Gara stared at the leader of the Red Point Gang—Lock.
His crimson hair gleamed under the filtered light of the cloud-filled sky, and his golden eyes held a smug, performative gleam. His Story name was [Red Point], a borrowed tale from a C Ranker, which made Lock an E Ranker riding the coattails of stronger power. Nothing impressive. Nothing that should've been a real threat.
Gara knew—if he went all out, he could beat him. No doubt about it.
But he didn't.
Even though he wanted to help the people around him—free them from this petty gangster's hold—he held himself back. Not out of fear. Not because of Lock's gang or their numbers.
But because of Dante.
Lock had somehow weaseled his way into the good graces of an A Ranker—[Blue Sword]—a member of the Grey Rose Organization. That wasn't just any faction. Grey Rose controlled all of White Clouds and stood as one of the most powerful factions across the entire Story World.
Sure, Dante had connections with the top brass of Grey Rose. But connections weren't the same as membership. And leverage wasn't always protection, especially not if [Blue Sword] was itching for an excuse to move against Dante.
And Gara couldn't be that excuse.
Dante had given him more than just protection. He'd offered him shelter. Food. A room. A place to start his journey as a Player. He'd even made him a Story Guide—something rare, something earned.
Gara already felt the weight of that debt. Adding more to it by stirring trouble with Grey Rose?
No. He wouldn't let that happen.
Even if it meant letting Lock smile like he was untouchable.
Lock's smile widened, stretching with mock warmth as he stepped forward again.
"What? Not happy to see me?" he said, voice loud enough to reach the watching crowd. "You know that breaks my heart, right? C'mon now, Gara—why don't you introduce me to this new friend of yours?"
His gaze shifted from Gara to Leif, locking onto the blonde-haired young man with thinly veiled interest.
Leif met it without a flicker of emotion. His expression stayed blank, eyes cold and unreadable, like he was staring through Lock instead of at him. There was no flinch. No surprise. No acknowledgment of threat.
It annoyed Lock instantly.
He was [Red Point], an E Ranker—even if his power came from a Borrowed Story, that still meant something. It should've. His presence alone should've been enough to make someone like Leif, a measly F Ranker, hesitate—sweat a little, at least.
But nothing.
Leif stood there like he couldn't be bothered. Like he was the one who should be feared instead. That look—cool, disinterested, and entirely unfazed—lit something bitter in Lock's chest.
He already had to deal with other E Rankers treating him like a joke. They sneered behind his back, dismissing his Borrowed Story like it wasn't real power. And now even an F Ranked nobody dared to look down on him?
Gara—fine. He could tolerate that. They had history. They'd clashed before, and Lock still remembered the weight of [Root of All Things] firsthand. Even as an F Ranker, Gara was dangerous, and he had Dante—[Hiro Hunter]—backing him. An A Ranker with a reputation sharp enough to cut through most politics.
But Leif? Who was he?
Just some outsider. Not even from White Clouds.
A nobody who didn't know his place.
Gara let out a quiet sigh. He could already tell—Lock was irritated, more by Leif's attitude than anything else. And this… this wasn't going to be solved with words alone.
He raised a hand and pointed toward Leif, voice flat. "We're not friends. He's my client. Name's Leif, that's all I know. And don't talk to me like we're close."
Lock's smile twitched, teeth grinding behind his lips. The nerve. Even after all this time, even with Lock's higher rank, Gara still spoke to him like he was just some thug in the street.
He exhaled sharply, as if trying to let it go, and then lifted one hand toward Leif.
At the gesture, his gang began to move—red jackets forming a loose circle around the blonde-haired young man, boots thudding against the cloudstone path like a slow drumbeat.
Leif didn't flinch.
He watched them without blinking, eyes calm, cold.
Then he spoke. "What are you trying to do?"
Lock gave a theatrical shrug, his voice dripping with faux surprise. "Well, isn't it obvious? We're going to make an example out of you. You beat up one of ours, didn't you?"
Leif nodded, not even pretending to hide it. "I did."
He tilted his head slightly, gaze steady. "And I'd do it again if I had the chance."
A vein pulsed visibly on Lock's forehead as he took a heavy step forward—and with it, his aura exploded outward.
Borrowed or not, [Red Point] was still a Story, and Lock was still an E Ranker. That alone was enough to stir fear.
The crowd recoiled in unison. Most were F Rankers with weaker Borrowed Stories—barely worth mentioning in the face of even a mid-grade C Rank Story. Against Lock's rising pressure, they didn't stand a chance, and they knew it.
