that look too soon, you either grow strong fast…or vanish fast."
I didn't know what to say to that.I just pressed my lips together and nodded.
We still had to file our patrol reports.
"Come on, let's get the paperwork over with," Bran muttered.We walked toward the room at the end of the corridor with RECORDS ROOM written on the door.
The smell hit me as soon as we entered.Old paper, ink, wood, and a bit of damp.
On one wall hung a large city map that nearly covered the whole surface.Veldan's streets, districts, walls, gates… all laid out in thin lines.Some places had small pins stuck in them, some streets were circled in ink.
Bran went to one of the desks and grabbed a standard form, starting to fill it out.
"You too," he said. "Write what we saw and what we didn't, in the most boring way possible."
"That's what I'm best at," I said. "Sounding boring."
I picked up a pen and leaned over the page.At the same time, my gaze drifted toward the map on instinct.
At first, it looked like any other city plan.
Then… details started to come into focus.
At certain street corners, there were very small marks, drawn hastily by the look of them.
Three lines.
Some faint, some a little clearer.They looked like random doodles someone had scribbled in the margins and forgotten.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[PASSIVE PATTERN DETECTION]
– City Map:• Incomplete triangle-like markings detected at multiple points.
Nearby Records:– Old Well District → Around the well.– Near Inner Walls → Narrow alleys.– Market Strip → Side exits.– Small mark outside the northern city exit.
Note:– All of these locations partially overlap with places you've been in recent days.
My skin prickled.
"There is no such thing as coincidence," Mira's voice echoed in my head.
My eyes travelled to the area where the Copper Lantern was located.The inn wasn't labeled, but I recognized the street.
On the cross street, there was a pale smudge.Just one line remained; the other two seemed wiped away or deliberately scratched out.
"Act like you don't see it," I told myself. "Don't just stand there staring."
I clenched the pen a little tighter and turned back to the paper.
"Morning internal patrol: Routine arguments in the market streets, no serious incident. No extraordinary situation observed in the Old Well district. In the alleys near the inner wall, one intimidation/extortion case at a shop; one suspect detained…"
As I moved to the next line, the marks on the map started connecting on their own inside my head.
The underground ruins.Northern grove.The old well.The thug.The assassin.Lira's envelope.The note pushed under my door.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MENTAL MATCHING]
– Recent events related to the Cracked Brand:• Their locations form a loose "encircling" pattern.• The center of this pattern often overlaps with your position.
Comment:– Some spiders weave wide webs, some weave narrow.– Which type this is has not yet been determined.
"All I wanted," I thought, "was to grind in peace.Can we cut it with the spider metaphors?"
I'd pressed the pen too hard; a bit of ink blotted on the page.
From the next desk, Bran leaned over.
"Writing a very dramatic sentence, or did you just forget how to write?" he asked.
"I'm busy questioning my life while I write," I said. "The pen is sympathizing."
He shook his head.
"Good," he said. "If even your pen learns to suffer, that means you're becoming a true citizen of Veldan."
By the time we handed in our reports and left the records room, the official part of the patrol was considered complete.
"That's it for today's duty," Torren said. "But that doesn't mean you can't still get into trouble. Officially though… you're free."
"Should I ask about the unofficial part?" I said.
"Better not," he replied. "Most of the people who ask regret it."
Bran thumped my shoulder lightly.
"We're going to do a few rounds of light work in the courtyard," he said. "I like seeing how far your shoulder goes before it actually explodes."
"Your idea of fun is really concerning," I said. "But… fine. Let's try."
The inner courtyard of the headquarters was quieter than in the morning.
In one corner, two young guards were slamming wooden swords into each other; in another, someone was oiling his armor.
Bran tossed me one of the shorter wooden practice swords we'd used yesterday.
"Same game plan," he said. "Don't move like stone, don't freeze in place, don't just keep running away.Sometimes the safest place is not one step back, but one step forward."
"That's a sentence usually said by people holding swords," I replied. "Easy for them."
Still, I took my stance.
The first few exchanges went as I expected:Bran swung, I blocked, my wrists stung.I shuffled back several steps; my foot slipped a bit, then I caught myself.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MICRO ANALYSIS – SPARRING]
– Balance: Slight improvement compared to yesterday.– Reflexes: Slow down as you tire.
Suggestion:– Adaptation: Switch from "trying not to fall" to "learning how to fall correctly."– Some hits are inevitable.
Bran suddenly increased his pace; he feinted to the side and then brought the sword down.
Instead of blocking, I reflexively jumped back.My foot slipped on the stone, and for a moment I was about to kiss the ground.
But this time, I didn't fall flat.
I slammed my left hand to the ground, and instead of trying to stand up from there, I rolled sideways.Bran's next swing cut through empty air.
When I got back to my feet, I let out a sharp breath.
"Good," Bran said. "At least this time you didn't make out with the stones."
"If I'm improving, that must be bad news for you," I said. "Less material to make fun of."
"Don't worry," he said. "There's always enough material."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[INSTANT UPDATE]
– Move "Rolling Fall" recorded.– Some future fall damage may be automatically reduced.
Micro Gains:– Endurance: Very small increase.– Confidence: Very small increase (not at dangerous levels).
We continued for a while longer.Once my shoulder started to ache again, Bran raised a hand.
"That's enough for today," he said. "We'll keep grinding. But grinding isn't the same as tearing your muscles apart."
I was drenched in sweat; my shirt clung to my back.
"Did you say that on purpose, or did you become philosophical by accident?" I asked.
Bran didn't answer; he just smiled.
As the day drew toward its end, I left the headquarters.
Veldan's streets were preparing for the evening crowd.The market was slowly closing, and the first drunk voices were already spilling out from the inns.
