Kael sat alone beneath Frosthold's training spire.
Snowflakes drifted through the open courtyard, melting on the stone. His sword rested on his lap, freshly cleaned, but his fingers were still wrapped in bandages.
The duel with Mirek had left scars — not just on his body.
On his name.
On the guild's eyes.
Everyone saw him now.
Some with respect.
Most with fear.
[System Notification]
Time Since Duel: 3 days
Sync: 50%
Trait "Strategic Awakening Lv.1" Active
➤ Minor passive bonus: Enemy tactic anticipation
New Branch Option Unlocked: Battle Architect
He hadn't selected the trait yet.
Something told him to wait.
To watch.
Things are shifting. And not just around me.
A shadow moved in the archway.
Kael didn't flinch.
"You watch me sleep too?" he asked without turning.
Lyra stepped into view, arms folded, silver hair tied back. Her frostblade hung at her waist — untouched.
"You're late," she said.
"For what?"
"For the invitation."
She tossed him a small bronze emblem.
An open eye engraved over crossed swords.
Kael caught it mid-air, studying it silently.
"This is… not from the public guild board."
"Obviously," Lyra said, walking past him toward the inner spire.
Kael followed.
They moved through old stone corridors, past torch-lit stairways and empty barracks.
At the base of the spire, Lyra pushed open a circular door.
The room beyond was dim, quiet — a war room.
Six figures stood around a table marked with Frosthold's full territory. Pins, runes, and glowing tokens littered the surface.
At the head stood a tall man in dark robes, his face half-covered in a hood.
Kael instantly recognized him.
Commander Joran Vale.
A man who, in Kael's first life, led the guild's most secret unit — Chain Division.
"I thought you were dead," Kael said without thinking.
Joran raised an eyebrow. "Interesting thing to say to someone you've never met."
Kael said nothing.
Joran gestured to a seat. "Sit. Listen."
Kael obeyed.
Joran looked around the room. His voice was soft, but it carried like steel.
"The bounty wasn't the beginning. It was a test. Someone wanted to see what you'd do under pressure."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "You mean Taron."
"No." Joran's gaze sharpened. "Taron's just a pawn. The real players don't wear red cloaks. They wear masks, or crowns."
He tapped the map. "Three other guilds across the continent have reported the same thing: new recruits with 'potential' getting marked. Hunted. Quietly erased."
Lyra stepped in. "Chain Division was formed to stop threats that didn't come through the front gate. Traitors. Spies. Hidden killers."
"And now," Joran said, "we're adding something else to the list."
He looked directly at Kael.
"People like you."
Kael didn't move. "What does that mean?"
"You don't think like the others," Joran said. "You adapt. You react. You fight like a man who's seen this all before."
Because I have.
"You could be one of us," Joran continued. "Or you could be something worse."
Kael's jaw clenched. "You want me to join."
"I'm offering you a place in the Chain. But once you accept… you don't go back."
He pulled a small vial from his coat.
Inside it: a glowing black chain-link suspended in liquid mana.
Kael felt it the moment he saw it — a chill down his spine, a memory he didn't own flashing behind his eyes.
This is what turned them in the old world. The Chain Mark.
[System Warning]
Unique Item Detected: Binding Relic — Chain Initiate Core
Class: Restricted
Once used, cannot be removed
Grants: Stealth access, mission priority, guild override
Risk: Corruption Exposure (Locked unless trait is unlocked)
"Why me?" Kael asked.
Joran shrugged. "Because we're running out of time."
He tapped a rune on the map. A portion lit up — the eastern provinces. Villages burned. Guilds fallen.
"Something's waking. The creatures you fought in the forest? They weren't just random spawn. They were sent."
Kael's grip on the table tightened.
"I don't want blind loyalty," Joran said. "I want fighters who can think. Strike from the dark. Protect the people without waiting for orders."
He slid the vial forward.
"Say yes… and you get answers. You get access. And you get power."
Silence filled the room.
Lyra's eyes met his. She didn't speak — but something in her gaze said "I chose this. You can too."
Kael's mind raced.
In my first life, Chain Division was feared. Silent ghosts with no masters. Some became monsters. Others saved lives no one even knew were at risk.
This is where the game changes.
He reached forward.
Picked up the vial.
And drank it.
[System Update]
Trait Locked: Chain-Bound (Lv.1)
➤ Passive access to underground map nodes
➤ Access to restricted guild missions
➤ Night Sense activated (low-light boost)
Risk Level: Minimal (Corruption blocked due to high Sync)
Sync: 52%
Title Unlocked: Ghost of Iron Fang
The black chain glowed beneath his skin for a second, then faded.
Kael looked up.
"I'm in."
That night, back in his quarters, Kael found a small envelope tucked under his door.
No name.
Just a symbol: a crimson eye with three tears.
Inside?
A torn page from a spellbook. An image of Kael sleeping in his bed.
And one sentence:
"We see you, Time-Touched. You stole what should never return."
Kael stood still.
Every nerve in his body on edge.
They know.
Not just that he was alive.
Not just that he was strong.
But that he remembered.
And that meant… the real enemy had eyes inside the walls.
[System Surge Alert]
Emotion: Fear → Rage
Sync Level: 55%
Trait Progress: "Future Memory Integration" (Locked)
➤ Memory Fracture Recovery: 12%
➤ Next unlock at 60%
Kael walked to the window.
Snow fell outside.
Somewhere in the dark, people were watching. Whispering. Planning his death.
Good.
Let them come.
He was done waiting.
Now, he would be the shadow in their story.
Next Chapter: "Echoes of the Dead" — Kael's