Then, with a flourish, Lock summoned his Story. The effect was instant—a crimson, hollow mark formed midair around him, glowing like an open wound before it pulsed outward in a blast of scarlet aura. It radiated aggression, unfocused and raw, just like the man it belonged to.
Even his own gang members edged back, unease crawling over their skin.
Across from him, Gara looked up, his jaw tightening. Frustration flickered in his eyes. "Hey. Why is your aura targeting me too?"
He hadn't summoned [Root of All Things] yet. Not because he couldn't—because he didn't want to. He was still hoping this could end without a fight. Still hoping he wouldn't have to drag Dante into this.
But that didn't mean he'd let himself be trampled.
Leif didn't move either. He stood still, arms at his side, face unreadable. Watching. It almost felt like he was waiting to see what Gara would choose—waiting to act after.
Lock spread his arms with a smirk, his voice coated in arrogance. "Well, you did speak to me in a tone I don't appreciate, my dear friend Gara. So how about this?"
He paused, savoring the moment.
"Apologize. And make your new friend apologize too."
He let the silence hang for effect before finishing, "I'm in a good mood tonight. I might even let you two walk away… without touching a single hair."
Gara's expression darkened at Lock's words. Insult didn't quite cover it—it was a slap layered on top of a long, exhausting day.
He was already in a foul mood. Earlier, he'd handed over three Green Cores to an old woman, a kind soul who barely scraped by. And yet, right in front of him, a Red Point Gang thug had snatched one of the cores from her trembling hands while she cried, pleading for its return.
Then came Leif, tight-lipped and cryptic, refusing to answer any of Gara's questions until they reached his room. That had grated on him too.
And now this?
Now he had to listen to Lock, of all people, threaten him and demand an apology?
No. Not today.
Gara's Story flared to life—[Root of All Things] making its presence known in an instant. An F Ranked aura surged out from behind him, not as a burst of violence, but as something deeper, older—alive. An illusory root formed in the air behind him, dark and pulsing with slow, quiet power.
Despite the rank difference, Lock flinched. It wasn't just the surprise—it was the pressure. Gara's aura crashed over Lock's like a rising tide swallowing a ripple. E Rank meant nothing in the face of the raw depth of an Original Story.
Especially not when that Original Story was one like [Root of All Things], a name whispered with respect even among Originals.
And Lock's? A borrowed scrap from a C Ranker.
In that moment, the difference between them was clear.
Lock stared at Gara, eyes burning with restrained fury. "What's the meaning of this, dear friend Gara?" he demanded, his voice tight.
"You started it first. I'm only playing along, dear friend Lock," Gara shot back with a bright smile curling his lips. It was fake, of course—but it was his kind of armor.
Gara didn't often wear his anger plainly. He smiled through it instead. Smiling kept his heart from boiling over, kept his focus sharp. Even now, in the middle of this standoff, it helped.
F Rank versus E Rank.
Two clashing tides of aura filled the air—one a piercing sea of crimson that radiated out from a single burning red point, the other a wild, growing ocean of living roots pulsing from the ghost of a sprout.
Original Story versus Borrowed Story.
The air between them shimmered with pressure. The crowd around them began to step back, recognition dawning in their eyes. This wasn't a brawl they could shout into, or a scene to leap into for screen time. This was a clash of power, and they were far too low in the ranks to risk getting caught in it.
Even the gang members started backing off. Their earlier bravado drained away as they watched Gara stand tall without so much as a tremble. They'd known he was strong, but now they were feeling it—how far above them he really was.
And then, just when the tension reached its peak, a quiet chuckle broke the silence.
All eyes turned. It came from Leif.
Gara blinked in surprise. Until now, he wasn't sure the gloomy blonde could even laugh. But there he was, lips curled in a grin so dry it cut.
"What's so funny?" Lock barked, furious.
"You…" Leif replied, his voice cold. "You're pathetic. An E Ranker, flinching from an F Ranker's aura?"
The words hit harder than a punch. Lock's face twisted, his pride fracturing in real time. Of all the insults flung at him today, this one dug the deepest.
Leif didn't back down.
He stepped forward, calm and unblinking, then unleashed his Story—an Inherited one.
[Lightning Dance].
Blue lightning crackled around him, arcs snapping through the air like whips as his F Rank aura surged outward in a sudden blast.
