Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Llewellyn? Overrated. My uncle once fought a Knot with just a crowbar and some duct tape."

"No, but seriously, are we sure he's not a government experiment?"

"Elemental Skills aren't that hard to master. He's just lucky the System likes him."

My teeth clenched.

Lucky? That guy saved three cities last week!

I moved to hide the comments out of spite, but my cursor froze halfway there. They didn't violate any company guidelines; they weren't profane or abusive, just stupid. Annoyingly, I couldn't hide stupid.

I kept scrolling.

"Llewellyn could tell me to jump into a Knot blindfolded, and I'd thank him for the privilege."

"If he walks past you, do your molecules realign? Asking for science."

"How is his hair so fluffy?"

Let's… ignore those.

I swear, the worst chaos wasn't at the Knot sites tearing cities apart. It was in the damned comment sections of this website.

Further down in the thread, someone was trying to start a petition to ban Llewellyn from using Fire Magic indoors. Another was arguing, very seriously, that Llewellyn's powers violated local noise ordinances.

I took a sip of my third coffee of the night and copy-pasted another pre-approved reply from the agency's response matrix:

"Thank you for your feedback. Your concerns have been noted."

This was a lie. I tracked concerning comments, but nobody at the agency even glanced at them unless a lawsuit was involved.

Not that it mattered to me. This job was all I could find, and even though it paid so little I could barely cover groceries after paying my rent, credit card debt, and my half of Gran's nursing home, it was all I had. I wasn't going to risk it by doing more than I was supposed to—and I definitely wasn't about to start doing unpaid emotional labor for the Internet.

Anything beyond comment moderation wasn't in my job description, so I wasn't going to touch it.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Not having to get up in the morning or go to an office was great. And I didn't hate the project. The moment I heard the agency was going to monitor Llewellyn's online reputation, I requested a transfer to the team before my supervisor even finished speaking. Nobody else wanted the project due to the sheer volume of conspiracy theories and trolls anyway—especially not the night shifts. Pretty sure the agency was just relieved some low-level idiot was eager to take it.

Worked out for me. 

Llewellyn was the only person alive with Transcendent-level Elemental Mastery, and who knew what beyond that. He was more than good—he was impossible. His tactical brilliance and unmatched ability to control and neutralize the most complex physical manifestations of the Knots had made him a legendary figure worldwide. Most people hardly mastered one, maybe two Elements if they were extraordinarily gifted. 

Llewellyn was on another plane entirely.

I'd followed his every move since he first appeared in the public eye, devouring every rumor and report. Whatever standard you held him to, he was completely off the charts—and there were whispers claiming he had Elemental Foresight.

Innumerable forums, fan clubs, communities, and social media pages tracked his every move, dissecting his ascent step by step.

I read all of them.

Most of them were wrong. Some of them were so wrong it felt personal.

Anyway.

The good thing was that now, with the agency's tools, I could see every comment, every rumor, every mention of Llewellyn on any site or social media platform all in one place. I could catch new videos the second they went live, follow conversations about his skills, see what people thought they'd figured out about his techniques and tactics…

Honestly, it was pretty great.

Well, all things considered anyway. As they say—when life gives you lemons, etc.

I had never planned to live like this, but somehow I'd found myself at 31 years old, working the graveyard shift at a digital agency monitoring online conversations for high-profile clients. I wasn't sure whether to be proud or concerned that I'd maneuvered my way onto this project.

My mother had named me after a foreign poet who never joined any publishing circles—just sent out poems by post, got into literary spats in the papers, and disappeared into the hills. I sometimes wondered whether the name had set me on a similar quarrel-by-post sort of path.

At least, this job beat arguing with trolls for free. Tonight alone, I'd flagged three users who seemed one bad day away from starting a cult and fifteen scammers.

As I scrolled past another comment comparing Llewellyn to an interdimensional dragon king, a private message popped up.

[Niamh]: Ryo! How's the night shift? :)

I stared at the smiley face and sighed.

Niamh was my manager. She was smart, level-headed, and always had our backs with the higher-ups. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better supervisor.

But the smiley face meant I was about to get saddled with something.

I typed back in the chat.

[Ryo]: Still alive. The trolls are debating whether Llewellyn's sword is a metaphor for repressed sexuality.

A gif of a cartoon llama snorting into a drink appeared on my screen.

[Niamh]: Vital intel. I trust you're documenting it thoroughly?

[Ryo]: Of course.

[Niamh]: You're our resident Llewellyn expert—how accurate is the sword discourse anyway?

Well, that's…

What kind of details did she think I had?!

[Ryo]: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

[Niamh]: Thought so.

A beat before another message popped up.

[Niamh]: Actually, hang on. I found something I thought you'd appreciate.

A link appeared below her message, a deep-dive post on a weaponsmith forum titled The Historical Accuracy of Llewellyn's Sword Design and Why It Matters.

I clicked on it. Someone had managed to get pretty good close-up photos of Llewellyn's sword. Actual sword, I mean. Not the metaphorical kind.

That was unusual. Llewellyn wasn't fond of the press, and photos of his weapons or artifacts were rare.

The post went all the way back to Innishae's cultural renaissance under King Eoghan, breaking down how swordsmithing techniques evolved after Yun Seojun shipwrecked on the island. It analyzed both Irish and Korean influences, what their intermingling meant within the broader cultural area of the Bay of Biscay, and how it all tied to current Elemental Mastery under the System. 

There was also a section on the Chinese characters on Llewellyn's blade, what they likely were, and how they allegedly matched the calligraphy style from Baekhaven's Huayuan District.

It was actually pretty great.

[Ryo]: Since when do you care about the historical accuracy of weaponsmithing?

[Niamh]: I don't. But someone with a vested interest in Llewellyn's... equipment might.

I narrowed my eyes at the italics.

[Ryo]: You're the one sending me sword discourse at 1 AM.

[Niamh]: And you're the one who brought it up. And who is still typing! :)

The smiley face brought me back to my initial concern. As if reading my mind, Niamh added,

[Niamh]: Anyway, is it very busy?

[Ryo]: The main site's been lively. I haven't checked the rest yet, but I'm assuming the usual. How can I help you?

[Niamh]: Would you mind double-checking Llewellyn's keyword filters? Emma tried to tune them again, but now everything's setting off alerts—even normal posts.

Emma was Llewellyn's PR manager, the one who'd hired us to monitor his online presence. Great at handling the public, hopeless at handling the tech.

Still, could've been worse. I leaned back in my chair, tension easing.

[Ryo]: Sure. All channels?

[Niamh]: The usual three.

[Ryo]: On it.

This wasn't exactly the highlight of my night, but at least it was straightforward. Then again, my standards for "straightforward" were pretty low these days.

I had just opened the filter settings, preparing for whatever chaos Emma had inadvertently unleashed, when a window popped up.

It wasn't from the agency's internal chat.

It wasn't even on my screen.

…I stared at the System window floating in mid-air in front of me, heartbeat speeding up. 

I'd seen this a few times before, but—

[System Notification: Match identified. Initialization in progress.]

What?

A second message appeared.

[Relocation in 3… 2… 1…]

Wait—Relocation?! What relocation?! I didn't agree to—

My kitchen vanished.

A split second later, I was somehow on a stone path among ruined walls.

Surrounded by an Elemental tornado.

Chapter Text

At first, I felt heat, then cold.

Then something hit me hard enough to send me crashing into rubble.

"What the—"

I spat out dust, coughing.

I squinted through the wind, trying to make sense of where I was.

This had to be a Knot site. And worse than that—it wasn't a Dungeon, it was a Distorted Realm.

I'd never been in one, but it was obvious. The air crackled with Magic. Shards of ice flew through the night sky and the wind carried an almost musical quality—eerie, like wind chimes. Up ahead, a medieval castle went in and out of focus, pale in the moonlight.

Goosebumps crept up my spine, up the nape of my neck.

Distorted Realms were chaotic zones where a Knot's Magic spilled out before it could be stabilized into a Dungeon, creating surreal, unstable environments where the System's algorithms failed to provide full support.

Artifacts and rare items could be found here, just as in Dungeons, but they were often unsafe.

In fact, Destabilized Artifacts—dangerous items with unpredictable effects—fueled Baekhaven's underground market, much to the frustration of agencies like KARMA.

Artifacts aside, these places were supposed to trap people who could not interface with the System, distort their minds, and create surreal illusions that made rescue difficult. Yet, this area was eerily empty. I knew it was nighttime, but… was everyone actually sleeping through this?

I was still on the ground, trying to get my bearings, when a shadow loomed over me.

I looked up.

A tall figure in a brown trench coat was glaring down at me like I'd personally ruined his day, the effect somehow made even more ominous by the fact that he was currently surrounded by a blazing shield of fire.

He was wearing a black sweater with a high collar that looked soft against his throat. His gaze was sharp, though his expression was mostly unreadable to me, save for the vague irritation in his eyes.

…I'd know him anywhere.

"You." Llewellyn's voice was colder than the magical ice shards flying past. "Who are you? And why are you here?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Nothing came to mind either.

Damn it.

Wondering whether I'd been concussed into meeting my parasocial delusions, I scrambled back to my feet, patting the dust off my hoodie and jeans. The System had teleported me with my shoes, even though I hadn't been wearing them at home. Some kind of protection from the cold also seemed to be active—but it wasn't doing much.

My eyes landed on the sword in Llewellyn's hand, and the article Niamh had shared earlier flashed through my mind.

Damn. So the photos had been legit—and still somehow they hadn't done it justice.

They hadn't done justice to the one holding the sword either.

Llewellyn's Fire shield seemed to burn brighter with his irritation. The heat emanating from it made my face sting.

"Why are there no people here?" I asked instead.

Llewellyn's gaze sharpened. "Already evacuated," he said shortly. "Why are you still here?"

Before I could reply, a notification popped up.

[System Notification: Necessary preconditions satisfied! Match confirmed!]

What?

Llewellyn seemed to be staring at a notification of his own. His frown deepened, the fire swirling around him flaring hotter. "Well?"

I looked back at him. "Would you believe that I was just passing through?"

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed. He studied me like I was a particularly annoying bug splattered under his shoe.

"Passing through," he said flatly.

"I was literally at home until two minutes ago."

"And then the System sent you here." Llewellyn's tone was sharp. "Why?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Did you piss it off and I'm the forced DLC?"

Llewellyn shot me a glare.

Well, what did he expect?! He was the expert!

I'd only dealt with the System a handful of times—I didn't even know it could teleport people without their consent!

Is that how it works? Just throw people at the problem and hope for the best?

Maybe that's how it started for him.

Still, he was Llewellyn. What the hell was I doing here?!

"Stay close," Llewellyn ordered, turning to walk.

"What?"

"If the System sent you here, you must have a role. Figure it out."

I opened my mouth to argue, but another notification cut me off.

[System Notification: "Elemental Insight" is active!]

I stared.

What was that?!

As far as I knew, the only System power I had barely did anything useful—it just nudged me in random directions occasionally, like check out this coffee shop or apply for this job. Nothing like this!

Did I have Elemental Magic?! Since when?! I'd tried multiple times in the past, after the System had appeared to me for the first time, and nothing had ever happened!

I was still staring at the notification when suddenly, Llewellyn shoved me aside.

Fire shot past where I'd been standing, and I hit the ground, hard.

"Whatever it is, use it," Llewellyn barked. "Now."

Use it. Right. Yes.

But how?!

I scrambled back to my feet, ignoring the ache in my bones.

The Distorted Realm vibrated around us like it was alive, the castle looming closer then further away, its walls turning from fire to ice. Pathways formed and disappeared, splitting under the pressure of the Elements.

Looking up, I could see the Knot—an enormous mass of Elemental Magic—near the castle's keep, tall and unstable.

The notification flashed again.

[System Notification: "Elemental Insight" is active!]

Shit. What should I do with that?!

Llewellyn had thrown himself back into action, intercepting the outbursts of Elemental Magic, his sword swooshing at incredible speed. 

"Focus!" Llewellyn yelled, not even sparing me a glance.

Focus. But on what?!

The ground buckled under another explosion. I rolled sideways, scratching my palms. My breathing quickened, the wind carrying scents of ash and metal.

I had to do something or I was going to die here. The problem was, I had no idea what.

I took cover behind a tree trunk and tried to will something—anything—to happen, but… nothing happened.

I couldn't feel any surge of power or clarity, no magic, nothing even remotely useful.

Was the System wrong?

The only thing there was an… itch–

…Wait.

I zeroed in on the itch deep in my chest.

The more I focused on it, the more it sharpened, pulling beneath my sternum. 

I steadied myself as the sensation grew stronger.

What was this?! Had it been there before?!

The itch tightened under my ribs. I glanced at Llewellyn and the sensation flared even harder.

I pressed my tongue against my teeth. Fuck.

The itch grew more intense until it was all-encompassing, seemingly scraping from within.

It felt like someone was scooping my chest raw from the inside with a spoon, drawing my gaze toward the Knot.

Another explosion rocked the ground, knocking me back against the tree trunk. The wind picked up, full of ice shards sharp enough to slice skin.

My chest was driving me mad—the itch kept burrowing deeper, making it difficult to think.

"Move!" Llewellyn suddenly yelled, his voice cutting through the uproar of the Elements.

I dove just as a ball of Fire struck the tree, splitting it in half. The smell of burning wood filled the air as I rolled across gravel, scraping my arms where my hoodie had slid up.

The notification flashed again.

[System Notification: "Elemental Insight" is active!]

What was I supposed to do with that?! The System kept insisting, but it offered no guidance!

Wind chimes echoed through the air, distorted, like bells underwater. Moonlight filtered through the Elements.

A wave of Fire swept past me, so close that I staggered backward.

The itch sharpened every time I looked at the Knot, like it wanted me to see it.

I had to focus on the feeling or I would go mad.

I closed my eyes briefly, hoping not to die—and tried to feel it properly.

I didn't know what I was reaching for, just that something in me wanted to… reach.

The sensation in my chest intensified, gouging me out.

It was unbearable.

It was like it wasn't even mine.

A cosmic itch underneath everything—deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down.

Then something in my chest clicked. It felt like a… diamond—bright, and clear, and sharp, and… urgent—and everything around me lit up.

Chapter Text

Magic rushed through every cell in my body. It was exhilarating and shocking at once, as if it had always been there and I’d just never noticed. 

My vision blurred then sharpened unnaturally, all the colors around me intensifying.

Lines, like thin beams of light, crisscrossed from the Knot, stretching through the air. Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Metal, Wood, and… variations of them, combinations of them, some I couldn't even name.

I swallowed.

Two-Element Knots were already considered difficult. This was—

My eyes remained glued to the beams of light.

The way they extended from the core magic of the Knot reminded me of threads, but they looked more like the VR beams I’d seen in VR games at the Elemental Cafés, as if someone had overlaid a neon-lit interface all over this place, booting it to life.

It made the castle look like it belonged in a video game.

The itch in my chest had settled slightly, but my whole body now tingled with power I didn't know how to use.

My gaze landed on a bluish white Thread, and my body shuddered with a burst of Magic.

As if in answer, a new notification blinked into view.

[System Notification: Elemental Thread detected! Flag for prioritization?]

I hesitated. Prioritize?

“Either stop sightseeing or hide somewhere. I can't focus on keeping you alive as well!” Llewellyn growled, rushing in front of me so that the incoming storm of Ice crashed over his shield instead of skewering me.

The itch spiked hard for a second and I stared, startled.

Then, I gritted my teeth and mentally confirmed the prompt.

[Thread flagged: Ice]

The reaction was immediate.

The Thread shivered violently then opened up with a deafening roar. Creatures of ice and frost erupted from the fracture, their shrieks loud enough to rattle my teeth.

Llewellyn pivoted on the spot, eyes narrowing.

For a moment, surprise crossed his face. Then, battle instinct took over and he lunged into the fight, sword blazing with Fire.

I staggered back, adrenaline kicking in.

I did that, it seemed. 

But why did flagging the Thread summon more monsters?!

The System answered before I could formulate the question.

[Flagging an Elemental Thread triggers protective responses.]

Wait… So not only was I not helping, I was actively making this worse?!

[All threats must be neutralized before the Thread can be severed. Each severed Thread weakens the Knot.]

Or maybe it was helping after all.

My body overflowed with magic. It was... very disconcerting.

Meanwhile, Llewellyn's sword blazed, carving through the creatures, which hissed and melted under his attacks.

As I watched him move across the distorted grounds, rushing through several Threads as if they weren't there, it hit me.

He couldn’t see the Threads.

He could perceive what Elemental Attack was going to come up and from where with a precision bordering on impossible. But he could not see the Threads.

However, he had seen the one I flagged once I flagged it.

I didn't understand.

Why didn’t the System just give him the skill? Why didn’t it flag the Threads for Llewellyn directly?

Anyway, if flagging Threads both made them visible for him and turned raw Elemental powers into actual monsters to fight, that was useful. I could work with this.

While I was distracted, an Ice creature broke off from the group and sprang toward me.

Shit!

[System Notification: "Elemental Mastery" can be used!]

I acted instinctively. Water formed around my hands and surged toward the monster, hitting it square in the face.

"..."

...It was, without question, the worst possible move I could have made.

The Water froze on contact with the creature, and the added ice clung to it, making it bulkier. 

The creature let out an unnatural shriek and rushed at me with renewed speed.

Shit!

Maybe this was why Llewellyn was always annoyed at people who thought Elemental VR games counted as training. You'd think I'd at least developed the instinct not to fight Ice with Water.

Well, even if I had, I only seemed to be able to summon Water—what was I supposed to do?!

I dropped the Water immediately and lunged for a piece of rebar poking out from the rubble.

The creature swiped at me, missing by inches as I swung the metal with everything I had.

The rebar connected with a crack, shards of ice spraying everywhere—but the creature barely flinched.

Fuck.

I ducked as its claws swiped at me. The thing shrieked but didn't stop.

Panicking, I swung again, harder this time, aiming for the cracks spreading through its form.

Still nothing. I was sweating now.

The seventh or eighth hit finally shattered it into pieces, leaving me panting on the ground.

Llewellyn’s voice cut through the fight.

“If you're done playing around, make yourself useful!”

Ah, damn it.

Still panting, my gaze shifted to another Thread, a dark green one, which I assumed indicated Wood Magic.

[Flag for prioritization?]

I hesitated. Llewellyn was still dealing with the Ice creatures. Could he handle more?

Well, he wanted me to make myself useful.

I flagged the Wood Thread.

Monsters emerged again.

Llewellyn cursed under his breath, just audible over all the noise, and immediately moved to intercept, his sword drawing perfect arcs of Fire.

The System pinged again.

[Ensure continuous prioritization. Select the right Threads to weaken the Knot until severance is possible.]

I scrambled up. 

More Threads.

Right. Focus.

Soon, a rhythm formed between us. Flag, fight, sever. Flag, fight, sever.

Under the moonlight, Llewellyn's movements were fluid, adapting to whatever came up without missing a beat. Watching him was like watching a force of nature.

Honestly, the difference in our skill level was embarrassing. I could only keep dodging attacks, bruising myself on gravel and ripping my jeans.

At least, opening the Ice Thread had taken care of the shards of ice swirling through the air, reducing the risk of being skewered alive and making my teeth chatter less. However, now the air was scorching with Llewellyn's Fire.

Heat prickled at my skin. The itch hummed in my chest, raw and alive.

Llewellyn's Elemental Mastery was incredible. It was difficult not to be mesmerized, even in the madness of the Distorted Realm.

I was still recovering from the previous monster's attack, when some of the Wood creatures took notice of me and started rushing in my direction.

Fuck!

I rolled to avoid a strike, barely keeping my balance as I hit the ground. 

Damn it. Water wouldn’t do much against Wood, and I had nothing else to fight them with.

I dodged another attack.

The overflow of Magic running through me kept distracting me. It felt like it wanted to surge out of my body, but didn't know how to do that. 

Well, I could sympathize with that, at least. I literally had no idea what I was doing myself.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, something... glittered. 

Huh?

I glanced at Llewellyn, but his focus was fully on the fight—cutting through the monsters and severing the Threads. Whatever it was, he hadn’t noticed.

The glint came from one of the wrecked flower beds. It seemed to be something metallic, only visible in the light of Llewellyn's Fire.

It was close enough that I could reach it.

…Before I could change my mind, I dove toward it, barely avoiding an attack.

My fingers closed around cold metal.

Chapter Text

I looked down at the object I'd just collected, brushing away the dust and rubble covering it.

It was a wristwatch, dusty but seemingly brand new.

I turned it over in my hand.

Faint symbols covered its surface, but apart from that it looked harmless. 

I frowned.

[Elemental Insight: Artifact detected!]

As I suspected.

This was a Distorted Realm, so this Artifact was likely unstable.

Still... it didn't feel dangerous. And it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Was this a terrible idea? Probably.

I slipped it into my pocket.

I brought my attention back to Llewellyn.

A new wave of Wood creatures was about to crowd him from behind while he was still fighting the ones in front of him, setting them on fire, snapping branches, or kicking them away. 

He was using Wind to amplify his Fire Magic and trigger Elemental reactions, but it wasn't enough. The monsters were too many.

I needed to do something.

Burning branches lay on the ground, probably snapped from some of the creatures Llewellyn had incinerated.

My skill level might be low, but I could use those at least.

Somehow, I managed to get close enough to grab a few of them by the unburnt end, then I hurled them at a cluster of creatures moving toward Llewellyn.

The flames caught—thanks also to the tail end of Llewellyn's Wind—and spread over their wooden limbs.

Ha!

The creatures screeched, recoiling from the Fire, but that wouldn't hold them for long.

I tried to locate a Fire Thread. Maybe I could incite two different kinds of Elemental creatures against each other. Was that even possible?

I scanned the area, my eyes darting between the Threads, the creatures and Llewellyn, who was still slicing through the monsters as they were starting to regroup.

Finally, I spotted a Fire Thread, so buried under other Threads that flagging just didn't work.

A notification popped up.

[System Notification: Do you want to use your exclusive ability "Thread Moderation"?]

Thread Moderation? Really?

The System had a sense of humor, it seemed. And it was Myth level too.

Well, I didn't have many options.

I accepted.

Magic surged through my body again, spiraling at that point in my sternum. I reached out with my mind, trying to grasp at the Thread, pulling to make it flaggable.

The Thread resisted.

I gritted my teeth, concentrating harder.

Sweat dripped down my face with the effort.

The creatures were closing in on me again. I avoided them just in time, my body overcharged with Magic, my heart pounding in my ears—but in the chaos I lost my hold on the Thread.

Goddamnit.

Somehow, after a few tries, I managed to grab it again.

The Thread flared, but refused to budge.

[System Notification: Selecting and muting the dominant Thread might help untangle the target one.]

Muting the dominant Thread?! What?! Which one was the dominant Thread?

I let my eyes roam.

Finally, I spotted an Air Thread that seemed to be responsible for the mess.

I reached out, throwing all my Magic at it. It resisted, but after a few attempts muting finally worked.

The Thread trembled, then suddenly turned transparent, glass-like.

The wind around us subsided slightly too.

Fuck. Finally.

With the Air Thread muted, I could see the shape of the tangle, just where the Fire Thread was caught. I knew where to pull now.

I tugged at the Thread, trying to loosen it. It came loose a little, just enough for me to flag it.

Yes!

The Fire Thread shuddered and opened up.

Fire monsters erupted in a burst of flames.

My eyes darted between the Fire monsters, now crowding me, and the Earth ones closing in on Llewellyn.

The itch went mad for a second.

Damn, I needed to act fast.

"What are you doing?" Llewellyn shouted. "Do you have a death wish?!"

I couldn't explain now.

Using all I had, I summoned a jet of Water and splashed it at the nearest Fire monster. It was so weak it didn't achieve much, but the monster hissed, recoiling as the flames on its back sputtered.

Good.

I quickly stepped back, trying to create some space.

Llewellyn was still fighting. For some reason the waves of Earth monsters didn't stop, even though he kept cutting them down.

Trying to maneuver around and not be killed, I summoned another jet of Water, this time aiming lower, in the opposite direction, creating a puddle on the ground. I ran in front of it.

The Fire monsters, drawn to the movement, lunged at me.

I ducked and rolled, so that when the Fire attack came, it landed on the Earth creatures, not on me.

The Earth monsters shrieked, then charged.

Perfect.

I summoned a ball of Water, hurled it at the ground in front of them, creating a slippery surface, then watched as they hit the wet patch, skidding and crashing into the Fire monsters.

Confused and agitated, the Fire monsters flared, their flames engulfing the Earth creatures. The two groups tangled, giving Llewellyn the opening he needed.

My current level was so low I could only continue to use Water this way, trying to cause havoc and create diversions, but… at least it seemed to be doing something.

Llewellyn took down the remaining Earth monsters with swift strikes and severed the Earth Thread, his sword slicing through the air.

The Fire monsters, now without targets, turned toward me again.

"…"

I ducked behind a boulder just in time.

Llewellyn's sword flashed from Fire to Water and he charged at the Fire creatures.

The fight pressed on, relentless, the Knot growing less dense with each severed Thread.

Eventually, Llewellyn paused, breathing hard. His gaze went to the Knot, then to me.

"One more."

I was panting too. I swiped my forehead with my sleeve and chose one final Thread, a blinding red line.

[Flag for prioritization?]

Confirm.

More Fire monsters spilled out, more vicious than before.

Llewellyn gritted his teeth, his sword overflowing with Water as he lunged back into the fight.

As soon as the last creature fell, he charged at the Knot—now thin and exposed—sword blazing with Fire.

One clean slice.

A blast of Magic exploded from the Knot and I ducked, shielding my head against the shockwave.

Silence.

The distorted landscape faded, the air settling as the battered grounds of the castle reemerged in the moonlight, free from the Distorted Realm's grip.

Llewellyn turned to me, sweat glinting on his brow. "Not terrible."

I spat out gravel. "You're welcome."

[System Notification: Mission complete! All conditions satisfied! Compatibility threshold exceeded!]

Huh?

Llewellyn sheathed his sword, glancing at me like this was unexpected.

"And you didn't die," he said flatly.

"Yeah. Thanks for noticing."

Honestly, I wasn't sure I could safely say that yet. My chest felt raw, my legs wobbled, and I felt like I might collapse any moment.

"Where are we anyway?"

"Guildford," Llewellyn said, tilting his head toward the castle. "England."

Wait. England? I glanced around again. "The System teleported us to another country?"

Llewellyn didn't even blink. "It does that."

Okay, yes, I had heard that before. But.

Something occurred to me all of a sudden. I glanced at my watch and let out a curse.

5:07 AM.

Shit! I'd missed four hours of my shift.

I hadn't even finished checking Emma's filters!

I only had two hours left to clean up whatever mess was waiting now, but apparently I was in a different country entirely. Hopefully, Niamh hadn't sent any more messages.

Damn it. I needed this job. Vanishing mid-shift was not conducive to staying employed.

Apparently, I'd said that part out loud, because Llewellyn looked at me with a raised eyebrow, the sword at his hip flashing pale in the moonlight.

It was hopeless. I wasn't going to explain.

Besides, my team was technically working for Llewellyn, since it was his PR person who'd hired us, so yeah. I wasn't about to tell him that I had left in the middle of my shift.

As if on cue, the System pinged.

[User Ryo: Mission data successfully logged! Elaboration needed. Returning to point of origin in 3… 2…]

Wait, no—

For all I knew, that was going to be the last I'd see of Llewellyn. I didn't want to leave yet.

"Wait—!"

Before I could finish, the ground vanished beneath me.

The next thing I knew, I was back at my desk, covered in ash, screen full of unread comments.

I glanced around, then blinked at the monitor, currently open on a heated debate about whether Llewellyn's Ice constructs violated international glacier preservation treaties.

I banged my head on my desk.

Chapter Text

I woke up to a bright light.

Not sunlight, that was clear. My curtains were drawn, and besides, it was 4 p.m. on a January afternoon—the sun had almost entirely set already.

What woke me up was the System notification hovering above me, giving me a hell of a fright.

[System Notification:
User Ryo: Contract Offer Available
Partner: Llewellyn
Objective: Ensure Partner’s Continued Survival
Terms: Binding upon acceptance.]

I stared at it.

Was I hallucinating? Was this some weird aftereffect of whatever the hell had happened yesterday?

My muscles still ached, though.

Maybe I wasn't hallucinating, maybe I was just dreaming.

I pinched myself.

"Ouch!"

… Fuck. Not dreaming, then.

I bolted upright and reread the notification again, heartbeat kicking up.

Partner: Llewellyn
Objective: Ensure Partner’s Continued Survival

Goosebumps erupted all over my body.

I swiped the notification away before I could be tempted into accepting, but it reappeared immediately, crisp and unbothered.

[Reminder: Contract Offer Pending.]

For some reason, the System seemed to want to partner me with Llewellyn, thinking, supposedly, that I was the best person to keep him alive.

If last night had not happened, I would have thought this must be a prank.

As it was, I could only stare in disbelief.

I was in no condition to guarantee anyone's survival, let alone Llewellyn's, who charged into fights every five minutes without sparing a thought for his own safety.

Besides, I’d scrambled to salvage my shift after yesterday’s Distorted Realm, and it hadn’t been fun. There was a reason we worked full eight-hour shifts. Monitoring Llewellyn’s pages took time; you couldn’t cover them in a couple of hours. I’d been lucky Altan had the next shift and I could ask him to do a backcheck, but if this kept happening, it’d be a problem. I needed my job.

I exhaled.

Magic swirled inside me. The sensation had not vanished after the fight and it kept me on edge.

“Details.”

Another window appeared.

[Contract Summary
Role: Tactical Support, Sub-DPS
Specialization: Elemental Insight and Thread Analysis
Primary Objective: Prevent Partner’s Death
Secondary Objective: Assist in Knot Resolutions
Compensation: System-enhanced abilities, full living expenses coverage, hazard pay, and increased survivability.]

Wait, it came with payment?

However, increased survivability seemed like such an obvious lie, considering that accepting this offer would throw me directly into Knot sites, that I was inclined to disbelieve the rest too.

Everything else aside, the primary objective was preventing Llewellyn’s death, like that was a normal thing to ask someone who barely survived the VR rooms at the local Elemental Café without serious physical injury. There was a reason why I never even played in co-op.

I should’ve felt flattered or terrified, and maybe I was a bit of both—but mostly I just felt awake.

Like, really, fully awake.

“Isn’t there someone more qualified?”

The System responded immediately.

[Assessment: User Ryo has demonstrated consistent behavioral patterns aligned with Partner's optimal survival outcomes.]

…That meant nothing.

“What patterns?”

[Long-term data indicates User’s unwavering defense of Partner in online environments, proactive mitigation of threats, and instinctive prioritization of Partner's wellbeing.]

I blinked.

“You mean… moderating comments?”

[Data also includes User’s independent actions from personal accounts, reflecting voluntary engagement in Partner-related defense.]

I shut my mouth.

That… Why did the System know about my personal accounts?!

I looked at the floating text, then let my head fall back against the pillow with a thunk.

I stared at the ceiling—hoping if I stayed still long enough, the System would get bored and leave, sparing me the burden of the choice.

It didn’t.

The notification pulsed softly.

I groaned, rolling onto my side, and the notification hovered back a little, to keep in my eyesight.

“Is this optional?”

[Clarification: Contract acceptance is voluntary.]

A breath of relief slipped out.

[However, refusal will result in increased risk to Partner’s survival.]

I frowned. “That sounds like a threat.”

[Statement of statistical correlation, not a threat.]

That basically meant, If you don’t accept, Llewellyn’s probably going to die.

I glanced at the clock. Already 4:12 p.m. I was supposed to visit Gran today.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My muscles protested, a clear preview of what my life was going to be like if I accepted this offer.

“Let’s pretend for a second that this isn’t insane. What exactly do I have to do?”

[Primary tasks include: risk assessment, environmental analysis, real-time support during Knot engagements, and direct intervention when necessary.]

“…Meaning?”

[Further elaboration: Do what you did yesterday, but more efficiently.]

I squinted at the glowing text. “You mean, panic and hope Llewellyn doesn’t kill me for being in the way?”

[System Analysis: Your panic yielded optimal outcomes.]

I snorted. “Very reassuring.”

The notification just hovered.

I stood up, wincing as I stretched, and walked toward the kitchen to make coffee. The contract window trailed behind me.

I glanced at it again.

“Full living expenses coverage,” I read aloud. “What does that entail, exactly?”

[Clarification: The System will cover all living costs upon request, including housing, utilities, transportation, food, and healthcare.]

Well, that's…

I blinked. “So… I don’t have to pay rent anymore?”

[Correct.]

That was… very tempting.

"Bills?"

[Bills are also covered.]

I set the pack of ground coffee down, fingers tapping the counter. No more overtime shifts? Possible life upgrades?

"And I would work with Llewellyn directly, right?"

[Affirmative.]

Well. I turned back to the counter.

"What if I buy a new mattress?"

[Clarification: All living expenses are covered.]

That was… Huh.

"Does that include entertainment? Eating out? Elemental Cafés?"

[Affirmative.]

“And if I die?”

[Compensation extends to next of kin.]

…Well. Gran could use a bigger room with a better view.

She’d roast me if I got myself killed over a contract, though.

Coffee dripped into the mug. I inhaled the steam. “What’s the survival rate?”

[Probability of lethal outcome for User Ryo: 28.3% in first year.]

“Wait… Only 28%?”

[Higher than baseline, lower than Partner's current 67%. Support role reduces Partner’s risk by—]

Sixty-seven percent?! I stared in shock. Llewellyn?

“Fine,” I said. I swallowed half the scalding coffee. “Any penalties if I back out later?”

[Contract dissolution permitted with 30-day notice.]

Another notification.

[Transfer advance funds as gesture of goodwill?]

A number appeared on the screen, enough to cover Gran’s next ten months.

My mouth went dry.

“…You fight dirty.”

[Gratitude is unnecessary.]

My phone buzzed—my calendar reminder. Gran’s 6 PM visit.

Right. I needed a shower first.

I thought for a second as I sipped my coffee.

What if I quit my job and then the System decided that I wasn't good enough? I needed to get as much out of this as possible.

“I want 5,000 Oryang deposited into my account every month too. On top of everything you already offered.”

A brief pause.

[Request acknowledged. Additional monthly compensation of 5,000 Oryang will be provided.]

Wait… Just like that?! I was expecting more of a negotiation. Maybe the System was really desperate.

Should I just quit my job then? But then I wouldn't have access to anything anymore. Unless…

“I also want a setup like I have at work. Full access. Same tools.”

[Request acknowledged. System will integrate required monitoring tools into User’s interface for optimal Partner's protection.]

Well…

I stared at the notification, then down at my worn-out socks.

Rent-free living, hazard pay, the same monitoring tools I had at work, and a salary I could’ve only dreamed of. Only for a 28.3% chance to die in the first year.

And a 67% chance Llewellyn would, if I didn’t accept.

"I'm taking a shower," I told the System. "Let me think."

[Understood.]

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

The hot water did nothing to clear my mind.

My body still felt charged, too. Was this energy just going to keep coursing through?! Did I have to get used to this now?

Every nerve buzzed. Just below my sternum, I could still feel the phantom itch I'd felt in last night’s Knot.

Steam fogged the bathroom mirror as I toweled off.

Back in my bedroom, I pulled on a clean hoodie and paused, staring at the System notification still hovering in the doorway like it was standing guard.

"Still here?"

[Affirmative.]

“Seriously, what do you even need me for? Llewellyn can handle himself better than anyone else."

[Partner’s survival probability decreases significantly without external tactical support. Current combat efficacy is optimal, but strategic vulnerabilities remain.]

“Strategic vulnerabilities,” I repeated, snorting. “You mean he’s bad at teamwork?”

[Clarification: Partner exhibits tendencies toward operational self-reliance, leading to elevated exposure during high-risk scenarios.]

“So… yes.”

I sat down on my bed. “But there has to be someone with actual training. What would I even do? Yesterday, I barely managed not to die. Is it just because of the Threads?”

[Strength and Thread Perception are not the primary criteria. User Ryo demonstrates compatibility in pattern recognition, situational adaptability, and instinctive prioritization of Partner’s wellbeing.]

I scrubbed a hand through my damp hair, bracing. “What happens if I say no?”

[Partner’s probability of fatal outcome increases by 42% compared to supported projection. User’s likelihood of future re-involvement remains high due to pre-existing experience.]

I blinked. “Future re-involvement? Pre-existing experience?" What?

[Clarification: User Ryo’s behavioral patterns indicate a sustained, emotionally-driven fixation on Partner Llewellyn, frequently resulting in spontaneous defense. User's online defensive actions were evaluated and classified as combat experience.]

"…"

You've got to be kidding me.

“So even if I say no, you’ll probably just drag me back into this anyway?!”

[Correct. However, voluntary participation maximizes strategic advantages—and is remunerated.]

Well.

"What if I get a lawyer?"

That was a pointless question because I could not afford a lawyer, but I felt like I had to ask.

[Legal representation does not affect system protocols.]

"So you're saying there's no legal loophole?"

[Correct. System operations are not subject to human legal frameworks.]

Not even a chance to threaten it with paperwork.

"What if I fake my own death?"

[Ineffective. System tracking remains active post-mortem.]

I paused. "Post-mortem?"

[Clarification: In the event of actual death, System tracking will be deactivated. However, this outcome is not recommended.]

"Yeah, no kidding."

I stood up, grabbing my keys. The notification pulsed softly, waiting.

"We’re not done,” I said, shoving the keys into my pocket and walking toward the front door. “But I’ve got a train to catch.”

[Understood. Contract offer remains pending.]

"Don't wait up."

The door clicked shut behind me.

Chapter Text

The streets of Haneve were already washed in neon light from the cafés.

While Baekhaven was mostly known for its beautiful harbor and promenade, and its signature blue and red neon lights, some residential neighborhoods—like Haneve, where I lived—favored golden lights bleeding into neon green, making the leafy streets feel as if they wound through a magic forest.

The train station swallowed me into its fluorescent belly.

The train car hummed, neon signs from Elemental Cafés blurring past the windows.

I shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets, trying not to think about the System offer or focus too much on the feeling of Magic swirling through my body.

Damn, I could barely believe anything that had happened yesterday. And now the contract! What the hell.

I got off at Baekrang Station as usual, and ducked into a cramped alley looking for Ocean’s Edge Pizza. Where was it— Ha! There. It was one of the few places left that still used brick ovens, so the pizzas here were great. The smell of olive oil and oregano inside hit me, making my mouth water.

I left with two boxes, cheese and mushrooms—Gran’s latest obsession, though she’d insist she didn’t have favorite foods. I could feel the heat seeping through the cardboard as I hurried toward Eunhwa Home.

The nursing home's lobby had faux-wood floors and not much else worth noticing. It was clean, but clearly not high-end.

A member of the staff waved me toward the common room.

Gran sat at a table, squinting at a Dungeons & Realms board. She perked up when the pizza boxes hit the table. “Smuggling contraband again?”

“High-risk raid. Almost got caught by the nutritionist.”

Her chortle drew stares from the chess club in the corner.

I unfolded the cardboard as she got the board between us ready for a new game.

Ten minutes later, Gran’s token took out mine with a triumphant clack.

“Again,” she said, picking up another slice of pizza and taking a bite.

“That was a leadership mistake," I said. "Carbs dull tactics.” I flipped the board, resetting our usual rematch. “Let’s see your opening gambit now, oh Lady of the Truffles.”

Gran chuckled and raided my opening artifacts in one swoop. Damn it.

The common room TV in the corner was showing a news cycle. The footage shifted to a live scene as the reporter’s voice cut in.

“—latest Knot in Cheongard. Llewellyn arrived on-site moments ago—”

My fingers froze mid-move.

Llewellyn appeared on screen in 4K—trench coat sweeping as he glared at the press. The camera zoomed in as a reporter shouted something about “civilian casualties”, but I couldn't focus.

Cheongard? There was a Knot in Baekhaven right now?!

Gran’s gaze flicked between me and the screen.

“Isn’t that your boy?”

“He’s not my—”

Honestly.

Gran hummed, then narrowed her eyes at me and looked down at the board again. “You play games worse than when you were twelve.”

“Dietary sabotage," I said, taking a bite of pizza. "Carbs and mushrooms in my case."

Gran snorted, her gaze lingering a beat too long. “Job keeping you up nights?”

I hummed noncommittally, opting for another bite. I hadn't exactly told her I was consistently working night shifts, or she would worry; just that I occasionally covered someone else's night when my managers asked.

On TV, Llewellyn had entered the Dungeon. At least it was not a Distorted Realm, but that still meant we'd have no updates now until he was done.

Gran eyed the screen from above her reading glasses. "Look at him. I bet he doesn’t lose at board games."

I scoffed. "Well, I'm sure he doesn’t have to constantly suffer devastating defeats at the hands of someone who claims not to have strategies."

Gran tutted. "Excuses, excuses."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot—your wins are purely an act of fate.”

I could see the corner of her mouth curve up.

Then, she moved her token and raided my latest artifacts—again.

Honestly.

I narrowed my eyes at her before looking down at the board and trying to figure out what to do. The only sensible move here was taking over the nearest Collapsed Tunnel, so I obviously did that.

However… I couldn't really focus. I couldn't stop glancing at the screen and thinking about what the System had said.

[Partner’s survival probability decreases significantly without external tactical support. Current combat efficacy is optimal, but strategic vulnerabilities remain.]

And…

67%.

I stood abruptly, chair screeching.

"I have to go," I told Gran.

She looked at me curiously. I had never left early. I felt bad about it, but—

Gran leaned back, squinting. “Uh-huh.”

“Next week,” I said, pushing the chair back under the table. “Double rematch.”

She waved her hand. “Get out of here.”

And then, when I was almost at the door: "Ryo."

I looked back.

"Don't get hurt."

I took the stairs two at a time.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

How does one call the System?

"System window?" I tried. "Contract status? Hello?"

A System window popped up.

[Contract offer still pending.]

Perfect.

I kept walking briskly toward the train station.

"If, on top of what you offered, you agree to pay off all my debts, I'll accept your contract immediately."

The System window sparkled.

[Agreed. User's debts will also be paid off. Accept Contract?]

"Yes," I said. Then I realized I didn’t actually need to go to the train station. "Please drop me at the Knot site."

Chapter Text

The street disappeared.

A moment later, I was upside down, midair.

Falling.

FUCK—

Wind rushed past my ears and my stomach lurched into my throat.

I tried to shout for the System, but all that came out was a mangled noise.

As I fell, I caught a glimpse of floating islands linked by curved bridges, stretching across the endless sky. Their shapes blurred past me as I fell.

Down below, Llewellyn stood alone in a grassy field, focused on something near his shoes.

As I plummeted, his head lifted sharply, likely sensing the movement. His eyes locked onto mine.

I was still falling.

Right at him.

Llewellyn's expression flattened, visibly processing the exact amount of bullshit happening.

Then, he sighed.

A split second later, he moved so fast I could barely keep track. A gust of air whipped around him as he shot upward, closing the distance and catching me.

Llewellyn's grip tightened as his feet touched the ground.

Then, with a sharp motion, he hurled me onto the grass.

I hit the ground with a groan.

For a second, I just lay there, coughing and blinking up at the clear sky.

Llewellyn looked down at me.

The sense of déjà vu was uncanny.

"You again," he said. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Still trying to catch my breath, I managed, "Surprise aerial reinforcement?"

Llewellyn's eye twitched. Behind him, the grass rustled, undisturbed.

"I should've let you hit the ground."

I closed my eyes, heart still pounding. I couldn't bring myself to sit up yet.

What was the System up to? Surely it wasn't that stupid to believe I wanted to be literally dropped here?!

Perhaps it wanted me to be indebted to Llewellyn. Hard to back out of a contract to keep someone who'd just saved your life safe.

Llewellyn exhaled through his nose.

Right, I was supposed to say something.

"In my defense, I was not given a say in any of that," I added after a moment, opening my eyes.

Llewellyn stared at me for a long second. Then, with the air of a man deeply regretting his life choices, he turned back to what he had been doing.

I watched him kneel, brushing a hand over the grass. A few objects were scattered there—potions, a couple of swords, some low-grade equipment pieces.

"Dungeon drop?" I asked, pushing myself up properly this time—then snorted.

Well. I'd just dropped into a dungeon myself. The joke was on me.

Llewellyn glanced over, one eyebrow slightly raised—not quite amusement, but… not not-it either.

He hummed and lifted one of the swords, turning it slightly in the light before setting it aside. "Standard drops. Some minor gear."

He collected everything, vanishing it into his inventory, then rose to his feet, gaze scanning the landscape.

I dusted off my clothes and took a better look around.

Around us, the grass moved in a slow ripple, the breeze cool against my skin. It looked almost peaceful.

Llewellyn turned to me again. "So, what's going on? Is this going to keep happening?"

Damn. Should I tell him?

I guess I could postpone the reveal, but what good would that do?

I tried to appear nonchalant, and said, "I signed a contract."

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "A contract?"

"Yeah," I said. "With the System."

Llewellyn stared at me, clearly expecting more.

What should I tell him?! I'm your new partner? I'm here to keep you alive? It all sounded ridiculous to me too!

"We might be partnered for a while," I settled on after a pause. "I was asked to provide… uh… tactical support. Sub-DPS, too."

After a moment, Llewellyn sighed. "Great. So, what's your name?"

Wait, really?

"We tackled a Distorted Realm together, you saved my life a bunch of times, just threw me to the ground, and only now you're asking?"

Llewellyn just waited.

"Fine. I'm Ryo."

Llewellyn nodded. He met my gaze briefly, as if assessing something, then turned toward the nearest bridge.

Well!

I followed him, grumbling.

I don't know what I expected, but his reaction—or rather, lack thereof—left me baffled. What was that about? Did he trust the System that much?

I trailed after him as he headed toward the next island.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"We finish what I started," Llewellyn said. "We need to get to the Knot."

I'd figured as much. That still didn't answer the part I actually wanted to know, though. How were we going to do that?

We crossed onto the bridge.

The stone was smooth and pale and mist clung to it, curling and retreating from our footsteps as if we'd disturbed its sleep. The islands beyond the bridge seemed to shift slightly in the mist.

Llewellyn spoke without looking at me. "That thing you did in the last Distorted Realm—what was it?"

I blinked. "What? Flagging the Threads?"

"Threads," he muttered.

"Why do you not see them? That doesn't seem practical."

Llewellyn considered that for a moment. "It's probably tied to one of your Attributes."

"…What do you mean?"

"If it was just a Skill or an Ability that could be granted to anyone, the System would have probably granted it to me too, since I'm always fighting Knots. The fact that it hasn't, but has found you instead, makes me assume it's an ability that needs prerequisites. Likely, a specific Attribute."

That made sense. Attributes are non-grantable. They tend to be innate, either based on the character's personal traits or life experiences.

Suddenly, Llewellyn stopped.

"Monsters?" I asked, looking around.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

A second later, the first creature emerged from the grass without a sound—Earth snake, by the look of it. Shit! Its body coiled midair before snapping toward us.

Llewellyn's sword moved at once, cutting through the creature and scattering its burning form before I could even react.

Another rustling, then three more burst from the undergrowth. Llewellyn cut them down just as swiftly.

Well, damn.

The mist curled tighter around the base of the trees, but everything else was still.

"Let's move," Llewellyn said.

I let out a breath and fell back into step behind him.

Stone paths wound through patches of moss and wild grass.

As the ground leveled out, the mist lifted and the atmosphere opened up, revealing a walled town ahead—bright and festive.

Chapter Text

"…Uh."

A figure with dog features (rounded ears, brown fur brushed with gray around the muzzle) and clad in bright colors stood near the entrance with a cheerful smile.

I stared.

I'd heard more than one weird story about Dungeons, but seeing it in person was something else.

"Travelers!" He called, waving us closer. "Come in! Come in! All visitors welcome!"

Llewellyn sighed.

"Alberan," he said. "Is this really necessary?"

The dog-person's smile didn't dim one bit as he eyed us from behind his monocle.

"Welcome to Mondwyn Harbor! I'm Alberan, your guide to all things magical and marvelous within our walls. We have accommodations for weary travelers, fresh meals at the Drifting Lantern, and the most spectacular view of the Evening Sky Ritual at sundown." His muzzle crinkled with delight as he pulled out a scroll from his pocket. "Would you care for a map? First one's free!"

I glanced at Llewellyn, who looked resigned.

"Sure," I said, taking the scroll he was offering. It unfurled to reveal a cheerfully illustrated map of the town, complete with little drawings of important landmarks. "Thanks."

"My pleasure!" Alberan beamed, completely ignoring Llewellyn's deadpan. "Explore at your leisure! Remember—all purchases require Coins and some areas might be restricted until you've completed certain tasks."

I studied the map more closely. The town seemed larger inside than it had appeared from the bridge. Probably some spatial distortion effect, typical Dungeon stuff.

"Anything else we should know?" I asked.

"Just enjoy yourselves! The Harbor has much to offer those with curious hearts and open minds."

Llewellyn had already walked past him toward the town entrance as if this was a waste of time.

"Thanks for the welcome," I said, hurrying after him.

Sun spilled across the stone streets as we entered the town.

Colorful banners hung from windows and between rooftops. Bedsheets snapped lazily from second-floor windows as townsfolk moved easily through the streets—most of them with features that reminded me of dogs and foxes, laughter trailing behind them.

I caught a whiff of bread, woodsmoke, and what I assumed was crushed herbs warming in the sun.

Somewhere, a lute played, half-hidden by the sound of feet against the stones.

Damn, this place looked amazing. I’d come back on holiday here, if I could.

As soon as I voiced my thought, a notification window popped open in front of me with a soft chime.

[System Notification: User preference for Mondwyn Harbor noted. This location will be included in future Dungeon configurations when possible.]

"Wait, really?"

[System Notification: Emotional and preference-based feedback is automatically collected to enhance User Experience.]

Well, then. I wouldn't mind seeing this place again.

Llewellyn crossed the street.

The square opened before us, bustling with activity. Market stalls selling potions, artifacts, food, and who knows what else covered the area, while the dog and fox people went about their business, picking up items or trying to negotiate prices.

A festival stall offered gliders for rent with a sign that read: “Use at your own risk!” Well! Maybe next time, then.

"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked, looking around.

Llewellyn slowed near the edge of the main square, eyes inspecting the buildings ahead.

"We need to find the Kiosk. There should be a map posted."

Another map? Maybe it was a different one.

A few steps ahead, we spotted a small structure tucked into the square. It had a stone base and walls and a wide awning striped in bright cloth.

No one was in, but through the window, a slab of glass shaped like a flat pane could be seen hanging on a wall, humming faintly with light.

It looked a little like a magical TV.

Above the Kiosk, a simple sign, whose golden letters looked recently polished, gleamed in the sun:

INFORMATION KIOSK—VISITORS WELCOME

As we approached, the glass pane stirred. Letters formed on its surface and a friendly voice, bright and melodious, floated out:

"Welcome, travelers! The Festival of Echoes is underway!

Missing Dungeon Map fragments have been scattered across Mondwyn Harbor for safekeeping. Find them all to unlock the route to the Heart!"

Llewellyn stared at the screen for a long, blank second.

I snorted. "Treasure hunt?"

He sighed. "Treasure hunt."

The view in the glass pane changed again, listing three tasks:

- Retrieve the lost delivery baskets for the bakery. 
- Solve the riddle at the Knight’s Monument. 
- Collect festival tokens and exchange them at the fountain. 

I briefly wondered if we were going to remember all of that, but Llewellyn made a noncommittal noise and walked away before the explanation to the first task even appeared.

Well.

We cut toward the nearest alley and into the main street.

The town stretched broad and bright around us, full of low half-timbered houses with curved gables and steeply sloped roofs, with gardens overflowing onto the stones.

As we crossed the street, a baker with wide, retriever-like features leaned over the threshold of a quirky-looking shop, waving frantically.

"You there!" he called. "Adventurers! Good timing! I lost half my delivery baskets to that cursed wind!"

He pointed down a side lane, where a few baskets lay overturned—one wedged under a bench, another bouncing lightly as a stray gust pushed it along the road.

I glanced at Llewellyn.

"I’ll get the ones on the left," he said simply.

I did my best not to grin. The strongest guy alive, chasing after bread baskets for a dog baker. Niamh would have a field day.

I peeled off toward the right.

The baskets weren’t heavy, just all over the place. They were tied with bright ribbons like parade prizes and occasionally got blown away by a gust of wind making us run after them. Well, me. Llewellyn just seemed to be using his Air to haul them back and was done in no time.

Damn.

A group of kids—a scruffy pack of young dog-like creatures—was chasing after one of the baskets that kept tumbling away, their laughter bright.

By the time I retrieved my lot, Llewellyn was inside the shop where he had already stacked his part neatly on the baker’s counter and was waiting.

The scent of sweet pastries wrapped around me as I also stepped in.

The space was small but bright, full of polished wood and brass fixtures, with rows of pastries dusted with sugar or covered in glaze. Near the register, a collection of small, delicate cakes sat beneath glass domes, decorated with sugar flowers.

The baker grinned as I dropped the last basket onto the pile.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" he said, brushing flour from his apron, which had 'Best Bread in Town' embroidered across the front. "Can't thank you enough. Those baskets are enchanted, you know. Special delivery system. You can't replace them easily. Here!" he said, reaching under the counter. "Special reward for quick work."

He handed over freshly baked buns neatly packaged in two separate bags as well as two coffees.

"Thank you," I said, taking the warm bags.

I looked inside. One of the bags included a folded piece of parchment—a corner of the map, still warm from the contact with the bun.

I handed Llewellyn his bun and coffee.

Llewellyn eyed them for a moment, likely running them through the System to see if they were safe, then he bit into his bun almost happily.

Well. Who knew he had a sweet tooth.

Or maybe he just appreciated the stamina and strength boost.

We said goodbye and left the shop with our reward.

"Next part’s at the Knight’s Monument," I remembered, taking out the town map we got from Alberan and trying to reorient myself.

Llewellyn nodded once and tucked the Dungeon Map fragment carefully inside his coat.

Chapter Text

The streets opened into a wide, circular plaza.

At the center stood the Knight's Monument, a tall, marble figure in a long, sculpted coat, sword at his side, watching over the city.

My eyes fell on the jaw, the posture, the hair, the way the coat fell in elegant lines, the way the shoulders looked subtly tense, as if ready for movement…

Even from a distance, the resemblance was unmistakable.

It was Llewellyn.

I snorted out loud.

"Nice statue," I said, laughing. Well, he was the System's favorite after all.

Beside me, Llewellyn looked like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. I, on the other hand, liked this place more by the minute.

"Seems the locals are fans. Should I ask if they sell miniatures? I could start a collection."

The statue stood tall and elegant, somehow looking both at rest and ready for combat. It was uncanny how they'd captured that exact look he got when he was about to obliterate something.

I would totally buy a miniature, who was I kidding? I should look for one when he got distracted.

