When I woke up that morning and stared at the cracks on the ceiling, only one thought came to mind:
"If this city is already this messed up… what does the rest of the world look like?"
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MAP – GLOBAL]
– World map: Locked.– Regional view: Only "Veldan and surroundings" available.
Note:– The world is not limited to this city.– For now, you're only seeing the first curtain.
"So basically," I muttered, "summary: the world is big, I am small, and I know nothing."
I washed my face and got ready quickly. My shoulder still hurt, but my body no longer felt like "total trash."By my standards, that counted as major progress.
When I went downstairs, the Copper Lantern was quieter than usual.
Garen had that "early visitor means trouble" look on his face.
"I've got two pieces of news for you," he said. "One bad, one worse."
"You people don't have a 'good news' option, do you?" I asked.
"In this city?" he snorted. "The bad news: someone from the headquarters came asking for you today.The worse news: they're carrying an order for an 'out-of-city mission'."
I froze for a second.
"Out of the city," I repeated. "You mean… beyond the walls?"
"Beyond the walls," Garen said. "More road, fewer guards, more problems.But also… a bigger world."
Something twisted and rose inside my chest:Fear, curiosity, excitement… and that familiar "let's not die today" feeling.
At the headquarters, Bran and Torren were already waiting for me in the courtyard.
Bran was holding a sealed scroll.
"Good morning, host," he said. "Congratulations. You now officially have a chance to leave Veldan's borders and get into bigger trouble."
"When did I sign up for that?" I said.
Torren turned the scroll so I could see the seal.
"Council-approved assignment," he said. "We'll be escorting a supply convoy—food and medicine—to a small outpost north of here, near Elvur Outpost.And yes, your name is specifically mentioned in the order."
"Specifically?" I said. "I don't like the sound of that."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MICRO NOTE]
– Your name being specifically listed on a mission: coincidence probability very low.
Suggestion:– This time, it may not just be the world watching. You might be under observation too.
"Great," I thought. "As if secret symbols, cracks and cults weren't enough, now I'm a VIP."
Bran clapped my shoulder.
"If you're ready, we move out," he said. "Your first mission outside the city.What's the worst that could happen?"
"Never say that out loud," I said. "The universe listens."
As we walked toward the northern gate, Veldan slowly fell behind us.
The trench hugging the walls circled the city like a shadow.In front of the gate, two covered wagons and four horses were waiting.Three armed guards stood nearby, along with a slender man in a long coat.
The man in the coat smiled when he saw us.
"You must be the famous new candidate, Ethan," he said. "I've heard a few things about you."
"I hope most of them are exaggerated," I answered.
"We're heading to Elvur Outpost," he continued. "I'm the official in charge of the cargo. Name's Halden.We've got medicine, dried supplies, and also… a few special crates."
"I don't feel great when people say 'special,'" I said. "Do they explode, are they cursed, or are they just taxed?"
Halden smiled, but his eyes didn't.
"They're not on the official manifest," he replied. "So you don't need to worry about them."
"Doesn't that mean I really should worry?" I whispered to Bran.
"Talk less, watch more," Bran said quietly. "We're outside the walls now.The games they play inside the city don't stop out here. They just wear different masks."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[Low-Level Warning]
– Mission label: "Simple escort."– Actual risk level: Unclear / likely to rise.
Note:– In existing literature, the phrase "simple escort mission" usually precedes bad events.
"At least you're honest," I thought.
The moment we passed through the city gate, the air changed.
Veldan's heavy stone smell faded into something lighter: earth and wind.In the distance, half-veiled in mist, I could see forests, hills, and the faint outline of mountains beyond.
The world outside Veldan's walls was indeed big.
"The farther we get from the city, the fewer patrols there are," Torren said. "Keep your eyes open.For both people and not-people."
"Not-people?" I asked.
"Deep forests, the lakes, the borderlands…" Bran murmured. "This isn't a one-nation world.To the west, the Ardent Kingdom. Farther, the Twin Dynasty. The north has the sea of mist and whatever lies past it.Veldan's just a stone near the edge."
