Not gently.
Not politely.
It was more like a bell inside my skull.
[DAILY RESET]
Bonus available.
My eyes snapped open. My body immediately reminded me I had been turned into a weapon for two days straight. Everything hurt in a dull, background way, like soreness had become part of the air.
I lay there for one second, staring at the guild dorm ceiling, and thought, very clearly:
I am being trained by a gacha game.
Then I sat up and claimed the daily bonus because I have standards, and those standards include free loot.
[DAILY BONUS CLAIMED]
Crafting Kit (Basic) x1
EXP +50
I blinked.
Crafting kit.
Of course the system gave me that right after sewer slime goo and floodgate heart shards. Of course it did. The universe had subtlety like a thrown brick.
I rolled the kit in my hands. It was a small pouch with needles, waxed thread, a tiny hammer, chalk, and a folding knife. All clean. All new. All too convenient.
Lyra would call it suspicious. Roth would call it useful. Mina would call it providence.
I called it “cool.”
Then my status window floated up, bright and clean.
[STATUS]
Name: Sato Kenta
Class: Hero
Level: 16
HP: 420 / 420
MP: 150 / 150
STR: 33
AGI: 42
VIT: 34
INT: 11
WIL: 11
LUK: 8
Skills:
Sword Basics (Lv. 1)
Footwork (Lv. 1)
Parry (Lv. 2)
I stared at the bottom.
Then stared harder.
Sword Basics Level 1.
Footwork Level 1.
Parry Level 2.
At level sixteen.
After goblins, a hobgoblin leader, a sewer guardian, and a floodgate heart.
That was… not right.
Even I knew that was not right.
I had felt myself improving. My timing had gotten sharper. My steps had gotten cleaner. I had done things yesterday that level two me could not have done even if you threatened him with another truck.
So why were the numbers not moving.
I rubbed my eyes like I could wipe the UI into behaving.
It did not change.
My heart picked up. Not panic, just the sharp irritation of realizing you have been carrying the wrong answer in your head for two days.
“Okay,” I whispered. “What did I break.”
I focused, willing the system to show me more. I tried the thing I had done when I crafted the resin upgrade.
“Settings,” I muttered, because if this was a game, it had to have settings.
A new window popped open.
I had not seen this menu before.
Which meant I had definitely pressed something I should not have pressed at some point.
[INTERFACE SETTINGS]
Display Mode: Standard
Public Projection: ON (Hero Plate only)
Pop-up Density: Reduced
Notifications:
Level Up: ON
Quest Updates: ON
Loot: ON
Skill Acquisition: OFF
Safety:
Pain Dampening: OFF (not installed)
Lethal Warning: ON
Confirmations: Minimal
My brain went empty for half a beat.
Then it filled with the purest form of human emotion.
Annoyed screaming.
Skill Acquisition.
OFF.
I had turned it off.
At some point.
Without realizing.
I remembered yesterday in the guild hall, people staring when I looked like I was reading invisible text. I remembered thinking I needed to stop the windows from exploding in my face every two seconds in public.
I remembered opening a menu and tapping “reduce pop-ups.”
I had reduced them all the way into the grave.
“Are you kidding me,” I hissed into the empty dorm room.
The system did not apologize. The system never apologized.
It just sat there with the toggle, calm as a serial killer.
I clicked it.
ON.
The window blinked.
[SKILL ACQUISITION ENABLED]
Stored proficiency detected.
Processing method: Gradual sync.
Note: Rapid growth may occur during active combat or crafting.
Stored proficiency.
Gradual sync.
Rapid growth.
My pulse kicked.
That sounded like the system version of “surprise, you saved up your dopamine.”
I sat there for a second, stupidly excited, then realized something else.
This meant all that practice, all that fighting, all that terror and sweat had been building up behind a closed door.
And now the door was open.
I stood up fast, grabbed my cloak, strapped my sword, shoved the basic crafting kit into my inventory like it was treasure, and ran out before my body could complain.
Because if “rapid growth may occur during active combat” was real, I wanted to see it happen.
Immediately.
Like an addict.
The guild common room was already awake. Roth was drinking water like it was a duty. Mina was eating bread slowly, eyes half closed, like she was trying to put herself back together from the inside. Lyra was awake in the worst possible way, leaning on the table with a cup of something that smelled like regret.
She looked up when I entered.
“You look manic,” she said.
“I fixed something,” I said.
Roth’s eyes flicked to my face. “What.”
I leaned forward and lowered my voice like this was a confession.
“I turned off skill acquisition.”
Lyra blinked.
Mina blinked.
Roth did not blink, but his eyebrows moved a fraction, which was basically him screaming.
Lyra’s mouth opened slowly.
