"After that," I continued, "we step onto the battlefield. Not to end it yet, just to test the waters. If we can gather useful information, even better. And if not, there’s nothing wrong with farming a few levels along the way."
Mazikeen watched me closely but said nothing.
That was when the bedroom door opened.
North stepped out. She didn’t say a word. Her eyes met mine, calm but intent.
I understood immediately.
"I’ll be back," I said to the others, already moving. I followed North into the room, and the door sealed shut behind us.
The silence felt heavy.
"What happened?" I asked, studying her face. "Is something wrong?"
She didn’t answer right away. She looked straight at me, her expression steady but tense, as if she was trying to decide how much weight to put behind her words.
"I received my quest from the System," she said finally.
My brows furrowed. "When?"
"A few seconds ago."
That made me pause. The timing was too clean. Too precise. My mind immediately went back to the discussion with Saleos, the handshake, the agreement. It felt deliberate, as if the System had been watching, waiting to see which path I chose before placing its move on the board.
"What is the quest?" I asked.
She took a slow breath. "It says there’s a structure called the Eclipse Anchor inside this Grade Four rift. There’s a core inside it. My objective is to destroy that core."
I stayed quiet, letting her continue.
"The description says the tower blocks the System," she went on. "It can’t observe the area properly. It can’t interfere. Anything inside that zone becomes... a blind spot."
I blinked once.
In my mind, the image surfaced instantly. The towering structure standing closest to the rift. The one radiating that strange, oppressive presence. The place where the Eternal’s aura felt thickest.
"So that’s what it does," I muttered.
North continued. "If that core stays intact, the System can’t help anyone who goes in there. No support. No corrections. No warnings. No observations."
That sent a chill through me.
It reminded me of the Hollow Star asteroid. That same feeling of being cut off, isolated from something fundamental. Only this was far worse. This wasn’t a single place. It was an entire battlefield.
I exhaled slowly.
"So the System wants you to tear open its blindfold," I said.
North met my gaze. "Or it wants to make sure you don’t walk into the dark alone."
I blinked once.
"Maybe," I muttered. But deep down, I was sure of something else. The System wanted eyes on me. And what better way than tying a quest to someone I cared about. Not force. Not threats. Just a quiet hook wrapped in concern.
Manipulation, done cleanly.
I let out a faint breath and smiled despite myself. I reached out and gently patted her head.
"Don’t worry. It’s a simple quest," I said. "We were going to clash with the Eternal anyway. Whether it’s me or the demons doesn’t matter. You’ll be the one to break that core."
My smile thinned slightly. "The only real problem is that tower. If I’m right, it’s the most protected place in their entire defense. Everything important will be layered around it."
She nodded slowly, accepting that without argument. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me.
"Billion," she said softly, her forehead resting against my chest, "please take care of yourself. You’re taking too many risks, too fast."
I closed my eyes for a moment and rested my chin lightly against her hair.
"I know," I replied softly. "But believe me, I’m not being reckless."
I tightened my arms around her just a little, enough for her to feel it.
"And I promise you this," I said quietly. "No matter what, we will finish your quest."
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes sharp despite the concern in them.
"Idiot," she said. "I’m worried about you, not the quest."
"I know," I said after a short pause. "And I’m worried about you too. I don’t say it much, but I see it. The way you keep pushing yourself. The way you never slow down, even when you should."
Her expression softened slightly.
"Thank you for that," I added. "For staying strong when things get ugly. For walking forward even when you’re scared."
"Just don’t disappear on me," she muttered. "Not for the System. Not for the war. Not for anyone."
I rested my forehead against hers.
"I won’t," I said. "That’s one promise I won’t break."
A sharp knock broke the moment.
North stiffened slightly, then sighed. I loosened my hold and turned toward the door.
"What is it?" I asked.
The door slid open without waiting for an answer, and Steve stepped inside. One look at us and he froze.
"Oh," he said. "Bad timing?"
North stepped back, folding her arms, her expression already composed. "You always have bad timing."
Steve scratched the back of his head. "Yeah... sorry about that. But this is important."
That made me straighten.
"What happened?" I asked.
Steve swallowed once, then looked at me seriously. That alone told me this wasn’t a joke.
"I just received a quest," he said.
North’s eyes flicked toward him instantly. Mine narrowed.
"A quest?" I repeated.
He nodded. "From the System."
My eyes narrowed. One quest could be coincidence. Two was a pattern.
"What does it want?" I asked.
Steve took a slow breath. "It says I need to steal the runic inscriptions and the instructions used to create the Infiltration Anchors."
The room went quiet.
For a moment, even the distant hum of the battlefield felt muted.
"Steal," North repeated softly.
"Yeah," Steve said. "Not destroy. Not sabotage. Steal. The complete process. The runes, the structure, the method. Everything."
I closed my eyes briefly.
The System wasn’t just reacting anymore.
It was planning.
First North was given the task of destroying the Eclipse Anchor, the tower that blocked its vision. Now Steve was being sent after the very tools the Eternals used to plant themselves inside living beings.
It didn’t want us to just win this rift.
It wanted us to learn how the enemy operated. I was sure it already knew how the runes were created. This wasn’t the very first rift of our universe.
When I opened my eyes again, both of them were looking at me.
I exhaled slowly. "Looks like the System has decided to stop watching and start moving."
Steve let out a crooked grin, but there was tension behind it. "So... I’m a thief now? And what are these Anchors it’s talking about? Also, I’m just a Grandmaster. Stealing from an Eternal?" He snorted. "Either the System has gone mad, or it really hates you."
North shook her head slightly. "Hate is too strong a word. Maybe manipulation fits better." She glanced at me. "Or torture. Torture through us."
That made me pause for a moment.
"Alright," I said. "Enough nonsense. We’ll need a plan."
I leaned back slightly, my thoughts already moving ahead. The System wasn’t throwing random quests anymore. It was pushing us into very specific positions, forcing contact with things they were never meant to touch this early.
Steal the method behind the Infiltration Anchors. Destroy the Eclipse Anchor.
Both pointed straight at the heart of the Eternal’s control.
I wasn’t sure what the System was truly planning anymore. But one thing was clear.
It wasn’t asking. It was setting the board.
================
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