I didn't go home straight away.
After the Glimwraith, I needed air. Noise. Something normal.
So I sat on a bench outside the corner bodega, sipped lukewarm instant coffee, and tried not to freak out about the fact that my reflection no longer matched my movements.
It was off. By a half-second.
Only when I blinked.
Only when I wasn't looking directly.
---
> [SYSTEM ALERT: CLASS EVOLUTION AVAILABLE]
[REQUIREMENTS MET: 2 Hidden Eliminations + Veilbond Formed + Arsenal Sync Achieved]
[Would you like to begin Class Path Selection? Y/N]
I hesitated.
Because once I hit yes… I didn't think I could go back.
But the thing in the mirror? It blinked again. Late. Delayed.
And smiled.
> [Y]
---
The world dropped into grayscale.
My surroundings froze. The sky. The wind. The people. Even the System interface dimmed into a deeper hue—like I'd stepped behind the code.
> [WARDEN OF THE VEIL – ROOT CLASS EVOLUTION INITIATED]
[Choose Your Path:]
Three glowing sigils unfolded before me, each carved into a floating stone.
Each one pulsed like a heartbeat. Each one felt like a question I didn't understand.
---
> [1] PHANTOM JUDGE
"Become the shadow that sees all. Specializes in stealth, silence, and sudden execution. Can mark targets from great distances. Gains access to 'Phantom Trails' and 'Silent Verdict.'"
> [2] BLADE ARCHIVE
"Store and manifest the memory of every enemy you slay. Arsenal becomes an evolving library. Each kill unlocks new weapon forms and abilities. Gains access to 'Weapon Echo' and 'Memory Bind.'"
> [3] NULLWALKER
"Embrace the glitch. Become a system anomaly. Sacrifice consistency for overwhelming bursts of forbidden power. Gains access to 'Crash Step' and 'Reality Skip.' Warning: Stability Risk High."
---
Each one burned with a different kind of promise.
The Phantom was clean. Focused. Silent power.
The Nullwalker was chaos. Potential beyond reason. But dangerous.
But the second one—Blade Archive—spoke to something deeper.
The idea of turning everything I kill into something I can use.
A way to never forget. A way to never be defenseless again.
> [CLASS SELECTED: BLADE ARCHIVE]
[New Subclass: "Warden – Archive Protocol"]
[Arsenal Expansion Enabled.]
---
The sigils vanished. Time resumed.
And my blade—
It changed.
The Nullblade, once pure glitch and static, now shimmered with rotating glyphs. Three ghostly weapon silhouettes flickered behind it—the echo of every monster I'd killed.
> [Arsenal Module: Memory Slots – 3/3 Active]
[Stored Forms:]
— Flesh Render (Type: Close-Range, Ripper Claws)
— Faceless Thread (Type: Wire, Illusion Disruptor)
— Mirror Spike (Type: Throwing, Reflective Anchor)
> [Skill Unlocked: Memory Bind (Lv. 1)]
Bind to a slain enemy's trait for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
> [Warning: Arsenal is Sentient. Syncing… 17%.]
Sentient?
Before I could question that, the System interface flickered—something tore through the connection like a bad signal.
> [UNKNOWN SIGNAL INTRUSION DETECTED.]
[ERROR: SYSTEM VOICE OVERRIDE…]
And then I heard it.
A voice.
Low. Metallic. Calm.
Not the cold neutrality of the normal System.
This one sounded… amused.
"You weren't supposed to choose that path, Kai."
---
I staggered up, eyes wide.
The world was spinning. My blade vibrated. Reflections nearby trembled.
Lena's voice crackled through the Veilbond, panicked. "Kai—! I felt that! Something just pinged the Core Layer! What the hell did you touch?!"
"I—I evolved," I muttered.
"No," she said, voice deadly serious.
"You activated something watching from beyond."
---
> [New Quest: Trace the Signal]
[Location Pinged: Unknown Archive Below Crestwood High]
[Status: Restricted. Warden Class Required. Arsenal Sync ≥ 20%.]
[Objective: Find the Observer.]
[Reward: ???]
[Penalty: Observer Will Find You.]