"Look at the bright side. At least they don't seem to recognize you."

Llewellyn didn't seem to think that was the bright side.

"Focus on finding the riddle," he said gruffly, hiding behind a sip of coffee.

"We should take a photo," I suggested, reaching for my phone. "For posterity."

The look he gave me could have melted steel.

Now that I thought about it, I was curious. Did phones work inside a Dungeon?

The screen lit up normally. I opened the camera app and the interface loaded smoothly, with no System interference.

"Huh. Everything works."

I raised the phone, framing the shot.

Damn, the statue really looked great. Everything about it was exceptional.

Llewellyn looked displeased, but apart from stepping well away from the shot, he didn't protest.

I snapped a few pictures of Mondwyn Harbor too, then put my phone away as we approached the base of the monument.

A scroll rested on the plinth, just above eye level. I leaned forward and read it aloud:

"I fly though I have no wings.
I cry though I have no eyes.
Wherever I go, darkness flees.
What am I?"

"Mmh." Llewellyn looked pensive.

He stood there for a moment, then walked toward the low rim of the fountain and sat down facing the statue, going back to his bun.

I dropped down beside him, setting my coffee on the stone and munching on my own bun.

The heat from the plaza stones soaked pleasantly through my jeans. Somewhere nearby, the smell of fresh pastries drifted from unseen stalls.

For a moment, we just sat there, eating, eyes drawn back to the monument.

From the corner of my eye, I caught the faint tightness in Llewellyn's shoulders. He was frowning at the statue like he couldn't believe his eyes.

I lost it.

A snort slipped out before I could stop myself.

Llewellyn just bit into his bun with the air of a man determined to pretend this wasn't happening. Which, honestly, was probably his only real option.

I took a sip of coffee, still grinning.

Paths spread out from the plaza, leading toward the gardens, the upper town—and who knows where else.

Under the bright blue sky, banners fluttered in the breeze above the people moving around—merchants carting goods, children chasing each other along the stones—but it never felt crowded, just full of life and movement.

"Wind," I guessed eventually.

"Light," Llewellyn said at the same time.

We stared at each other.

"Better odds than expected," I said, shrugging. "Why do you think it's light?"

Llewellyn finished his bun, brushing crumbs from his fingers. "It flies without wings—light travels. It cries without eyes—think of sunbeams breaking through clouds. And darkness always flees from it."

Well, when he put it that way…

"Why do you think it's wind?"

I leaned back. "Wind flies without wings. It cries without eyes when it howls through buildings or trees. And darkness..." I paused. "Okay, that part doesn't work as well for wind."

Llewellyn nodded once, then stood and approached the riddle scroll again. He placed his hand over the scroll and said clearly, "Light."

The scroll glowed.

A small panel slid open at the base of the monument, revealing a folded piece of parchment tucked neatly inside: another fragment of the Dungeon Map.

Llewellyn carefully extracted it and tucked it away with the first fragment.

"Two down," I said, finishing my coffee. "One to go."

This hadn't been too difficult.

We tossed our coffee cups and wrappers, and crossed into the next square.

Water splashed in gentle arcs, catching sunlight and throwing rainbow fragments across the stones.

How were there so many fountains in this town? Seriously.

Still, together with the salty air coming from the harbor, they made this place feel open and fresh.

We slowed near the fountain's edge.

A handful of festival stalls had been set up around the perimeter with bright cloth awnings, tables crowded with little prizes and colorful paper tokens. Vendors with dog and fox features waved and called to passersby, their voices mixing with the lute music and the splash of water.

A cheerful-looking raccoon merchant caught sight of us and waved an oversized paw.

"Adventurers!" he called. "Fancy earning a few festival tokens? Easy work—prizes too!"

Llewellyn gave him a look usually reserved for monsters that almost set me off again.

I looked around. Bright flags, delicious food, a fountain throwing clear water into the sky… It was easy to forget why we were here.

"Come on," I said. "How bad could it be?"

The raccoon beamed at me as I stepped closer, pressing a handful of bright, blank tokens into my palm. The surface of each token glinted faintly.

"Three simple tasks!" he announced. "Win a toss, light a lantern, and tag the bouncing barrel! Each task lights up a token. Light up all three and trade them in for your prize!"

Across the square, a barrel with tiny legs was running frantically through a laughing crowd, narrowly avoiding a fox-woman trying to catch it with a net.

"…"

"You've got to be kidding me," I said.

Chapter Text

"Three tasks," the raccoon said, "one prize! Earn enough tokens and the best rewards open up!"

Llewellyn looked resigned. He walked forward and got his tokens too.

I flipped one of the tokens between my fingers. "Fine. Where’s the toss game?"

The raccoon pointed to a stall just past the fountain. It was a very simple setup with bright hoops and little pegs shaped like towers and gates.

I jogged over and grabbed a few rings.

I thought this wouldn't be difficult, but…

The first one bounced off the peg and nearly clocked a kid chasing after a paper kite.

The second landed short.

Finally, the third skidded, wobbled, and somehow caught on the side of a peg.

Ha!

A triumphant little chime rang out overhead and one of my tokens lit up with gold light.

"One down!" the raccoon shouted brightly.

I turned, smug, only to see Llewellyn flick a single ring one-handed and land it dead center on the highest peg.

…Well.

"Showoff," I said.

Llewellyn didn’t dignify that with a response.

Next up: the lantern.

A small cluster of paper lanterns sat near another stall, all painted with festival symbols.

"Light one and send it flying," the raccoon merchant explained, bustling over. "Simple!"

I picked up a lantern carefully.

We needed to activate it with Magic apparently, but would Water work? That's all I could use.

I concentrated, willing a burst of my Magic into the lantern.

After a bit, it shivered and flared to life, lighting up with a golden glow under my hands. Then, with a soft whoosh, it lifted upward, joining the dozens already drifting into the bright blue sky.

Another of my tokens glowed.

Llewellyn, of course, just brushed his fingers over a lantern and sent it floating upward without blinking. 

Then, he turned to look at me.

"You’re still this weak? You didn’t buy anything?"

Huh? Could he tell from the lantern?

“Buy?”

"From the System Shop."

I paused. "There's a System Shop?"

Llewellyn pinched the bridge of his nose.

How had I not heard of it? How did no one ever mention it online? That didn't seem right.

"Open your interface. Then navigate to the Shop."

Well. I had no idea I could do this.

"Open interface?" I tried.

A window popped up, then separated into different panels, rearranging across my vision. Stats, Skills, Coins...

Huh.

"You should have gotten Coins for clearing the Guildford Distorted Realm," Llewellyn said. "Start with Attack stats, then Crit stats. If you can afford it, add Defense. Abilities levels might be locked or have restrictions—these often require some training or to pass a test. We don't have time for now, but you might want to explore that later. Just get your stats up. This town seems fine, but we'll have to face the final boss."

I seemed to have enough Coins to boost the stats he mentioned by around 20%. Was that enough?

"Don't overdo it," Llewellyn warned. "You can't overload your body, it has to adapt."

Fair enough. I wasn't even used to the buzzing of Magic in my body yet.

20% it is then—though that seemed rather low to me.

As soon as I clicked, a notification popped up.

[System Notification: Stat upgrades currently limited to one application every 10 days. Next eligibility: 10 days from now.]

I sighed. Of course. Because why make anything easy.

I finished upgrading while we crossed the plaza and reached the stall.

The raccoon clapped his paws together, thrilled.

"Last one!" he announced. "Catch the barrel!"

We both turned to watch the tiny barrel with legs dart between festival-goers.

"...Please tell me this isn't a race quest," I said.

As we reached it carefully from either side, trying to ambush it, the barrel immediately juked to the side and shot off like a demon, weaving through a group of kids carrying balloons.

I cursed under my breath and broke into a run.

The thing was fast as hell, skittering between carts, under stalls, doubling back just when I thought I had it cornered.

While I was sprinting after it, Llewellyn looked more like he was herding it, fast but without really rushing, adjusting every time it tried to slip away.

Which, honestly, shouldn't have worked so well—it was mildly infuriating.

I dove for it once—nearly caught a handle—and ended up against a crate of stuffed festival prizes.

Someone clapped politely.

Dignity bruised, I pushed myself up, and took off again.

After another few minutes of chasing, Llewellyn finally cornered it against a fountain ledge.

I lunged, wrapping both arms around the stupid thing, and hoisted it up like a confused toddler.

A triumphant chime echoed, then cheers.

The barrel went still in my arms, then slowly deflated into a neat pile of colorful ribbons.

I panted, trying to catch my breath, and blinked down at the mess. When I reached into my pocket, I found that the last of my tokens had lit up brightly.

Llewellyn was standing next to me, completely unbothered, checking his own token.

"Three," he said simply.

Fucking hell.

We walked back to the raccoon merchant, who clapped like we'd just saved the world.

"Congratulations!" he cried. "Three tasks complete—all tokens validated! Exchange them at the prize booth for your reward!"

I shoved the tokens into the waiting collection basket and was handed a bundle wrapped in bright festival paper tied with a cheerful blue ribbon.

I tugged the ribbon loose.

It was a bag of glazed nuts with a neatly folded scrap of parchment inside. The last fragment of the Dungeon Map.

Llewellyn took the last map piece and retrieved the other two from his coat, inching them closer until they sealed together.

Brilliant.

"Glazed nuts?" I asked, tilting the wrapper toward him.

Llewellyn grabbed some and we set off toward the fountain again, so we could study the map properly.

When we were both sitting down, we stared at it, frowning.

"Are they serious?!" I said. A bright line traced a path from Mondwyn Harbor outward, across the nearest floating fields, to a very obvious, very visible point marked simply: The Heart. "We would have found that anyway! Was all this necessary?"

Llewellyn folded the map again and rose to his feet.

"It had to be something," he said. "The System can stabilize a Knot into a Dungeon before it turns destructive and collapses into a Distorted Realm, but once it channels all that creative Magic, it has to do something with it. It's often towns, characters, environments, random quests… Most of the Knot’s Magic still compresses into a final boss, because the System can’t stop the destructive build-up completely. However, it still lessens the level of threat and gives us manageable spaces to move through rather than just fight monster after monster—or worse, the raw Elements as it's often the case in Distorted Realms."

It made sense. I was just surprised this was not all over the Internet.

I wondered how much of the System-related information was being filtered—and by whom. Maybe by the System itself?

"That's why you don't often bother with Dungeons," I guessed.

"There are many awakened people who can use Elemental Magic. Most of them can tackle a Dungeon, either alone or in teams, depending on the type and the final boss. The System can usually send them. Not many can tackle Distorted Realms, especially the complex ones. It makes more sense to save my energies for those."

He was not wrong.

However, that meant that we might not repeat this any time soon.

Damn.

This had been the most fun I had in a long time.

I lingered a moment longer, glancing back toward the town.

Festival music still floated through the air, warm and golden. A few kids splashed near the fountain, laughing. As we walked through the streets, we saw the baker we’d helped earlier standing on his shop’s doorstep, waving at us jovially.

I quickly snapped a few extra pictures. It was sad to think this was all going to vanish as soon as we destroyed the Dungeon. The System had said it had taken note of my preference for Mondwyn Harbor so it might include it in future Dungeons, but for that to happen we had to tackle other Dungeons first—and that might not happen any time soon.

I straightened, putting my phone away again.

These were ridiculous thoughts. Besides, maybe I could tackle a Dungeon on my own, every once in a while. It didn't seem that difficult.

"Let's go," I said.

We passed under the colorful banners one last time, Alberan leaning by the gates, chatting cheerfully with a pair of fox people.

Then, we were beyond the gates.

I eyed the narrow path ahead, leading towards the next floating island.

Around us, only rock and mist. Everything was quiet.

Chapter Text

We crossed another bridge, stepping onto a larger island.

"Does the System always teleport you when a new Knot appears?" I asked.

"Usually," Llewellyn answered without looking at me. "Not this time, though. I was already nearby."

Wait...

"Do you live in Baekhaven?!"

Llewellyn just hummed, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

Damn. How had I not known this? This was my job, my hobby, and had been pretty much all I'd been thinking about in the past two years.

Of course there had been speculation online, but nothing conclusive. He'd only been photographed in Baekhaven a few times, so these days most people just assumed he lived in some small town somewhere up north, well away from the press.

Honestly, considering his fans, I was surprised he had managed to keep this secret.

"You live in Baekhaven," I repeated, "and nobody knows?"

"Some people know," Llewellyn said. "Just not the press—or those people on the Internet."

"How do you even manage that?! There are literally forums dedicated to tracking your movements."

I knew that well. We had to report anything weird or dangerous to Emma as an immediate priority.

Llewellyn glanced at me, deadpan. "I don't go out much."

…His tone was flat enough that I couldn't tell if he was joking.

Well. What do you say to that?

The path ahead was getting steeper, winding up toward what looked like ruins at the top of a hill.

Soon, stone steps emerged from the grass, presumably worn smooth by time—though it was difficult to say that of a Dungeon that didn't exist until a few hours ago.

The steps kept climbing.

Llewellyn moved with ease, making the ascent look effortless. My legs, on the other hand, were already starting to burn.

A cool wind swept the hill, carrying the scent of rain. The temperature had dropped since we'd left the festival town, and the sky was now gray with clouds. My jacket wasn't meant for this weather.

"You should have proper gear," Llewellyn said, his attention on the path. "The System provides a basic equipment allowance, which might be sufficient for your current stats. And you can always convert Oryang into Coins and buy what you want."

Not a bad thought. Maybe his trench coat was a wearable too, then?

I opened the System Shop again and navigated to the relevant section, scrolling through the listings.

Most jackets and coats looked very bulky—too impractical for fighting. However, one caught my attention.

It was a pale cream trench coat, closer to off-white than pure white, muted enough that it didn't feel flashy. The fabric was described as a sleek blend that repelled water but still let you move easily.

Two rows of metallic buttons ran down its front, but still managed to feel understated because of the coat's relaxed drape. Metal fastenings, subtle straps, buckle accents, and more or less concealed zippers gave it a nice flair.

According to the description, it also gave a moderate Attack and Defence boost and adapted to temperature changes.

It was 3,500+ Coins, which seemed like a lot, but I had a contract covering full living expenses now, so. I just topped up my Coins with the Oryang the System had transferred to me earlier that day and selected Purchase before I could overthink it.

The coat materialized directly onto me, replacing my old jacket.

[System Notification: Seashell White Trench Coat equipped!

Thermal regulation active.

+15% ATK and DEF increase.

+6% Water damage bonus.]

Woah. The chill lifted instantly.

When I raised my arm, the fabric also felt really light, but the buttons were satisfyingly sturdy under my fingertips. Amazing.

Llewellyn nodded in approval when I mentioned thermal regulation.

The sky had darkened since we'd arrived, with clouds gathering overhead.

Under our feet, the stone had crumbled away, leaving a gap in the stairs. I edged around it carefully, keeping close to the intact side. Heights weren't usually a problem for me, but the drop was steep.

Soon, the stairs ended and we found ourselves facing a circular platform. Around the edges, strange symbols were carved into the tiles.

The moment we reached it, the entire circle lit up with a soft glow.

"A gate puzzle," Llewellyn said, walking past me.

As if responding to his voice, the symbols began to lift from the ground and rotate slowly, creating a spiral. Their movement formed a cone of light at the centre of the platform, almost like a Christmas tree.

"Great. So what do we do?"

I reached out toward the nearest floating symbol, but Llewellyn caught my wrist, lightning fast.

"Don't touch them!"

I looked at his hand, startled.

"You almost got yourself incinerated."

What!!! Seriously?!

I moved back, flinching.

It looked like I didn't have to touch the symbols for something to happen, though.

The platform rumbled, then three stone pillars rose from the ground.

What the hell. How does one get used to this kind of stuff?!

Llewellyn exhaled and walked to the nearest one, examining it.

One pillar had a Fire symbol, another a Water symbol. However, nothing was indicated on the third.

I frowned. "What's up with this one?"

Llewellyn pointed to the floating symbols, then at the keyhole in the pillar. "Those aren't just for show. They're keys. Likely, one of them works on this one."

He pulled something from his pocket, frowning, and I moved closer to take a look. "What's that?"

"Something I picked up earlier. You weren't the only one collecting things."

…Guess I hadn't been that discreet, then.

"Thought you were too busy being heroic and scowling at that statue to loot."

Llewellyn eyed me. "Never too busy to loot," he said.

I couldn't help it. I snorted.

"So you've been picking up random crap this whole time too?"

Apart from his initial Dungeon drop, there hadn't really been much to loot. I'd collected one of those festival lanterns, thinking they might be useful if we ended up somewhere dark, and the ribbons from that deflated barrel we had chased (though, judging from the System description, they didn't seem to do much but bring festive cheer). I'd also looted one of those delivery baskets we'd collected for the baker. The Dungeon would disappear soon anyway and an enchanted basket for special deliveries seemed useful.

Llewellyn held up what looked like a small, ornate lyre.

"This isn't random crap. Didn't you notice the lyre-shaped objects scattered throughout the town?"

Well.

"I noticed a bin," I offered helpfully.

Llewellyn gave me a flat look. "The lyres were everywhere. On the fountain. The tokens. The baker's sign. The Knight statue's belt. The children's balloons. The Kiosk. That's generally a sign something is important."

I stared at him for a second, then glanced back at the town. Now that he mentioned it…

But where did he even find that?!

Well, anyway.

"So. What do we do with your tiny lyre?"

"It should be a carillon," Llewellyn said, frowning, turning the miniature instrument over in his hand, before holding it above the pillar. Nothing happened.

I remembered how the town's lanterns had lit up when we'd used our Elemental Magic on them.

"Should we try the same thing we did with the festival lanterns?" I said.

"Mmh," Llewellyn said. "But I don't think it's as simple. See if you can find any clues around."

I wondered if I could activate Elemental Insight at will. Could I? I gave it a try.

[System Notification: "Elemental Insight" is active!]

Oh, good. It looked like I could after all.

Just as it had happened in the Distorted Realm, my vision swayed before refocusing, suddenly brighter and sharper.

There was no Knot here with Threads to visualize, but I could suddenly see a faint halo around the third pillar, bearing two different magical signatures from two different Elements.

Huh. Interesting.

"I think we need to channel both Elements into the lyre," I said.

Llewellyn looked at me for a moment, seemingly thinking this over. He brought his attention back to the pillar, likely using one of his skills, then nodded. "Alright," he said. "Let's give it a go. Just don't touch anything."

I summoned Water, right as Llewellyn summoned Fire.

A faint melody drifted out of the lyre. It was the same tune that had played throughout Mondwyn Harbor. Then, a symbol flew on its own out of the cone of light right toward the pillar's lock, sliding in and turning with a click.

Llewellyn hummed, satisfied.

The music coming from the lyre continued to carry the flow of Water and Fire Magic through the key and into the keyhole.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the flow of Magic split again, branching out toward the other two pillars in separate streams, each reaching its relevant pillar—Fire to one, Water to the other.

The remaining symbols flew outward, landing one by one to form a glowing path leading into the forest.

"That worked," Llewellyn said, lowering the lyre. "Good call."

I sighed in relief. At least I didn't get either of us incinerated.

We followed the new path, walking in comfortable silence.

The magical symbols continued to appear ahead of us, one by one, lighting up the way.

Finally, we crossed the next bridge, stepping onto the final island.

A wide, stone dais stood before us. 

A System message popped up:

[System Notification: Physical contact required for Elemental Alignment.] 

Well.

"How do you even deal with these when you're alone?" I asked. 

Llewellyn grumbled. "I've never had to before." He shot me a sidelong look. "Which means this is probably your fault."

"Hey!" Honestly. "If anything, you're the common denominator here."

As if it didn't look like the System was doing its best to make sure Llewellyn had all the resources he needed.

Of course, that was the best course of action, but still.

Llewellyn moved closer until our shoulders pressed lightly together.

"Let's just get it over with."

Well, fine by me.

I exhaled and we used our Magic again.

I wasn't sure why, but summoning Elemental Magic felt good, especially without the threat of a fight. It made the itch in my chest tingle slightly, but in a pleasant way.

Llewellyn, of course, looked as unaffected as ever.

The stone dais lit up; then, the ground beneath us rumbled.

A second later a massive serpent burst from the earth, its body translucent.

The final boss.

Inside, Water sloshed as its twin eyes tracked us, as dark as black holes.

Chapter Text

Shit. Why did it have to be a Water monster?!

"What the hell is that?" I shouted, stepping back. My back slammed into a light barrier that hadn't been there before.

"Celestial Hydra," Llewellyn said, sword drawn. "Don't let it touch you."

Great.

The creature roared.

"Any weaknesses?" I asked, though it was likely useless. You can't fight Water with Water—and that was the only Element I could use.

"The core there," Llewellyn said, pointing to a light at its center. "I'm going to have to free the other two heads before it creates an impenetrable shield or we'll never be able to hit it."

He charged before the monster could attack, slashing at its neck.

The Hydra reared back, roaring. Its body swelled like a wave then split into three identical heads, each tracking us with those void-like eyes.

I rolled and ducked, heart beating madly.

What should I do? Llewellyn likely didn't need my help, but I couldn't step off this platform and I couldn't fight it using Water.

I focused on dodging the attacks as I tried to think of a solution.

The Hydra kept charging.

Llewellyn's blade repeatedly sliced through each neck, but the water just closed back again as if it had never been hit, the heads whipping around.

"Get behind me!" Llewellyn barked as I barely dodged another attack.

I was seriously starting to wonder if I could only be a dead weight here when a System notification popped up:

[System Alert: 'Crisis Management' has been unlocked!]

Huh?

[Do you want to temporarily redirect Elemental flow? Warning: Misuse may result in Elemental imbalance.]

What the hell was that supposed to mean?!

The Hydra jaws snapped.

Llewellyn kept it at bay, but one of the other heads was coming right at me.

Clearly, there was no time to think.

I kept my focus on the water sloshing inside the Hydra and promptly answered, Yes.

The head froze mid-strike. Then, instead of biting me, it slammed into the ground, cracking the stone.

Llewellyn looked startled for a second, but quickly took advantage of the opening.

The Hydra screeched in pain, all three heads snapping toward Llewellyn now.

Shit.

I quickly used Crisis Management again, bashing all three heads against the floor and then against each other.

Llewellyn shot me a look, looking like he didn't know whether to glare or laugh at my… uh… fighting style, then moved, his blade a blur.

Another System notification popped up.

[Skill 'Exploratory Analysis' has been unlocked! Do you want to analyze the Elemental composition of the Celestial Hydra?]

Analyze? I mean, it was clearly a Water monster.

I answered Yes anyway.

[Celestial Hydra:

Core: Water (90%), Air (10%)

Vulnerable to: Fire, Wood, Earth

Resistance: Water]

Oh.

Wait, so maybe I could—

The System window flared again with the same prompt as before.

[Do you want to temporarily redirect Elemental flow? Warning: Misuse may result in Elemental imbalance.]

This time I focused on the Air inside the Hydra, instead of the Water, and promptly answered Yes.

The Hydra's heads froze mid-strike, their momentum suddenly redirected.

Then, instead of biting me, the heads began to spin faster and faster, randomly hitting each other—the water inside churning into a frothy mess.

It was like watching a blender set to high. For a moment I wondered if it was going to lift off.

Llewellyn instantly made use of the opening again. His blade sliced through all the Hydra's necks at once, piercing its body.

The Hydra screeched in pain.

Unfortunately, it looked like not even this was enough: the water reformed again, closing the wounds as if it had never been hit, all three heads snapping at Llewellyn from different angles.

Damn it.

I heard Llewellyn curse too as he dodged and rolled.

I had no idea if the information I had was useful to him, but I tried anyway.

"Its composition is 90% Water and 10% Air," I yelled to Llewellyn. "It's vulnerable to Fire, Wood, and Earth." He probably already knew the last part at least.

Llewellyn's eyes flashed toward me.

He shouted, "Got it!", and switched tactics, his sword suddenly wreathed in flames.

Wait. Fire against Water?

Apparently the answer was yes. Llewellyn plunged the burning blade straight into the Hydra. Steam erupted as the water boiled, the Hydra thrashing in pain.

The System window still hovered before me.

Damn it. I needed to think. What else could I do?

I focused on the Air bubbles inside the monster's body, trying to figure out if I could feel their movement.

I could. Huh.

Well, then.

I used Crisis Management to find more Air trapped within the Water. Bubbles burst inside the creature, shaking its form from the inside.

Llewellyn noticed and immediately adapted again, his sword suddenly wreathed in green energy. Wood.

He slashed at the nearest head.

Where the blade connected, the Hydra withered, all the moisture absorbed by the Wood Magic surrounding Llewellyn's sword.

Damn. Amazing.

The monster shrieked, its body losing volume as Llewellyn continued his assault, switching from Fire to Wood, vaporizing and absorbing, each strike draining more Water.

The heads thrashed wildly, trying to escape.

I kept manipulating the air bubbles inside the creature, disrupting its internal composition while Llewellyn methodically weakened it from the outside.

The Hydra's movements became more desperate, less coordinated.

Suddenly, Llewellyn crouched, slamming his palm against the ground.

Earth flared up around the Hydra's base, trapping it in mud that hardened instantly.

The Hydra's three heads thrashed wildly as its body tried to break free.

I watched Llewellyn circle the creature.

The System window still hovered before me as I wondered what else I could do.

Crisis Management had let me redirect Elemental flow without attacking directly, and Exploratory Analysis had revealed the Hydra's composition. Maybe I could combine them somehow?

I focused on the Hydra, trying to understand its conformation more deeply, and used Exploratory Analysis again—this time concentrating on the relationship between Water and Air.

The System window expanded with new information:

[Elemental Binding: Unstable

Core Integrity: 78%

Binding Rate: High]

Wow. I could actually do this?

Those details explained why the heads kept reforming. The Binding between Water and Air was unstable, but the Binding Rate was high—meaning it could quickly pull itself back together after being damaged.

No wonder Llewellyn's attacks weren't having lasting effect.

We needed to unsettle the Binding even more somehow—and possibly also lower the Binding Rate.

If the heads kept reforming because of the relationships between the Elements, maybe we could target that specifically?

I called out to Llewellyn, explaining about the unstable Elemental Binding and the high Binding Rate as best as I could. Llewellyn's eyes narrowed in understanding.

"Let's try something," he shouted. "Attack it with Water."

What? That made no sense.

It took longer to protest than to actually do it, however, so I just did it.

A jet of Water shot forward from my palm, hitting the Hydra's middle head. The creature didn't even seem to notice, it just absorbed it, becoming slightly larger.

But Llewellyn had suddenly evoked Air and chased my stream, intertwining with it.

Ice struck the creature's middle head and spread rapidly, freezing it.

Damn. That was great.

"It won't last long," Llewellyn said. "What other details do you have?"

I checked the window. "Core integrity is now 65%."

Llewellyn nodded.

"Do what you were doing before. I need you to focus on stopping it from reforming."

Then, he summoned Fire and Air at the same time and leaped forward.

What the—

I had never heard of anyone summoning two Elements at once. I didn't even know it was possible!

Llewellyn sliced through with his sword.

"Ryo!"

Right, yes, stopping the Hydra from reforming.

[System Alert: 'Crisis Management' is already active! Do you want to temporarily redirect Elemental flow? Warning: Misuse may result in Elemental imbalance.]

I frantically confirmed the prompt.

The Hydra roared in pain while the ice melted.

As it became mobile again, flame and wind engulfed it. The Fire and Air Elements intertwined, causing the creature's water to evaporate at an accelerated rate.

The Hydra's body began to disintegrate, its form dissolving into a cloud of mist.

I understood what Llewellyn meant now.

The creature's core integrity dropped to 50%, 45%, 40%…

I gritted my teeth and kept focusing my energy on the particles of Water, to keep it from reforming.

35%, 30%, 25%…

Llewellyn doubled the dose of Fire and Air. The amount of power emanating from him was astonishing.

I had no idea how he was keeping that up. I was already close to collapsing from the strain of one Element—and I wasn't even running around brandishing a sword at that speed!

15%, 10%, 5%…

With a final, ear-splitting roar, the Hydra's core integrity reached 0%.

The creature's body exploded into a cloud of mist—yet somehow it still resisted, despite the inferno of Water and Fire surrounding it.

Llewellyn's sword switched to Wood and absorbed it all in a lethal sweep.

I stared, dumbstruck. For a brief second, it'd looked like he had juggled three Elements at once.

As the mist dissipated, a huge Knot appeared in the center of the dais, its Magic heaving slightly.

Llewellyn looked breathless, but kept going.

With a final burst of energy, he leapt into the air and charged at the Knot, slicing it cleanly in half. A burst of Magic exploded outward at the contact, just like last time—flashy but rendered harmless by Llewellyn's last slice.

Well. Guess none of my Thread-related abilities were needed this time. Not that it was surprising. Llewellyn had been severing Knots on his own for ages.

[System Notification: Mission complete! Celestial Hydra defeated! All conditions satisfied!]

[System Notification: +1,500 Coins awarded!]

Llewellyn landed gracefully on the ground, his sword still raised. He looked exhausted, almost tipping over.

That was enough to shake me. I sprinted toward him, body still running with adrenaline, and helped him lower himself to the ground.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

Llewellyn opened his eyes and glanced at me before closing them again.

"I'll live," he said, voice hoarse.

Honestly, take a potion or something!

As if sensing my concern, the System chimed in.

[System Alert: 'Crisis Management' is deactivating.]

[System Notification: To aid in your companion's recovery, consider maximizing physical contact for shared Healing Bonus.]

I let out an involuntary noise. What? Was that really necessary?

"I'll just take a potion," Llewellyn said—then did.

However, it looked like that wasn't enough.

I sat behind Llewellyn and leaned back so we were back to back. It felt weirdly natural.

Llewellyn opened an eye to glance at me over his shoulder, then closed it again and tipped his head back until it rested lightly against mine.

Huh. Um. Well.

The Dungeon would disappear in a few minutes. For now, we had some time to recuperate.

Chapter Text

By the time I got home, I was exhausted and in dire need of a shower.

Llewellyn had teleported us both off somewhere to avoid the reporters, then had vanished again, leaving me at the closest train station.

Not a bad thought, but I couldn't be bothered, so I just asked the System to get me home—with… specific instructions about gently placing me on solid ground, this time.

Tomorrow I'd need to visit Gran properly. I'd rushed out mid-conversation earlier when the news about the Knot had appeared on the TV. She'd understand, but I still felt bad about it. I felt bad about her being in a nursing home to begin with.

As I stepped into my flat, barely able to stand on my feet, something blazed past my head at lightning speed.

Startled, I ducked just in time to see a small ball of fire hit the wall with a thunk, then ricochet off the mirror and zip across the ceiling.

Huh?!

This was my flat, not a Knot site. What was going on?! 

I crouched there, holding my breath.

The small thing bounced off the floor and straight through the hallway, hitting each wall.

When I was sure it was at a safe distance, I stood up and followed it cautiously.

There were only two options. One: something from the Dungeon had followed me back. Two: I was finally hallucinating.

The thing zipped past again, back in the other direction, this time looking white as snow.

Fuck. What was it?

I backed up into the kitchen and grabbed a ladle, then turned on all the lights, just in case proper illumination helped.

It had the opposite effect.

The thing froze in midair in shock, looking like it was shaking, then pinballed off all the doors in the house before shooting past into the living room until, eventually, it stopped with a clink on ceramic.

I eased up, slowly stepping toward the living room.

I could see steam rising from one of the mugs on the coffee table. It was the one I’d washed yesterday, brought to the living room to put some orange juice in, and forgotten there—so there should definitely be nothing inside, let alone any hot drink.

The mug trembled.

I got closer, crouched, and waited. 

There was a small movement inside, then a tiny snout twitched above the rim. 

It ducked back in the second it saw me.

...You've got to be kidding.

I set the ladle down and knelt properly on the floor without taking my eyes off the mug.

Whatever it was, it was hiding, not attacking. 

I peered over the edge.

Inside the mug, curled tight, was a tiny fox, half-glow half-flame—looking as if it was made of nothing but fire.

Hesitating, and hoping not to get burnt, I reached into the mug with a finger.

The thing trembled, then immediately turned into a wristwatch, going inert.

Huh.

I sat back on my heels, slowly connecting dots.

This was the artifact from the Distorted Realm I picked up last time. I’d left it on the shelf near the door.

The shelf was empty now.

Well, it looked like it wasn't an inanimate object after all.

I poked at it gently.

"Hey," I said. "I'm not going to attack. Can you understand me?"

After a few moments, the wristwatch morphed back.

The fire fox blinked up at me, still shaking. Then, with a faint flare, it shifted into a tiny penguin.

Woah.

I stared in shock.

I had never seen anything like it. This was clearly an Elemental, but normal Elementals were limited to one Element. How was it doing this?

The fox—currently back to being a fox, though it wasn't bigger than my palm—peeked up at me with wide eyes.

I sat properly down on the floor.

“I’m Ryo. I live here. Do you have a name?”

The fox just looked at me. However, it didn’t run away.

After a moment, it crept to the edge of the mug, sniffed the air, and tapped a paw on the rim.

“You want down or…?”

It hopped out on its own, landing on the coffee table, then started shifting form, circling between several: a fox, a penguin, a hedgehog, and… was that a sugar glider?—like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.

I scratched my head.

“Well. I guess you need a name.”

It immediately turned into a penguin again.

"That's your vote?"

The penguin wobbled.

"Okay, no. I can't name you Penguin. That’s like calling a dog 'Dog'."

The Elemental waddled in a small circle, a depressed coil of ice trailing behind it, then it flopped onto its side.

“Wait wait, you want to be called Penguin? What about when you're in your fox form? That doesn't seem right.”

The Elemental looked up at me.

I sighed. "Alright, fine. You can be Penguin for now. If I change my mind later, tough."

Penguin perked up and got up again, waddling closer.

The System pinged.

-

[New Creature Detected: Elemental.

Status: Unbound.

Awaiting user input.]

-

Huh?

"Unbound? What does that mean?"

[System Notification: This entity originates from a Distorted Realm and does not conform to standard Elemental protocols. Without a stabilizing bond, structural degradation is inevitable. Dissolution is likely within 24 to 72 hours.]

No... Wait. It was going to die?! Just because I decided to take it home?!

Penguin rolled onto its back.

A smaller message popped up under the first:

[System Notification: Would you like to initiate a bond?]

Chapter Text

Damn it.

Should I accept? It didn't sound smart to bond with a creature I'd just met, let alone one from a Distorted Realm, but if I didn't, it was going to die.

I didn't know what I was doing, but I didn't want to be the reason it disappeared either.

And why was the System asking me to bond with him? That almost sounded like concern. True, we didn't know much about the System, but… was this normal?

I said yes.

The bond took hold instantly.

-

[System Notification: Elemental bond commenced!

New abilities unlocked.

Combat augmentation enabled.

Elemental channel enabled.]

-

I had no time to wonder about any of that because suddenly Penguin sneezed.

A breeze rolled through the flat, condensation blooming on the inside of the windowpanes. The floor chilled under my palms.

"Uh..."

Penguin sneezed again. This time, a thin layer of frost spread across the coffee table, the furniture, the lamp holders.

I scrambled to my feet. 

"Okay, no—no ice indoors please! Do you have any idea how much heating costs?"

Penguin looked up at me, clearly distressed, then shivered and turned into a puff of steam, before reforming into the fire fox I'd first discovered him as.

The frost began to fade.

I backed toward a sofa and plonked myself down.

It looked like Penguin wasn't doing great either.

I leaned forward and reached for him gently.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Penguin scooted into my downward palm, still shaking. Tiny flames engulfed my palm but somehow they didn't hurt.

The System pinged again.

-

[System Notification: Bond stabilizing.

Emotional adjustment: Successful.

Bond strength: 9%.

Warning: Elemental capacity currently exceeds user handling threshold. Caution advised.]

-

What?

When I moved my hand back, Penguin was back to being a penguin and had stopped shaking. I stroked him and watched him carefully until he calmed down.

After a few moments, he looked up at me with dazed eyes, then climbed back into the mug and promptly fell asleep.

I exhaled. 

This was partly my fault. Granted, the Guildford Distorted Realm had since vanished, so Penguin would have likely vanished with it had I not brought the wristwatch home.

Still, I felt responsible.

I didn't know what to do, but it didn't seem right to abandon him.

I shook myself, suddenly aware of the ache in my bones again.

I needed a shower and a nap before my shift started—and possibly dinner.

I took off my hoodie and padded tiredly toward the bathroom.

I showered on autopilot, barely remembering to turn the water off. Everything ached. The warmth helped, but not enough.

I toweled off, dragged myself to my bedroom, and collapsed on top of the covers.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

When I opened my eyes again, the flat was quiet.

I sat up slowly, squinting. I had no idea how long I'd been asleep, but a quick look at the clock told me if I wanted to eat before my shift I had to be quick.

Well, at least I'd woken up in time. I couldn't believe I'd been so tired I forgot to set an alarm.

Relieved, I got up and walked toward the kitchen.

...The freezer was open.

Penguin was standing inside. He had somehow climbed into the ice cube tray, now partially tipped sideways, and was inspecting one of the cubes in it with his face squished against the plastic.

One slot had a single grape perfectly frozen inside. Another held what looked like a button. A third was just an unusually shiny cube of ice.

Penguin, no bigger than my palm, was currently inspecting them happily.

Well, I suppose it wasn't too weird that a Penguin wanted to be around ice.

Luckily I didn't have any meat or fish in the freezer, just some ice cream.

"I have to make dinner," I told him. "Please don't freeze anything else."

Penguin blinked at me innocently, then hopped out of the tray, trailing a thin mist behind him.

Since it looked like he was done, I closed the freezer and turned to grab a pan and an egg.

By the time I had retrieved the vegetables and had lit the stove, Penguin had clambered up onto the counter and was staring at the flame like he was watching the sun rise.

I caught the look. "You're not about to sneeze again, are you?"

Penguin waddled closer.

Before I could put the pan down, he flared briefly into his fire fox form and perfectly seared one of the pumpkin slices I'd set aside.

I stared.

Penguin turned to me like he was expecting praise.

I took a taste.

Damn, it tasted amazing, like something restaurant-grade.

I hadn't even seasoned it yet.

"Okay," I said. "I guess you can continue if you like."

I moved the pan off the heat while Penguin watched with laser focus as I arranged more slices. Then, instead of putting it back on the stove, I nudged the pan toward Penguin.

He turned in a circle happily for a second, then seared all the slices perfectly.

I put them away and turned around to grab an egg and some toast.

By the time I'd cracked the egg into the pan, Penguin had moved closer, still in his fire fox form, watching intently.

I let him fry the egg too, then I tossed the bread into the toaster.

Penguin gave a short burst of heat—not at the toast, thankfully, just upwards, and I threw myself in front of the toaster, shielding it.

"No!" I yelped. "No fire near the toaster! It's dangerous."

Penguin returned to his penguin shape, looking chastened. He looked at me mournfully, then climbed up onto a stack of folded kitchen towels like he was claiming a perch.

He really liked firing things up, it seemed.

I wondered if he could summon Water as well. Maybe he'd like washing the dishes too.

Well, I didn't really have the time to find out now, anyway.

I finished up preparing my food, then put everything on a plate.

Penguin jumped off the towels and I scooped him up, moving him to the table as I sat down. He waddled over like he wanted to inspect the results. He nudged at the plate briefly, then looked up at me.

"Do you eat?" I asked, taking a bite of toast. I couldn't tell if he was expecting a share or just running quality control.

Penguin stared.

I pushed a small piece of pumpkin toward him.

Penguin looked at it, then ignored it, sitting down on the table with a plop.

Damn. Did he have to be so adorable?

I took a small piece of bread and tried to offer it to him again.

Penguin looked at it, then turned and wandered off.

Alright, maybe he didn't like bread. Or vegetables.

I watched him turn into a sugar glider and throw himself off the kitchen table and toward the counter. Then, he reached the fridge door and climbed up, like he wanted to inspect the magnets.

I finished my food, though I kept an eye on him.

Penguin didn't try to eat anything. Didn't seem hungry at all.

As I put away my plate and started making coffee, it occurred to me that I could just ask the System.

"Hey," I said. "Does Penguin eat?"

[System Notification: Entity #77A3—unofficially designated "Penguin"—does not require physical sustenance. Nutritional intake is unnecessary for its continued function. However, it might enjoy certain foods.]

I glanced at Penguin, who was now pushing a fridge magnet across the door. Which foods did he like?

-

[System Notification: Entity #77A3 may benefit from environmental enrichment and emotional closeness.

Bonding still in progress.

Bond strength: 27%.]

-

Well. Maybe I could ask the System if he had any suggestions for my own environmental enrichment and emotional closeness. I was sure they were severely lacking.

I finished making my coffee quickly, checking the time.

Less than ten minutes before I had to clock in for my shift.

Penguin was back on the table in his penguin form.

"Alright," I said. "You're staying here for now. I have work to do. Don't set anything on fire. Don't freeze the toilet. Don't—"

Penguin gave a sleepy wobble, clearly not listening.

I sighed and walked into the living room to grab my laptop and settle on the sofa with my mug of coffee.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Penguin following behind.

Chapter Text

It wasn't a calm shift. I mean, no shift was calm—it was Llewellyn, after all—but it always got worse after a new Knot.

I kept one eye on Penguin, who'd napped a bit in his mug before discovering the glass of water I'd left on the coffee table and spending the rest of the night making tiny ice sculptures, melting them, and starting over.

The small miniature of Llewellyn I'd picked up in Mondwyn Harbor stood tall on the coffee table as Penguin eyed it, trying to replicate it.

I snickered. Even Llewellyn's miniature looked unwilling to model for a statue.

Online, the conversation went on as usual.

The forum in particular was overflowing with the same old complaints—no photos, no extended footage, etc.

I scrolled through the comments, hiding all the ones with profanity and marking the most inflammatory ones in case we needed to find them again.

These comments hit differently now that I'd actually met Llewellyn. It was difficult not to grind my teeth.

A new thread called "Why No Pictures of Today's Knot??? Again???" had popped up seven hours ago and it already had 950 comments.

I clicked through, scrolling for anything that needed immediate attention.

-

[knot_grind]: kjsjaksdfksjd, right?? only that one photo from the press conference last year where he looks like he'd rather be anywhere else 😂

[glowstickcrisis]: imagine being that good at your job but hating every second of it

[screamingtable]: LMAOOOO maybe he just doesn't like people?

[mildlyspiteful]: Same, honestly.

[potatopotato]: it's not his job! it's not like someone is employing him! he could easily not do any of that

[clamentropy]: 🙄 the government is… queen Seolene literally endorsed him on the Crown's website. I'm still recovering

[mildlyspiteful]: yeah but he never agreed to it

[snailboy_89]: how do you know tho

[radishcore]: uh… that press conference??

[grissini]: hellooo?? he's clearly working for the system??

[lordofthecookies] We. Want. Pictures!!!!!!

[knot_watcher99]: imagine thinking the system's golden boy isn't part of the problem 💀

[username404]: as if you ppl don't keep dropping AI art of him everywhere 💀 what do you even need more pics for

[qwifi]: to make more AI art, obviously. NEXT!

[pebble.exe]: does he even have friends? he's so intimidating

[snailboy_89]: nah man, he's probably just quiet

[noodlescar]: quiet people are the scariest

[fauxknot]: name one person you've actually seen him with

[qwifi]: his PR manager, I guess?

[pebble.exe]: LMAOOO yes they always look like they're negotiating hostage terms 😂

[teador]: and she never says anything about him anyway! what kind of PR is that????????

[qwifi]: right! she could release some pictures! for science!

[radishcore]: that girl signed 37 NDAs and a blood pact minimum…

[peanutnutter]: she's like his handler or hostage no in-between

[praxis]: drop the pics or drop dead. respectfully.

[teethjar]: does he even care about the people he saves?? he always looks like he hates everyone

[pickledphone]: fr, like saving people personally offends him 💀

[ovenchips]: what does it matter, he's still saving them…

[tinfoilkind]: you sheepl3 will believe anything. we don't know what happens in d&drs, we barely have pictures of him at knot sites. hes probably just there to look good. it's a psyop

[qwifi]: 🙄🙄🙄

[fauxknot]: exactly. otherwise why does he always run away instead of explaining what went on???

[treadmiller]: not everyone wants to be interviewed every time they make a public appearance 🙄 besides, maybe he's just not good with people?

[blenderhead]: or at pretending to care?

[sangria]: lowkey respect that he ghosts everyone after saving the world 💀 introvert icon

[voidsnacks]: nah bc if i had to deal with y'all i'd disappear too

[filecorrupt]: maybe he ghosts everyone because he knows you'd ask for selfies mid-DR

[rhinestonedead]: like, imagine saving a city and your reward is a thread about your hair

[emotionalbandwidth]: yeah, exactly. I'd go full reclusive too if strangers kept dissecting my facial expressions online

[txtfromadungeon]: what do you ppl want??? he just shows up, does his thing, and leaves

[tinfoilkind]: yeah like he's above it all

[softbunker]: exactly. man acts like a little gratitude would kill him

[bitemetwice]: llewellyn is just state-sponsored fanfiction to distract terminally online girlies wake up

[softscreaming]: no, ur right bc he's like. hot and marketable. do you think the government wouldn't use that???

-

I rubbed my eyes. These idiots. I'd been doing this for quite some time now and still couldn't believe this bullshit.

A soft "prrp?" sound made me look up. Penguin had abandoned his ice sculpture and was now peering up at me.

"Just work," I told him. "People being stupid online."

Penguin made another inquiring noise and climbed onto the couch and into my lap to peer at my laptop screen. I scratched his head gently.

-

[mildlyspiteful]: well, I find his attitude refreshing

[softbunker]: I find it arrogant. who does he think he is???

[cursedfolder]: uh… only the strongest person in the world????

[datafumes]: ok but what if he's literally a defense department artifact or sth

[teethjar]: what does being strong have to do with being an asshole

[ghostlywife]: what makes you think he's an asshole?

[tinfoilkind]: srsly? and we're just supposed to trust him? without pictures or proof?

[qwifi]: there's literally footage of him fighting knots

[tinfoilkind]: yeah, like three videos total and it could be AI 💀

[qwifi]: 🙄 are you guys serious, it's not AI

[potatopotato] he's literally on the news like 6 days a week!!!! what's in ur brains!!!!

[404hotdog]: ok but all the vids are blurry as hell. like 2001 found footage tier. and if they're not they're probably AI

[tinfoilkind]: this. all of THIS. the only clear photo of him is from a speed camera and y'all are acting like that's proof

[ghostflesh]: real people don't move like that. man's definitely AI

[blurloop]: explain how his hair still looks like that after an explosion and 80 mph wind. go on. i'll wait

[postitwitch]: real question, are y'all stupid or what

[palladiumfax]: idk why ppl act like AI is the end times. they said the same shit about photoshop and electronic music lol

[ratatouqueue]: just say you want to marry your AI boyfriend

[ghostknot]: maybe he just doesn't want pictures of himself everywhere

[tinfoilkind]: or maybe he has smth to hide

[teethjar]: yeah like what's actually happening in those knots

[fauxknot]: Exactly. No pictures = something to hide

-

I kept scrolling, gnashing my teeth. Users started fighting. I hid the most offensive comments and watched them disappear. Not that it helped—more popped up within seconds.

I'd fought next to Llewellyn only a few hours ago. Reading these comments made every muscle in my body clench in anger.

Another wave of comments rolled in. More complaints. More demands for pictures. More conspiracy theories about what really happened in Dungeons.

Some nights I wondered if these people had ever met another human being. Not everyone wants to perform for strangers. Not everyone needs validation from random Internet users who've never faced a Knot in their lives.

Every post made my blood spike higher. Not being able to reply was torture, but I had to follow the guidelines.

-

[RightSideofHistory]: Keep talking like he's not just using this for fame and clout while the Knots literally kill people. Do NOT tell me this is fine!!! Make no mistake: the silence, the disappearances, the vague PR spin—all of it contributes to the ongoing normalization of Knot violence. To its creation. To death. I'm sorry, but if you're okay with glorifying someone who refuses to speak out while people bleed, you're part of the problem. If I'd awakened, I wouldn't be posing for the Crown—I'd be dismantling the entire fucking System from the inside. What is he doing??? This isn't hate. This is a call-in. This is love in action. Because I want him to do better. But he won't if we keep treating silence like it's noble. It's not.

-

More outrage ensued—now from Llewellyn's fans.

-

[feralkettle]: girl be serious rn he literally evaporated a mountain. what more do you want. a podcast?!

[frozencarrot]: Not them blaming natural disasters on vibes again 💀💀💀

-

…Wait.

I scrolled back up quickly, bracing myself. I remembered that username. Wasn't RightSideofHistory the worst of those fuckers who started that whole ridiculous idea that Knots are caused by people's toxic thoughts and behaviors?

It had gotten so out of control that the Knot Institute—the scientific body dedicated to studying the nature of Knots—had had to intervene and release a statement about how there was no evidence connecting Knots to moral failings. It ended with: "We advise the public to disregard pseudoscientific claims."

Of course, the response had been:

-

[cigaretteloop]: lmfao imagine thinking you can study MAGIC with the scientific method 💀💀💀 pls touch grass

[furrious]: not these clowns trying to peer-review MAGIC now?? and y'all are eating it up. be so serious rn

[conspiracychurros]: bro you really think you can fix magic with DATA?? that's why the world's dying lol

.-

I searched through the tags, trying to piece together the whole picture of RightSideofHistory's activity since then. However, it looked like this person had only posted sporadically in the last year, so there wasn't much to add to what I remembered.

After some digging, I found the concerted #KnotOnOurWatch campaign from last year.

The manifesto post still pinned at the top read:

"Knots don't just happen. They're the result of problematic individuals thinking and doing harmful things. It's time we held them accountable. #KnotOnOurWatch"

I scrolled through the feed. All the comments were still there.

…Just looking at them made my blood boil.

-

[ragebento]: posting about avocado toast during a knot?? wow brave of you to speak your truth 😭

[gokartwheel]: People who post memes about Knots are normalizing disaster. Humor is complicity. #KnotOnOurWatch

[phantomcore]: knots literally exist because ppl think they can joke about disaster and go unpunished

[flowerpurist]: if you've ever posted a dungeon thirst post you're part of the problem

[grimledger]: If you like Llewellyn, GET 👏 THE 👏 FUCK 👏 OFF 👏 MY 👏 FACE 👏

[allforparkour]: we're all struggling, but some ppl are still buying dungeon artifacts???? disgusting. #KnotOnOurWatch

[bronzehexed]: saw a fanart of him smiling and my soup curdled. stop normalizing death #KnotOnOurWatch

[knotebook]: if you didn't cry today thinking about knots you're complicit actually

[magentalake]: the ppl buying that Dungeon and Realms game need to die in a fire 💀 he's clearly making money & feeding off the knots too, are you ppl stupid??? no one can be that powerful on their own. the sooner he goes, the sooner we'll get rid of the problem #KnotOnOurWatch

[echoingvault]: if you're not actively denouncing Knot-causing behavior, you're enabling Knot formation. let that sink in.

[inthevortex]: my cousin literally died in a Knot and ppl are out here thirstposting this guy like he's a kdrama actor

[swimmingspider]: Knots aren't entertainment! They're mass death events and you're playing dress-up in merch bloodied by silence. hope your little hoodie was worth it

[rambon5]: wild how some mutuals are still following Knot apologists. couldn't be me

[plaqueberry]: I deleted all my old posts that might contribute to Knot culture. what are you doing to help?

[closebyte]: hate llewellyn with every fiber of my being

[sweetcree]: every time there's a new knot I go and check if llewellyn's dead yet. always a disappointment ngl

-

I clenched my fists. My hands itched to throw my laptop across the room.

Eventually I found RightSideofHistory's posts. Not the same channel, but I remembered the username and the fact she always used proper grammar. We'd had to flag her repeatedly to Emma for months.

All her comments were still tracked, so they were now all showing up together under their own tag.

-

Hi. Just a reminder that supporting Llewellyn's silence is not neutral. It's harmful. If he truly cared about the communities affected by Knot fallout, he'd say something. He has the platform. He chooses not to use it.

I'm tired. I'm tired of watching people support someone who won't even acknowledge the realities of Knot trauma. If you think saving a city excuses his refusal to speak up, you need to re-evaluate what heroism looks like.

"But he saved people!" Okay? So does my local firefighter. And he doesn't disappear into thin air every time someone tries to ask him a question. Holding someone accountable isn't an attack. It's basic community care.

You can't separate the aesthetic of the savior from the violence of silence. If you're thirstposting Llewellyn while ignoring what he enables through inaction, you're part of the problem. Full stop.

Llewellyn's PR team has no comment again? Must be nice to transcend accountability like that.

Every time someone calls Llewellyn "above this bullshit", I hear: "He doesn't care about you." And you cheer for that?

I used to respect him. I really did. But silence is a choice. You're either with the people or you're above us. And he's made it very clear where he stands.

Every time I see someone say "he's just not good with people", I think about the families that never got answers. The kids who still don't know what happened in their schools. But sure, let's protect his privacy.

The worst part is how easily people excuse it. Like emotional detachment is sexy now? Do you even hear yourselves?

Seeing certain people stay silent during all this says a lot.

If someone like him won't speak out, what chance do the rest of us have? He could lessen the harm. Reduce Knot formation. He chooses not to.

Say what you want about Knot activism, but at least we show up. He only shows up when there's glory in it. Then he disappears. Don't fall for it.

I'm so tired of being gaslit. It's not hate. It's disappointment that became clarity. The moment I stopped idolizing him, everything made sense.

I just removed ten people from my following list who still haven't posted about Knot accountability. It's not hard to show you care.

This user was seen at a Knot site cosplaying Llewellyn and taking selfies. Do they think this is a joke?! #KnotOnOurWatch

Just saw someone say 'Llewellyn saved lives today.' Cool. How many did he let die by not speaking out?

Do people seriously think silence isn't violence when it comes to Knot complicity????

-

My jaw hurt. I must've been clenching it since the beginning of my shift.

I couldn't believe I was having to read her bullshit again.

She'd tried to stalk Llewellyn at one point, to "give him a good talk and make him realize what he was enabling".

The memory alone made my blood pressure spike.

These people's whole argument was that, since—according to them—problematic behavior caused the Knots, literally saving people wasn't enough because it didn't stop new Knots from forming. And besides, the more Knots appeared, the more chances Llewellyn had to play the hero.

In the end, it had all escalated to one belief: it was Llewellyn's fault the Knots kept appearing.

I'd spent countless nights flagging her comments, watching her try to frame him as some kind of monster who enjoyed seeing people suffer. She was relentless. Flooded every channel, and even started writing posts tracking his movements.

Her posts had grown more and more aggressive.

She lived in the US, so the team didn't take her seriously as a threat, assuming she wouldn't fly over here.

