The rhythmic clatter of hooves against dirt blended with the gentle creaking of the carriage as it rumbled forward. The acrid scent of burnt wood and smoldering earth slowly faded into the background, replaced by the crisp, untouched air of the open road.
I leaned back, exhaling softly, allowing my body to relax—
[Ding!]
I barely stopped my eye from twitching.
Oh? The system finally decided to be punctual for once?
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Scenario Completed: "A Noble in Peril"]
You have successfully navigated a volatile situation through observation, deduction, and decisive action. Rather than relying on brute force, you chose the path of logic and resolution, proving that not all battles must end in bloodshed.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
I hummed.
Well, like I said, I only did what I thought was right.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Title Earned: The Perceptive Mediator]
You stand not as a participant in conflict, but as one who sees all sides. With careful observation and balanced judgment, you find solutions where others see only opposition. Your strength lies in understanding before acting.
- Some may call it diplomacy. You know it as clarity.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
Perceptive Mediator, huh?
I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or as the system subtly calling me a nosy peacekeeper.
Still, I didn't hate it. It perfectly suited my actions just now.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Achievement Unlocked: Threads of Fate Unraveled]
Where others see only isolated events, you perceive the intricate tapestry of cause and effect. Your actions reveal an understanding that each moment is but one thread in a greater narrative.
You have proven that one need not accept the story as written—sometimes the most powerful act is to question the narrative itself.
- To read between the lines is to discover the true story.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
My lips curled slightly.
...Are you encouraging me to rebel against fate or something?
[...]
Silence.
Right. Figured you'd stay quiet now.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Hidden Condition Achieved: Guardian of the Unborn]
You have chosen to see beyond the immediate chaos, recognizing the silent voices that could not plead for themselves. In sparing the Emberwing eggs from an unjust fate, you have preserved the fragile cycle of life.
- Not all battles are fought with swords.
- Not all victories are measured in corpses.
Reward Granted: Passive Skill [Echo of Life].
━━━◇◆◇━━━
I blinked.
A hidden condition?
I wasn't expecting a reward for simply doing what felt right. But the system seemed to have a way of assigning weight to my choices in ways I hadn't anticipated.
A passive skill, too. That meant it was always active, no energy required.
But before I could properly process it—
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Passive Skill Acquired: Observant Eye]
Your perception has sharpened beyond the ordinary. You now instinctively notice patterns and inconsistencies that escape others, allowing you to piece together the true nature of situations from seemingly disparate clues.
- Enhances visual capabilities: Improves eyesight clarity, peripheral awareness, night vision, and ocular reflexes.
- Occasionally grants a chance to detect lies and deception through subtle facial cues.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
Oh.
Oh, this was very good.
Sharper eyesight? Better reflexes? Night vision? And most importantly...
'The lie detection?'
Although, it wasn't a permanent effect, it was still insanely useful.
Immediately, my mind began racing with scenarios.
I could pick up on microexpressions in negotiations like some kind of high IQ mastermind. Track minute movements in battle like battle freaks. I may even have a chance to spot hidden enemies and especially notice things others probably wouldn't.
But I paused, quickly tempering my excitement.
It was a passive skill. Meaning it would work naturally, not something I could force.
If I wasn't careful, my brain could end up overwhelmed with too much information at once.
Better to test it first.
Rather than blindly relying on it in a critical moment, I needed to understand it. To know how it functioned, how to recognize when it was working, and—
[Ding!]
...Again?
━━━◇◆◇━━━
[Echo of Life]
The pulse of existence does not escape you. Even without sight or sound, you can feel the tremors of life within your surroundings.
- Detects lifeforms within a certain radius.
- The stronger the life force, the clearer the presence.
━━━◇◆◇━━━
I froze.
...Excuse me?
That wasn't just an ordinary perception skill—it was the life detection type.
This kind of skill was probably the best to confirm if someone was alive, unconscious, or dead.
But surely that's not all these skills can do right?
"..."
I stared at the glowing screen floating before me.
'Alright, let's give it a try, shall we.'
