2026-10-20 13:29:43Ray slowly stood up, his hands instinctively tightened into a fist.
The little girl trembled behind him, her tiny finger clutching the back of his torn out shirt so tightly that they almost hurt. "P.... Please...." She cried out, her voice barely audible. "Don't let them take me back please I beg of you..." Ray narrowed his eyes. "They're not soldiers." He said.. "No!" Lucian answered quietly. "But theyre organized," kael spoke next. "Watch their formation. Ray looked carefully. The crossbowmen had already spread apart, the spearman stood slightly behind the leader and the swordsmen slowly circled outward.. "... They're surrounding us." Lucian pointed out. "They killed Mama..." The little girl manage to voice as she hid further behind him. "And they.... They laughed..." Those words spiked something inside Ray "Enough now," the leader sighed dramatically as he pointed his axe towards the child. "Hand over the brat, and we might just make your death quick." "...No." Ray replied calmly not moving a single inch. "No...?" The bandit exchanged amused glances, one of them even so much as burst into laughter. "Did he just say no?" The leader scratched his beard. "I'll ask one more time and that's it." "Move!". "No." Ray replied again The smile slowly disappeared from the leader's face. "....Kill him." He ordered. The two crossbowmen fired first. *THWIP!* Two arrows sliced through the air. "Right!" Lucian tried to warn. "Forward!" Kael barked. Ray completely ignored them both. He immediately grabbed the little girl and twisted sideways, placing the trunk of a nearby tree between them and the arrows. *THUNK!* *THUNK!* BOth shafts buried themselves deep in the bark . Just then the system rang. --------- Contradiction #004 Recorded Hero Prediction: Dodge.. Villain Prediction: Charge. User Action: Environmental Cover. Outcome: Efficient. Glitch Rate: 1.00% ........ "...Again." kael smirked. "He keeps making his own answers." Lucian added Just then, swordsmen charged. Ray gently pushed the little girl behind the tree. "Stay here ok?!" He added "..Don't come out." She nodded frantically. The first bandit swung his blade. Vector...! The world suddenly shifted not visually, but Instinctively. The sword no longer looked like a weapon, It looked like a line. A moving direction. Ray stepped inside the swing, One hand touched the man's wrist, a slight twist and nothing more. The momentum changed. The bandit's own strength dragged him forward. He stumbled directly into the second attacker. Both crashed together. The spearman lunged, but time there wasn't enough room. The spear flew straight toward his chest. "Duck!" Lucian shouted. Instead... He grabbed the wooden shaft pain exploding through his palms. The force nearly tore his arms apart. "...Move it!" He remembered, every force has a direction. Ray exhaled and Instead of resisting, he guided it. The spear slid past his shoulder, Its owner stumbling forward. Using that momentum, Ray drove his elbow into the man's ribs. *CRACK!* The bandit collapsed, gasping, the leader finally frowning with anger "...He's awakened." One of the crossbowmen cursed. "But he isn't using elemental mana." "...What is that then?" The leader asked as he narrowed his eyes. "I don't know." "...Kill him anyway." The leader ordered. And all six immediately attacked together. Ray slowly retreated step by step but not because he wanted to, because he was counting. One... Two... Three... The tree. The boulder, loose gravel, the wounded spearman and lastly the crossbowman's blind angle. Everything entered his mind like pieces of a puzzle. "...You're planing something, aren't you Ray?." Lucian noticed first "Well someone has too." He replied. Just then, the leader roared as he charged forward with his axe, the blade came crashing down. Instead of retreating, Ray stepped to the side as the axe buried itself deep into the ground. Perfectly exactly where he wanted. Ray then kicked the handle, the heavy weapon twisted. The leader Instinctively held tighter but his own grip pulled him off balance and Ray immediately shoved him The man stumbled backwards straight into the gravel, his footing disappeared and he fell. At that exact moment, one of the crossbowmen fired but the arrow which was ment for Ray's struck his own leader's shoulder. "AAGH!!!" The man screamed. "What are you idiots doing?!" Ray took the advantage. Not hesitating for another single second, he grabbed the fallen axe and threw it with every ounce of strength left in his already exhausted body. He hurled it, but not at any of them. To the ground. The spinning axe struck a protruding rock and it ricochetted violently smashing into the Second crossbow man's weapon and the bow immediately shattered. "... Monster.." the remaining bandits stared. The System immediately rang once. ----------------- [Merged Quest Progress] Hostage Located. Bandit Formation Broken. Civilian Casualties: Zero User Solution: Outside all predicted outcomes. Updating... -------------------- "You defeated them," Lucian said sounding amazed. "Without killing even a single one." "I would have killed three by now." Kael said.. "I know, we all know.. but hey look, this worked. Didn't it." Just before anyone could speak again, a sharp whistle sounded through the night. Not an arrow but a blade cutting through the wind. *SHING!* A streak of silver flashed across the clearing. The scarred bandit barely had time to widen his eyes before his axe split cleanly in half, the broken metal crashing to the ground. Everyone froze in place, footsteps stared approaching calm and measured. A young woman emerged from between the trees, moonlight reflecting off polished silver armor trimmed with deep blue. A long sword rested loosely in her right hand, its edge so pristine it seemed to glow. Her sapphire-blue cloak stirred gently in the night breeze. Golden hair framed a face that was beautiful... And utterly expressionless. Her ice-blue eyes swept across the clearing. Broken weapons , unconscious bandits and a terrified little girl then her eye stopped at Ray. His clothes were torn, blood stained his hands. Black, gold, and crimson mana still flickered faintly around his body like dying embers. Her gaze sharpened. She slowly raised her sword. "I am Aria Valen." Her voice was clear and steady, carrying some kind of authority. " "Captain of the Third Vanguard of the Adventurer Union." The tip of her blade pointed directly at Ray's chest. "Unknown Awakened..." "I am placing you under arrest for the suspected murder, assault, and kidnapping of civilians." Ray blinked. "...Wait." "...This is unfortunate." Lucian sighed. "...No." kael chuckled "...This is going to be entertaining."