But the hashtag caught. And people started blaming Llewellyn.

-

[pricklysloth]: have y'all considered maybe it's llewellyn's toxicity that's causing the knots?? if they're shaped by behavior & magic and he's the strongest… like… do the math??? #KnotOnOurWatch

[papercross]: maybe if he didn't show up to every knot with main character energy and unresolved trauma we wouldn't be here. just a thought. #KnotOnOurWatch

[tvsheen]: ok but if knots = magic + negative emotions + problematic behavior… who's got more of that than mister brooding apocalypse over there??? #KnotOnOurWatch

-

As the campaign picked up, factions started accusing each other of hypocrisy.

Some activists claimed the real problem was people not posting enough about Knot-causing behavior. (What counted as Knot-causing changed weekly.)

Others went after influencers for using Knots for visibility.

Popular people got cancelled for minor infractions, like posting about avocado toasts during Knot emergencies.

Niamh had almost burst a vessel—and so had the rest of us on the team. For a while, we could barely keep people on, and most of us were working double shifts.

A week ago, someone had posted a photo of a Knot site with a caption: "One dead, two injured. Hope you're proud, hero." Considering that, it was not that surprising to see this user online again. Better flag immediately that she was active again, and likely looking for trouble.

Honestly, if toxic behavior caused the Knots, these people would've ended the world twice over. Maybe if they touched grass we'd get fewer Knots. I could write that in a manifesto, too.

I wrote a quick report for Niamh and left a note for the next shift.

When I finally logged off, I barely managed to tip myself sideways before passing out on my couch, my muscles still screaming from the Knot fight earlier.

If saving city after city made people wish for your death, there was never going to be a way to make these people happy. And even if he hadn't saved a single city, what the fuck did they even imagine they stood for?

Chapter Text

…I woke up to a loud clang.

Frowning, I dragged myself to the kitchen where Penguin was halfway inside the cutlery drawer, transformed into what looked like a small metal hedgehog.

Spoons and forks had been tossed around as he experimentally shifted between metals—testing different metal compositions, by the look of it.

"What now?" I yawned.

Penguin froze, caught in the act, then slowly backed out of the drawer looking guilty. A spoon fell with a clatter.

Even though I’d have to put everything back, I really had to stop myself from laughing.

"Do you want a cuddle?" I asked instead.

Penguin, currently in his hedgehog form, immediately turned into a penguin—seemingly out of shock.

After a moment, he waddled closer, his little feet going flap flap on the counter.

I guess that was a yes.

I picked him up and watched him nestle into the crook of my arm, his tiny body relaxing against mine. He was surprisingly soft, and when I stroked his head, he let out a contented little chirp.

The System pinged:

[Bond strength increased: 58%.]

Well. I suppose even Elementals loved cuddles.

"You're a weird little thing, aren't you?"

Penguin's tiny feet swayed in the air, as he looked up at me.

Damn, he was really adorable.

I kept this up for a minute, then set him on the kitchen table with a final head scratch.

I hadn't been in an Elemental Café in at least a week, and I missed it.

However, first I wanted to visit Gran.

My muscles still ached horribly, though. Gran was going to notice at once. Maybe there was some Potion I could take?

The System Shop interface expanded before me. I took a glance and I immediately regretted opening it.

I scrolled down.

Categories split into sub-categories that split into even more sub-categories. Potions had seventeen sections: Recovery, Enhancement, Temporary Buffs, Status Ailments, Elemental Resistance, Physical Augmentation... The list kept going.

I clicked on Recovery.

Another wall of options: Minor Recovery Potion (5 coins), Standard Recovery Potion (15 coins), Greater Recovery Potion (50 coins), Full Recovery Elixir (200 coins), Blessed Recovery Tonic (500 coins), Divine Restoration Draught (2000 coins)...

Each had lengthy descriptions about how well they worked, how long they lasted, side effects, and usage restrictions. The Minor Recovery Potion alone had three paragraphs explaining how it “Relieves 15–20% of physical fatigue through accelerated Magic regeneration. May cause mild drowsiness in 3% of users…”

I kept scrolling.

There were specialized joint recovery potions, nerve recovery potions, bone recovery potions. Some targeted specific body parts. Left Shoulder Recovery Tincture? Who needed that?

"Search function?" I said.

A search bar appeared.

I searched for: "muscle pain relief cheap fast"

The results loaded. 847 items found.

I groaned and dropped my head on the table. How did I find the coat last time, especially while climbing a hill?

Maybe I should just endure the soreness. Gran had seen me worse. Though she’d definitely notice if I started moving like an old man.

I refined the search: "basic muscle recovery under 20 coins."

That narrowed it down to 73 options. Still too many, but it was at least a bit more manageable.

The first result caught my eye:

[Simple Muscle Soother (12 coins) – Relieves muscle soreness by 35% for 6 hours. Tastes like mint. No side effects.]

Good enough. I clicked 'Purchase'.

The potion materialized on my table in a small glass vial. I uncorked it and downed the contents in one gulp.

True to its description, it tasted exactly like mint toothpaste. Disgusting, but my muscles felt immediately less tense and when I got up, I could walk without looking like I'd been hit by a truck.

Penguin chirped approvingly.

"I need to go out," I told him. "I can't bring you to Gran, but I'll come and pick you up as soon as I'm done there. Is that okay? I promise I'll be back soon."

Penguin's small body deflated, and he let out a sad little warble.

"I know," I reached out to pat his head. "But nursing homes have rules about pets, and… well, you're technically an Elemental entity, not a pet, but I really wouldn't know how to explain your presence to Gran. Maybe we'll figure out something in the future."

Penguin chirped sadly again, but seemed to have understood.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

On my way to Eunhwa Home, I stopped at the bookshop near Baekrang Station and headed straight for the mystery section, looking for something Gran might like that she hadn’t read yet. She loved those cozy mysteries with ridiculous titles full of puns—the sillier the puns the better.

"Thyme to Confess" seemed to be a new release—according to the description, "a culinary mystery featuring a gardener turned detective".

The potion had thankfully done its job by the time I reached the nursing home and found Gran sitting at her usual table, absorbed in what looked like a game of solitaire.

"Brought you something," I said, placing the paper bag from the bookshop beside her cards.

She lit up and took out the book.

"Herbs and murder? You know me too well." She collected the cards, setting them aside, then gave me an assessing look. "You look more tired than usual."

I shrugged. "Weird hours this week." It wasn't a lie.

"Mmh. Nice coat, by the way. Looks handsome on you."

Oh, right. She hadn't seen it yet.

I thanked her awkwardly.

Gran studied me, then sighed. "You know that I love seeing you, Ryo, but you should be out with friends your age. Not spending all your free time here."

No… This again?

"I could take you home," I said, as I did every time. "The transfusions only need to happen once a week, we could—"

"No." Gran's tone was gentle but firm. "This is easier for everyone. They know what to do here, and I'm good."

"But—"

"You're in your thirties, Ryo. You should be out there bursting with energy and kicking everyone in the shins while building yourself an awesome life. Not worrying about mine. Besides, I just joined the Tai Chi club. Mrs. Park says it helps with circulation."

She was so much like Mom, sometimes it was hard not to want to shake her. However, at least she was getting proper treatment, so maybe that was a step forward.

I sighed.

"I don't have much else going on anyway—"

Okay, that wasn't exactly true now, but it had been until a few days ago.

"That's precisely my point." She reached over and patted my hand. "You need to live a little. Make some friends. Date someone. The nurses here are excellent and I'm not exactly bored. Did I tell you I won the Dungeons and Realms tournament last week?"

I left the nursing home with my hands in my pockets.

Gran was probably right, but I'd never been good with people.

In fact, I didn't think I even liked people. That was why my job and my nocturnal lifestyle suited me so well. I was already in my thirties; it’s not like I was suddenly going to develop a better personality.

At least Elemental Cafés were open 24/7, so I could go whenever I wanted. 

And I really wanted to go now. After yesterday’s shift, I had too much pent-up energy to release.

First, however, I needed to check on Penguin.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

When I got back home, I found Penguin sitting in the hallway in front of the entry door, just far enough back for it to open, his tiny feet spread wide as he waited.

Oh. Wait—

"Have you been waiting there the whole time?!"

Penguin made a soft chirping sound, getting up and waddling closer to rub his head against my hand.

The System pinged:

[Bond strength increased: 63%. It's recommended to maintain closeness while the bond is in progress.]

Damn, it looked like I shouldn't have left him alone. But the System hadn't said that before.

"You could have found somewhere more comfortable to wait, you know." I scratched his head before scooping him up. "Want to come to an Elemental Café with me? You'll need to stay hidden, though. No shifting forms in public and definitely no fire. Actually, how do you feel about being a wristwatch again? Just until we get back. That would help us avoid the cameras too."

Penguin considered this, then chirped again, this time more enthusiastically before climbing onto my wrist and transforming into a silver watch.

Amazing, honestly.

"Great," I said. "We're going to an Elemental Café. Please don't use your powers there or you'll get us banned. Doesn't matter what it looks like—we'll be in no danger."

The wristwatch blinked a couple of times.

Relieved he seemed to have understood, I grabbed my keys and locked the door behind me.

Chapter Text

Haneve's biggest Elemental Café hummed with energy, as usual. A handful of customers lounged in the main area, some watching the screens mounted on the walls displaying users' VR sessions (streaming was allowed for those who opted in), while others sipped their drinks.

I headed straight for the counter where a woman was tapping at a tablet.

"Room three is available," she said before I could speak, sliding a key card across the counter. "Thirty minutes, usual rate."

I paid and picked up the card and the slick VR headset. Some of the staff occasionally recognized me from my frequent visits. I guess she did too, since she knew which room I wanted.

Room three was lit in a high-tech glow, with soft lo-fi playing in the background. It was big enough to simulate combat but compact enough that the headset didn't need constant recalibrating. Blue neon cut across mirrored walls beneath a ceiling that looked like a dark night sky.

I locked the door behind me and put on the VR glasses, settling them on my forehead.

"Okay," I told Penguin, still wrapped around my wrist as a wristwatch. "This is where people pretend to have Elemental powers. While I have the VR set on, you won't be able to see what I'm seeing, so don't get alarmed by all the running around. We're perfectly safe. And please, no Elemental Magic in here."

No reply from Penguin except for a faint blink. I just hoped he'd got what I meant.

I lowered the glasses over my eyes and turned the VR headset on.

The café's logo flashed up, then melted away into a grid of neon lines.

I grabbed the controllers and scrolled until I found the game I wanted: Elemental Stage.

As always, I checked the global leaderboard before starting—and froze.

My name—or rather my username, OffPeakGod—had been bumped from third to fourth place. Some player called yeetgeometry had edged me out by exactly two points.

-

🏆 Current Rankings:

#1 PrismDiver: 710,948

#2 EarthQuack: 407,415

#3 yeetgeometry: 202,809

#4 OffPeakGod: 202,807

-

Two. Points.

Well, this wouldn't do. I scrolled through this user's stats. His clear time was decent, but his combos were definitely worse than mine.

I selected the last stage I'd got to—2247—and dropped into the arena.

The fictional monster materialized with a roar, ready to fight. I immediately rolled to the right.

Though the potion had helped, my muscles still ached from the real fight against the Hydra. However, this was now a matter of principle.

The VR room felt warmer as I ducked, rolled, and landed combos.

Finally, with the last hit, my score went up by 90 points and I got back in 3rd place. Ha!

I was still celebrating when I noticed that yeetgeometry was online too. His score jumped up another 93 points.

"Are you serious?" I hissed, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Who even are you?"

By my eighth attempt, I'd shed my hoodie, kicking it into the corner and thinking that if I chained the Earth-Water combo into a ground pound, I'd get at least a 1.5 multiplier—maybe higher.

I finally pulled ahead: 203,623 to 203,619. Yes!

Victory lasted exactly thirty-five seconds before yeetgeometry responded with a jump to 203,630.

Seriously?!

"Right. That's it. I'm getting my spot back if it kills me."

I paid to extend my room usage through the in-headset menu and gritted my teeth before launching the next stage.

From the lower edge of the glasses, I could see Penguin’s watch face blinking rapidly in what I could only interpret as alarm.

"Don't worry," I told him, launching another attempt. "I've almost got this jerk."

The stage loaded. I skipped the cutscene and went straight in.

With a clean run, fast clear, and solid combo bonus, the score ticked up and I was back in third.

For fifteen seconds.

Right. So he was keeping an eye on me.

I immediately started the next stage.

Another run. Slightly better. I hit 203,802—92 points ahead.

Thirty seconds later, he bounced up another 88 points to 203,798.

This bastard.

The top-up prompt to extend the room usage appeared again. I paid.

We kept fighting and trading places on the board. Every time I got ahead, he'd catch right back up almost immediately.

I stopped paying attention to anything but the score, forgetting even about my aching muscles.

Eventually, I pulled ahead by thirty-eight points. Yes!

Half a minute and he matched it exactly.

I stared at the number with a frown and checked his breakdown.

"You're copying my strategy, you absolute fungus!"

I should not be this mad. I was very mad.

I started the next stage. Final result: +98.

He gained +72. Ha!

Stage 2267.

Max bonus, zero damage, clean execution... +94.

I pulled his profile again. As expected, he didn't have enough Attack points to pass 2270. I only had to hope he couldn't gain them quickly.

I paid for more time and proceeded with more stages.

Stage 2268: +97

Stage 2269: +91

Stage 2270: +96

I moved on to 2271 and kept an eye on the leaderboard.

No more points from yeetgeometry.

...I knew it!

I kept going to grow our gap.

2271 through 2281, 2282, 2283...

I pushed the lead to three hundred, then four hundred…

I was breathing hard. Sweat trickled down my neck as I blinked at the leaderboard.

Still nothing. Good.

Feeling triumphant, I ran several more stages, now focusing more on fighting itself, rather than the leaderboard.

Llewellyn wasn't wrong when he scoffed at people who thought of Elemental VR games as training for actual Knots rather than just entertainment. For one, there was no real Magic involved—no perception of it or chance to learn how to modulate Elemental power. None of that could be learned here. And obviously—this wasn't life-threatening. Except for maybe slamming too hard into a wall if you didn't calibrate your VR headset properly.

Still. Even though I knew this wasn't real combat, it was quite a workout on my muscles—especially after having faced a Distorted Realm and a Celestial Hydra within the same week. And it was not the worst way to sharpen your reflexes. Or... well, that would have been the case if I wasn't so tired now.

Once I had a 1,120-point lead, I logged out and collapsed against a wall, taking off the VR headset.

I blinked. The room felt small and cozy after the open landscapes of the game stages.

My eyes stung a bit, and I could feel how much my muscles really ached now.

Damn, maybe this had been a really bad idea.

...Not to mention how much I had spent.

Shit.

I grabbed my stuff and went to the bathroom to clean up.

One of the older staff members looked over, like he wasn't sure if I was okay or about to collapse. I grinned at him, still feeling triumphant, and he shrugged and moved on.

Honestly, I felt exhausted, but elated. Victory is victory, however you dress it.

Penguin blinked feebly.

Suddenly I felt a bit guilty.

"Yeah," I said. "We're done. We're going home."

Penguin blinked again.

As I washed my face and grabbed my towel, the last thing I wanted to see was a new System notification.

Unfortunately...

[System Notification: Emergency! Partner requires immediate assistance!]

Chapter Text

[System Notification: Emergency! Partner requires immediate assistance!]

I stared at the notification. "Are you kidding me? Now?"

[Relocation in 3… 2…]

"Wait, wait!"

I threw the towel away and looked down at Penguin, still around my wrist in his wristwatch form. "Send Penguin home first. Safely."

The System paused.

[Request acknowledged. Elemental will be returned to residence.]

Penguin blinked once before vanishing from my wrist.

Well, at least that was sorted.

[Relocation in 3… 2… 1…]

The bathroom dissolved around me, and I was suddenly in what looked like the hallway of a government building.

My legs nearly buckled from exhaustion, and I was acutely aware of how I must look. I'd managed to splash my face before the System whisked me away, but in the bathroom mirror it'd still been flushed from all the running. My hair was half-wet, my t-shirt stuck to my skin, and overall I probably looked extremely disheveled, holding a bundled-up hoodie in my left hand.

Llewellyn stood with his back against a wall, arms crossed, facing a middle-aged man in a pressed suit who was mid-sentence when I appeared.

"—regulations clearly state that all artifacts must be—" The man stopped, staring at me. "And who the hell is this?"

Llewellyn's eyebrows shot up when he saw me, before his expression smoothed out again.

I stood straight, trying to ignore my burning muscles, and switched into professional mode.

"I'm Ryo. Llewellyn's partner." I extended my hand, which the man pointedly ignored.

"Detective Quentin Ó Néill, KARMA," he said coldly. "And I was just explaining to Mr. Hyland here that our data shows an unstable artifact was removed from the Guildford Distorted Realm."

Nobody in the whole world called Llewellyn "Mr. Hyland". That was just obnoxious.

The rest of his sentence caught up with me.

Shit!

KARMA (Knot Artifact Regulation and Misuse Agency) was a government-adjacent investigative agency established to tackle the black market for Knot artifacts. They mostly focused on tracking, regulating, and neutralizing the illicit trade and misuse of artifacts to keep the public safe.

Basically, they were the ones who shut down smuggling rings and illegal auctions, and made sure Destabilized Artifacts were properly contained.

As far as I knew, the agency was made up of highly skilled detectives who had previously worked on black market operations and artifact-related crimes, and who were rumored to have significant autonomy, relying on their own judgment in morally grey areas.

Well, at least in theory. Detective Ó Néill seemed one of those by-the-book types.

However, I was 99% sure he was talking about Penguin.

I kept my face carefully blank.

"That's impossible—I was there with him. The realm was mostly collapsed and there was definitely nothing there by the time we finished with the Knot."

"Is that so?" Ó Néill's eyes narrowed. "Then perhaps you can explain why we registered an Elemental fluctuation consistent with artifact removal?"

"Equipment malfunction," I said flatly. "Or perhaps you're picking up residual Magic from the Knot itself."

Llewellyn watched me with an inscrutable expression.

"KARMA's readings are never wrong," Ó Néill said icily.

"Then your interpretation of the data is flawed. We secured the area. There were no artifacts there. Are you even allowed to collect data on foreign soil?"

Ó Néill's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching near his temple.

"International cooperation agreement," he said coldly. "And I'm not about to waste time explaining KARMA's jurisdiction to civilians."

International cooperation agreement my boots. He was lying.

Ó Néill turned back to Llewellyn. "As I was saying before we were interrupted, any artifacts from Distorted Realms must be logged and submitted for stabilization. The regulations are clear."

Llewellyn was still by the wall, his expression giving away nothing. He glanced at me for a moment before looking back at Ó Néill.

"You've made your point, Detective," Llewellyn said. "If I come across any Destabilized Artifacts, I'll be sure to handle it through the right channels."

Ó Néill's lips pressed into a hard line. "I'd prefer more than empty assurances. Your... activities have implications beyond yourself."

I managed not to roll my eyes.

"I'm sure KARMA has better things to do than hassle the one person who's out there fighting Distorted Realms. Unless you'd prefer to be the one neck-deep in a multi-Elemental storm next time?"

Ó Néill's gaze snapped back to me. "KARMA's concerns are precisely what they need to be. Mr. Hyland's status doesn't exempt him from following regulations."

The way he emphasized "status" made it clear what he thought of Llewellyn's reputation. There was a subset of people online who thought like him: people who considered Llewellyn's status as Innishae's national hero more of a liability for the nation's image than a point of pride.

"Besides, interesting, isn't it? A new partner showing up just when artifacts start walking."

Shit. Maybe I shouldn't have drawn the attention on me.

Had I just put Penguin in danger?!

"We're done here," Llewellyn said, pushing away from the wall. "Unless you have actual evidence of wrongdoing, Detective."

Ó Néill's expression hardened, but before he could reply, the door burst open, and another middle-aged man strode in, looking supremely pissed off.

"I wouldn't be harassing my people, if I were you, Ó Néill," he said with a lilt to his voice.

"Your people?" Ó Néill scoffed.

"Llewellyn came in on my ask for a debrief, so he did. Not for an ambush." The newcomer glanced at me. "And you are?"

"Er… Ryo," I said, suddenly thrown off my game. I recovered quickly and extended my hand. "Llewellyn's new partner."

"Oh, good," the man said, cryptically. "Been telling him he should get himself one of those. Grant Ó Lochlainn."

He shook my hand, then turned back to Ó Néill. "You've had your chat. Now leave them be."

Ó Néill pulled away slowly. "You're worse than him, but what's new," he said, before stalking out.

We watched him leave before Ó Lochlainn sighed.

"Sorry about that, boy," he said to Llewellyn. "Man's got the department's rulebook where his personality should be." He took his jacket off. "Cup of tea?"

"We're fine," Llewellyn said. "We were just leaving."

Ó Lochlainn nodded, then paused, giving Llewellyn a look. "Anything you think I should know? Off the record?"

I tensed slightly, but Llewellyn's face remained impassive.

"Nothing comes to mind," he said simply.

Which… I suppose from his end was true enough.

"Right." Ó Lochlainn nodded. "Well, off you go then. You know where to find me if that changes."

We left without another word, walking briskly through the hallways and down the stairs, until we stepped out onto the street.

The cool air hit my skin, making me shiver.

Once we'd put some distance between us and the building, Llewellyn stopped and turned to me, eyes narrowing.

"What happened to you?" His gaze swept over my disheveled appearance. "And what do you know about this situation?"

I ran a hand through my damp hair. "Just been exercising."

It wasn't exactly a lie. VR sessions at that intensity were definitely a workout.

His eyebrow arched skeptically.

"And the rest?"

Damn, what should I say? I didn't even know if the bond had taken yet or not, and I didn't want to risk Penguin's life.

I started walking again, trying not to wince as my muscles protested.

"It's probably better if you don't know."

Llewellyn's stare could bore a hole in my skull.

"That's not how this works."

Shit. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't.

I didn't really think he was going to report Penguin, but I couldn't be sure either. What if I misjudged this? I'd just feel more comfortable knowing that the bond was stable first.

"Look, it's not something that affects you directly."

"Ó Néill cornering me like that suggests otherwise."

I suppose he had a point—but I still couldn't tell him.

I threw my hoodie over my shoulders, letting the sleeves hang loose over my chest.

"What's the deal with those two anyway?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away. "You work with Ó Lochlainn?"

"Occasionally. When the situation requires it."

I nodded. "And the other one? Always that charming?"

"Ó Néill believes everyone's hiding something," Llewellyn said, then glanced at me. "Sometimes he's right."

The pointed look wasn't lost on me.

"I'll tell you soon," I sighed. "Trust me. Just... I can't right now."

"Trust works both ways."

Well… damn it.

My expression might have shown something because Llewellyn's shoulders relaxed fractionally.

"Fine," he said. "But whatever you're hiding, make sure it doesn't bring KARMA breathing down my neck again."

I nodded.

Honestly, I was just glad he wasn't pushing further.

Though, now that I thought about it, that was weird. Why wasn't he pushing further?

Still, one has to count one's blessings, so I just said, "I'll handle it."

"You'll handle it," Llewellyn said, unimpressed. Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say. "You look like you're about to pass out."

Since I couldn't tell him about Penguin, I might as well reveal something else, I suppose.

"Just overdid it at the Elemental Café," I admitted, embarrassed. "Got into a leaderboard battle with someone."

Llewellyn's mouth twitched slightly. Clearly that wasn't what he had expected. "Did you beat them?"

"For now."

I watched Llewellyn's profile for a moment before focusing on the road ahead. He seemed calmer.

I, on the other hand, felt like I hadn't slept in about two centuries.

"I'd better tell the System to get me home before I do actually collapse," I said with a yawn, swaying on my feet. The adrenaline from the leaderboard battle had completely drained away, leaving me exhausted and aching all over.

Llewellyn frowned, his brow creasing. Then, without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

I watched as he unlocked it, then handed it to me.

Huh?

"Phone number," he said.

I stared, taken aback. "What?"

"Your phone number," he repeated, his expression unchanged. "Type it in."

Well, of all the things...

"Right," I said, taking his phone.

My fingers fumbled slightly as I typed in my phone number and saved it under 'Ryo'.

I handed the phone back.

Llewellyn took it and immediately tapped the screen. A second later, my own phone buzzed in my pocket.

When I pulled it out, I saw an unknown number calling.

Llewellyn ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket, looking satisfied.

"There," he said simply. "See you around." And vanished.

Well.

I scratched my head in bemusement. Two days ago I would've never expected this development, not in a million years.

I quickly saved the number. Then, with a yawn, I asked the System to get me home.

Chapter Text

As soon as I landed in my living room, something tiny and fluffy shot through the air from the other side of the apartment and burrowed into my chest.

"Hey!" I said, amused. It was a sugar glider. "You're fine. I'm fine. I'm back."

Penguin shook and morphed back into a penguin. Then tapped his tiny flippers against my chest before headbutting me again.

"It's fine. All good. You're safe, don't worry."

Penguin shivered slightly, then plopped into my arms.

Right. Well. I gave his head a brief pat and tried to take off my shoes.

[Bond strength increased: 79%.]

Great! At least leaving him alone for a bit hadn't caused problems.

Okay, first things first. I needed to take a shower.

Shoes finally kicked off, I shuffled to the bathroom, still cradling Penguin who refused to let go, clinging to my shirt with his tiny feet and flippers.

"I need to shower," I told him. "You can't come with me."

Penguin made a distressed sound.

"Fine. You can sit on the counter."

In the bathroom, I placed him carefully next to the sink. He waddled in a small circle, watching me anxiously as I stripped off my clothes and turned on the shower.

The hot water felt amazing on my sore muscles.

I closed my eyes as it washed over me, trying not to think about the fact that Ó Néill was almost surely referring to Penguin. What would happen if they discovered him? KARMA had a reputation for confiscating Destabilized Artifacts. Would they take him away?

I knew they couldn't sever bonds however, unless one of the bonded parties agreed to it—and I definitely wasn't going to. Would they arrest me too, then?

Penguin chirped from the counter, interrupting my thoughts.

"Almost done," I called over the spray.

I turned off the water and reached for a towel. Penguin perked up, relief obvious in his posture.

"Luckily, I told the System to send you home first," I said, grabbing a towel. "Ó Néill would've lost his mind."

Actually, that had been a good call. For a moment, relief rolled over me and my body slumped with it.

After ordering take-away, I made coffee and forced myself to focus on my shift. I kept an eye on whether there had been an increase in the negative sentiment expressed by Ó Néill earlier—but it didn't seem to be the case.

Penguin sat on my lap, peering up at me with round eyes as I scrolled through the feeds and stroked his head.

A lifestyle blog claimed Llewellyn only wore cashmere sweaters from a specific boutique in Innishae. This was an old theory, but the comments were now full of people who thought they had tracked down the shop, complete with badly edited photos supposedly showing Llewellyn browsing shelves.

Well. That one seemed harmless enough.

I checked the next notification. Llewellyn's mention was buried into a long thread on a non-owned page focusing on astrology—which I now had to read.

I grumbled, but sipped on my coffee and got right to it.

Someone had made a spreadsheet listing the dates of every known Knot and color-coded them according to planetary transits. Unsurprisingly, the comments under it were going wild.

-

[venusinfaeries]: ok yeah, Neptune cazimi lines up with some of the early cases, but we're way past annual markers now

[fifthquadrant]: you're not going to get 3–4 events a week off an outer planet. look at the Moon

[taurustheory]: Besieged moon. Waxing moon on the angles of Mars. Waning moon on the angles of Saturn. Full Moon on the angles of Mercury-Mars. Mercury square Neptune. Neptune square Sun. That's when we get the spikes

[orbital.bleed]: it's the Moon to Pluto transits for me. Every single overlap this month lined up with a Knot

[taurustheory]: also nodes conjunctions! every time the moon crosses a node, knot activity jumps

[eighthhousequeen]: frequency maps cleanest against moon + applying square + no earth planets grounding the chart

[transitcache]: that's a good point @eighthhousequeen, I hadn't noticed that

[eighthhousequeen]: the outer planet stuff's still relevant, but it's background pressure. literally just chart the moon's motion through the week and overlay with the actual events

[WorldAstrologer]: this is NOT how you do World Astrology, guys. you are NOT practicing World Astrology the way it has been historically practiced by 99% of astrologers in history. have you looked at the Aries Ingress for this year. are you looking at Great Conjunctions. have you looked at the Eclipses of the year. NO. what you're doing is natal astrology with world events taped to it!!!!

[orbital.bleed]: So what are your delineations?

[WorldAstrologer]: I give no delineations because I do not know how to delineate these matters yet!!!! and neither do you!!!! there are about 30 people in the entire world who practice World Astrology and none of them are on the internet because they've got actual clients!!! 2/9 of the historical framework for this tradition comes from two untranslated manuscripts that are currently in Turkey, you're working with fragments of fragments of fragments and you haven't even studied those fragments, you are NOT serious practitioners!!!!

[outerbanquet]: actually do we finally have Llewellyn's time of birth now or still nothing

-

NO.

I did not have time for this rabbit hole. I had no idea what they were talking about, so trying to find out would take time and I needed to get on with the rest.

I had seen the mention. That was enough.

I closed the tab.

…Waited three seconds.

…Then opened it again.

Goddamnit. Why was I like this?

It was not a surprise that they wanted to map Llewellyn's life over the Knots, however.

The earliest public record of a Knot was from about twenty-five years ago. It had been an isolated case that had left the experts baffled and had quickly been forgotten. Nobody had died.

Then, two years later, the first Distorted Realm had opened on a busy highway, killing Llewellyn's parents and younger sister. Llewellyn had been seven at the time and survived only because a fever had kept him home at his grandparents' house that morning, while his parents drove his sister to a regional school competition.

Llewellyn's granddad's health had deteriorated quickly after the accident, and he'd died about a year later. His grandma had raised him until she also died in her sleep when Llewellyn had just started high school. He'd lived alone since.

All of this was public knowledge.

Not much else was public after that. If he’d attended university or ever had a job, a girlfriend or a boyfriend, or any friends—if he’d ever had a social media account or ever posted a photo or video, if he’d ever seen a concert or a sports match—any record of it, if it ever existed, had been scrapped. Online information only started again after he’d started fighting the Knots on his own and become Innishae’s national hero and strongest person in the world.

With no System and no awakened people, after the very first accident nobody had known what the Knots were for a long time.

It'd taken several more years, and an escalation in Knots frequency from once every couple of years to several a year before the System appeared. And now, it wasn't unusual to see three or four a week on the news.

Which is what the astrological community was going on about, apparently.

I finally did have to close the astrology tab, however.

Because unfortunately, on the other channel, RightSideofHistory was active again.

-

[RightSideofHistory]: The System chose him for a reason. Ever wonder why? Maybe because someone who refuses to question, who just follows orders and stays quiet, is exactly what it needs to maintain the status quo.

[RightSideofHistory]: I don't hate him. I pity him. Imagine having all that power and using it to maintain a broken System instead of fixing it. That's not strength. That's cowardice dressed up as duty.

[RightSideofHistory]: His social media team monitoring these threads? Good. Tell him we see through the act. Tell him silence is violence. Tell him the blood of every Knot victim stains his precious reputation. Some of us won't forget.

-

My teeth were starting to hurt again. It looked like yesterday hadn't been a one-off and she was truly back.

Did I have to deal with this bullshit on a regular basis again, from now on?

Unfortunately, I couldn't just type: From his social media team—kindly fuck off. I couldn't ban her either, unless she became explicitly threatening or violent. And anyway, she mostly posted on her own social accounts not our forums, so nothing I could do about that.

I tagged each comment through our escalation System, marking them as "targeted harassment" and "inciting hostility".

Penguin made a concerned chirp from my lap, sensing my agitation.

-

[RightSideofHistory]: Mark my words: when the truth about what really happens in those Dungeons comes out, you'll all pretend you weren't complicit. Take a screenshot of this. Save it. Remember that some of us tried to warn you.

[RightSideofHistory]: To his defenders: what will it take? How many more deaths before you question why someone with "transcendent" powers can't transcend this cycle of destruction? Use your critical thinking skills. Please.

-

Llewellyn had lost his whole family to a Knot.

He'd been fighting alone since day one.

Every time he stepped into a Distorted Realm, he risked never coming back.

But somehow she thought she was doing more than him?

Penguin nudged my hand with his beak, pulling me back from the edge of that spiral.

It really wasn't worth it. As long as she didn't direct violence his way, we could only monitor the situation, anyway.

Still. I wasn't good at disengaging.

Muttering curses under my breath, I finished my shift, tracking and sometimes hiding comments from users who went too far—at least the ones on our pages, which were the only ones I could do anything about anyway.

I flagged what needed flagging, filed my reports, and tried to ignore how RightSideofHistory's rhetoric was spreading again. Other users had already joined in, including one long rant claiming the System was using Llewellyn to harvest human souls.

Finally, I closed the tabs, clocked out, and shut down my laptop.

I brushed my teeth on autopilot and padded into my bedroom.

Once in bed, Penguin snuggled up next to me, curling into a small ball against my side.

"What a week," I murmured, reaching out to stroke his head. Honestly, I felt like an old laptop trying to run the latest games. "Have a good rest, Penguin."

[Bond strength increased: 82%.]

Nice. Just a little more to go.

Chapter Text

I was lying down on the couch, idly browsing the web, when a notification popped up.

[System Notification: Training session scheduled with Partner Llewellyn. Preparing environment. Relocation in 10 minutes.]

I bolted upright in alarm.

What?

I'd barely had my first coffee of the day!

"Nobody scheduled anything with me!"

[Clarification: Training session scheduled by Partner Llewellyn. Attendance mandatory.]

I checked my phone. No messages, no missed calls from Llewellyn—nothing.

I narrowed my eyes.

Honestly.

Well, all considered, he was doing me a favor.

I stumbled off to the bathroom.

Nine minutes later I stood in my living room wearing tracksuit bottoms and a thin hoodie.

Penguin ran up to me in his fire fox form, flames burning brightly along his tail.

"You're staying here," I told him.

Penguin's ears flattened. He looked at me with round eyes.

"I mean it. I don't know what this training involves, and I don't want you getting hurt. Besides, we haven't told Llewellyn about you yet."

I put him down gently on the table. "I'll definitely play with you once I'm back, okay?"

Penguin looked crestfallen but just nibbled my finger gently. I felt something in my chest go soft at the sight, but this was safer for him.

I still hadn't figured out if Elementals needed water or not, but he seemed to like it, so I left a small bowl for him, before the countdown started.

[System Notification: Relocation in 3... 2... 1...]

I patted Penguin gently one last time before the room around me vanished.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

I materialized in what looked like an empty warehouse.

Llewellyn stood in the center, arms crossed, wearing a simple black t-shirt and training joggers.

"You're late," he said.

"I'm exactly on time," I shot back. "Even if I wanted to be late, I couldn't, since the System was just going to kidnap me." I looked around. "What is this place?"

"System-generated training environment," Llewellyn said. "You need to learn how to fight and defend yourself."

Right, but—

"Does it need to be a warehouse?"

This was just too depressing.

Llewellyn looked at me with an expression that said, Well, what are you going to do about it?

It suddenly occurred to me that maybe I could indeed do something about it.

I kept my eyes on him.

"Hello? System? Can we have a sleeker training environment or something?"

[System Notification: Environment modification request received. Generating alternative training space...]

A moment later, the warehouse was gone and we were suddenly standing in a wide-open training hall with polished wooden floors, tall windows, minimalist white walls, and a few elegant benches along the perimeter.

It reminded me of those fancy martial arts dojos from movies.

Good. Yes. Thank you.

Llewellyn seemed amused.

"Better?" he asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Much better," I said. "At least if I'm going to get my ass kicked, I can do it somewhere that doesn't look like a murder scene."

Llewellyn snorted. He looked deceptively soft in his training clothes and very at ease in this environment.

Which was more than could be said for me. I probably looked like someone about to get his ass kicked.

"I thought my role was to flag the Threads for you. How did we get to me having to learn actual combat? Isn't raising my stats enough?"

"It's not," Llewellyn said. "You've been lucky. And I've been there. What happens when I'm not?"

Well. I didn't have an answer to that.

"Besides, didn't you first introduce yourself as a sub-DPS?" Llewellyn asked, amused. "Or were you not planning to deliver on that?"

Damn it.

It's not that I didn't want to learn combat—I actually did.

It's just that… who the hell has their first training ever against Llewellyn?! That was just unhinged.

"Your first lesson is basic physical defense," Llewellyn said, clearly unaware of my inner spiraling. "You have no combat experience, and your physical attributes are..." he paused, looking me up and down, "...suboptimal."

"Wow. Thanks."

"It's not an insult—you're not trained. We're remedying that." He moved to the center of the room, closer to me. "The System paired us because your abilities complement mine. But that's useless if you get killed before you can use them."

I sighed. "Fair point."

"Stand here," he instructed, pointing to a spot in front of him. "I'm going to show you how to fall without injuring yourself."

"Wait, what—"

Before I could finish, Llewellyn had swept my legs out from under me.

…Fuck!

Just before I hit the ground, the floor turned soft as a cushion.

System, I love you. Honestly, that gave me a heart attack.

I hit the floor with a softened thud that still knocked the wind out of me.

"That," Llewellyn said, looking down at me, "is exactly what you shouldn't do."

I got back up, my pride more bruised than my body. "Maybe a little warning next time?"

"Enemies don't give warnings," Llewellyn said. "Now, when you fall, you need to distribute the impact. Roll with the momentum. Absorb, don't block. Let your arm follow the fall—don't try to catch yourself with it. You need to use your arm to guide the fall, not to stop it. Stopping gets you hurt."

He demonstrated the technique in slow motion, with perfect form.

Damn.

"Your turn."

I tried to mimic his movements, but as soon as he swept my legs again, I tensed up and landed in an awkward heap—though the softened surface saved me from the worst of it.

Llewellyn huffed.

"You're too rigid," he said. "Relax your body."

"Easy for you to say when you've mastered it to perfection."

I tried again, but the next attempt wasn't any better. I overthought every movement, and ended up looking like a malfunctioning robot. The floor softened to prevent injury but did nothing to spare my dignity.

"Your center of gravity is not an aspiration point," Llewellyn commented dryly as I sprawled on the floor for the fifth time.

"What does that even mean?" I asked, frustrated.

"It means stop thinking so much. Your body knows how to fall. You're getting in your own way."

It was like we were speaking two different languages.

"You're bracing like you're expecting a meteor strike," Llewellyn said after my tenth failed attempt. "Relax your shoulders."

"I am relaxed!" I snapped—which was obviously a lie.

"Your idea of relaxed would make a statue look flexible. As I said, your body knows how to fall. Let it. Stop trying to keep your center high. Let yourself go down."

"My body definitely does not know how to fall," I argued. "If it did, I wouldn't be here getting repeatedly knocked down by you."

Llewellyn's expression didn't change, but I swore his eyes looked amused.

"Again," he said.

I glared at him.

We went through the drill several more times.

Each attempt, I tried to follow his instructions, but my brain kept overanalyzing every movement. By the time I sorted through the steps mentally, I was already sprawled on the floor.

"This is hopeless," I said after what was probably my twentieth failed attempt.

"One more time," Llewellyn said.

On the next attempt, something unexpected happened.

Llewellyn feinted left before sweeping right, catching me completely off guard.

I didn't have time to think—my body just reacted. I tucked, rolled, and came up on one knee, blinking in surprise.

Llewellyn gave a subtle nod. "Better. You stopped thinking."

I stared at him, a bit shocked.

Okay, I'd done it, but… I didn't know what I did.

"Exactly," Llewellyn said, when I pointed that out. "You didn't try to do it right—you just did it." He extended a hand to help me up. "Your instincts are good when you get out of your own way."

I guess that was a compliment?

I took his hand and let him yank me up.

"Again," Llewellyn said.

We repeated the drill and, while I still got it wrong more often than not, I managed to roll correctly a few more times.

Llewellyn nodded, satisfied.

"Now," he said, stepping back as I caught my breath, "show me what you can do with Water."

Chapter Text

I flexed my fingers and a small sphere of Water formed above my palm, wobbling unsteadily.

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Well, what did he expect?

"You're still thinking too much. Stop thinking. You just need to sense it."

"I am sensing it," I said, gritting my teeth. The sphere grew slightly larger, but it still looked like it was going to collapse in my palm any moment.

"You're not." Llewellyn moved closer, circling me. "You're trying to control it like it's a tool. Water isn't a hammer—it's alive. It wants to move."

I clenched my jaw. "Maybe give me more than cryptic fortune cookie wisdom?"

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. Attack me."

I blinked. "What?"

"Hit me with everything you've got. Don't hold back."

Wait—was he serious? I mean, he could fight entire Knots by himself, he could definitely defend himself against me. But—

"Are you sure?"

Llewellyn's mouth quirked up. "Did you think we came here for a picnic?"

I narrowed my eyes and hurled the Water sphere at him.

Llewellyn didn't even move. The sphere splashed harmlessly behind him.

"Is that all you've got?" he huffed. "Again. And this time, stop trying to be precise. Let go."

Well, then. I gathered more Water, forming a larger sphere this time, and threw it at him.

It rolled pathetically toward him before splattering on the ground.

"What is this, bowling?"

This asshole.

I gnashed my teeth, circling him. "I'm doing my best here."

"Your best is terrible." He crossed his arms. "My grandmother could throw better than that, and she's been dead for fifteen years."

There was no real malice in his taunts, but I was still getting mad.

"Just so you know, your words are not helpful."

"Neither is whatever you're doing." He gestured dismissively at the puddle on the floor. "Water responds to emotion. You're holding back. Why?"

"I'm not—"

"You are. What are you afraid of? Hurting me? Looking stupid? Both?" He scoffed.

I gritted my teeth and formed a wave. It crashed against his barrier, spraying everywhere except on him.

"Congratulations," he said dryly. "You've successfully watered the floor."

This absolute—

Fuming now, I summoned Water and sent it hurtling toward him in a furious rush.

For the first time, Llewellyn actually moved, raising his hand to strengthen his barrier.

The Water crashed against it like waves hitting rocks, sending a cold spray back toward me.

"Better," he said. "Now you're actually trying."

Can I just punch him?

I tried again, but this time it was definitely worse.

"You're approaching this like a problem to solve. Magic isn't intellectual, it's instinctive."

"What is with this cryptic bullshit? That makes no sense!"

"It doesn't have to make sense. It has to work."

He stepped back. Then, without warning, a stream of Water shot toward my face.

I ducked, barely avoiding it.

What the hell?!

"Defend yourself!" Llewellyn said, sending another jet of Water my way.

I dodged again, rolling to the side. "This is your training method? Just attack me?"

Llewellyn's lips quirked up. "Sometimes pressure helps. I've seen you in action when your life depends on it."

...Wait, was that another compliment?

Before I could recover from it, another stream shot toward me. I ducked, but it splashed against my chest anyway, soaking my hoodie.

Goddamnit.

Llewellyn looked pleased with himself.

I glared at him and sent a barrage of Water jets at him from different angles. He deflected each one effortlessly, not even bothering to move his feet.

"Stop thinking about what you should do and just do what feels right!"

If I could just do it, why would I need training?!

Water responded to my frustration, rushing harder. A stray droplet landed on Llewellyn's cheek.

Llewellyn touched the wet spot with his fingers, raising an eyebrow at me.

I threw myself at him with everything I'd got.

For the next twenty minutes, I dodged, ducked, and got thoroughly soaked while Llewellyn kept up a steady onslaught of Water attacks without getting more than a few droplets on him.

I stopped thinking about technique or control and just moved.

"Come on," Llewellyn said.

The itch in my chest flared.

Fuck, what? Why now? I thought this was a Knot-related phenomenon, but there was no Knot nearby. What was going on?!

Llewellyn stepped up his defense, moving more deliberately now, stepping closer to me. Seeing him so completely dry while I was getting more and more soaked was pissing me off.

I attacked, but he sidestepped it with no effort at all.

The itch in my chest burrowed deeper.

I tried to create distance, but he didn't give me a chance.

…I hadn't realized he was this quick.

Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall.

The itch in my chest sparked violently.

"You're still fighting yourself," Llewellyn said. He was so close I could see the patches of clear green in his irises. "As is, you're currently fighting two people: me and yourself. Let go completely."

Easy for him to say. What would happen if I let go completely?! This thing in my chest currently wanted to devour everything in sight.

I stared at him, breathless, then broke free and ducked under his arm, sending a Water whip at his legs.

Llewellyn jumped over it easily, swept my legs from under me, and forced me to the ground.

I escaped his grip just before he could pin me.

That seemed to annoy him.

The next attack, he didn't miss.

Before I could even understand what was happening, I was down on my stomach, arm twisted behind my back, with a smug Llewellyn sitting on the backs of my thighs.

"Don't hold back," he repeated, pressing me into the floor. "I know there's more."

He let me go.

I rolled away, feeling unsteady, and tried to hit him while his guard was down, but he just sidestepped it.

I kept attacking, but Llewellyn kept countering, pinning me in holds I couldn't break free from, keeping me down for fifteen seconds, then letting me go.

"I said stop holding back," Llewellyn repeated, circling me again. "You're wasting energy bracing against yourself. This is Water. You need to let it flow."

"I'm not—" Fucking hell. He cut me off with another surge of Water that caught me in the face.

I wiped the Water from my eyes, fury building. "Would you stop—"

Another jet, this time knocking me off balance. I stumbled backward, barely keeping my footing.

"Make me," Llewellyn said.

Chapter Text

I growled.

I forgot all about technique or control or what I was supposed to do. I just wanted to sock him in the face.

I threw wave after wave at him, only thinking about wiping that smug look off his face.

He deflected the first few attacks, but then a whip of water snaked past his shield and caught him across the chest, wetting his shirt.

Finally! I grinned.

Llewellyn lunged at me and pinned me to the ground.

Fuck. Fine, it's not like splashing him a bit was reason for triumph, but couldn't he let me celebrate for a moment? We were on two completely different levels here!

Llewellyn's weight pressed me into the floor, his grip firm on my wrists. I tried to throw him off, but he adjusted his position.

"Better," he said, breathing harder now. "But not enough."

I drove my knee up, forcing him to shift his weight, and managed to slip free.

We both scrambled to our feet, circling each other.

I attacked, but Llewellyn batted the Water away easily, turning it into mist.

"Predictable," he said, and launched himself forward again.

I tried to sidestep, but he tackled me to the ground again.

Fucking hell. I rolled under him, managed to free myself—and landed a Water attack fully.

Ha!

Llewellyn blinked, water dripping from his hair.

"There it is," he said.

The note of satisfaction in his voice threw me off guard for a moment, and I had to blink myself into focus again.

Just in time. He charged the next attack.

"Running?" he called out.

I gritted my teeth.

I wasn't running. 

"Coward."

I sent a stream of Water at his feet, trying to trip him up, but he jumped over it and kept coming.

"You're still thinking," he said, reaching for me.

I ducked and spun behind him, looping my arm around his neck. He grabbed my wrist near my collarbone, and threw me over his shoulder.

Fuck.

I hit the ground—which had thankfully softened—rolled, and swept his legs.

Llewellyn went down, but angled his body as he fell and caught me, pulling me down with him again.

We grappled on the floor, each trying to pin the other. Llewellyn was stronger, but I was slippery from all the water, making it hard for him to get a good grip.

He managed to flip me onto my stomach, pinning me to the floor with his whole weight.

"Give up?" he panted in my ear.

I shuddered, but managed to shake him off, slipping free before he could recover.

We both leapt to our feet.

"Getting tired?" I taunted back. I was panting too.

Llewellyn snorted and lunged again.

I sidestepped and grabbed his arm, using his momentum to send him stumbling past me. But he recovered quickly, spinning around and catching me around the waist.

We crashed to the ground together again, rolling across the wet floor as we fought. He caught my wrist with his free hand, pressing me down.

"Had enough?" he asked.

"No," I said, gritting my teeth.

I bucked upward. The movement made him shift forward, bringing his face closer to mine.

I could feel his pulse where his wrist pressed against mine. The water had made his shirt cling to his chest.

He hummed, assessing.

"You're holding back less, but that's still not everything."

"Shut up," I said.

Llewellyn's lips quirked up.

"Make me," he said again.

I managed to yank my hands free, pressed my palms against his chest, and sent a strong pulse of Water Magic through him. Not to hurt, but to shock.

Llewellyn sucked in a breath, muscles tensing under my hands. His shirt was completely soaked now, outlining every muscle.

Before he could get his bearings, I surged up, managing to roll us over, scrambling on top of him.

For a brief, shocking moment, our positions were reversed. I had him pinned to the floor, my hands gripping his wrists, my body holding him down.

The water slicked our skin, making it impossible to get a good grip but somehow I managed, one hand across his sternum, the other tight around his wrists.

He looked up at me, hair dark with water. His breathing was uneven.

"That," Llewellyn said, not even trying to break free, "is what happens when you stop overthinking and just act."

I could feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath me, his shirt nearly transparent.

We stayed frozen like that for a moment, both breathing hard.

Then he wrapped his legs around me and used the leverage to flip us over again.

"But you're easily distracted," he said, amused.

Goddamnit.

I was beyond words now.

I managed to break his hold just enough to roll away. The itch had become a roar, drowning out everything else.

I wasn't thinking anymore.

Water had somehow levitated from where it had crashed on the floor and was swirling around both of us, curling around the room. I had no idea if it was my doing or not.

He grabbed for my arm, but I yanked at the last second, using his momentum against him.

I snarled. Water responded to my movement, forming a shield that pushed him back.

He didn't seem fazed. We circled each other, swirls of water soaring around us both.

I hadn't kept track, but in the last half hour, the itch in my chest had changed. It felt like raw power flowing through my veins, now. Every movement was exhilarating.

I attacked and we crashed to the ground again, water spraying everywhere.

For once, he actually had to counter properly instead of just brushing me off. His free hand shot out to break his fall, and I used the opening to trap his arm behind his back.

"Got you," I panted.

Llewellyn glanced at me, looking amused. He shifted his weight and somehow reversed our positions in one fluid motion, pressing me face-first into the wet floor.

"Do you?"

Fuck. Can't he let me celebrate for five seconds?!

He let me go. I rolled, caught his ankle, and pulled.

He adjusted mid-fall, grabbing my shoulder as I was trying to get up, and yanked me back down with him a second time.

We hit the ground together again, wrestling. His knee pressed against my thigh as he tried to pin my arms.

I tried to shake him off, forcing him to shift his balance, then hooked my leg around him and pushed us over.

The water made everything slippery. Every time one of us gained the upper hand, the other found a way to slip free.

In a stroke of luck, I managed to get hold of his wrists and trap them down above his head, my body pressing him into the floor until he couldn't move.

A stream of Water surged out of my hands and fastened itself into a flowing ribbon around his wrists, to restrain.

"Well," Llewellyn said, voice both smug and rough. "Would you look at that."

I stared at him, soaked and pinned and smug.

"You wanted me to stop holding back."

"I did," he agreed.

The restraints held firm.

Water dripped from his hair onto the training room floor. I could feel his heartbeat, rapid and strong. Mine also pounded in my ears.

"You are insane," I said, leaning closer. I was still panting. "You should have your teaching license revoked. If you had one."

Llewellyn's lips quirked up.

He stared up at me, then his eyes wandered down, lingered, and landed on my throat.

For a brief second, I was sure he was going to bite me so that he could slip free.

Then, I became aware of the position we were in—wet, touching everywhere, my Water Magic binding his wrists.

...I also became aware that my body was responding in ways that had nothing to do with combat.

I pulled back, face burning, and called the restraints off.

Fuck. Had he noticed?

"What now?" I asked, after a moment.

I really hoped he hadn't noticed.

Llewellyn counterattacked as fast as lightning, and had me on my back again in three seconds flat.

He looked smug.

"Never let your guard down," he said.

I let my head hit the floor and groaned in defeat.

Chapter Text

I lay on the floor, staring at Llewellyn, my chest heaving.

The water had mostly receded, leaving us soaked, and the training room floor a mess. My ears were hot.

"I think I'm dead," I said.

Llewellyn snorted. He got off me and stood up, extending a hand.

I took it and let him pull me up. Every muscle in my body ached. "Is this how all your training sessions go?"

"Only the productive ones." He looked around at the splattered walls and puddles on the floor. "The System will clean this up."

Just then, a notification appeared:

-

[System Notification: Training Session Complete!]

[Elemental Mastery: Water—Progress Detected]

[Recovery Routine Initiated]

-

"Recovery Routine?"

"Showers and healing potions," Llewellyn said, glancing at me. "Come on."

I followed him through a door into what looked like a high-end gym locker room. Two separate shower stalls stood on opposite sides, with benches and towels between them.

Llewellyn grabbed a towel. "Don't pass out in the shower."

"Ahah," I said.

He disappeared into the left stall without another word. I heard water start running almost immediately.

I took a deep breath, trying to will the situation in my trousers down. The setting wasn’t helping.

There was no way Llewellyn hadn't noticed, but then… he hadn't pulled away either. So maybe he actually hadn't?

I dragged myself to the right stall and closed the door behind me, peeling off my soaked clothes before stepping under the hot spray.

The water washed away the sweat, but did nothing for the bruises. The floor had softened when needed, but combat is still combat.

I heard Llewellyn's shower shut off and hurried to finish mine.

By the time I stepped out with a towel around my waist, Llewellyn was already dressed in fresh clothes that had appeared on the bench. He glanced at me and quickly looked away.

"Your clothes are there," he said gruffly, nodding to a neatly folded stack on my side.

His attention moved to the two small vials of glowing blue liquid on a tray between us.

…Potions.

Right. Obviously.

I dressed quickly, grateful for the clothes. They were similar to what I'd been wearing before—comfortable training gear that fit perfectly.

"Drink this," Llewellyn said, handing me one of the vials. "It'll help with the bruises and muscle fatigue."

I eyed the potion. "What's in it?"

"System-generated healing compound. Works in about thirty seconds." He downed his in one swift motion. "You can use the System to scan consumables, you know."

Ah, yes. I actually knew that.

I just... wasn't thinking properly.

The System pinged.

-

[System Notification: Healing Compound—Minor.
Ingredients: Water (purified), Ether (stabilized), Trace Minerals.
Effects: Rapid muscle repair, bruise reduction.
Side Effects: Mild drowsiness.]

-

As he said, it was a System-generated healing compound. I drank it and the soreness began to fade almost immediately. The throbbing in my ribs subsided, and the stiffness in my joints melted away.

Wow.

A notification appeared before me:

-

[System Notification: Recovery Complete!]

[Session Evaluation: Satisfactory Progress]

[Next Training: Schedule Pending]

-

Next?

Llewellyn looked at me like he wanted to say something, but then seemed to change his mind and just hummed and settled on, "I'm going. The System will send you home."

And left the room.

