By this time, for Axel pain was a familiar companion, he was sitting in the back of a covered wagon, wrapped in rough blankets that itched more than they comforted, also his wounds didn't help making the blankets more comfortable, in fact, they were making them worse.
His ribs ached with every bump in the road, and his left arm throbbed from the wound that hadn't quite closed. But for once, he wasn't alone. Outside, he could hear the soft murmur of people talking, the hooves of beasts, the turning of cart wheels, and the occasional bark of orders from a Warden escort.
> Vital signs: stable.
> Fusion: unchanged.
> Surveillance subroutine: engaged.
Axel ignored and chosed not to respond to NEX.
He focused on the scenery instead. Through the cracks in the wagon's wooden walls, he glimpsed vast plains of wind-brushed grass, groves of thick trees with runes carved into their trunks, and distant mountains covered in snow.
Sera sat across from him. Her silver-streaked braid rested over one shoulder, her robe loose around her frame, and she carried a satchel of tools at her side. She was scribbling into a leather-bound notebook, pausing now and then to glance at Axel.
"Are you feeling better?"
"A little," Axel lied.
She gave a slight smirk. "You're a terrible liar."
He didn't answer, and she didn't push further. Instead, she handed him a chunk of flatbread and a skin of water.
"You'll need your strength. The Citadel isn't always kind to outliers."
"I figured," he whispered.
She studied him quietly. "Most people have a trace. Echoes in the system. Birth, training, minor mana tests... But you? Nothing."
He chewed the bread, dry and bitter, then said, "Maybe I'm just a blank slate."
She didn't laugh.
"You're not," she said. "Nothing about you is blank."
By midday, the wagon crested a hill and Axel finally saw it.
The Citadel.
It rose in tiers of black and silver stone, ringed by towering walls and interlocking bridges.
Pillars of runed light ascended like watchtowers, and above the highest spire hovered a rotating disc, inscribed with glyphs that shimmered in the sunlight.
Dozens of smaller outposts clustered outside its walls, and caravans queued at reinforced gates guarded by armored figures.
Axel's breath caught.
> External node density: high.
> System complexity: extreme.
> Local registry pressure: increasing.
"They're not going to let me in," he muttered.
"They will," Sera replied. "Not because they trust you. Because they're curious."
As they approached the gate, two Wardens on runed mounts rode up to the wagon. One of them barked something to the driver, who nodded and pulled to a stop.
Elric appeared on the left side, stepping up to the cart. "We walk from here. Don't resist. Don't speak unless asked."
Axel climbed down slowly, muscles protesting.
The other Warden, Kael, walked up, scanning Axel head to toe. His expression remained unreadable, but Axel perfectly noticed his hand hover near the blade on his hip.
The gate itself was a monolith—ten meters tall, reinforced with stone and metal, embedded with rune sigils. A semi-circular panel extended from its side, with glowing text shifting every second.
< Identity scan initiated.
< Entry slot: unlisted.
< Processing foreign element...
At that moment, NEX protocol shielding engaged.
> Cloaking: partial success.
Axel flinched, he nearly was discovered.
Sera stepped beside him and whispered, "Breathe. They'll let you through but don't try anything."
"I'm not the one with the sword," he muttered back.
"It doesn't matter. You're the anomaly."
The gate's glow flickered, then turned green.
< Override granted. Temporary registry assigned.
A low tone rang out, and the gates parted.
Axel followed Sera into the Citadel.
Inside, everything felt different. Like the world held its breath.
Stone streets interwove with glowing threads of light. Buildings spiraled vertically, shaped from rune-bound crystal and polished stone.
Vendors called out in strange dialects, their stalls brimming with talismans, enchanted fabrics, and herbal concoctions. Runes floated above doorways, changing with time of day.
Sera led him through winding paths until they reached a plaza with a large circular fountain.
A statue of a robed figure stood at the center, arms extended, with a floating book in one hand and a sword in the other.
Axel couldn't help but stare.
"The Founder," Sera said. "Built the Citadel's first gate. Bound the city to its system."
"Was he a mage?"
Sera tilted her head. "He was something else. The Citadel doesn't talk about it."
> Local connection stabilized.
> Synchronization threshold minimal.
> Passive scan enabled.
Then the pain returned.
A burning pulse shot through Axel's spine. The marks along his back shimmered without warning.
> External node proximity triggering feedback.
> Adaptive interface surge detected.
> Intervention required.
Light danced across his skin.
Sera turned just in time to see the runes on his back flare to life.
"What...?!"
Axel collapsed to one knee and blood started dripping from his nose again.
> Emergency restraint engaged.
> Neural integrity: critical.
And then, clarity.
His vision sharpened.
He looked at Sera. And saw it again :
> Name: Sera
> Rank: C
> Job: Artisan – Level 6
Again, that dammed skill activated by itself. It was a very useful one, but he will have to find a way to first control it and second to not be put in that state everytime he activates it.
They stayed by the fountain until his pulse calmed.
Sera sat beside him now, not speaking. Just watching the light refract across the water. After a long moment, she asked, "Do you want me to lie for you?"
Axel looked up.
"I don't know," he said.
"Well," she said, "then we'll wait and see who asks."