"And I'm like a little splinter that flew out of a crack in that stone," I said.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[MAP DATA – PARTIALLY UNLOCKED]
– Known Regions:• Ardent Kingdom – Territory associated with Veldan.• Twin Dynasty – Not an open enemy, but not exactly a friend.• Northern Mist Line – Currently labeled "strongly not recommended."
Note:– Detailed world info requires higher level and access.
The road was a narrow mix of stone and dirt.One wagon rolled in front, the other behind. We guards spread out along the flanks and rear.
The first hour or two passed without incident.That alone made me nervous.
"Normally," I said to Bran, "there's no such thing as 'two quiet hours' in my life.I feel like the universe is saving something up."
"Don't give it ideas by saying that out loud," Bran replied. "Let's not encourage it."
Right then, the ⟪SYSTEM⟫ panel trembled.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[SUDDEN QUEST – RED]
EMERGENCY QUEST: SURVIVE THE AMBUSH
Description:– "Simple escort mission" syndrome detected.– Abnormal movement detected along the route.
Objectives:– Stay alive.– Get at least one wagon safely to Elvur Outpost.– If possible, keep at least two guards alive.(You may count yourself in that.)
Failure:– Convoy is wiped out.– Certain "factions" in Veldan update their opinion of you.– System moves you to category "story that ended too early."
Extra Note:– Don't assume the ambush is specifically about you.– Also don't assume it isn't.
"Of course," I muttered. "Why not."
I turned to warn Bran, but something buzzed past my ears.
This time it wasn't the System.
It was a faint whistle in the wind…Like the air itself had become a drawn bowstring.
"Bran," I said. "Wait. Something—"
Before I could finish, the front wagon's wheel exploded with a loud crack.
The horses screamed, the driver cursed, the load lurched dangerously.
But the real problem wasn't the broken wheel.
It was the thing shooting up from the ground next to it.
A thin, black, curved spike.Like a metal thorn springing from a buried trap.
Then a second.A third.
In the blink of an eye, similar spikes jutted up along both sides of the road.
"Down!" Torren shouted.
I heard the twang of a bowstring.
I ducked on instinct.An arrow flew past where my head had been a second ago and buried itself in the wagon's sideboard.
A masked figure burst from the trees to our right.Two more followed.
Their faces were covered with black cloth.On the exposed parts of their arms and necks, I saw burn-like scars.
Three lines.Not half-drawn—complete.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[THREAT IDENTIFICATION]
– Type: Human-shaped.– Extra: Symbol carrier.
Additional:– High resonance with Veil Branch / Pattern Sense.
"Right," I thought. "Definitely not your average highway thieves."
Bran drew his sword and moved in front of the horses.
"Behind the wagons!" he shouted. "Form a wall! Crossbows out!"
I tried to run toward the nearest wagon without skewering myself on the spikes, my steps a mess on the uneven ground.
Then, a whisper brushed my ear.
A very soft one.Like it was slipping out of the wind itself.
"Host…"
No one was calling me by my name.
Someone was calling me by my title.
My foot caught on a stone and I stumbled.Right before I hit the ground, I rolled sideways on reflex, and an arrow slammed into the earth where I'd been standing.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[PASSIVE SKILL – ACTIVATED]
– "Rolling Fall" triggered.– Damage: Reduced.
Extra:– Your Luck is still awful, but your reflexes are doing some work.
"Save the jokes for later," I snapped internally. "I'm kind of busy here!"
One of the masked attackers rushed at Bran from the other side of the wagon.
Bran's sword flashed; the man's wrist was exposed for a heartbeat.I saw the burn mark clearly.
Three lines… and a faint circle in the center.
A sharp sting ran through my chest.The scratch inside my watch seemed to ache in response.
The masked man's mouth formed strange words:
"The cracked clock… finally out in the open."
I froze before Bran did.
"What did you say?" I wanted to ask, but ⟪SYSTEM⟫ throttled the words.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[CRITICAL INFO – BLOCKED]
– Dangerous proximity of "clock" + "crack" concepts detected.
Effect:– Your tongue will cut the question short.– Priority in combat: "Survive" overrides "interrogate."
