The following days passed uneventfully, at least on the surface. Ronan went to classes, avoided attention, and maintained the illusion of an ordinary student. But beneath the quiet routine, his system continued to evolve.
*[New Quest Available: Observe the Energy Rift]*
*An unusual energy signature has been detected near the university's mechanical engineering lab. Investigate without being noticed. Reward: +30 Energy Points.*
Ronan's eyes narrowed at the prompt. An energy rift? This was the first time the system had given him a task that pointed to something *external*. Until now, it had only been about training, growing stronger.
Now, it was guiding him.
He chose to wait until late at night. Around 2 a.m., when most students were asleep, he slipped out of his room. Dressed in black and walking like a shadow, Ronan moved across campus with practiced silence.
The mechanical lab was locked, but the system offered help:
*[Skill Unlocked: Energy Thread - Lv.1]*
*Manipulate raw energy to interact with basic electronic mechanisms.*
A faint hum flowed from his fingertips. The lock clicked open. He slid inside.
And there it was.
In the center of the room, behind equipment draped in tarps, a crack in the air shimmered like a glitch in reality. Purple-blue energy pulsed out slowly, almost like a heartbeat.
Ronan stepped closer.
The system buzzed again:
*[Warning: Unknown dimensional anomaly. Do not engage directly. Data collecting…]*
He stared at the rift, fascinated and cautious. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural. He reached out, not to touch it, just to feel—
"Who's there?"
The voice froze him.
Footsteps. A flashlight.
Ronan quickly crouched behind a stack of crates. His heartbeat slowed, and he activated *[Stealth Focus]*, suppressing all noise from his movements.
A security guard passed by, muttering about "strange noises." He didn't see Ronan or the rift. After a few tense moments, the guard left.
Ronan exhaled. He couldn't stay here.
He backed out quietly and shut the door behind him.
---
Back in his room, the system updated again:
*[Quest Complete. +30 Energy Points Earned]*
*[System Analysis: Dimensional Rift — Incomplete. More data needed.]*
So this was bigger than he thought.
He was no longer just training. He was involved in something he didn't yet understand—something possibly linked to the origin of his powers.
And still, no one knew. His friends, his lecturers, even Felix… they all thought he was just another quiet boy.
But beneath the surface, power was building. Secrets were forming.
And Ronan was just getting started.
---