“How.”
“I tried to reduce pop-ups,” I muttered. “I reduced them too hard.”
Lyra stared at me for three full seconds.
Then she laughed. Loud. Sharp. Mean.
“You turned off your own growth,” she said. “Hero. Chosen by the goddess. Beaten by a settings menu.”
Mina’s lips twitched. “At least you found it.”
Roth’s voice was flat. “Do not touch settings again.”
“I have learned,” I said quickly. “I have learned so much.”
Lyra wiped at her eyes like she had laughed too hard. “Okay. Fine. What happens now.”
“I do not know,” I admitted. “But the system said stored proficiency. Processing. Rapid growth in combat.”
Lyra’s grin turned feral. “So you are going to explode.”
“Hopefully in a useful way,” Mina said softly.
Roth stood. “We move. Palace. Royal investigator. Dawn.”
Right.
Floodgate Audit.
I had almost forgotten because my brain was still stuck on the toggle.
We left the guild and crossed the waking city. The streets were quieter than yesterday, but not calm. Guards were posted near drain grates. Rope and wax seals still blocked the bakery stairwell. People kept looking at my cloak and plate, then looking away like staring too long would make them responsible for me.
At the palace, we were led into a small antechamber.
Princess Selene stood there with someone new.
Not a priest.
Not a knight.
A woman in her late twenties with ink stained fingers, a leather satchel, and a stiff posture that screamed “I file reports that make nobles sweat.”
Her hair was tied back tight. Her eyes were sharp enough to cut paper.
Selene introduced her. “This is Investigator Verena Quill. Crown audit office.”
Verena looked us over and her gaze paused on my Hero Plate like she was evaluating a dangerous animal. She did not smile.
“Party Hero Standard,” she said. “I expected… older.”
Lyra leaned forward. “He is like milk. Expiring soon.”
Verena ignored her completely and turned to Roth. “Captain Roth. You will answer questions.”
Roth nodded once. “Yes.”
She turned to Mina. “Priestess Mina. You will answer different questions.”
Mina nodded. “Yes.”
Then she looked at me again.
“Hero,” she said. “Do not wander off. Do not touch sealed objects. Do not accept ‘blessings’ from anyone during this audit.”
My skin prickled.
Selene’s expression did not change. “You understand the situation.”
Verena dipped her head. “I understand the Church believes anything with the word ‘divine’ belongs to them.”
Lyra murmured, “She is my favorite so far.”
Selene handed Verena a rolled parchment sealed with the royal crest.
“Authority,” Selene said. “Use this if necessary.”
Verena took it like it was a knife and tucked it into her satchel.
Then she snapped her fingers and two palace guards stepped forward, armored, alert.
“First site,” Verena said. “West floodgate. Market district. High foot traffic, high risk.”
Roth nodded. “Understood.”
We moved.
The city was fully awake now. Vendors setting up stalls. Carters shouting. Kids running. Everyone pretending the sewer did not almost eat them yesterday.
The west floodgate site sat behind a heavy iron grate under a stone archway near the river. Normally it would have been boring infrastructure.
Now it had guards.
And church soldiers.
White tabards with the star circle symbol. Polished helms. Spears held like they wanted permission to stab someone.
Divine Knights.
Verena’s jaw tightened.
A tall knight stepped forward. His helm was off, hair blond, face clean, smile smooth.
“Investigator,” he said. “The Church has already taken responsibility for this site.”
Verena held up the royal seal parchment without unfolding it.
“The Crown has already taken responsibility for this city,” she said.
The Divine Knight’s smile stayed, but his eyes cooled.
“You are interfering with sacred work.”
Verena took one step forward. “You are interfering with public safety.”
Mina’s shoulders tensed. Lyra’s hand drifted toward her staff like she was itching to solve theology with fire.
Roth’s posture hardened.
I stood there and tried to look like a normal human and not a walking UI.
The Divine Knight’s gaze flicked to my Hero Plate.
“Hero,” he said warmly, like we were friends. “The Church thanks you for your service. Remain with us. We will ensure your continued guidance.”
Verena’s voice snapped. “He remains with the Crown’s investigation.”
The knight’s smile sharpened. “The goddess guides the Hero.”
Verena’s eyes did not blink. “The Crown pays the sewer workers. Move.”
Tension snapped tight like a wire.
Then the ground under the grate pulsed blue.
Everyone froze.
A wet drip sound rose from below.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Lyra’s eyes widened. “That is not supposed to be happening.”
Roth drew his sword. “Formation.”
Mina raised her symbol. Light gathered.
The Divine Knights reacted too. Spears lowered. A few began chanting, low and rhythmic, like they were triggering a spell by routine.