Then, with a flick of my thoughts, the windows disappeared into nothingness.
I took a deep breath and let it all out.
I then let my eyes flutter shut.
The world dimmed, the sounds softened, but nothing happened.
No sudden enlightenment scene or grand unveiling of hidden truths. There was just darkness behind my eyelids.
I frowned slightly but didn't let it disturb me.
I inhaled again - slow and deep.
....
Then, after a few moments—
Something changed.
It was subtle at first, like an unseen ripple across the surface of a still pond.
Then, like ink seeping into water, my awareness stretched outward.
I could feel faint pulses and gentle rhythms.
Slowly, a presence emerged in my mind—no, many presences, continously growing.
I wasn't hearing them. I wasn't seeing them. I just felt them.
A steady, powerful thrum ahead of me—they must be the horses. Their life force was strong and vibrant. The weight of their existence pressed against my awareness, undeniable, solid.
Beside me—the driver. His presence was calmer, steady like an old tree rooted deep into the earth.
On his other side was the maid. Her life presence was quieter and more delicate. It wasn't weak, but it often fluttered. She was probably still nervous.
And inside the carriage…
I felt a presence that was flickering and wavering between clarity and obscurity.
Neither fragile nor fading—just… unsteady, like a lantern swaying in an unseen breeze.
It must be her. The noble girl.
There were two other similar presences with lower presences which were obviously the uncunsious guards.
And another three vibrant ones - our protagonist trio.
I exhaled slowly, opening my eyes.
As soon as I did, my vision started blurring, and like a lens refocusing, the edges of my surroundings grew clearer and sharper.
"!"
'Wow!'
The wooden frame of the carriage wasn't just wood anymore. Almost every grain, every subtle imperfection in its surface became apparent. The worn leather of the driver's seat bore faint cracks, each one distinct.
A flicker of movement caught my eye.
A tiny fly—so small I wouldn't have noticed it before—landed near the reins. Its fragile legs twitched, antennae flicking.
Beyond that, the distant outline of a tree stood against the sky. A bee hovered near one of its branches, its wings a rapid blur. The rustling leaves weren't just a sound anymore—I could almost see the shift of weight before the wind fully moved them.
...
I blinked, letting my gaze sweep over my surroundings once more.
'This is… incredible.'
Not just the clarity of vision, but the feeling of it. It was as if an unseen layer had been peeled away, revealing a world far richer in detail than I had ever realized.
Even though this wasn't some overpowered eye skill that could slow time or pierce through illusions, it was still incredibly good.
The subtle pulses of life in the air, the quiet dance of insects I had never paid attention to, the way even the smallest details of the world around me seemed to breathe—
It was alive.
I leaned back slightly, exhaling, my lips curling in amusement. So this is what it feels like to have a skill that actually works as described.
"…"
But before I could dwell on it any further—
"Young master, are you alright?"
I barely stopped myself from flinching.
The driver's voice was calm, but there was a hint of something else in it—concern, maybe? Suspicion?
I turned my head slightly, meeting his gaze.
He wasn't staring outright, but I could tell he'd been watching me. It made sense—one moment I was sitting there normally, and the next, I probably looked like I'd entered some kind of trance.
I forced a relaxed smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said smoothly. "Just… enjoying nature."
The driver studied me for a second longer before nodding.
"If you say so, young master."
I shifted, stretching my arms slightly. "Anyway, how much longer do we have to walk?"
He glanced ahead before pointing forward.
"Look there," he said.
I followed his gaze—and sure enough, the thick treeline was thinning. Sunlight spilled through the gaps between the trees, revealing the open stretch of land beyond.
"We're already at the end of the forest," he continued. "At this pace, we'll reach the town in another ten minutes."
I hummed in acknowledgment, my mind still lingering on what I had just experienced.
Only ten more minutes, huh?
That meant I still had a bit of time.
Enough time to get used to this new way of seeing before we arrived.
I let my fingers tap lightly against the seat, resisting the urge to smile.
Alright. Let's play a bit more.
"Umm... Young Master, can I ask you something?"
Hmm?