That night, Arkan's tiny dorm was swallowed in suffocating silence. Outside, the occasional hum of motorbikes drifted along the narrow street, but inside his room, the world felt frozen in place. The thin walls, their paint peeling in pale flakes, reflected the faint glow of a dim ceiling lamp.
Arkan lay on his thin mattress, chest rising and falling as if his lungs still hadn't recovered from the battle he had barely survived. His left arm throbbed, the wound still raw despite the system stabilizing his HP. Every pulse of pain was a reminder—he'd stood only a breath away from death when facing Dr. Armand.
His eyes lingered on the stained ceiling, but his thoughts circled back again and again to his enemy's last words:
"The permanent domain will be born…"
Arkan clenched his fist. The phrase was a thorn in his mind, digging deeper with each replay. He had lived, yes, but survival felt less like victory and more like a warning. Whatever was coming next… was worse.
Then the air in the room shifted. A creeping chill slithered along his skin, burrowing into his bones. The curtains stirred though the window was shut tight. Instinct screamed. Arkan shot upright, breath caught in his throat, heart hammering a frantic alarm.
From the corner of the room, a light blossomed—soft, silver, pulsing like a steady heartbeat. It wasn't the system. It wasn't electricity. It was other.
And then… she stepped out.
A woman, graceful as though she'd walked straight out of a dream. Her hair spilled white as moonlight down to her waist, shimmering as if woven from starlight itself. Her gown was of another era, cut like that of a noble lady from some forgotten court, adorned with a crest-shaped jewel glowing faintly at her chest.
Arkan's hand snapped to the beginner's sword beside his bed. Cracked, battered—but still his last companion in a hostile world.
"Who are you!?" His voice tore through the silence, hoarse with fatigue but sharp as steel. "Don't play games with me. I've had enough of your kind invading this world!"
The woman didn't flinch. She only offered a gentle smile—disarming, yet unreadable. Her gaze was steady, eyes like polished silver peering straight into his core.
"Peace," she said, her voice calm, soft as wind through a silent forest. "I am no enemy. My name is Elara, of the Aegis Dimension."
Arkan didn't lower his blade. His eyes narrowed, suspicion hard in his stare. Her aura was unlike Dr. Armand's. No suffocating darkness. No malice. Instead, there was warmth—subtle, steady. And yet… Arkan knew better than anyone. Comfort could be the deadliest poison.
"The Aegis Dimension?" His voice was rough with disbelief. "Don't mock me. Every outsider that's come to Earth wants nothing but to destroy OSBO. You're no different."
Elara only sighed, as though she'd expected this. "You're right to be wary. Earth has been invaded, treated as a battlefield. Countless dimensions covet OSBO as the key to dominion. But…" she lowered her head slightly, almost as though in reverence, "…not all of us seek ruin."
Her gaze lifted again, sharp and unwavering.
"Aegis is a guardian dimension. We exist to uphold balance across the cosmos. Earth's OSBO is the last seal preventing the multiverse from collapsing into chaos. I was sent here to ensure that seal endures."
Her words struck Arkan like waves against a cliff. He wanted to scoff, to call them lies sweetly spun. But something in her tone, or perhaps the silver glow that wreathed her, made it hard to brand her as threat.
"Then why me?" His voice was quieter now, though edged with steel.
Elara's answer came without hesitation. "Because you are OSBO's anomaly. The only human chosen directly by the system itself. No other on this planet holds that connection. You… are both the target, and the last hope."
Silence pressed in. Even the ticking of the wall clock seemed to stretch, loud and heavy.
Elara stepped closer, moonlight seeping past the curtains to paint her face—a pale, ethereal portrait of timeless nobility.
"I know trust does not come easily," she said. "But if I meant you harm, you would not be breathing right now. I didn't come to take your life. I came to warn you. The permanent domain will be born. And when it does, Earth will fall."
Arkan's grip tightened on the cracked sword. He hated it, but he felt the weight of truth in her words. As if the burden already crushing him had doubled.
Elara's voice hardened. "Arkan, you cannot fight this alone. The system has given you strength, yes—but not enough. You need allies. You need someone who understands the laws beyond this world. And I…" She placed a hand lightly over her chest. "…I offer myself to stand at your side."
At that moment, the system's blue screen lit up before Arkan's eyes. Cold, absolute text filled his vision.
[System Choice:]
Accept Elara as an ally → Unlock Bond Skill.
Refuse Elara → Walk the path of solitude.
Arkan froze. This wasn't just a choice. It was a crossroads of fate. If he refused, maybe he could keep his guard up—maybe even survive longer. But alone? That road was already closing. If he accepted… he would be entrusting his life to someone he had every reason to call an enemy.
His hand trembled. Breath caught. The voices in his head clashed— Don't trust her… but you can't fight alone… It's a trap… but you'll die without her.
At last, he closed his eyes. The silence deepened, and his voice emerged low, steady, unshakable.
"I… accept."
The screen rippled. Blue light surged around Elara, engulfing her form.
[Elara has joined as First Ally.]
[Bond Skill Activated: Healing Light Lv.1 – Restores 15% HP within domain. Cooldown: 5 minutes.]
A gentle radiance spilled down from the ceiling, wrapping Arkan's body. His wounds sealed in moments, pain evaporating, breath easing. He stared at his arm—torn only minutes ago—now whole, leaving only a faint scar.
Elara smiled faintly, relief softening her noble composure. "That is only a fragment of my power. On Earth, OSBO binds most of my strength. But within domains, I can do more. So…" her gaze locked with his, steady and resolute, "…trust your back to me."
Arkan said nothing. His eyes dropped to the cracked blade in his grip, then back to the soft glow radiating from Elara. For the first time since the system had appeared, he didn't feel entirely alone.
And yet, deep within, a seed of unease lingered. For all her elegance, all her words of guardianship—why did her eyes, at times, seem to hold secrets she would never say aloud?