Sefa was sitting inside a small stone house that looked out over the village square. A simple but effective cloth bandage wrapped around his shoulder, pressing lightly against the wound that still ached. His clothes had changed; the torn rags were replaced with clean, plain garments provided by the villagers. Though the shirt was old-fashioned, it was comfortable. Even the boots on his feet were almost new.
The villagers still approached him with caution. No one asked direct questions, but glances were exchanged and quiet whispers filled the air. Sefa didn't mind. A stranger appearing out of nowhere, bloodied and armed—suspicion was more than fair.
At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
> [System Quest: Moment of Decision]
Quest Info: ???
The choice you make in this task will affect not only this floor but all the floors.
Details will be revealed once the necessary conditions are met.
Sefa frowned. What choice? What could he possibly influence? All he had done so far was struggle to survive.
One of the village elders slowly handed him a bowl. "Eat… you look weak," the man said quietly. Sefa nodded, thanking him, but his mind was elsewhere. The quest bothered him. What was this "moment of decision"? When would it come?
Steam rose gently from the bowl of soup, and just then, a short shadow slipped through the half-open door. He caught it from the corner of his eye. He turned his head quickly. No one. Reflexes? Or instinct?
No. Something was watching him. He could feel it.
---
As he walked through the village square, children watched him from afar but didn't approach. He paused for a moment when he noticed, then kept walking. They may not have known who he was, but their unease was not misplaced. He didn't even know himself anymore.
Then, the system activated again. A translucent screen appeared in front of his eyes:
> [Hidden Stat: SDR (System Drift Resistance)] +1
System Intervention: Stabilization Increased.
"What the hell does that mean?" he murmured. The system kept feeding him bits and pieces, but nothing ever made sense. It felt like being in a maze—no exit, no map.
He glanced at the small mirror hanging on the wall of his home. His face was still pale, his eyes tired, but a faint spark had ignited inside him. He needed to understand how this world worked.
And right at that moment, the system's voice echoed once more… this time, distorted:
> "Level sync… Alignment complete… ??? decision approaches… Balance check… not stable… ??? link established."
Some of the words were completely censored. No matter how hard he tried to focus, only garbled sounds came through.
"Something is watching me," he whispered to himself. And it wasn't just the villagers' stares. It was something deeper… darker… maybe even unseen.
The forest was quieter than ever. As Sefa stepped over the dried leaves, even the wind seemed to hold its breath. The villagers had treated his wounds and given him new clothes, but peace still felt far away. That unexplainable unease inside him grew stronger with each step.
Pushing aside the branches, he veered onto a path he hadn't seen before. The ground was slippery. There were no distinct signs, but his instincts were sharp. His eyes scanned for details, hands ready to react.
One more step—
Click.
A sudden pull wrapped around his ankle. His eyes widened, but he had no time to react before the rope triggered and yanked him upward. In seconds, he was hanging upside down from a tree branch. Blood rushed to his head, his vision spinning as his heart pounded wildly.
"Damn it…" he muttered.
His hand reached for the knife at his belt. He slashed at the rope, but it was thick and resilient. Each second brought more pressure to his skull, and his vision started to blur.
Then came the voice of the system:
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
"Hidden Interaction Detected. Initiating Mental Resistance Check..."
??? CURSE activated.
EMR -1
A searing pain shot through Sefa's mind. This wasn't just a physical trap—it was something darker, something that clawed into his consciousness. A curse.
His head throbbed. With one hand gripping the rope and the other hacking away, he finally made one last cut. The rope snapped.
Sefa crashed onto his back, gasping. At that moment—
Whoosh—
An arrow cut through the air. A deadly whistle. It passed just one centimeter from his face and embedded into a tree trunk.
He rolled instantly, knife drawn and eyes scanning.
Silence.
Then, a flicker among the trees.
A figure. Small. Graceful. Fast.
In the dim light, between shadow and movement, the form appeared—only for a moment. Barely a second.
A girl.
Around fifteen or sixteen. Dressed in all black. Unmasked, yet expressionless.
Their eyes met. In that single second, so much was exchanged without a single word.
She threw a small dagger—Sefa dodged, his arm shifting just in time.
But the next strike never came.
Without a word, she vanished into the trees. A silent retreat. A ghost in the forest.
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
"??? Unknown entity observed."
"Secret Quest progress: 16%."
SDR +1
Sefa exhaled sharply. His left shoulder throbbed, sweat clinging to his brow.
An assassination attempt?
Or part of a test?
He couldn't tell. All he knew was this:
Even the shadows were enemies now.
And these enemies… they seemed to know exactly who he was.
The leaves beneath his feet were still crushed. It hadn't been long since Sefa had escaped the trap in the forest. His back still ached from the impact of falling when the rope was cut. He was trying to control his breathing, struggling to piece together what had happened in his mind.
Just one centimeter more to the right...
The arrow could have pierced his shoulder.
He hadn't seen the attacker. But someone had definitely tried to kill him. They had moved silently, left no trace—not even a scent.
"To move this quietly... definitely someone trained."
As he walked toward the village, he checked behind him several times. But there was nothing to track. The silence wasn't peace; it was a weight that reminded him to stay alert.
When he reached the village entrance, the sounds of children's laughter could be heard. Everything looked normal. Without slowing his steps, Sefa entered. His wounds had been treated, but the turmoil in his mind remained.
As he walked toward his home, a familiar face approached. The man who had helped him the day before, Kain, smiled.
"I want to introduce you to someone," he said. "My daughter Elira. She's been in the city for a long time, but she returned today. She's eager to help you."
Sefa's eyes widened slightly.
"Elira?"
The name wasn't familiar. But...
The wooden door of a small cabin opened. A young girl stepped out, walked toward them with short steps, and bowed her head.
And Sefa's eyes widened further.
The moment they locked eyes, his breath stopped.
This… was the girl who had tried to kill him just moments ago!
Those gray eyes... that stance... that face... it was exactly the same.
But now she was someone completely different. Calm, respectful, and quiet.
"Nice to meet you," she said softly.
Sefa froze. His instincts were screaming, but he silenced them.
Kain continued speaking:
"Tomorrow, we'll go check out a few places. Elira knows the forest paths well."
"Sure…" said Sefa. Even he couldn't believe the word had left his mouth.
That night, everything became even more complicated.
The echo of the system's voice woke him from sleep.
> "Quest updated."
"The moment of decision is approaching. Your choice will affect all layers."
"Hidden parameters activated."
"??? system alert…"
"Watcher has revealed herself..."
And now, there was no more doubt.
The Watcher... was Elira.
Not only the attacker...
She had been the one watching him all along.
And now… she was only a few steps away.
📎 End of Chapter Note:
Sefa begins to piece together the truth. What is Elira's goal? Why did she target him? And why is she now acting like an innocent girl beside her father?
The time for a decision is near.