The drums began on the one-hundred-and-tenth day.
Low at first.
Distant.
Easy to mistake for thunder.
Then the bells rang.
Not alarm bells.
Departure bells.
The city did not panic.
It emptied.
Shutters closed in practiced rhythm.
Markets vanished in minutes.
Civilians moved with the dull obedience of people who had been trained to disappear.
Arjun stood in the logistics hall as orders flew.
Real orders now.
No drills.
No ink—only voices and seals.
Siege engines rolled out under canvas.
Supply wagons moved at night.
Troops marched without banners.
"This is it," Arjun thought.
On the one-hundred-and-twelfth day, the first border fort fell.
The news arrived quietly.
Too quietly.
No celebration.
No mourning.
Just confirmation.
By the one-hundred-and-fifteenth day, Arjun was inside the war room.
Maps covered the table—his maps.
Routes he had memorized.
Traps he had already reported.
The commander pointed.
"This city burns first," he said.
"A lesson."
Arjun felt his stomach tighten.
That night, he didn't sleep.
On the one-hundred-and-sixteenth day, he passed his final report.
Not through the shrine.
Directly.
The liaison didn't speak this time.
He simply nodded—grim, grateful, afraid.
"Evacuation will begin," the man said.
"You bought us hours. Maybe days."
"Then use them," Arjun replied.
When he returned to the city, the sky was red.
Not from fire.
From torches—thousands of them—moving as one.
[EVENT ACTIVE: FULL-SCALE INVASION]
[REWARD MULTIPLIER: VERY HIGH]
[EXIT AVAILABLE: HIGH-TIER — LIMITED TIME]
Arjun tightened his armor straps.
He didn't leave.
Not yet.
Arjun planned the death a dozen times before choosing the thirteenth.
The commander never changed habits.
Same tent. Same wine. Same hour before dawn.
Predictable men were the easiest.
On the one-hundred-and-eighteenth night, chaos did the rest.
Horns blared.
Messengers ran.
Orders contradicted orders.
Arjun moved with a crate team—head down, pace steady.
Inside the tent, the commander laughed at a map.
Arjun struck once.
Clean.
Silent.
The man fell without understanding why.
Arjun didn't linger.
He placed the seal—another commander's seal—pressed into wax.
Left a coded order half-burned.
A rivalry made visible.
Then he vanished into the noise.
By morning, accusations flew faster than arrows.
Two commanders argued.
One arrested.
The army stalled.
Arjun slipped through a collapsing alley as fires spread.
[PRIMARY TARGET ELIMINATED]
[SECONDARY EFFECT: INTERNAL FRACTURE — SUCCESS]
He reached the outskirts as the city tore itself apart.
Only then did he allow himself to breathe.
"Done," he whispered.
The world shattered into blue.
The city froze mid-scream.
Fire hung in the air.
Steel stopped mid-swing.
Arjun stood alone in the buffer space.
[EVENT COMPLETE — FLOOR 4]
The system did not rush.
It measured.
[INTELLIGENCE VALUE: EXTREME]
[INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE: HIGH]
[ENEMY COMMAND FRACTURE: CONFIRMED]
[CIVILIAN CASUALTY REDUCTION: SIGNIFICANT]
[EMBEDDED DURATION: 124 DAYS]
A pause.
Then—
[REWARD CALCULATION — FINALIZED]
• +9,800 XP
• +2,400 PLAYER POINTS
• ITEM ACQUIRED: MASK OF FALSE LOYALTIES (A-RANK)
• TITLE UNLOCKED: THE INSIDER
• PERMANENT BONUS: +15% Deception Resistance
• PERMANENT BONUS: +10% Intelligence Acquisition Rate
The rewards hit like a weight.
Arjun steadied himself.
The Tower spoke once more.
[TIME CONVERSION — FLOOR 4]
Time Inside: 124 Days
Time Outside: 124 Hours
Five days.
Five days had passed in the real world.
Delhi traffic still moved.
News cycles still argued.
The world hadn't even caught its breath—
While Arjun had lived a war.
He stepped through the exit.
The Tower released him gently this time.
Back in his room.
Same chair.
Same window.
But not the same man.
Arjun removed the helmet slowly.
"Five days," he murmured.
Arthur watched the final report scroll past.
The system chimed.
[FLOOR 4 — DESIGNATION: SUCCESS]
Arthur closed the interface.
"Good," he said.
The room stayed quiet.
No pressure.
No voice.
No presence.
Arjun was still standing when a routine status update flickered into view.
He almost ignored it.
Then the border color changed.
Not blue.
Deep emerald.
[CONSTELLATION INTEREST DETECTED]
Source: THE UNBROKEN LANTERN
Domain: Vigilance · Endurance · Silent Resolve
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Observation Type: Indirect
[CONSTELLATION NOTE]
The Tower produces many killers.
It produces few witnesses.
You endured without losing purpose.
That is rare.
Another window slid in, smaller than the rest.
[SPONSORSHIP OFFER — PASSIVE]
Tier: Low → Ascending
Status: Optional
Potential Effects (If Accepted):
• Reduced mental degradation during prolonged missions
• Enhanced clarity under isolation and deception
• Minor reward amplification for intelligence-based clears
Restriction:
• No enhancement to direct combat
• No intervention during lethal outcomes
Final line:
I do not save those who rush to die.
I walk with those who keep the light alive—
even when no one sees it.
The window waited.
No countdown.
No pressure.
Just a quiet offer.
Somewhere far above, Arthur noticed the tag update and paused.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
Back in the room, Arjun stared at the status window.
Not shaking.
Not smiling.
Thinking.
The Tower said nothing.
It let the choice sit—
exactly where it belonged.