The street glimmered in the mellow hue of evening . The market stalls closing, lights flickering on, laughter spilling from food corners where roasted spice and brewed coffee scented the air.
Tom and Harriet strolled side by side, hands buried in pockets, the rhythmic click of boots against cobblestone cutting through the fading noise of the city.
"Seven thousand coins for both." Harriet said, flicking a small bag in his palm. "Not bad for beating up thugs in a factory. I say we should spend half on a decent dinner and the rest on new shoes for you, detective. Yours squeak like crying rats."
Tom gave a faint smirk. "At least mine walk straight. Yours sound like galloping regrets."
They shared a brief laugh. The broken moon has already risen up. Normally yellow and beautiful. Hunters wandering around for hunt.
Tom stopped mid-step and sighed. "Hold up." He reached into his coat, tapping the small system badge clipped inside. A faint blue shimmer appeared before his eyes.
[ Menu ]
He flicked through.
[ Rank ]
A soft hum came as the letters rearranged themselves on the screen,
[ Uptie 1 Person– Level 2, Title: The Disciple ]
[ EXP: 15,800 ]
[ Lore Archive: 2 Stored ]
He stared at the faint symbols beneath. Intricate sigils glowed faint white. His thoughts went quiet for a while, only the flicker of the holographic light reflecting on his face. Fifteen thousand.… ten thousand of that from surviving the Overseer. His jaw tightened slightly at the memory. He blinked the thought away before Harriet could notice.
"What are you staring at like that?" Harriet leaned over, curious. "Checking your rank?"
Tom closed it halfway, then shrugged. "Just tracking progress."
"Show me then." Harriet grinned and tapped his own badge. His interface burst open beside Tom's.
[ Uptie 2 Guardian – Level 1, Title: The Ladder ]
[ EXP: 8,500 ]
[ Lore Archive: None ]
He straightened his red scarf proudly. "Not bad, eh? Guardian. Has a nice ring to it. People hear that and think, 'Ah, that man probably saves kittens and carries ladies across puddles.'"
Tom chuckled, closing his own screen. "More like, 'That man probably broke the puddle.'"
Harriet pointed at him with a mock frown. "Don't get jealous because I've got the cooler title. Sounds like you're still attending Sunday classes."
Tom sighed silently. "Who knows, disciples tend to surpass their masters."
"Oho," Harriet laughed, slapping his shoulder. "Now that's confidence! I like that."
They walked on, the holographic glow fading as nightlights took over the streets. A few merchants waved at them, others whispered about the detectives who cracked the factory case. But Tom wasn't listening; his mind was elsewhere. On the faint hum of the system within him, the two Lores sealed quietly and the path that was slowly shaping ahead.
Harriet stretched, breaking the silence again. "You know, for two detectives with pay barely enough for rent, we make one hell of a team."
Tom smirked faintly. "Then let's try not to die before the next paycheck."
They turned the corner, laughter fading into the night breeze. Harriet checked his pocket watch and sighed. "Ah, damn. I just remembered. I've got a few errands to run before nightfall. Some paperwork from the factory case and a meeting with one of Liam's clerks. Boring stuff."
Tom nodded slightly. "You'll manage. Try not to pick a fight with another cat this time."
Harriet chuckled, adjusting his fedora. "No promises. Anyway, don't drink too much while I'm gone, Detective Disciple." He gave a two-finger salute and strolled off into the glowing street, scarf fluttering behind him like a flicker of red in the dim gold lamps.
Tom stayed still for a while, watching his partner disappear into the crowd. The plaza was alive with chatter.
City guards are busy pacing the corners. Then he turned and walked alone, hands in pockets, eyes tracing the reflections of neon signs on the wet cobblestone.
His mind wandered past the noise, past the calm, to the quiet weight inside his chest. Different city, same silence.
His hat cast a shadow over his face, but his mind was far from the streets of Nayga.
He was thinking about it.
The system.
It had appeared again after the factory mission—cold, seamless, mechanical in tone, yet almost aware. The screen floating in his vision felt heavier than ever before. He'd reached Level 2 of Uptie 1.
The rank that barely meant anything to the world but meant everything to him. The impossible mission from Durkan…. the encounter with that thing— The Overseer, had shattered and rebuilt him in ways he still couldn't explain. And now, as if rewarding him for surviving what he shouldn't have, the system had given him something new.
A Build.
