Asher noticed it while brushing his teeth.
Which felt about right.
A small, faint icon hovered at the edge of his vision—separate from the others. Quieter. Less insistent.
Waiting.
It wasn't new.
It was whatever the Guardian had left unresolved—still waiting to be understood.
He paused mid-rinse and squinted.
"…You're still there."
A system window unfolded.
[Skill Fragment – Pending Identification]
Source: Frostbound Guardian
Status: Dormant
Integration: None
Asher leaned on the sink.
"So that's what you meant by detected," he muttered.
This one didn't pulse.
Didn't glow.
Didn't push.
Unlike the movement fragment—which had practically demanded attention until it stabilized—this fragment simply existed.
Finished business.
Unfinished decision.
He finished brushing, wiped his mouth, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"…Alright," he said. "What are you?"
[Identification Available]
Asher blinked.
"That's new."
He hesitated.
Not because he was scared.
Because the last time he rushed a system interaction, he'd ended up screaming on his bedroom floor while his body tried to rewrite itself.
Progress had taught him one thing very clearly—
Touching everything immediately was a bad habit.
"…Identifying doesn't activate it," he said carefully.
[Correct.]
"Good."
He selected the fragment.
The screen expanded.
Skill Fragment: Impact Redistribution (Fragment)
Type: Passive / Reactive
Status: Incomplete
Integration State: Dormant
Description:
Redirects a portion of received kinetic force across the body to reduce localized damage.
Limitations:
• Efficiency varies based on posture and movement
• Increased fatigue accumulation
• Synergizes with structural reinforcement
Asher stared.
Then leaned back slowly.
"…That explains the Guardian."
[Affirmation.]
The pieces clicked together.
The Frostbound Guardian hadn't been fast.
Hadn't dodged.
Hadn't blocked.
It had absorbed.
Hits that should've shattered it had spread—distributed instead of stopped outright.
"…You're not a damage reducer," Asher said slowly. "You're a shock distributor."
[Clarification]
Correct.
He rubbed his ribs absentmindedly.
"That's… dangerous if misused."
[Acknowledged.]
Impact Redistribution wasn't flashy.
It wouldn't help him hit harder.
It wouldn't save him if he overcommitted.
But combined with skeletal reinforcement—
"…You'd let me survive hits I shouldn't," he murmured.
The fragment remained dormant.
Waiting.
"…Not yet," Asher said.
He felt the system's attention sharpen.
Not disapproval.
Calculation.
He stood and stretched, testing his range of motion. Everything felt normal. Stable.
"I'm not integrating you in my apartment," he said. "And I'm not integrating you mid-panic."
The fragment dimmed slightly.
[Fragment Status: Stored]
Asher nodded.
"Good."
He checked the time.
Work in an hour.
Dungeon pull faint but present.
Body rested.
"…Later," he said. "In a controlled run."
The dungeon didn't object.
Asher grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
As he stepped into the hallway, something settled in his chest.
Not excitement.
Not fear.
Confidence—not in power, but in restraint.
He had tools now.
And for the first time since awakening—
He was choosing when to use them.
Somewhere deep inside Heaven's Heart, the calculation updated.
And the dungeon prepared something new.