The blue glow brightened.
It did not feel holy.
It felt hungry.
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The grate rattled.
Then something slammed into it from below.
Once.
Twice.
On the third hit, the iron bars bent.
A slime surged up through the gaps like water forced through a broken dam.
Not a normal slime.
This one had veins of glowing blue inside it like lightning trapped in jelly.
My vision flashed instantly.
[ENEMY DETECTED]
Seal Slime (Enhanced)
Level: 14
Traits: Acid, Regeneration, Divine Tag Residue
Divine tag residue.
Weird.
The slime whipped toward the nearest target.
A Divine Knight.
It wrapped around his spear, melted the metal, and splashed acid across his gauntlet. He screamed.
The chanting broke.
Roth moved.
He slammed his shield forward, not into the slime, but into the knight, shoving him back out of the line of acid.
Lyra fired a tight fire bolt.
The slime recoiled, hissing.
Then the system chimed in my vision and everything inside me tightened.
Not fear.
Not adrenaline.
Something like a lock turning.
[STORED PROFICIENCY SYNC]
Skill acquisition active.
Processing backlog during combat.
My pulse kicked.
The slime surged toward Verena.
Verena did not have time to be brave. She flinched, raising her satchel like it could block acid.
I stepped in.
My legs moved faster than they should have.
Quickstep (Minor) pulsed without asking.
I parried the slime’s leading edge, angled the blade, and shoved it off line.
The parry felt cleaner than any I had done before.
Like my hands finally caught up with what my brain had been learning in the background.
Blue text exploded.
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Footwork: Lv. 1 -> Lv. 3
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Parry: Lv. 2 -> Lv. 4
My breath caught.
It was happening mid fight.
Dopamine hit like a punch.
I stabbed.
Not a slash. A straight thrust into the glow knot inside the slime.
The blade sank. The slime screamed.
More windows.
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Sword Basics: Lv. 1 -> Lv. 4
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Precision Thrust (Active)
Effect: Increased core damage on soft targets
Cooldown: Short
Lyra shouted, “Oh no!”
“What,” I snapped, without looking back.
“You are leveling in real time,” she yelled. “That is so gross!”
Roth barked, “Focus.”
The slime split, trying to spawn a second body.
My new skill flashed in my mind like a button.
Precision Thrust.
I used it.
My blade shot forward like my arm stopped being a human arm and started being a spear with a vendetta. It punched through the half formed spawn’s core before it finished separating.
The spawn collapsed.
The main slime recoiled, destabilized.
Mina’s holy light slammed into it like a hammer.
The slime stiffened.
Lyra’s fire bolt hit the exposed core.
The slime erupted into steam and dead goo.
My system chimed.
[KILL RECORDED]
Seal Slime slain. EXP +95
Then the backlog hit again, like the system was shoveling stored growth into my body.
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Footwork: Lv. 3 -> Lv. 4
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Sword Basics: Lv. 4 -> Lv. 5
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Riposte (Active)
Effect: Counterattack after successful parry
Cooldown: Short
My hands shook, not from fear, from the sheer amount of sudden improvement.
Verena stared at me, wide eyed for exactly one second, then regained her bureaucrat soul.
“Good,” she snapped. “Do that again if something tries to kill me.”
Lyra laughed, breathless. “She gets it.”
The Divine Knights looked shaken. Their leader stepped forward, jaw tight, eyes on the dead goo.
“This corruption responds to prayer,” he said.
Verena’s voice was ice. “Then stop praying at infrastructure.”
The knight’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your tongue.”
Roth stepped between them like a wall. “Argument later. Secure site now.”
Verena immediately moved, ignoring the church leader, and began inspecting the grate with gloved hands, measuring tape, chalk marks, and little metal tags she stuck to the stone.
She looked ridiculous doing paperwork next to steaming slime residue.
She looked powerful doing it too.
“Note,” she said briskly. “Enhanced slime spawned at sealed floodgate after church presence. This is important.”
Mina’s voice was cautious. “That is not proof of causation.”
Verena did not look up. “Correct. It is proof of correlation. I collect those until someone sweats.”
Lyra whispered to me, “I love her.”
I whispered back, “I also love her, but in a scared way.”
My system pinged quietly.
[LEVEL UP]
Level 17
Stat Points +5
I barely noticed.
The skill chimes had ruined me. Levels were old news now.
Verena straightened and turned to the Divine Knight leader.
“By royal authority,” she said, holding up the sealed parchment, “you will withdraw from this site until the audit is complete.”
The knight’s smile returned, thin and sharp. “We protect the city.”
Verena’s eyes were flat. “You can protect it from outside the rope.”
Roth shifted his stance slightly. Not threatening. Just present.