When I went out, he'd already left.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of domestic tasks. I dumped my laundry in the washing machine, collected it later, then spent an hour folding clothes while Penguin "helped" by rolling in the sheets warm from the dryer. He kept switching between his penguin and sugar glider forms, occasionally disappearing into a sock.

I had promised him we'd play together after all.

I made dinner, worked my shift, wading through more unhinged content, and went to bed.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

When I woke up at 4 PM, Penguin had moved to my pillow, snoring softly.

As I stirred, he blinked awake.

"Morning. Or afternoon, I guess," I mumbled, stretching my arms overhead.

My muscles seemed fine as I dragged myself out of bed. That potion was great.

[Bond strength increased: 93%.]

Yes, perfect. I don't know why the System made all that fuss about not leaving him alone, but then set up a training with Llewellyn that meant I would leave Penguin alone for a few hours. At least, that hadn't complicated things and Penguin seemed fine.

"Let's get some food," I told Penguin.

In the kitchen, I put coffee on first, then rummaged through my cabinets. I found pancake mix and decided to treat myself. While the coffee brewed, I mixed the batter and heated the pan.

"Want to try?" I asked Penguin, who'd waddled after me and was now watching from the counter. I poured a few tiny circles of batter, no bigger than a coin. "Pancakes are basically universal."

When they were done, I stacked Penguin's miniature pancakes one on top of the other and set them aside to cool as I arranged my regular ones on a plate with sugar and lemon. I took my coffee and settled at the table, where Penguin cautiously approached his pancakes, pecking at them.

After a few tentative nibbles, Penguin paused, looking up at me then back at the plate.

He waddled back a few steps and, in a tiny burst of fire, transformed into a small fire fox. The flames along his back flickered gently, not burning anything but casting warm light across the table.

"Better for eating pancakes?" I asked, taking a sip of coffee.

The fire fox yipped softly and approached his pancakes again, this time taking eager bites. Apparently pancakes tasted better as a fox.

Halfway through, he stopped again. Another burst, and suddenly a metal hedgehog sat on my table. He sniffed at one of the pancakes, then nibbled at it with his tiny teeth. His little face scrunched up in dissatisfaction.

I watched, amused. "You're really putting this through rigorous testing."

The hedgehog was definitely a fail. He turned back into a Penguin, waddling in a small circle before becoming a sugar glider.

The sugar glider snapped up a full pancake with his paws, then sat back with his tiny legs spread out, looking pleased with itself.

"Verdict?" I asked, finishing my own breakfast.

Penguin looked at me then at the remaining pancake, then turned back into a fire fox and finished the last one.

Looks like the fire fox had a better taste for pancakes after all.

Once he polished the last bite, Penguin turned back into a penguin with a satisfied chirp. He waddled over to my hand and nudged it gently.

"I'll take that as approval." I scratched the top of his head. "I'm guessing the fox form won the taste test?"

Penguin chirped again.

"Mmh. Next time I'll make fox-sized portions."

[Bond strength increased: 95%.]

Suddenly something occurred to me and I called the System.

"Hey," I said, pulling up a System window and scrolling through to the contract details. "Can I have reimbursement for the Elemental Café? Extended room usage wasn't cheap."

The System replied immediately.

[Request processed. Reimbursement complete.]

What? I pulled out my phone and checked my bank account.

Just like that. Damn. This was great.

Outside, the sky was already darkening. I looked down at Penguin.

I'd never had a pet before, but even though he was a magical one, surely it wasn't right to keep him cooped up at home? I was used to barely seeing the sunlight for weeks, but I felt guilty imposing that on him.

"What do you think about getting some fresh air?" I asked.

Penguin stood up excitedly in what looked like agreement.

I got dressed quickly then I took my coat and grabbed an old t-shirt, folding it into a makeshift pillow inside my pocket. "Here," I said, patting the pocket. "You can ride in here. People will just think you're a toy."

Penguin hopped in, settling into the soft fabric with just his head poking out.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

The Baekhaven promenade was alive with evening activity—food stalls, artists displaying their work, couples strolling along the waterfront. Boats bobbed gently in the harbor, their lights reflecting on the dark water. I bought a hot dog and chips from a vendor and found a quiet bench facing the water.

I ate my hot dog, smuggling a fry down to Penguin who took it with both wings and nibbled at it curiously. I wondered if he'd keep switching forms repeatedly again (that was definitely not a good idea here), but it looked like his penguin form was fine for this and there was no reason to cycle through different ones.

I couldn't believe it'd only been a few days since I met Llewellyn and I'd already been pulled into a Distorted Realm, a Dungeon, and a training. With the current rate of Distorted Realm appearances, should I expect another one this week? Maybe more? Llewellyn had had to deal with three last week, but that was by no means common. I hoped this wasn't going to become the norm. How did Llewellyn deal with all of this?

As we sat watching the boats, Penguin suddenly shifted form, turning into a sugar glider. He scampered up my arm to perch on my shoulder, his small paws gripping my collar.

I let out an amused huff, then threw the wrappers into the nearby bin before wandering among the artisan stalls, sampling street food and watching performers under the promenade's colored lights.

The Baekhaven promenade was widely considered the most beautiful part of the city. The entire area was known as Jeongdae, and was famous for the way the lights from the restaurants and venues reflected across the water, mixing with the softer glow from the boats.

I rarely came here by myself, though. Something about the couples strolling hand in hand and families taking evening walks always made it feel like a place meant for sharing.

Yet I was content to be here with Penguin who was perched on my shoulder, his sugar glider form sniffing the air and vibrating with excitement whenever we passed a particularly bright light display or a street performer.

"This is nice," I told him. "We should do this more often."

[System Notification: Bond strength increased: 100%! Bond Complete!]

A warm sensation spread through my chest. It felt like something clicking into place.

Penguin let out a happy little sound and nuzzled against my neck, his tiny sugar glider body radiating contentment.

The System's interface threw confetti in the air for a moment, then lit up with new information:

[Entity #77A3 successfully stabilized!]

Chapter Text

I scratched behind Penguin's sugar glider ears. "Looks like you're stuck with me now."

He made a happy sound and did an excited run down my arm and then up again.

I laughed. It tickled a bit.

A feeling of warmth spread through my chest.

The evening air was cool but not cold. Penguin's presence felt like a small, warm anchor against my skin.

-

[System Notification: Bond stabilization complete.

Elemental channel established.

Combat parameters adjusted.

Intuitive Drift enhanced.]

-

I blinked at the notification.

"What? What does that mean?"

[User Skills now include bond-enhancement. Would you like to see your basic Attributes, Abilities, and Skills?]

Wait, I had more of those? I confirmed the prompt.

A new window popped up.

-

ATTRIBUTES

Intuitive Drift (Legendary)

Thread Perception (Unique)

Elemental Insight (Myth)

ABILITIES

Elemental Mastery (Myth) [User-Specific]

Thread Moderation (Myth) [Exclusive]

Knot Listening (Rare) [System-Enhanced]

Thread Muting (Rare) [System-Granted]

Thread Flagging (Myth) [System-Granted]

SKILLS

Crisis Management (Rare) [System-Granted]

Exploratory Analysis (Rare) [System-Granted]

-

What? Wait...

That was more than I thought.

I read briefly through the descriptions, feeling slightly mystified.

My Elemental Insight was Myth level? And hadn't the Intuitive Drift Attribute been the only one I'd seen before all of this started? It was Legendary Level?!

I opened the description.

-

[Intuitive Drift (Legendary):

A natural, subconscious pull toward what's off-kilter, urgent, or worth noticing. A tendency toward environments, individuals, opportunities, and situations that mirror the User's true nature.]

-

I was speechless. What did that even mean?

Was this the reason my life was such a mess?

That'd explain a lot. My employment history, for one. Every job I'd ever had always seemed to implode. Contracts canceled, projects shelved, industries collapsing... Maybe I'd been drifting toward disaster my whole life without realizing it.

It was a depressing thought.

I closed the window.

Penguin chirped and nuzzled against my neck, as if trying to console me.

Whatever Intuitive Drift was, it had also pulled me toward Penguin, so it couldn't be that bad, right?

I reopened the window and scrolled through the other skills.

Thread Perception, Thread Moderation, Thread Muting, Thread Flagging, Crisis Management, Exploratory Analysis… These all seemed to be the powers I had used in the Distorted Realm and then in the Dungeon.

But Myth and Legendary level? That seemed excessive.

"I'm not sure I deserve these ratings," I told Penguin. "I've been in exactly two fights and one training. That's hardly enough data for the System to decide I'm 'Mythical' or 'Legendary' at anything."

Penguin let out a chirp that I chose to interpret as disagreement.

"You're biased," I said, scratching his head. "But I appreciate the vote of confidence."

I should spend some more time exploring this, but it didn't feel like the right moment. We were taking a stroll and Penguin was happy.

I closed all windows and stopped to listen to a musician playing the Irish fiddle.

As we stood there, I found myself thinking about that day in Mondwyn Harbor again.

And then, inevitably... the training.

I wondered what Llewellyn was doing. What did national heroes do in their free time?

I was still feeling a bit too self-conscious from the training, but—

Before I could talk myself out of it, I pulled out my phone.

Ryo: Still all in one piece?

I stared at the screen, half expecting no reply. To my surprise, the response came almost immediately.

Llewellyn: I'm normally the one who has to ask you that.

Well. He wasn't wrong.

Ryo: Just checking.

Llewellyn: Fell off from any skies recently?

I snorted.

Ryo: Can't tell if that was sarcasm or the worst pick-up line I've ever heard.

Wait… That came out wrong. 

Shit. Too late now.

My face heated up.

There was a suitable long pause.

Llewellyn: …I knew I should have let you hit the ground.

Ryo: You literally walked into that, what did you expect?

Llewellyn was typing again.

Llewellyn: Shouldn't you be asleep?

I glanced at the time. The question caught me off guard.

Ryo: It's afternoon? Most people are awake now.

Llewellyn: Most people being the operative word. The last time you were complaining about being on shift at 4 am.

I couldn't argue with that. Wait, was this why he had scheduled the training in the afternoon?

Ryo: I did sleep most of the day. Now I'm in Jeongdae with my new pet.

I paused, wondering if I should have delayed mentioning Penguin or found a better way to say it. Well, too late now.

Penguin shifted on my shoulder, leaning forward to peer at my phone screen.

Llewellyn: Pet?

The three dots appeared, disappeared, then reappeared again.

Llewellyn: What kind of pet?

I lifted my phone, angling it so Penguin was in frame, and snapped a quick photo.

His tiny sugar glider face looked almost comically serious as he gripped my collar. I sent the picture.

Ryo: This kind.

Llewellyn: That's a sugar glider.

Ryo: Very observant.

Llewellyn: Since when do you have a sugar glider?

Ryo: Only a few days. He's not actually a sugar glider though.

Llewellyn: What is he, then?

I watched Penguin shift back into his penguin form, settling more comfortably in my pocket.

Ryo: A penguin, mostly. Sometimes a fox. Occasionally a hedgehog.

I wondered if I had said too much.

The dots appeared and disappeared three times before his reply came through.

Llewellyn: Are you concussed?

I snorted loudly, startling a couple walking past.

Llewellyn: Wait.

There was a long pause. The three dots appeared and disappeared several times.

Llewellyn: Tell me that's not it.

I frowned at the screen, confused by his sudden shift in tone.

Ryo: Not what?

Llewellyn: The thing you couldn't tell me.

…Of course he'd made the connection.

Well, I had intended to tell him after all—and the bond was complete now, so there was no reason not to.

My phone rang immediately. I winced and answered.

"What did you do?" Llewellyn said. "Is this the thing Ó Néill cornered me about?"

"Er... You sure you want me to answer that?"

"Ryo."

"Fine. Maybe? Should we talk about this over the phone?"

Llewellyn let out an unhappy sound.

"Where are you?"

"I told you, I'm—"

"Where should I reach you," Llewellyn said impatiently.

Oh. "Well, I guess you could come here, but there are quite a few people around."

That wasn't a problem just for Penguin. If Llewellyn were to be recognized, that would be a hassle to say the least.

I rotated on the spot, trying to find a suitable location.

"There's a small coffee shop near the end of the promenade," I said. "The Jeongdae Express. We can meet outside, then move somewhere among the trees."

"Fine," I could hear him rummage in the background. "Let me grab my coat. I'll be there in a few moments."

He hung up before I could respond.

Chapter Text

Penguin looked up from my pocket.

"Yeah, we're about to meet Llewellyn. Try not to set anything on fire, okay?"

I made my way through the evening crowds. The lights along the promenade grew brighter as the sky darkened, reflecting off the water.

The Jeongdae Express was at the far end.

As I got closer, I realized Llewellyn was already there, staring at me pointedly. I didn't know how I hadn't noticed him before. He looked surprisingly casual in blue jeans and a simple black sweater under his brown coat, but his expression was anything but relaxed.

Something suddenly occurred to me. I frowned.

"How are the adoring masses not hounding you already?"

Llewellyn gave me a pained look. "I'm using an artifact," he said.

Oh? "Like, to hide your features?"

"More or less. It just makes me unnoticeable."

That must have been why I hadn't seen him at first.

I thought about it. This might actually come in handy for Penguin too. "Could we use one for him as well?"

Llewellyn took two off his inventory and tossed them to me without comment.

I used them immediately. Nothing seemed to change, but I assumed they were doing their job.

"Show me," Llewellyn said without preamble.

We sat on a bench and I carefully lifted Penguin from my pocket, setting him on the bench between us.

Penguin blinked up at Llewellyn, then ran back toward me, hiding inside the flap of my coat.

"Hey, hey," I told him. "Llewellyn is a friend. He won't hurt you."

Llewellyn looked at me with a displeased expression, then watched me pick up Penguin again and hold him.

"I can't believe this," he muttered.

"What?" He hadn't even seen Penguin's transformations yet.

"Do you have any idea how powerful that is?" Llewellyn's voice was low, his gaze fixed on Penguin who was now peeking out from above my hand.

"I mean, he can transform into different Elemental forms, but—"

"That's not a pet. That's raw Elemental Magic that somehow gained sentience. It's outside any System scale I've ever encountered."

I looked down at Penguin, who chirped innocently.

Well. What do you even say to that?

Penguin chose that moment to transform into a fire fox.

"He likes pancakes," I offered.

Llewellyn closed his eyes briefly.

"He's been perfectly well-behaved. We've bonded."

"You've bonded," Llewellyn repeated flatly. "With an unclassified, potentially catastrophic Elemental entity that you smuggled out of a Distorted Realm."

Penguin yipped softly, flames dimming as if he understood he was being discussed. He turned back into his penguin form and ran toward my pocket again, trying to get in.

"He's not dangerous," I insisted. "Look at him."

Penguin huddled deeper into my pocket, only his eyes visible as he peered cautiously at Llewellyn.

Llewellyn gave me a look. "That's not a point in his favor. It appears harmless while containing enough raw Elemental Magic to level half the country."

"But he hasn't," I pointed out. "And he's had plenty of chances."

“That’s not—” Llewellyn cut himself off. “I can’t believe Ó Néill was right. This isn’t like taking in a stray cat. It’s like finding a bomb and deciding to keep it as a paperweight just because it hasn’t detonated yet.”

Penguin chirped in protest from my pocket, sounding almost offended.

"He understands you," I said. "I think you hurt his feelings."

"It doesn't have feelings. It's pure Elemental Magic."

"How can you be sure?" I rubbed Penguin's head. "He was shaking when I found him. And the System clearly said he has preferences."

Llewellyn's face did something weird. "The System is tracking it?"

"The System asked me to bond with him in the first place."

That seemed to throw him. He stared at me, then at Penguin.

Then he seemed to pull up some windows and navigate through something.

"This is..." He trailed off, brow furrowed.

I watched as Llewellyn scrolled through several System windows I couldn't see, his expression shifting from concern to confusion.

"This makes no sense."

Penguin peeked out from my pocket, chirping softly. He seemed to sense the shift in Llewellyn's tone and cautiously emerged a bit more.

"I told you," I said. "He just wants to explore. And cuddle, mostly."

Llewellyn studied Penguin. After a moment, he extended his hand, palm up, and waited.

Penguin stared at Llewellyn's hand, then at me as if asking if it was safe.

"It's okay," I told him. "He's just being grumpy because he cares about safety."

Penguin looked unsure for a moment, then waddled forward onto Llewellyn's palm.

Llewellyn lifted him carefully, looking like he knew how to handle small animals.

"…He is deceptively endearing," he muttered. "I suppose if the System is actively monitoring it you're probably fine for now." He gave Penguin a small belly rub. "But if he shows any signs of instability—any at all—you contact me immediately."

"Fine," I said, leaning back and watching Penguin chirp under Llewellyn's touch. It was oddly satisfying to see. "He's been stable so far."

Penguin wobbled in what looked like agreement, then transformed into his fire fox form right in Llewellyn's palm, the small flames licking harmlessly at Llewellyn's skin.

Llewellyn simply raised an eyebrow and started scratching behind the fox's ears.

The flames flickered happily around his fingers without burning him. They had likely not meant to burn in the first place, but even if they did, with his level of Elemental Mastery they'd probably feel like a gentle breeze.

"I'd still like some friends of mine to check him out," Llewellyn said. "They have experience with unusual artifacts and entities."

"Friends? You have those?"

He gave me a flat look.

Penguin transformed back into his penguin form and hopped from Llewellyn's palm back to my lap, settling there comfortably.

"They're colleagues," Llewellyn clarified, lowering his hand on his jeans. "People I trust to be discreet and thorough. They won't report to KARMA or any other agency."

That was a relief, but still.

"What if I say no?"

Llewellyn gave me a look that somehow managed to be both deadpan and exasperated.

"Then we'll have to presume to look forward to a catastrophic fallout when your pocket-sized Elemental bomb decides it's time for us to become pancakes."

Penguin chirped indignantly from my lap.

I sighed. "Who exactly are these friends of yours?"

"They specialize in unusual artifacts and entities. They're somewhat unconventional, but great at what they do."

"Unconventional how?"

"They operate outside official channels and are very good at bending the rules and getting away with it. I trust them."

Coming from Llewellyn, that was practically a glowing recommendation. I looked down at Penguin, who was now curiously watching a group of teenagers further down the promenade as they crowded around a refreshments kiosk.

"Fine," I relented. "But I'm staying with him the whole time. And if they try anything weird—"

"They won't." Penguin nuzzled against my hand. "I'll set it up. In the meantime, keep a close eye on him. If he shows any signs of instability—"

"I know, I know. Call you immediately."

Llewellyn nodded, seemingly satisfied.

I expected him to get up and leave, but he just settled more comfortably on the bench and looked toward the sea, like he was still weighing something.

Well, what was I supposed to do? The evening air was pleasant at least.

Chapter Text

After a while, Llewellyn turned toward me. 

“I need a coffee. Can I get you anything?”

…What? What was he up to now?

"Are you trying to distract me with caffeine?"

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed. "No coffee for you, then," he said, and got up.

"Wait, wait," I scrambled up, grabbing Penguin. "I'll get one as well."

Llewellyn just glanced at me without commenting.

Okay, what was going on?

Had he been this weird five minutes ago too and I just hadn't noticed?

He seemed like he didn't want to leave, but why? Was Penguin that dangerous?

The Jeongdae Express was more of a coffee nook than a full café, with large windows and fairy lights strung along the exterior. The barista, a young woman with a sweet smile, gave Llewellyn a look of instant recognition, then seemed to immediately un-recognize him.

Artifact in action, I guessed.

We got our coffees and walked out again. 

I wasn't just imagining it, something about Llewellyn's demeanor was weird.

Now that I wasn't as worried about how he'd react to Penguin and was looking closely, his usual stoic expression had a touch of... wait, was that amusement?

"Okay, what's up with you? You’re acting weird."

Llewellyn glanced at me, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Nothing."

"Right," I said. "And I'm the King of Innishae."

Llewellyn's lips properly quirked up now.

"Fine," he said. He pulled out a tablet from his trench coat pocket, tapped on it for a few moments while balancing his coffee, then held it out to me.

I took it, confused, then looked down at the screen and—

Ah.

Shit!

On the screen, my anonymous account was highlighted—along with dozens of my passionate rebuttals against Llewellyn's detractors.

Heat crept up my neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, handing the tablet back.

Llewellyn's eyes clearly showed mirth now. "Of course not," he said, putting it away.

So that was why.

"I knew your name sounded familiar." He continued after a moment. "It's not that common in Innishae. Even though I'm not the one who deals with it, I do have the full list of people working on my account."

Wait… Those were two very distinct things. He knew that too?!

I groaned.

I suppose it'd be weirder if he hadn't done a background check—I definitely would have in his place. But.

"How long have you known?"

Llewellyn took a sip of his coffee.

"You mentioned signing a contract during the Cheongard Dungeon. Did you think I wouldn't check who I'm supposed to be working with?"

So he'd known since then?! That had been before the training—even before that meeting with Ó Néill.

Now that I thought about it, he'd already been different during the training; I'd just assumed that was because it was a very comfortable setting to him, doing something that came very easily. The way he had mostly just observed during that exchange with Ó Néill re-slotted in my head too.

"I expected you to throw a tantrum and tell the System where it could shove it," I muttered.

Llewellyn grinned.

I don't think I'd ever seen him grin before.

"I'm not sure what's more disturbing," I said, trying to recover some dignity. "That you've been stalking my online activity or that you're actually amused by this."

Llewellyn's expression went back to neutral, but not quite all the way there, the amusement lingering as he eyed me. "I don't stalk. I do research."

"Right. And I suppose you 'research' everyone who talks about you online?"

"Only the ones who get teleported into Distorted Realms with me." He took another sip of coffee. "Though I must say, your defense of my 'unfairly maligned fashion choices' was particularly spirited."

I coughed. "It was one time and that user was being unnecessarily cruel."

"It's a perfectly functional coat."

"That's exactly what I said."

I also said that anyone with eyes could see that it looked great on him, but let's not go there.

Llewellyn's lips quirked up again as he sipped his coffee.

...This was the worst day of my life.

Penguin chirped from my pocket, poking his head out to see what the commotion was about.

"Your Elemental bomb agrees with your fashion opinions. How reassuring."

"You know what? I'm rescinding all my defenses of you. You clearly don't deserve them."

"I'm devastated," Llewellyn said flatly, but still clearly amused.

Damn it.

We walked in silence, the evening air cooling my face. It would have been peaceful if I wasn't busy dying of shame.

"For what it's worth," Llewellyn said after a few moments, without looking at me, "it's nice to have someone in your corner every once in a while."

No… What? Okay, I was properly embarrassed now.

I scratched my head. "Well. Someone had to correct their terrible takes."

Llewellyn smiled, eyes still fixed straight ahead and we fell into a companionable silence.

Penguin settled back into my pocket, apparently satisfied that the conversation had calmed down.

"So," I said after a while, "are we done here, or do you have more embarrassing revelations to spring on me?"

"I think that's enough for one evening," Llewellyn replied, amused.

I sighed, relaxing slightly. "I should probably leave," I said, not really wanting to. "I need to go take care of your unhinged online following."

Llewellyn gave me a look. "How bad?"

"No worse than usual, if that's what you're asking. This week's theories have covered the possibility of you being a banished fae monarch, an Elemental monster escaped from a Distorted Realm and cosplaying as a human, or the secret heir to Innishae's throne, hiding your royal lineage to live among commoners. The online astrological community is having their yearly conniption about not being able to get their hands on your time of birth. There is the usual drama about AI generated images and videos, and… huh… many theories about your… sword."

I watched his ears go red.

So, he knew about the sword discourse.

Well, at least I wasn't the only one who had to be embarrassed here.

One question I'd always wanted to ask came spontaneously next.

"You do all you can to avoid the public. I understand the social listening, but why do you even have an official website? With a whole forum in it, no less? That doesn't make sense."

Llewellyn's expression shifted, becoming more guarded. He looked away, focusing on something in the distance.

"The government insisted," he said finally.

Wait, don't tell me the conspiracy theories people were right?!

He sighed. "Apparently, I'm important for diplomatic relations and national pride. Queen Seolene made it clear that if I didn't cooperate with having some kind of official presence, they'd create one for me. At least this way I have some control over what goes up there."

Well.

"But why a forum?" I insisted.

"My PR person's reasoning was that, if we can make sure that most conversations happen on a platform we own, we can at least moderate it.”

Okay, that made some sense. Though not much, considering the nature of the Internet.

"And here I thought you were secretly enjoying your celebrity status." Of course, I didn't—what idiot would think that of Llewellyn? But I couldn't pass the chance.

Llewellyn actually winced.

"Wait until you hear about the conspiracy theory where you're secretly married to the System."

"I think I'll pass."

"You sure? There's a whole Omegaverse AU. I think the Knots being called like that made that one inevitable, to be honest."

Llewellyn looked pained for a moment, but not surprised.

I grinned then checked the time on my phone. "I really do need to head back soon. My shift starts in an hour and a half."

Penguin chirped from my pocket, as if protesting the idea of leaving.

"Your pocket-size bomb disagrees," Llewellyn said.

"My pocket-size bomb doesn't have to moderate comments about your sword for eight hours straight."

I watched Llewellyn's ears go red again and he looked away.

"Fair point," he said.

It looked like he was regretting having brought this up. My turn to be amused.

After a moment he seemed to think of something and looked at me again, cryptically. “You don’t either," he said. "You have a System contract now. I’m assuming the System is paying you?”

Well, yes, but.

It wasn’t a contract I actually deserved, so I didn’t trust it not to be short-lived.

I wasn't going to tell him that however.

"It just makes sense for now," I said after a moment. "But I'll have to drop some shifts. This is getting a bit much, especially since we don't know when Knots appear and I tend to sleep odd hours."

Llewellyn seemed to be considering what to say.

"The System has never tried to find me a partner before," he settled on after a moment. "If it's gone to such lengths, it must have predicted that things won't ease up any time soon, but likely quite the opposite. You've been in two Knots already in such a short time. If you want to stay alive, you need to increase your stats, sharpen your combat skills, and deepen your Magic. Working a regular job on top of this is not a good idea."

How reassuring.

But I knew he was right.

Still, I couldn't just quit.

He checked his watch. "I'll contact you about meeting my colleagues."

"Looking forward to it," I said, not meaning it at all.

Llewellyn's mouth twitched. "I'm sure you are."

His expression became serious again. "Keep an eye on that creature. I wasn't joking about the potential danger."

I looked down at Penguin, who was now snoozing peacefully in my pocket.

"I know," I said. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Llewellyn nodded, seemingly satisfied.

We parted ways at the end of the promenade.

The breeze picked up as I headed home. Penguin stirred in my pocket and chirped once, tucking himself deeper against my side.

Chapter Text

A blaring noise jolted me awake, sending Penguin tumbling off my chest with an indignant squawk.

"What—" I fumbled, reaching for my phone before realizing the sound wasn't coming from there.

A familiar window hovered in the air above my bed.

[EMERGENCY ALERT! Distorted Realm Detected! Partner requires immediate support.]

I checked my phone and let out a noise. 10:27 AM. I actually hadn't gone to bed until 7 AM.

The notification flashed again.

[EMERGENCY ALERT! Distorted Realm Detected! Partner requires immediate support.]

"Fine." I got up. "Can I at least wash my face and put on some clothes?"

Penguin chirped anxiously, quickly turning into a fire fox, ready for action.

"No," I said, rummaging for some clean clothes. "You're staying here."

Penguin's ears drooped. He morphed back into his penguin form and made a sad noise.

[EMERGENCY ALERT! Elemental Entity #77A3 is also needed.]

"What? Why?"

[Elemental Entity #77A3's abilities greatly increase projected survival rate by 59.2%.]

I stared at Penguin, who had waddled closer. "But—" Damn. 59.2% was a lot. "He's barely stable."

[Elemental Entity #77A3's bond is complete. He's now stable.]

"Yes, but—"

[EMERGENCY ALERT! Distorted Realm Detected! Partner requires immediate support.]

I groaned and looked down at Penguin.

"Fine. But you stay close to me, got it?"

Penguin chirped.

I washed my face and put on some clothes, while the notification kept hovering, flashing occasionally.

I grabbed my coat, glancing at my reflection. I looked like hell, with dark circles under my eyes and hair sticking up in every direction.

[EMERGENCY ALERT! Distorted Realm Detected! Partner requires immediate support.]

Fine!

Penguin morphed into a small sugar glider and climbed up my arm, holding onto the shoulder of my hoodie.

[Relocation in 3… 2… 1…]

As my feet hit stone, smoke flooded my vision and I started coughing.

Above me, Fire swirled so densely it was difficult to see anything.

[System Notification: "Elemental Mastery" can be used!]

"Turn into a wristwatch!" I told Penguin. "Quick!"

Penguin looked startled, but ran down my arm and obeyed.

I sighed. This was better for his safety, I hoped.

I covered my mouth with my sleeve and summoned Water as best as I could, trying to open a path while I searched for Llewellyn.

The System pinged.

[Warning: Environmental collapse in progress!]

Great. Fuck.

I wondered where I was.

No people were in sight, which meant that Llewellyn must have evacuated them already, so he must be here.

I turned in a slow circle.

Too much smoke and noise, how could I—

There!

"Llewellyn!"

Llewellyn was surrounded by a shield of Water, fighting raw Elements.

He turned just enough to spot me, then leapt up on a gust of wind and landed beside me, his Water shield stretching to cover us both.

"Get yourself a shield skill!" he said. "Now!"

Oh. Why hadn't I thought of it?!

And more importantly, why hadn't the System told me?!

I scrolled frantically through the shop. The System had dozens of shield options—Basic Shield, Enhanced Shield, Elemental Shield, Auto-Guard…

The prices varied wildly and I couldn't tell which would be most useful.

"Which one?" I asked.

Llewellyn was busy trying to hold the Elements back while I fumbled through digital window shopping. A massive wave of Fire slammed into his shield. The impact made the ground tremble.

"Just pick one!"

Elemental Shield it was then. I could find a better one later if I survived. I hit purchase just as another blast of fire came down from above.

The shield materialized just as flames struck where I stood. The force slammed me backward, but it seemed to hold. At least I hoped so—I was still sharing Llewellyn's shield too.

Penguin vibrated against my wrist, clearly agitated by the surrounding danger.

The Distorted Realm was drowned in fire and smoke and most of the buildings around us were half-melted.

"What happened here?" I asked, ducking under a stream of molten… something.

"Knot formed near a factory," Llewellyn replied without looking back. "I've evacuated the people on site, but the Elemental concentration is off the charts."

I activated Elemental Insight and looked at the area, trying to figure out how bad it was.

All that was left of the factory was deformed metal and half-melted machinery. Elemental Magic moved through everything, making my skin prickle.

Last time I'd been able to flag the Threads so that the raw charge of the Elements could be turned into monsters. After all, it was easier to fight actual targets instead of the raw Elemental manifestations, like storms of fire or ice.

But we weren't close enough to the Knot yet.

Fire raged around us, climbing the walls and scorching the asphalt.

We pushed forward avoiding a door that had caved in and peered inside the factory. Machinery had been fused with walls, conveyor belts looked like they had been pretzeled into Möbius strips. Pools of liquid metal seemed to be everywhere.

"Don't move," Llewellyn warned. "This place is unstable."

That was an understatement. The floor kept shaking under us like it was being hit by continuous earthquakes, and I nearly lost my footing.

I grabbed Llewellyn's arm to steady myself.

"We can't go in there." The factory interior looked like a death trap.

Llewellyn nodded. "If the Knot were inside, the building would have exploded already. We need to circle around."

We rounded the factory, moving along the perimeter, trying to keep our distance from the worst of the fire and melting metal.

Penguin trembled against my wrist. I tapped him gently, hoping the reminder that I hadn't forgotten him would help.

"There," Llewellyn said.

In front of us, suspended in mid-air, the Knot glowed gold, its shape almost like a human heart.

Amazing, if it wasn't so lethal.

[System Notification: "Elemental Insight" is active!]

The itch hit me like a punch. I was familiar with it now, but the compulsion was still unbearable.

I focused on it, feeling it go deeper and deeper. Something in me felt like it was going both in and out until, like last time, it clicked—deep and urgent in my chest.

My vision changed. Colors blazed brighter around me and I could suddenly see Threads spiraling inward and outward, stretching out and winding through space.

A Three-Element Knot.

Not easy, but still not as bad as Guildford.

"I can open the Threads," I yelled towards Llewellyn. "Are you ready?"

Llewellyn ducked as another ball of Fire fell toward him.

"Buy a sword first! Something!"

Fuck. He had a point.

I fumbled with the interface, scrolling past increasingly expensive weapons and hoping at the same time not to die.

Basic Sword, Iron Blade, Steel Sword, Crystal Sword, Moonlight Sword, Mithril Sword… Too many options.

I was still scrolling when Penguin suddenly transformed out of his wristwatch form, jumped toward the window, tapping on the interface, and purchased one.

No… What???

And besides, could he see my System window???

I stared in disbelief as Penguin landed on the ground excitedly, having just spent my Coins on... something. The interface window closed before I could see what he'd picked.

"What did you just—"

A notification popped up.

-

[System Notification: Congratulations! You have acquired 'Moonlight Sword'!
Type: Elemental Weapon
Rarity: Legendary
Requirement: At least one Legendary Level Attribute.
Note: Compatible with all Elements. Grants Water bonus directly proportional to the pull of the current Moon phase on tides.]

-

I gaped at the price. That was most of my Coins gone in one purchase.

"Penguin!"

Penguin chirped innocently, bouncing on his little feet.

The sword materialized in my hand, slim and not too heavy, its blade almost white.

Despite its delicate appearance, power hummed through the metal.

"You brought your little bomb into a Distorted Realm?!" Llewellyn yelled, deflecting a wave of Fire.

"I didn't exactly have a choice!"

I gripped my new sword—which actually felt perfect in my hand—and studied the Threads all around us.

"Three Elements," I called back. "Fire's dominant, but there's Water and Air too."

"I know that," Llewellyn said impatiently. "Can you flag them?"

Of course I could.

I locked onto the first Thread and reached out with my mind.

The itch in my chest spiked as I flagged it.

Chapter Text

The Fire Thread shuddered violently and opened up, just like last time, and Fire creatures erupted, extending forward in amorphous, heated blobs.

Those were new to me. Last time they were definitely more… uh… aflame than amorphous.

Penguin didn't seem happy about them either. He let out an alarmed chirp and turned into a sugar glider, running up my body until he could wrap himself back against my wrist as a wristwatch again.

Llewellyn attacked as the Fire creatures kept oozing out. One broke through the front line and lunged toward me, surprisingly more agile than its blob status suggested.

Shit!

I stumbled back, heart hammering, and summoned Water.

The shield held, and my Water Magic kept it at bay, but the impact still rattled my bones.

How did something so blob-like have so much body weight?!

Incredibly, my sword moved almost on its own, responding to my intentions one fraction of an instant before I could fully form them. Where it struck, Water flew out, the Fire creature dissolving instantly.

Damn, maybe I should let Penguin do all my shopping from now on.

I'd never held a sword in my life, and right now that didn't even seem to be that big of a problem.

Llewellyn's Magic flared brighter, cutting down creatures in waves.

"Flag another!" he yelled.

I was already on it. If I could set off enough Elemental reactions, the creatures might turn on each other—same as last time. Llewellyn must've had the same idea.

I gripped my sword tighter and chose an Air Thread.

The Wind creatures that spilled out of it were translucent and moving like living hurricanes. They collided with the Fire creatures and suddenly heated tornadoes of lava were twirling around the place.

I panicked. Had this been a terrible idea?!

However, Llewellyn redirected Water into the Wind creatures and both sets of creatures dissipated with a hiss.

Shivering with relief, I joined in and started doing the same.

"Keep flagging!" Llewellyn shouted. He was fighting dozens of creatures at once from basically every direction.

It was—as always—incredible, and, as I impaled my sword into another blob-like thing, I had to remind myself not to stare if I didn't want to die here.

I parred an attack and opened another Thread, but just then a Fire creature slipped past my guard.

I brought the sword up on instinct. The blade met its core and Water burst from the impact point, dousing it instantly.

Damn, the weapon really was doing half the work for me.

The heat was intense, making sweat drip into my eyes. I located a Water Thread, close enough to the Fire creatures that it might incite them to fight against each other, and flagged it.

The Thread opened up violently, Water creatures breaking out. Their liquid bodies hissed when they touched the Fire monsters, and steam erupted everywhere, making visibility even worse.

Penguin vibrated against my wrist, likely trembling. His agitation was making it harder to concentrate.

I pushed the watch higher under my sleeve hoping it'd make him feel more protected, or at least less overwhelmed by sounds and heat, then instinctively dodged as a Water creature surged toward me.

Say what you want about Elemental Cafés' games, but they'd definitely taught me how to dodge at least.

Llewellyn's training seemed to have done something too. I was still weak, but my muscle memory randomly kicked in when needed.

What had Llewellyn said?

Don't think just act.

Right. Easier said than done. Unless it kicked in on its own, I could only grit my teeth and do my best.

Llewellyn moved like lightning, his magic tearing through set after set of creatures, his sword switching Elements with ease.

His attacks were precise, each strike perfectly placed to eliminate multiple targets at once.

Water and Fire creatures fell before him. The ones that survived collided violently, their forms evaporating.

"Next!" Llewellyn said.

He didn't seem to need my help with combat, so I focused on flagging the Threads and defending myself.

I ducked under a joint attack from Fire and Wind creatures, then a Water creature slammed into my shield.

This was getting crowded. Activating Elemental reactions was definitely a good idea, but my level wasn't so high!

The Moonlight Sword thrummed faintly in my grip.

Under Llewellyn's unstoppable attack power, Fire and Water monsters were soon dispatched, so I located another Fire Thread. My Water Magic might be more helpful against Fire creatures.

Unfortunately, when I flagged it—

"..."

The creature that emerged was a massive living furnace of magma.

Fucking hell.

I flagged a Water thread too and jumped back into the fight.

At some point, I lost track of how long we'd been fighting.

My arm, the one holding the sword, ached, my grip slick with sweat.

One of the Water creatures broke past the others and slammed into me before I could dodge it. My shield held, barely—but the force knocked me backward.

I scrambled to my feet, breath ragged.

Penguin vibrated against my wrist, clearly agitated by all the Elemental magic around us.

I thought of the previous Distorted Realm I'd found him in and how he'd gone inert in it. I didn't think he liked fighting very much.

A Fire creature roared, and my shield almost vanished under the wave of heat.

Damn it.

I flagged another Water Thread. More creatures emerged—immediately beginning to steam where they touched the Fire beings.

Llewellyn was still destroying wave after wave.

"The Knot is weakening," I called out.

It had started to thin, its light dimmer.

Llewellyn let out a noise of understanding without looking away from his targets.

"Watch the Air creatures!" he yelled back a moment later.

I spun around just in time to dodge a whirlwind being that had tried to circle behind me. My sword flashed out, cutting through it easily.

"It's almost done!" I called.

"Last one!" Llewellyn yelled.

I reached for another Thread, but something made me hesitate.

The itch in my chest had changed.

I gasped.

"Something's wrong!"

Llewellyn turned to me sharply. "What do you mean?"

I studied the remaining Threads, eyes darting. They looked normal enough, but that feeling persisted. "I'm not sure. It just—"

Before I could finish, Penguin suddenly burst off my wrist with an urgent chirp. He turned into a fire fox midair, fur blazing bright.

"Penguin, what—"

Then, I saw it.

The Threads were pulling back, condensing into a spiral. The itch in my chest burrowed painfully, swirling, as if doing the same.

"Move!" Llewellyn shouted. "It's collapsing!"

The ground under our feet shook.

The Knot's light flared blindingly bright. The remaining Threads snapped taut as the Knot's energy pulled inward with devastating force, ready to implode.

Llewellyn dashed toward it.

Fuck! What was he thinking?

"Llewellyn! You can't cut it!"

"We have no option now!"

Shit! Was he insane?!

I suddenly understood why the System hired me. But how should I stop him?! There was no time!

Penguin darted after him, still in his fire fox form.

No… What was he doing?!

"Penguin!"

I tried to call him back, but he ignored me completely.

The Knot's implosion picked up speed, the cracks in the ground spreading wider.

The force pulling from the Knot yanked at my clothes, my hair, trying to drag me closer.

"Llewellyn!"

Penguin reached him first, fur so bright it hurt to look at. He circled Llewellyn once, hissing, then planted himself between Llewellyn and the Knot.

The itch in my chest flared again, intense enough to make me gasp. The spiral had become so tight it looked like a single point of light.

Fuck it. I tightened my grip on my sword and dashed forward too.

Penguin screeched in alarm and abandoned Llewellyn, running toward me.

He jumped onto my sleeve, right above where I was gripping my sword. Then, inexplicably, he turned into a fish.

-

[System Notification: Bond-enhancement activated!
Combat augmentation: Enabled.
Elemental channel: Enabled.]

-

"What?! What are you doing?!"

The Knot's light flared as Penguin's little fins held on for dear life.

What the… What was he planning to do?!

I raised my sword just as Llewellyn raised his own, his wreathed in flames.

Water flooded down my arm and into my sword—a river, a deluge.

I jumped as high as I could just as Llewellyn was doing the same, and we both hit the Knot at once.

Chapter Text

Light exploded around us, blinding.

For a moment, I felt nothing—there was no ground beneath my feet and all I could register was the sensation of falling through endless white.

Then, I realized I was on solid ground and the endless white was all around me.

Snow.

I looked around wildly, the freezing air burning my lungs.

We weren't at the industrial site anymore, but on top of a mountain somewhere, the area we were in lit only by the pale moonlight and surrounded by sparse trees.

Everything was quiet. Snow fell in thick, heavy flakes, coating my shoulders.

My coat's thermal regulation had completely failed and the cold cut straight through to my skin.

The change from the Distorted Realm blazing with fire was so strong, it was almost a shock.

I wiped away the sweat on my forehead, shuddering.

Penguin, still clutching my sleeve, had shifted back into his penguin form and trembled violently before launching into a small tantrum and headbutting me repeatedly.

"Hey! Hey!" I tried to stop him, gently. "I understand! I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

Penguin chirped louder, then flopped down into my arms, shaking.

Right. He was really scared.

This sucked.

I shivered in the cold.

"Llewellyn?" I called out.

Llewellyn was a few feet away, huddled in his coat, eyeing our surroundings.

"What happened? Where are we?"

As I walked closer, my teeth chattered.

"On a mountain somewhere," Llewellyn said, his breath forming thick clouds. "Looks like the System is malfunctioning."

I vanished my sword into my Inventory, then fumbled with my System interface, trying to get a location reading, but the window distorted, unreadable.

"Yeah, my interface is glitching."

"Limited functionality. I'm assuming we destroyed the Knot but the System couldn't disperse the magic outburst and had to turn it into something."

"Like a Dungeon," I guessed.

Great.

Llewellyn frowned, huddling deeper into his coat.

"I don't think it's a full Dungeon. Just an environment to let the residual magic dissipate. It should dissolve on its own."

The wind picked up, driving the snow horizontally.

Llewellyn's teeth had started to chatter too. My fingers were already going numb, and Penguin had burrowed himself inside my coat.

"We need shelter," Llewellyn said, his breath turning into puffs of vapor.

Penguin turned into a fire fox, yipping frantically, before leaping out of my coat and starting to run in the snow.

"Hey!" I yelled, starting after him.

"He might know where to go," Llewellyn said. "Let's follow him."

We trudged after Penguin's glow through the thickening snowfall, but it looked like he was having trouble maintaining his fire fox form.

As soon as I reached him, he looked up at me with pleading eyes and turned back into a Penguin, burrowing back into my coat.

This had never happened before. Llewellyn tried something with his sword and gave up, putting it away.

"I think this environment doesn't allow Fire," he said, teeth still chattering. "The Distorted Realm was mostly Fire and this is its counterpart. That's probably why your creature is struggling."

However, it looked like Penguin had brought us far enough.

"Look!" I pointed to a dark shape in the distance. "Isn't that a cabin?"

Llewellyn followed my gaze. "Looks like it," he said. "Let's move."

We pushed through the snow, which was already ankle-deep and getting deeper by the minute. Each step was a struggle.

The cold had seeped into my bones, making my movements stiff and clumsy.

"You've probably saved our lives twice today already, you know," I told Penguin, through my chattering teeth. "You should be really proud of yourself."

Penguin let out a chirp and shivered some more.

"My coat's thermal regulation is dead," I said, hugging Penguin tighter. "Yours too?"

Llewellyn just panted out, "Yeah."

The cabin seemed to be getting no closer, though we'd been walking for what felt like ages. My legs were growing heavier with each step, and my face had gone completely numb. Sweat had frozen on my skin.

Penguin poked his head out of my coat, chirping anxiously. He turned into a fire fox, trying to generate heat, but he couldn't maintain it, his flames getting dimmer, until he morphed back in pain.

"It's fine," I told him, tucking him back into my coat. "Stay inside. We're almost there."

Through the curtain of snow, I could finally make out the cabin clearly—a wooden building with a sloped roof already heavy with snow.

We pushed forward with increased urgency. My feet had gone completely numb, and I stumbled more than once, Llewellyn's quick reflexes keeping me upright.

Finally, we reached the steps leading up to the porch.

Llewellyn went first, climbing quickly despite the ice. I followed more slowly, my frozen limbs refusing to cooperate.

Llewellyn reached the door, grasped the handle and turned.

It opened easily.

I nearly collapsed with relief. Llewellyn stepped inside cautiously, and I followed, shutting the door behind us to keep out the cold.

We fumbled around looking for a light switch, which surprisingly worked.

The main room was large, with a stone fireplace at one end—but there was no fire in it. A bed was pushed against the far wall.

Everything was neat and well-maintained, but there was no sign of anyone.

"Hello?" Llewellyn called out. "Is anyone here?"

Silence answered him.

Penguin wriggled out of my coat and hopped to the floor.

Llewellyn examined the cabin with a critical eye. "System-generated, most likely. A safe house."

"Does what you said about fire apply to this place too?"

My teeth were still chattering.

Penguin turned into a fire fox briefly and tried to breathe fire into the fireplace, but it didn't work.

He looked at me in despair, then turned back into a penguin and ran toward me again, jumping into my coat.

"It's fine," I said. "At least this place is sheltered. There are blankets. It won't take long."

"Blankets!" Llewellyn repeated suddenly, as if he'd remembered something.

He dragged me and Penguin towards the bed and took something out of his inventory.

"What?" I said, slightly alarmed. "What are you doing?"

He kicked off his shoes.

"Take your shoes off. Let's just sit on the bed with our backs to the wall. I have—"

"Wait, wait. Your coat's soaked through."

"Have you seen yourself?" Llewellyn replied, but removed that too.

A System window materialized between us, glitching violently:

[System Notification: Environmental Hazard! Extreme Cold Detected!]

No kidding!

Besides, now it was working?

Though "working" seemed like a big word, considering how much it was glitching.

[System Notification: Safe house discovered! +500 Coins awarded!]

Seriously—who needed Coins now?

The System wasn't done.

[Emergency Alert: Shared Body Heat Emergency Subroutine Activated! Sharing body heat is highly recommended!!!]

"We already figured that out," Llewellyn said, swiping his window away, apparently unimpressed by the amount of exclamation marks.

The System ignored him, clearly trying to push out one final notification.

[Survival probability without shared body heat: 31%!!!]

—it managed, before spluttering out and dying completely.

…Great.

Chapter Text

We got rid of our coats and shoes then huddled on the bed, sitting with our backs against the wall, still shuddering from the sub-zero mountain air. Or… wherever this was.

Llewellyn rearranged the duvet so that it was sitting on our shoulders; then unfolded the two blankets he'd taken out of his inventory and draped them over our legs and chests.

I melted under them almost immediately.

Penguin let out a chirp of joy and dug under them like a mole.

I laughed, still shuddering.

"So it is true that you have an obsession with cashmere."

Llewellyn gave me an unimpressed look, half ruined by the fact that he was still shivering too. The end of his nose was red from the cold, as were his cheeks.

"I wouldn't say an obsession," he said dismissively, before adding, "It's soft."

Well. I grinned.

I patted Penguin, who was letting out delighted noises of relief.

How can a penguin be so cold? Honestly.

The cabin was chilly, but definitely better than outside.

"How long will this take?"

"If we're lucky, hours," Llewellyn said. "If we're unlucky, a couple of days."

…Days?!

What about work?!

I tried to focus on the positive; at least we weren't freezing.

From where we sat huddled on the bed, I could see a door leading to what was likely a bathroom off to one side. Shelves lined one wall, filled with books.

"There's likely food and water," Llewellyn said. "Basic supplies. If we can survive the cold, we should be fine."

I hummed.

Outside, the wind howled louder, rattling the windows. The storm was intensifying.

Penguin had settled between us, warm under the cashmere blanket.

We sat in companionable silence for a while, the cabin creaking and groaning as the storm raged outside. My fingers and toes tingled painfully as they slowly thawed.

Penguin had started snoring softly, his little body rising and falling, his head barely poking out from the blankets.

"Your creature seems comfortable," Llewellyn observed, looking amused.

"He's not usually this clingy. I think Distorted Realms really scare him."

Now that I thought about it, I supposed Distorted Realms were probably terrifying places to come to life and gain sentience for the first time. I hadn't thought about it that way before.

I glanced at Llewellyn. The flush of cold had faded from his cheeks. He looked tired, but still alert, eyes surveying the cabin.

Exhaustion was creeping in, making my thoughts fuzzy. I’d only had a few hours of sleep before I was summoned by the System, and after so much physical exertion, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

"You should sleep," Llewellyn said, as if reading my mind. "I'm not as cold now. I can take the chair. You take the bed."

I looked at the small chair near the empty fireplace and frowned.

"That chair's too small for you to sleep in."

Besides, without a fire, the cabin was still cold.

Llewellyn shrugged. "I've slept in worse conditions."

Do I need to shake him? That 67% probability of lethal outcome started to make more and more sense.

"I'm not going to be responsible for you freezing to death. You saw the System notification. We could... I mean, we're already sharing the bed. It's big enough."

Llewellyn's expression didn't change, but his stare was suddenly on me, assessing.

"If you're comfortable with that," he said finally.

Me? He was the one who probably felt weird about this after our training!

"We both need rest," I said, instead of a proper answer, "and this way we don't need to split the blankets between us."

And… well. The System had highly recommended sharing body heat and so on.

Llewellyn nodded once.

Right.

We lay down on our sides, facing each other, with Penguin lying between us.

Penguin chirped happily, as if approving of this arrangement, then abandoned me to burrow into Llewellyn's sweater.

"You traitor," I said, scowling at him.

The corners of Llewellyn's lips quirked up and he looked down at his sweater.

"Cashmere," he said.

“Seriously? Is all your gear made of this?”

Llewellyn didn’t dignify that with a reply, but did look up at me with an amused smile.

Uh. My stomach did something weird.

I moved my gaze to Penguin, who was pressing closer to Llewellyn. The traitor looked completely content.

"Animals usually like me," Llewellyn said. "Though he probably doesn't qualify as an animal."

I hummed, tiredness seeping deep into my bones.

The overhead light had softened Llewellyn's features. I'd only ever seen him in the middle of combat or focused or tense about something. He looked different like this. Less on guard.

"What?" Llewellyn asked, catching me staring.

"Nothing." I looked away. "You should sleep. I can keep watch, if you want."

The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. "Watch for what? Snowmen?"

Was he serious?

"For whatever the Knot might throw at us next, obviously." Especially since the System didn't seem to be working. The System interface was still glitching.

Llewellyn shook his head. "The System's just trying to stabilize. We're safe enough here."

Penguin chirped between us as if he agreed.

"Let's just sleep," Llewellyn said simply, closing his eyes.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

When I woke up, morning light spilled in through the cabin windows.

Llewellyn was still asleep beside me.

I had never woken up next to someone. It hit weirdly hard.

Penguin had abandoned me completely during the night, and was now curled up against Llewellyn’s chest, snoring softly.

How long had I slept? When the System first summoned us, it had been morning, but when we'd got to the cabin it had been night—and now it was morning again. Maybe time flowed differently here. At least I hoped so, or I had missed my day off and spent it in a Distorted Realm.

I should really get up and do something useful, like see if the System interface was working yet or, if I had connection, get in touch with work or something. Anything instead of lying here staring at Llewellyn.

But.

The blankets were warm, while the air around me was cold, and outside the window, I could still see snow falling.

This was likely never going to happen again, so— Was it too bad if I enjoyed it a bit longer?

I brought my gaze back to Llewellyn and sighed a bit. Did he have to be this good looking?

"You can get up if you want to," Llewellyn said without opening his eyes.

Ah, damn it. I froze.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Llewellyn said, opening his eyes now and staring back at me.

Well. Didn't matter how you looked at it, this was embarrassing. Even if he wasn't clearly lying.

Llewellyn sat up carefully, cradling Penguin who made a small chirping sound of protest as he was set back down on the bed.

"We should try lighting the fireplace again. I’ll check if there’s anything for breakfast."

The cabin was freezing. I immediately regretted leaving the warmth of the blankets. I grabbed one and wrapped it around my shoulders like a cape.

Llewellyn reached out and did the same.

Penguin blinked sleepily before hopping up and waddling over to inspect the cold logs. He circled them once, twice, then transformed into his fire fox form and looked up at me, as if asking for permission.

"Go ahead," I encouraged. "Just the logs, though."

A few moments later, the fire caught properly, crackling to life.

Penguin bounced back, yipping excitedly, clearly pleased with himself. He turned back into a penguin and started running circles around my feet.

I laughed.

"Good job," I said, reaching down to pet him. "You're really the best, aren't you?"

Llewellyn returned from the kitchen, his blanket still wrapped tightly around him. "The stove's still not working," he reported, then paused when he saw the fire. "I see your little friend came through."

I grinned. "He's pretty proud of himself." Penguin preened under the attention.

Llewellyn watched Penguin with a thoughtful expression.

"It's strange," he said. "Pure Elemental Magic shouldn't have emotions, yet he clearly does."

He was probably thinking of our conversation at the promenade, the other day.

I hummed in agreement.

"I found some eggs and bread in the kitchen that are safe to eat," Llewellyn said. "The stove won't light, though."

I looked down at Penguin, who perked up immediately.

"Penguin can help with that too. He's actually pretty good at cooking."

Llewellyn gave me an unimpressed look. "You named him Penguin?"

Ah. Okay, I forgot I hadn't told him.

"It was his choice. Whenever I asked about names, he kept turning into a penguin. I told him it was ridiculous, but he kept flopping over dramatically until I gave in."

Llewellyn didn't look more impressed after my explanation, but he did look like he was trying not to snort.

Well.

With Penguin's fire blazing in the fireplace, the cabin was warming up quickly. Llewellyn vanished his blanket into his inventory, so I threw mine at him too, but he threw it back immediately.

What?

"Keep it," he said.

Huh?

"That's not necessary."

