Chapter 15
Ren sank deeper into the sofa like his soul was trying to leave his body. He let out a groan that was 80% disappointment, 20% existential crisis.
"…My upgrade is literally side quests."
Across the room, Sylva didn't even try to hide her grin. "You sound personally attacked."
"I am personally attacked!" Ren shot back, throwing his hands up. "Where's my cool new ability? My fireball? My edgy transformation? Anything?!"
Ding.
A new screen popped up in front of his face, way too cheerful about ruining his day.
[Side Quest User Manual]
Would Player like to read the manual?
[YES] [NO]
Ren stared at it. Just stared.
"…Yeah. Of course it has a manual." He rubbed his temples. "Because nothing says 'epic power system' like required reading."
He sighed. "Yes."
Ding.
[Welcome, Player.]
Congratulations on upgrading system...
Upon unlocking Side Quests, the Player is now granted access to System-generated Interdimensional Gates.
Ren's brain blue-screened for a second. Then his eyes went wide.
"…Wait."
He bolted upright so fast he almost fell off the sofa. His head snapped toward Sylva. "Hold on... can the System create Gates?!"
Even Sylva froze. For once, that smug calm cracked.
"…What?" Genuine shock flashed across her face. "That's impossible."
But Ren wasn't joking. He could read, thanks. "It literally says it right here! 'System generates Gates for side quests'!"
Sylva was on her feet in an instant. "What else does it say?"
Ren swallowed and kept reading, dread building with every word.
"Hmm… 'System-generated Gates exist to accelerate Player growth and level progression.'"
He kept scrolling. "Notice: Failure to meet required growth targets will result in mandatory Side Quest participation. Oh... I have a new task. Let's see…"
Current Objective:
Reach Level 10 and obtain official Rank Status
Time Remaining: 3 Days
Ren just stared at the screen.
"Oii, oii, oii." His voice went up an octave. "Are you serious?"
Color drained from his face. "How am I supposed to reach Level 10 in THREE DAYS?!"
---
Meanwhile, somewhere in Nexaris.
Astral Federation Headquarters One.
One of the four main HQs of the Astral Foundation. This one? It watched over 13 sectors.
The building itself was ridiculous a 15-story fortress of black steel, with glowing silver lines pulsing across its surface like it was alive. Inside, it never slept.
Soldiers from the Cathedral Division hurried down wide corridors. Operators shouted updates to Awakened personnel. Every footstep, every screen, every breath ....all for one goal:
Bring peace to the new world.
And right through the middle of all that chaos, Mizuki Yui walked.
No rush or wasted movement. Just calm and steady steps.
She'd just gotten back from her mission. Her footsteps were soft, but they still echoed. People noticed her the second she entered the building.
"It's Lady Yui… Welcome back, Lady Yui."
"Good work on the Gate suppression mission."
"Sector 7 and Sector 9 have stabilized thanks to you."
Respectful voices came from every side of the corridor.
Yui gave small, polite nods. She didn't slow down.
To the Federation, she wasn't just 'an operative.' She was the asset. Alpha-ranked. Trusted and feared. The kind of person they sent when Disaster-Level Gates showed up.
But today?
Her head wasn't on the missions. Not on the Disaster-Level entity she'd erased forty minutes ago.
It kept drifting back to one thing. One person.
Sylva.
Just thinking the name made something twist in Yui's chest. Like PTSD she didn't remember earning.
Her steps slowed for half a second. Emerald eyes narrowed. She was replaying that moment on the rooftop, and her brain didn't like the math.
That pressure she'd felt…
Overwhelming. And familiar. In a way that made no sense.
Almost like....
No.
Yui killed the thought instantly.
"That's impossible," she muttered. Even she barely heard it.
She kept walking.
At the end of the corridor stood two enormous silver doors. Two elite guards snapped to attention and bowed deep the second they saw her.
"The Federation Ruler is waiting for your report, Lady Yui."
Yui nodded once.
CRRRRRRK…
The doors groaned open.
Pressure spilled out. Real, physical weight. The kind that made even Alpha ranks adjust their posture on instinct.
This was the highest chamber in HQ. The place where top Awakeners remembered how to be humble.
Yui's expression turned to stone.
She exhaled. One breath.
Then stepped inside.
The doors slammed shut behind her with a boom that shook the floor. Silence swallowed the room.
The hall was stupidly huge. Bigger than any building had a right to be. Black pillars towered overhead. Streams of glowing data drifted through the air like captive stars.
And at the center, on an elevated throne, sat one man.
The Astral Foundation Ruler of this Federation.
Dark ceremonial robes. Silver markings that glowed like constellations. His face was mostly shadow, but the pressure rolling off him was enough to make elite Awakeners want to kneel without being told.
Yui walked forward and stopped several meters away. She dropped to one knee, smooth and practiced.
"Mizuki Yui, reporting back from the Sector 7 Gate suppression mission."
The Ruler's voice hit the room like thunder wrapped in velvet.
"Report."
One word. The whole chamber felt it.
Yui straightened a little. "A Disaster-Level entity appeared unexpectedly in Sector 7 around forty minutes ago."
"Hm."
"The threat was eliminated. Civilian casualties were kept to a minimum."
The Ruler didn't move. "Estimated damage?"
"Manageable," Yui answered immediately. "Most surrounding structures can be restored within a week."
Silence.
Then: "Is there anything else I should know."
Yui's eyes shifted. Just slightly.
"…Yes, my lord."
The Ruler leaned forward. Barely. But everyone would've noticed.
"Explain."
She still didn't fully understand what she'd felt back there. But this wasn't the time to hesitate.
"After the battle," Yui said slowly, "I sensed someone observing the city from a distant rooftop."
"A corrupted entity?"
"No."
"A Monarch?"
Yui paused. And that pause meant more than most people's monologues. Because Mizuki Yui didn't say 'I'm not sure.' Ever.
"…I'm not sure."
You could feel the room react to that.
The Ruler's fingers tapped once against his throne. Then stopped. Instantly.
"Continue."
Yui's eyes narrowed as she pulled the memory back up. "The presence was hidden extremely well… but the pressure behind it was immense."
Her hand tightened into a fist at her side. "It felt like it was deliberately hiding its true energy. But even suppressed… it was that immense."
The tapping had stopped. Completely.
"I approached the individual personally," Yui continued. "In hindsight, it may not have been wise."
"Description?"
"A silver-haired woman," Yui said calmly. "She was accompanied by a young man. Around seventeen."
The Ruler's gaze sharpened. You could feel the curiosity even through the shadows.
"…A young man?"
"Yes."
"Did you get a name?"
Yui hesitated for half a breath. Then:
"Yes, my lord."
"…Takahashi Ren."