The Divine Knight leader held Verena’s gaze for a long second.
Then he turned his head and barked an order.
The Divine Knights stepped back, forming a line away from the grate.
Not leaving, exactly.
Watching.
Lyra muttered, “They are going to be a problem.”
Roth muttered, “They always are.”
Verena wrote something down.
“Second site,” she said. “South floodgate. Lower ward boundary.”
We moved quickly before the church could decide to “misinterpret” the order.
As we walked, I kept feeling little pulses in my muscles, like my body was settling into new defaults. My footwork felt smoother. My sword grip felt more natural. My breathing was calmer.
And my skill list, when I glanced, looked completely different.
Sword Basics now level five.
Footwork level four.
Parry level four.
Two new active skills.
All because I had flipped a stupid toggle.
Lyra watched my face. “You look like you just discovered candy.”
“I did,” I said. “The candy is competence.”
Mina smiled softly. “I am glad you turned it back on.”
Roth’s voice was firm. “Do not turn it off again.”
“I swear,” I said. “No more menus. I am done. I am a simple hero now.”
Lyra laughed. “Liar.”
The second floodgate site was quieter.
Too quiet, in the way places get quiet when something bad might happen but has not happened yet.
The entrance sat behind a warehouse row near the river bend. Stone arch. Iron door. Church symbol carved above it, weathered.
Verena took one look and clicked her tongue.
“This symbol appears on all major floodgates,” she said. “Historical church involvement. Infrastructure blessing.”
Mina nodded. “The Church maintains ward seals. It is tradition.”
Lyra muttered, “Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.”
Verena unlocked the access with a crown issued key and we entered a small control chamber.
This one was cleaner than the sewer control room. Maintained. Dry. It smelled like oil and metal.
No blue glow.
Verena inspected the valve wheel, the seals, the pipe joints. She scraped at wax lines and sniffed them like an expert.
Then she found something.
A hairline crack in a seal plate. So thin I would not have noticed it even if I stared at it for an hour.
Verena pointed at it with chalk. “Here.”
Roth leaned in. “That could leak.”
Mina’s brows drew together. “It should have been repaired.”
Lyra tilted her head. “So either nobody checks, or someone wants it like this.”
Mina shot her a look. “Lyra.”
Verena held up a finger. “Do not jump to conclusions. Yet.”
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small strip of metal, thin and flexible, stamped with royal markings.
Then she frowned.
“This patch is not enough,” she said. “The crack is along a curved seam. I need a shaped gasket. A seal ring.”
Roth looked around the room. “Where is the maintenance crew.”
Verena’s mouth tightened. “They were reassigned after yesterday’s panic. Now we improvise.”
Lyra spread her hands. “We are not plumbers.”
Mina’s eyes flicked to me, then away, like she did not want to say it out loud.
I felt my inventory pouch with the crafting kit in it like it was getting warmer.
My brain connected dots.
Seal Dust from the floodgate heart. Slimeproof resin. A basic kit. Appraisal.
And the fact that my system just told me skill acquisition was active again.
My chest did something weird.
Not anxiety.
Excitement.
A warm, eager little spark that felt different from combat dopamine. Less violent. More… satisfying.
I heard myself say, “I can try.”
Everyone turned.
Lyra stared. “You can try what.”
“Make a gasket,” I said. “A seal ring. If I can appraise the plate and the crack, I can shape something.”
Roth’s eyes narrowed. “You have training.”
“No,” I admitted. “But I have… menus.”
Lyra looked like she was going to argue, then paused.
Then she smiled slowly.
“Oh,” she said. “You are that type of nerd.”
“I do not know what you mean,” I said, even though I absolutely knew what she meant.
Verena’s eyes sharpened. “Can you produce a functioning seal patch within an hour.”
My mouth moved before my fear could catch up.
“Yes.”
Mina’s eyes widened slightly.
Roth’s voice was cautious. “Hero. Do not promise what you cannot deliver.”
I swallowed.
Then I felt that spark again.
I could see it in my mind: measurements, fit, pressure points.
In Japan, I had spent nights building model kits and fixing cheap electronics in my apartment because it was the only thing that made my brain quiet. I had loved the click of parts fitting. The slow, precise satisfaction of making something work.
I had never thought that mattered.
Now it mattered.
“I can do it,” I said again, quieter. “Let me try.”
Verena nodded once. “Do it.”
She gestured toward a small side workbench with tools.
Roth stood guard.
Lyra leaned against the wall, smirking.
Mina stepped closer, hands folded, watching like she was afraid I would stab myself with a needle.
I opened my inventory and pulled out Seal Dust, slimeproof resin, and the crafting kit.
