The quest Kael picked from the board was simple—on paper. A Bronze-Rank extermination mission: clear out a nest of bladebeaks, vicious crow-like monsters that nested in the abandoned Syric Woods just outside Loria. Low pay. Low danger. But perfect for someone trying to stay unnoticed.
He left at dawn, slipping past the city's edge under a gray sky. The Syric Woods were nothing like the tales. Instead of tranquil trees and chirping birds, they were thick, sickly, and silent. Mist coiled around the roots like it had been waiting for him.
Kael's fingers tightened around the scythe's shaft. As soon as he stepped past the last marker stone, the system whispered to him.
<< Area: Syric Woods - Corrupted Zone >>
Corruption Level: 17%
Warning: Enhanced monster aggression detected.
<< Quest Objective: Eliminate Bladebeak Nest (0/6) >>
He activated Soul Sense. A faint glow shimmered through the trees—six heat signatures, clustered ahead.
Then something else caught his attention. Another signature. Humanoid. Moving fast.
A clash of metal and feathers echoed through the trees.
Kael crept closer.
In a small clearing, a girl stood surrounded by three bladebeaks. Her long black hair whipped as she danced between them, striking with a twin-sword style he didn't recognize. Her moves were fluid but desperate—one of the bladebeaks clipped her leg, and she stumbled.
Without thinking, Kael moved.
Shadow surged beneath his feet as he activated Soul Rend for the first time. His scythe screamed through the air and cleaved one bird in half. The others turned too late—he ducked under a beak swipe and drove the staff-end into the chest of another, flipping it over.
The girl blinked at him in shock.
"You're… Bronze rank?" she asked, wiping blood from her cheek.
"First quest," he said.
She gave him a skeptical look. "You don't move like a beginner."
Kael didn't answer. He turned away and activated Necrotic Pull—yanking the last bladebeak toward him with an invisible force, then spun and severed its head clean.
<< Objective Complete >>
+60 Soul Fragments
New Skill Unlocked: [Deathmarked]
His scythe pulsed, glowing faintly. The girl was still staring.
"I'm Seris," she said. "Silver rank. Noble house. I don't owe you anything."
Kael shrugged. "Didn't ask."
She opened her mouth to retort, then stopped. "Wait… your scythe—it's not standard guild-issue. Where did you get that?"
Kael's grip tightened.
"Family heirloom," he lied quickly.
Before she could press further, another voice called out through the trees.
"Seris! You still alive or flirting with woodland strangers again?"
A tall boy with red armor and a curved greatsword stepped into view. His blonde hair looked sculpted. His eyes narrowed when he saw Kael.
"Who's this?" he asked coldly.
Kael said nothing.
"Just someone who saved me," Seris replied.
The boy scoffed. "You need saving now? Pathetic."
Seris shot him a glare. "Go polish your ego somewhere else, Lyon."
Kael's system flashed again.
<< Hidden Objective Triggered >>
New Quest: Observe Rival - Lyon Raithe
Reward: ????
Kael's eyes narrowed. The system was never random. This "Lyon" mattered. Somehow.
He turned to leave. "Thanks for the company. I've got a report to file."
Seris called after him, "Wait. You never gave your name."
He paused at the tree line, shadows flickering around his cloak.
"Kael," he said quietly.
Then he vanished into the mist.
Back at the guild, Kael cashed in his quest and quietly earned his second soul-tier skill. But his mind wasn't at rest.
Someone had corrupted the Syric Woods—and that meant necromantic energy. The beasts had black veins in their bones. He'd seen that before.
Not only was the system evolving faster than he expected, but now he was being observed, not just by monsters or mages—but by fate itself.
Kael stared at his reflection in a shattered window that night, scythe leaning beside him. One by one, he unlocked the interface again.
<< CLASS TREE ACCESS GRANTED >>
Next Tier Available: Shadow Reaper, Bone Warden, Fated Harvester
Requirement: Choose at Level 5
Current Level: 3
He wasn't ready to choose yet.
But when the time came, he would. And the world would remember the name Kael—not as a villain, not as a monster.
But as the Reaper who chose his own fate.