The morning after the battle smelled like ash and dew.
Mist curled above the dying embers of their campfire, drifting through shafts of sunlight that filtered down from the canopy. The forest was calm again — too calm — and Aiden hated it.
He sat beside the stream, splashing cold water on his face. His reflection rippled — a stranger's face stared back at him: pale, tired eyes, dirt smeared across his cheek, and a faint shimmer beneath his skin where the Devour Echo had activated last night.
That wasn't just luck, he thought. That was… something else.
> [System Notice: Skill "Devour Echo" — Stable.]
[Integration: 17%.]
[Note: Prolonged use may cause structural instability.]
"Yeah, that's comforting," he muttered. "Maybe next time, warn me before I almost explode."
Behind him, Lyria was packing the last of their supplies into her worn satchel. Her silver hair caught the morning light, and for a brief second, she didn't look like a battle-worn wanderer — just… human. Fragile, even.
Aiden turned. "You didn't sleep."
She didn't look up. "Neither did you."
"Touché."
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the trickle of the stream. Then Lyria said, "That sound from last night. The pulse you heard — it followed you, didn't it?"
He hesitated. "…Yeah."
She tightened the strap of her satchel. "Then you're not safe anywhere. If the Core marked you, the Hunters will sense it soon."
"Right. You mentioned them before." He frowned. "Who exactly are they?"
Lyria's expression darkened. "Once, they were protectors — knights sworn to guard humanity from corrupted dungeons. But power twisted them. Now they hunt anything touched by the gods' code: monsters, spirits… and people like you."
"People like me," Aiden repeated. "You mean, system users."
"Or anomalies," she said flatly.
He tried to laugh it off. "Guess I should've read the fine print before reincarnating."
> [System Tip: You didn't read any terms and conditions.]
[Warning: You are being hunted.]
"Gee, thanks, that helps," Aiden grumbled, earning a faint smirk from Lyria — the first one he'd seen on her face.
It was gone a heartbeat later.
---
They set out before noon, following an old hunter's trail winding through the forest. The air grew warmer as they descended, the thick scent of moss and iron hanging heavy. Occasionally, Lyria would stop to mark symbols on nearby trees — faint sigils that glowed before fading.
"What are those?" Aiden asked.
"Wards," she said. "Old magic. Keeps beasts away."
"Does it work on Hunters?"
"No." She glanced back, eyes narrowing. "But it might buy us a few seconds."
Her words weren't comforting — but her tone was calm, practiced. Like someone who'd spent her whole life surviving on borrowed time.
---
By midday, they reached the valley's edge. The ruins below looked even more desolate in daylight: broken towers wrapped in vines, a collapsed bridge stretching over a mist-filled gorge, and — in the distance — black smoke rising from a cluster of tents.
Lyria's jaw tensed. "That's them."
Aiden crouched beside her. "So… what's the plan?"
"Stay low. Don't speak. And for the love of the gods, don't use your System."
He blinked. "But what if they—"
She pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh."
Her eyes weren't just serious — they were pleading.
Something about that made his chest tighten.
> [Emotional Analysis: Companion stress level: 83%.]
[Suggestion: Offer reassurance. Do not flirt.]
Aiden rolled his eyes. "Hey," he whispered, ignoring the System. "I trust you."
Lyria looked at him — really looked at him — and for a moment, her icy composure cracked. She nodded once, then moved ahead.
---
They crept through the ruins, the faint clang of distant armor echoing through the broken halls. Statues of winged figures loomed over them, their faces eroded by time. Aiden's every step felt too loud.
At one point, he caught a glimpse of the Hunters through a shattered wall — men and women in dark steel armor, faces hidden behind visors engraved with holy runes. Their movements were mechanical, their voices distorted by enchantment.
"Keep your scanners up," one said. "The Core's energy signature was detected here. It's moving."
Aiden's blood went cold.
They were tracking him.
---
Lyria signaled him to move through the archway. But as they slipped past, Aiden's foot caught on a loose stone. It clattered against the wall — clink.