On my way back to the Copper Lantern, I found myself paying more attention to every corner, every stone, every wall.
I wasn't trying to search for incomplete triangles.
But my eyes were searching on their own now.Once you've seen something, your brain starts tagging every similar shape with "danger" by default.
On one doorstep, I saw three chalk lines; a child with a piece of chalk was sitting near them, scribbling other shapes on the ground.
He flinched slightly when he noticed me.Then, with the chalk, he scratched over the three lines, turning them into a dark smear.
"Nice drawing," I said.
He didn't answer.His gaze was a little too calculating for a child's.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[LIGHT WARNING]
– Gaze: Brief but analytical.– Threat Level: Low for now.
Note:– Some seeds look like ordinary weeds until they grow.
"You really need to max out your metaphor quota for the day," I grumbled inside.
When I pushed the inn door open, the warm light of the copper lanterns washed over me.
Garen was behind the bar, lifting a heavy pitcher.
"How'd the day go?" he asked.
"I didn't die," I said. "I don't think I'm asking for more than that today."
"For Veldan, that's a pretty ambitious answer," he replied. "Your room's still yours. If you want food, come down within an hour. If you come earlier, you cook it yourself."
"Is that a threat?" I asked.
"A warning," he corrected. "The odds of my stew being edible are still higher."
I climbed the stairs to my room.
Out of reflex, I checked under the door.
No paper this time.
Still, the tension inside me didn't quite leave.
I went in and shut the door.Stood with my back against it for a while.
"So," I said quietly. "Everything I saw and heard today… is this really just the start?"
⟪SYSTEM⟫[EMERGENCY QUEST – COMPLETED]
Red Quest: KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT
Status: SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.
Results:– You avoided speaking openly about the symbol for 24 hours.– Information leakage remained minimal.
Rewards:– Mental Resistance: Small but permanent increase.– Trait "Bearer of Hidden Knowledge" added.
[Bearer of Hidden Knowledge]:– Knowing some frightening truths does not automatically drive you insane.– Whispers become a bit clearer in your mind, and a bit quieter outside.
Extra Effect:– The System can speak to you in more "veiled" ways on certain topics.
A weight seemed to lift slightly off my chest.
It was like an invisible clamp in my skull turned one notch looser.
"So I can… think about the symbol a little more freely now," I said. "I still can't talk, but."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[CONFIRMATION]
– Thinking: Allowed.– Whispering: Risky.– Shouting: Definitely a bad idea.
"Got it," I said.
I sat down to take off my boots and perched at the edge of the bed.The weight of the last few days pressed down on my shoulders.
Just as I was about to lie down, I noticed another vibration in the corner of the panel.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[LEVEL THRESHOLD CROSSED]
General Experience:– Threshold exceeded.
LEVEL UP AVAILABLE.
Current Level: 1 → 2
"You're serious?" I said. "I got interrogated, beaten, killed a dog, dropped a thug, survived… and now?"
⟪SYSTEM⟫[CONFIRMED]
– Since your arrival:• Survival in hostile situations,• First red quest,• First blood,• First official patrol,• First major interrogation.
Total: Sufficient for a level increase.
Proceed?[Y] / [N]
I realized I was smiling.
"At least in one thing you stick to clichés," I said. "Fine. Y."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[LEVEL UP – INITIATED]
Level: 1 → 2
General Effect:– Small increase to base attributes.– New path options.
PATH:– Root: Survivor– Main Branch: Veil – Observer
Level 2 Bonuses:– You can choose a new talent in the Veil Branch:
Pattern Sense IDescription:– Helps you connect scattered pieces of information in ways others can't see.– You'll pick up the scent of conspiracies and hidden groups a bit earlier.
Threat Instinct IDescription:– Increases your chance of spotting which gazes are truly "hostile."– You may sense some knives coming from behind in time.
Note:– Both match your "talk less, watch more" style.– But you can only choose one at a time.
This is one of the rare choices I won't make for you.
"Great," I said. "No pressure at all."
I leaned forward on the bed, staring at the options.
Pattern Sense…The Cracked Brand, maps, wells, ruins, notes…
Threat Instinct…Assassins, shadows, paper under doors, dreams…
I thought for a moment.
"In this city," I told myself, "the problem isn't just people.It's maps, wells, marks…I think I need to see the pattern first. Then I'll sort out the gazes."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[CHOICE CONFIRMED]
Selected Talent:→ Pattern Sense I
Effect:– Events and signs you see will connect with clearer "mental lines" in your mind.– Sometimes, details you didn't notice will click into place hours or days later.
Side Effect:– Risk of overthinking increases.– Falling asleep may become slightly harder.
"I'm already a disaster when it comes to sleep," I said. "A bit more won't matter."
The panel slowly dissolved, lines fading from view.
The watch over my chest warmed slightly.I could have sworn I heard a faint tick from inside it.
I reached under my shirt and touched it.
The hands… were still stuck at that weird time.But under the glass, there was a very thin, almost invisible line now.
Not three lines.Not a circle.Just… a faint crack.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MICRO RESONANCE]
– Watch and Level 2: Weak but present alignment.– Object is still "undefined," but its weight in your story has increased.
Note:– Sometimes you need to keep looking for a while before you can name something.
"I'll never get used to this," I said. "But I'm not going to stop looking."
I lay down on the bed.
At the cracks on the ceiling, the cracks in my thoughts, the cracked brands on people's wrists…
Trying very hard not to stare at all of them at once.
My eyes grew heavy.
Today,the lines I saw on walls, on city maps, and on people's bodies…weren't just random marks anymore.
They were the first strokes of an unnamed map,slowly being drawn into the background of my story.