The moment the kit hit the bench, the system chimed so loud it felt like a reward for breathing.
[CRAFTING DISCIPLINE UNLOCKED]
Crafting: Rank F
Subskills available:
Basic Leatherwork (Rank F)
Basic Metalwork (Rank F)
Basic Sealwork (Rank F)
Rank F.
The lowest.
My brain lit up anyway.
I appraised the seal plate and the crack.
[APPRAISAL]
Floodgate Seal Plate (Standard)
Material: Treated iron, seal wax infusion
Defect: Microfracture, curved seam
Suggested fix: Seal ring gasket, resin reinforced
Suggested fix.
The system was literally telling me what to do.
That felt like cheating.
I loved it.
Lyra watched my face. “You are smiling.”
“I am not,” I said.
Mina whispered, “You are smiling.”
I looked down and realized my mouth was, in fact, smiling.
I forced it flat and failed.
“I like building things,” I admitted, like it was a shameful secret. “Okay.”
Lyra made a satisfied noise. “Knew it.”
Verena tapped her pen once. “Less talking. More gasket.”
Yes. Right.
I moved.
I mixed seal dust with resin into a paste, kneaded it with gloved hands, then pressed it into a ring shape using the crack’s curve as a guide. I shaved it with the small knife from the kit, tiny adjustments, check, adjust, check, adjust.
Time disappeared.
Everything narrowed down to fit.
I felt my breathing slow. My hands steadied.
A new window popped up.
[TRAIT DISCOVERED]
Maker’s Focus (Unique)
Effect: Increased crafting speed and success while crafting continuously
Effect: Crafting EXP gain increased during “flow state”
My chest warmed.
Unique trait.
My brain went, mine, mine, mine, and then shut up because the gasket needed a clean edge.
The system chimed again.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Seal Ring Gasket (Uncommon)
Quality: High Fit
Effect: Seal Stability +15%
Crafting Rank: F -> D
I froze.
F to D.
In one craft.
My head snapped up.
Lyra’s eyebrows shot up. “What did you just do.”
“Crafting rank just jumped,” I said, voice breathless.
Mina’s eyes widened. “That is… fast.”
Roth’s gaze sharpened. “Install it.”
Verena took the gasket from my hand, inspected it like a jeweler, then nodded once, brisk.
“Acceptable,” she said. Which from her sounded like a standing ovation.
She installed it with quick, practiced movements, tightening the seal plate bolts.
The crack disappeared under the gasket.
The plate stopped whining under pressure.
Nothing glowed.
No slime erupted.
Verena wrote something down and turned to me.
“You will make two more,” she said.
My brain did not hear “work.” My brain heard “more crafts.”
“Yes,” I said instantly.
Lyra groaned. “He is gone.”
Mina whispered, “He is happy.”
Roth’s voice was approving. “Good.”
I made another gasket, faster. The system chimed again.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Seal Ring Gasket (Uncommon)
Quality: High Fit
Sealwork: Rank F -> C
Crafting: Rank D -> C
My hands moved like they knew the pattern now. Mix, shape, shave, fit.
Third gasket.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Seal Ring Gasket (Uncommon)
Quality: Perfect Fit
Sealwork: Rank C -> B
Crafting: Rank C -> B
Perfect fit.
That phrase hit like a drug.
I realized something important and extremely dangerous.
Fighting gave dopamine.
Crafting gave dopamine too, but in a cleaner way. No blood. No screams. Just improvement and success and the quiet click of reality agreeing with your hands.
Verena finished installing the third gasket and shut the panel with a satisfied snap.
“Second site secured,” she said. “Third site now.”
Lyra glanced at me. “You are not coming down from this.”
“I can come down,” I lied.
Mina smiled softly. “You deserve something you enjoy.”
Roth’s gaze lingered on my hands for half a second. Then he nodded once, like he understood something about me he had not bothered to ask.
We moved again.
As we walked, the system kept chiming, not even from combat now, but from my brain obsessively planning craft improvements.
Slimeproof resin coating for gloves.
Boot reinforcement.
Sword grip wrap for better control.
Seal dust paste for emergency patches.
It was like my mind had found a new hobby and immediately tried to make it my religion.
Verena led us to the third site, an east river floodgate that fed into irrigation channels for the farms.
If this one failed, it would not just burn civilians. It would poison food and water.
High stakes.
We arrived.
The church was there again.
This time, not just Divine Knights.
High Priest Caldor himself stood near the gate with his hands folded, smiling like he owned the air.
My stomach tightened.
Not fear.
Pressure.
Verena stopped, did not bow, and held up her royal authority parchment.
“High Priest,” she said. “This site is under crown audit.”
