Opening – The Price of Purification
Rain's hands trembled as the last fragments of corrupted light dissolved into the rain-soaked ground.A dull ache pulsed in his veins — the Rebirth Code wasn't free. The System's warning flickered before his eyes:
[Purification Palm] – Energy Debt: 15% Vitality. Risk of System Overheat.
Blood dripped from his fingertips, but the pain wasn't what unsettled him.It was the sound — faint, almost melodic — of whispers lingering in the static-filled air.
The First Encounter with a Sentient Threat
The shadow at the alley's edge wasn't shaped like any monster he'd fought in-game.Its frame was fluid, bending like ink in water, but its eyes were human —a deep, predatory brown.
"Rain."It spoke his name.
He froze. The System did not list it as an enemy. Instead, a strange notification pulsed:
[Unknown Entity Detected – Classification: Veilborn Core Fragment]No hostility registered. No safety guaranteed.
Mystery Deepens – A Message from the Past
The being didn't attack. Instead, it extended a glitching hand. Between its fingers was a silver shard — like a broken data crystal.
When Rain touched it, a flood of images slammed into his mind:
A tower of white light piercing a storm.
A city submerged under crimson rain.
And a girl with the same gray eyes as Rain… whispering:
"Don't trust the Sky Keepers."
The vision ended abruptly. The shard dissolved. The Veilborn smiled, as if satisfied.Then, in a voice almost human:
"You're not ready to see the whole sky."
And it vanished into mist.
System Response – New Directive
The System's voice was sharper than before:
[Main Quest Updated: Origin Protocol – First Thread Unlocked]Trace the shard's signal before it fades – 02:00:00 remaining.
Rain's chest tightened. The timer had already started.
Cliffhanger – The Chase Begins
Somewhere in the storm-soaked streets, the shard's residual signal was pulsing — faint, moving fast.If he didn't find it before the countdown hit zero, the System warned, the Origin Protocol thread would be permanently lost.
And in the distance, through the digital haze, Rain swore he saw the silhouette of the gray-eyed girl… watching him.