Egon sat alone in the small office at the back of the Flower Garden, the door locked, the single mana-lantern turned low. Dawn had not yet broken. The city outside still slept under the fragile truce Hilga's victory had bought.
The system window hovered in front of him, invisible to anyone else.
[Quest Update: The Siege of Dolan — SUCCESS]
[Secret Objective: Mantle of the Hidden Architect — ACHIEVED]
[Reward: 5,000 Luck Points]
[New Title Available: The Shadow Behind the Throne]
[Current Luck Points: 5,000]
He stared at the number for a long moment.
Five thousand.
Enough to change everything.
He opened the Dimensional Merchant interface with a thought. The familiar black void unfolded, the faceless hooded figure appearing in its center like smoke given shape.
"Merchant," Egon said quietly.
The figure inclined its head. No voice came from its mouth; words simply appeared in Egon's mind, smooth and genderless.