Caldor’s smile stayed perfect. “Of course. The Church only wishes to assist.”
Lyra muttered, “I hate his face.”
Mina’s shoulders tensed.
Roth’s posture turned rigid like a drawn blade.
Caldor’s gaze slid to me like a warm hand.
“Hero,” he said softly. “You have been busy.”
My Hero Plate warmed under my cloak like it disliked his tone.
Verena’s voice cut in. “Step aside.”
Caldor’s smile widened a fraction. “Investigator, surely you understand. This is a sacred seal.”
Verena’s eyes did not blink. “This is a floodgate.”
Caldor tilted his head, voice still gentle. “Sacred seals protect the city from corruption. The goddess grants her mercy through the Church.”
Verena’s reply was immediate. “The city grants its taxes through the Crown.”
Lyra made a choking sound that might have been laughter.
Caldor’s gaze flicked to her, then back to Verena, still smiling.
“Then let us work together,” he said.
He gestured, and two Divine Knights lifted a small chest.
They opened it.
Inside were seal plates and wax, pristine, stamped with the star circle.
Caldor’s eyes returned to me.
“Hero,” he said, “would you apply a blessing to the seal.”
My skin prickled.
Mina’s voice was careful. “High Priest, the Hero is under royal instruction.”
Caldor’s smile remained. “Royal instruction does not override divine duty.”
Verena’s hand dropped to her satchel. “It does when the divine duty keeps spawning acid slimes in my city.”
Caldor’s eyes cooled by a degree. “Careful.”
The air thickened.
Then the floodgate seal pulsed blue.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Lyra’s eyes widened. “No. Not again.”
Caldor’s smile did not change.
The seal plates in the chest began glowing too.
That was the moment my Mental Resistance tightened like a fist.
Not a warning.
A nudge.
Like my body whispering: pay attention.
The gate groaned.
The blue glow flared.
And a slime pushed through the cracks in the stone itself, not from below, like it was being born inside the seal.
My vision flashed.
[ENEMY DETECTED]
Seal Slime (Enhanced) x2
Level: 16
Traits: Acid, Split, Regeneration
Warning: Nearby seal energy unstable
Verena did not flinch this time.
She stepped back behind Roth instantly, like she had learned the correct survival behavior in one day.
“Kill them,” she snapped. “Then we continue.”
Roth moved.
Lyra fired.
Mina raised light.
And I stepped in, feeling my new skills like loaded weapons in my hands.
Parry.
Riposte.
Precision Thrust.
The first slime surged at Roth.
Roth deflected and stabbed, controlled.
The second slime surged toward Caldor’s chest of seal plates, like it wanted to feed on them.
One of the Divine Knights stepped in and stabbed at it, too hard, too blunt.
The slime split instantly into two smaller bodies.
The Divine Knight cursed.
Lyra shouted, “Stop stabbing like an idiot!”
My body moved.
Footwork carried me in close, angles perfect now. I parried the first smaller slime off the plates, then riposted immediately.
My blade snapped forward on the counter like it had been waiting for permission.
The slime’s core burst.
Dead.
[KILL RECORDED]
Seal Slime spawn slain. EXP +60
I pivoted into the second spawn, used Precision Thrust, and punched through its center before it could finish forming.
Dead.
[KILL RECORDED]
Seal Slime spawn slain. EXP +60
My system chimed like a slot machine in a hurricane.
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Riposte: Lv. 1 -> Lv. 3
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Precision Thrust: Lv. 1 -> Lv. 2
[SKILL LEVEL UP]
Parry: Lv. 4 -> Lv. 5
Lyra shouted, “Disgusting!”
Roth finished the main slime with Mina’s light assisting, then turned toward the seal.
The glow was still pulsing.
Not as strong, but present.
Caldor’s smile returned to full warmth instantly, like the slime interruption had been a minor inconvenience.
“You see,” he said gently. “Corruption. The Church is needed.”
Verena’s eyes were ice. “The slime came out when you brought those plates near the seal.”
Caldor’s head tilted. “A coincidence.”
Verena looked at me. “Hero.”
I blinked. “Yes.”
“Make me a gasket,” she said.
Caldor’s smile faltered by a fraction.
It was tiny.
But it was real.
I felt a surge of satisfaction so sharp it almost made me laugh.
I pulled out my crafting kit and materials like I had been waiting for this moment my entire life.
The system chimed the instant the kit appeared.
[MAKER’S FOCUS ACTIVE]
Continuous crafting detected.
Crafting speed increased.
Success rate increased.
I appraised the seal crack.
[APPRAISAL]
Floodgate Seal Plate (Standard)
Defect: Hairline fracture, unstable mana residue
Suggested fix: Resin reinforced seal ring + neutralizing dust layer
Warning: Improper fit may trigger spawn
Improper fit may trigger spawn.
