Erina was still dragging me by the hand as if I had no say in the matter. The streets we walked through felt unreal.
The city was alive.
Dozens of people moved around me—shouting, bartering, laughing, even arguing. I had walked through plenty of towns in Eternal SoulS, but this… this was different. NPCs usually repeated lines, stood stiff, and followed predictable patterns. But the people here? They acted human. Their expressions shifted naturally. Their movements weren't stiff.
"Are these… all deleted characters?" I muttered, looking around in disbelief.
Erina smirked, clearly hearing me. "Yup. Everyone you see here was once a player character. They died, got deleted, and ended up here instead of vanishing completely. So in a way, this city is like… our second life."
"Second life…" I repeated the words quietly, but they only made my confusion worse.
We passed through a busy square where a group of men were shouting prices over crates full of strange weapons and potions. On the other side of the street, a pair of armored guards wearing insignias I didn't recognize were interrogating a cloaked figure. I couldn't help but notice how orderly and… bureaucratic it all seemed.
"Who are those people?" I asked.
"Oh, them?" Erina pointed casually. "That's the Merchant Faction over there, arguing about prices again. And those armored folks? Administrative Faction. They like making sure everyone follows rules—though their 'rules' are questionable at times."
"Factions…?" I raised an eyebrow.
She nodded. "The city runs on them. Adventurers, Merchants, Administrators… everyone belongs somewhere."
"...Everyone?"
She gave a sly smile. "Well, almost everyone. Anyway, you'll understand better once you see our faction."
Before I could press her for details, we stopped in front of a massive building.
The Adventurer Faction Hall.
It looked exactly like a guild headquarters out of a fantasy game—towering walls, banners with swords and shields, and heavy wooden doors big enough for a giant to walk through. Loud voices rumbled from inside, along with the occasional cheer, like a tavern full of rowdy warriors.
Erina pushed the doors open.
Inside, it was even noisier. Tables were stacked with food and drink, groups of armored men and women bragged about hunts, and the walls were covered with posters of monsters. Weapons clattered as people leaned them against chairs.
And the moment I stepped in, dozens of eyes turned toward me.
"...A newcomer?" someone muttered."Never seen his face before.""Did Erina drag another one in?"
The air grew heavier with their suspicious stares.
I instinctively reached for my maguns, but Erina gave me a sharp glance that made me freeze. She then raised her voice confidently.
"Relax, everyone! He's with me."
The room settled, though the stares didn't disappear.
A tall man wearing heavy armor approached us. His face was stern, a scar running down his cheek, and his presence alone silenced the hall. He looked at me like he could see right through me.
"Erina," he said gruffly. "Who is this?"
"Found him in the forest. He killed a high orc and obtained this." She gestured toward me.
I hesitated, then slowly revealed the glowing orb I'd been keeping.
The entire hall went quiet.
Whispers spread instantly."A lineage orb…""No way, from a high orc?""How did a newcomer—?"
The man's eyes narrowed as he stared at the orb. "You… do you even know what you're holding?"
I swallowed nervously. "I was going to ask the same thing. What even is this thing?"
Erina leaned forward, folding her arms. "He really doesn't know. He isn't lying."
The man grunted, then gestured for us to follow. He led us into a quieter room at the back of the hall. Unlike the noisy guild hall, this room was neat, with maps and shelves of glowing artifacts.
"Sit," he ordered.
I did.
He folded his arms and stared me down. "Listen well. A lineage orb is proof that you defeated a lineage-type monster. Rare, dangerous beasts whose power doesn't just vanish upon death. Instead, it condenses into orbs like this. If you consume one, you inherit a part of that monster's lineage. Its strength, abilities… and its curse."
"Curse?" I muttered, gripping the orb tighter.
He nodded. "Lineage orbs attract attention. Monsters will hunt you for it. And if you bond with it… you're no longer just a deleted character. You become something else."
Erina added, "That's why we—Adventurers—handle orbs. To keep them from falling into the wrong hands. Merchants try to buy and sell them, Administrators try to lock them away, and… well, you get the idea."
The man leaned closer, his gaze sharp. "But you—something is off. This orb is already reacting to you. That shouldn't be possible unless you've already started resonating with it."
"Resonating…?"
Before I could ask, the orb in my palm pulsed with a faint light, like a heartbeat.
Erina's eyes widened. "See? That's not normal."
I quickly shoved it back into my pouch, heart racing.
The man let out a long breath, then finally said, "Newcomer. Whatever you are, you're now tied to that orb. Which means this city may soon face danger because of you."
"Danger…?" I repeated.
He nodded gravely. "Lineage monsters have ways of tracking their stolen power. And when they come, they won't just be after you. They'll be after all of us."
As Erina escorted me out of the hall, I could still feel the orb pulsing against my chest.
The city outside looked just as lively as before, but now every sound seemed distant, every shadow heavier.
"…Great," I muttered. "First I get glitched, now I've got a monster-tracking beacon in my pocket."
Erina gave a half-smile. "Cheer up. At least you're not bored anymore."
I glared at her.
Before I could reply, the ground suddenly shook beneath us. A deep, echoing howl rang out from the distance, shaking the air.
The entire city froze.
I felt my stomach drop as I realized—
They were coming.