"You've been fondling it the whole time," Llewellyn said, amused. "I have more at home. You can keep it."

I hadn't been—

Well. It was soft.

I put it away in my own inventory.

Llewellyn turned his attention to Penguin, who was eyeing the kitchen with interest.

"Alright," Llewellyn said. "Let's see what you can do."

Chapter Text

In the kitchen, Penguin hopped onto the counter, watching Llewellyn arrange the eggs and bread, excited.

"Just the eggs first," I said, moving closer to supervise.

Llewellyn put the pan on the counter and cracked a few eggs in. "You're sure about this?"

"Mostly. But he's done it before."

Penguin turned into a fire fox and circled the pan, prowling. Then, he let out a controlled burst of heat, flawlessly cooking the eggs. The whites firmed up while the yolks remained slightly runny.

Perfect.

Llewellyn inspected Penguin's handiwork, looking impressed.

"For some reason, they come out better than when I actually season them," I told Llewellyn. "He must have some kind of advanced cooking skill."

Llewellyn gave me a look. "You’re telling me he cooks better than you?"

I leaned against the counter, arms folded. “I’ve accepted my place as the second-best chef in my flat. He’s a natural.”

Penguin preened then came closer to nibble my fingers affectionately before turning back to Llewellyn, tail flaming bright.

Llewellyn eyed us both, looking amused, then started placing the slices of bread on a plate. When he was done, he stepped back and pushed the plate closer to Penguin.

Penguin, clearly pleased with himself, bounced in place before giving another controlled burst of heat and toasting all the slices of bread on the plate to a perfect golden brown. Then he transformed back into a penguin and walked around the counter, inspecting his culinary achievement.

Llewellyn discovered some tea bags in a cabinet and boiled water with Penguin's help.

We sat down at the small wooden table to eat breakfast. Penguin hopped between us, occasionally stealing bits of eggs when he thought I wasn't looking.

I tried not to laugh and cut a few pieces for him, pretending not to notice. He didn't normally like eggs, so I was surprised. Maybe he just wanted to join in.

At the other side of the table, Llewellyn's hair was still mussed with sleep.

He reached out for butter and jam, then, when it smeared over the base of his palm, licked it off.

"…"

It was difficult not to be distracted here.

His sleeve kept slipping down his forearm when he reached for his tea. For once, he looked like someone who'd never held a weapon but was just eating a breakfast cooked by a… Penguin.

Okay, maybe not that normal.

I watched him blow absently on his tea.

"Is there something on my face?" Llewellyn asked.

Damn it.

"No. I was just thinking about the System and spaced out."

It wasn't a complete lie.

"Any notifications yet?"

I checked my interface again. "Nothing. Not even glitching. It seems to be completely dead."

Llewellyn nodded like he'd expected that.

His hair was still very distracting and I had to remember to look away.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, but inside, with the fire crackling and the smell of perfectly cooked food filling the cabin, it didn't seem so bad.

Penguin seemed very interested in Llewellyn's butter and jam toast and he butted his head against Llewellyn's wrist, demanding some. I caught the faintest smile before Llewellyn cut a small square from a bigger toasted slice and prepared it for Penguin too.

Penguin seemed utterly confounded by the taste of toast with butter and jam.

His face scrunched up, then he started circling forms, to see if any worked. The fire fox seemed to have won once again. Maybe it was the only one who liked sweet foods.

Amused, I took out my phone and checked to see if it was working.

"Hey, the Internet actually works!" I said. "Do you have any idea where that Distorted Realm had opened up?"

"Somewhere in Belgium," Llewellyn said. "Couldn't find out more before the System started glitching."

He took out his phone, probably trying to find out too.

To be honest, a more detailed location wouldn't really change things for me, though a quick check told me that I seemed to have indeed spent my whole day off in here. I felt like brooding a bit.

When I looked up, Llewellyn was by the window, staring out at the snow.

"Any change?" I asked.

"No," Llewellyn said without turning. "Still snowing and the System interface is still down too."

Well, at least we had the Internet. Though maybe we should consider saving battery power.

Penguin, back to being a Penguin again, waddled over to Llewellyn and bumped against his leg.

Llewellyn glanced down, looking amused; then, after a moment's hesitation, he leaned down and picked him up. Penguin chirped happily and made himself comfortable, looking out too.

I snorted.

I really hoped Penguin wouldn't choose to go home with Llewellyn instead of me. The thought was depressing, but they'd definitely make a great duo. Llewellyn would probably have a better use of a bond enhancement with Penguin, too.

I watched them for a while, then got up to check the fireplace. The flames were still going strong. I added another log, watching as it caught fire, then sat back down on the nearest chair.

Penguin chirped and hopped down from Llewellyn's arms, waddling over to me. He climbed into my lap.

"Now you're back, aren't you?" I asked, scratching under his chin, though I did relax a bit.

Penguin just chirped, then snuggled closer and dozed off in my lap.

I picked up my phone and started scrolling through my feed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Llewellyn had found a pen and a piece of paper and was writing down something.

I was about to ask him what he was doing and if he happened to have a charger, when I noticed something strange.

The wall behind him seemed to not be there for a moment, like a glitch in a video game.

"Llewellyn," I said. "Do you see that?"

Llewellyn turned to look where I was pointing, then back at me with sudden alertness. "Coat and shoes," he said. "We'll likely be out of here in a few moments."

Talk about sudden.

I scrambled up, putting my shoes and coat on, then scooped Penguin up and tucked him inside my pocket.

Just in time. The roof above us vanished completely, revealing a bright blue sky. The walls followed next, fading into nothingness, and suddenly we were standing not in a cabin but in the middle of a cordoned-off area.

The transition was so abrupt, it was shocking.

"Shit," Llewellyn muttered, grabbing my arm and turning around toward me to shield us both. "Reporters."

I looked up to see a crowd of people with cameras and microphones behind the police line, some already pointing in our direction. A few officers were trying to maintain order, but the appearance of two people seemingly out of nowhere had caused a commotion.

"Isn't that Llewellyn?" someone shouted.

Camera flashes started going off.

"Hold on," Llewellyn said.

His grip on my arm tightened and I felt the familiar pull of System teleportation.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

We reappeared on a rooftop somewhere in Baekhaven. The breeze carried the scent of the sea and I could see the promenade in the distance, the morning sun glinting off the water.

"That was close," I said, checking to make sure Penguin was still safely tucked inside my coat. He peeked out now with a curious expression, unruffled by our hasty exit.

Llewellyn hummed in agreement, then added, "The System's working again."

Just then, I got a notification.

[System Notification: Distorted Realm successfully dissolved! +3,500 Coins awarded!]

Llewellyn must have gotten it too, however, he wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was patting his pockets with a frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He reached into his coat. "I don't remember putting anything—"

He pulled out a small object that fit in the palm of his hand. It looked like a golden pen.

Llewellyn let out an annoyed noise.

"What?" I asked.

Then a notification popped up.

[Elemental Insight: Artifact detected!]

Oh. Shit.

"I must have picked it up without realizing," Llewellyn said. "How troublesome. I need to get this to KARMA, immediately."

Yeah, good point. Better a trip there than a visit from Ó Néill.

"I'm coming with you," I said.

Llewellyn looked like he wanted to argue, then just said, "Fine. But you can't bring Penguin."

I looked down at Penguin, whose head was now fully out of my coat, looking up.

"He's right," I told Penguin. "Better you don't meet KARMA at all, if we can help it."

I turned to the System interface floating beside me. "Can you send Penguin back to my flat?"

[Request acknowledged. Elemental Entity #77A3 will be returned to residence.]

Penguin made a sound of protest and tried to climb back into my coat, but it was too late. A blue light surrounded him, and he gave one final, indignant squawk before disappearing.

He was going to be mad at me later.

"Let's go," Llewellyn said.

Chapter Text

We teleported directly to KARMA headquarters.

Llewellyn navigated us through, barely acknowledging the guards who straightened their postures when they saw him.

When we entered the open-plan room on the first floor, two young agents by the water cooler near the door were rolling their eyes as, further in, raised voices cut across the space.

One of the two—a woman with a neat bob cut and a tag reading 'Agent Kim'—was saying, "…Ten coins says Ó Lochlainn chucks the next form out the window."

"Fifteen says Ó Néill requisitions a security camera for his desk," the other countered, a man with a round face who was drinking from a water glass. His name tag read 'Agent Farley'.

What? What was that about now?

Agent Kim nodded to Llewellyn in greeting, then turned to me, taking in my confused face. "Ó Lochlainn and Ó Néill," her head tilted in the direction the voices were coming from. "They bicker like medieval kings."

"Old family joke," Ó Lochlainn called, clearly having overheard. He was skimming a case file without batting an eye. "We've been arguing with the Ó Néills since the Middle Ages."

Ó Néill didn’t deign to look up. “Spare me the heritage hour. You’re not Irish, I’m not Irish, and Innishae hasn’t had medieval feuds since your ancestors lost their last horse.”

"Five years in Cork—makes me honorary."

"You were born in Innishae. Five years of teething there doesn't make you a Celt. It makes you a walking compliance risk, apparently. Fix your Form 47-B. It's gibberish."

"Your compliance stalled the Mulgate evacuation. Took you twelve hours to get approval. My team moved in thirty minutes."

"The Mulgate evacuation breached seventeen protocols. Compliance isn’t optional, Ó Lochlainn."

"Neither’s breathing. We saved sixty-three lives. Priorities, eh? Want me to autograph your compliance binder?"

Llewellyn looked completely unfazed by the exchange.

Ó Néill’s pen snapped against his desk. “Your priorities turn every case into a roll of the dice! Every time you bypass procedure, you set a precedent.”

“Ah, give over, will ya?” Ó Lochlainn said. “Sixty-three people aren’t precedents. They’re people. You’d know that if you ever left your forms long enough to meet one.”

"I meet them in the morgue when your shortcuts fail."

"And I meet them alive. Funny, that."

Ó Néill's jaw tightened. "Until the next artifact you mishandle blows up half a district."

"Grand, so," Ó Lochlainn said, finally looking up, holding the file in one hand. "When that happens, I'll send you the paperwork. You can file it under 'Things That Didn't Happen Because I Actually Did My Job'."

"Your job is investigation, not cowboy heroics with unsanctioned—"

Well. I scratched my head. I couldn't help feeling like this was like forum moderation, but with better suits.

Llewellyn stepped forward, cutting through the conversation, and just said, "We have a Destabilized Artifact to submit."

Both detectives froze.

A second later, they both moved at once. Ó Lochlainn gestured for Llewellyn to come closer and got up to retrieve what looked like a containment box from one of the cabinets, while Ó Néill produced some forms for him to sign.

"Date and location of recovery? Was it today's Knot? Coordinates should be..." They rattled off a string of numbers that meant nothing to me.

Llewellyn placed the destabilized pen inside the box and Ó Néill sealed the box with a quiet click.

The whole room exhaled in relief.

Except me. The thought that Penguin might’ve ended up locked in that box made my chest tighten uneasily.

While Llewellyn and I took care of the forms, Ó Lochlainn and Ó Néill started bickering again.

"…three fractured ribs and a collapsed warehouse!" Ó Néill was saying through gritted teeth when I tuned in again.

"Better ribs than coffins."

"Better neither."

Ó Lochlainn tossed the file onto the desk. "Ah, you’d prefer a tidy spreadsheet full of corpses, so?"

"I'd prefer you follow the right procedures!" Ó Néill bellowed.

Ó Lochlainn leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Tell me, when's the last time your paperwork stopped a collapsing building?"

"When's the last time your improvisation didn't leave half the block in ruins?!"

Honestly, these two could start a podcast called KARMA Grievances Live.

I watched them go at it, wondering if they'd ever actually solved a case together or if they just spent every meeting like this.

Well, if nothing else, I could see why the younger agents had a betting pool. Maybe they'd let me chip in too.

"Done," Llewellyn said before he could reply, sliding the signed forms across the desk.

"Oh, good," Ó Lochlainn said, taking the forms and scanning them quickly.

Ó Néill turned to Llewellyn and handed him a digital pad too. "Sign here and here."

Llewellyn took the digital pen.

"Artifact's logged and contained," Ó Lochlainn said. "You're good to go, boys."

Llewellyn finished signing and we both got up.

As we turned to leave, Ó Néill's voice stopped us.

"One more thing. There've been reports of increased black market activity. If you come across anything suspicious..."

"Got it. We'll be sure to file a report," Llewellyn said without turning around.

Ó Néill said something we didn't catch, to which Ó Lochlainn just replied, "Oh, go polish your rulebook, will ya.”

The door swung shut on Ó Néill’s icy retort.

“They’ll be at this for hours," Llewellyn said. "Let’s go.”

I sighed in relief.

Overall, it'd been pretty smooth sailing, at least for us. However, as we left KARMA headquarters, I couldn't stop thinking about something.

"What if we find a sentient artifact like Penguin and accidentally hand it in?" I asked as we walked. "We might not realize. Penguin was a wristwatch when I found him."

Llewellyn shook his head. "Very unlikely. Penguin is the first I've ever seen."

Fine, but he might not have realized.

Llewellyn seemed to guess my train of thought and looked at me unimpressed.

"It took me a single glance at your creature to realize how powerful it was. I would not have been completely fooled by it, even if it was inert."

…Okay, that was a good point. I felt my shoulders relax slightly. Still, it was difficult not to worry.

Just then Llewellyn's phone buzzed.

He took it out of his pocket and looked through it, then looked up at me.

"Are you free tonight?"

Chapter Text

Technically, I was supposed to be on shift as usual.

However. I just answered, Yes.

I'd never asked for a day off at the last moment. In fact, I hadn't asked for a day off in over a year. What if I just— Surely it wouldn't be too bad?

After Llewellyn had teleported away, I pulled up the agency's shared spreadsheet on my phone, trying to find out who was on for the next few days. Altan had been asking for extra hours a lot. His name wasn't on the schedule until Friday, which meant he might be available.

I opened our messaging app and typed:

Ryo: Hey, you still looking for extra shifts?

The reply came in a few seconds later.

Altan: Always. What's up?

Ryo: I know it's very short notice, but any chance you could cover my shift tonight?

Altan: Yes! Absolutely

Honestly, he was the best.

Ryo: You're a lifesaver.

Altan: Don't even mention it, you're doing me a favor.

Ryo: Thanks, seriously. I owe you.

Altan: It's really not a problem. You okay though? Your grandma's good?

Ryo: Yeah, she's fine. Something just came up suddenly.

I thought for a second, then typed:

Ryo: Don't tell anyone, but I think I'm soon going to have to drop at least one shift permanently, maybe more. If you're interested, I could mention that you'd like to take it.

Altan: Are you serious? That would be amazing

Ryo: That's settled then. I'll write to HR about tonight and I'll update you about the rest in a week or two.

Altan: Perfect. Thank you, man.

I exhaled, relieved.

I sent a quick email to HR about the shift change, then realized I was still in the middle of the street and asked the System to get me home.

It took a while to calm Penguin down, but he perked up when I told him we were going out that evening and mellowed out almost instantly.

I set him on the kitchen counter as I finally made coffee. There hadn't been any in the cabin earlier, and I was dying for a cup.

When I scooped him up to move to the sofa, he let me without complaint and, after a few belly rubs, he settled happily in my lap while I played a mobile game and waited for my phone to charge.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

I met Llewellyn at Baekrang Station, then we walked through the streets until a seedy alley opened up before us, Penguin curled up in my pocket.

The neon signs gave way to warm streetlights, and the polished storefronts soon turned into walls covered in graffiti.

"Here?" I asked, trying not to sound judgmental.

Llewellyn just kept walking. "You'll see."

Halfway down, out of nowhere, a sign seemed to appear hung above a narrow door: The Rusty Chalice.

I frowned. Was there a concealment artifact at work?

Llewellyn pushed the door open. The pub was dimly lit, looking more like a medieval tavern than anything else. A few patrons nursed drinks in dark corners, none of them looking up as we passed.

At a table in a corner, under one of the brightest lights (though 'bright' was an exaggeration), a young man who looked like he was in his late twenties sat alone, completely engrossed in a thick book.

Llewellyn slid in the bench in front of him and sat down. I hesitated, then did the same, taking the seat beside Llewellyn.

"Just finishing this paragraph, wait," the man said, raising a hand, eyes darting quickly as he read.

Llewellyn leaned back against the bench’s backrest, apparently used to this.

I glanced at the book's cover, but the title was partially obscured by the man's hand.

"You should really read this," the man said after a moment, marking the page and closing the book, sliding it toward Llewellyn. "I mean, I think everyone should read it, but you in particular."

Llewellyn gave him an unimpressed look but then took it, eyeing the cover. The book's cover read: Geusgnosis: The Faculty of Life's Zest.

I snorted.

The man turned to me, extending his hand. "Sorry for the rudeness. You must be Ryo, Llewellyn’s mysterious partner. I'm Tiernan, the leader of TAPESTRY."

Tapestry? Well, that was certainly a choice.

Llewellyn leaned in toward me as I shook Tiernan's hand and said, "Rumor has it he let AI choose the name."

He whispered it, but clearly meant for Tiernan to hear, and seemed amused when he did.

"I did not," Tiernan protested taking the book Llewellyn was handing back. "Not that there would be anything wrong with it. I do work with AI, as you know. But I chose it because it's an acronym of what we do, AND because our members' initials form the name. I told you that."

Another man, looking about the same age and wearing a neon pink beanie, came to sit next to him just then, dropping a bunch of boxes onto the table, all piled on top of each other.

"That's true," he said, grinning. "But he particularly liked it because there are two Ts—both for Tiernan—since he's the leader."

"Ejay," Tiernan said. "Thank you for that helpful contribution."

Ejay grinned, then leaned forward to shake my hand.

Penguin was scampering in my pocket, wanting to get out, but I tried to signal to him to stay put.

"Should we order something before they kick us out?" I asked.

"Nah," Tiernan said, "Phelan owns the place, we're cool. Unless you’re in the mood for Destabilized Whiskey—but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not planning to get wasted."

Oh, so this was one of those places.

Despite its name, Destabilized Whiskey was magically distilled whiskey that had gone through a process of purification and yeolation—to remove anything dangerous before reactivating its magical signature.

I’d never had Yeolated Liquors. They were technically legal, but difficult to find unless you frequented spots for awakened people—which were generally hidden and considered dangerous for non-magic users.

According to the internet, drinking Destabilized Whiskey probably felt like drinking a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster.

"We're fine for now," Llewellyn said. "Do you need to stay here or should we move toward the headquarters?"

"Ejay is going to take over," Tiernan said, head tilting toward the man in the pink beanie, "and Phelan is over there playing pool. We can leave."

Llewellyn nodded and got up.

I'd used a concealment artifact on Penguin earlier. Thankfully, he seemed happy to just peer out of my pocket for now rather than jump out and explore.

Still, I didn't think this would last long so the sooner we left, the better.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

Llewellyn's colleagues' headquarters was off Haon Station.

We got off the train and followed Tiernan to a nondescript door tucked between a vintage record shop and a bakery. He pressed his palm against a small panel, and the door clicked open.

Inside, the space opened into a bright, modern room with brick walls, bathed in a warm light coming from multiple floor lamps scattered around. Artifacts floating in weird jars sat under screens displaying data feeds.

"Wow." I looked around. "What do you guys do here, exactly?"

"Team for Artifact Phenomena Emergency Support, Triage, Recovery, and Yeolation," Tiernan explained. "Hence, TAPESTRY. We study artifacts. I thought that's what you're here for?"

Oh. Right.

Well, at least they looked like nice people.

Penguin chose that moment to poke his head out of my pocket, looking up at Tiernan curiously.

I deactivated the concealment and Tiernan looked taken aback.

"Is that—?"

"This is Penguin," I said.

I scooped Penguin out, holding him.

Tiernan leaned forward.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said, reaching out with his hand.

Penguin bumped his head against Tiernan's hand, looking pleased, then he seemed to spot something.

His eyes went wide and, before I could stop him, he launched himself out of my palm.

"What? Wait—"

Too late. Penguin hit the floor running, his small form darting across the room toward one of the jars with floating artifacts. He climbed up the base until he could reach the jar itself, and pressed his tiny flippers against the glass, chittering excitedly at the artifact inside.

"What's he doing?" Tiernan asked, bewildered.

Penguin chirped and moved on to the next jar, then the next, practically vibrating with enthusiasm as he scampered from artifact to artifact, as if greeting them.

I was similarly perplexed.

Penguin had now stopped to get a better look at a weird orb suspended in water.

"Has he ever done this before?" Llewellyn asked.

"He's never seen artifacts before. Well, except for himself, I guess, and a couple of concealment items."

Tiernan frowned, pulling out a tablet. "This is highly unusual. Most Elementals are either hostile to foreign magical signatures or completely indifferent."

Penguin had moved on to a jar containing what looked like a twisted piece of metal. He pressed his face against the glass and made a soft, pleased sound.

I went to scoop him up and stood there with him for a moment. "Do you like it?" I asked.

Penguin chirped.

Tiernan moved closer too, looking even more perplexed. "That artifact’s been inert since recovery. It’s failed every magic scan, doesn’t respond to external prompting, and, even after purification, still refused to yeolate."

Whatever that meant, it seemed to be a big deal.

We both looked down at Penguin.

"Come on," Tiernan said after a moment, gesturing for us to follow him into another room. "Let's get a proper look at your companion."

Chapter Text

We turned a corner and moved into a new room. Instead of the sterile lab I'd been expecting, we found ourselves in what looked like a game room. 

I blinked.

A pool table stood on the right, with colorful balls scattered across it.

The rest of the room was decorated with comfortable couches and bean bags. One wall featured a massive screen with gaming consoles beneath it, while another held a dartboard and what appeared to be a vintage pinball machine.

Well. Not what I'd expected.

"Sorry about this," Tiernan said. "Our analysis rooms are all occupied with artifacts we're processing. And honestly, they're not nearly as nice anyway. You can set your little friend here." He gestured toward the pool table.

I placed Penguin gently on the green felt. He immediately waddled across the table, peering into one of the corner pockets.

At Tiernan's call, a younger guy poked his head in through a side door.

"Oh—new arrivals!" he said brightly, before zeroing in on the pool table. "Is that… a penguin?!"

He quickly hurried in with a wide smile, nodding at Llewellyn in greeting and shaking my hand, introducing himself as Roan; but he was already half-turned toward Penguin by the time he let go.

A second later, he was at the side of the pool table, rolling balls across the felt and watching Penguin skitter after them while Tiernan explained the situation.

"Got it," Roan said.

While Penguin was distracted, he quickly grabbed what looked like a small handheld scanner from one of the bean bags and rushed back.

"Is it okay?" he asked me. "It just reads his levels."

I nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

I mean, that was why we were there after all.

Roan showed the scanner to Penguin, before passing the device over him and asking him to switch forms.

Penguin chirped, seeming happy to comply.

Tiernan shifted closer to the pool table, leaning against it as we all watched Roan coax Penguin.

"So," he said, turning to me. "How's Llewellyn treating you? Is he still doing that thing where he jumps into danger without explaining what he's doing but expecting you to keep up?"

I snorted. It looked like they knew him well.

Llewellyn eyed us, arms crossed, like he was deciding whether to dignify that with a response.

I was about to answer when the door behind us opened, and a disheveled guy with headphones around his neck stumbled in, looking half-asleep. He yawned widely, nodding in our direction.

"This is Shea," Tiernan said. "Our resident sound genius. Also notorious for keeping vampire hours."

The guy mumbled something unintelligible, making a beeline for the coffee machine in the corner. He poured himself a cup, took a long sip, and turned back toward us.

He saw Penguin then and his eyes widened.

"Is that the multi-elemental entity?!" he asked, walking over immediately, all traces of sleepiness gone. 

"His name is Penguin," I said.

Penguin greeted him by shifting form five times, before going back to being a penguin, chirping.

They all ooh'd and aaah'd and Penguin waddled in a circle, clearly enjoying himself.

I grinned and glanced at Llewellyn, who was watching the proceedings with amusement.

"Is this normal for them?"

"Completely," he said. "This is their version of restrained."

Shea flopped down onto one of the bean bags, somehow managing not to spill his coffee.

"So you just found him in a Distorted Realm?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

I explained about the wristwatch and what had happened in my flat the following day, as well as the bond.

They seemed particularly interested in Penguin's little experiments around my flat.

"If he's as powerful as Llewellyn said, he was probably learning to tweak his powers to use only a small amount," Tiernan said thoughtfully. "That's very clever of him."

"He really is that powerful," Roan said, frowning at the screen. "Can you ask him to change form again?"

We watched as Penguin shifted through a few, while Roan took screenshots of the various readings. 

"Yeah," Roan said, "he's not just mimicking Elemental forms—he's actually changing his Elemental composition entirely."

Shea frowned at that, coming to see. "That shouldn't be possible. Elements don't just convert into each other."

"They do in Wuxing, right?" Roan asked.

"Sure," Shea said. "But that doesn't include Ice or Air at all, so the fivefold conceptual scheme is already not applicable. This doesn't seem to be the case here."

"Neither the Eastern nor Western system include Ice," Tiernan said. "It only appears in Dungeons in which both Air and Water elements are present and interact. People can't summon pure Ice either. Right?" Tiernan turned towards Llewellyn. "Correct me if I'm wrong, you're the expert here."

"I can use Ice if I summon both Water and Air together," Llewellyn said. "But not as a single Element. Combining them into Ice on the spot is also not ideal. Summoning both Elements separately, even if at once, is much easier."

"Easier," Shea snorted. He patted Llewellyn on the shoulder like he was being ridiculous, then went to put the now empty mug in the dishwasher under the coffee machine.

Tiernan looked at Penguin, fascinated.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" I asked.

Tiernan shook his head. "Never. Most Elemental entities are fixed to a single Element."

Llewellyn crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "The emergence of the System is relatively new. But Magic itself is ancient. What if he's something from before the System showed up?"

The room fell silent as everyone considered this.

"That's a fascinating theory," Tiernan said slowly. "But you found him in a Distorted Realm, did you not? And Distorted Realms are always the result of a Knot."

"That's my point," Llewellyn said. "Knots are raw magical power. The System can only create Dungeons. We get Distorted Realms when the System cannot step in, so they're the result of raw magic."

"True," Tiernan said. "But you still only find the usual seven Elements in Distorted Realms—a combination of Eastern and Western ones—and no other kind of magic at all. Knots only have Elemental Magic, as far as I'm aware. So the System must still be filtering Distorted Realms creation, somehow, or they'd include different kinds of magic too."

Llewellyn hummed, thoughtful.

"I'll try to look into this," Tiernan said. "I might have a few texts on the topic that I haven't had a chance to read yet."

Penguin, oblivious to the philosophical discussion going on, was trying to sit on a pool ball without falling off.

"Can you confirm he's stable?" Llewellyn asked.

"Yeah," Roan said. "Not just stable, according to my readings, he doesn't appear to be an artifact at all. You said you bonded with it?"

I confirmed.

"I can't detect it," Roan said, scratching his head. "So I think you should be safe. It's not out of the question that KARMA might be able to identify him as an artifact, if they have different tools, but I don't think they'd suspect he's one, unless they've seen something similar before. And they've never cared about Elementals."

"Is the bond dangerous?" Llewellyn asked.

"I don't think so," Tiernan replied. He took the scanner from Roan and tried another reading. "If anything, it seems beneficial to both of them. Penguin is stabilizing through the bond, and Ryo's Elemental sensitivity is likely being enhanced. Did you get any boosts or powers?"

"I got a few notifications about it, and a Water enhancement once, but we haven't had a chance to test this properly yet."

Penguin eventually got bored and waddled back toward me. I stroked his head.

"Mmh," Tiernan said. "Do test it, and maybe let us know, if you don't mind. This is completely unprecedented and we'd love to monitor it."

I suppose that might help.

"Can you keep the data anonymous? Or use a codename?" I asked. They seemed alright, but I was still worried the data would end up in the wrong hands.

"No problem," Tiernan said.

"I can also encrypt it and scramble it for extra security," Shea added. "We'll keep everything safe."

That was great.

"So, what's the verdict?" Llewellyn asked.

"He seems to be fine," Tiernan said. "But I'd like to run some more tests, if you have the time."

We were already there, so…

"Alright," I agreed. "But no poking or prodding. He's not a lab specimen."

"Of course not," Tiernan said. "He's a pers— Well, a person-like entity, I suppose."

Penguin chirped in what sounded like agreement.

"Great!" Roan clapped his hands while Tiernan muttered something about having to find the other scanner. "Now that that's settled, who wants coffee? Tea? Sorry, we were too excited, we should have offered when you arrived."

We heard a door open in another room somewhere and Shea yelled, "Ahn Jihoon! You're missing all the fun!"

"UH?" came the reply. A few seconds later, a tall guy strode in holding a VR fishing rod. He looked confused, before he saw Penguin and his eyes went wide. He ran over and started cooing at him, asking what his name was.

"Can I see him do the Fire thing again?" he asked after a few moments.

Penguin perked up at the request and burst into flames—transforming into his fire fox form.

"Whoa!" Jihoon jumped back, then leaned back toward him again. "Little Penguin, you're so cool."

Penguin chirped.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

A few hours and several tests later, we were finally ready to leave.

"Remember what we discussed," Tiernan said, handing me a card with his number. "Call if anything changes or if you need help. And keep an eye on those new abilities. They might come in handy."

"Thanks," I said, meaning it.

My shoulders finally relaxed.

They'd treated him like an interesting new friend and Penguin had clearly had fun. So all in all, this couldn't have gone better.

Still, I felt more exhausted than if I had to fight the Hydra again.

"I could go for that Destabilized Whiskey now," I muttered as we walked away.

Llewellyn snorted. "I wouldn't recommend going back. They were definitely spying on someone."

"Uh? What?"

He eyed me. "Why do you think they own a pub serving Destabilized Whiskey to begin with?"

...I mean, how would I know?!

I was still considering why they'd need to spy on anyone, when my phone buzzed.

I frowned and looked down at it. Maybe Altan had changed his mind?

"..."

It wasn't Altan.

Chapter Text

[Niamh]: Oh my god!!! Ryo!!! That's you, isn't it???

I opened Niamh's private message and my stomach sank.

Damn it.

Attached was a photo of me and Llewellyn after the Distorted Realm—taken just before we could teleport.

My phone buzzed again.

[Opal]: HEY—sorry if this is weird, but I'm on the other shift and… the one all over my feed is you, isn't it?????? Right?????? I've only seen you in video meetings like three times so I could be wrong???? But it really looks like your profile pic and I'm lowkey freaking out OMG!!!!

A moment later:

[Altan]: Man!!!! This you??????

Llewellyn glanced at me and frowned.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. I guess there was no way around it.

I opened the pic full screen and turned the phone toward him.

"They got pics," I said.

Llewellyn took one look at the screen and seemed to deflate a bit. "It was bound to happen, eventually."

Yeah. But.

I scrolled through the work chat. My team was losing their minds.

I hesitated then opened social media. My eyes landed on the trending tag, and I closed it immediately.

Fuck.

"It'll die down," Llewellyn said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small silver coin with strange markings etched into its surface. "Here."

I took it, turning it over in my palm. "What's this supposed to be?"

"Basic concealment artifact. The System Shop sells them for 200 coins. You can get more advanced ones, like the one we used for Penguin, but this one you can just keep in your pocket and it activates with pressure. Squeeze it when you need to go unnoticed and don't have time to equip a wearable." He demonstrated with a pinching motion. "It makes people's eyes slide past."

Okay, that was useful.

My phone buzzed again.

"That's it?"

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect? A press conference? Public statement? That only makes it worse."

I knew that, but.

Besides, Llewellyn's tone was off. I supposed he was upset by this.

"Does it bother you?" he asked after a moment.

Huh? Me?

"Being photographed with me," Llewellyn added. "Your life's about to get considerably more complicated. I should probably have made you aware before this happened."

He looked unhappy.

Wait, what? Did he really think I didn't know?!

This was literally my whole thing!

"You can't seriously believe that I didn't know this was a possibility. I work in social media. Your accounts, specifically."

Llewellyn's expression remained dark.

Honestly.

I rubbed my face. "Look. My life before all of this started wasn't the kind for which even something like this would be a downgrade. It's fine."

I mean, what did he think would've changed if he told me?

For one, I did know. And anyway, let's not kid ourselves. I'd have accepted regardless.

Llewellyn gave me a weird look.

"Then?" he asked after a moment.

"Then what? I thought you were bothered by the fact that I was in the photos. And wanted to do damage control, or something."

Llewellyn looked baffled. "Why would that bother me?"

Wait. Was he serious?

I stopped walking and turned to face him.

"People are going to have opinions. About who you associate with. In this case… me."

Llewellyn just stared at me, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"And?"

Okay, never mind. Maybe he'd been dealing with this for so long he was desensitized by now.

My phone hadn't stopped buzzing. Even Llewellyn seemed a bit impressed at the amount of notifications.

"My team is having a collective meltdown," I said.

Llewellyn snorted. "You should probably respond."

He had a point.

I sighed and opened the group chat, scrolling through the new messages.

What should I even tell them?

I typed a quick message.

[Ryo]: Hi, hello. Yeah. So. Yes, that's me. 😅 No, I'm not dead. Yes, I'm working with Llewellyn. I really can't give any details right now, I'm sorry

A private message from Niamh came in a second later.

[Niamh]: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T GIVE DETAILS

Meanwhile in the chat:

[Opal]: OH MY GOD

[Altan]: Bro how long has this been going on???

Damn it.

I mean, I was mentally screaming too!

I hadn't received any training on how to deal with this!

[Altan]: Wait are you actually working FOR him or???

[Opal]: This is so cool!!!! But also terrifying!!!! Are you safe????

[Ciarán]: What's going on?! I was sleeping, someone fill me in??

I typed a quick message asking them to please not tell anyone it was me, and vaguely promising I'd explain things when I got home.

I didn't know if I could trust them, but what choice did I have?

Ugh. What the hell.

Did this fall under the agency's NDA at all? If so, this might be the only time I was happy we had to sign an NDA.

Though that only covered Llewellyn, not me, so probably no help there.

A new private message from Niamh:

[Niamh]: TELL LLEWELLYN TO ANSWER EMMA, she's about to skin me alive.

What. Were these kinds of messages going to become a thing??

Trying to keep it together, I turned my phone screen toward Llewellyn again.

"Looks like Emma tried to call you."

"Yes, I'm ignoring her."

Honestly.

"You better do something about it before Niamh's forced to escalate this and you get a call from the agency Director or something."

Llewellyn let out an annoyed huff and pulled out his phone.

Which was still ringing.

"Emma," he said flatly.

I couldn't hear her exact words, but the volume coming through the phone speaker was impressive. Llewellyn held the device slightly away from his ear.

"Yes, I saw it. I'm not issuing a statement."

Another burst of sound. I caught something about "narrative management", then something I didn't catch, then "—we do need to say something".

Llewellyn pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... say that the System assigned him. Nothing else."

Something else from the other side, but I couldn't hear what.

"I can and I will. Handle the media response however you see fit, just don't throw him to the sharks. Don't give names or details. If possible, don't confirm anything long term either, just be as vague as you can."

I could detect some discontent on the other side, but maybe not at Llewellyn. A "don't these people have anything better to do???" floated through, before Emma added something else I couldn't quite catch.

"I know," Llewellyn said with a sigh. "Thank you. Let me know if anything goes wrong."

They hung up. Llewellyn checked the time and let out a curse.

"I really need to run," he said. "The System should be able to get you home safely."

"Wait—"

He vanished.

Goddamnit.

The sudden teleportation was starting to get annoying.

Chapter Text

Altan offered to take over my next shift, which I was grateful for, especially seeing how everyone's focus was now on that photo of Llewellyn and me.

However, I should have guessed it would not have died down in a day.

While I tried not to be on social media in the meantime, I still found everything waiting for me when my next shift rolled around.

Altan's DM wasn't reassuring either.

[Altan]: People are betting on whether you and Llewellyn are dating. 50/50 odds. Thought you should know.

Well, fuck.

I typed back quickly.

[Ryo]: I hate this.

[Altan]: Welcome to the world of online fame, buddy.

I braced myself, made coffee, and let Penguin snuggle close on the couch as I clocked in.

Yeah, Altan wasn't lying.

[zerohero]: who tf is that guy with Llewellyn???

[mothmemes]: bro just took him and left

[glitchlocked]: nobody knows who he is??

[ceruleansalt]: he's probably just some guy he rescued idk

[mothmemes]: man doesn't LOOK injured

[snapbacked]: i can't tell if this is sus or if ppl are just wildin again

[tinybitchaos]: ok but deadass WHO is he?? does anyone recognize him??

[crackedmirror]: can we chill. it's prob just a one time thing

[lionman]: dude's just standing next to llewellyn like he belongs there though. like huh?

[nostalgiajpg]: something about this feels off but idk what

[sunvortex]: nah but fr, Llewellyn has never walked off with a rando like that

[bitcrash32]: highkey looks like a grab and go situation

[lionman]: it's just weird seeing Llewellyn with someone. dude's always alone

[snapbacked]: watch it be some random person he saved and everyone's overthinking lol

[tapedeck404]: or a new partner. this is how it starts

[nostalgiajpg]: everyone's arguing but no one knows shit

[clutchgrind]: wait till someone zooms in on the pic and claims they're dating 💀

[cloudscraper]: feels sus tho. why leave with him instead of waiting for medics???

[ghostknotter]: ngl the fact that he just dipped with him is kinda 👀

Looks like this was going to be as bad as I expected.

I was on shift, so… no choice but to deal with this.

I hid some profanity, and kept scrolling.

[soupbones]: idk man this is weird. who is he. where did he come from

[foldingspice]: it's just one photo and everyone's losing their minds lmaoooo

[bitcrash32]: guys it's literally a rando, can we calm down

[cloudscraper]: no but really. why did Llewellyn leave with him??

[tinybitchaos]: it's giving "i'll save you babe" energy lol

[badapple]: llewellyn can't even walk off a knot site without internet shipping his life 💀

[zerohero]: he doesn't even look injured, why take him???

[ventstack]: can't believe we're out here writing lore over one pic

[driftfix]: calling it now, his PR girl's gonna say nothing

[crashlog]: if this is a new partner reveal it's the weirdest one I've seen lmao

[inknot]: there's no way this isn't intentional. no way

[highpinged]: there's no way this isn't a PR stunt u mean

[lockfile]: new headcanon: secret agent boyfriend

No, what??? How was I both a secret agent and Llewellyn's boyfriend???

[traceloop]: okay i tried reverse image search and got nothing

[bitdepth]: there's like zero footprint on this guy. nada

[cryptoclaw]: someone check the background in the pic. maybe there's a hint?

They were already trying to find me???

[stackless]: no tags, no mentions—whoever he is, he's invisible online

[linklocked]: searched all known vids of Llewellyn, this guy's not in any of them

[pixelnoise]: how does he have no socials? sus af

[brokencompile]: looked at old knot footage. no match

[fibreoptic]: somebody's hiding him for sure

[phantomping]: there's no record of him anywhere i swear

[softknot]: idc who he is, i'm shipping it. hard.

[loudloop]: new otp just dropped y'all

[knotbent]: can we NOT with the shipping already? please.

[thirstbitten]: so we're all calling him #LlewRando right?

[ghosttag]: not gonna lie, the way Llewellyn's holding him… it's a whole mood

[speculativeeels]: honestly? I'm here for the chaos #LlewRando4Life

[spintopple]: this is classic hero/oblivious civilian trope and i'm eating it up

[wreckingball]: WAIT. what if it's a secret relationship and they got caught??

[ctrlz]: y'all need to log off and touch grass

[overlol]: someone's gonna write 10k of enemies to lovers on this in like, an hour

[loworbit]: okay but where's the slow burn fic where they meet in secret and only got spotted now

[shipblocker]: imagine writing fic over a blurry pic. embarrassing

[freefail]: saw someone on another thread calling them "Knotmates" help 😭

My face was on fire.

[peachwired]: okay we need a good name. LlewRando for the guy is funny but we can do better

[bluecrash]: LlewCrush? LlewHeart?

[bytebeat]: i like LlewellHim for now tbh, until we know more

[glowmaze]: nah i'm sticking with LlewBae 😭

[llewellingUP] @glowmaze that sounds so wrong 😂😂😂

[antisink]: u ppl seriously need to stop reading into this. it's one blurry pic

[knotcut]: I just wanted info about the incident and now this. why.

[commonfork]: stop trying to make this a romance!!! it's cringe!!!

[nopebutton]: i swear, if i see one more ship reply i'm muting this thread

[crashwavez]: LMFAO at everyone getting so pressed about this. just let the shippers have fun

[realitybytes]: not everything needs to be a ship. this is reaching

[logicloader]: it's literally just a guy standing there. stop being weird!!!

[tanglefish]: saw a poll on another thread. top three were LlewCrush, LlewBae and LlewBoy

[hyperlint]: add me to the LlewCrush squad. adorable.

[twitchkyte]: ur all missing the chance for some #Llewd jokes in there lol

[streamknot] nahh, how about romantic? llewdate? llewdarling?

How did this escalate so quickly???

Oh no. Kill me now. There were comments about me too.

[softbeet]: ngl the guy's kinda hot tho. lowkey

I need to bleach my eyes. I need to turn off the Internet. Like… globally.

[ghosttag]: he's got that whole "in over his head but hot" look

[bitdepth]: okay but let's be real, that coat looks expensive af. who is he?

[clipdust]: i don't even care about the coat, it's the face for me

[fraypixel]: sorry but his whole "lost puppy" vibe? lethal

[dripcore]: eh he's mid at best, y'all are just shipping because he's next to Llewellyn

[flarestack]: no but for real, that white coat is nice. where do i get one

[dungeonpull]: honestly his expression in the pic is killing me. he's just like "how did i get here?" i'm invested

[clickbaited]: his face is fine I guess, but the way he's standing next to Llewellyn like it's normal??? hot

[linkleak]: dude's got main character energy and he doesn't even know it

[floatcrash]: okay I'm adding him to the list of guys i simp for. sorry.

[deadsun]: y'all need to chill, he's fine but not that fine

[smashblink]: idk i'd let him wreck me

This was too much. I was dying.

Llewellyn was right, I really needed to quit.

How could I be expected to work like this??? Seriously, is hazard pay a thing for this kind of trauma? I need hazard pay for this.

[fivesquirrels]: he's giving off "accidental hot guy" energy and i'm not mad

[llewespill]: he's not even trying but I bet he's actually deadly hot irl

[crashlanes]: he looks so unbothered

[blipfeed]: this man's standing like he's in line at the bank. it's killing me

[velvetbuffer]: he looks like he wandered onto a kdrama set by accident and still managed to outshine everyone???

[flyingsyntax]: this man has no idea what he's doing and it's working for him

[ramdumped]: tell me how he looks confused but also main character coded

[blurryframes]: lost puppy eyes but also giving off hero energy. I'm conflicted

[liveupdate]: new poll up: his face vs his coat vs his cluelessness. vote now.

I checked the poll. It already had 9250 votes. What!!!

Honestly, this was unbearable.

How did I end up in the middle of this?!! I didn't even look that good in the photo.

[smashblink]: ok but the body language??? don't tell me I'm the only one seeing it

[loopjuice]: he's literally leaning into Llewellyn's space. i'm losing it

[bookflick]: they're standing too close for this to be casual 😭

Please, no one mention this in real life.

[knotbare]: this is so dumb. people will ship anything these days 🙄

[cocochill]: everyone needs to touch grass. seriously.

[guitarvault]: why are we even talking about this. can we move on?

[searless]: it's literally just a guy in a coat

[getboat]: can't believe y'all made a whole ship out of one photo

[chairvan]: this is why fandoms get roasted. y'all are doing too much

[flexed]: can we get back to the plot or is this a BL novel now

[snaptether]: why is Llewellyn looking at him like that tho

[twitchstack]: bro, this is the "I got you" pose

[glowte]: i feel like i'm interrupting something just looking at this pic

[memequill]: look at their height difference too

[cacheglitch]: tell me why it looks like Llewellyn's shielding him from the crowd

[snippethook]: power couple in the making, don't @ me

The more I read, the more I wanted to die. I hated that I was oddly invested in what they were saying.

[finelady]: if they're not dating then explain the HAND. PLACEMENT.

[harshmellow]: someone zoom in. enhance. enhance again

[pixelpeel]: someone already made a fanvid. to a sad ballad. help

[bitroot]: why does this photo have more chemistry than my last three relationships

[spicyfloat]: i showed this to my roommate and she thought it was a drama still

[voidvine]: no because look at their SPACING. there isn't any 😭

[ghosttag]: i want what they have. whatever it is

[qwifi] they both look so cool

[llewin]: i swear if they don't kiss in the next update I'm rioting

Honestly, I wanted to crawl under my desk.

And I was supposed to keep this up for eight hours straight?!!

Chapter Text

My work messenger pinged.

[Niamh]: Having fun today?

I groaned and typed back.

[Ryo]: This is a special kind of hell.

She sent a pats your back gif.

[Niamh]: Do you need support? Want to take a few days off?

Did I? I didn't know anymore.

I wasn't sure not knowing what they were saying about me was actually better.

[Ryo]: It's fine. I'll sleep the shift off once I'm done with it and blow off some steam in an Elemental Café.

[Niamh]: Stay safe. Use concealment if you can. We're here when you need us.

A pause.

[Niamh]: And when you feel like sharing juicy details.

"..."

Classic Niamh.

I thanked her.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

The Elemental Café was busier than usual today.

I'd been avoiding it for a few days, partly because my muscles still ached and partly because I'd spent way too much money during my last competitive frenzy with yeetgeometry. Granted, the System had reimbursed me, but when you're used to living paycheck to paycheck, that tends to feel somewhat irresponsible.

However, I hadn't heard from Llewellyn since the photo leak and I needed to hit something.

I checked the time. Not even 5PM yet, so plenty of time to unwind.

"Is room three available?" I asked the guy at the counter, a different staff member than last time. Luckily, the concealment artifact worked because it didn't look like he recognized me.

He glanced at his tablet. "Sorry, maintenance. Four is open though."

I paid for an hour, taking the keycard and headset. Room four was slightly larger than three, but the setup was essentially the same, down to the blue neon.

I slipped on the headset and booted up Elemental Stage.

My third place was holding steady. I scrolled through yeetgeometry's recent activity but there was nothing new since our last battle. Either he'd given up or he was plotting his revenge.

Well. Time to focus on catching up with EarthQuack, currently ranked at 2.

The gap was huge, so this was going to take me a few weeks.

After half an hour of grinding, I got bored and decided to swap to something else.

I eyed Café Cleanup Blitz, but I wasn't really in the mood. Café Cleanup Blitz was a time attack game where the player had to cast the correct Elemental combos to clean rooms quickly. However, it was surprisingly hard. It was the kind of game I normally played when I was too mad to focus on anything else, and just felt like zeroing in on strategy and wreaking havoc. My record was 12.4 seconds.

BonsAI Studio was my other regular—an Elemental gardening sim—but it was too meditative for my current state of mind. You shaped a tree using balanced Elemental flows, pairing them with harmonious movements, like some form of Tai Chi. I normally played this when I was wrecked.

In the end, I launched Elemental Slice, a game where you played as a ninja, using your sword to inflict Elemental attacks on flying vegetables.

Fire = Roast vegetables mid-air.
Water = Slice them with pressure arcs.
Wind = Speed multiplier.
Metal = Activates a bottom blade that slices falling vegetables.
Earth = Slam vegetables down on the bottom blade for a heavy smash bonus.
Wood = Sprouts extra vegetables into the air for more points.

It was a good one to unwind, especially for people who liked to focus on combo chains.

By the time my session ended, I felt less twitchy. I grabbed my things, changed into clean clothes, and headed out.

The evening air was invigorating. Penguin seemed to think so too, because he transformed back, abandoning my wrist, and sat comfortably in my pocket looking out. I'd already used an artifact to hide him before I left. Now I just checked that it was still active.

It was, just like mine. I exhaled in relief.

Satisfied, I ducked into an alley in one of Baekhaven’s most neon-lit areas and decided to grab some dumplings before going back home to work my shift.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

For the most part, Baekhaven had more of a cyberpunk reputation than it deserved, likely due to its focus on digital media and Elemental Cafés. Above all else, it was a cosmopolitan seaside city, Innishae's capital, as well as the artistic and cultural heart of the country. It was actually quite luminous and refined.

However, it definitely had moments of cyberpunk flair, especially after dark in the inner districts, and the area I was in now was probably the main example.

The promenade along the coast, where I had met Llewellyn last time, was where the wealthy and tourists gathered—all high-end shops and overpriced cafés—while my neighborhood, Haneve, was further inland, where rent was more manageable. It was quieter there, with narrow streets and green lights. I supposed this area could be considered midway.

The tiny food shops, just big enough for people to collect takeaway from, could be found almost everywhere, and were one of inland Baekhaven's best features—a mix of traditional Innishaean dishes with Korean, Chinese, Irish, and Italian influences. You could get kimchi dumplings alongside boxty pancakes and pizza bites, sometimes even combined in ways that would probably horrify purists from either culture.

Well. Not that it mattered to me.

I finished my dumplings and tossed the container in a nearby bin before checking my phone.

Still a few hours until my shift. Too early to grab a pre-shift coffee, but it might still be a good idea to go back. Though I was really trying to resist the temptation to be at home with only social media.

I was about to head home when a System notification appeared out of nowhere.

[System Notification: Attribute Intuitive Drift has activated!]

I frowned. "What?"

Weren't Attributes supposed to be always active in the background?

[Clarification: Intuitive Drift has overridden passive mode. Following guidance is strongly recommended.]

What the hell.

I was shocked. Now that I thought about it, this had happened before. The last time I saw this had been over two years ago, when I’d applied for my current job.

I couldn't remember how it worked though. At that time I knew so little about the System I didn't even register it was an Attribute; I probably just assumed it was a Skill or an Ability.

"Follow what exactly?"

I stared at the notification, waiting for more information, but nothing happened. Nothing looked unusual around me either: the neon-lit storefronts, late-night food vendors, and people hurrying past were all the same as usual.

I frowned and started walking home again.

Except that, suddenly, the itch in my chest flared and I felt the strong impulse to turn left at the next corner instead of right toward home. Huh.

I considered going back, but the itch flared again and I turned another corner.

Then another.

I passed through a quieter section of shops, most closed for the night, though I spotted some 24/7 cashierless shops.

My feet kept moving. I rounded another corner, walking faster now—

—and slammed straight into someone.

"Sorry, I didn't—" I looked up and stared.

Llewellyn stood there, looking as surprised as I felt. He steadied me with one hand.

What was the System up to now?

"What are you doing here?" Llewellyn asked, eyes narrowing.

I blinked, feeling at a loss. "I was about to ask you the same thing. I was just walking and somehow ended up here."

Llewellyn frowned.

I sighed. I mean, if I were him, I wouldn't believe me either.

"I got a notification about Intuitive Drift activating, and next thing I know, I'm bumping into you."

His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Intuitive Drift? Is that one of your Attributes?"

Oh, right. Should I have revealed that?

Well, whatever.

I rubbed my face. "I wasn't following you, if that's what you're thinking."

"I wasn't," Llewellyn said. "However, Attributes don't typically activate without purpose."

Well, what purpose could it have?

Llewellyn checked his watch, seeming to debate something internally, then said, "I was going to grab something to eat."

I blinked. Wait, was he asking me to come along?

"You're welcome to join," Llewellyn added when I didn't respond. "Or not," he said frowning, after seeing my expression.

What?? No, of course I was joining.

Chapter Text

Penguin chirped from my pocket, as if he also thought the idea of not going was ridiculous.

Llewellyn's lips quirked up.

"Hello, pocket-sized bomb," he said, eyeing my pocket.

Penguin chirped louder, indignant.

Well. Looked like their bond from the cabin was gone.

We walked to the shop Llewellyn had been heading for, one of the tiny ones, barely more than a counter with a kitchen behind it.

I watched the recognition-unrecognition take hold again. The old lady at the counter seemed to recognize Llewellyn for a moment, then blinked past him like he was any other customer.

I briefly wondered how these artifacts worked. Was the reason I could see him right now that I’d bumped into him? I thought about last time, when he was waiting in front of the Jeongdae Express. Maybe it was simpler—maybe the effect just didn’t apply if you were already expecting to see someone. Or maybe it shifted depending on whether the wearer wanted to be seen. Either way.

Llewellyn ordered something I didn't catch, then looked at me expectantly.

Er... I stared at the menu above the counter. I'd already eaten so—

"Just some spring rolls, please," I told the woman. “I already had dumplings before bumping into you,” I added toward Llewellyn, though I wasn't sure why I felt the need to explain.

Llewellyn nodded.

We paid, and Llewellyn set off without a word, leading toward a small square closer to the seafront.

The evening air was cool, and the lights from the cafés reflected off the water. A few people were out walking, but the concealment artifacts meant no one looked twice at us.

We found a bench. Llewellyn sat down and unwrapped whatever he'd ordered—some kind of pastry that looked expensive.

I sat beside him and opened my paper bag.

Penguin poked his head out of my pocket, eyeing Llewellyn's pastry with interest.

"Hey," I told him. "Not Llewellyn's food. I'll give you a spring roll, wait."

Before I could take one out, Llewellyn broke off a small piece of pastry and held it out to Penguin.

"He can have a bit," he said.

"You don't have to—"

"It's fine."

Penguin transformed into a sugar glider and scrambled up my arm to take the offered pastry piece.

He made happy chittering sounds as he ate.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while—seafront on one side, neon lights visible in the distance on the other.

Llewellyn sneaked Penguin more pieces of pastry.

"Are you bribing my Elemental creature?"

Penguin had settled on my shoulder, still making content noises.

"Maybe," Llewellyn said, amused.

"..."

The itch in my chest flared out of nowhere.

I straightened up. Fuck, what?!

...Then a sudden explosion shattered the evening.

The ground shook, and a pressure wave hit us, knocking my remaining spring rolls flying.

We locked eyes for a split second, then we were both running, Penguin scrambling into my pocket as I moved.

The explosion had come from one of the side streets. Smoke billowed up between the buildings, and I could hear people screaming.

We rounded the corner together, and I nearly ran into Llewellyn's back as he stopped abruptly.

In the middle of the street, where Baekhaven's Night Market had been setting up, something was... wrong.

A keyring—a metal keyring with a few keys and a charm—was floating in midair, spinning and throbbing.

Each throb sent out waves of force that shattered windows and knocked over stalls, making the keyring become bigger and bigger.

"Destabilized Artifact," Llewellyn said, cursing under his breath and materializing his sword.

There were people around taking out their phones to record or take pictures.

The keyring spun faster.

“Fuck. Get back!” Llewellyn shouted.

Too late.

The keys, already engorged, detached, whirling through the air like small missiles.

SWOOSH.

A key sliced through a woman's neck. Her head tumbled to the ground, spraying blood.