No pressure.
My hands moved.
Mix seal dust, resin, shape ring, shave edge, fit test, adjust, fit test.
Time vanished again.
Everything quieted inside my head except the click of fit.
The gasket came out smoother than the previous ones. Cleaner. Stronger.
The system chimed like it was proud.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Neutralizing Seal Ring (Rare)
Quality: Perfect Fit
Effect: Seal Stability +25%
Effect: Corrosive mana suppression (Minor)
Sealwork: Rank B -> A
Crafting: Rank B -> A
Rank A.
I stared.
Lyra leaned in and whispered, “You are going to break the economy.”
Mina whispered back, “He is happy.”
Roth held the seal plate steady while Verena installed the ring with fast hands.
The blue glow pulsed.
Then dimmed.
Then stopped.
The dripping heartbeat sound vanished.
The floodgate felt like it exhaled.
Silence.
Verena wrote something down with aggressive satisfaction.
“Third site secured,” she said.
Caldor’s smile returned, but his eyes were no longer warm.
He looked at the seal ring.
Then at me.
“Hero,” he said softly, “your hands are… gifted.”
My stomach tightened.
Mina stepped closer to me without looking like she did, shield disguised as kindness.
Verena spoke first.
“The Crown thanks the Church for its patience,” she said, crisp and sharp. “This site remains under crown oversight.”
Caldor’s smile stayed. “Of course.”
He bowed slightly, then turned and walked away with his Divine Knights like a man leaving a room he intends to return to later.
Lyra exhaled. “I want to set him on fire.”
Mina’s voice was calm. “Do not.”
Lyra sighed. “Fine. I will imagine it.”
Verena closed her satchel, tapped her pen once, then looked directly at me.
“Hero,” she said. “You will come with me to the crown workshop.”
My brain lit up.
Workshop.
“Why,” I asked, even though I already knew why.
Verena’s eyes were sharp. “If you can produce A rank sealwork on the spot, I will not waste that.”
Lyra muttered, “He is going to die of happiness.”
Mina smiled softly. “He might.”
Roth nodded once. “Proceed.”
We moved.
The crown workshop was behind the palace, not fancy, just functional.
Stone building. Iron doors. The smell of hot metal and oil and soot.
Inside were smiths and engineers and seal technicians, all busy, all tense, all watching Verena like she was the law in human form.
She spoke quickly, handing off notes, showing the seal ring samples, pointing at diagrams.
People listened.
Then Verena pointed at me.
“This is the Hero,” she said. “He can produce seal rings. Give him a bench and materials.”
A craftsman with scarred hands stared at me like I was an alien.
“The Hero crafts,” he said slowly.
Lyra whispered, “Welcome to your new religion.”
I sat at a bench.
Hot lamp. Tools. Metal strips. Seal wax. Resin. Dust. Everything I needed.
And the second my hands touched the materials, my brain fell into it like a warm bath.
I started making.
Not just one ring.
Five.
Ten.
I made standardized neutralizing rings for curved seams.
I made boot reinforcements with slimeproof resin.
I wrapped my sword grip with treated cord, tightened, sealed, improved.
The system chimed so many times it became a rhythm.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Seal Ring (Uncommon)
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Seal Ring (Uncommon)
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Boot Reinforcement (Common)
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]
Grip Wrap (Common)
Then the ranks moved again.
Not slowly.
Not normally.
Like my Growth Rate x5 was laughing.
[CRAFTING RANK UP]
Crafting: Rank A -> S
Title Earned: Workshop Menace
Trait Enhanced: Maker’s Focus (Unique)
Effect increased during continuous crafting
I froze.
My hands stopped mid motion.
Rank S.
In a day.
I stared at the window like it might be lying.
It did not blink.
Lyra stared at me. “Did you just hit S.”
I nodded slowly.
Mina covered her mouth, eyes wide, then laughed softly, a real laugh, like she could not help it.
Roth’s eyebrows moved again. That was his version of a shout.
Verena looked at the status projection on my Hero Plate, then at the items on the bench, then nodded once.
“Good,” she said. “Keep going.”
I should have been tired.
I should have been overwhelmed.
Instead my brain went: S rank means better crafts.
So I kept going.
Because making something that saves people felt better than stabbing something that wants to eat them.
And because the system was feeding me dopamine for it, sure, but also because for the first time in my life, my hands felt like they were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing.
Hours passed.
By the time Verena dismissed us, the workshop had a pile of seal rings ready for installation crews, and my inventory had a stack of spare reinforcements like I was hoarding apocalypse supplies.
