Mossbridge wasn't much from a distance—just another quiet outpost nestled where swamp met stone—but up close, it bristled with the scars of survival.
Spiked palisades lined its borders. Magic ward-stones flickered faintly along the entryway, crackling with elemental residue. And beyond the wall, smoke curled from chimneys and torch sconces as armed civilians moved with purpose, not peace.
Ash walked behind Riven, noting every glance they drew.
"Friendly bunch," he muttered.
"They don't like outsiders," Riven replied. "And you look like a drowned noble who forgot how to swing a sword."
"That accurate?"
Riven grinned. "We'll find out soon enough."
They passed a blacksmith's stall, where a giant hammer sparked off a blade that glowed faintly blue. Across the way, a fruit vendor quietly counted copper as a tall, armored man tossed a corpse—something scaled and insectoid—off a cart and into a pit.
Ash's system chimed softly.
> [New Environment Scanned – Adventurer Settlement: Mossbridge]
[Population: 782]
[Magic Density: Moderate | Threat Level: Variable]
Note: 3 Awakened Presences detected nearby. Suppression advised.
They reached the heart of it: a wide plaza of cracked flagstones that sloped toward a building unlike the others. The Guild Hall was part war fortress, part inn, part bureaucratic nightmare. Its windows were shuttered with darksteel lattice. Banners hung overhead, weather-worn but proud—each marked with ranks, regions, or fallen names.
Ash felt something the moment they stepped through the archway.
A static prickle. Like someone had just spoken his name in a language the world forgot.
The doors opened inward with a low groan.
Noise spilled out—laughter, the clatter of mugs, arguments over contracts, and the groan of metal being dragged across wood. Sconces lit the walls with blue flame, illuminating boards filled with quests and skulls nailed beside failed ones.
Dozens of adventurers looked up.
Most looked away just as quickly.
But a few stared—like wolves scenting blood.
"Deep breath," Riven muttered. "Act like you belong."
Ash nodded once, matching the boy's pace and posture. Even though everything inside him was screaming this is insane, his face stayed still.
Poker face: neutral.
Internal voice: screaming.
The counter at the far end was elevated by two steps. Behind it stood a woman in partial armor that shimmered like obsidian silk. Her braid was silver, her shoulders broad, and her eyes…
Sharp. Like razors made of judgment.
"You're late," she said to Riven, not looking at Ash yet.
"Saved a guy. He fell from the sky."
She did look then.
A single glance.
And the system reacted instantly.
> [Magical Scan Detected – Grade B Scrying Passive Engaged]
[SYSTEM CLOAK ENGAGED. Origin: Masked.]
Hold still, keep eye contact…
"Name," she said flatly.
"Ash."
"Affiliation? Family?"
"…None."
"Huh." She tapped a floating rune slate. It pulsed with magic and rotated slowly in her palm.
Nothing. No kingdom crest. No mana signature. No soul thread linked to a world deity.
She raised an eyebrow. "He's blank."
"Blank?" Riven asked.
The woman gave him a sidelong glance. "It's rare. Happens with curse victims. Sometimes gods' castoffs. Doesn't mean he's safe."
Then, without breaking her stare, she slid a small blackwood token across the counter.
A flame sigil etched in silver.
"Temporary status: Probationary Adventurer. You'll need to pass a survival contract within the next three moons or you're revoked. Understood?"
Ash took the token. It was warm.
And then came the ping.
> [Guild Integration Complete – SYSTEM SYNC: 12%]
New Function: Combat Log Available
Trait Activated: Observer's Eye (Rank E)
> Weak Spot Analysis +8%
Critical Chance: Unlocked (Hidden Stat)
Behind him, someone entered.
Ash felt it before he heard it—like pressure on a wound he didn't know he had.
The system flared red.
> [Danger: Unknown Entity Detected]
[Class: ??? | Rank: ??? | System Ping Blocked]
[Do not engage.]
Ash turned just enough to see the figure in the door.
A red cloak. Hood pulled low. But under it, something looked at him. Not just saw him—studied him.
Then, without a word, the figure moved toward the stairwell and vanished beyond a locked door.
Riven blinked. "Weird guy."
Ash's voice stayed calm. "Yeah."
Inside, something cold settled in his stomach.
Whatever that was—it knew he didn't belong here.
---