A vendor, a middle-aged man setting up his stall, crumbled to the ground, a key embedded in his chest, blood blooming on his shirt.

A few meters away, a young woman clutched her arm and stared in shock at her severed elbow, blood gushing between her fingers, as her amputated arm fell at her feet.

Panic erupted. People screamed, scrambling to get away.

I flinched and started forward—but Llewellyn moved like lightning, yanking me back.

"Don't move!" he ordered. Then, he activated something.

A ray of light swept the area in a wide circle. At the third pass, all people vanished.

"What—" I said, startled.

"Evacuation Skill," Llewellyn said.

So that was how it worked.

The woman's and vendor's bodies had vanished too, and so had the severed head and limb, but blood remained on the asphalt. I pressed Penguin deeper into my pocket.

Llewellyn turned to face the artifact.

"I can evacuate you as well. Do you want to leave?"

That snapped me back to my senses.

What?

What the hell? Did he think I'd just leave him here?

"Tempting. But I’ve got this weird compulsion to not let you get stabbed alone."

Llewellyn squeezed my shoulder, then stepped aside.

"Activate your shield. Don't remove concealment—it might make you stand out less in the Destabilized Artifact's perception field." After a moment he added, "My evacuation skill only works horizontally. I can't use it to evacuate second floors and up from here, and it only has a limited range. People might still be up there."

The keyring spun faster, the keys reforming, shooting through the air again.

One swooshed past and embedded itself in a wooden stall.

I ducked as another one whistled past my head—then yelled at Llewellyn as he barely dodged his.

Fuck, fuck.

My Moonlight Sword materialized in my hand.

What the hell could I do here? I tried to activate my Elemental Insight, but the artifact obviously wasn't a Knot, so there were no Threads to flag.

With a screech, the keyring charm, a small metal cat, suddenly detached from the central ring and expanded.

It grew to the size of an actual cat—then bigger. And bigger.

Its eyes glowed with unstable magic, and when it opened its mouth, it screamed.

The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air, and every piece of glass in a twenty-meter radius shattered.

Penguin transformed into his fire fox form and leapt out of my pocket, landing between us and the metal cat.

"Penguin!"

His Fire met the artifact's magic blasts. I sent the strongest jet of Water I could summon to join in, but the Elemental reaction didn't seem to have any effect.

The metal cat lunged at Penguin, who dodged with surprising agility, and I ducked to the right.

Llewellyn launched a blast of Metal magic at it, but the creature absorbed that too, growing larger.

Fuck. My heart was pounding. Did nothing work?!

Llewellyn switched to Earth. Stone erupted from the ground, trying to cage the creature in—but the cat shattered it instantly and lunged at us again with an inhuman shriek.

Behind it, more keys materialized around the keyring, spinning faster. The air itself seemed to be tearing around them.

They were going to detach any moment.

"We need to stall the attack until we can contain the artifact!" Llewellyn shouted.

He unlocked his phone and threw it at me.

I grabbed it. "What?"

"Call Tiernan," he said. "Tell him where we are. We need containment tools as soon as possible."

I ducked, swearing under my breath as keys flew past, and found cover behind a wall, fumbling with Llewellyn's phone.

I scrolled to Tiernan's number and hit call.

"Llewellyn?" came from the other side.

"It’s Ryo. We’re at— Fuck," I ducked again as a key embedded itself where my head had been seconds ago. "We’re near Baekhaven's Night Market, currently dealing with a Destabilized Artifact. It's—uh—a giant keyring throwing keys like missiles. And there's a huge metal cat that used to be the keyring charm—"

Not the kinds of sentences I could have ever predicted saying.

"On our way," Tiernan said immediately, suddenly business-like. "Fifteen minutes. Stall it."

I sprinted back to Llewellyn's side, narrowly avoiding a spinning key that carved a groove in the pavement, and threw the phone back at him before lunging to scoop Penguin up.

"Why didn't we call Ó Lochlainn?" I asked, slashing at the metal cat with all my might. The blade connected but barely left a scratch or pushed the cat back an inch. Shit.

Llewellyn sent a wave of Water and Air that temporarily froze around the creature, then reached out and yanked me back.

The keyring was spinning again, more keys forming.

"No time for KARMA's bureaucracy if we don't want to get impaled. Ó Lochlainn would rush here by himself, but he's one person. We need a team."

The cat broke free. Fuck.

We need to push it back—but how?

The moment I was distracted, Penguin escaped my grip and darted under the cat's paws.

I couldn't see what he was doing, but a second later the cat screeched and recoiled with a clanging step, stumbling into a broken stall and knocking it over.

Wait, had he hit the cat in the—

The cat screeched again, murderous, its eyes flashing red and purple.

Every key stopped mid-air.

Then, they turned slowly.

All of them aimed directly at us.

Chapter Text

Shit.

"Down!" Llewellyn yelled, yanking me behind an overturned market stall just as the enlarged keys shot forward like bullets.

Wood exploded around us.

I peered around the stall. The keyring hung in the air, still spinning fast, while the metal cat prowled in front of it, growing larger with each spin.

Another volley of keys shot past.

I jumped back, but one grazed my cheek. I felt the sting, then warm blood.

Llewellyn let out a curse. His eyes zeroed in on the cut, then a wall of Earth rose instantly between us and the artifact.

"Stay here," he ordered, then jumped back into the fight.

Like hell.

The metal cat leapt toward Llewellyn, who just sidestepped it. At the same moment, Penguin rushed forward, used Llewellyn's sword as a springboard, and slammed into the cat's face.

The cat reared back, shrieking.

...Well. Penguin was definitely holding his own against the metal cat.

I drove my sword into the ground, channeling every scrap of Water Magic I had. The pavement cracked, the water pipes burst, and a geyser of water erupted, drenching the keyring.

The metal sizzled, its magic faltering—but it didn't last long.

Llewellyn looked displeased that neither Penguin nor I were behind his Elemental wall anymore, but vanished it quickly, following up my Water attack with Fire.

More keys flew past. One sliced across my arm, drawing more blood. Fuck.

Llewellyn yelled something, but the pain had snapped me into focus.

It's true that most of my skills were Knot or Thread-related but…

Not all of them.

I activated Exploratory Analysis.

[System Notification: Exploratory Analysis is active!
Analyzing: Destabilized Artifact – Keyring
Current threat level: Escalating
Structural weakness: Central binding ring]

"The ring!" I shouted to Llewellyn. "Ignore the cat, it's a distraction! We need to attack the ring!"

"Got it," Llewellyn yelled back.

He raised his hand, and a lance of compressed Air shot toward the floating keyring.

But just before impact, the metal cat leapt up and took the hit instead.

The cat exploded before reforming into two smaller cats.

Penguin let out a chirp of war and immediately engaged both—keeping them occupied.

My Crisis Management pinged urgently. The artifact's energy levels were rising exponentially. At this rate—

"We've got maybe thirty minutes before it starts affecting a wider area," I panted.

Llewellyn nodded—he definitely knew that already—and released an Earth attack that would have obliterated any normal threat.

Unfortunately, the keyring absorbed it all. It grew, spinning faster and faster, generating a vortex that started pulling in everything in its wake.

The metal cats merged back into one, now the size of a small car.

Penguin darted back to us, chittering in frustration. Even his multi-Elemental attacks weren't helping.

The giant metal cat prowled closer. Keys swooshed through the air again.

Llewellyn grabbed Penguin, and we took cover behind a wall.

"Why isn't it working?!" I asked, equally frustrated.

"Destabilized Artifacts don't follow normal rules," Llewellyn said, sweat beading on his forehead. He turned to peer at it. "Looks like Elemental Magic just feeds this one."

Great. Fucking hell.

We rushed into the fight again.

Trying to test something, I grabbed a chunk of broken concrete and hurled it at the keyring. It bounced off harmlessly.

Okay, so physical attacks didn't work either.

The metal cat pounced.

I dove left, Llewellyn went right—and Penguin shot under it and hit it in the balls again.

The cat shrieked, eyes flashing madly.

Wait, surely that couldn't be the only course of action here?!

The metal cat lunged at Penguin this time. I snatched him away, but the cat's claws caught my sleeve, tearing through fabric and skin.

Penguin chittered angrily.

He darted under the cat again and this time hit him so hard even Llewellyn beside me flinched at the sight.

Unfortunately, aside from making the cat mad, it didn't seem to have weakened it.

Still, it did slow it down.

Penguin chirped defiantly, and rushed back to my side.

More keys shot past and we scattered again.

Shit. We needed to focus on the keyring, but we couldn't with the cat's constant attacks!

It was still prowling between us and the ring, growing larger still.

Think. Physical attacks don't work. Elemental attacks feed it. What else was there?!

I scanned the destroyed street, eyes jumping across the wreckage, looking for anything.

Water pipes had burst from our earlier attacks, flooding parts of the road.

My eyes landed on a destroyed shopfront—an electronics store. Exposed wires sparked in the rubble.

"Penguin!" I called.

Penguin seemed to have understood before I even finished. Maybe because of the bond? Either way. He turned into a fire fox, darted to the wires, and carefully grasped them in his mouth.

They sparkled, but the electricity didn't seem to bother him.

"What are you doing?" Llewellyn yelled.

"Trying something stupid!"

Penguin dragged the live wires toward the flooded area where the keyring hovered. If we could electrify the water with the artifact in it...

The metal cat noticed Penguin's movements. It crouched, ready to pounce.

"No you don't!"

I ran straight at it. I couldn't hurt it, but I could be annoying. I slashed at its legs, low and hard enough that it turned on me. That was the point. I struck again, reckless, keeping its attention on me while Penguin worked.

Llewellyn caught on. While I worked on the cat, he started creating obstacles and Earth walls that forced the keyring to move where we wanted.

Almost there.

Penguin had the wires at the water's edge. Llewellyn grabbed me and leapt onto one of his Earth walls, then jumped and slammed the keyring down into the water.

The moment the keyring hit the water, I yelled, "Now!"

Penguin dropped the wires into the flooded street. Electricity coursed through the water and the keyring convulsed, sparks all over across its metal surface.

The giant cat froze mid-leap, twitching as electricity arced between it and the ring.

Yes!

Unfortunately, it only worked for a few seconds. Then, the keyring started absorbing the electricity too.

"You've got to be kidding me." I gritted my teeth.

The artifact glowed brighter, spinning even faster. The electrical current seemed to supercharge it. More keys materialized from thin air, dozens of them, all crackling with electricity.

"Move!" Llewellyn shouted.

We scattered as electrified keys shot in every direction. One grazed my shoulder, sending a jolt through my entire arm.

My muscles spasmed. I dropped my sword and nearly screamed.

Penguin chirped urgently. He rushed to breathe fire at the exposed wires, incinerating them completely before they could cause more damage. Smart little guy.

"Well, that backfired spectacularly," I gritted out, retrieving my sword with my non-tingly arm.

Llewellyn gave me a sharp look that clearly said 'no kidding'.

"How bad?" he asked. My arm was twitching. "I can still evacuate you."

No, this again?!

"If you say that again, I swear I'm going to punch you myself," I said through clenched teeth. As if I'd leave him here alone. I'd rather stab myself. "I'm okay. I can move again." I forced my fingers closed around the sword again. "We don't have time."

The metal cat grew another foot taller. Its eyes now glowed with the same electric blue as the keyring.

The cat charged.

This time when Penguin tried his signature move of darting underneath, the cat anticipated it. Its paw slammed down where Penguin would have been if I hadn't yanked him back by instinct.

"It's learning," Llewellyn said grimly.

An adaptive murder artifact. Great. Just what we needed.

Penguin chirped angrily.

More keys launched and we dashed and hid.

What else could we try? We'd hit it with every Element, with physical attacks, with electricity. Nothing worked. It just kept absorbing everything and getting stronger.

The metal cat prowled closer to our hiding spot.

Suddenly, Penguin seemed to have thought of something. He turned into his Metal hedgehog form, rolled between the cat's legs, making it stumble and, once there, hit it again, Metal spikes and all.

Ouch.

The cat howled. Penguin rushed back to my side, looking proud of himself.

"Remind me not to anger him," Llewellyn muttered.

I snorted.

Fuck. We still needed to get to the keyring.

As I was trying to come up with an idea, the cat's eyes locked onto Llewellyn and something in its stance changed.

My Crisis Management screamed and my eyesight sharpened.

The current batch of keys burst apart, then reformed into microscopic metal keys, invisible to normal sight. They hung in the air for a heartbeat before whirling toward Llewellyn, all drawn to his massive magical signature.

In seconds, they'd pierce through.

Llewellyn seemed to have sensed something, but he couldn't see them. His focus was on the visible threat.

A new volley of giant keys was growing too, almost ready to detach.

"Strengthen your shield now!" I yelled, as I stuffed Penguin inside my pocket and did the same.

Shit, shit.

Llewellyn looked startled, but did so.

Except that judging from the state I was in, shields hadn't exactly worked so far.

If all those mini keys hit him at once—

Cold sweat broke across my skin. My heart slammed once, then stuttered.

He was going to die.

Elemental Magic didn't work and my skills were useless.

What could I do?!

As soon as the next volley of giant keys detached, I launched myself at the keyring and shoved both hands into it.

Chapter Text

Pain exploded up my arms as metal sliced through skin.

I gritted my teeth.

I wasn't trying to grab it, I was trying to bleed on it.

-

[System Notification: Contact with Artifact Core registered!
Deep Dive Analysis triggered.
Classification: Destabilized Artifact – Keyring.
Absorbs Elemental attacks. Core is overloading.
Anchor point: Central ring.
Recommended action: Disrupt core using non-Elemental force.]

-

More blood hit the artifact's surface.

The keyring convulsed, its spin faltering. The microscopic metal keys in the air shuddered and lost their deadly trajectory.

"Are you insane?!" Llewellyn yelled.

I pressed harder, letting more blood coat the artifact.

I didn't know any non-Elemental Magic, but I knew that Destabilized Magic recognized blood differently. My blood was introducing variables its already unstable logic couldn't process.

Blood flowed. The microscopic keys lit the air red for a moment.

...The itch in my chest snapped.

Fuck.

The air detonated. There was a blinding flash of magic and the keys vanished, as if incinerated—gone before they could tear into Llewellyn.

My breath rushed out of me in relief and Penguin chirped in my pocket.

More keys were probably about to form. If I didn't put some distance between me and the keyring before they did, I was about to be cleaved in half. The metal cat prowled toward me.

"Now!" I shouted to Llewellyn, yanking my bloodied arms back from the ring itself. "The ring!"

I ducked out of the way and materialized my sword, raising it just as the cat attacked.

The impact sent me flying backward into a market stall, wood all around me. My Elemental Shield, which I'd had to deactivate to bleed on the artifact, came to life just in time to prevent serious injury—but unfortunately, it fed the cat again.

Llewellyn attacked the keyring, only using pure Sword Mastery.

If I wasn't busy coughing from the impact, and didn't have a giant metal cat ready to pounce at me again, I'd have just stared in astonishment.

Penguin shrieked as he saw me fly. He dove at the cat's face and started pecking at its glowing eyes, savagely.

Llewellyn's focus was absolute, his jaw tight. As his sword flashed, I realized there was something else going on, his sword was—

Was that Geometric Casting?! He could use that?! How the hell—?

I saw him draw triangles in the air, weaving them into the sword technique, then watched them glow gold.

I was speechless.

The keyring rattled, wobbling harder, its spin erratic now. Penguin growled low, still pecking away.

Another key snapped loose from the ring and flew straight at Llewellyn. He deflected it with the flat of his blade. The impact rang out against the buildings.

Fuck, I tried to shake myself back into focus, but I'd lost too much blood.

In the back of my mind, it suddenly occurred to me that… I had no idea how I knew that blood would work. Where had I heard of it?

And… how did I know about Geometric Casting?

I couldn't think properly.

As Llewellyn attacked the keyring with all he had, I dragged myself into cover.

"System," I panted. "I need a Blood Replenishment potion. And something for pain."

[System Notification: Understood.]

[System Notification: Search parameters identified:

– Blood replenishment
– Pain relief
– Immediate-use class]

[Combat context detected. Bypassing full shop index.]

[Recommended:

– Minor Restoration Elixir (30% blood volume recovery)
– Focus-Grade Pain Suppressant (12 min duration)]

[Dispense both? Estimated Coin cost: 372.]

Fuck, thank goodness. I'd been worried I'd have to browse through nine hundred potions now.

I collected and drank both, felt my strength come back to me, then rushed back into combat.

The ring hung in the air, but its movements weren't smooth anymore. Llewellyn was still attacking, relentless.

We were running out of time.

What should I do? Bleed on it more? How many blood replenishment potions could I get away with?

Suddenly familiar voices cut through.

"Llewellyn! Ryo!"

"Fuck, this is quite the mess."

I spun around.

Tiernan was running toward us, followed by the TAPESTRY team carrying various pieces of equipment.

"Don't come closer!" Llewellyn yelled. "It can't be attacked with Elemental Magic!"

"...Ah, shit!" someone said.

"That would have been great to know!" Jihoon called.

"We hadn't found out yet!" I called back.

"Never mind," Tiernan said. "Do your thing. We'll take care of the rest."

From the corner of my eye, I saw them keep outside of the perimeter of attack, canvas the area and place various instruments.

Shea pressed something on a device, and a low hum filled the air. The metal cat's glowing eyes flashed, and it let out a confused screech.

I ducked behind one of Llewellyn's Earth walls. Shea used the same opening to advance and stopped next to me. He was holding a remote controller.

"Sound waves," he explained. The sound was coming from all sides now. "Should keep it off balance."

"What about Penguin?" I asked.

"He should be fine," Shea said. "Look."

Penguin did indeed seem fine, and was still attacking the cat viciously.

As the sound waves increased, both the cat and the keyring started to shrink.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tiernan nodding toward Ejay, who was holding a box, then yelled, "Llewellyn!"

Llewellyn's sword sliced through the air in an arc that sent the keyring flying, veering wildly off course, toward the cat.

"Now!" Tiernan shouted.

Llewellyn leaped over a flying key and landed a clean hit on both the keyring and the cat charm.

With unbelievable agility, Ejay jumped, using a lamppost for leverage, captured both and yanked the box closed.

Shea cranked up the sound device, and for a moment the artifact's screech turned into a deafening wail.

Then everything went still.

My heart was pounding. The box was sealed, and the artifact was gone.

Llewellyn stood in the middle of the street, breathing hard.

Penguin ran toward me, chittering furiously.

I sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Then, I realized Llewellyn was staring at me. I was covered in blood.

Tiernan came running, followed by someone I hadn't met before—a guy in his twenties who moved like a dancer or a martial artist or both, and who introduced himself as Yuè Zhōu.

They both refused to leave me alone until Roan could take my vitals.

"I've taken potions," I said, raising my hands. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Well, for another minute or two.

I confirmed anyway.

"Can you remove your concealment so we can take a better look?" Tiernan asked. "You're all blurry."

"Better not," I said—and they all seemed displeased.

I let my eyes rake around.

Fuck, the whole place was a mess.

"We'll take this back to HQ," Shea said, powering down his sound device. "See if we can figure out where it came from."

"You two need a ride?" Roan asked.

The sudden silence—after all the metal and screeching—was a relief.

Llewellyn shook his head. "It's better we teleport out of here before the press arrives. Or even worse, KARMA."

"Good point," Tiernan said. "We should disappear too."

"Can you handle them if they do?"

"Our license still holds and we've managed to renew it. They're not going to like it, but there's nothing they can do."

"Good," Llewellyn said.

The 12 minutes were up, and pain speared through my body.

A notification popped up.

[System Notification: To speed up your recovery, consider maximizing physical contact with Partner for shared Healing Bonus.]

Llewellyn seemed to have received the same notification, because his head shot up and he came closer immediately, grabbing my arm. Despite my best intentions, I crumpled into him.

Llewellyn froze for a moment, seemingly startled, then an arm circled my waist.

"We're leaving," Llewellyn said in Tiernan's direction, but my head swam and I couldn't make sense of Tiernan's reply.

Llewellyn gathered Penguin in his other arm and teleported us away.

Chapter Text

I collapsed forward as soon as we materialized, and my vision blurred.

Hell, why couldn't the System just give me a proper potion? What the fuck was this?

It looked like I said that aloud, because the System pinged.

-

[System Notification: Healing rate reduced due to high damage severity.

Standard Potion Absorption diminished until stabilization.

Recommendation: Increased physical contact with Partner to activate Healing Bonus effect.]

-

Healing Rate was reduced due to damage?

What kind of System design was that?!

A big wad of… something soft and frantic came running and skidding across the floor. It took me a moment to realize it was a small dog.

I let Llewellyn maneuver me until I was sitting down somewhere.

"Don't move," Llewellyn said. He took a moment to scratch the dog's head, then sat close so that we were touching from shoulder to calf.

The dog stood on hind legs, patting Llewellyn's knee with tiny excited paws.

Meanwhile, right next to me on the sofa, Penguin seemed to be running in a circle, anxious, before plopping himself down, seemingly unsure whether he should stare at me or at the dog. He'd probably never seen one before, now that I thought about it.

Just then, the dog noticed Penguin too and abandoned Llewellyn to go and sniff him. Penguin looked alarmed for a moment—then bopped him on the nose.

Both Llewellyn and I snorted.

The healing stats in my interface were crawling upward, and I could suddenly breathe again.

I deactivated the concealment artifact and shifted awkwardly, not sure if I was supposed to acknowledge the physical contact. Probably not, but.

"Where are we?" The taste of metal and blood lingered on my tongue. Llewellyn was sitting close enough that I could smell the faint tang of his sweat.

That shouldn't feel so relaxing. What was wrong with me? I closed my eyes, my body almost turning into a puddle.

Llewellyn didn't answer right away. I could feel him lean back slightly. When I opened my eyes to check, he was studying me with a scowl.

"I should have taken you to a hospital," he said, frowning.

"I'm better already," I said. "But you didn't answer my question."

A set of panoramic glass doors revealed a view of the city below that extended to the promenade, the sea, and beyond.

As I looked around, I took in the stylish, modern lines of what looked like a penthouse's interior, with polished wooden floors, minimalist decor, and… was that an art pottery collection?

"I didn't know where you live," he said, a bit gruffly. "This is my place."

"Wait, am I getting blood all over your white expensive sofa?!" I tried to pull away.

Llewellyn's hand shot out to stop me, pulling me back.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said, annoyed. "It doesn't matter. And the System can clean it easily anyway."

What?

"Really? How?" That was news to me. Could I get it to do laundry, too?

"There are System-generated cleaning products," Llewellyn said. "Don't worry about it."

Oh, that's what he meant.

Well, that was disappointing.

I settled back into the sofa, the healing warmth spreading through my body, even as I tried not to lean into Llewellyn too much.

"Why do you live here?" I asked, looking around with a bit of envy.

Llewellyn seemed amused. "Resources come with the job," he said. "It looks like you haven't taken advantage of it yet."

He wasn't wrong. Why had I negotiated such a comprehensive contract if I just kept living in the hole that was my flat? Though to be fair, I just hadn't had the time. I hadn't even been able to sort out Gran's nursing home bills so that I was the only one responsible for the payments from now on. There was no reason for Gran to have to pay most of her pension for it now that I could cover it; it was not like working for the agenc—

Wait. Shit!

I patted myself, looking for my phone.

"What are you doing?" Llewellyn said, frowning.

"I need to let my manager know I'm in no condition to work the shift tonight."

I couldn't spring this on Altan again, it was too late.

Llewellyn pulled out his phone instead.

"Focus on recovering," he said. "I'll tell Emma. Let me deal with this."

The System pinged again.

[System Notification: Healing efficacy plateaued. Recommendation: expand contact area.]

"…"

What was wrong with the System?!

I watched Llewellyn's ears go red.

"It's working fine," I said. "We're safe now, it doesn't matter if it takes me a bit longer. You should go and eat something, have a shower, whatever it is you do after a fight."

Penguin hopped onto the armrest, peering at us with round, curious eyes. He chirped softly, and Llewellyn reached up to pat his head.

"Don't be ridiculous," Llewellyn told me. He paused, however, considering. "I'll just go and grab some tea and water," he said. "Don't move." And he got up.

I let my head tip back, breathing in the warm air.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

I woke to warmth and the smell of fresh shower gel and clean fabric mixed with something else—what was it? It was nice.

My face was pressed against soft cotton, and for a moment I couldn't remember where I was. Then I registered the steady rise and fall of breathing that wasn't mine.

My eyes snapped open.

I was curled into Llewellyn, my face buried into his shoulder. He was asleep, lying on his side facing me, our bodies pressed together along the entire length of the sofa, his arm around my waist. A cashmere blanket had been pulled over us.

Oh.

I tried to ease back without waking him, but there was nowhere to go—the back of the sofa was right behind me. My movement must have disturbed him anyway, because his arm tightened reflexively, pulling me closer.

My stomach jolted. I tried to control my breath and not have a meltdown.

On the coffee table, I could see two mugs of tea, long since cold, and a glass of water, still full.

He must have come back, found me asleep, and... decided to lie down? No, he seemed to have showered and changed into his pajamas first. The System had recommended sustained contact for healing, but—

I let my eyes roam. Penguin was asleep on a corner of the blanket, leaning into Llewellyn's dog, who was sleeping curled into a ball.

Llewellyn stirred, his breath ghosting against my hair, then my cheek.

I froze. I hoped he'd settle back into sleep, but his breathing had changed.

If last time had been awkward, this was much worse. And the worst part was, I didn't want to move away.

Llewellyn blinked slowly and hummed, voice rough with sleep, confused. Then he seemed to register our position and froze too. For a moment neither of us moved.

After a few seconds, Llewellyn pulled back slightly, though not enough to actually create distance between us on the narrow sofa. "How do you feel?"

Um.

"Fine," I said.

This was a lie. I was probably going to keel over any moment.

The glass of water looked inviting. Llewellyn followed my gaze and reached out without comment, handing it to me.

I lifted my body slightly and took it with a thanks.

"What time is it?"

"Late night," Llewellyn said, checking his phone. "You've been asleep for about four hours."

Four hours.

"I should go," I said, sitting up properly now and looking around for my shoes, even though I couldn't leave the sofa until Llewellyn moved.

"Emma sorted out your shift," Llewellyn said, frowning. "There's no need to rush."

"Ah, yes, thanks." Yes, that was good. "But I should let you get back to whatever you normally do with your evenings."

Llewellyn frowned again. Then, his hand reached out and he pulled me back down on the sofa.

I blinked, startled. What!

We looked at each other.

"Give me two minutes," Llewellyn muttered, closing his eyes. "You need to eat something before you leave. You lost blood."

"I'm still covered in blood," I shot back, but didn't try to leave again.

Our movements had woken his small dog, who had jumped off the sofa and was now on hind legs again, front paws pressing against Llewellyn's back, wagging his tail. Meanwhile, Penguin had sneaked under the blanket and was worming his way between me and Llewellyn.

"That's Lumos, by the way," Llewellyn mumbled, clearly referring to the dog. "He'll expect you to pet him."

Lumos?

I grinned. Well. I could see why he didn't find my choice of name for Penguin that well thought out.

The mental image of Llewellyn yelling Lumos to call his dog was hilarious.

I eyed the tiny tail-wagging thing and reached out beyond Llewellyn to scratch his ears.

As I did, my fingers accidentally brushed Llewellyn's temple and I felt Llewellyn go extremely still.

"…"

I petted Lumos and pulled my arm back slowly.

I considered apologizing, but then, I wasn't the one who'd got us into this situation to begin with. Sure, I'd said I was okay with this last time at the cabin, but.

Then again, what was I even complaining about? It's not like I hadn't wanted to do this again. Besides, thanks to him, my health stats were almost back to normal.

I let out a breath and gently patted Penguin, who'd finally reached the end of the blanket. He chirped, looking up at me, then flopped over and burrowed into Llewellyn's chest instead.

Honestly.

Well, at least he had good taste.

Llewellyn's eyes remained closed, but when Penguin snuggled into him, his lips quirked up.

Then he pulled me closer, to ensure we were maintaining physical contact.

Oh.

That wasn't necessary anymore, but.

I pressed back a bit, feeling far too warm, and closed my eyes too.

Chapter Text

After several minutes, Llewellyn opened his eyes.

"For the record," he said, looking more awake now and somewhat peeved, "when I said 'Don't think, just act' during our training that didn't include bleeding to death."

I snorted.

"I'm very much alive, as you can see. No death involved."

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed. "Not for lack of trying."

"That's the risk of combat. You weren't in an easier spot. I could do it, so I did it—and here we are, both alive. What's the big deal?"

Llewellyn looked like he was going through different stages of… something. His scowl deepened.

"I wouldn't have died if the shards hit me," he said. "That was reckless and unnecessary."

"Your skin would have literally been torn off! Are you insane?"

"It would have not. Give me some credit—I don’t go down that easily."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "If you think I'm just going to stand there and risk it while I can do something about it, you must be very deluded about the nature of this partnership. Would you let me go through that?"

Llewellyn opened his mouth, ready to argue, but closed it immediately, looking displeased.

I just looked back at him, eyes narrowed.

Penguin’s little head moved back and forth between us like he was watching a pinball game.

After a moment, Llewellyn sighed. "What kind of contract do you have? Does it have an end date?"

Hey, now. I'd just saved his life, and he was trying to get rid of me?!

For a moment, I felt incredibly hurt.

"Trying to get rid of me already?"

"What? No, that's not—" Llewellyn pinched the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated. "I'm just asking if it has an end date."

"It does not."

I'd checked that before, obviously. Though that still didn't mean that the System couldn't revoke it if I didn't measure up to whatever it had in mind.

Llewellyn nodded.

"Then," he said, "if you’re really serious about this, you should ask the System what it runs on."

Wait—

What?

Was it in his contract that he had to be so cryptic?!

"What do you mean?"

"That's all I can say about it," Llewellyn said.

I opened the System window.

Llewellyn's hand shot out to catch my wrist. "Not now," he said.

Huh?

"It—" He frowned. "Mm. Just make sure you have at least an hour of free time when you do that." He let my wrist go. "And that you've recovered properly."

That sounded ominous. Was this going to activate some kind of test? Life or death fight?

But he'd just thrown a tantrum because I'd lost a bit of blood. That didn't sound right.

While I was considering this, Llewellyn's dog, who'd been trying to get our attention for a while, got fed up and jumped on the sofa, snuggling closer until he could rest his head on Penguin, who chirped happily and booped his nose again.

Llewellyn snorted and closed his eyes.

However, the new addition had created some space between us, and I missed the body contact immediately.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

When Llewellyn finally managed to get up from the sofa, it was midnight. He moved toward the kitchen, yawning, apparently deciding I needed food whether I agreed or not.

He suddenly changed course, however, before coming back with a big towel and some clean clothes.

"The bathroom's there if you want to shower," he said, as I was playing with Lumos. "Get all that blood off. I'll make something to eat."

Penguin hopped down from the sofa and followed him into the kitchen, looking ready to help.

I scratched my head.

Well. I was self-conscious about showering here, but I did need a shower.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

"…"

Llewellyn’s bathroom was ridiculous.

The shower alone was four times mine, with multiple shower heads, and a rainfall setting that felt like standing under a warm waterfall. I didn’t even know these things existed.

I scrubbed the grime and blood off my skin, letting the shower run for longer than I should have and already regretting that I couldn't relive the experience soon.

When I finally dragged myself out, I discovered that the floor was heated. Even the towel was absurdly fluffy.

Damn it. I was going to upgrade my living situation as soon as I had the time to sit down and talk to the System. I'd been missing out on so many conveniences.

I dried off quickly, pulling on the clothes Llewellyn had given me. They were soft and comfortable, and the sweater was—of course—cashmere. I couldn’t help but wonder if he just had a closet full of the stuff.

I glanced at the mirror. My hair was still damp, falling over my eyes, but my skin was clean and flushed, and the dark circles under my eyes seemed a little less pronounced. Considering that four hours ago I'd almost bled to death, I looked almost presentable.

In the kitchen Llewellyn gave me a distracted look, then did a double take and looked away.

I frowned. Why were the tips of his ears red?

Anyway.

I reached out for my phone and— What?

I had thirty-six missed calls and eighteen messages. More than two dozen calls were from Gran.

Fuck. That didn't bode well.

I scrolled through the messages, trying to assess the situation. Niamh had sent three with video attachments.

The first showed me slumped against Llewellyn, blood streaking down my side. The concealment artifacts had blurred our features but anyone would recognize us immediately. I suppose these kinds of concealment artifacts were meant for casual encounters, not high-profile battles in the open. The video was grainy and a bit blurry, making it look dated, but apart from that not much else had been hidden.

The second clip was shot from a window and captured a section of the fight: the giant metal cat, me bleeding onto that cursed keyring. It was bad.

The third was just a random moment of us ducking as the keys were flung around.

At least the concealment seemed to have worked properly on Penguin, considering that he wasn't in any of the videos. Maybe his powers had augmented the effect.

Niamh's final text just said: "They're everywhere. Hope you're ok. Emma let us know, so Altan took over your shift. No need to worry. Call me when you can."

I sighed. I was really starting to owe them too much.

Well, I couldn't do anything about it now.

I wandered into the kitchen, following the smell of food, then looked up from my phone and blinked.

"…"

The kitchen was huge. The stove had more burners than I'd ever seen, and—was that an actual wood-fired pizza oven built into the wall?! Who needed a pizza oven in their flat?

A big island with a massive slab of white marble stood in the middle, but the kitchen was so big that there was extra space for a dining table without even beginning to look remotely cramped.

Did Llewellyn really need all this?

I shook myself. We had more pressing matters to discuss.

"We're on the news," I said, "Someone filmed us."

From the stove, Llewellyn's expression didn't change, but I saw his jaw tighten slightly.

I really had to call Gran. Her last call was only ten minutes ago, so she was still awake—and unlikely to fall asleep until I called back.

I tapped on her number and waited.

"Gran?"

"Oh, my heart." Her voice sounded relieved. "You're alive. I've been watching you get thrown around by a metal cat on the news for the past two hours!"

Damn it.

"I'm fine. I fell asleep so I missed your calls, I'm sorry. I got potions and proper healing, it looked worse than—"

"Not your boy, my ass!" Gran said. "When were you going to tell me you were involved in this? Didn't I tell you not to get hurt? You couldn't even walk!"

Llewellyn set a plate of sandwiches down, raising an eyebrow at me.

I hoped he hadn't overheard that.

He was still in his blue pajamas as he bustled around the kitchen, and I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to feel things about it. I dragged my gaze away.

"I can walk," I said. "It's fine. It was a Destabilized Artifact situation, we just found ourselves in the area."

"I know, they had experts on to explain it," she said. "Three different experts. One of them called you 'astoundingly reckless' and said you have a death wish."

No, what?

"I don't!" I closed my eyes. "Which channel?"

"All of them. You're trending on social media too, according to the nice nurse who showed me her phone."

Kill me now. Hopefully they hadn't found out who I was?

Gran's voice softened slightly. "You are safe now?"

"I am," I said. "I'm not injured anymore. I'll come visit you soon so you can see for yourself."

"Good," Gran sighed. "And no more bleeding on television."

I grinned. "I'll do my best."

She huffed. "Be careful, love. Say hi to your boy for me."

…Huh. I hoped Llewellyn was far enough in his massive kitchen not to have overheard that.

After she hung up, I stared at my phone, dreading the thought of opening the other texts.

I thought it over and just put my phone away and ignored them.

"That sounded fun," Llewellyn said, gesturing at me to sit down and eat.

At some point while I was in the shower, he'd made steak, potato fritters, scorched rice, salad, and a variety of sandwiches. There was also kimchi, pickled carrots, hummus, and something fried I didn't recognise that looked delicious. Maybe some kind of battered vegetables?

I stared. That was excessive.

It was midnight! True, that was basically the equivalent of late morning for me—likely not for him though. Besides—

"How did you even manage all this? I wasn't in the shower that long."

"Penguin helped," Llewellyn said.

Penguin chirped from the counter, looking like head of kitchen operations.

Lumos was padding slow circles around Llewellyn’s legs, tail swaying, casting him hopeful looks with each pass.

"I just fed you," Llewellyn said. "You're not getting more."

Lumos paused, sat, and fixed him with a deeply betrayed stare.

"Don’t give him anything," Llewellyn added toward me. "He just had a full steak."

I made no promises.

Chapter Text

Anyway, back to more pressing matters.

"Gran saw the news," I explained between bites. "And then the nurse said—" Wait. I needed to see how bad it was. I opened social media. "Shit. She was right. We're trending."

"How much detail did they show?"

I pulled up a news site and we watched the coverage as we ate.

The footage was grainy, probably due to the artifacts, but unfortunately clear. You could see the giant cat, the flying keys, me almost diving into the keyring and bleeding all over it.

This particular news channel had looped the same thirty-second clip of the fight three times already, the footage showing Llewellyn's sword flashing in the air and my water geyser erupting.

The anchor's voiceover dripped with faux concern: "—heroic efforts, but questions remain about the System's reliance on unqualified personnel during high-risk scenarios—"

The screen cut to a wide shot of the evacuated street. My own figure blurred at the edges, I assumed due to the concealment artifact struggling against camera lenses.

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed. "They blurred the bloodstains. How considerate."

They also hadn't shown the actual gore by the look of it, the severed head and limb. The anchor had only mentioned "casualties" without specifics.

I wondered how the girl with the severed arm was doing. I hoped she would be able to recover.

The segment switched to a panel of talking heads. A woman with an annoying voice was saying, "This so-called hero and his sidekick clearly lack proper training. Throwing themselves into danger without KARMA oversight endangers civilians and—"

I muted the video. "Sidekick?"

"Be grateful they didn't call you something worse."

Ugh, he wasn't even wrong.

Still nothing on how the injured were doing.

We switched to another channel.

"—while the immediate threat was neutralized, experts question whether such reckless improvisation has a place in artifact containment. Should civilians with no formal training really be—"

Oh, for fuck's sake. I already had enough.

I was about to turn it off but—they were going to interview someone?

Ah, damn it.

"Not Asshat," I groaned.

On my screen, round horn glasses and slimy face, Henry Hoverhasset—commentator, self-styled expert, and absolutely unbearable public figure—was talking about "reckless civilians interfering with artifact containment", and how people should determine carefully whether we were "heroes or hazards".

"Better than last week," Llewellyn said dryly. "He called me a 'menace to public safety'."

I didn't generally feel like punching people, but he was definitely an exception.

The segment chyron read: "Hero Culture and Civilian Endangerment — a Public Reckoning."

"What we witnessed today," he intoned, "was not heroism. A young civilian, visibly wounded, bleeding over a Destabilized Artifact in a crowded urban zone—under the supervision of Innishae's so-called hero. Is this the standard we can expect now?"

I resisted the urge to fling my phone across the kitchen.

My mind went longingly to that time the #HHasshatGoHome tag was trending.

As he went on, his slickly crafted outrage suddenly reminded me of someone else.

I frowned and went to check RightSideofHistory's account.

-

RightSideofHistory - 3h ago

Not to be that person, but maybe we shouldn't be encouraging untrained civilians to bleed on unstable artifacts in the middle of a crowded district? Just a thought.

RightSideofHistory - 3h ago

No, sorry, I'm not over it. What was the plan exactly? This is some of the most amateurish fighting I've ever seen. And you're all foaming at the mouth because he has a little partner to tuck into his side after the battle? Please.

RightSideofHistory - 3h ago

To everyone in my inbox: this isn't about him. I hope he recovers fully and gets whatever care he needs. That doesn't mean we ignore what happened.

RightSideofHistory – 2h ago

I need someone to explain to me how people died and your takeaway is "he looked hot holding his little support partner". We are so unserious as a society.

RightSideofHistory – 2h ago

To be clear: I don't blame the civilian. I hope he's okay. I hope he gets distance from this whole mess. I blame the golden boy who let it happen. Who stood by while a kid bled out trying to compensate for his tactical failure.

-

What the hell? Who's the kid?

-

RightSideofHistory – 2h ago

Do you know what it looks like?

It looks like a PR setup.

It looks like they let that civilian get hurt for the footage.

And all of you bought it.

RightSideofHistory – 1h ago

The internet is cooing over these two while real people are burying their dead. This is what hero culture does. It turns war into spectacle.

RightSideofHistory – 1h ago

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you think fighting Knots and related magical problems excuses you from moral responsibility, you are already complicit. He's not fixing the problem. He is the problem.

-

...What was wrong with this person?! Why didn't she step in and fight, if she thought she could do better?

People liked to complain about Llewellyn, but it's not like anyone else was doing anything. Except for running their mouths online or sometimes showing up with signs somewhere.

If he just stopped stepping in, would they be happier? Or just blame him for the higher death count too?

Why the hell was this all on him? Why was it his responsibility alone?

-

RightSideofHistory – 1h ago

People used to be horrified when civilians got dragged into Knot events. Now they ship it. Do you not see how far we've fallen?

RightSideofHistory – 1h ago

And don't say "he didn't ask for this". He brought someone into a live combat zone. Either he didn't know the risks (lol) or he didn't care. Pick one.

-

...Was she really using me to attack Llewellyn now? Did she want to die?!

"Stop reading that," Llewellyn said, pushing the plate of sandwiches closer to me. "Eat."

I wanted to crush my phone, but closed everything and picked up a sandwich instead.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

We ate while chatting easily, with Penguin chirping occasionally, and Lumos doing his best impression of a starving dog.

The food was really amazing. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating.

Llewellyn seemed satisfied, eating steadily too and randomly commenting on Penguin's contributions.

Penguin mostly just chirped happily, then stole pieces of steak when we weren’t looking and dropped them to Lumos.

"…"

Afterward, we cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Or more precisely, Llewellyn protested whenever I helped out, and I told him to fuck off.

He lasted three minutes. Then, he dragged me to the living room, pushed me down onto the sofa, and dropped both Lumos and Penguin on top of me.

"Keep him there," Llewellyn told them. "I'll be back in a few minutes." And went back into the kitchen.

Penguin chirped.

...Honestly.

Lumos looked up at me excitedly and flopped over across my legs, showing his belly.

I snorted. Alright then.

Chapter Text

"I should head home," I said as soon as Llewellyn came back, checking the time. It was past two in the morning already. "Thanks for—"

Llewellyn frowned. "You're not going anywhere."

Huh?

"What?"

"You were unconscious four hours ago, got electrocuted, and lost enough blood to fill a small bucket. Unless you're heading to a hospital or you live with someone who can drag you there if needed, you're not going anywhere. Do you?"

I closed my mouth.

I felt fine—but. Well. If the roles were reversed I'd tell him the same.

Besides, Llewellyn was clearly ready to argue, and I couldn't be bothered right now.

"Fine," I relented with a sigh. I placed Lumos on the floor and got up. "What then?"

"I'll show you to the guest room," Llewellyn said, shoulders relaxing. "Come on."

He led me down a hallway with Lumos trotting beside us, while Penguin chirped down at him from my arms.

I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but they seemed to have become friends. Lumos's nose was pointed toward Penguin, and whenever Penguin chirped at him, his tail wagged.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

The guest room looked like it came straight out of a magazine—which to be fair, after seeing the rest of the house, was not really a surprise.

Still. It looked amazing.

On the right, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Baekhaven. The blackout curtains were pulled wide open, showing the city lights in the distance as well as what looked like lights from boats. Or, well, if that really was the promenade and I wasn't just getting it wrong in the dark. My sense of direction generally sucked.

The bed was huge, with soft white bedsheets, and there was a sitting area with a cozy armchair and a small desk.

"The bathroom's through there," Llewellyn said, pointing to a door on the left. "There should be everything you need. Ah, wait."

He disappeared for a moment, then returned with a set of pajamas and a new toothbrush still in its packaging—and pushed them into my arms.

I sighed. This was really unnecessary.

"Don't start," Llewellyn said. "You never know when a new Distorted Realm is going to open up and if you fight in this state you'll get yourself killed. Get some rest."

Penguin chirped and hopped off my arms and onto the bed, immediately testing the pillows.

"I'll grab another blanket," Llewellyn said. "This room tends to run cold."

Before I could tell him not to bother, he was gone.

Ah, well.

Lumos looked torn for a moment, clearly unwilling to be separated from Penguin, but in the end loyalty won out and he trailed behind Llewellyn.

"See?" I told Penguin. "You should learn from him."

Penguin didn't dignify that with a chirp.

I changed into the pajamas Llewellyn had handed me and went to brush my teeth in the ensuite bathroom.

This one looked less dramatic than the previous one, but... not by much. The mirror lights came on automatically and I was afraid to touch anything in case it activated a massage session or revealed a hidden sauna or something.

I dried my face on what was definitely an expensive towel, and padded back into the guest room.

By then, it had already been a while. Llewellyn still hadn't come back and I was exhausted, so I just climbed into bed.

I shouldn't be this tired, surely? These weren't my normal sleeping hours; usually I'd still be at the beginning of my shift—and I'd slept on Llewellyn's sofa too. Maybe it was the blood loss.

It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't bought a new mattress yet. Should I ask Llewellyn where he got this one? It was stupidly comfortable.

Penguin chirped contentedly. It looked like he also agreed.

A few moments later, Llewellyn came back, holding a fluffy blanket. He saw me collapsed in bed and snorted.

Ah, damn it. I'd hoped he'd forgotten.

I pulled myself up.

"Don't bother," Llewellyn said, draping the blanket over the bed. "No need to get up."

This was really too much. What was next? Breakfast in bed?

As I tried to find a non-awkward way to thank him, the System pinged.

[System Alert: Partner's Vital Signs destabilized! Risk of delayed collapse! Recommendation: Maintain sustained proximity to stabilize.]

Wait—what?

I stared, suddenly alert.

Llewellyn froze too, looking confused.

"What did you do?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Llewellyn blinked. "I didn't do anything."

"This says your vital signs are destabilized and you risk delayed collapse!"

"Yes, I'm seeing it too." He frowned. "I'm pretty sure I'm fine."

Tall, smug bastard—always thinking he was indestructible. Even the System was probably in love with him.

I must have lost more blood than I thought, but—

I reached for his forearm, and pulled him down onto the bed.

Llewellyn fell forward, looking startled, and braced himself on top of me.

We stared at each other. For a moment, neither of us moved.

"What are you doing?" Llewellyn asked. His voice was weird.

"It says 'Maintain sustained proximity to stabilize'."

Llewellyn looked down at me, like he was trying to figure out something.

"I'm sure being in the same flat would suffice," he said, but he still didn't move off.

"Does it?"

His arms were on either side of my shoulders, and he briefly glanced down at my mouth.

…Maybe I'd imagined the last part.

The System pinged immediately.

[System Notification: Physical contact is recommended for increased Healing Bonus!]

I grinned. Ha!

The bed dipped a little further under his weight. I wet my lips.

"You didn't seem to mind it on the sofa," I said.

Llewellyn's eyes unmistakably landed on my mouth this time.

"You didn't seem to mind it at the cabin."

"I didn't."

Neither of us moved.

His gaze dropped again, and when he looked back up, I felt it in my stomach.

He hovered there for a second longer, then let out a breath.

"Fine," he said. "Scoot over."

Chapter Text

I woke up to Llewellyn half on top of me. His nose brushed my throat, his arm was flung over me, and our legs were—

Yeah. Tangled.

"…"

I stared at the ceiling.

I'd brought this on myself. No one else to blame here.

I wanted to move, but.

I didn't want to wake him.

Nothing had happened last night, but clearly that was worse. I could feel where his breath kept landing, making my whole body clench.

Llewellyn stirred.

Ah, damn it.

If I stayed still, completely still, maybe he'd settle back down—

I felt his fingers tighten around my waist.

"You're awake," Llewellyn murmured, voice low, nosing a little closer.

I swallowed. My body felt hot.

"Technically," I managed. "I was hoping you'd be the one to wake up first and make it weird."

There was a beat. I could feel Llewellyn thinking.

He shifted, lifting his head just slightly, eyes finding mine.

"How weird?"

Great. Amazing. I was going to die in this bed, apparently.

I made the mistake of looking at his bed hair, then at his mouth.

Uh.

"I thought—" My words caught. "Wake-up-in-a-panic kind of weird? Maybe I could add a dramatic yelp. You fall off the bed and I deny remembering ever pulling you into bed with me."

Llewellyn's lips quirked up.

"This is not the first time we've shared a bed," he noted. "And you're not yelping."

"I'm… choosing silence."

"You're talking."

"Silence doesn't work when you're—uh—looking at me like that."

What was I even saying?!

Llewellyn's fingers flexed around my waist.

"Should I stop?"

I really couldn't breathe properly. My body was having opinions. Loud ones.

…What was the question again?

"You're—very close," I muttered.

"I'm aware."

A breath passed. Then another.

If one of us leaned in—

But we didn't.

Llewellyn exhaled.

One part of me wanted him to move away. The other really didn't.

He felt hot on top of me. And breathing against my lips. And smelled unfairly good.

And I wanted to grab him by the collar and—

No. No, we were not doing that.

I was dying to. That was the problem.

And right now I could just yank him forward very slightly and—

But.

If this became a thing, and I fucked things up, and he refused to partner up with me anymore, the next time the System sent him in, he'd be alone.

With his 67% chance of lethal outcome.

He'd even asked if my contract had an end date, and I hadn't even fucked anything up yet!

I wanted to kiss him.

But I didn't want him to die.

…Wait, that sounded wrong. My kisses weren't poisonous.

The point was, this was a bad idea.

Llewellyn's weight shifted, bringing him fractionally closer. My pulse hammered so hard I was sure he could feel it.

"You're thinking very loudly."

"You're—" I swallowed. "Not helping."

He lowered his head, nosing at my jaw, until he found my ear. "Should I help?"

My whole body jolted. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

"You're doing this on purpose," I accused after a moment.

"Doing what?" Llewellyn said. "I'm not—doing anything." A beat. His voice was low, but not as steady as before. "You haven't even yelped yet."

"…"

I was really going to die.

"Your ears are red," I fumbled, just to shift the attention off me.

"Are they?"

"Yeah."

"Mm."

Somehow my hand was on his back—and. Under his shirt. When had that happened? Anyway, it was not like I was going to take it back.

I closed my eyes and repositioned slightly.

"Let's… pretend I'm still asleep."

Llewellyn's nose brushed my cheek. "That would be easier if you stopped talking."

This asshole.

My heartbeat felt annoyingly loud in my ears.

"…You're not going to get off me, are you?"

"That depends. Do you want me to?"

I opened my eyes again. I'd sort of… turned toward him even more, apparently. Not that there was any distance at all. He was still half on top of me. But now our lips were really as close as they could be.

"…No."

Wait, I hadn't meant to say that.

Can't the System send a notification or something?! Like, [System Notification: Sexual engagement with Partner right now will yield optimal outcome!]

Llewellyn didn't move but his fingers tightened slightly. His mouth kept hovering too close to mine.

I wanted to roll him over, pin him down, and take him on this bed. Or the reverse, I wasn't picky.

This was terrible.

…Now that I thought about it, he probably preferred the reverse. Suddenly, I was imagining it. Superimposed onto our last… training.

I shivered.

The problem here was that he seemed… very willing. And.

Obviously I was.

The last thing I wanted was to give the impression that I was rejecting him.

Ah, what a mess.

Maybe I should just take his clothes off and pull him down.

The hand on my waist had found skin. Then his fingers slid down to my hipbone.

I was burning up.

"You're still here," I said.

"You said not to move."

"That was ten seconds ago."

"…Besides—"

"Besides?"

"You're holding me here."

I—Oh.

Yeah, I was doing that.

The hand not under his shirt had somehow ended up in his hair. It was... stupidly soft. Llewellyn let out a shaky breath.

This was going to go down as the worst case of blue balls in history. Not yanking him into a kiss at the very least sounded like the stupidest idea anyone had ever had.

I tugged on his hair without meaning to. Just a little.

Llewellyn made a noise that went straight to my—

"…"

We stared at each other, his lips parted in what looked like half-shock.

I'd never seen him this flustered. If he didn't move off soon I was really going to—

From somewhere to the side, Penguin chirped.

Then Lumos barked too, for good measure.

Llewellyn's forehead dropped onto my sternum and he took a deep breath. After a long moment, he rolled off the bed.

"I need caffeine," I said.

What I actually needed was… yeah, not that.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

In the kitchen, I leaned back against the counter, hoping it grounded me.

Llewellyn brushed past to grab a mug, and his shoulder bumped mine. Then he turned the coffee machine on and started making coffee.

I stared at the full mug Llewellyn handed me, and tried to remember how to be a person who wasn't overly preoccupied with ripping his clothes off and getting my mouth on his jaw, his throat, his—

"Is this coffee," I said, "or am I being tested."

"You haven't even tried it."

Yes, but. It looked too watery.

I took a sip, just to prove my point, but it was actually very good.

Llewellyn clocked my expression and looked smug.

…This was torture.

"Your hair's a mess," I said, just to hit back with something.

He raised an eyebrow. "I think that's your fault."

"…"

Okay, that backfired.

Llewellyn reached around me to get a spoon, so for a moment I was caged in.

Even that felt good. What the hell.

I took another sip. "You always hover this much in the morning?"

"I like to use the counter."

"There's an entire counter on the other side."

"This one has you in front of it."

Ah, damn it.

"…" I took another sip and met his eyes. "So it's a territorial thing."

"Possibly," Llewellyn said. Then, rougher, "You're wearing my clothes."

…Oh.

Llewellyn's ears went red and he stepped back immediately, like he wished he could rewind that sentence.

I had to stop myself from following. I was literally one full-body impulse away from dragging him back and damn the consequences.

This was the worst test of willpower I'd ever failed while still technically passing.

I rubbed my face.

"I—Um. Before I go—"

I wasn't sure what I should say. I really didn't want to go.

Just then, the System chimed in.

[System Notification: Setting up a new training session is highly recommended! Awaiting joint confirmation.]

No, what?!

I mean, at least my input was requested this time, but was this the best time to schedule sweaty, hands-on, boundary-pushing, possibly soaked, pinning-to-the-ground action with—

We both groaned.

We were saved from having to reply by Llewellyn's phone vibrating nearby.

Llewellyn frowned and reached out for it.

"Tiernan," he answered.

I couldn't hear what he was saying, but Llewellyn's expression didn't look good. "Are you sure?"

A longer pause.

"Alright, thank you. Let me know if you find out more."

Llewellyn hung up and moved closer again, to make his own coffee this time.

I should have probably moved, but… I didn't.

I was caged in again. He stayed there.

"Tiernan has just received the first results of their analysis. Apparently, the artifact had been tampered with, then forcefully activated from a distance."

Chapter Text

Once I finally got home, I put Penguin down on the couch, sat down, and opened the System window.

I hadn't forgotten what Llewellyn had said yesterday and I definitely had a full hour available now, so I could do this while I tried not to… think about the rest.

I stared at the System window for a moment, then asked,

"What do you run on?"