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Ray just simply stood there for a moment. He had expected to see a guild but instead he found a city within a city.The headquarters stretched across several acres, its gleaming white towers connected by elevated walkways of enchanted crystal. Massive training arenas echoed with the clang of swords and the thunder of spells. Hunters in every imaginable armor hurried across the grounds, while robed scholars copied glowing runes onto floating parchments.Everything moved with purpose every single thing felt alive."...How many people work here?" Ray asked quietly.Aria continued walking without looking back."Within this branch?" She thought for a moment. "Close to eight thousand.""...Eight thousand?" He repeated as he stopped walking."And this is only one Sector." Kael chuckled."The Union has branches across every major city." Lucian added. "It existed long before either of us arrived.""This world just keeps getting bigger..." Ray said looking around again.Lily, who had spent mos
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The crystal pulsed slowly, rhythmically even like the heartbeat of something alive."This is the crystal of Orgins?" Ray asked.Mira nodded. "It predates the Adventurer Union. The oldest records claim it was recovered shortly after the fracture." She added. "No one truly understands who created it, but it has never once given a false reading.""If you possess an authority, it will identify it," Aria added crossing her hands. "If you've awakened mana, it will measure your realm.""And if your soul carries a legacy." She paused. "It will know ."".... I don't like this," Lucian spoke quietly."....Neither do u," kael agreed.Ray frowned. "I thought you'd both be curious.""We are," Lucian answered. "But curiosity and caution often walk together."An elderly man in deep blue robes suddenly stepped forward from beside the crystal.His long silver beard reached nearly to his waist, and a monocle rested over his left eye. Despite his age, his back remained perfectly straight."Captain Valen
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"Alright I think we all should just camp here tonight, it's already to late," Aria added. "first thing tomorrow morning we get on our way."Yeah great idea, I'm already too exhausted to walk anymore." Ray replied........Morning arrived quietly. The clearing looked different in daylight, broken branches deep claw marks and bandits bound together with strips of torn cloth.The little girl slept peacefully against a fallen log, exhausted after everything she'd endured.Nearby, Ray sat staring at the coin-sized black fragment that had dissolved into his body hours earlier.He still couldn't understand it, neither could Lucian nor Kael."...Any idea what happened?" he asked."...None," Lucian admitted."If that truly was a System Fragment..." Kael said, he's voice unusually thoughtful "...It shouldn't have reacted to you."Footsteps approached before anyone could continue. It was Aria, she spent most of the night questioning the surviving bandits one by one.She was now holding a worn l
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" I think there's been some sort of a misunderstanding here," Ray said as he slowly raised both hands."There has!" Aria replied calmly. "My mistake was assuming you would surrender peacefully.""... That's... That's not what I meant." Ray replied.The little girl suddenly stepped forward from behind him."No..no," she said spreading her tiny arms. "He saved me!"Aria's blue eyes shifted toward the child and her expression softened, slightly."...Come here child." Aria said."N-No!" The child replied, shaking her head violently. "He isn't bad!"Aria frowned. "Stockholm conditioning?"".... Seriously?!" Ray blinked Kael laughed so hard Ray almost lost his focus. "I like her, I really do like this one.""Ooh my! Please don't," Lucian sighed.Aria's gaze returned to Ray. "Six armed men," she said pointing toward the unconscious bandits.. th n towards the broken trees. " You, destroyed terrain."Then her eyes settled on the strange mana still drifting around his body. Gold, crimson, blac
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Ray slowly stood up, his hands instinctively tightened into a fist.The little girl trembled behind him, her tiny finger clutching the back of his torn out shirt so tightly that they almost hurt."P.... Please...." She cried out, her voice barely audible. "Don't let them take me back please I beg of you..."Ray narrowed his eyes. "They're not soldiers." He said.."No!" Lucian answered quietly."But theyre organized," kael spoke next. "Watch their formation.Ray looked carefully. The crossbowmen had already spread apart, the spearman stood slightly behind the leader and the swordsmen slowly circled outward.."... They're surrounding us." Lucian pointed out."They killed Mama..." The little girl manage to voice as she hid further behind him. "And they.... They laughed..." Those words spiked something inside Ray "Enough now," the leader sighed dramatically as he pointed his axe towards the child. "Hand over the brat, and we might just make your death quick.""...No." Ray replied calmly
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"...Lucian!" Has this happen before, Ray whispered. "Has this happened before?""No..!" Lucian replied without hesitation. "Never.""My system would never reject a command." Kael added with his voice usually low."Neither would mine."Just then, another crack spread across both interface.--------------[WARNING...]Conflicting Primary Quests Detected...Resolving Priority...Golden text flashed.Protect the child.Immediately, crimson letters slashed across it.Eliminate the bandits.The two commands collided and the interface glitched violently........Priority Conflict:Hero.exe refuses override.Villain.exe refuses override.Attempting forced resolution.........FAILED-----------------"...Failed?" Lucian murmured."That's impossible," Kael added."So... Now what?" Ray asked as he looked from one window to the other His eyes narrowed. "Wait..." He said as he reopened both quests. His gaze lingered on the tiny map currently displaying in each notification The Hero quest marke
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