It overwhelmed the field in an instant.
Stronger even than Gara's [Root of All Things], Leif's presence crashed against Lock's Borrowed E Rank aura—and shattered it.
Lock stumbled back, his balance faltering, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
His thoughts spiraled as he stared at Leif in disbelief.
'This… This is impossible! How can an Inherited Story be this strong at F Rank?!'
His breath caught as realization crept in.
'The original… What rank was it before he inherited it? This has to be S Rank—no… maybe even higher!'
Leif looked at Lock—and grinned.
Somehow, that grin felt off to Gara. Strange, even. For all they'd spoken—barely an hour at best—Leif had always carried himself with a quiet, brooding presence. The kind of person who kept his cards close, never making a show of anything.
And yet, here he was. Putting on a show.
Leif pointed straight at Lock. "See? You did it again. Took a step back—afraid of an F Ranker's aura. First Gara, now me. How do you even call yourself an E Ranker?"
Lock's jaw tightened so hard it looked like his teeth might snap. He breathed in deep through flared nostrils, then spat back, "If it's a fight you want, I'll give you one."
Gara stepped forward and raised his hands. "No need. We can walk away from this."
Then, in a lower voice—meant only for Lock and Leif—he added, "But let's be real… If you lose to two F Rankers in public, that's going to be embarrassing. Bad for your gang's image."
He smiled slightly, voice calm. "How about this—we say we reached an agreement. You keep your face, we don't wreck your crew. Fair?"
Leif stayed silent, his expression unreadable. Lock, on the other hand, stared at Gara for a long, bitter second.
'Tsk… The blonde one's right,' he thought, frustration knotting in his chest. 'What a joke. I've been reduced to this—cutting deals with F Rankers just to save face.'
His gaze flicked briefly to the cracked aura still simmering in the air. 'If only I was a little stronger… Even at E Rank, I can't compare to someone with an Inherited Story. And Original? Forget it. Maybe it's time I made my own story. It's not too late.'
He shook his head lightly, pushing the thought away. Now wasn't the time to dwell.
Lock looked up and met Gara's eyes. After a short pause, he gave a curt nod.
Gara let out a quiet breath of relief and withdrew his aura. Lock followed suit, though the tension still hung in the air like smoke.
Leif was the last to pull his back.
The watching crowd leaned in, uncertain. They hadn't heard what had been said—just the clash of power, the sudden pullback. Whispers began to rise, but no one dared move.
Lock turned away, voice loud and sharp. "Good that you two have some common sense. I'll let it go—but just this once."
With that, he signaled his gang, not bothering to glance back as he strode away, determined to leave before the inevitable rumors caught up.
Gara, though, was immediately swarmed by the crowd. Some approached with concern—he was well-known in these streets, after all—while others praised his boldness, unable to believe an F Ranker had stood toe-to-toe with the leader of the Red Point Gang.
Leif, on the other hand, received a few curious attempts at conversation, but he brushed them off with little more than curt nods or silence. His aura of disinterest was enough to make most people back off.
Gara raised a hand, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, everyone. I'm tired and still have some things to take care of. But don't worry—I'll explain everything about what happened with the Red Point Gang boss tomorrow."
The crowd, mostly made up of locals who were familiar with him, respected his words. A few even helped part the sea of onlookers so he could pass through.
With Leif silently trailing behind, the two of them slipped away from the gathering and resumed their walk—back toward the Red Light Inn, and more specifically, to Leif's apartment.
...
The walk back to the apartment was wrapped in silence. Gara didn't say a word—not because he didn't want to, but because he knew Leif wouldn't answer until they arrived. And as much as it irked him, he decided to respect that boundary.
Leif, true to his quiet nature, walked a step ahead, his posture stiff and unreadable. He hadn't said anything since they'd left the scene, and his aura still held a faint edge of tension.
Gara, meanwhile, had a storm of questions brewing inside him. About the Story Leif used. About who he really was. About how he knew Gara's last name, and much more. But he swallowed his curiosity, just for now. He'd wait.
Eventually, they reached the Red Light Inn and took the elevator to Leif's apartment. The room, like its owner, was minimal and cold—walls dyed a deep crimson, lit dimly by a single hanging lamp. No decoration, no clutter. Just silence.
Gara walked in and plopped down on the lone black couch in the living room, elbows on knees. Leif leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed, gaze steady but silent. It was obvious he wasn't going to speak first.
