The Veil Behemoth didn't simply enter the Plaza; it rewrote the atmosphere. Its skin was a translucent, obsidian mesh that leaked violet miasma, and every step it took caused the Soul Index displays of nearby civilians to flicker in terror.
[ Narrative Weight: 28% ]
[ Warning: Regional Instability Increasing ]
High above, Rex Halvard watched the beast with a hungry, calculated grin. He didn't see a threat to the city; he saw a massive deposit of Index points waiting to be harvested. He signaled his scouts, and a barrage of golden Aether-bolts rained down from the airship, pinning the Behemoth's limbs to the cracked pavement.
"Wait for it," Kael murmured, pulling Lira deeper into the skeletal remains of the clock tower. The Narrative Siphon in his hand hummed, vibrating against his palm as it tasted the escalating tension in the air.
"The scouts are doing all the work," Lira whispered, her eyes darting between the silver-clad hunters and the thrashing monster. "Why isn't the System registering them as the heroes?"
"Because they aren't the leads," Kael replied, his eyes never leaving Rex. "They are 'Support Units.' Their contribution is being funneled directly into Rex's Narrative Weight. The System has already decided he is the one who delivers the killing blow. It's pre-ordained."
Suddenly, the Behemoth let out a roar that shattered every window within three blocks. It lunged, snapping its golden tether and obliterating a squad of scouts in a single, crushing blow.
[ Status: Critical ]
[ Narrative Weight: 35% ]
"Now," Rex shouted, his voice amplified by a System-link. He jumped from the prow of the airship, his Cape of Valor trailing like a comet. As he fell, he drew a massive claymore that began to burn with an artificial, blinding radiance.
[ Skill Activation: Sovereign's Judgement ]
The entire Plaza turned white. The System was focusing its entire processing power on this single moment—the climax of the "Hero's" battle.
"Lira, the glass!" Kael commanded.
Terrified but acting on instinct, Lira held out the remaining shards of Aether-Glass. Kael jammed them into the core of his Siphon. The device screamed, turning a violent, chaotic blue. This was the "Virus" moment. At the exact second Rex's blade was to touch the Behemoth's core, the link between the kill and the reward would be at its most vulnerable.
Kael didn't aim at the monster. He aimed the Siphon at the shadow of Rex's blade.
"I don't need the kill," Kael whispered, his breathing steady even as the shockwave of Rex's descent cracked the tower around him. "I just need the credit."
The Siphon released a pulse of 'Null-Energy'—a frequency that didn't exist in the System's database. It was a silent theft.
[ System Error: Narrative Discrepancy Detected ]
[ Logic Loop: Hero 'Rex Halvard' confirmed kill... but Core Credit is... ]
[ Processing... ]
Rex's blade cleaved the Behemoth in two, a fountain of violet light erupting into the sky. Rex stood amidst the gore, arms raised, waiting for the massive Index surge that would elevate him to the next tier.
But the gold light didn't settle on him. It drifted, confused, toward the ruins of the clock tower.
"What... what is this?" Rex growled, his golden aura flickering as he looked around the empty Plaza.
Inside the shadows, Kael felt a surge of raw, unrefined power pour into his chest. It felt like swallowing a star.
[ Hijack Successful: 15% of 'Veil Behemoth' Core Credit Acquired ]
[ Current Soul Index: 0 ]
[ Note: Anomaly status maintained. ]
Kael leaned against the cold stone, sweat dripping from his chin. His Index hadn't moved a single point, but his eyes now held a depth that wasn't there before.
"He's looking for us," Lira choked out, pointing at Rex, who was now scanning the ruins with a face contorted in fury.
"He's looking for a ghost," Kael said, grabbing her arm. "And ghosts don't leave tracks. Move."