The world looked the same—
But Lin Xuan had changed.
The moment he stepped out of the subway, it felt louder.
Every sound crisper.
Every heartbeat within ten meters—trackable.
Even the city lights looked slower, like time respected him now.
[Passive Perception Unlocked: Spatial Awareness Lv.1]
He raised an eyebrow. "The more I fight, the more I evolve."
The katana, Yatsume, now rested in a discreet sheath.
He'd disguised it as a photography tripod bag—no one suspected a thing.
He went straight to the Collector.
A mysterious antique shop tucked behind an alley in District 12.
No signs. No customers. Just a brass bell and the scent of old wood.
Inside, a man in a gray robe looked up. His pupils were gold.
"Sentinel Core?" he asked, before Lin Xuan even spoke.
"You can see it?"
"Those who walk the Rift carry the scent of broken timelines."
Lin Xuan dropped the glowing mechanical orb onto the counter.
[Transaction Initiated – Selling: Sentinel Core (Uncommon)]
[Estimated Value: 18,000 Credits]
[Bonus for Early Discovery: +6,000 Credits]
"Done," said the Collector, handing over a black card.
"Balance?" Lin Xuan asked.
"24,000 Credits. Redeemable in real world currency, or Rift-exclusive gear."
He chose gear.
Inventory Update:
[New Item Acquired: Riftweaver Jacket (Rare)]
DEF +8
Perk: Null Zone (Negates one tracking attempt per day)
Appearance: Casual black coat, streetwear design
Lin Xuan slipped it on. Sleek. Weightless.
His aura? One step closer to boss-tier.
Back on the street, his phone buzzed.
[Breaking News – Local Gang Leader Found Mutilated in Subway Tunnel]
"Authorities suspect wild animal attack…"
He smirked.
Mutated Vagrants weren't wild animals. But try explaining that to the police.
[System Alert: Status - You've been Marked]
Lin Xuan froze.
[A Rift Hunter has detected your presence.]
[Name: Unknown | Affiliation: Blacklight Consortium]
[Danger Level: Moderate]
So it begins, he thought.
He wasn't the only one leveling up.
Now, others were watching.
Meanwhile… across the city
In a luxury suite bathed in blue neon, a man leaned back in his chair.
His left eye flickered with augmented static.
He was watching Lin Xuan's footage—extracted from Rift signals.
"Unregistered Manifestor," he muttered. "Solo-cleared a Lv.5 Sentinel. No party. No support."
He smiled.
"Recruit him or erase him."
[Target: Lin Xuan]
[Initiate Evaluation Protocol – Send Observer Unit]
Back to Lin Xuan.
He stood on the rooftop of an abandoned mall, wind in his face.
Neon lights below. Stars above.
His system pinged.
[New Quest: Infiltrate a Hidden Rift]
[Location: Financial District – Underpass Gate]
[Condition: Must enter without being detected by other Manifestors]
He exhaled.
A stealth quest?
Perfect. He wanted to test something.
He opened his stats.
[Level 2 – EXP: 12/120]
[Skills: Precision Rush Lv.1, Fear Aura Lv.1]
[Inventory: Katana, Riftweaver Jacket, 12,000 Credits]
[Perks: Spatial Awareness, Passive Barter Aura]
Then he opened his settings tab—Reality Sync Options.
[Toggle: Manifested Currency — OFF]
[Toggle: Combat Instinct Enhancement — ON]
[Toggle: Audio Slow Motion Trigger — ON]
He locked in the build.
Tonight, he would push the system to its limit.
Underground – Financial District
The underpass stank of piss and secrets.
But between the rusted pipes and cracked pillars, there it was—
A mirror-like Rift, hovering silently beneath a traffic tunnel.
No monsters outside.
But graffiti on the wall read:
"Those who enter don't always leave whole."
Lin Xuan grinned.
"Lucky for me, I don't leave anything behind."
He touched the Rift.
[Access Granted: Hidden Instance – Catacomb Mall]
The portal shimmered, opened—like a whisper in the dark.
And just before he stepped in—he felt it.
A presence.
Someone… watching him.
But when he turned—no one was there.
Still, he said aloud,
"Hope you're ready to follow. Because I won't stop moving forward."