Every head turned.
"Someone's there!"
> [System Alert: Detection level — 89%. Engaging concealment protocol.]
[Error: Insufficient mana.]
"Oh, come on!" Aiden hissed.
Lyria grabbed his wrist. "Run!"
They darted through the ruins, boots pounding against ancient stone. Arrows whistled past, striking pillars and scattering dust. The Hunters' voices echoed closer.
"Split up! Don't let them escape!"
Aiden's lungs burned as they rounded a corner — only to find a dead end.
Lyria cursed under her breath. "No way out."
"Wait—what about the stream tunnel?" Aiden pointed to a narrow crack in the wall, half-submerged in water.
She stared. "You'll never fit—"
"I'm smaller than I look. Go!"
Without waiting, he plunged in, cold water rushing over his legs. The tunnel was tight and dark, but he forced himself through. Behind him, he heard shouts, then the clash of steel — and Lyria's voice, chanting something sharp and ancient.
He hesitated. "Lyria!"
> [System Warning: Companion life signs unstable.]
[Directive: Retreat or assist.]
He clenched his fists. "Not leaving her."
---
The tunnel opened into a hidden chamber — a circular room lined with faintly glowing runes. He didn't have time to admire it. Lyria stumbled through seconds later, clutching her arm, blood seeping through her sleeve.
"Hey—hey, stay with me." Aiden tore off part of his cloak and pressed it against the wound.
She winced but didn't pull away. "You're… reckless."
"Says the girl who fought five armored zealots."
Her lips twitched. "Four. One ran."
> [System Observation: Possible mutual admiration detected.]
[Suggestion: Increase bonding level.]
Aiden ignored it, focusing on the wound. It wasn't deep, but it burned with faint silver light.
"That's not normal," he muttered. "They're using magic weapons?"
"Divine steel," she said weakly. "It burns anything touched by a Core."
"You mean—me."
Her silence said yes.
---
The air in the chamber shifted. The runes on the wall began to hum, responding to their presence. Aiden felt a familiar vibration in his chest — the same pulse from the dungeon.
Thump… thump… thump.
> [System Notice: Core Resonance Detected.]
[Subroutine awakening…]
[Accessing locked memory fragment.]
"What's happening?" Lyria asked, alarmed.
"I don't—" His words cut off as the floor rippled beneath them. Energy flared, symbols aligning like a circuit coming alive. The walls blazed with light.
Suddenly, a voice echoed — not the soft whisper from before, but something colder, ancient.
> "Protocol confirmed. Subject A-001 — Reinstatement authorized."
A projection formed in front of them — a holographic figure of light shaped like a woman, her face obscured by static. She looked directly at Aiden.
> "Welcome back, Administrator."
Lyria froze. "Administrator?"
Aiden blinked. "Wait. What?"
> [System Override Engaged.]
[Rewriting permissions…]
[New Title Unlocked: System Administrator (Fragmented).]
A rush of power surged through him — too much, too fast. His body trembled as blue lines of energy crawled beneath his skin.
Lyria stumbled back. "Aiden—!"
He dropped to one knee, gasping. Images flooded his mind again — worlds collapsing, gods screaming, systems shattering. And through it all, one truth began to surface.
He wasn't supposed to have a System.
He was the System.
---
When he came to, the chamber was quiet again. The runes had dimmed, the projection vanished. Lyria sat beside him, pale but alive.
"Don't ever do that again," she whispered.
He gave a shaky smile. "Trust me, not planning on it."
But deep down, a question burned.
> [System Message: Title confirmed — "Administrator (Fragmented)."]
[Memory recovery progress: 3%.]
[Next phase unlocking upon Core synchronization.]
He stared at the flickering text only he could see.
If this was real, then everything — his rebirth, the broken code, the voice in the dungeon — was part of something far larger.
And somewhere in the ruins above them, the Hunters were regrouping.
Their leader raised a crimson-bladed spear toward the horizon.
"The Core has awakened," he said. "Find the vessel. Bring me the Administrator."
---