When you gain status through achievement, you need more than just the achievement itself you need recognition. A lot of it. A title or victory only means something if others see it, talk about it, and remember it.
In this world, attention is a currency as valuable as gold. You could slay a beast in the wilds, rescue a city from starvation, or uncover a hidden ruin but if no one heard about it, it would vanish into obscurity.
Uploading yourself onto the network, showcasing your skills or daring feats that could get you noticed faster than years of quiet hard work. Sometimes, one well-timed display could make a name that echoed for decades.
But attention was a double-edged sword.
Elric Vales understood that better than most. He had seen people rise overnight, only to be destroyed by the weight of the gaze they'd drawn.
The old stone hallway swallowed his footsteps as he walked. The air was cool and faintly musty, carrying the smell of ancient tomes and damp mortar. A thin strip of light from high, narrow windows cut across the floor, revealing the faint shimmer of dust motes drifting in the air.
Elric wasn't thinking about the building or its history his mind was on Kael Vi-rel.
What if Kael Vi-rel is really a child from the Black Land…?
The thought twisted like a knife. The Black Land was not just a territory it was a scar. Its soil was dark, not from fertile earth, but from the residue of ancient corruption. Those who lived under its sky often bore more than just physical ties to it; their souls were bound, their wills tethered to powers that whispered in the dark.
Children of those who served the Black Land's evil were dangerous in ways most people couldn't understand.
Their connection to their parent's master was a thread that could be pulled at any time. One command, one flicker of the master's will, and they could turn completely, irrevocably into a vessel for their patron's malice.
A time bomb. Waiting.
The chance of detonation was low, true… unless the subordinate returned to the Black Land or the evil spirit itself crossed the border. But the risk was there, like a shadow at the edge of vision, always lurking.
Elric's brows knitted together as his boots clicked on the stone.
It didn't matter who Kael was today.
What mattered was what he might become.
What if Kael is the one who triggers it? Elric's thoughts sharpened. What if he awakens Damon's memories? Memories that should never have been touched again?
If Damon's mind awoke, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"I need to act before that happens," Elric muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His face darkened, resolve settling in like a storm on the horizon.
---
The Magic Contract
Magic contracts were not like ordinary pacts. They were absolute. Once the ink was signed once the magic accepted it it became unbreakable.
This one was even more dangerous.
If a signer attempted to speak of it to an outsider, their tongue would stumble, their mind would cloud, and they'd forget what they meant to say entirely. The memory would simply… vanish.
The two who had signed this contract with Kael were now bound tighter than any rope.
From now on, they could never speak of his powers.
But Kael was no fool. He wouldn't hand them the full truth. Trust was earned in layers, and some secrets were too dangerous to give away all at once.
Clara Winslet, for example, didn't need to know the deeper effects of his ability at least, not yet.
In her case, timing mattered. She wasn't ready. With enough training, she might awaken something special maybe even a unique skill.
"For real?" Clara's voice broke into his thoughts, her tone a mixture of disbelief and hope.
"It's a lie," Kael said flatly.
Her expression froze. "…Huh?"
"I mean it's true. Don't worry about it." His tone softened slightly, but the glint in his eyes suggested he was enjoying her confusion more than he should.
Clara let out a shaky sigh of relief, though suspicion still lingered.
Selene Whitmore leaned forward, her gaze sharp. "And me? What about me? Do I get something too?"
Kael tilted his head, pretending to ponder the question deeply. "Wait a bit."
Then he raised his hand and summoned Selene's status window into existence. A rectangular pane of glowing blue light appeared in the air before them, humming faintly.
---
[Status Window]
Name: Selene Whitmore
Stats: Strength 23, Magic 35, Speed 34, Mental 137, Agility 38, Intelligence 18, Stamina 24, Charm 40, Sense 34, Luck 42
Potential: 220/1000
Unique Skill – Shadow C/S, Quick Thinking (Unawakened, N/A)
Special Skill – Thorn (Unawakened, SS), ?????
Trait Characteristics – Killer (B/A), Queen of Assassination (SS), ?????
---
Kael's eyes scanned the display. The words "Killer" and "Queen of Assassination" stood out, carrying an unspoken weight.
What exactly does "Killer" entail? Could she awaken Quick Thinking now?
He glanced at Selene, then back at the status window, as if weighing a choice.
"You have one too," he said at last. "Like I told you, you'll still need training before it's fully awakened, but it's there."
Selene's reaction was immediate her face lit up, her joy unrestrained. "Really? That's amazing!" She bounced on her toes, grinning like a child given her favorite toy.
Kael hid his smile. He had expected this. Selene Whitmore thrived on challenge and progress give her a goal and she'd chase it without hesitation.
Clara Winslet, however, was another matter.
Her self-esteem had always been fragile. Compared to Selene's stats, her abilities were modest, almost plain. Kael could tell she feared being left behind, even if she didn't voice it aloud.
"It's a good reward," Clara said slowly, "but… what do we have to do?"
"Right," Selene added, her smile fading as focus returned. "What do we need to do?"
A moment ago she'd been celebrating now she was ready to work.
Kael coughed, his eyes flicking between them.
What I need you to be is my comrades, he thought. We have to stop the destruction of the world that's coming.
But that wasn't something you just said. Not yet. Even if it was true, blurting it out would sound like the ramblings of a madman.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "What the hell should I tell them…?"
Then, as if recalling something vital, his eyes widened slightly. "Oh right. I should start with this. Thank the gods I remembered."