"Ethan!" Bran shouted. "Don't just stare—strike!"
The attacker turned toward me.
I couldn't see his eyes, but I could feel his gaze—a cold line creeping up the back of my neck.
That's when instinct kicked in.
I shifted my foot slightly, heel pressing onto a specific stone.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[SENSE OF DANGEROUS POINTS]
– Ground: Left side stable enough not to slip.– Enemy weight distribution: Too much on the front foot.
Suggestion:– Side-step + short, ugly thrust → maximum imbalance.
As he lunged, I stepped sideways and drove my sword forward in a short, rough stab.
The technique was terrible.The timing…
The masked man lost balance, one foot catching one of the black spikes.His chest opened just enough, and my blade forced its way between his ribs.
My breath caught.This wasn't a warning strike.It was a deliberate kill, and there'd been no space to pull back.
A wet, muffled sound left his throat.
"Host…Late…Awakening…"
The last word slipped away on the air.
My gaze dropped beneath his mask.
I expected a normal human face.Instead, what I saw looked half-finished.Lines missing, parts blurred, as if someone had erased bits of him.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[PERCEPTION REDACTION]
– For the sake of your mental stability, part of the image was censored.
Result:– You won't remember the face in full.– You'll only remember that it was 'incomplete.'
"…Fine," I thought. "Thanks. I guess."
Bran brought down the second attacker by the knees.Torren took out the third as he emerged from the trees.
The arrows stopped.The spikes ceased moving.
The only sound left was the heavy breathing of the horses.
Halden's face had gone completely pale.
"This…" he stammered, "this isn't a normal bandit job."
"Brilliant observation," Bran said. "We noticed."
Torren lifted one attacker's arm and examined the burn marks.
"Same pattern as the marks on the city walls," he said. "And again… the center missing."
My hand moved to my chest on its own.The watch felt cold, pressing against my skin as if to say, I'm right here.
Halden went to one of the wagons and inspected the special sealed crates.One of them had toppled over when the wheel broke. Its seal had cracked.
"This is bad," he whispered. "Very bad."
"Did the taxes spill out?" I asked. "Or something more 'special'?"
"These crates," Halden said in a low voice, "hold sealed records the council sent to Elvur Outpost.Reports about 'cracks'.All the strange incidents piling up in the city lately are being sent to one place.Apparently, we're not the only ones curious."
Bran and Torren both stared at him.
"That wasn't in the mission brief," Torren said.
"It wasn't supposed to be," Halden replied. "The council only shares certain parts of this matter with certain people.But since we've just been ambushed…looks like that 'certain people' list has been expanded somewhat."
⟪SYSTEM⟫[PATTERN SENSE – HIGH]
– Latest data:• Symbols in the city.• Collapsing house.• Special mention of the Host in mission orders.• Ambush outside the walls by symbol bearers.• All "crack reports" being gathered in one location.
Interim Evaluation:– This isn't just a single city's problem.– Someone may be collecting "crack incidents" on a world scale.
Comment:– Your story is not going to stay confined to Veldan.– Whether you want it to or not.
"At least that's good news for the readers," I thought. "For me… questionable."
Bran scanned the surroundings.
"Let's clear the corpses off the road," he said. "We'll leave one wagon here.The other has to reach Elvur.Because it looks like the people in that outpost aren't just expecting cracked walls…they might be waiting for news about a cracking world."
Halden clenched his jaw but didn't argue.
I glanced one last time at the masked man's cooling body.
I couldn't remember his face.But the invisible line between the three marks on his wrist and the watch on my chest…
That, I wasn't going to forget.
⟪SYSTEM⟫[NOTE]
– EMERGENCY QUEST: SURVIVE THE AMBUSH → STATUS: PARTIAL SUCCESS.
– Surviving guards: Still enough.– At least one wagon: High chance of reaching target.
Reward (to be given later):– New paths of information on a world scale will open.– And some doors will start to crack—first from inside, then outside.
"Great," I muttered. "I knew the world was big.I just didn't want to learn the scale of its problems this fast."