We left at dusk.
The city lights were coming on.
The river reflected orange.
And my arms were tired in the good way, not the fear way.
Lyra walked beside me, unusually quiet.
Then she said, “Okay. I admit it. You are useful.”
Roth grunted. “He was useful before.”
Lyra shrugged. “Now he is also annoying in a different category.”
Mina’s voice was soft. “Kenta.”
I looked at her.
She smiled gently. “I am glad you found something you love in this world.”
My throat tightened.
I looked away quickly and muttered, “Yeah. Me too.”
The system chimed once, like it was listening.
[DAY SUMMARY]
Floodgate Audit: Complete (3/3)
Church interference: Avoided (Partial)
Sealwork produced: 17 items
Crafting Rank: S
New problem detected: Unknown
I stared at the last line for a second.
Then I closed the window.
Not because I was brave.
Because for the first time since dying, I wanted to go to bed not just to recover, but to wake up and build something again.
And that was terrifying in its own way.
Because I was starting to understand the real danger of this world.
It was not just monsters.
It was the system making you love the grind.
CLASS: Hero
AFFILIATION: Asteria Adventurers Guild
GUILD RANK: Bronze II
PARTY: Hero Standard (4) Party Bonus: Coordination (Minor)
EXP: 410 / 5200
MP: 160 / 160
STR: 33
AGI: 42
VIT: 34 (includes +1 from Cracked Silver Ring)
INT: 11
WIL: 11
LUK: 8
- Auto-Translation
- Inventory (40 slots)
- Appraisal
- Growth Rate x5
- Mental Resistance
- Courage (Passive)
- Hero's Aura (Passive)
- Weapon Adaptation (Passive)
- Heroic Shout (Active) Cooldown: 5 minutes Effect: party resolve up, fear down, aggro draw
- Sword Basics (Lv. 5)
- Footwork (Lv. 4)
- Parry (Lv. 5)
- Precision Thrust (Lv. 2) Cooldown: Short Effect: increased core damage
- Riposte (Lv. 3) Cooldown: Short Effect: counter after parry
- Crafting Rank: S
- Sealwork: Rank A
- Basic Leatherwork: Rank D
- Basic Metalwork: Rank D
- Maker's Focus (Unique) Enhanced
Effect: crafting speed and success massively increased during continuous crafting
- Athletic Body (Minor)
- Quickstep (Minor)
- Iron Gut (Minor)
- Nestbreaker (I)
- Sewer Cleaver (I)
- Bloombreaker (I)
- Workshop Menace
Weapon: Short Sword (Common) ATK +12 Durability: 86 / 100 Grip Wrap applied (+minor control)
Cloak: Hero Cloak (Asteria Issue) Reputation Gain +5% Cold Resistance (Minor)
Plate: Hero Plate (Bound) Identity Verification Level Display Quest Proof Storage
Hands: Sewerwalker Gloves (Uncommon) Acid Resistance (Minor) Grip +5%
Feet: Leather Boots (Reinforced) Acid Resistance (Minor) Durability: 78 / 120
Accessory: Cracked Silver Ring (Uncommon) VIT +1
- Minor Blessing Tonic (Church Issue) Fear Resistance (Minor) for 24h Side effect: vivid dreams
- Neutralizing Tonic x1 Removes corrosion, reduces acid damage for 10 minutes
- Healing Draughts x2
- Crafting Kit (Basic)
MAIN QUEST: Defeat the Demon King
NEXT ARC HOOK: Unknown problem detected
- Lower Ward: Hero worship level rising
- Guild: Respect + suspicion
- Crown: Watching closely (useful asset)
- Church: Smiling too hard
ROLE: Royal Guard Captain Party Tank / Leader
LEVEL: 28 (estimated)
HP: Very high DEF: Very high
KEY SKILLS:
- Shield Mastery (High)
- Guard Stance (High)
- Threat Control (High)
NOTES:
- Disciplined, minimal movement, protects civilians first
- Shield durability currently compromised from acid exposure
ROLE: Mage Fire Specialist / Crowd Control
LEVEL: 24 (estimated)
MP: Very high Burst Damage: High
KEY SKILLS:
- Fire Bolt (High)
- Flame Fan (Medium)
- Controlled Burn (High)
NOTES:
- Excellent precision casting, strong dungeon instincts
- Personality: sharp tongue, colder than her flames
ROLE: Priestess Healer / Barrier Support
LEVEL: 22 (estimated)
MP: High Sustain: Very high
KEY SKILLS:
- Heal (High)
- Purify (Medium)
- Barrier (Medium)
NOTES:
- Calm under pressure, will overextend to save others
- Strong synergy with Kenta's Hero Aura