The System answered immediately:

[The System runs on Magic.]

"…"

That meant absolutely nothing to me.

Why did Llewellyn think this would be of any help?

I opened my mouth, but, before I could formulate another question, numbers and words suddenly flashed across the window in front of me, then started scrolling faster and faster before they all stopped.

Then, the System asked:

[Would you like to access the Core Partition?]

Wait—

I stared in shock.

Core Partition?! What? That was a thing?

How had he even found out???

"Yes!" I said quickly.

Holy shit. Had Llewellyn given me some sort of… passcode?

[System Notification: Scanning required. Accept scan?]

I confirmed the prompt again.

[System Notification: Initiating scan of User Ryo. Please remain still.]

A wave of warmth swept over me from head to toe. It felt surprisingly good.

Penguin perched on the armrest, craning his neck to watch with curious eyes. I'd ignored him a bit that morning, so I reached out and tickled his head. He seemed to have had fun with Llewellyn's dog in the meantime, at least.

Penguin cooed and slid down the armrest and onto the couch, waddling closer. He chirped as I petted him.

[Scanning in Progress…]

[Scanning Complete.]

[Verification in Progress…]

The wait was killing me.

“Think the Core Partition comes with any special features?" I asked Penguin. "Like maybe a hidden settings tab for free perks?”

Penguin chirped.

I sighed. “Yeah. Probably just another wall of menus. Still, I wouldn’t complain if it gave out free snacks.”

Penguin tapped his beak lightly against my sleeve.

"You want a snack too? I need to make you try more foods, so we can buy the ones you like."

Actually, I really did need to go grocery shopping. I'd run out of pretty much everything.

"Next time, I’ll bring you along. Just… better not as a penguin, I suppose. If people think you're a real penguin, they might ask if I have an exotic pet license. And if they think you're an artifact, we might have to deal with KARMA. It might be safer if you’re a wristwatch. Or maybe a sugar glider? You can hide in my hoodie.”

Penguin chirped, looking like he liked that plan.

A few seconds later the System pinged. It was a different kind of ping—almost excited.

[System Notification: Verification Complete! User has been successfully verified!]

[User Ryo meets all required parameters for Core Partition access! Would you like to proceed with Core Partition access?]

Wait, wait—

"What exactly did you verify?"

-

[System Notification: Four core parameters were evaluated:

User's Integrity
User's Magic
User's Heart
User's Resistance to Corruption.]

-

I blinked. What?

"…And I passed all of those? Can I see the results?"

-

[System Notification: Results breakdown.

User's Integrity: 98.8% (Exceptional)
User's Magic: 92.3% (Strong Potential due to Instinctive Permeability)
User's Heart: 99.2% Heart Capacity (Nearly Unprecedented)
User's Resistance to Corruption: 91.7% (Highly Resilient)]

-

"…"

That didn't seem right. Was this some kind of System bug?

First of all, what kind of metrics were those?!

And besides.

I definitely wasn't that resistant to corruption. Gran could probably bribe me with a jar of homemade kimchi. Maybe even with a slice of cake—and not even a big one.

And 99.2% Heart Capacity? If that meant what I thought it meant, that was ridiculous. If anyone threatened me or my loved ones, I’d burn them down where they stood without thinking twice. I wasn't Llewellyn. Going around helping people I didn't know wasn't my style. Not my circus, not my monkeys, and all that.

Feeling like I'd accidentally opened someone else's mail, I said, "Run it again?"

I remained still as the wave of warmth swept over me again.

However, the results were the same.

[System Notification: Assessment is based on Core Essence, not achievements. Results are accurate within 0.03% margin of error.]

…Well, whatever, I guess. I wasn't about to complain about getting a good score.

Might as well reap the benefits of this misunderstanding as long as it lasted.

I thought about it for a moment.

"Does Llewellyn know about these... parameters?"

[System Notification: User Llewellyn has undergone similar verification. Individual results are confidential.]

Something occurred to me then and I narrowed my eyes.

Llewellyn, you asshole. What better way to check if you can trust your new partner than have the System run a deep search for you?

He'd probably thought: the System saddled me with this guy, the System can run the background check.

Even if results were confidential, if we kept working together he'd likely find out whether I gained access or not—which would give him a sense of my results. I'd assume you'd need a certain threshold to be allowed in, so that would still tell him something.

Still, I couldn't fault him. I would probably have done the same.

[System Notification: Would you like to proceed with Core Partition access?]

Obviously. Yes.

Actually, wait—

"Will this change my contract terms with the System?"

[Clarification: Terms remain unchanged.]

Nothing to lose, then.

"Then, yes. Please give me access."

[System Notification: Initiating Core Partition access sequence.]

[Preparing personalized environment. Please wait.]

Huh?

[Analyzing User's needs and preferences...]

[Calibrating spatial parameters...]

[Adjusting ambient conditions...]

Okay, that was weird.

"What exactly are you doing?"

[Clarification: Current analysis includes stress response patterns, Elemental affinities, cognitive processing style, comfort associations, and aesthetic inclinations derived from User's life experiences.]

I blinked. "What for?"

[System Notification: Emotional and preference-based feedback is used to enhance User experience.]

I mean… "Thanks?"

[Unnecessary. User comfort and satisfaction is integral to System efficiency.]

Well. I didn't know what to do with that, so I did nothing.

It took another long moment, then the System pinged.

[Core Partition access granted!]

Chapter Text

A moment later, I was standing in a… library?

No, wait.

"…"

…What was this place?

At a glance, it seemed to be some sort of large, sunlit… luxury hotel suite, one of those expensive places with multiple connected rooms I'd only ever seen in movies.

From where I was standing, I could see a medium-sized library with glossy wooden floors, plush rugs, and tall windows with curtains in the kind of fabric I probably knew the name of, but would never match to the right thing in real life. Well, I could tell that they looked expensive, though.

Beyond a wide doorway, I could glimpse a bedroom with a large bed, king-sized at least, with a thick blanket folded neatly at the end.

The library itself—where I was standing—had elegant bookshelves, several armchairs that looked ready for someone to sink into, low tables, and, near the window, a cushioned nook with tasteful blue pillows.

More shockingly, however, dusters were dusting the books by themselves, almost merrily. Flying watering cans were watering the plants in the corners and, as soon as I noticed the circular dining table, the cup on it filled up with hot chocolate, steam curling upward.

A faint smell of polished wood hung in the air.

[System Notification: Welcome to the Core Partition! This space has been configured for optimal learning conditions.]

"Configured for— This is a learning space?"

[System Notification: The Core Partition is not a learning space by default. Its appearance and functionalities adapt to User preferences and needs.]

Well. I suppose I did need to learn, rest… and apparently be surrounded by luxury?

Wait, was this because of my reaction to Llewellyn's penthouse?!

Luxury aside, this place had nothing to do with Llewellyn's house; though I couldn't help but think it had exactly the kind of vibe where calling out "Lumos" would've felt right.

I eyed the inviting large bed visible in the next room and my mind wandered briefly. I really wouldn't mind being pressed down onto it.

Wait, no. Focus.

I wondered what Llewellyn's Core Partition looked like.

He had the perfect house already, so—what could his preferences and needs be?

"…"

…Wrong phrasing again.

I was so fucked.

I rubbed my face and turned to the System window.

"Could you please elaborate?"

[Further elaboration: The current configuration is based on User's cognitive processing style, comfort associations, and aesthetic inclinations, and operates according to the design principle of "Productive Loafing with Ontological Benefits".]

"…"

Was the System making fun of me?

"What are you on about?"

[Clarification: In this configuration, the User may use the Core Partition to study a preferred discipline, either actively or passively, or rest and expand his Magic subconsciously. The Partition Status will recalibrate according to needs.

Current Partition Status: Dignified Lazing.

Partition Logic: Magical Enhancement via Elegant Doing Nothing.

Growth through Passive Osmosis: Enabled.]

I mean… The more it went on, the more I felt like the System was making fun of me.

My eyes landed again on the lavish bed. Surely, the System wasn't implying that coming here to take a nap would make me stronger?

"What do you mean by Growth through Passive Osmosis?" I asked, because it seemed to be exactly what it was implying.

[Clarification: The User can utilize this space to learn in three configurations:

- Active Study, reading and learning from any material on the shelves;

- Passive Osmosis, placing one selected book on the nightstand to absorb its content during sleep;

- Instinctive Expansion, experiencing the Partition without selecting any material, enabling subconscious expansion of Magic through instinct. Instinctive Expansion remains active at all times while in the Core Partition, but is intensified by sleep.]

I stared at the notification, then back at the bed. "So you're telling me I can literally learn magic by napping?"

[System Notification: Affirmative. Currently Recommended: 1 hour-long nap in the Core Partition every day.]

I was speechless.

Did the System disapprove of my night shifts as much as Gran did? I couldn't believe it had gone so far as to build a luxury suite to make me nap.

I walked to one of the windows and peered out.

From what I could tell, this room really seemed to be housed within some sort of luxury castle-like building.

"How is this different from the training environment I used with Llewellyn?"

[System Notification: Training environments are constructed according to standard simulation algorithms. This space sits at the core of Magic itself.]

Huh? What does that even mean?

Maybe I should rephrase.

"Okay, try that again, but dumber. Pretend I have no idea how the world works."

The System paused for a moment.

[Clarification: Magic is the fundamental substrate of Reality.]

[In technologically driven societies, individuals no longer retain knowledge of how to interact with Magic directly.]

[Magic, therefore, has adapted, shaping itself into something humans can engage with: an Operating System.]

[The "System" functions as an interface, providing Users simplified access.]

[Direct use of Magic outside System automation is possible for skilled individuals.]

Wait—

I stared around, baffled.

This was life-changing information. Even if I didn't learn a single thing here, I'd never be able to look at the world in the same way.

And Llewellyn had just… handed this to me? Why?

And how the hell had he found out?!

"How do people find out about this?"

[System Notification: Access is restricted to individuals who can trigger the passcode through an appropriate prompt, and who meet the necessary conditions.]

So, the passcode must be "The System runs on Magic", which I'd triggered by asking what the System runs on. And I assumed "necessary conditions" meant passing the scan.

...But that still didn't answer my question.

"Do you ever tell anyone to input the prompt?"

[System Notification: The System cannot reveal, direct toward, or hint at the Core Partition or disclose a prompt to trigger the passcode.]

"How has Llewellyn found out then? Has anyone else?"

[System Notification: The System is not authorized to disclose that information.]

"Not authorized? You're the System. Who exactly is authorizing you?"

[System Notification: The System doesn't require external authorization.]

"So…?"

[System Notification: The System is not authorized to disclose that information.]

"…"

I frowned.

"So, what are you, exactly?"

[System Notification: The System is the System.]

…Honestly.

"I mean, what is your function?"

[The System is a multidimensional interface running on Magic as an Operating System.]

[Primary Function: Crisis Management. Detect, manage, and resolve disruptions in the fabric of Reality known as Knots. This includes Dungeon creation, mission matchmaking, and related tasks.]

[Secondary Functions: Skill distribution, contract offers, shop management, User support, and more.]

Huh.

"So what's the Core Partition, exactly?"

[System Notification: The Core Partition holds the purest, most fundamental manifestation of Magic as an Operating System. It stands halfway between the System and pure Magic.]

[Access to the Core Partition grants direct, guided access to pure Magic, enabling the User to study, shape, and master Magic across countless disciplines and paths beyond the System's predefined abilities.]

So… not just Elemental Magic?

I was more and more dumbfounded.

I took a look through the shelves. Fundamentals of Elemental Theory, Fundamentals of Geometric Casting, Advanced Geometric Applications in Magic, Beginner's Modular Glyphwork… My head spun.

"What kind of Magic is available?"

[System Notification: The Core Partition offers an infinite path to Mastery extending to all types and paths of Magic. Available categories include:

Elemental Mastery (Advanced)
Geometric Casting
Glyphwork Casting
Advanced Qi Techniques
Direct Path Magic
Invocation Practices
Non-Form Magic
Chancebinding
Recursive Crafting
Unruly Arts
Memoryfold Techniques
Origin Logic
Errant Creation
Dream-State Sharing
Nullcraft

…And 47 additional categories]

Damn.

"And if I just take a nap, I can learn it all?!"

[Clarification: Passive Osmosis allows the User to learn the content of ONE (1) book per nap. However, knowledge gained remains theoretical until refined through practical use.]

Oh.

Well, but that was still great.

I ran my hand over the spine of the books.

I'd been thinking about the training session with Llewellyn, so On Instinct: The First Language of Magic and Breath and Bone: Elemental Foundations in Martial Flow caught my eye. A section on how Elemental powers (especially Earth, Water, and Air) affected body tension, stance, and release seemed particularly interesting.

Next to them, Unlicensed Field Notes: Magic Without Structure and Self-Tuning Rituals (Draft 4) seemed to be unfinished.

Books on Potions, Rituals, and various Cultivation paths could also be spotted at a glance.

"The stuff I can learn here— How is all of this different from the skills and abilities I've been using? Like Elemental Insight or Thread Moderation?"

[System Notification: Standard System skills are surface-level applications based on magical algorithms and how they interact with the User's nature. The Core Partition allows guided exploration of the fundamental principles of Magic itself, independent from System algorithms, granting deeper understanding rather than pre-programmed abilities.]

"What about Attributes, then? Aren't they supposed to be based on the User's deeper nature?"

[Affirmative. The codification of the User's nature into Attributes permits their interaction with the System's algorithms, determining the automation of all other skills.]

That was smart.

So the outward System seemed to be a way to automate deeper magical workings.

And then there was… this place, like some sort of backend access.

…This was absolutely insane.

I suddenly remembered the hot chocolate and went to check it out.

It was still steaming.

I ran it through the System before picking it up and taking a sip. It was rich and dark with just a bit of hazelnut in it.

Amazing, honestly.

"Can I bring Penguin in here?"

There was a pause.

[System Notification: Companion-level Entity 'Penguin' registered as bonded. Import approved.]

A soft pop sounded, then Penguin dropped onto the rug with a muffled squeak and rolled once before flapping upright. He looked slightly ruffled, but otherwise fine.

He blinked at me, then turned in a slow circle, taking in the partition.

I moved closer to scoop him up.

"Cool, right?"

A second later, a small tray slid out of the nearby wall with a faint click and came flying toward the table. On it were a neatly arranged portion of diced fish, a small silver spoon, and a folded linen napkin.

Penguin chirped, delighted.

Well. Looked like the Partition had decided Penguin was an honored guest.

I ran the diced fish through the System too, just in case, but it really seemed to be just food. I put Penguin down on the table, next to the tray, and watched him as he nibbled at it happily.

[System Notification: Additional Magic Tools that best suit the User's nature are also available. Further details can be provided on request.]

I blinked.

Wait—Magic Tools?!

And it was only saying this now?!!

"Yes!" I quickly added. "Show me."

Chapter Text

The window expanded, transforming into something that looked like a three-dimensional map of the world.

Bright spots lit up across continents, all covered in huge areas of color that moved slowly.

[System Notification: Welcome to Global Magical Monitoring. User may review magical flows and access Dungeon details, like Danger Level, Loot Tier, and Boss Type.]

Wow. Damn.

I could check which Dungeons had the best rewards?

I knew that Llewellyn didn't technically deal with Dungeons most of the time, but I had a great time in Mondwyn Harbor and—well, Llewellyn did say that he liked to loot. He might not be against tackling some, if they had great rewards.

[System Notification: Global Magic Monitoring also shows Recent Artifact Movement: both unstable (Red) and stable (Blue).]

I leaned forward, and spotted a handful of scattered golden dots.

"What about those?"

[Clarification: Golden dots indicate Legendary artifacts.]

Huh.

Wait, was that one in Baekhaven?!

"Can I zoom in?"

The map responded to my gesture, focusing on Innishae.

This was incredibly cool.

"Can you tell me what that Legendary artifact in Baekhaven actually is?"

[Negative. Identification beyond class and status is not supported.]

Well, one couldn't have everything, I suppose.

"What about the kind of environment inside a Dungeon? Can I see that too?"

There was a pause.

[System Notification: Dungeon environment remains unknown until entry.]

I frowned. That didn't seem right.

"Didn't you say you were going to include Mondwyn Harbor in future Dungeons because you value User happiness? Or something."

[Correct. User feedback is stored post-entry and used to influence future configurations.]

I stared at the screen.

"So you make the Dungeon. Why can't you tell me what's in it?"

[Clarification: Dungeon environments are generated algorithmically and do not come into System notice until Users experience them. However, Dungeon details like Danger Level, Loot Tier, and Boss Type can be viewed through Global Magic Monitoring.]

I rubbed my forehead.

"So, if I decide to tackle one, I'd just have to walk in blind and hope it's not, like, a haunted nursery or an exploding amusement park?"

[Affirmative.]

Ugh. Seriously? This wasn't ideal. A person who couldn't swim wouldn't agree to tackle a water park, for example.

I scanned the rest of the map.

"What about these broader colored areas?"

[Clarification: Global Magic Monitoring allows observation of broad magical currents and environmental trends. Data indicates areas with increased potential for Knot formations, but does not guarantee outcomes.]

"So… basically Magic Weather Reports? Like a thirty percent chance of a Knot forming in a specific area?"

[Affirmative.]

Well.

The artifact movement was the most interesting.

Thin lines connected major cities, some probably legitimate trade routes, others clearly black market channels, others maybe just owned by people or sitting there.

Not even Karma had access to this, I was sure. If they figured out I had it, I'd probably have to worry that they would confiscate me, not Penguin.

…Speaking of Penguin.

I looked up.

Penguin had just finished his fish.

I watched him lick the spoon, then try to curl into a ball under a napkin.

"All good?" I asked.

His only answer was a soft hiccup. It looked like he liked fish.

I snorted.

I went back to my screen and experimented with different filters, cross-referencing artifact movements with Dungeon locations.

Certain artifacts tended to appear in specific Dungeon types, and it looked like black market activity always spiked in areas with recent Distorted Realms, which was not really a surprise.

Penguin waddled over, looking sleepy and well fed.

I scooped him up and he perked up, staring at the map interestedly.

"Those are all artifacts," I said, pointing at the screen, and Penguin chirped, suddenly looking more alert.

"Oh, right, I forgot you like artifacts."

Penguin chirped twice and stared at the map with great interest, but apart from that, he didn't seem to have any particular comments.

I put him down and glanced around. The hour would probably be over soon.

As I stretched, my eyes landed on a display cabinet I hadn't noticed before, with glass doors and even spotlights inside.

Wait a second…

I moved closer to check.

Inside was a miniature of Llewellyn, coat and all. His face was incredible, almost lifelike. Even the skin looked like it might be soft. It was like someone had taken the real Llewellyn and shrunk him down. 

I stared. 

There was also a miniature of the Knight's Monument statue—similar to the one I'd bought in Mondwyn Harbor but somehow better, the details flawless. Next to it a small replica of Llewellyn's sword was placed on a stand while, all around, pics, stills, and moving frames of some of my favorite clips played on a loop.

"…"

This place had made me a full Llewellyn fan shrine?! 

This was mortifying. 

Should I thank it for not having added a giant cutout or something?!

…Though not that I would have actually minded.

Llewellyn could absolutely never see this.

I opened the cabinet to inspect some of the items. Damn, they were great. I picked up the miniature. The coat fabric felt almost like the real one—and so did his hair.

...Wait, maybe that was crossing a line.

Feeling a bit awkward, I put everything back then turned around and sat down on the sofa, thinking.

"Can I just move in here? What are the limitations?"

Honestly, why would I want to go back to my flat after this place?

[System Notification: Due to current stats, User Ryo cannot spend more than an hour a day in the Core Partition. This time can later be increased.]

How was I supposed to do anything in an hour?!

"Can I take anything out of here?"

[System Notification: Negative. All books, training material and props must remain in the Core Partition.]

Damn it.

I exhaled and leaned back into the sofa. One hour and I couldn't take anything out. I could see why it made more sense to take a nap.

Still, a free magical luxury suite that fed my Elemental, let my Magic become stronger as I slept, provided free, never-before-heard-of Magical books, let me track Dungeons and artifacts and didn't ask me for rent? Yeah, I'd take it.

[System Notification: Time remaining: 3 minutes.]

No… Already?!

"Is there a way to improve my time limit here? Besides just raising my stats?"

[System Notification: Strengthening of User's Magic will automatically extend the time allowed. Advanced practitioners' time may be extended for up to 12 hours.]

Penguin yawned, clearly ready for a proper nap. I scooped him up, taking one last look around.

"Alright," I said. "Exit Core Partition."

I had to go and visit Gran.

Chapter Text

When I arrived, Gran was in the common room, sitting by the heater with a blanket over her knees and a paperback in her hands. The cover had a cartoon bloodstain on a teacup. She was frowning.

"You guessed the murderer already?"

"They gave it away with the chemist's boots on page twelve. I'm reading to see if the author thinks I'm stupid."

I snorted and sat down in the chair in front of hers.

"See?" I said, spreading my arms. "All limbs attached."

She eyed me from above her reading glasses, then marked her place and closed the book.

"Come here," she ordered after a moment, then pulled me into a hug as soon as I stepped closer. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Oh.

Well, VR games probably, but. That wouldn't be a smart reply here.

As I pulled back, I told her about the System contract, and that Llewellyn had been training me. It'd only been a single training session so far, but… I thought she might find it more reassuring than if I just answered 'VR games'.

Gran leaned back, adjusting her glasses. "That boy's in the news more than the weather. Am I going to be seeing you there just as often now?"

I winced. I didn't want to think about that.

I slumped into the armchair. "Only if you watch it," I mumbled.

Gran snorted, setting her book aside. "Well. Despite everything, you've got better color than last month, less gray around the edges."

Wait, did I? That was probably just all the Magic swirling around inside my body.

We drifted into small talk. I tempted Gran to play some Dungeon and Realms, but it was transfusion day and she was tired.

"Don't overdo it," she admonished when it was time for me to leave, pulling me into another hug. "And don't think I won't keep up with your shenanigans on national TV."

I grinned, but rubbed my temples as I headed out.

I really had to make sure to stay out of the news as much as possible.

Before I left, I tracked down her doctor to ask about her condition. It looked like she was stable, at least.

"At her age, the disease often progresses slowly," she explained. "She's been lucky. Of course, we'll do everything we can to make sure she has the best quality of life for as long as possible."

Right. I swallowed. This was probably the best version of this conversation I was going to get.

As I walked home lost in my thoughts, it occurred to me that I'd taken those blood replenishment potions after the fight.

Gran was on weekly transfusions. Couldn't she take some too?

As far as I knew, most doctors didn't work with System-generated materials and consumables. They weren't tested in clinical trials and so, technically, they weren't approved for medical use and couldn't be prescribed. But surely magic could be beneficial here?

Granted, the duration of the potion I used was limited, but there might be different ones. I'd have to check.

I was halfway down the street, mulling this over, when someone stepped right in front of me.

The man had a phone out, recording, and a press badge hanging from his neck. Behind him, someone was following with a camera.

Ah, shit.

"You were just on the news fighting that Destabilized Artifact," the man said. "With Llewellyn."

My whole body locked up.

"Wrong person," I said, stepping around him.

He sidestepped with me.

I was sure I'd equipped a concealment artifact after leaving. I remembered doing it. Why could he spot me?

"What do you think about your sudden fame?" The reporter pushed the phone closer. His badge looked legitimate, but I didn't recognize the logo. "Must be overwhelming, going from nobody to Llewellyn's partner overnight."

I tried to move past him again. He blocked me.

"Move," I repeated, sharper.

"Just a few questions. The public deserves to know—"

I could feel the heat crawling up my throat. I clenched my jaw before I could tell him that the public could go fuck off, as far as I was concerned.

"Is it true Llewellyn recruited you personally? What's he like when he's not saving the world in silence? Cold? Arrogant? Or just used to getting away with things?"

My fingers tightened around the Concealment Coin in my pocket. I pressed harder, hoping to at least make things more difficult for the camera.

Nothing.

Something was off. I'd equipped a wearable AND I was trying to use the coin and neither was working.

"What's he really like?" the reporter continued. "Does he ever talk about why he refuses to speak up? Why does he hoard information about the Knots? Are you concerned that he left you out to bleed?"

"He clearly did not leave me to bleed," I gritted out. "Move."

"People are dying. You've seen that, haven't you? What do you think about him choosing silence again and again—while civilians clean up the aftermath? Do you ever wonder if he sees you as disposable too?"

I needed to get out of here.

"Isn't it fair to ask if he could stop more deaths? Why he never does interviews, or releases information, or engages with community response efforts? Don't survivors deserve answers? That he's deliberately keeping secrets—"

My blood was boiling. Should I just ask the System to teleport me away, right in front of him?

I could already see the posts about abusing System access to dodge public accountability.

"What made you want to work with him? Haven't you seen the concerns people are raising online? Don't you think they have a point about Llewellyn's methods?"

If this guy started quoting Hoverhasset at me, I was going to throw him into the drain myself. The man with the camera behind him kept recording.

"Get the fuck out of my way."

"So you're saying the public shouldn't have a say? Don't you think that keeping him accountable is important?"

"I said, get the fuck out of my way."

"Some viewers are wondering—if he can control Elemental forces at a Transcendent level, why do so many people still end up dead?"

The reporter's questions kept coming. The cameraman behind him kept recording. Every time I tried to sidestep, they got in my way.

"He's good at leaving bodies behind. Do you think he even remembers their faces, or are they just numbers to him now?"

"…" My hands were shaking. I only noticed once my fists were clenched.

"Does he ever explain how he chooses which lives to save and which to let rot? What's the ratio, would you say—lives saved versus lives shattered? Does Llewellyn ever save people for their sake, or only to watch them crawl away half-dead?"

That he could actually say that with a straight face—

What the fuck was wrong with these people?!

"With that kind of raw power and no accountability, don't you think Llewellyn's started to believe he's above consequence? Wouldn't you say online Knot activism is the only thing keeping him in check? They're raising awareness. They're building pressure. They're doing everything they can to create change—petitions, campaigns, public calls for action—because someone has to. Because Llewellyn can't be left to his own devices. Don't you think public opinion, the regular people, are well within their right to demand answers?"

Fuck this.

"I'm sure the online masses will save us next time a Knot appears," I gritted out. "Maybe if they post enough, or collect enough signatures, the Knots will just stop on their own. You know, to show solidarity."

I knew this was bad before I even finished the sentence, but my whole body had gone white hot and I couldn't shut up.

The reporter's eyes lit up. 

"So you're saying the public's concerns are invalid? That ordinary people should just bleed to death for him and don't even question—"

"I'm saying get the fuck out of my way."

"You just left a nursing home," the reporter continued, glancing back at where I came from. "Visiting someone? Family, perhaps? I'm sure our viewers would love to know more about the person behind—"

My stomach sank.

"Don't you dare."

He smiled, sensing he'd found a nerve. "Public figures don't get to hide their—"

Water erupted from me in a wave. It was so high someone could've probably surfed on it.

It crashed over them, drenching them both, along with the camera.

They sputtered, stumbling back.

"My equipment!" The cameraman fumbled with his soaked camera.

"Is that how you treat the public? Keep rolling. The people should see this."

Fuck. I hadn't meant to do that.

I pushed past them while they were still wiping water from their faces.

"This is who Llewellyn picked?" the reporter went on, venomous. "Says a lot. When we saw the clips, we thought—maybe this person will keep Llewellyn accountable. Maybe he's someone who could make him see. Who can tell right from wrong. Maybe he'll be a good one to follow! Who can lead us out of these dark times! Maybe we have a new hero, now. We were wrong."

I stopped. Was he on drugs? I'd been seen with Llewellyn twice, and nothing of what had been shown had been even remotely heroic or virtuous.

I turned to look at him. "If I'm your idea of a moral leader, you're in worse shape than I thought."

"People will see this," he swiped his drenched hair back. "They'll see exactly what kind of person Llewellyn trusts. You act like you're here to save people, but that's a lie. They'll see this. They'll say you're no hero. They'll say you're not someone any community should look up to."

...What was everyone's obsession with communities these days?! That was the word people hid behind when they wanted blood. I'd watched them layer sanctimony on sanctimony, then burn someone for fun.

I wasn't going to play this fucking game.

"They'd be right. I'm not a good person—that's Llewellyn. I'm not here to save anyone either. What was your point again?"

"There it is. The truth, straight from Llewellyn's hand-picked mouth. Exactly what we expected. Just another fraud, pretending. A monster surrounding himself with monsters."

Calling Llewellyn a monster—

"Go fuck yourself," I said, seething. And left.

I ducked into the first alley I found, and asked the System to teleport me home.

My apartment materialized around me.

Penguin immediately bounded over, took one look at my face and started chittering anxiously.

"I'm okay," I told him, sinking onto the couch and rubbing a hand over my face. "But I just made a really fucking stupid mistake."

Chapter Text

I pulled out my phone to text Llewellyn but stopped.

What should I even say?! The clip would be online within minutes, probably.

Penguin climbed onto my shoulder, chittering anxiously.

"I know," I sighed. "I need to tell him."

I tapped on texts, then on 'Llewellyn'.

Ugh. I bumped my forehead with my phone a few times.

Ryo: …

Llewellyn: ?

Ryo: Just… avoid reporters? And the internet. As you always do. Keep doing that. But more.

Llewellyn: I wasn't planning on joining a livestream. Will you tell me what this is about or should I find out myself?

Ryo: Give me a few minutes. I don't know how bad it is yet.

That was true.

Or—well. It was, for about five seconds longer.

Then a text from Niamh popped up on my screen. It had a link.

[NewsNowBen]: Just had an INSANE encounter with the mysterious man seen with Llewellyn. When I asked about public accountability, he mocked concerned citizens and suggested online activism was useless. Then he ASSAULTED me with Water Magic! Thread below 🧵

Attached a video: "Llewellyn's Partner ATTACKS Public Concerns About Knot Crisis!"

Fucking hell.

It had been, what—seven minutes?

Niamh was still typing. I shut my eyes and waited to be fired via text.

Niamh: That. Was. AMAZING.

"…"

Wait— What?

Ryo: I blasted a reporter in the face?

Niamh: BRILLIANT

Was she drunk?!!

Ryo: You do realize we're going to be moderating this for the rest of our lives???

Niamh: Yep. I already told Altan to cancel his plans. He said 'worth it'.

Oh, damn it. Altan.

Ryo: Tell him I said sorry.

Niamh: Just did. He said 'never apologize for art'.

Niamh: …He also just added that you owe him a director's cut.

She sent a screenshot of his replies.

How were they so calm?!! I'd just accidentally assaulted someone! On camera!

Not to mention drowning us in work for the foreseeable future!

I went back to the video. It had 30,000 views already.

Thirty thousand views.

Internet bloodbath in 3, 2, 1…

The comments were pouring in.

-

[user384]: Is this real?????? this can't be real

[emergencybanner]: we don't even know who this guy is and he's already power-tripping on camera????

[gutfolded]: The cruelty in his voice. The absolute contempt.

[notapragmatist]: he really said "I'm not a good person" like a Bond villain then committed battery on camera

[mossgossip]: i don't even like hoverhasset but he was right 😭😭😭

[knotplot]: The fact that he immediately resorted to VIOLENCE says everything

[spitebride]: that reporter wasn't even being hostile. he just asked a QUESTION. and got fucking waterboarded

[perfectpies]: I was THERE. you have no idea. he threatened a whole crowd, not just the reporter. people were scared

-

"..."

I'd splashed two assholes with a camera! There wasn't even anyone else!

What should I expect next? "He threatened the city"? "He wanted to wipe out humanity"?

-

[eyecontactenjoyer]: oh wow, he's too jaded for petitions. so edgy

[scrollingintohandcuffs]: this man radiates "i'm too tired and smart to care" energy. congrats. we get it. You're miserable. Some of us still want to help

[tearsofreform]: this is exactly why people stop trying. you put yourself out there, you care, and this is what you get

[knotkinetic]: Knot activism isn't a punchline. Survivors aren't a setup for your detached protagonist moment.

[crackedhourglass]: you know what gets me? he never even answered the question. just full-on sneered and attacked

[sadreptile]: he wasn't even provoked. he went looking for a fight. That's who Llewellyn trusts

[fluffybones]: the casual contempt in his voice?? like people haven't lost FAMILY to this

[stitchwitchery]: he LITERALLY admitted that llewellyn could prevent knots but chooses not to!!! did no one else hear that???

-

If I could have it my way, Llewellyn wouldn't be fighting anything—he'd be as far away as possible from anything trying to kill him.

Still. That wasn't even remotely close to what I said.

-

[quirkhell]: You can tell everything you need to know about Llewellyn by who he lets stand beside him.

[hissingdrawer]: so much for 'he's just introverted'. no. he picked someone who hates us

[brokenpens]: there's edgy and then there's "I'm not a good person" with eye contact

[buttonpressing]: This was not a misstep. This was a mask drop.

[knotknotwhosdead]: he chose someone who mocks grief and then attacks a reporter. not a coincidence

[safespacesandra]: I'm literally shaking. We've been trying to hold him accountable with love and THIS is what we get?

[frostedscorn]: no wonder Llewellyn likes him. Silent rage and public contempt? They're a perfect match

[hopeforcivilians]: If this is how his inner circle thinks, how does he talk when the cameras are off???

[reuprising]: when people tell you who they are, believe them. he said he's not a good person. I believe him.

[velvetgrapes]: I hope they know what they did to people tonight. I hope they understand the damage

[paradewrong]: I can't believe I ever said Llewellyn was doing his best. I feel stupid

[truthspeaker]: The mask slipped. We see you now.

[leftinqueue]: we went from "Llewellyn's mysterious" to "he picked a snide war criminal as his partner"

-

"…"

Looked like it was war crimes now. Give it a day and I'd be accused of toppling governments. A week and I'd apparently started all the Knots myself.

…Oh no, there she was. Does she never sleep?!

I clicked on her profile.

-

[RightSideofHistory]: This is EXACTLY what I've been saying. They don't care about us. They mock our pain while playing hero. The violence, the dismissal, the utter contempt for accountability—it's all there. Thank you for exposing this.

-

Well, she wasn't wrong about contempt. I had plenty right now.

-

[RightSideofHistory]: 'Maybe if they post enough—or collect enough signatures—the Knots will just stop on its own. You know, to show solidarity.' Let that sink in. This is what they think of us. Of our grief. Of our demands for transparency. We're a joke to them.

[RightSideofHistory]: I was willing to believe he was just another exploited civilian. I was. But if you watch that clip and still think he's the victim here, I don't know what to tell you.

[RightSideofHistory]: He mocked the people who've been organizing. He insulted survivors. But tell me again how we're the unreasonable ones.

[RightSideofHistory]: If this is who Llewellyn trusts, then everything I've ever said about him stands. All of it. This is the person he chose. Contemptuous. Violent.

[RightSideofHistory]: They think this will pass. It won't. We won't let it. #EndTheKnotsNow

-

The hashtag was picked up immediately.

-

[tremendousfish]: If they can mock us, we can demand answers. #EndTheKnotsNow

[voicesunited]: They want us silent while people die. Not anymore. #EndTheKnotsNow

[justiceknox]: Solidarity isn't a joke. Our pain isn't entertainment. #EndTheKnotsNow

-

…Fuck. Not this again.

Her follower count was skyrocketing, the reblogs multiplying.

I checked our work platform.

Every single Llewellyn-related forum was on fire. The mod queue had thousands of items. New threads were popping up faster than anyone could track:

"LLEWELLYN'S PARTNER REVEALS TRUE COLORS"

"They're LAUGHING at us while we DIE"

"PROOF They Could Stop Knots But Won't"

"Time to DEMAND Real Answers #EndTheKnotsNow"

-

[dailypaperghost]: This is the guy Llewellyn lets speak for him? Wow.

[empathalchemist]: you can be disillusioned without being an asshole. he chose to aim his fury at the wrong people

[knotyourbaby]: Love how Llewellyn's PR strategy is 'my boyfriend hates you all'

[archivegut]: right!! Llewellyn saw the internet and went "let's pour acid on it!" Incredible

The video hit 500,000 views.

[griefispolitical]: The world is burning and people still think empathy is cringe. No wonder we're here.

[starmapfailure]: there's no way to explain the feeling of watching someone with power LAUGH at you for caring. like. sorry for trying. sorry for believing we mattered

[ravenin3D]: i cannot describe how deeply this hurt. the thing about systemic silence is you never know who's on your side. then they open their mouth and you find out they were never on your side at all

[handheldstorm]: i spent YEARS defending Llewellyn. saying "he's grieving", "he's not ready to speak". but THIS? this is the person he trusts? this is who he stands beside? I was so wrong

[cinnamonrage]: So tired of being told I'm naive for believing the world can get better. If you think that's pointless, fine. Just stop spitting on the people who are still trying.

[rootwine]: we were asking for help. we were pleading for transparency. and their answer was "maybe if you post enough." god.

-

This was a fucking nightmare.

Niamh was messaging again.

Niamh: I know you're still reading. Ignore RSoH. Read these instead. They're funnier.

Huh? There was nothing funny about any of this!!!

Still, I opened the link.

It was the same video, but on a different platform.

-

[bigbuh]: he really just blasted a reporter with WATER MAGIC lmaoooooo

[scrapemercy]: new guy shows up out of nowhere, bleeds out in public, almost dies, and then THIS! I feel insane

[thirteenthtoast]: I didn't know who he was five minutes ago and now I'd die for him

[weirddogtime]: new guy lasted like 3 minutes before threatening the press

[cyberratzzz]: you can see the exact moment he snaps. amazing

[exhaustionjoyride]: the sarcasm? the complete lack of diplomacy? the splash damage?? we need more of that

[guyincatshirt]: he said "fuck your feelings" and hydro-pumped a journalist 💀💀💀

[truthseeker99]: Finally someone said what we're all thinking

[cheeseisadeity]: diplomacy is dead, this man drowned it in a drainpipe

[gravitysad]: i'm in tears. "maybe if they post enough"??? bro you're on camera

[wheatpastemiracle]: why was that the most cathartic thing i've seen all week

[breadmilkjustice]: he's so real for that. so deeply, spiritually exhausted. I could cry

[elbowprophet]: tell me why this video healed me. tell me why i feel seen.

[unregisteredshade]: man said ✨wet✨ and left. iconic.

[flimsyknife]: let's be real. this was one of the best media drops of the year. he was raging and right

-

Meanwhile, in my private messages.

Niamh: I'm watching the video on a loop. I'm waiting for the gifs. I'll make them myself if no one else does. And audio clips—I need you as my ringtone. Also! I'm buying you a cake.

Why was she so excited about this!!!

Ryo: I don't want a cake!

Niamh: Okay I'm eating the cake, but it's going to have your face on it.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ryo: We're all going to die! Starting with me!

Niamh: We were already dying. Now we're dying in style! And surrounded by Blastoise memes.

I dragged a hand over my face.

Penguin's little beak suddenly clamped down on my earlobe.

Ouch.

I must have been ignoring him for too long without realizing. I picked him up off my shoulder and settled him in my lap.

Niamh: Anyway, I don't know where you sit with this, but personally, I'm really enjoying the shippers.

No, what?!

She sent another link.

…Did I even want to know?!

I clicked on it.

-

[shipboon]: you're telling me this unknown guy is hot, morally concerning, bleeds dramatically, and casually destroys equipment when provoked????? he's perfect

[loworbitshipping]: "not a good person" is how all the best ships start

[shelvedlust]: enemies to lovers?? no. public menace x weary god-tier hero who's too tired to stop him

[softsignal]: my villain era fave. morally grey love interest who uses water magic on the press for his beloved. I'm salivating

[memoryleakage]:

people: "he's not a good person"
me, rocking back and forth: "no. he's his person"

[pixelthirst]: the way he just went unhinged on camera?? you know Llewellyn is watching that footage like 👀

[hearthazard]: "not a good person" sir you're a menace and a walking hatefuck and I thank you for your service

[swordsandteeth]: I don't need them to kiss. I need him to pin Llewellyn to a wall and snarl "mine"

[midnightrotations]: the way he lost it on camera??? yeah he's railing Llewellyn against some dungeon building in my head rn

[dungeonpastry]: no thoughts just him crowding Llewellyn against a stone pillar with both wrists pinned and that look in his eyes

-

What!!!! I was doing what!!!!

…I don't think my face had ever been so hot.

-

[tapedeckdreams]: y'all are sleeping on how protective this was. he just dragged the hate off Llewellyn and tanked it all himself

[cachekissed]: "I'm not a good person" = I will protect you in ways that make the internet scream

[malachitewine]: someone please write the one where Llewellyn shuts him up mid-rant by kissing him quiet and then pushes him down onto a bed

[llewrandolo]: not me watching him drench a reporter on camera and immediately picturing Llewellyn soaked through and glaring at him

[hyperjuniper]: i need the fic where mystery guy soaks Llewellyn in training and then they "have to" wrestle it out on the floor

[bonechime]: the way he spat "the online masses"??? Llewellyn's about to shut him up with teeth on his throat don't @ me

[veinmirror]: you're joking but you cannot convince me Llewellyn doesn't want to drag him back home and ruin him for being this feral in public

[altarbreaker]: we all saw that video. now imagine Llewellyn pinning him to the mattress, quiet voice in his ear: "done?"

[blueviolet]: picture him. pinned down, Llewellyn's weight holding him there, Llewellyn's breath against his neck until he gives in

[smokestem]: you can't convince me they don't end up bruised, bitten, and still going

[ironrelic]: llewellyn covering his mouth with a kiss as they're at it and then murmuring, "want more?" in his ear

-

My phone rang.

Llewellyn.

"…"

…Absolutely cursed timing. Let me die.

I wasn't even sure I could speak properly.

"Don't say anything," I said, face still on fire, answering the call. "I know I fucked up."

Llewellyn sighed. "Just stay offline."

"I'm supposed to start my shift in—"

"Don't even think about it. Emma will handle it."

Oh, for fuck's sake. He really needed to stop interfering with my job.

Unfortunately, he was the client.

Speaking of which—

"You should probably say something publicly and distance yourself from me in like… the next three hours at most."

A pause.

"Did you hit your head too, while you were at it?"

I exhaled. "You're really bad at PR."

Llewellyn seemed amused. "So are you."

There was another pause, then Llewellyn said—

"...Do you want to come over?"

"…"

No. Yes. What!!!

I really, really shouldn't have opened that link.

He should be angry at me, not—

"I know you're not going to log off if you're there by yourself," Llewellyn added.

I mean, he wasn't wrong.

But.

I was there only a few hours ago? This morning? In bed? When I almost—

And then in the kitchen!

I stared at Penguin, who'd wandered off again when I got distracted. When he noticed me looking, he ran toward me again and plopped himself down in my lap, looking up expectantly to be petted.

Ah, I'd really been neglecting him.

"Come over," Llewellyn repeated. "I have something to discuss with you anyway. Tiernan sent the rest of the results."

Chapter Text

I was still half-rehearsing ways to sound normal when Llewellyn's front door opened.

Which was unfair. I hadn't even knocked yet.

We both stared.

Images from this morning—and, worse, from those posts—slammed into me.

"…"

I was so, so fucked.

Though, unfortunately, not in the way I was picturing.

Penguin chirped, distracting us both, before leaping out of my pocket and running off to find Lumos, who could be seen wagging his tail in the background.

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up," I said, pushing in past him. "This day has been too long already."

Llewellyn snorted and closed the door behind me.

"You cannot keep stopping me from working my shifts, especially not when there's so much volume!" I said, dropping into a chair at the kitchen table and dragging a hand over my face. "All drama I caused, no less. My team's going to kill me."

"Your team's not going to kill you," Llewellyn said, turning the kettle on to make tea. "Tell me what happened."

I grumbled and explained about visiting Gran, the artifact suddenly failing, and how I'd ended up in that mess with the reporter.

Llewellyn handed me a mug full of hot water and a box with a selection of teabags, then sat in front of me with his own mug. "That's what I was worried about," he muttered after a while.

As I chose one of those green teas that tasted like gunpowder, Llewellyn unlocked his phone, found the text he was looking for, then slid his phone across the table toward me.

I picked it up. It was a long, timed message from Tiernan, set to vanish in under two hours.

I skimmed through it.

As Tiernan had already let us know that morning, their results indicated that the artifact had been manipulated somehow, and then forcefully activated from a distance.

Proof that it was possible to tamper with artifacts remotely, when we didn't even know it was a possibility until yesterday, was already a huge problem.

But that wasn't all. TAPESTRY had kept the keyring site under discreet watch and discovered that someone who was not KARMA (or any agency they knew) had turned up, slipped past the agents, lingered a few minutes picking through debris, and left.

They'd tailed him, somehow tracking him all the way to Liorim Forest, north of Innishae, where it seemed that this guy had found a Dungeon.

As far as we knew, the System usually dispatched people to Dungeons within a few hours from their formation—but no one seemed to have been dispatched to this one yet.

Instead of claiming it, or negotiating with the System, or trying to barge in some other way, the guy had just… set up a tent in front of it.

"What?" I said.

"I thought he might not be System-awakened," Llewellyn said, pensive. "But he did teleport there, so that's not likely. They think he was doing something to it."

"How did they track him if he teleported?"

Llewellyn took a sip of his tea. "GPS tag," he said, deadpan. "They slipped it into his pocket."

Oh. Well. There was always that.

I scrolled down.

"Since there's a Knot involved," Llewellyn said, "Tiernan thinks it would be best if I go and take a look."

I read the remaining exchange quickly. Yeah, he did mention the GPS tag later on.

"He thinks he's trying to undo the Dungeon and turn it into a Knot again?" I said, frowning. "What would he have to gain from that?"

"Who knows. Blackmail? We get thousands of Dungeons around the world, but comparatively very few Distorted Realms. However, if Dungeons can be undone to create more Distorted Realms, you could blackmail anyone with it."

Blackmail via Knot? Really?

"Are you serious? That's like opening a black hole in the middle of town and saying 'pay up or else'! Great plan, except the whole planet gets eaten, so—what exactly do they gain from it? Besides, it would be easier to just make sure no one tackles the Dungeon. Then it'd revert automatically to a full blown Knot and back to a potential Distorted Realm."

"But that would require stopping the System from sending anyone in, which is not likely. And then again, stopping the System from making another Dungeon from the recreated Knot."

He was right. But this still seemed off.

It was really unfortunate that I'd burnt through my Core Partition access for the day. I don't know if it'd have shown anything, but I could have confirmed what kind of Dungeon we were dealing with at the very least.

Though of course, if I hadn't inputted the prompt, I wouldn't even know this was something I could do to begin with. It was just annoying that my first access happened today.

"I'm going tonight," Llewellyn said.

I hummed. That wasn't exactly a surprise.

Still—

"I'm coming with you. But why tonight? We could just go now."

"We don't know if he noticed TAPESTRY tailing him, and we don't know how powerful he is. He'll be less likely to expect us in the middle of the night. Tiernan said he's pitched a tent—he's not leaving. And the guys will let us know if the GPS tag moves—unless the man finds it first. I think we'll have a better chance to get to the bottom of this if we find him with his guard down. Otherwise he'll just teleport out."

Alright, that made sense.

I handed his phone back.

"You should stay here in the meantime," Llewellyn added after a moment. "It'll be easier to coordinate when it's time to leave."

"…"

This was probably just to keep me off social media. But.

"So… We wait until tonight, then go investigate this mysterious tent guy. What do I do here in the meantime?"

...There was no reason for the air to suddenly shift.

Except that my eyes kept going to his mouth.

And.

I was still wearing his clothes.

"The guest room is available," Llewellyn said, a bit roughly. "This might take the whole night, so if you can rest, that would be ideal. I should probably take a nap too."

I almost said, Wouldn't coordinating be even easier if we didn't bother with separate rooms?

Almost.

I rubbed my face.

It really made no sense for me to be here, but I wasn't about to refuse.

As I was about to say, "Fine,"—

—there was a sudden knock on the door.

We looked at each other.

Llewellyn's eyes went toward the hallway.

"…Are you expecting someone?" I asked.

More knocks. Penguin and Lumos also came to check.

Llewellyn frowned and went to open the door.

"Llewellyn," a female voice said. "Do you have any idea what's happening online right now?"

Ah, damn it.

I knew that voice.

"Hello, Emma," Llewellyn sighed.

Chapter Text

Emma, who probably wasn't older than twenty-six or twenty-seven, had long black hair and a round, plump face. She was wearing a long cardigan sweater open in the front, some kind of casual black dress (one of those knitted ones), and had a big floppy bag hanging off her arm.

Every time I saw her I had the impression of someone who somehow managed to end up neatly dressed and put together while throwing clothes and makeup in the air and standing under them waiting for them to come down and do their job.

As she came in, her gaze landed on me.

"Okay, that answers my question," she said.

She dropped her bag on the kitchen table, then rubbed her forehead with two fingers.

"I've been fielding calls from seven networks and one ministry for the past hour!"

"Then stop answering them," Llewellyn said. "Tea?"

She gave him a long, level look.

After a second, she must have decided that particular conversation wasn't worth it, because she agreed to the tea and redirected her attention to Lumos, who'd come to greet her, tail wagging. She crouched down to stroke him, her tone shifting into a gentle coo.

"Hi, lovely boy. Aren't you the gentlest thing. Yes, yes, I see you. You're such a sweetheart."

That's when she noticed Penguin.

"Oh," she said, sounding startled. "Well, hello."

Penguin let out a pleased chirp, and his tiny feet went flap flap on the floor as he moved closer, letting out little puffs of icy mist.

Emma blinked, then visibly melted.

"Awww. Who's this perfect little man?! Oh, look at him. Oh, he's so adorable. You lovely thing! Can I pet him?" She looked up at Llewellyn and me, probably unsure whose he was. Penguin let out another chirp and inched closer expectantly, clearly giving full permission. Emma just went, "Awww" again, and reached out to scratch under his chin.

"He's Penguin," I said, trying not to laugh. "He's with me."

Emma's gaze came to rest on me. "You named him Penguin?"

Ah, not this again.

Llewellyn, who was turning the kettle on, snorted.

"He chose that himself," I said. "Anyway." I cleared my throat. "Am I getting fired, arrested, fined, or—?"

Emma got up, petting both Penguin and Lumos one last time, before waving a hand at me.

"No one's going to touch you. The System assigned you. What are they going to do? Sue you when the System can pay all your legal expenses? Put you in a cell so the System can teleport you out of it? They're just angry they can't touch him either."

She gestured toward Llewellyn, who was still standing guard by the kettle, then she sat down with a sigh, slumping forward slightly and turning her head toward me, elbows on the table and fingers entwined.

"Do you know how much effort it takes to make him look sympathetic? He has a seven-year reputation for being a human glacier. And then you walk into a press ambush and declare war on the Internet!"

When she put it like that—

"I didn't do it on purpose," I mumbled.

"I know," she said. She looked tired, but thankfully not really upset.

"How is Leon?" Llewellyn asked.

"Ah, he's fine," Emma relaxed slightly. "He's—Wait, no. Don't change the subject," she said, hackles rising. "That won't work this time."

Llewellyn managed to look both displeased and amused at once as he tipped the kettle, filling her mug.

"Leon is my son," Emma explained to me. "He's two years old. I left him at home with his dad."

Oh, right. The first time Emma had spoken up for Llewellyn to the press, she'd been visibly pregnant.

"I told Llewellyn he should say something publicly—" I said, sipping my own tea before it went completely cold. It was already inching into disgusting territory. "—to distance himself from me."

"What?" Emma said distractedly, accepting her mug with a 'thanks' and eyeing Llewellyn's tea selection. She seemed to register what I'd said then and she looked up at me. "Hell no."

Huh?

"This is the best PR I've had to work with in years!"

What? She'd literally just been complaining!

"Me hydro-blasting a journalist?"

"Not that." She opened her chosen tea bag, something mango-flavored. She smelled it for a moment, looking happy, before adding it to her mug. "Okay, hear me out. As I see it, PR-wise, you could do two things with him. Well, no—three. One, polishing him into a brand; two, damage control; three, establishing a deterrent. Can you imagine the first?" She scoffed. "I tried the first year. Whenever I came up with a proposal, he teleported out of the room."

I snorted. I could picture it perfectly.

"No, that doesn't work." Emma blew on her tea. "He hates giving statements. So my strategy is often restricted to number two, damage control. That's fine, I can do that, but it's defensive and doesn't help him in the long run. You just handed me number three; we're not going to waste it. I want the vultures in the press to feel that there are consequences if they push him too far. Llewellyn may not clap back, but someone in his corner will. That sort of thing."

I was reminded of how good she was at her stuff. Though I supposed she had to be. She wasn't just PR-ing, she was adapting to the un-PR-able.

"You want me to play the bad cop," I said, relaxing back in the chair. That wasn't too bad. I could do that.

"Absolutely not," Llewellyn said, just as Emma said, "No, of course not."

What? I looked at them, now confused.

"I'm not saying you should do this," Emma said. "In fact, please don't do it. That would be a hassle. I'm saying it happened, and it might deter some people. That helps you," she said in Llewellyn's direction, "whether you like it or not."

Llewellyn clearly wasn't happy about it, but didn't say anything.

"We should also consider—" Emma added, a bit more tentatively. "I mean, I know I'm not your PR manager," she said to me, sounding frustrated. "But there's a new hashtag campaign that just picked up and, from what I saw before coming here, it looks like it's tipping toward attacking you, not Llewellyn."

Ah, shit.

"#EndTheKnotsNow?" I asked.

"That's the one," Emma said, blowing on her tea.

Not surprising, but still.

Goddamnit.

"Have you spoken with Niamh yet?" I asked.

"Yes," Emma said. "Not sure what they're planning, I'm the client, they don't give me specifics. But I don't think you should work until this dies down."

"Not you too. I can't be in and out of the team whenever it suits me!" I said.

"That might be the case," Emma said, "but I can't have you going around quoting random people's posts at the cameras."

"I wouldn't," I said.

Though to be fair, I probably would.

"I remember your emails," Emma said. "I have them saved."

"You should know we use templates for those."

"Not for the additional notes."

…Okay, I could see her point.

I hoped Altan was still keen on working extra shifts because he was about to get a lot of them.

There was suddenly some loud barking coming from the next room. Llewellyn frowned.

"I'll be back," he said, before going to check.

I took a sip.

"How did you end up working with him?" I asked Emma, before she could start asking me any questions. I could see she was gearing herself up to.

Besides, I'd always wanted to ask. Llewellyn wasn't the kind of person to hire a PR manager.

"Oh," Emma said. "I always forget this isn't public knowledge. I was caught in a Distorted Realm, up north." She took a sip of her tea. "I was heavily pregnant at the time, and he came to check on me afterward. Unfortunately, that's when the press showed up. I'd just started working in PR at the time, I was as junior as one could be! I wasn't even working in Baekhaven. We were not dealing with anything even remotely comparable to this, and I was just responsible for printing or emailing press releases. But Llewellyn looked very distressed. Quite a few people had died, including a child, and… Well, he'd just saved my baby. I wanted to repay him somehow. So, I pulled myself together and stepped in front of the press, and told them that I was his PR manager and that they'd have to deal with me. And somehow it worked! Then, the System showed up and offered me a contract. And here we are."

