Morning light slipped quietly into the room.
Reeve opened his eyes.
For a moment, everything felt… normal.
"…System," he said softly.
[System Online]
The voice was mechanical again. Flat. Empty.
Reeve frowned.
"…You don't have to talk like that."
Silence.
"I liked the way you spoke yesterday."
A brief pause—short, almost unnoticeable.
…Acknowledged.
I will maintain that tone when speaking privately.
Reeve let out a slow breath.
"…Good."
A knock echoed through the room.
Before he could answer, the door opened.
Lunareth stepped inside, already dressed for travel.
"We're taking an S-rank quest today," she said casually.
"Elaryn and Kaelith are bored."
Reeve blinked once.
"…Okay. Wait a moment. I'll change."
Guild Hall — Unease
The guild hall buzzed louder than usual.
The moment the S-rank board was approached, several conversations died out.
Reeve stood slightly behind the others as Lunareth scanned the quests.
Suddenly—
The doors burst open.
A team stumbled inside—armor cracked, bodies bloodied, eyes wide with terror.
One of them collapsed to his knees.
"He's there…" the man muttered.
"He's there first…"
No one understood.
Then the man lifted his head and whispered a single name.
"…Lynvar."
The hall froze.
Swords slipped from hands.
A chair fell over.
Someone cursed under their breath.
The quest board attendant immediately reached for the parchment marked with that name.
"I'm removing this—"
"Wait."
Kaelith's voice was calm—but sharp.
Every eye turned.
He stepped forward and placed his hand on the counter.
"I'll return our current quest," he said.
"And take that one."
Silence.
Lunareth's aura sharpened.
Elaryn's fingers curled slowly.
They looked ready to fight the world.
Reeve… didn't.
His heart pounded.
But his face stayed calm.
Before Departure — The Sword
Reeve, Nyx spoke quietly.
Before this quest—you need a weapon.
"…A sword?"
Yes. One I will choose.
"I'll buy it and catch up," Reeve said aloud.
The others nodded.
"We'll wait at the North Gate," Lunareth replied.
Weapon Shop — The Destroy Box
The shop smelled of oil and rust.
Reeve scanned the polished blades first—
Not those.
"…Then which one?"
Nyx didn't answer immediately.
Reeve's eyes drifted to a dark wooden box in the corner.
A destroy box.
Broken weapons. Failed blades. Scrap.
That one.
Reeve frowned and walked closer.
Inside lay several ruined swords.
He picked one.
No.
Another.
No.
The third one—
Yes. This one.
The blade was dull. Cracked.
Its surface looked almost… rotten.
The shop owner glanced over.
"I'm dismantling those," he said.
"If you want one, you can buy it."
"How much?" Reeve asked.
"Nine thousand Kron."
Reeve didn't hesitate.
"I'll take it."
The owner stared—but took the money.
North Gate — The Price
As Reeve walked toward the gate, the sword felt… heavy.
Wrong.
"…Nyx," he whispered.
"This sword looks terrible."
You must offer your heart to activate it.
Reeve stopped walking.
"…What?"
Fear crawled up his spine.
Before he could speak—
Do not overthink it.
The sword has already chosen you.
"How do you know?"
When you looked into the destroy box—
This sword moved from the corner to the center.
Reeve's grip tightened.
"…Then what do I do?"
I already told you.
"…Death isn't an activation code."
Nyx's voice softened.
Just go with your team.
Reeve swallowed.
Without another word, he resumed walking.
At the North Gate, Lunareth, Elaryn, and Kaelith were waiting.
They turned toward him.
The broken sword hung at his side.
Unassuming.
Silent.
Watching.
And somewhere deep within it—
Something smiled.