CHAPTER 11 — "A LOW PROFILE… FOR NOW"
Long Hao stood on the rooftop overlooking Ravenwood City as dusk melted into night. Skyscraper lights flickered awake one by one, illuminating the horizon like a constellation brought down to earth. The cold breeze swept through his hair, carrying distant sounds of traffic and the faint hum of guild drones patrolling the skyline.
The system pulsed softly inside him, like a restrained heartbeat.
For once, Long Hao wasn't smirking.
He stood quietly, thinking.
The hunter incident today had rippled across the entire district. Guilds had already flagged him. The Murong Clan was shaken. The Long Clan… terrified. And above everyone, unseen forces were beginning to sense the slight disturbance in fate.
Long Hao twirled his dagger once, let it hover in the air, and caught it effortlessly.
"System," he finally said.
[Listening.]
Long Hao glanced at the glowing skyline.
"You know… you're a good system."
A pause.
As if the system genuinely didn't know how to process that.
[…Repeat?]
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"I said you're good. You look out for me. Guide me. Warn me. Most beings don't get that kind of loyalty."
The system buzzed faintly.
[Host acknowledging system efficiency… unexpected.][Recalculating behavioral model…]
Long Hao continued, "So fine. For a while… I'll listen to you."
The wind blew softly, lifting strands of his hair.
"I'll keep my profile low, like you wanted. Not because I fear anything… but because strategy comes before arrogance."
The system brightened — not visually, but in presence.
[Host decision: Positive.][Stabilizing Host trajectory.][Rewarding compliance.]
A new panel suddenly materialized in front of Long Hao.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
SPECIAL BONUS UNLOCKED — UNSEAL PROGRESS 10%
Fake Talent Sigil: "Shadow Vein"Rank: Low-GoldPurpose: Plausible public cover-upDetectable by Awakening Stones & Guild ScannersCannot be traced to Eclipse lineage━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Long Hao blinked.
Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
"Oh? Now this… is beautiful."
A simple, believable, mid-tier talent. Not too powerful. Not too suspicious. Perfect disguise.
And the best part?
He could show it off.
The system elaborated:
[Fake Talent Sigil will mask Eclipse energy at 96% efficiency.][Usage recommended during evaluations, school events, guild scans.][Public perception: Safe. Ordinary. Non-threatening.]
Long Hao laughed — a real laugh, deep and satisfied.
"System… thank you."He tapped the interface with a finger."Because of this, I know exactly what my next move will be."
[Host satisfaction detected.][System pleased.]
He was about to leap off the rooftop when he paused for a moment, staring toward the northwest — where the Long Clan's territory shimmered under neon light.
"Next time they test me…" he murmured,"…they'll get what they want to see.And never what they fear."
With a calm breath, he descended the building, steps light, fading into the streets like a shadow melting into noise.
THE LONG FAMILY HOME
The moment Long Hao approached the small gated residence, warmth enveloped him. Soft golden light spilled through the windows. The smell of stir-fried vegetables drifted from the kitchen. A faint, cheerful humming floated through the air.
A stark contrast to everything he'd faced today.
He pushed the door open gently.
Inside, his mother, Long Mei, stood at the counter wearing an apron, chopping vegetables with delicate precision. She looked up, eyes brightening instantly.
"Hao'er! Welcome home."
Her voice always carried the kind of warmth that melted steel.
Before Long Hao could respond, a blur rushed into him.
"Hao-gege!!"
A small body collided with his chest — his 15-year-old sister, Long Xiyan. Her ponytail bounced as she hugged him tight.
"You're late! I saved your favorite buns! And Mom said not to eat them until you came home, so hurry and sit!"
Long Hao froze for a second.
Then placed a gentle hand on her head.
"Xiyan… you're going to knock me over one day."
She giggled happily and tugged him toward the table.
In the living room, his father, Long Wei, looked up from a worn-out couch, remote in hand. His posture relaxed, but his eyes softened with paternal pride when he saw his son.
"Hao'er. Tough day?" he asked calmly.
Long Hao felt a rare warmth bloom in his chest.
Out there, he was an anomaly. A threat. A forbidden existence.Here, he was simply… their Hao'er.
He sat at the table, Xiyan bouncing beside him.
"It was… interesting," he said.
His mother poured him soup. "Eat first. You talk after."
He smiled faintly.
She always treated him like he hadn't almost died earlier.
As Long Hao ate, his father spoke again.
"Oh, and Hao'er… we saw something strange on the news."Wei's eyes narrowed slightly."Your school had some trouble, didn't it?"
Long Hao paused.
Xiyan gasped dramatically.
"Gege, was it monsters? Did you beat them up? You totally beat them up, right?!"
Long Hao exhaled slowly.
"…More or less."
His family erupted in panic.
"WHAT?!""You fought monsters?!""Hao'er, are you injured?!""Gege show me where it hurts—!!"
He raised both palms.
"Relax. I'm fine."
Slowly, reluctantly, they calmed.
His mother touched his cheek gently.
"You're always pushing yourself… but you're still my son. Come home safe."
Long Hao lowered his gaze slightly.
"…I will. Always."
His father watched him silently — thoughtful, concerned, but proud.
Xiyan tugged his sleeve.
"Hao-ge, you promise? No dying?"
Long Hao froze.
The irony of that question cut through him like a blade.
Then he smiled gently.
"I promise."
She beamed.
As dinner continued — laughter, warmth, teasing — Long Hao realized something.
This world had taken plenty from him.
But it had given him something precious to protect.
And he intended to protect it.
No matter what it cost.
As the night deepened, Long Hao stood at his window, watching the distant glow of guild towers.
The fake talent sigil pulsed faintly in his chest.
"System," he whispered,"tomorrow… things get interesting."
The Eclipse within him stirred.
But for tonight…
He was simply Long Hao — son, brother, protector.
[CHAPTER ENDS]