Beep.
Beep.
The heart monitor's rhythm was the only sound holding the silence together. Vorn lay perfectly still, eyes closed, but his mind was racing through calculations and cold, hard facts. The physical pain from his fight with the Troll-King was manageable now, but the mental exhaustion was crushing.
He was a survivor, a tactician, but he was also a target.
And the game had only just begun.
He thought back to the Trust Path trial, and a grim smile touched his lips. He'd seen how easily trust could be weaponized, how quickly people showed their true faces under pressure.
"Trust is a luxury I can't afford, not anymore."
[00:00:03]
[00:00:02]
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
Red.
Then a black notification box appeared.
[NAME: ???]
[DESCRIPTION: BLESSING/CURSE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ONCE HOST REACHES SSS RANK]
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 0.001%]
The mysterious box floated at the edge of his vision - a constant reminder of some terrible future goal. It was a curse, a promise, and a destination he couldn't avoid.
'SSS rank. What the hell does that even mean?'
Low voices drifted in from the hallway. Two nurses whispering.
"The costs are astronomical," one said, voice tight with worry. "And with the hospital's connection to the Park family... they're not going to cover this forever. They have... expectations."
Vorn's heart turned to ice. Financial pressure, unspoken threats. They had his sister as a literal hostage in a coma, and someone was setting a price.
CLICK.
The door opened, and Agent Finn walked in. His messy hair was a little neater than before, but his eyes still darted around nervously. He tried for a casual smile - a flimsy mask Vorn saw t hrough instantly.
"Hey, Vorn. You were out for a while, must be exhausted."
Vorn stirred, feigning grogginess. "I think I've seen you somewhere before."
Finn's smile became more genuine, caught off guard. "Yeah, I was here earlier, but I had to leave quickly. Good memory."
'I already have a faint idea of what this might be.' Vorn's mind was sharp as a razor. "Some things are hard to forget."
Finn's demeanor shifted to something more professional. He leaned against the foot of the bed. "Look, Vorn, I'm not here to interrogate you. But your sister's condition is... complicated. She's in a coma, and her mana readings are off the charts. We've never seen anything like it. Does that trigger any memories?"
The question hung in the air like a baited hook.
Vorn played his role perfectly, face showing confused concern. "My sister... what's wrong with her? I don't remember much from that place. The card... it hurts to think about."
Finn's expression softened with what looked like genuine pity. "The card?"
"Yeah," Vorn lied, voice barely a rasp. "Everything's just... blurry."
[VEILED NOIR: INTEGRITY MAINTAINED]
[FINN'S SUSPICION: DECREASED]
"What's happening to her? Is she getting better?"
Finn hesitated, clearly not prepared for the direct question. "I'm not sure. The doctors say she's stable, but the mana surges are concerning."
Before he could continue, the door opened and a new voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Finn. My office. Now."
Squad Leader Thorne didn't even glance at Vorn. His steel-gray eyes made Finn visibly flinch. The agent nodded and walked out, shoulders slumped.
Later, Vorn caught fragments of their conversation from the hallway.
"You're getting nowhere," Thorne's voice was a low growl. "He's either a nobody who got lucky, or he's playing us. And I don't believe in luck."
"But Squad Leader, his sister—"
"Focus on the target, not the bait." Thorne's words cracked like a whip. "Get closer to him. Be his friend. Dig out whatever he's hiding. Something's not right with that kid, and I intend to find out what."
Vorn closed his eyes, a cold smile playing at his lips.
'The game just got bigger.'
The door swung open again, but it wasn't Finn this time.
A young man entered - impossibly handsome and wearing a designer suit that cost more than most people's cars. Behind him stood two massive bodyguards like living statues.
"You're Vorn," the young man stated with a bored smirk. "I'm Young Master Park."
He dismissed the nurses with a casual wave. Walked over to Vorn's bed with predatory confidence.
"I hear your sister's in quite the predicament. Astronomical medical bills. Such a pity." He pulled out a golden credit card. "My family - the Park clan - we're nothing if not generous."
The card gleamed under the fluorescent lights.
"I'll cover every single one of her medical expenses. She'll have the best care money can buy." His smirk widened. "One simple condition."
White-hot rage surged through Vorn as he saw the predator beneath the polished exterior.
"What condition?" he growled.
"She marries me."
Vorn's world turned red. This bastard didn't want to help Seren - he wanted to own her.
"Get out," Vorn spat, pure hatred in his voice.
Young Master Park's smirk didn't waver. "Oops, that's not the answer I was hoping for." He signaled to his bodyguards.
One of them handed a tablet to a nurse trying to enter the room. She looked at the screen, face going pale.
"The treatment account has been terminated due to non-payment," she said shakily. "It's a direct order."
SLAM.
Vorn's heart hammered against his ribs. A trap - cold, ruthless, and efficient. They weren't just blackmailing him. They were stealing his sister.
He leaped out of bed, ignoring the pain shooting through his ribs. Seren's life support machine beeped steadily in the corner - the only thing keeping her alive.
Under pressure from the guards, nurses began implementing the order, moving to disconnect her life support.
'Not happening.'
In a desperate act, Vorn used his matter manipulation to subtly detach the life support components from the main console, securing them to her wheelchair. The wires were tangled, tubes a mess, but her heart monitor kept beeping.
'She's still okay. That's all that matters.'
Pushing Seren in her wheelchair, Vorn made a frantic escape from the hospital. His stealth training kicked in - he subtly shifted door locks to buy time, made floors slippery to trip pursuing guards and nurses.
He wasn't a ghost this time. He was a desperate animal fighting for his family's life.
They reached their apartment building only to find official notices plastered across the door. The apartment had been seized as collateral for medical bills.
'Homeless. With a dying sister and nowhere to go.'
He stood in the dim streetlight, cold anger solidifying into ruthless determination. This world had given him nothing but pain and loss.
A discarded newspaper lay on the ground - headlines about the city's growing underworld, ruthless gang expansion, underground power struggles.
He looked at the paper, then at his sister's pale, unresponsive face.
'How about building my own power'
RUMBLE.
The low growl of powerful engines echoed from the end of the street. Vorn's head snapped up.
Multiple black luxury cars pulled up, blocking every escape route. Doors opened, and well-dressed enforcers stepped out like pieces on a chessboard.
Young Master Park emerged from the lead car with a triumphant, cruel smile.
"Running, Vorn?" he laughed coldly. "Foolish. Did you really think I wouldn't anticipate this?"
More cars arrived, more men. A perfectly executed trap.
"Your sister will be mine either way," Park continued. "The only question is whether you make this easy or hard on yourself."
Vorn's eyes narrowed, cold resolve hardening into something dangerous. The physical threat, the mysterious [???] box, his determination to protect Seren - everything converged into a single point of deadly focus.
'This isn't a game of luck anymore.'
'This is about power. Raw, brutal power'
[CURRENT LEVEL: 2]
[EXP: 15/200]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: EXTREME]
[PATH: VEILED NOIR - INTEGRITY: 89%]
[PHANTOM LOAD: READY]
[MATTER MANIPULATION: 2.3%]
The street fell silent except for the quiet hum of expensive engines and the steady beep of Seren's portable life support.
'Let's see how much power I really have.'