With a sigh, Gara sat back and tried to collect his thoughts. He had waited the whole walk here—now was finally the time to get some answers.
'Alright… First, there's the matter of my last name and the Original Fragment—how does he even know about that?' Gara's brow furrowed as his thoughts started to unravel. 'Then there's his goal in entering the [Rashanz] Fragment… He wants to get hit by the FREAKING GOLDEN LIGHTNING!!! Seriously?'
He leaned back slightly, a long breath escaping him. 'I mean, sure, it's probably to power up his Story, [Lightning Dance]—the one he revealed earlier when we overwhelmed Lock…'
Gara's expression hardened. 'That Story though… It's Inherited sure, but whoever the original owner was… they must've been an absolute monster. The power it gave off? No way that was from just any average Player. That thing had to be S Rank minimum. Maybe even SS. Actually, it might even be higher than that.'
He rubbed his temples and shook his head lightly. 'Not the time to get sidetracked.'
'What bugs me most is why he wants my help getting to the Mountain of Lightning. If he's going into the real [Rashanz] Fragment, why not just hire a Story Guard? There's tons of professionals who'd take the job.'
'And yet… he asked for me. Specifically me. Why?'
Gara's eyes narrowed slightly. 'And what's with the D Rank Ticket to the Final Express? Why offer that as a reward? How did he even get his hands on something that rare to begin with?'
He sighed once more, deeper this time. 'No use spinning my wheels here. I'll just have to ask and get the answers straight from him.'
Gara cleared his throat before speaking, "Ahm, so… what's the deal with that Inherited Story? Is that why you want to head into the [Rashanz] Fragment… and, you know, get hit by the Golden Lightning?"
Leif simply nodded, as if risking a strike from legendary Golden Lightning was perfectly normal. He'd basically admitted he was willing to get blasted by literal lightning—one born from an SS Ranked Fragment—despite only being an F Ranker.
But beyond the nod, Leif stayed silent, waiting again. Gara's patience started to wear thin, so he shook his head and pressed, "Alright, can you maybe explain a bit more?"
Leif nodded once more. "I inherited the Story from my late father. It's called [Lightning Dance], the one I showed earlier during our little scuffle with that idiot." He pulled out a piece of chocolate, took a bite, savored it for a moment, then continued.
"My father's Story was originally SSS Ranked. Because of how Inherited Stories work, it got capped at F when I took it. But being originally SSS means it's still way stronger than most F Rank Stories out there."
Gara nodded, already knowing that but not minding the explanation. Leif went on, "To improve it quickly—especially since I'm already at the peak of F Rank—I plan to get hit by the Golden Lightning inside the [Rashanz] Fragment."
Gara raised a finger. "Okay, I get wanting to improve your Story, and even risking getting struck by lightning—that's insane enough. But what I don't get is… how do you expect to survive getting hit by Golden Lightning inside an SS Ranked Fragment like [Rashanz]?"
Leif summoned something seemingly out of thin air—a small golden pill. He showed it to Gara and explained, "This pill will protect me. It helps absorb the lightning instead of letting it kill me." Then, in the next instant, he summoned another pill, this one blue.
"And this one ensures I won't get hit by any lightning except the Golden one. I've got ones for you too—so you can survive the deadly Mountain of Lightning."
Gara stared at the pills for a long moment, then asked, "Before I get to why you want me specifically, instead of hiring someone more qualified like a Story Guard… are you sure these pills actually work? And where'd you get them, if you don't mind me asking?"
Leif shrugged and countered, "Isn't your job just to guide others?"
"True, but this situation involves my life… so it's kind of important that I trust these things actually work," Gara replied firmly.
Leif studied him for a moment, his gaze steady, then spoke again. "Makes sense. To explain how I got these pills and why I believe they work, I first need to tell you how I know your last name and your Original Fragment… and, more importantly, why I chose you out of every single person in the entire Story World."
Gara took a deep breath, bracing himself. This was the truth he'd been chasing ever since Dante mentioned Leif.
Leif began, "My Clan was wiped out by a rival Clan… I won't get into the details, but the point is, I was saved by someone. That same person chose me as his Champion and told me about you—about your last name and your Original Fragment."
Gara's heart thundered in his chest as he stared at Leif, disbelief flooding him. Inside, his mind raced, piecing it together. Is it him? The [First One Out]? It has to be. The [Kid Who Never Grew Up] is… well, still a kid. But the [First One Out]… he's the only one who could know these secrets about me. So it must be him, right?
