The Guild Hall: Aftermath
The moment Luc's party returned from the Shatterstone Ruins, the guild exploded with noise.
Recruits swarmed the desk, waving reports and whispering his name.
"The wall that walks!" someone laughed.
Another pointed. "He didn't even swing his weapon—just stood there!"
Luc exhaled. "Great. Now I'm a local attraction."
He turned in the quest slip. The clerk who'd registered him yesterday still looked nervous handling his file.
[Quest Complete]
Reward: 100 Gold | EXP: +500 | Guild Reputation: +20]
A faint hum pulsed through his skin. Experience numbers he couldn't even see vibrated somewhere deep in his core.
Status Review
Luc checked his interface while waiting.
[Status Update]
Name: Luc Ario
Type: Steel / Dark
Integrated Types: [Rock, Poison]
HP: 1000 / 1000
Attack: 3
Defense: 999 (MAX)
Special Defense: 999 (MAX)
Speed: 4
Tier: 2 — Reactive Defense
Abilities: [Solid Body], [Pressure Shield], [Type Absorption]
Skills: [Fortify], [Aegis Reflect], [Stoneplate], [Iron Skin], [Reactive Pulse]
Note: Riolu recognizes over a hundred known Attributes.
[Type Database: 4 / Infinity Registered]
He nodded. "Still absurd."
The Guildmaster's Office
Before he could leave, a heavy voice rumbled behind him.
"Luc Ario, right? Come upstairs."
The Guildmaster's office was lined with trophies—fangs, scales, and weapons mounted behind glass. A man built like a fortress himself leaned on the desk, studying Luc.
"Name's Garin," he said. "I've run this guild twenty years. Never seen a recruit burn out a registration tablet."
He gestured to a cracked one on the shelf. "Yours. A keepsake."
Luc winced. "Sorry about that."
Garin waved it off. "I've read the reports. You stood against a Shadow-type and won. No weapon, no wounds."
He tapped the desk. "How?"
Luc shrugged. "Trade secret."
Garin smirked. "Fair enough. Just remember, secrets draw attention. The Church is already sniffing around. The nobles will follow."
Luc frowned. "Because I defended myself?"
"Because you broke their scale," Garin said simply. "The Crystal of Origin measures strength. Yours overflowed it."
A silence stretched between them.
Then Garin slid a parchment across the desk. "I want you on record as a Defender. It's a subclass—mostly used by shieldbearers. But it fits."
Luc read it.
[Subclass Offer: Defender]
Specializes in fortification, escort missions, and battlefield control.
Synergizes with defensive growth.
Accept? [Y/N]
He pressed [Y].
[Subclass Acquired: Defender]
New Skill: [Bastion Aura I] — Allies within 5 meters gain +10% Defense.
Luc blinked. "Didn't expect a team buff."
Garin's voice softened slightly, a strange calm settling over the room. "Every wall protects more than itself," he said—maybe unaware that the feeling came from Luc's own presence.
Luc actually smiled. "I can work with that."
Marketplace Errands
By afternoon, the guild hall quieted. Luc walked through the marketplace, studying weapons out of habit. None of them felt right. He didn't need sharp edges—he was the edge.
Instead, he bought a simple cloak to dull the metallic gleam of his body. It didn't help much; the faint hum of power still drew stares.
A young blacksmith at a nearby forge paused mid-hammer. "Hey, are you the one who melted the beast with a glare?"
Luc sighed. "Depends. Was he asking for it?"
The blacksmith laughed nervously. "You should come by sometime. I've been trying to craft materials that won't crack under pressure. You might be my test subject."
Luc smirked. "Sure. I don't break easily."
The Warning
That night, as he returned to the barracks, a sharp pain flickered through his chest.
Not physical—something deeper, vibrating inside his soul.
[Warning: Attribute Synchronization Reaching Threshold.]
Current Active Types: Steel / Dark
Integrated Types: [Rock, Poison]
Stability: 87% — Monitor Required.
Luc grimaced. "Guess the priests weren't exaggerating."
He steadied himself against the wall. The fortress stones thrummed faintly in response to his touch, as if recognizing him.
The sound of footsteps made him glance up—Garin again, carrying a lantern.
"You felt it too," the Guildmaster said quietly. "Every mage in the city did. The air thickened for a second."
Luc straightened. "System acting up, maybe."
"Whatever it is, keep it contained. Riolu's balance isn't built for… infinite." Garin's voice dropped lower. "I've seen what happens when power outruns the world's code."
Luc met his gaze. "Then let's make sure this time, it doesn't break."
System Notice
Later, lying awake, the words burned across his vision.
[System Notice: Fortress Protocol — Phase II Initialized.]
Requirements met: Tier 2 Defensive Threshold achieved. Subclass Integration complete.
Unlocked Passive: [Resonant Core]
Defense attributes now harmonize with ambient elements within 20 meters.
Effect: Minor environmental manipulation (terrain reinforcement).
Next Phase Requirement: Acquire fifth Attribute.
System Note: Unknown anomaly detected within northern ruins.
Luc smiled faintly. "So it wants me to keep evolving."
He closed his eyes. "Fine by me."
Outside, the wind rattled against the stone barracks—but the walls didn't budge.
For a moment, the entire fortress seemed to breathe with him.
Epilogue Message III
[System Notice: Phase II Synchronization Stable.]
New Quest Unlocked: "Ruins of Resonance."
Objective: Investigate the anomaly in the northern ruins.
Recommended Level: D-Class or higher.
Reward: Unknown Attribute Essence.
Warning: The Fortress Protocol's presence may attract higher-tier entities.
Luc's voice was calm. "Bring them all."
He rose, steel and shadow gleaming under moonlight.
Each step hummed with low thunder as the fortress itself seemed to answer.
The moonlight rippled over the fortress walls, silver chasing shadow, as if the city itself sensed its guardian stirring.
The wall had begun to move again.