The walk from the daycare was short, but every meter felt like a tactical maneuver. Andrew's Spatial Awareness, a passive trait that should have stayed within the digital confines of Mythos Online, was screaming. The world felt different—sharper. He could feel the vibration of the sedan's engine through the soles of his shoes, a low-frequency hum that signaled intent.
"Uncle Andy, can we get ice cream?" Min-ho asked, oblivious to the wolf in the black car trailing them at a crawl.
"Maybe later, Min-ho. We need to get home and—"
Andrew stiffened. His [King's Hindsight] didn't just work for game lore; it worked for the patterns of his enemies. In his past life, the Iron Fang Guild was notorious for "Unfortunate Accidents" involving the families of players who refused to join them.
The sedan accelerated. It wasn't a slow crawl anymore. It was a predatory lunge.
They aren't just watching, Andrew realized. They're testing me.
The car swerved toward the curb, aiming for a massive puddle that would drench them—or worse, aiming to clip Andrew just enough to "warn" him. At the same moment, a distracted delivery biker veered onto the sidewalk from the opposite direction, swerving to avoid the sedan.
Min-ho was right in the trajectory of the bike.
In the old world, Andrew would have screamed and lunged, likely failing to save the boy from a nasty spill or a broken bone.
The First Real-World Manifestation
Andrew didn't scream. His vision tinted blue.
[Reality Points Detected: 15]
[Activating Limited Skill Manifestation: Phase Step (1% Output)]
The world slowed. The raindrops hanging in the air seemed to turn into glass beads. Andrew's muscles coiled with a density that defied human biology.
He didn't just move; he flickered.
To any witness, it looked like a blur. Andrew scooped Min-ho into his arms and moved three meters in the blink of an eye. The delivery bike hissed past, the rider's eyes wide with confusion as he banked into the space where the boy had been a millisecond before.
CRASH.
The sedan didn't stop. It hit the curb, blowing a tire with a loud bang before swerving back onto the road and speeding off.
"Whoa..." Min-ho blinked, his hair ruffled by the wind of Andrew's movement. "Uncle, how did we get over here?"
Andrew set the boy down, his heart hammering against his ribs—not from fear, but from the raw energy coursing through his veins. His hoodie sleeve was slightly scorched from the friction of the movement.
"I told you, Min-ho," Andrew said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "I'm getting stronger."
The Cost of Protection
Back inside the safety of their apartment, Andrew locked the door with three separate deadbolts. He checked his reflection in the hallway mirror.
[Warning: Physical Strain Detected]
[Current Sync Rate: 5.2%]
Small capillaries in his eyes had burst, making them appear bloodshot and fierce. His hands were shaking, not from weakness, but from an excess of power his current "human" frame couldn't fully contain.
I need more Reality Points, he thought, staring at the VR capsule. Iron Fang is already moving in the physical world. If they realize I can manifest skills here, they won't just send a scout. They'll send a hit squad.
He checked his phone. A message from an unknown number sat on the screen.
Unknown: "Nice move on the sidewalk, 'Paladin'. You have a rare talent for a Level 5. The Iron Fang Guild doesn't like being ignored. See you at the First Raid."
Andrew deleted the message. He didn't feel fear; he felt a cold, surgical focus. He walked over to Min-ho, who was already distracted by his coloring books.
"Min-ho, I have to go back into the 'big egg' for a while," Andrew said, kneeling to look the boy in the eye. "If anyone knocks, or if you see that black car again, you press the red button on the phone I gave you, okay?"
"Okay, Uncle Andy. Are you going to get more super strength?"
"I'm going to make sure no one ever bothers us again."
Re-Entry
Andrew climbed back into the capsule. The ozone scent was now a comfort.
"Link Start."
The transition was instant. He appeared back in the Gray Woods, exactly where he had logged out. The forest was darker now, the moon of Mythos rising in a sky filled with two moons—one silver, one blood-red.
[Welcome back, Paladin.]
[Your 'Soot-Stained Rubbish' is humming with hunger.]
[Hidden Quest: The Blood of the First Guardian - Progress: 105/1,000]
"You want blood?" Andrew gripped the hilt, and a blade of translucent, spatial energy flickered into existence for the first time, extending from the rusted stump. "Then let's go find the wolves that wear human skin."
He wasn't just hunting for levels anymore. He was hunting for the currency of survival.