章節 7: Discovery (6)
The sun was beginning to rise, painting streaks of gold and crimson across the sky as Bruce sat in the corner of his rented room, methodically wrapping his wrists with cloth strips. He'd stripped off the heavier parts of his suit for the night, leaving only the reinforced undersuit that still bore the faint outline of the bat symbol.
Across from him, Lyra leaned against the wall, her arms crossed and her eyes sharp with curiosity.
"So… what's with the symbol?" she asked, gesturing to his chest.
Bruce paused, his fingers tightening the last wrap before looking up. "What about it?"
Lyra smirked. "I don't see anyone else walking around with something that bold on their armor. Is it a crest? A guild mark?"
Bruce leaned back against the wall, his expression unreadable. "It's a reminder."
"Of what?"
"That even in the dark, there's something watching."
Lyra tilted her head, clearly dissatisfied with the answer but not entirely sure how to press further. "You're good at avoiding questions, you know that?"
Bruce's lips quirked slightly. "Comes with experience."
Lyra stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "You're not like the adventurers I've met before. Most of them talk too much about themselves—bragging about kills, bounties, or how many quests they've completed. But you? You don't say anything unless you have to."
Bruce stood, fastening his gloves. "Talking doesn't win fights."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Neither does avoiding people who are trying to figure out whether they can trust you."
Bruce met her gaze. "You trust me enough to follow me into the mines."
"Yeah, because you're useful," Lyra shot back. "But people don't just get skills like yours without a story behind them."
Bruce turned, adjusting the gauntlet on his left arm. "Stories don't matter. Actions do."
Lyra sighed in frustration, clearly realizing she wasn't getting more out of him—at least not yet. But Bruce noticed the flicker of curiosity in her eyes hadn't dimmed.
[System Alert: Daily Quest Unlocked.]
[Quest: Strength in Shadows]
Objective: Complete 200 Push-Ups, 100 Pull-Ups, and 5 Miles of Sprinting.
Reward: +50 XP, Random Item Drop, 10 Gold Coins.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at the notification. It seemed the system was pushing him to maintain his edge. He didn't mind.
"What is it?" Lyra asked, noticing the slight pause.
"Nothing," Bruce said, already stepping toward the door. "I need some air."
"Training again?"
Bruce didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed a small pouch containing the Dark Crystal Shard and his modified gear before heading outside.
...
The morning air was crisp, and the open training field near the outskirts of Eryndor was sparsely populated. Bruce didn't waste time. He dropped into push-ups immediately, his muscles burning as he pushed through the first hundred.
The loss of some of his former strength still bothered him, but he felt the system enhancements working. His movements were sharper, and his stamina was holding better than before.
Lyra arrived halfway through his workout, leaning against a tree and watching in silence.
"Didn't take you for the type to train like a madman after killing something that big," she finally said.
Bruce didn't stop. "You don't get stronger by resting."
She laughed softly. "You're serious all the time, aren't you?"
Bruce ignored the comment and shifted to pull-ups using a sturdy tree branch. Lyra watched for a while before finally speaking again.
"You never told me your name."
Bruce paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. "Names can be dangerous."
Lyra crossed her arms. "That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting," Bruce said flatly, dropping back down to the ground and immediately starting his sprints.
Lyra frowned but didn't press further. Instead, she trailed behind him as he finished the workout.
...
[Quest Completed: Strength in Shadows.]
[Rewards: +50 XP, Item Drop—Smoke Bomb (x3), 10 Gold Coins.]
Bruce wiped the sweat from his brow as the system flashed the notification. He pocketed the small, spherical smoke bombs that materialized from the inventory menu and took note of the gold coins.
Lyra's gaze shifted to the items he retrieved. "Where did those come from?"
Bruce didn't answer, instead examining the smoke bombs carefully. "Useful."
"Seriously? That's all you're going to say?"
Bruce gave her a sidelong glance. "You ask a lot of questions."
Lyra smirked. "And you dodge them like a pro. Fine, keep your secrets for now. But one of these days, you're going to have to tell me what's really going on with you."
Bruce's eyes darkened slightly. "Maybe."
....
Later on in the night.
Bruce sat cross-legged, staring at the Dark Crystal Shard again. The system still offered no further insight into its properties. He felt the faint hum vibrating through the shard, like it was alive—or aware.
The shadows around the room shifted slightly as Bruce focused on his Shadow Affinity, willing the energy to respond. Thin tendrils rose from the corners, flickering like smoke before receding.
The system finally chimed.
[Skill Unlock: Abyssal Insight.]
[Effect: Detect Abyssal Energy in objects and creatures within a 50-meter radius.]
Bruce exhaled. Progress.
But the shard pulsed again, and this time, Bruce felt something—an echo. It wasn't just a piece of corrupted material. It was connected to something larger, something watching.
He clenched his fist, extinguishing the faint glow from the shard.
"Whatever you are," Bruce muttered, "I'll find you."
Lyra's voice called from outside the door. "You planning on brooding all night, or are we actually going to talk about the next job?"
Bruce smirked faintly and stood. The work was only beginning.
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