Leif continued calmly, "He also told me that, just like me, you're a chosen Champion—not his Champion, though, since I already fill that role. No, the person who chose you as his Champion is none other than the [First One Out]."
Gara stared at Leif, confusion clouding his mind. If the person who saved Leif and revealed these secrets wasn't the [First One Out], then who was he?
And the way this mysterious figure referenced the [First One Out]—treating him almost like an equal, since both chose Champions—only deepened Gara's bewilderment.
After all, as far as Gara knew, the [First One Out] was supposed to be the strongest being in the Story World. No one even came close. The second strongest he'd heard of, the [Kid Who Never Grew Up], was nothing more than an ant compared to him.
Unable to hold back any longer, Gara cut in sharply, "Who is this someone? Does he have a Story Name? Or did he at least tell you his real name or something?"
Leif nodded slowly. "He did tell me his Story Name, but not his real one. The problem is… even if I told you the name, you wouldn't understand it."
"What? What do you mean I wouldn't understand?" Gara blinked, perplexed. "It's just a name, right? At least tell me the name first, we can figure out how to understand it later."
Leif locked eyes with Gara for a moment, then sighed deeply and said, "Alright… prepare to be mindblown."
Gara scoffed, unconvinced that a mere name could have that effect. But what he heard next… well, it did exactly that.
Leif opened his mouth, then said carefully, "His Story name is the {████████ ███}."
"Huh? Wait… What did you just say? I—I heard it, but… I can't understand it. It's like… the Story System blocked it. It… What? No… No way, right? The Story System actually blocked a freaking Story Name? Why? How?" Gara immediately slipped into panic mode.
This was something he had never encountered before. No Story had ever been blocked by the Story System—not even the [First One Out]'s Story Name, which was forgotten by almost everyone in the Story World for reasons Gara did not know.
Yet, even though it was forgotten, it was never blocked. People could say it, hear it, and understand it normally. But this one… it was different. It was as if he heard words, and yet didn't hear them at the same time.
It was hard to explain, but the bottom line was that he couldn't comprehend the Story Name, just as Leif had warned.
Gara stared at the blonde-haired young man, confusion and fear swirling in his eyes. The more Leif spoke, the more Gara felt like he was being pulled into something massive—something vast and beyond what an F Ranker like himself was prepared to face.
"This… how? You… you say you understand it?" Gara asked, unsure.
Leif nodded calmly. "Yeah, I can. He said I'm among the very few who can hear and truly understand his name. As for why I can… it's because I'm meant to be his Champion and Representative inside the Story World."
Gara raised a hand to stop him. "Give me a minute."
He needed time to process everything—especially the fact that the Story System had just blocked a Story Name. That was unprecedented.
The one responsible for maintaining and overseeing the Story System was known as the All Seeing Eye.
Readers who came from the Reader World often described it as a highly advanced AI running the laws of the Story World like a vast, self-correcting program. But if it was a program… then someone had to code it, right?
That, however, was a question very few dared to think about—let alone ask.
Gara shook his head, pushing the thought aside. The All Seeing Eye wasn't the real mystery here. Not right now.
The true mystery was the identity of the person who had saved Leif… and chosen him as a Champion.
'Champion, though? What does that even mean? And if I'm supposedly the [First One Out]'s Champion… are there others like us? Do all these mysterious figures have Champions too?'
He frowned slightly, the gears in his head turning.
'And what are we even competing for? Is it a competition at all? Because Leif doesn't seem hostile—if anything, it feels like he's trying to ally with me. He picked me specifically to guide him to the Mountain of Lightning, and he's offering a reward too—a D Ranked Ticket to the Final Express. That's not something you give to a rival...'
—End of Chapter.
-------
[Blue Trade Record – Messaging Interface]
Gara: So... Can you like drop his name here? C'mon, please please???
Leif: Sure, here you go, {████████ ███}.
Gara: You know that's not what I meant when I asked... Tsk!
Leif: You can always try to guess it, the words are blocked, but the meaning is there. Give it a shot.
Gara: Well... Ummmm... I don't know, I'm not good at this stuff, maybe one of the Readers will get it right.
Leif: I doubt that, but they can try for sure.
Cyberpunkreader255: You just watch as I guess it and ruin your whole mystery thing, muhahahaha!!!
Leif: Gara, did you allow him into our PRIVATE chat just to say that?
Gara left the chat.
Leif: Return here you traitor!!!!