The early morning mist had not yet lifted from the valley floor when the wind shifted—carrying with it a smell foreign to the untouched serenity of Verdant Hollow: smoke, iron, and the stench of blood.
Riku Aoyama crouched beside the colossal root of the Verdantheart Tree, his breathing steady but deep. He tapped his temple twice.
> [Skill Activated: Danger Sense Lv. 1 – Moderate Threat Detected Nearby
A faint ripple surged through his system interface. Something—or someone—was coming.
Beside him, Kira adjusted her gloves, her sharp green eyes already scanning the treeline. "They're moving in fast."
"We hold the line here," Riku muttered. "At least until we get confirmation this place is stable."
He accessed his interface mid-thought.
> [Current Points: 1,550] [Inventory: Shadowsteel Dagger, Utility Belt, 1x Emergency Health Capsule, 2x Random Coupons, Starter Territory Bundle (Used), Skill Sync Voucher, Skill: Danger Sense Lv. 1, Skill: Phase Blink Lv. 1 (Cooldown: 9s)]
> [Available Skills for Purchase (Discounted): Flame Whip – 300 Points | Shock Pulse – 200 Points | Guardian's Wall – 400 Points]
He didn't hesitate. The odds were unknown, and he had no intention of dying because he hoarded his points.
> [Purchase Confirmed: Flame Whip] [Points Remaining: 1,250]
Riku drew in a breath and flexed his right wrist. A coiled band of liquid fire swirled around it, waiting for command.
> [New Skill: Flame Whip Lv. 1 – Unleash a flexible lash of fire. Moderate damage. High intimidation value.]
Just then, the first rustle in the underbrush signaled the arrival of their enemies.
Figures in black, masked and silent, darted into the clearing. There were six—no, eight—of them, all equipped with short swords and crossbows. Mercenaries. Not bandits. Their stances were trained.
"Who the hell are they?" Kira hissed.
"No time to ask. Time to dance."
He surged forward. Flame Whip lashed out, striking the first attacker mid-charge, the fiery tendril curling around his arm and melting through the leather. The man screamed and dropped his blade.
Kira didn't hesitate either—her newly equipped skill activated.
> [Skill Activated: Wind Step – Increase movement speed temporarily.]
She dashed between two mercenaries with impossible grace, elbowing one in the throat and planting a knee into the gut of another.
"Focus on the rear three!" Riku shouted.
"Got it!"
One enemy raised a glowing red talisman. Riku recognized it immediately.
"He's using a skill seal—!"
Too late. The air shimmered.
> [Warning: Skill Lock Field Initiated – Skill Usage Disabled Temporarily (Duration: 30 seconds)]
His whip vanished. Kira slowed mid-step.
"Damn it! They're not just hired muscle!"
They fought barehanded for a few seconds. Riku dodged a knife slash and countered with a gut punch. His reflexes had improved thanks to synced training modules, but he wasn't invincible. Blood trickled down his cheek.
He rolled behind cover, pulling out a coupon from his inventory.
> [Using Random Coupon... Item Received: Sentinel Drone (Limited)]
A silver orb dropped into his hand. He clicked the activation rune.
The drone whirred to life, hovering above his shoulder. Twin beams of light burst from beneath it, targeting the attackers.
"Cover me, Kira!"
"On it!"
She kicked a mercenary into a tree and spun to intercept another. The drone's beams stunned two opponents long enough for Riku to slide in and recover his dagger.
> [Skill Lock Ending in: 3... 2... 1...]
> [Skill Unlocked: Flame Whip | Phase Blink | Danger Sense]
His whip flared back into his hand. He hurled it like a lasso, wrapping the lead attacker's arm and yanking him down. A fast Phase Blink behind the stunned foe allowed Riku to drive his dagger into the soft part behind the neck.
Kira landed beside him, panting. "That's seven. Where's the last one?"
Then they heard it—a low hum, resonating not through their ears, but their bones.
> [System Alert: Interference Detected. Unknown Source. Warning – Spatial Anchor Being Deployed Nearby.]
From the mists came a figure in silver robes, not masked like the others. Tall, lean, with skin that glowed faintly blue under the Hollow's light. He held no weapon.
"So you're the new System Host," he said, his voice like wind through glass. "Riku Aoyama, correct?"
Riku tensed. Kira stepped in front of him.
"How do you know his name?"
The man smiled. "I was once like you."
Flashback triggered—Riku's vision blurred. A memory not his own played across his mind: a young man with the same interface, standing before a crumbling city, surrounded by bodies. Madness in his eyes. Power that cracked the earth. And a system… whispering lies.
He staggered back. "You were a Host?"
"Yes," the figure said. "I was. Until the system consumed me. Until it turned my companions into fuel and my empire into dust."
Riku's hand clenched. "Then why are you here?"
"To see if you'll make the same mistake."
Without warning, the man raised a hand. A pulse of energy swept through the Hollow.
> [System Alert: Temporal Field Activated. Local Time Distortion Detected. Escape Impossible for 60 Seconds.]
Kira tried to move but froze mid-step, as though gravity itself betrayed her.
Riku screamed and activated everything he had left.
> [Skill Chain Activated: Phase Blink > Flame Whip > Random Coupon]
The coupon burst into particles.
> [Random Reward Received: System Memory Token – Can Access Past Logs of Other Hosts]
He tossed it at the man.
> [Item Activation… Forcing Shared Memory Access]
The figure screamed as his own past replayed across his eyes—his corruption, his losses, his final betrayal.
Kira broke free, charging with a roar. Riku followed.
Together they struck—Riku's whip igniting across the man's chest while Kira's foot slammed into his head.
The distortion broke.
The man dropped.
The Hollow fell quiet again.
> [Victory Condition Met. Reward: 1,000 Points | New Skill Unlocked: Barrier Shatter Lv. 1]
Kira dropped to her knees, breathing hard. "What the hell was that…?"
Riku didn't answer right away. He stared at the fallen figure.
"Foreshadowing."
Kira looked up.
"We need to prepare," Riku said. "There are more like him out there. Maybe worse."
And far away, in a tower of cracked glass and memory, something ancient stirred.