I didn't go to school the next day.
Not because I was afraid—I was. Not because I was traumatized—yeah, that too.
But mostly because the System wouldn't shut the hell up.
> [You have 1 unassigned skill point.]
[Judgment Glare (Lv. 1) – 3s duration, 10 MP, 15s cooldown.]
[Upgrade available.]
[Alert: Hidden Presence Detected. Track Now? Y/N]
Every time I blinked, something flickered in the corner of my vision.
Health bars above pigeons. Name tags on rats.
Random passersby labeled as [CIVILIAN], while one woman walking her dog had a faint orange shimmer over her.
I didn't know what that meant yet.
Didn't want to.
---
I was holed up in my room, blackout curtains drawn, laptop untouched, hoodie up, phone off. Just me and the endless scroll of System prompts.
And the blade.
It was leaning against the wall, right next to my bed—still made of that glitching, digital static, like a weapon caught between existence and a memory.
When I looked at it, it looked back.
> [Warden's Arsenal – Phase One Bound]
[Name: NULLBLADE (Unnamed)]
[Attribute: Perception-Linked Projection]
[Upgrade Cost: 1 Kill – Category: Hidden]
I hadn't named it. Hadn't even touched it again.
I should've tossed it. Should've called someone.
But what would I even say?
"Hi, I saw a man turn into meat spaghetti and then killed him with a lightsaber made of data. Also, my eyes glow now?"
---
There was a knock at my door.
My breath caught. Instinct screamed.
> [Veil Sensor: Passive Pulse – Engaged]
[No Threat Detected.]
[Name: Sara Nakamura]
[Relation: Adoptive Sister]
I let out a shaky breath and stood, opening the door just enough to see her worried face.
"Kai," she said, frowning, "You didn't show for breakfast. Or school. You good?"
No. Not even close.
"Yeah," I lied. "Just… headache."
"You never miss class."
"I do now."
She studied me, her expression softening. She looked so normal. Brown eyes, messy ponytail, coffee mug in hand. But I could see it now—
A faint green glow behind her name tag.
Not orange. Not red.
Safe?
I didn't ask. I just closed the door again.
---
Later that night, I left the house.
I needed to know if it had been real. If I was losing it. If there were others.
The System guided me.
Not with a voice, but with subtle nudges. A flicker of static on a streetlamp. A directional pulse in the corner of my eye.
Until I found him.
> [Entity Identified: Hungry Type – Faceless Feeder]
[Threat Level: D]
[Status: Dormant Disguise]
[Name in disguise: "Mr. Alcott – Night Clerk"]
He was working the register at a 24-hour convenience store.
Polite. Smiling. Breathing.
But not human.
The System didn't ask this time.
> [Objective: Eliminate Hidden Threat]
[Reward: Skill Point + Arsenal Unlock]
[Penalty for Refusal: Sanction Imminent]
My stomach twisted. I stepped inside.
The doorbell chimed like a funeral bell.
---
The thing behind the counter tilted its head.
"Can I help you, kid?"
I activated Judgment Glare.
Its face rippled. The human skin dissolved like smoke. What stared at me was a mask with no mouth, dozens of small slits moving where eyes should've been.
> [JUDGMENT GLARE SUCCESSFUL]
[HIDDEN STATUS: EXPOSED]
I summoned the blade.
And this time, it sang as it formed—like metal remembering its name.
The Faceless Feeder hissed, and the lights went out.
---
I didn't scream. I didn't hesitate.
I fought like the System wanted me to.
Like it needed me to.
When the blade plunged through the thing's chest, it didn't bleed.
It glitched out of existence.
> [Target Eliminated.]
[EXP Gained: +65]
[Skill Point +1 Earned.]
[Arsenal Upgrade Unlocked.]
---
I walked out of the store at 2:31 a.m., bloodless but shaking.
Behind me, the entire building faded—like it had never been there.
The System buzzed again, cold and constant in my head.
> [The Veil is Thinning.]
[More Will Come.]
[Prepare.]