Each time someone ranked up, the system presented three choices. Each build shaped the user's growth, abilities and combat flow. It wasn't just skill, it was identity of their attributes. And his first three options were,
1. Amor
2. Dark System
3. Flash
He could still remember staring at those words, the faint hum of the system like a whisper against his thoughts. Amor was tempting in its calmness, peace, emotion, the ability to strengthen one's will and mental clarity.
It was the build of saints and sages, those who fought not with strength but with balance. Tom could imagine how it might help him.… if he was still the same person who used to believe in peace.
Flash, on the other hand, was kinetic energy incarnate. Speed, insight, velocity—motion itself. The ideal build for assassins, duelists, or anyone who believed victory belonged to whoever struck first. The idea of moving faster than sight, dancing between danger, was…. thrilling.
But the Dark System. That was what drew him.
The name alone felt like it was staring back at him. He didn't know why, but it fit. It wasn't about corruption or curse; it was about control. Power through understanding what others feared to face. The description was vague,
" Dark System, The Build of Dark Web. Feeds upon equilibrium, learns from chaos, adapts without mercy."
He had chosen it.
Now, walking beneath the yellow moonlight, Tom touched his chest unconsciously. He could feel it. Something deep within his soul resonating with the quiet hum of that unseen construct. It wasn't evil. It wasn't holy. It was just…. him wandering around.
Dark System, he thought again, a faint smirk curling under his breath.
"Guess we're stuck with each other now."
Somewhere in the night, the system blinked silently in his vision,
[ Build: Dark System — Activated ]
[ Adaptive path initiated ]
The streets of Nayga were quiet that night, yet everything felt louder to Tom.
He adjusted his hat slightly, narrowing his eyes. The city wasn't just what it looked like anymore. It was what it was. The lamps glowed gold, but around them, faint threads of color he'd never seen before moved like nerves through the air.
Every shadow seemed alive, whispering faint truths about the people they belonged to. The drunk man crossing the street had a trembling red shade, flickering—fear, guilt, regret. The woman closing her flower shop had a soft blue one, calm but weary.
Tom blinked. He was able see their nature. His Face's aura vision had boosted.
"….Dark System, huh," he muttered quietly, leaning against a lamppost. "Didn't think you'd actually live up to your name."
This new build.... whatever it is.... had opened something in him. His vision wasn't just sharper; it was wider. He could sense presence even when no one was around. It wasn't like seeing ghosts. It was like seeing the truth between breaths. Spirits hung over alleys, weightless. Not accurately human but not gone either. Anomalies lingered near lamp shadows, invisible to the ordinary eye, like stains of forgotten emotions.
He rubbed his eyes. The world was still bright with technology and civilization, yet in this brightness, he now saw the dark underneath it. It wasn't frightening. It was real.
Maybe that's what the Build meant by "learning from chaos."
He glanced at the floating interface beside him, transparent in the air.
[ Build: Dark System ]
[ Ritual 1: Spend a night in total darkness, mapping an unseen path by an invisible spirit alone ]
Tom read it twice. Then again.
"Spend a night in total darkness?" he repeated, half a laugh escaping. "How the hell am I supposed to find an invisible spirit to lead me through that?"
The text didn't respond any further.
He sighed. "You're really out to mess with me, huh?"
Still, the idea had already taken root. To advance in rank, he needed to collect rituals. Five in total for each Build. Each Build had its own uniqueness to its nature.
He'd heard rumors from other Hunters—those who followed the System, who had their own Builds. Some said completing a ritual changed their body, their aura, even their will. Others.… disappeared mid-way through. He thought about Harriet. Since he is Uptie 2 Level 1, he probably have two Builds right now.
If a ritual wasn't done in alignment, it caused distortion. Whatever that meant.
Tom tilted his head upward, watching the clouds drift by. "So…. if I screw up, I lose myself. Neat."
Still, there was something oddly exciting about it. A challenge. A map without ink.
He started walking again with slow steps aimlessly. He noticed now that his own shadow didn't quite follow his movement. It lagged, as if it was thinking separately. He stared at it for a long moment, whispering,
"You're supposed to be my invisible spirit, huh?"
The shadow didn't answer. But when he turned away, it moved a fraction before he did.
Tom smirked faintly. "Guess that is a yes."
He kept walking, blending into the pale fog of the capital night, the world glowing with strange life around him. Truths no one else could see. Somewhere, deep inside, his Build pulsed again, whispering,
[ The first ritual begins when you stop fearing the dark. ]
Tom exhaled softly.
"Yeah," he muttered to himself. "Let's see what the dark wants to show me."