[14TH Everdusk 2103]
While the guild executives swarmed around students with Combat and Support classes like vultures sensing fresh prey, Lucas and Lyre kept their distance—untouchable, either by power or reputation.
Me? I hadn't been approached by anyone.
And honestly? I preferred it that way.
I wasn't here to play their game.
Seizing the moment, I slipped toward Miriam, who was already busy fending off recruiters desperately trying to snatch up the girl who had awakened the Paladin class. He'd just dismissed the fifth one when I stepped beside him.
"Excuse me, sir. May I use the restroom?" I asked plainly.
He shot me a glare as if I had asked to blow up the building.
"Have you lost your damn mind, boy? Can't you see I'm busy? Are you five, asking permission to pee?"
His bark drew snickers from nearby students and guild members, but I kept my expression calm.
"It's not that, sir. You instructed us not to wander off without informing you. I was simply following orders."
"…Yo—hah. Fine. Go. Just make it quick," he grumbled, waving me off like an annoying fly.
As I walked away, I had no idea I was under surveillance.
Two pairs of eyes watched me silently—Lucas and Lyre.
Both had sensed something off about me.
'I suspect he's trying to dodge the Association's ID registration,' Lucas mused, recalling a private conversation he'd had with Tess. 'But you can't avoid it forever, Evan.'
Lyre, on the other hand, didn't just watch.
She moved.
With a subtle whisper, she ordered one of her guild members to shadow me. The man nodded and melted into the crowd, following me at a distance.
'Try to run now, Evan,' Lyre thought, eyes narrowing. 'You won't escape. Whether you like it or not… you'll join my guild. I'll make sure of it.'
Meanwhile, unaware of the eyes on me, I made my way through the building's corridors and entered the restroom.
Inside, a few hunters were chatting and adjusting their gear. I ignored them, found an empty booth, and locked the door behind me.
Time to handle business.
I took a seat and opened my inventory, retrieving the one item I needed most right now—the mask.
But before I could inspect it, something unexpected happened.
As I accessed my system, a second interface appeared alongside the usual one.
Two systems.
The familiar Nexus Prime System—standard for everyone in this world.
And a second, far superior one: the Eternal Omni-verse System.
Just seeing the interface difference was enough to tell me: the Nexus Prime System was trash in comparison. A mere tutorial-level sandbox. The Eternal Omni-verse System? That thing was a god-tier toolkit for multiversal dominance.
At first, I had planned to lean on the Nexus Prime System, using the Eternal Omni-verse sparingly to avoid attracting attention.
But now…? That plan was dead.
[Nexus Prime System](Status)(Inventory)(Quest)
[Eternal Omni-verse System](Status)(Inventory)(Quest)(Shop)(Points)(Achievement Hall)(Leveling Systems)(Bond Systems)(Bind Systems)(Customization Panel)(Log/History)(Navigation System)(Scan)(Production Hall)(Armory Hall)(Weaponry Hall)⋯ ⋯ Click to open more
My eyes nearly popped out of my skull.
There was an entire section just for scanning, and when I tapped it, dozens of subpanels burst to life. Information flooded my screen—down to the molecular structure of the tiles beneath me. My clothes. The air humidity. Even the dust density.
I quickly shut the window before I got overwhelmed.
And that's when a prompt appeared:
{System Alert}The system has detected partial core damage. A full reboot and re-link with the main stream is required. The host is advised to use necessary functions immediately. The system will enter hibernation mode for several weeks.
My breath caught.
This wasn't a bug. It wasn't lag. This was the system warning me. If I didn't act now, I'd lose access to everything until it reactivated.
I needed to make this count.
First move?
Scan the mask.
Up until now, I'd only bonded with it accidentally in my previous life. I hadn't understood what I was dealing with back then. And when I'd tried to check it using the Nexus Prime System?
Junk.
[Nexus Prime System – Item Description]Name: ?????????????Grade: ?????? RankType: ???????? BondDescription: ????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Abilities:????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Completely useless.
So I turned to the Eternal Omni-verse System and activated Scan.
A new window opened.
{The system has detected a high-ranking item. Scan in progress. Due to system instability, results may be delayed.}
A few minutes passed.
Then the screen blinked and the data appeared.
What I saw?
It left me stunned.
[Item: Mask of Concealment]Grade:Ephemeral Rank (Upgradable)Type:Legendary Artifact (Growth-Type)Bond System:Soul-BoundStage: 1 – Veil of Shadows
Description:Forged from the essence of shadows and ancient arcane secrets, the Mask of Concealment is a legendary artifact that evolves with its bonded host. Its void-black surface shimmers with hidden runes, changing subtly as it grows in power. Only through soul-bond can its true form and abilities be unlocked.
Said to rival the strongest relics in all existence, the mask feeds off the user's experience and growth. It is the ultimate tool for deception, survival, and infiltration.
Abilities: ???????????
My hand trembled slightly.
I had been wearing this artifact. This relic. Without realizing just what it was.
It was like holding a nuclear warhead in my palm and thinking it was a toy.
Goosebumps crawled across my skin.
What else… what else had I missed?
And what secrets still lay hidden beneath the mask's surface?
—To be continued—
What did Evan truly uncover? What mysteries sleep within the Veil of Shadows? Tomorrow, the truth will begin to awaken… but only if you're ready. See you then.