Lucen came out of the corridor of maintenance, leaving dust behind him. The night sky was gray, clouds, a roof that did not stir in days. He opened his eyes into the gloomy light without pain save that it seemed... unreal.
It was his first time seeing the surface in two years.
The Dead Veins were sealed behind him, but the weight hadn't lifted. If anything, it pressed deeper now.
He wasn't free.
He was simply... unaccounted for.
Lucen crouched near a rusted supply crate and pulled out his cloth journal. The Soul Ledger. He unrolled it and scanned his first entry again, Stone Skin (Damaged). Below it, he began sketching a mental map of how his body had changed. Defense activation time. Reaction thresholds. Echo sensitivity.
> [Soulprint Integrity: 64%]
[Core Stability: Moderate. Emotional Leakage: Negligible.]
Emotional leakage...
He didn't like that phrase. It implied something was getting out.
Lucen clicked his tongue once and folded the cloth again.
Stability first. Strength second. Control always.
---
He moved through the outskirts of a forgotten industrial zone. Rotting pipelines stretched like dead arteries across the landscape. A shallow settlement lay just ahead, more of a shantytown, really. Makeshift homes. Stray dogs. Smoke from cheap stoves.
And Soulprints.
Dozens of them. Weak. Flickering. Most unusable.
Except one.
> [Compatible Soulprint Detected: Thermal Bloodline, "Heat Vein Pulse"]
[User Status: Critical. Target Identity: Civilian Tier 0. Extraction Viable.]
[Initiate Theft Protocol?]
[Y/N]
Lucen crouched behind a broken pillar, peering through a crack.
A boy. Maybe twelve. Lying on his side, clutching his arm, coughing weakly. A dim red glow pulsed faintly along his veins. Fever-soul. One of the lowest forms of fire-print, but useful for survival in cold zones. A heat generator. Internal.
Lucen exhaled once.
The boy won't last a day. Infection in the arm. Malnourished. Terminal fever.
He could walk away.
Or he could take the skill.
One soulprint in, I already hear echoes. Two might deepen the voice. Three...?
> [Warning: You are approaching Multi-Echo Threshold.]
[No containment protocols active.]
Lucen ignored the prompt. He stepped forward, slow and deliberate.
The boy looked up, dazed. His lips were cracked. He didn't even flinch when Lucen crouched beside him.
Lucen studied the body. The skin. The flow of the glow under his throat. The soulprint was intact, but dim.
"I can take it," Lucen said softly. "You won't need it soon."
The boy blinked, not understanding.
Lucen placed two fingers on the boy's chest.
> [Theft Protocol: Ready.]
But he paused.
He didn't feel guilt.
He didn't feel fear.
He felt... hesitation.
Not because of the boy.
But because I want to see what happens when I go further. I want to know what breaking point feels like.
He stared at his own hand.
And slowly withdrew it.
He reached into his coat instead, pulled out a cloth bandage, and wrapped the boy's wound. Not tightly. Just enough to reduce infection for another day.
He didn't say a word.
He didn't smile.
Then he turned and walked away.
---
Behind him, the system reacted, not in punishment, but in curiosity.
> [Observation Logged: Host refused optimal power gain.]
[Motivation: Unknown. Conflict Flag Raised.]
[Ledger Synchronization Strengthening...]
Lucen stopped walking.
It's learning too.
It adapts when I don't take.
That was... interesting.
He looked to the gray sky. A bird flew overhead, a rare sight in this zone.
He whispered, more to himself than the system:
"I don't need to kill to grow. Not yet."
> [Note Logged.]
[Soul Ledger entry updated.]
---
Soul Ledger Entry #2
Skill: Heat Vein Pulse (Tier I – Unclaimed)
Type: Elemental – Internal Heat Source
Damage Rating: ☆☆☆ (non-offensive utility)
Max Uses: Continuous passive use; stabilizes body temp
Synergy Bonus: Could combine with flame-type prints for passive regen or ignite
Known Weaknesses: High fever risk; weak to frost-based disruption
Echo State: Projected high emotional charge (fear/panic)
Mental Load: Low - No effects observed
Combat Notes: Target was civilian tier, terminal illness; skill left untouched
Entry Condition: Found dying child in outskirts of Rothveil, chose not to steal
System Reaction: Curiosity logged. System may evolve based on moral restraint.
---
Lucen continued north. Toward a city where Soulprint registries would never recognize his name.
A Blank.
Now carrying a system that wasn't just a weapon.
It was watching him.
---
End of Chapter 3
---