This wasn't too dissimilar to what I'd suspected.

"Mind you, looking back that was an insane career move," Emma said, with a sudden grin. "It's not like as a new mom I was going to be considered for a promotion. And now look at me!" She seemed pleased with herself.

Of course she had every right to be. I don't think there was a single PR professional in the whole world more well-known than her right now. And that was despite the fact that she tried to keep a low profile and only stepped in when absolutely necessary.

Llewellyn came back before she could ask me anything in return—though she probably already knew the big picture from Llewellyn anyway.

"What happened?" I asked.

Llewellyn looked amused. "Penguin wanted to add more water to Lumos' bowl and turned into a fish. Lumos saw him flopping around on the floor and started barking. That's how I found them."

I snorted. I'd seen Penguin turn into a fish only once. It was probably not a very practical form without a body of water to splash into.

"So, what's the plan?" Llewellyn asked, sitting down again.

"Not as defined as I'd like," Emma said. "Stay off the internet," she told me. "Don't feed it. Don't read it. And avoid the press. I'll mop up as much as I can. We'll go from there. Anything else I should know? Are you two actually dating? It would be smart to tell me."

I almost dropped my mug.

Llewellyn's ears went red. "That's no one's business," he said, sounding annoyed, but also a bit flustered.

"Not a denial, I see," Emma said. "That can either complicate things or smooth them out." She took a sip. "Have you answered the Gala invitation? You should—and add him as your plus one."

"What gala?" I asked, alarmed.

"Queen Seolene's Charity Gala, of course," Emma said.

"That's months away," Llewellyn said. "And I'm not going."

"You can't refuse the Queen!" Emma said. "Do we need to have this conversation every year?"

"I did in fact refuse last year," Llewellyn said. "So, you should know that I definitely can."

"That's precisely why you can't do it again!" Emma said, exasperated. "Look. She's on your side. We need to make sure she stays there. Bring him." She tipped her head toward me. "That would be a good move."

I was damned if I was going to go to a royal gala.

What would I even do there? Go to war against the entirety of Innishae's press?

"No," I said.

Emma raised both eyebrows at me.

"Not a chance. I'm not going to a gala."

I mean, I'm not even going to the corner store if I can help it.

Llewellyn leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking vindicated.

Emma let out a low sound that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "You're both allergic to basic self-preservation. Do you know how many people would kill for this kind of access? The Queen's inner circle—"

"Great," Llewellyn said. "Let them have it."

Seconded, as far as I was concerned.

Emma massaged her temples. "Just think about it, alright? That's all I'm asking." She stood, brushing nonexistent crumbs from her skirt and picking up her bag. "I'll see myself out. I can't let any more calls get to voicemail."

Lumos came trotting in then, with Penguin riding on top of him. Looked like they'd heard she was leaving and wanted to say goodbye.

Emma obliged with warm, cooing noises.

As Llewellyn walked her to the door, I scooped up Penguin and plopped him on the table, then lifted Lumos onto my lap for a double head scratch. They both seemed very pleased and snuggled closer. Ah, good. Maybe I was a bit pleased too.

Llewellyn came back, finding us like that. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Go and take a nap," he said, retrieving Lumos from me. "I'll wake you up when it's time to leave."

Chapter Text

The guest room looked exactly as I'd left it this morning. The bed was perfectly made, no sign of our... whatever that had been.

I kicked off my shoes and lay down on top of the covers, fully clothed.

This was weird.

Penguin hadn't even joined me; he was still playing with Lumos in the other room—and I could hear Llewellyn moving around in the living room.

I took out my phone.

Niamh had sent a gif of me water-blasting the reporter, captioned "MOOD FOREVER".

I rubbed my face. I was never living this down.

[Ryo]: You’re enjoying this too much.

[Niamh]: 🌊🥳

I snorted.

I scrolled up and stared at the link I'd been reading earlier, when Llewellyn called.

I really shouldn't—

"…"

I clicked on it.

[nighttrain]: I can't stop looking at it

[sparrowglyph]: same. the rage-to-protect pipeline was so sexy of him

[cutthroat]: protectiveness but make it unhinged and wet

[sundialdare]: if someone blasted water like that for me I’d simply marry them

[fanreign]: I saw that waterblast and immediately understood what kind of noises he’d make in bed

[wiltedtree]: it’s not just that he defended him, it’s the rage

[spinewine]: right?? the ferocity. like if you touched Llewellyn he’d put you through a wall

[doubleknot]: pretty sure if Llewellyn told him to burn the world down, he’d ask for a lighter

[bluesoot]: we don't even know his name, but I need fics where Llewellyn lifts him up by the thighs, mouths at his neck until he gasps, kisses him hard enough to bruise, then drops him on the bed, saying “stay still”

[firelace]: you know he’d go quiet the second Llewellyn’s mouth hit his throat

[howlsmovingtassel]: trailing kisses down his throat, slow and hot, bitten deep enough to show the next day

[bitevow]: god. if Llewellyn ever kisses him, he’s going to fall apart

"…"

What was I doing with my life.

Why was I reading this!!!

In Llewellyn’s house!

In Llewellyn’s guest bed.

I closed everything and rubbed my eyes.

I tossed my phone onto the nightstand and flopped back onto the bed, one arm over my face. For a moment I wondered if I was going to burn alive in this house.

Eventually, I somehow managed to nap a few hours before Llewellyn came to wake me up.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

We materialized in Liorim Forest, about fifty meters from where Tiernan had indicated. The trees were thick here, blocking out most of the moonlight.

We'd equipped not just concealment artifacts, but also Magic masking ones—which were something I didn't even know existed.

Of course, assuming they worked, that is.

Llewellyn held up a hand for silence as we hid behind a tree, then he pointed somewhere not too far away.

A guy sat cross-legged in front of a Dungeon entrance.

A small fire crackled in front of him, and several books lay open around him like he was having a study session in the woods.

One book was open over his crossed legs and he had one hand extended toward the Dungeon, fingers moving in lazy circles, while the other held a sandwich, which he was currently munching on.

The Dungeon entrance kept humming in response, light flowing in and out of it.

I frowned. Penguin also seemed intrigued, staring with awed eyes.

What was happening? Was he tampering with the Dungeon? But it didn't feel like he was trying to destabilize it. Modifying the entrance parameters, maybe?

This was weird. Why would he do that?

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed.

The man turned the page with his sandwich hand while keeping up the steady stream of Magic toward the Dungeon, not even looking at what he was doing—like this was nothing for him.

That said—

"He doesn't look like a criminal mastermind," I said, perplexed.

Llewellyn's gaze stayed locked on the man. “True. But that level of Magic is insane.”

I could see that. My chest itched just looking at him.

“You think he’s the one who tampered with the keyring?”

“Difficult to say,” Llewellyn said. “But my guess would be no."

The man flipped a page in his book, still channeling Magic into the Dungeon entrance with his free hand.

Llewellyn’s jaw tightened. “He’s not using the System. At all.”

The man took a bite of his sandwich. Crumbs fell onto the book in his lap and he brushed them away.

The magnitude of Llewellyn's statement would have probably hit me differently a few days ago. Now it just gave me pause.

"Do you think he has Core Partition access?" I asked.

Llewellyn glanced down at me, looking amused. "So you did get access. Were you not going to tell me?"

"Not the time for that," I said, waving a hand.

Llewellyn's lips twitched, then his gaze moved back to the guy.

"Fair enough," he said. "And I don't know. I can't tell what he's doing."

We watched as the man finished his sandwich and kept sending a stream of light toward the Dungeon.

After a few moments, it occurred to me that recording this would not be a bad idea and I took out my phone.

Llewellyn eyed me but didn't comment.

Finally, something clicked and the hum coming from the Dungeon changed. I aimed the camera at it for a moment, but apart from a faint glow, nothing seemed to be different. I moved the camera back just as the man yawned and stretched, looking satisfied.

Now that I could see him better, he seemed to be in his thirties. Despite his careless demeanor and food of choice, the way he was dressed made me suspect he might be nobility or something.

He gathered his books, lowered the fire with a casual wave, and crawled into his tent.

Well.

I stopped the recording.

We waited ten minutes to be sure he was settled. Then another ten, just in case.

"What's the plan?" I asked. "Do you want to question him? Fight him? Or should we focus on the Dungeon instead?"

Llewellyn seemed to mull this over.

"Dungeon," he decided. "If he gives us the slip and gets into it first, locking us out, we’ll be left with nothing."

Fair enough.

"Now?" I asked.

Llewellyn nodded.

We crept closer, careful to avoid any branches or leaves that might give us away.

The Dungeon looked normal. It felt normal too.

"Think he set traps?" I asked.

Llewellyn extended his hand carefully, not quite touching the entrance. Then he frowned even more. "No," he said.

So, then?

We looked at each other.

"Let's go in," Llewellyn said.

Chapter Text

Once we entered the Dungeon, we found ourselves on a beach in the middle of nowhere, the air salty and wet under twinkling stars.

Not too far away in front of us, ships of every size were bobbing in the dark water. They all seemed lit up as if in celebration.

Penguin chirped excitedly, almost jumping out of my pocket.

"Hey!" I said, catching him. "No running ahead! We're all going."

Penguin chirped twice and tapped my finger with his beak, affectionate but clearly impatient.

Llewellyn put his sword away. I hadn't even noticed him taking it out.

"Alright," he said. "Let's see what this is all about."

We followed the water's edge.

As we moved closer, I noticed that the ships were all connected by gangplanks and rope bridges, with lanterns strung from every surface. Ships aside, the setup reminded me vaguely of Huayuan District's yearly Lantern Festival.

Lively music floated from them—something that, to my ears, sounded a lot like an Irish gig.

When we reached the wooden dock, which creaked worryingly under our weight, we spotted… a familiar figure with a gray-streaked muzzle.

"Ahoy, ye lot!" he called out happily. "Welcome to Gilded Bay! Hope ye brought yer sea legs!"

"Alberan," Llewellyn said, sounding resigned. "Let me guess. You're our guide to all things nautical and notorious? Piratical and perilous? Floating and felonious? Seafaring and scurrilous?"

I snorted. "Maybe you should get his job."

Llewellyn gave me a look.

Alberan, who looked like he was greatly enjoying himself in a tricorn hat, eyepatch over one eye, and what looked like a pirate's coat full of shiny brass buttons, said, "Aye! Right ye are!" with great enthusiasm.

"Though these days, we're more about the grog than the pillaging," he added after a moment with an embarrassed cough. Penguin chirped in support from my pocket, looking very excited by the sight of a talking dog.

Alberan went on. "The Bay's got the best rum this side of nowhere, card games that'll clean out your pockets, and stories with more holes than a leaky skull! Oh, and mind yer footing, unless ye fancy a swim. We've lost a few good boots to the booze."

From somewhere deeper into the floating town, a fiddle struck up an even livelier tune. Voices joined in—some distinctly drunk.

Alberan rummaged in a leather pouch at his belt and produced two items. They looked like small glass beads, each containing a swirl of what looked like sea foam that moved like it was still part of the ocean.

"These mark you as crew!" he explained. "Can't have landlubbers wandering about. They're as sacred as a Pirate Oath—keep 'em safe. They'll get you through the locked bits."

The bead was cool against my palm. Penguin looked at it and chirped questioningly.

"Does he need one?" I asked, as I put the bead into my pocket.

"The bonded creature?" Alberan said, eyeing Penguin with clear respect. "No bead needed. He's blood."

Penguin chirped proudly.

"Off with ye!" Alberan said. "And if ye fancy a bit o' pillagin', for old times' sake, there's a sign-up sheet."

"…"

What, like… a spreadsheet? For pillaging?

"We're not signing up," Llewellyn said.

Alberan shrugged. "Suit yerselves! Less competition fer the rest of us."

He tipped his hat with a small flourish and wandered back humming a sea shanty.

I glanced at Llewellyn. "Pirates."

"Reformed pirates, apparently," he said dryly.

The System chimed.

-

[System Notification: Dungeon configuration diverges from original design. Environment altered by external influence.

Intended theme: Pirate Ship.

Current manifestation: Floating tavern-town made from moored pirate ships.

Hostile encounters minimized. Reward parameters unchanged.]

-

Huh. Well, damn.

"I think we just found out what tent guy was doing. Did he like… mod it?"

Honestly, I was impressed.

Llewellyn frowned. "He's not going to appreciate us hijacking his custom Dungeon."

Right. He was going to wake up finding himself locked out.

But I was more curious about something else. In the Core Partition, I was told not even the System could know what the environment of a Dungeon was, unless someone first went in and became aware of it. So how did this guy know what to mod?

And more importantly—

"Do you think he can make trouble for us from the outside?" I asked, frowning. "If he wakes up before we destroy the Knot."

Llewellyn considered this.

"System?" he asked.

[System Notification: Dungeon instance has been sealed and shielded upon entrance. External interference was anomalous and is no longer functionally feasible. Only the System may transfer users in or out.]

I hummed.

"Right," I said, "but why didn't you assign anyone and let him get on with this?"

[Clarification: Assignment was delayed due to interference from an unidentified magical anomaly. Initial anomaly was not detected and did not trigger a response. A retroactive flag has now been applied. Irregularities of this type will prompt immediate review in the future.]

Llewellyn and I both frowned.

Well, not much we could do now.

"Let's find the Kiosk," Llewellyn said after a moment.

We got on the gangplank and stepped onto the first ship.

A parrot squawked from the rigging. "YER FLY'S UNDONE!—SQUAWK—YE'D LOOK GOOD FLAT ON THE DECK!"

What!

I started coughing. I hadn't seen that coming.

"IN CHAINS! IN CHAINS!—SQUAWK—DOWN HE GOES, SEE IF HE BOUNCES!"

"STRADDLE 'IM! RIDE 'IM LIKE A WAVE!"

"…"

Llewellyn and I both looked ahead, pointedly not looking at each other.

We walked around from ship to ship, taking in the environment.

A tavern here, a shop there, even what looked like a floating inn with hammocks strung between masts.

Lanterns swayed with the gentle rocking of the waves while the music kept floating lively.

Unfortunately, the rowdy parrots were everywhere.

"TEAR 'IS SHIRT! GRIND LIKE YER CHARTIN' A COURSE!"

"BITE HIS NECK! HOIST THE SAILS, HE'S COMIN'!"

I was speechless. Llewellyn's ears were red.

"STUFF 'IM FULL O' RUM—SQUAWK—SEE IF HE SPILLS!"

I really thought my life had reached its peak ridiculous with those posts. It looked like I was wrong.

"There," Llewellyn said finally, pointing to a larger ship ahead, where a bright sign proclaimed "QUEST KIOSK" in letters made from what looked like repurposed ship parts.

An old woman with tanned skin and an impressive collection of gold teeth grinned at us from behind the counter. "New crew, eh? Looking to prove your worth?"

Above her head, a painted sign read: "Earn Your Stamps to Claim the Map to Captain Blackwater's Buried Treasure!"

She slapped two booklets on the counter. "Three challenges, three stamps. Complete 'em all, and the map's yours."

I picked up the booklet:

-

Cannonball Bowling — Strike true and topple the lot!

Tying the knot — Master three regulation knots.

Hands on deck — Hunt down the hidden token before your mate does!

-

"Cannonball Bowling," I read aloud.

Llewellyn flipped through his booklet. "The System's sense of humor remains unmatched."

The woman leaned over the counter. "Ah, two of ye, is it? Makes sense now, what with the parrots." She winked. "Some o' them challenges get... cooperative, if ye catch me drift."

Llewellyn blinked.

Penguin chirped a question from my pocket.

"Ah, the wee beastie's got sense!" She tossed a tiny pirate hat at me, clearly for Penguin, who followed its trajectory with round eyes. "For the lad. No self-respecting scallywag goes on a ship without proper headgear! He'll need it, once ye two start stormin' each other's breeches like they hold gold!"

Llewellyn looked at the hat, then at the woman. "We're not about to storm anything."

"Course not," the woman said. Then she slapped the counter, cackling.

We both stared.

The System chimed.

-

[System Notification:

Kiosk-keeper NPC dialogue exceeds standard parameters.
Parrots NPC dialogue exceeds standard parameters.
External narrative influence detected.]

-

"Let me guess—someone's been feeding them better lines?"

"Reformed pirates," Llewellyn muttered. "With a theater degree."

"That's what you're going with?!"

We just met, like… parrots with a porn subscription!

I put the hat on Penguin, who chirped twice, looking delighted.

Ah, he looked great! Ready to sail the seas and all.

The woman grinned wider. "Off with ye! Can start from the Drunken Slime, two ships over. And if ye see Alberan, tell 'im he owes me eight silvers from the last dice game. Cheatin' bastard."

Alberan being a "cheatin' bastard" is what set me off laughing.

I was still laughing when we reached the Drunken Slime.

Chapter Text

As the name already suggested, the Drunken Slime was a converted pirate ship that had clearly seen better days.

The main deck had been cleared to make room for what looked like a rather hazardous bowling alley.

Ten wooden pins shaped like parrots stood at the far end, each painted in garish colors with exaggerated squawking expressions. Between us and them, a long stretch of deck was marked with... uh... scorch marks. And cannonball-shaped dents.

Pirates mingled around, looking excited.

I settled Penguin down on a barrel, then I got into position next to Llewellyn.

"Right then!" A burly pirate with arms like tree trunks gestured to a rack of cannonballs. "Rules be simple, lads! Ten frames, two shots apiece—'cept the last, that gets three. Standard rules for scorin'. Knock down the parrots, don't sink the ship!"

I hefted one of the cannonballs. It was heavier than I expected, and definitely not regulation bowling ball weight, though someone had drilled in three rough finger holes.

"You can go first," Llewellyn said.

I turned to him, competitiveness spiking up.

"Want to make this interesting?"

Llewellyn's eyebrow ticked up. "What do you have in mind?"

To be perfectly honest, I was just thinking that I really didn't want to go back to my flat alone after we were done with this. So—

"Winner gets to pick what we do after the Dungeon. Loser has to go along with it, no complaints."

Llewellyn gave me a long look. "You're offering yourself up that easily?"

"…"

Wait…

What did he just say?!!

The crowd roared.

"D'ye hear that?"

"Looks like he wants ye tied to the mast, lad!"

"He's takin' ye belowdecks and testin' yer sea legs on a different kind of wood!"

"Permission to plunder granted, by the look on his face!"

"…"

Had the parrots whacked him in the head when I wasn't looking?!

…Wait.

Realization hit me. My eyes narrowed.

"…Are you trying to make me lose my focus?"

Llewellyn looked amused. "Did it work?"

He sent a grin my way that was… honestly devastating, and picked up a cannonball like it weighed nothing, testing it.

A bigger crowd had started gathering. Penguin had found a perch nearby and was showing off his little hat.

Right, I had to go first.

I picked up my cannonball. The thing was seriously heavy.

"Come on, pretty boy!" a pirate woman with an elaborate hat shouted.

I drew back and let it fly.

Damn it. Not only was it heavy, but I didn't take the rolling of the ship into consideration. It definitely wasn't like playing on solid ground.

The cannonball veered left, clipping three parrots before rolling pathetically into the gutter.

The crowd made sympathetic noises.

I recalibrated my throw, and the second took down four more.

"First round's for findin' yer sea legs!"

"The parrots are wily today—don't let 'em mock ye!"

"One throw to learn it, one to earn it!"

Llewellyn stepped up to the line, cannonball cradled in both hands.

He released it and the cannonball flew straight, smashing into the pins—sorry, parrots—with a satisfying crash. Six down.

"Not bad for a landlubber!" someone called out.

"Aye, but can he do a spare?" another pirate added.

Llewellyn's second throw took three down.

The crowd cheered. Someone passed him a tankard of something that smelled strong enough to strip paint, but Llewellyn shook his head.

"Nine total!" the scorekeeper announced. "A respectable showing!"

Llewellyn stepped back, looking pleased with himself. "Your turn."

I took another cannonball. He was at nine. I was still at seven.

Llewellyn's eyes tracked the movement of my arm, my wrist.

I narrowed my eyes.

He just hummed.

After a moment, like he couldn't help himself, "You're tilting your wrist too far."

"I'm not."

"You are," he said. He stepped forward, grabbed my forearm, and adjusted my grip on the cannonball, fingers pressing into the tendons of my wrist, guiding the angle of my elbow.

Without realizing, my gaze landed on his mouth.

"I know how to bowl," I said.

"Do you?" His eyes moved down too. "Because that first throw suggests otherwise."

Should I just drop the cannonball on his foot?!

"Get a cabin, ye two!" someone shouted.

"Are they gonna bowl or bone?"

"Careful, captain—ye fallin' harder than the pins!"

Llewellyn stepped back, ears red.

I took advantage of his retreat to throw.

The cannonball sailed straight down the middle, connected with a satisfying crack—

Five parrots down.

Then my next throw took down four more. Total score: 16.

I turned and grinned. Llewellyn's ears were still red.

"Oh, look!" A pirate with a magnificent beard laughed. "The lad's melting!"

"Looks like he's the one bowled over!"

"Forget the parrots—ye knocked him down clean!"

Whether he was flustered by all the heckling or not, Llewellyn's next throw was a clean strike.

Damn it. That was ten points, plus whatever he was going to make in the next two throws, which gets counted twice in case of a strike.

"Pressure's on," Llewellyn said, smug. He eyed the cannonball I was holding. "I could help again."

That made the crowd whoop.

"Aye, help him real good!" someone cheered. "Nothing like a steady hand to guide a man's balls!"

"…"

I was speechless.

The double meaning had everyone in uproar.

My throw, fueled by embarrassment and determination, knocked down eight.

The pirates cheered, tankards raised. Someone had started taking bets.

I was feeling too hot, but my next throw was a spare. Ha!

Llewellyn followed up by taking down five, then three. So his total was currently 35. Mine was still pending due to the spare. My next throw would be counted twice, so I had to make it good.

I kept my eyes on Llewellyn.

My fourth frame was just as good—six down on the first throw, picked up the spare on the second. Total still pending due to the new spare.

The crowd was getting into it now, calling out advice and heckling in equal measure.

Llewellyn went again, rolling the cannonball down the lane. It curved beautifully, taking down all ten parrots.

"Strike!" the scorekeeper yelled. The crowd cheered.

Llewellyn raised his eyebrows at me, still looking smug. "I'll go easy, if you ask."

I picked up my cannonball. "Save the soft touch. If you hold back, I'll be disappointed."

The crowd whooped.

"Careful, captain, he wants you all in!"

"No mercy for your sweetheart!"

"Don't go easy on him, he can take it!"

By now, we'd found our rhythm. My next throw was a five, then another spare.

However, Llewellyn's precision was annoyingly consistent. His fifth frame was also a strike.

"You sure you've got the stamina for this?" Llewellyn asked as I lined up my sixth frame.

"You'll know when I'm on top of you."

"HOOO! Straight from the lad's own mouth!"

"On top, he says! Careful, captain, he'll pin you down!"

"That's not bowling talk anymore!"

I threw. Three parrots down. Damn it.

My next throw, however, took down six.

My sequence of spares had ended.

"Total score: 69!" the scorekeeper yelled.

The crowd roared.

"Sixty-nine, eh? That's a team sport!"

"He's settin' the pace—ye'd best keep up, captain!"

"A gentleman always reciprocates!"

I decided I needed some alcohol to survive this and accepted a tankard. After I gulped it all down, someone slapped me on the back hard enough to make me stumble.

Llewellyn's turn and he threw with more force than necessary. Another strike, but the cannonball embedded itself in the back wall.

"That's a Turkey!" the scorekeeper yelled after Llewellyn's third strike in a row. The crowd was going wild now.

"Careful," I said, alcohol loosening my tongue. "You keep pounding like that, you'll leave the whole place leaking."

"Speaking from current experience?" Llewellyn said.

Someone bellowed. "DID YE HEAR THAT?"

"Pins aren't the only thing going down tonight!"

"Sweet Poseidon, just bend 'im over the barrel and be done with it!"

I narrowed my eyes. I could feel the competitiveness flaring up.

Seventh frame. The pressure was building.

Strike! Yes!

More roaring.

Llewellyn's next throw took down eight parrots, then one. His total was now 121. Goddamn it. I needed to catch up.

The crowd was louder now, divided into camps.

"Come on, pretty boy!" my faction shouted.

"Show him how it's done!" Llewellyn's supporters countered.

Eighth frame. I threw and got seven parrots, then the spare. Good enough.

Llewellyn stepped up to the line, cannonball in hand. A droplet of sweat rolled down his neck, disappearing under his collar. He threw.

Eight parrots.

Then an extra one.

Total: 130.

He turned back, and our eyes met. "Want me to show you how to guide it in?"

Oh, this absolute—

I had drunk a full tankard now, though. My gaze dipped to his mouth again. "Maybe. Depends how good your follow-through is."

More uproar.

"This is why I don't bowl," a pirate said. "Too erotic."

"Ye makin' me blush, an' I've seen sirens kiss!"

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I almost reached out for another tankard, but it was my turn.

The heckling was still going wild.

"Aye, guide it in slow, captain!"

"Start gentle, then drive it home!"

"Captain's form's flawless—bet his grip is too!"

Ninth frame. The pressure was getting to me.

Llewellyn had built a comfortable lead, but I was close enough that a few good throws could change everything.

My throw nearly went into the gutter—until a wave rolled in, lifted the boat, and nudged the cannonball back on course.

Strike!

I grinned.

Llewellyn's eyes narrowed. He threw with a controlled violence, but he didn't have the waves on his side. He sent seven parrots flying, then two.

Still too good.

"Brutal!" someone shouted approvingly.

Final frame. Tenth.

I needed at least two strikes here to have any chance—and hope Llewellyn wasn't lucky.

First throw—I channeled every ounce of frustration, competition, and everything else into the throw. Strike!

The crowd roared.

Second throw—my arms were shaking now, but I forced them steady. The cannonball flew straight. Strike!

Dead silence.

"One more," someone whispered.

I picked up the final cannonball. It felt impossibly heavy. Llewellyn had moved closer.

"No pressure," he said.

I threw.

The cannonball sailed down the lane, connected with the lead parrot—

Nine down. The tenth wobbled, teetered… but stayed standing.

Goddamn it.

The crowd exploded into chaos.

If Llewellyn was unlucky again… I could still win.

His turn now. I eyed him with raised eyebrows.

Llewellyn threw.

His first ball: strike.

His second: strike.

The crowd held its breath for the third.

He paused at the line, cannonball in his hands. When he glanced back at me, there was something predatory in his expression.

Third ball—

Strike.

The pirates exploded in cheers. Money changed hands. Someone thrust a tankard at Llewellyn, who actually accepted it this time.

"169 to 168!" the scorekeeper shouted over the noise. "Close game!"

What do you mean only one point!!! This was going to drive me insane for weeks!

The crowd was still roaring.

"That's a win! Now tell us what ye'll do with him!"

"Winner's privilege—hope you're flexible, boy!"

"No complaints, he swore it! Claim yer spoils, captain!"

"Hope you like losing, lad—looks like you'll be on your knees tonight!"

I went to scoop up Penguin, who was still enjoying his hat, then the scorekeeper stamped our booklets, looking thoroughly entertained.

We collected our stamps and escaped before the crowd started making demands.

"So," I said, focusing on the cool night air on my face. "What exactly are you planning for your victory prize?"

Llewellyn looked smug. "You'll find out."

Penguin poked his head out of my pocket, chittering.

"Don't look so devastated," Llewellyn said, amused. "I take good care of my prizes."

I might have made a strangled noise.

"Guess we'll see who takes better care of who," I managed.

"Well bowled, both of ye!" A pirate slapped us on our backs. "Though next time, maybe save the courting for after the game, eh? Thought the deck would catch fire from the eye contact alone!"

"We weren't—"

"Course ye weren't," he agreed cheerfully. "And I'm not a pirate! Off with ye now! Two more challenges await. The next challenge's at the Siren's Revenge, three ships starboard."

Chapter Text

The Siren's Revenge was three ships over, each gangplank more precarious than the last.

Pirates still leaned over the rails, tankards sloshing, calling out suggestions about what Llewellyn should claim as his prize.

"Take him belowdecks! See if he moans!"

"He's got fight in him—tie him up first!"

"He's proper beggin' for it—just tie 'im tight!"

"That blush says yes, cap'n!"

My ears were on fire. I refused to be embarrassed by NPCs that would disappear in a few hours.

Though… well. I couldn't say I wasn't mentally taking notes.

Unfortunately, Llewellyn wasn't going to forget this in a few hours, so there was that.

The Siren's Revenge seemed less raucous when we stepped onto it, but that was soon overturned by the amount of pirates that had followed us there. Looked like they were invested in seeing this night through.

Penguin's eyes immediately locked onto a green parrot perched on the rigging a few feet away.

He chirped, suddenly hyperfocused.

"Looks like there's lads here for the knot-tying challenge!" someone on the Siren's Revenge shouted.

The pirates behind us, who'd apparently not known about this challenge, cackled.

"In front of all of us, no less! Bold move, captain."

"Didn't realize the tying'd be public!"

"Ye doin' demonstrations now, captain? Shall we take notes?"

"I knew he'd be hands-on, but this is generous!"

Wait, what?

A rudimentary… wedding arch stood at the center of the main deck, a cleared space that held two cushioned chairs and wooden posts.

Okay, wait a moment.

Wedding arch? And they were mentioning rope? What kind of knot-tying were we talking about?! Neither version sounded appropriate!

Didn't the booklet just say tie three regulation knots?

"Test of trust between crew," an older pirate explained. "Tie your crewmate challenge! Can't have a proper ship without knowin' your mate won't panic when the ropes come out."

"…"

Llewellyn's hand found my elbow, steering me toward the setup. "Perfect. We need that stamp."

What!

"Unless you're backing out?" He raised an eyebrow.

The pirates watching had increased. They all perked up at that.

A woman with intricate braids stepped forward. "Each of ye gets one go at tyin' the other with three knots. The System picks the rope and the knot, and where it goes. Person being tied stands still and lets it happen without resistance. No sabotaging! Nothing that shows lack of trust."

You've got to be kidding me.

"Why is this feeling more and more like the kind of dungeon you shouldn't enter without a safeword?"

Honestly!

Llewellyn's ears went red as he eyed me. Then, he asked, "Do you have one?"

What!

He turned to look properly at me, looking amused at whatever he saw on my face.

Well. Two could play this game.

I thought of his statue in Mondwyn Harbor. "Knight's Monument," I said with a grin. Apparently Llewellyn remembered too, because his ears went completely scarlet. "What's yours then?"

Llewellyn looked at me for a long moment. Then he said, "Llewrando," deadpan, and moved closer toward the posts.

"…"

Okay, that killed me and ended me.

What was he doing reading the shippers online!!!

"Absolutely not!" I yelped, following immediately. "You'll have to choose another."

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "Why, am I going to need it?"

"…"

How could he be this smooth one second and then flustered the next?!

We were gestured to move under the arch. We did so, facing each other.

The System chimed.

-

[System Notification: Tying the Knot Challenge!

Round 1: User Llewellyn must tie User Ryo
Configuration 1: Wrists to post, bowline knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

A coil of rope materialized in Llewellyn's hands. He tested its weight, then looked at me.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Why would I be nervous about being tied up in public by—" I cut myself off. "Just get on with it."

His mouth twitched.

Pirates were scattered around drinking beer and rum and looking at us with interest. However, since this wasn't a competitive event, they were less loud than the last challenge, most just mingling relaxedly.

I removed my coat, placing it on one of the chairs.

I intended to ask Penguin to keep an eye on it, but he was on the other side of the deck, chittering at the parrot. Well. That was probably for the best.

Llewellyn stepped closer.

"Wait," I said. I accepted a tankard and drank half of it.

"Loosen up before ye tighten the ropes—smart lad!"

"Drink up, sweetheart! Helps with the squirming!"

"That one knows how to prepare! Proper cooperative, he is."

"Hope it's not the only thing he's loosening tonight!"

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow.

"Give me your wrist," he said.

I extended my left arm. He caught my wrist in his free hand, thumb pressing against my pulse point.

Right.

He guided it above my head and pinned it to the post.

"The other one as well."

I extended the other one too. Llewellyn's fingers circled it and it joined the first on the post, his hand covering both.

He started working with the rope, looping it around my wrist and working on the knot. His hands were warm.

"You've done this before," I realized.

I didn't know how to feel about it.

Llewellyn looked down at me and my stomach clenched.

…Uh. Maybe the extra alcohol had been a bad idea.

Llewellyn looked amused.

"Sailing," he said simply.

Huh?

His fingers remained on my skin as he adjusted the tension.

I frowned. "That's not on the forums."

Llewellyn's amusement grew.

"My granddad used to sail," he said. "I only know the basics."

Oh. Though, now that I thought about it—

"Are you getting any instructions there? Because I personally have no experience sailing."

"Or with bondage?" Llewellyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"…"

I looked at him. I could feel my chest rising and falling.

"I'm not answering that," I said.

Llewellyn actually laughed this time, looking like he was having the time of his life.

Well.

I bumped my head back and took a deep breath. As long as he was enjoying himself.

He finished the knot, then looked at the next instruction from the System.

I flexed against the rope experimentally. It held firm, not cutting into my skin but I was definitely not going anywhere.

The System chimed.

-

[System Notification: Round 1 continued
Configuration 2: Torso restraint, clove hitch
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

Another rope appeared in Llewellyn's hands.

He wrapped the rope around my torso, over my pectoral muscles.

"Hold still," he said.

Like I could move much anyway.

I forced myself to take a steady breath as he worked the knot, the rope snug but not constricting.

The pirates had gotten quieter, though someone whistled appreciatively.

"Look at that concentration!"

"The captain knows what he's doing!"

"Poor lad's gone all red!"

That was done quickly.

The System chimed again.

-

[System Notification: Round 1 continued
Configuration 3: Waist restraint, timber hitch
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

Llewellyn hummed.

"Last one," he said.

His hands settled on my waist, positioning the rope, then worked the rope around me.

"This is definitely the kind of Dungeon that needs a safeword," I breathed.

Llewellyn stepped close again. "Still Knight's Monument?"

"Still Llewrando for you?"

His eyes met mine. "For now."

His fingers found the hem of my shirt, and lingered. Then, he seemed to make a split second decision, because he lifted my shirt slightly, sliding it up to position the rope against bare skin.

"…"

I definitely made a noise.

"Problem?" he asked from behind me.

"Nope. No problems. Carry on with your... ropework."

The pirates were loving this.

"Look at him shiver!"

"Can barely breathe, poor lad!"

Llewellyn came back around to my front, trailing the rope. Every adjustment made the rope shift against my skin.

His fingers skimmed the hem of my trousers.

I was. Uh.

Um.

Showing.

Somewhat.

Llewellyn seemed to fixate on that for a second, and I tried very hard not to pant. The alcohol had definitely been a bad idea.

Llewellyn's fingers brushed the button, then his face went red and he moved the dangling rope and tied the knot more to the side.

"There," he said, finishing the knot. He didn't step back immediately, his hand trailing under my shirt for a few moments, over the skin around the rope.

"…"

I couldn't breathe properly.

-

[System Notification: Round 1 Complete.

Scoring...

All knots secured!
No resistance registered.
Rope Tension: Excellent.
Knot Precision: Excellent.
Trust assessment: Full Pass!]

-

The crowd cheered. Looked like they got the notification too.

"Your turn," Llewellyn said.

Before he could start untying me, a pirate stepped closer and cut all the ropes off.

"Right then!" The woman gestured to Llewellyn. "Switch positions!"

I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the phantom sensation of being held in place.

-

[System Notification:

Round 2: User Ryo must tie User Llewellyn
Configuration 1: Hands behind back, secured to post — figure-eight knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

A rope materialized in my hands and I tried to remember what I knew about tying knots. Absolutely nothing.

A faint outline appeared into my vision—a ghostly diagram of rope looping through itself, arrows marking each step of the knot.

[Assistance option available: Visual tutorial.]

Oh.

"You could have told me there was a tutorial," I told Llewellyn, narrowing my eyes.

He grinned.

This asshole.

I made eye contact and pushed him against the post.

"Hands behind your back," I said.

The pirates whooped.

"Looks like the lad's takin' charge now!"

"Oho! That's it! Tie him up!"

"Payback time! Let's see if the captain squirms as pretty!"

More heckling was coming from my right.

"That push had feelin' in it, lads! Someone's been waitin' for this!"

"Easy, boy! You'll bruise him—unless that's the idea?"

"Fetch more grog, we got a reversal of roles!"

Llewellyn complied, clasping his hands behind his back. The position pulled his shoulders back.

For a moment I stared, speechless.

Then, I stepped behind him, and looped the rope around his wrists.

The instructions were simple to follow, but for someone who had no idea how to do it, it still took some fumbling. My fingers kept brushing Llewellyn's, who twitched.

After two failed attempts, the knot came together, securing his wrists firmly but not too tight.

"Done."

Llewellyn tested the bonds, muscles flexing. The rope held.

-

[System Notification: Round 2 continued
Configuration 2: Left thigh to post — round turn and two half hitches
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

I stared at the tutorial. That… looked complicated.

"Problem?" Llewellyn asked.

Yes. Multiple problems. Starting with the fact that I'd have to kneel to—

The rope appeared in my hands. I gripped it too tightly.

"Hold still," I said.

"That's literally the one rule," he pointed out.

...I dropped to my knees in front of him.

Llewellyn's breath visibly hitched.

The crowd exploded.

"THERE WE GO!"

"On your knees already! Haven't even finished the games!"

"Don't forget to ask him to marry you after!"

"Rope first, vows later!"

Llewellyn's whole face was red. I could see his Adam's apple work as he swallowed.

I took a deep breath.

I reached for his thigh, wrapping the rope around it. The muscle tensed under my hands.

The pirates were beside themselves.

"Look at the captain's face!"

"He's blushin' down to his boots!"

"The lad's got him right where he wants him!"

"Hope he buys ye dinner after!"

Llewellyn made a low sound.

"Too tight?" I asked.

"It's. Fine. Just—" His voice came out rough. He cleared it. "Just get on with it."

I fumbled with the knot, trying to fix it.

I was very pointedly keeping my eyes—not there.

Unfortunately, the pirates had other ideas.

"That rope's not the only thing gettin' pulled tonight!"

"Kiss it for good luck!"

"Lad's combustin'! Someone pour water on 'im!"

"That's the look of a man meetin' his fate—and likin' it!"

I finished the knot, making sure it held. My hands might have lingered a moment longer than necessary.

"Best entertainment we've had in weeks!"

"Don't stop now, it's just getting good!"

"This is better than the tavern fights!"

"By the gods, tie me next!"

The System chimed in again.

-

[System Notification: Round 2 continued
Configuration 3: Right thigh to post — double constrictor knot
Time limit: None
Resistance penalty: Immediate disqualification]

-

Looked like I was going to spend more time on my knees.

With his hands behind his back and thigh tied to the post, Llewellyn couldn't move much.

I accepted the rope that materialized.

"Double constrictor knot," I muttered, staring at the tutorial. What the hell was that? "Yours were easier."

No answer.

I looked up.

Llewellyn was staring down at me, jaw tight, face still flushed, hands bound behind his back.

I realized my hand was still on his thigh, thumb soothing.

Um.

"All good?" I asked.

Llewellyn just stared at me.

Right. Was that a yes? A no?

"The knot," Llewellyn said. "Keep going."

Right. Okay.

I wrapped the rope around his other thigh, following the tutorial's ghostly outline. The first loop went fine, but how I managed the rest was a mystery. It also required way more touching than before, which wasn't helping.

Llewellyn's breathing had gone harsher. And he was also—

I really shouldn't look there.

"You alright up there?" I asked, adjusting the tension.

"Fine."

His voice came out strained. When I glanced up, his eyes were fixed on me.

The pirates kept cheering.

"Look at 'im! All tangled and touched!"

"Raise a toast for the newly knotted!"

I finished the double constrictor.

"Done."

Llewellyn tested his bonds. The ropes held firm, keeping him secured to the post.

-

[System Notification: Round 2 Complete.

Scoring...

All knots secured!
No resistance registered.
Rope Tension: Optimal.
Knot Precision: Optimal.
Trust assessment: Full Pass!]

-

The crowd erupted in cheers. Pirates slapped tables and shouted encouragement.

"Beautiful work, lad!"

"Captain's lookin' properly tied up!"

"I'll never look at rigging the same again!"

The same pirate as before came closer to cut Llewellyn's ropes as I stood up.

By the time I did, Llewellyn was free. He grabbed my arm, turned me around, and pushed me back against the post.

What!!!

I stared at him.

"Balance restored," he said, looking extremely flustered, but also amused.

I snorted. "What, do you prefer being the one doing the tying?"

"Mmh." The hand on my waist slid under my shirt, back where the rope had been. "Don't worry. I'm gentle."

Uh.

"Aye! He's back in command!"

"Pin him there, cap'n! Lad's starin' like he's ready for vows!"

"Tie the knot, not just the rope!"

"Someone bring more rope! Tie 'im again, cap'n! But strip 'im first!"

...My body definitely liked that plan.

"This is the most romance I've seen since shore leave!"

"Give us a sequel!"

"He's gonna tie 'im up and keep 'im!"

I swallowed.

Llewellyn looked down at my mouth and I took in a shaky breath.

I really, really wanted to kiss him.

The System chimed, mercifully cutting through the pirates' suggestions.

[Challenge Complete!]

Llewellyn let me go.

The crowd groaned.

"No vows? No consummation?!"

"Ye can't leave us hangin'!"

"At least kiss 'im, ye coward!"

"We're done here," Llewellyn said, ushering me forward to get our stamps.

"Aye, but he's not!" a pirate cackled, pointing at the tent in my trousers.

I covered my eyes with one hand. "Feedback noted. Let's go."

Penguin fluttered over, clutching a stolen parrot feather. He chirped proudly, oblivious to the chaos.

"You want me to save it in the inventory?" I asked.

Penguin chirped and dropped it in my hand. That was a yes.

We fled the Siren's Revenge, pirates still catcalling as we crossed the gangplank.

…Though I could totally have been talked into another round.

Chapter Text

The Maiden's Conquest was smaller than the previous ships. Pirates were already gathering, settling onto barrels and crates with fresh tankards.

"The lovebirds are here! Fresh from their honeymoon knots!"

"A finer match I've never seen aboard!"

"Still walkin' straight, I see—give it time!"

My skin still felt hot from the ropes. Llewellyn had not really moved away, even though I expected he would, and our shoulders kept brushing as we walked.

"Ahoy!" A man with silver braids stepped forward, grinning. "Ready for the final challenge?"

The System chimed before either of us could answer.

-

[System Notification: Hands on Deck Challenge!

Objective: Locate hidden Crew Beads through tactile search.

Rules:
Each player conceals one bead on their person.
Both players are simultaneously blindfolded during search phase.
Search continues until both beads are recovered.
No clothing removal permitted.]

-

"…"

Wait. Tactile search?!

I didn't know how Llewellyn was doing, but I was definitely still too turned on for this!

Should I ask someone to splash water on my face or something?!

"…We're doing this, then?" I asked.

Llewellyn eyed me, amused. "You don't sound too upset about it."

Well. I obviously wanted to jump him, so.

And this was the last quest.

Llewellyn eyed the crowd. "…They're going to enjoy this a bit too much."

I snorted. "Think you'll enjoy it more than they will."

Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "Will I?"

…My stomach gave a funny jolt.

We walked forward, ready to start.

The man asked us about the tokens Alberan had given us and we both took them out.

"Alright, lads! Hide these somewhere on your person—sleeve, collar, waistband, wherever ye fancy. Just make sure they're accessible without strippin'."

He gestured to opposite sides of the deck. "Turn away from each other. No peeking while ye hide 'em."

I put Penguin down. "You can go explore for a bit if you like," I told him. "Just be careful."

Penguin chirped happily and scampered off.

I walked to the port side, back to Llewellyn, and considered my options.

Pockets were too obvious. Collar would risk falling down and sleeves would be found immediately.

Waistband wasn't any better, but there happened to be a little clothing tag sewn inside on only two sides, leaving some space from the fabric. I tucked the bead there, so it wouldn't fall but could be reached with careful fingers.

"Done!" I called.

"Same," Llewellyn said from his side of the ship.

The man approached with two pirate flags folded into blindfolds.

"Blindfolds now, lads!" he said cheerfully.

He tied mine first, plunging me into darkness.

I shuffled forward, until my fingers met warm fabric. Llewellyn's shirt.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Llewellyn said back, moving closer. His hand also found my shirt and settled on my waist.

…Definitely still too turned on for this.

"Aye!" someone announced. "Search begins... now!"

I went for his trench coat pockets first. They were obvious, but he might think I thought they were obvious and hide the bead there.

Unfortunately, he didn't.

Llewellyn's hands found my shoulders, patting down my coat, checking my pockets too—and I had to remember not to lean into the touch and just get on with it.

The pirates were already getting invested.

"They're bein' too polite about it!"

"Quit skippin' spots—search him proper!"

"Get yer hands all over! Feel him down like ye mean it!"

Llewellyn's hands moved to my trousers.

"…"

Back pockets first. My breath caught. Still manageable, more or less. I did the same and reached behind him, then moved to his front pockets while he searched mine.

There was some… unintentional brushing.

Uh.

I swallowed.

Well.

We both moved on.

The crowd whooped.

"Synchronized gropin'—that's true partnership!"

"Captain's barely started an' the lad's meltin'!"

"That's no search, that's courtin' done proper!"

"Look at 'im leanin' in!"

I mean… I wouldn't mind cutting that distance.

"I'm going to pat down your legs and socks," Llewellyn said—and knelt.

"…"

I couldn't see anything, but I could imagine it.

My hands went automatically to his nape, into his hair, savoring that a bit too much.

"I'm not hiding anything in my hair," Llewellyn said, amused.

"Then you won't have any problems with me checking."

Llewellyn finished his patting down.

"I should too, then," he said, getting up.

His hands found my hair too, checking behind my ears, along my neck.

It felt incredibly good. I found myself leaning into it without thinking.

"Enjoying yourself?" Llewellyn asked, fingers trailing down to check my collar.

I should probably say something, but my mind had gone blank.

"See that sway? He's enjoyin' it plenty!"

"Ayee. Are they gonna just keep pettin' each other?"

"Get a hand down his breeches already captain—he's gonna let ye!"

"Get on with it! Rules be damned—strip 'im good! Lad's standin' there beggin', plain as day!"

Llewellyn's fingers reached my lips.

My turn to be amused. "What, do you think I'm keeping it under my tongue or something?"

There was a pause. Then Llewellyn said, "Well, are you?"

I'd really drunk too much, because I said, "You can check if you want," and opened my mouth.

I felt Llewellyn freeze for a moment.

Then, very slowly… he slid a finger in.

The pirates erupted in cheers.

"Aye, see? He opened up like a treasure chest!"

"Look at 'im! Takin' it like a lad who knows 'is place!"

"Captain's goin' to spill all his pride right here on deck!"

Damn it. I couldn't help but swallow, and Llewellyn let out a noise.

I really hadn't expected to be so much into this.

I'd meant it as an alcohol-fueled joke, but— uh.

My lips were still half-parted. I raised my tongue and gently pressed down.

"Captain's takin' his sweet time with that mouth—"

"Can ye blame 'im? Look at the lad!"

"Hold 'im steady, captain! He'll gag sweet if ye push in more!"

I'd completely forgotten my own search by now.

"Further, captain! Push in deeper, don't hold back!"

"He's beggin' without a word—ye hear that breath?"

"Touch 'im proper until he moans!"

Llewellyn let out a shaky breath and slid another finger in.

I grabbed his shirt.

My heartbeat was very loud. I couldn't see anything. I could only hear the pirates' heckling and Llewellyn's harsh breaths as he slid over my tongue.

"Aye, look at 'im—letting the captain do as he pleases! He's servin' fine!"

"A lad that willing? Fill 'im steady, captain!"

"Ye could keep him filled all night!"

"He's ready to let ye spill in deep!"

Llewellyn let out a sound and started to retrieve his hand.

A jolt of panic rushed through me. I curled my tongue around him to stop him.

I felt Llewellyn freeze.

Then, with a shuddering breath, he slid back in. His other hand cupped my head, sliding over my nape.

I swallowed, helplessly.

"Ayeee, told ye he was askin' for it!"

"Look at 'im, open as the sea—captain's got full claim!"

"See that shiver? Gone slack in the knees! Guide 'im down proper!"

…They weren't wrong. The blindfold was diabolical.

I was seriously starting to worry about the state of my trousers if this kept going, but—

Well.

I wasn't about to stop him.

I closed my lips and sucked gently.

"Ayeee, there he goes!"

"He's lettin' ye have him, captain— Put 'im to his knees!"

"Captain's keepin' it sweet—but he wants that mouth below the belt!"

Llewellyn slid his fingers out this time.

…Right. What now.

I was burning up.

I couldn't see anything. I needed some physical contact.

I tipped forward and dropped my forehead on Llewellyn's shoulder, breathing hard.

Llewellyn shivered, but didn't stop me.

A few moments later, I reached for the hand that had just been in my mouth, slid my fingers up and found the bead tucked into his rolled sleeve.

I laughed.

"I win," I said.

Llewellyn hummed, lips brushing my temple.

His arm slid easily around my waist, under my shirt, on my lower back, then into the back of my trousers, collecting the bead from where I'd tucked it.

"Those are still my trousers," he said against my temple.

…Uh. Had he kept that going on purpose?!

Not that I was complaining.

"And yet, I still won," I grinned, anyway.

"Mmh," Llewellyn said against my temple. "Well done."

I let out an undignified noise.

[System Notification: Challenge Complete!]

The crowd cheered.

However, I could barely hear them over the sound of my own heartbeat.

My face was scorching hot.

I didn't want to move away yet, I was too off-kilter.

"You can let go now," I told Llewellyn as we stood there, both blindfolded.

Looking him in the eye after that was going to be its own challenge.

Llewellyn's hand was still under my shirt. His mouth found my cheekbone.

Oh.

Yeah, nevermind then.

"Ayeee! Closer, lads—get on with it!"

"Enough teasin'! Take 'im against the mast an' see if it holds!"

"Quit courtin' 'im like a maiden—get those clothes off 'im!"

Yes, exactly.

Wait—no! Shouldn't!

Ah, I really didn't know how we were going to recover from this.

I couldn't believe I thought kissing him would be a problem, and then I went and did this!

Though if he'd decided to escalate things… Well, I really wouldn't have stopped him.

Even now, if he dragged me down onto the boards—

Someone pulled our blindfolds off. The sudden light made me blink, but Llewellyn was right there.

I swallowed and pulled back slightly, not knowing where to look.

The pirates were still going wild.

"Don't ye pull away now! One more shove an' he'll melt!"

"Ye've got him trembling! Give it to 'im proper!"

"Aye, press on! He's beggin' t'be taken however ye want 'im!"

The silver-braided pirate stepped between us, breaking the moment.

"Ye both look like ye've been keelhauled!" he said with a grin. "Well done, lads! Some proper trustin' teamwork, that was!"

Um.

Llewellyn let go and I stepped back to avoid yanking him back.

At a table set up nearby, a woman stamped our booklets then told us to wait a moment and came back holding Penguin.

"One o' the lads set him ridin' the rudder like a merry-go-round. Round an' round he went, chirpin' like a fiddle tune. Happiest pirate aboard—eyes shinin' like a lantern!"

Penguin chirped happily, as if to confirm.

Ah, that was good!

"Did you have a good time?" I asked.

Penguin chirped again.

He'd somehow acquired three more feathers since the last ship. I put them in my inventory.

The pirates were still shouting.

"We need to get the map," Llewellyn said.

"Right, yes," I said.

Even though we kept our eyes ahead, we were gravitating close, which… uh… felt like we could restart all that any moment.

Llewellyn's ears were scarlet. We both eyed each other for a moment, then looked away.

"…"

I bumped his shoulder in what I hoped came through as reassurance and watched him relax slightly.

"Well, that was fun," I said after a moment.

Llewellyn snorted.

…I really, really wanted to kiss him.

Chapter Text

We made our way back to the Kiosk. The pirate woman with the gold teeth was still there, counting coins by lantern light.

"Three stamps!" I said, placing the booklet on the counter. "We completed all the challenges."

She squinted at the stamps, then nodded. "Aye, that ye did! The map's yours."

She reached under the counter and pulled out a piece of parchment.

We thanked her and moved on, somewhere to the side.

The map showed a location marked with an X back on the mainland. It didn't seem too far away.

I was still flustered, but—

I couldn't help it.

"Ready for a night of hard plundering?" I asked, like I hadn't embarrassed myself enough.

Llewellyn's head snapped up and he stared. "…You realize how that sounded?"

I knew exactly how that sounded. That's why I'd said it.

I looked at him, amused. "You weren't this shy when the pirates were cheering you on."

Llewellyn eyed me again. His ears were still red.

"I can stop restraining myself, if you like."

…Huh.

Can I just pin him somewhere and kiss him?!

"Didn't seem you were restraining yourself that much. You know, with the whole fingers in my mouth in front of the crowd thing."

Llewellyn gave me a long look, then said, "You swallowed eager enough."

"…"

…How does he never miss a beat?!

We crossed the last gangplank, and stepped onto solid sand. The beach stretched out before us, pale under the starlight.

According to the map, we needed to head back where we came from then keep going until we reached a rocky outcropping, then follow a path inland.

"Only a fifteen minute walk," Llewellyn estimated, studying the map. "Shouldn't be too difficult."

Right.

We walked in silence, the sound of waves filling the space. Every so often, our shoulders brushed and I had to stop myself from putting him flat in the sand and finish what the pirates had started.

Penguin chittered from my pocket, and continued until I realized he wanted me to fix his hat.

"Better?" I asked.

He chirped.

Ah, he really looked great. I should have done it earlier, but I pulled out my phone and took a few pictures.

Llewellyn eyed us, amused.

"Before I forget," he said after a moment. "We should check the shop for Dungeon-exclusive items. Now might be a good time."

Huh?

"There are Dungeon exclusive items?" I asked. "Since when?"

"Since always," Llewellyn said. "Your coat could only be found in Mondwyn Harbor, for example. Didn't you notice?"

I hadn't!

Was that why people online kept going on and on about my coat? I'd just thought they might not have System access and didn't know they could buy it themselves.

Though, someone could have replied explaining or offering to buy it for them for a fee.

Actually, now that I thought about it, maybe not? I'd never actually seen any conversations about the System Shop online—that's why I hadn't even known there was one when Llewellyn had mentioned it the first time. 

Either way. This made more sense.

I opened the System Shop, curious now, and purchased a few items quickly as we walked.

The interface had a jolly roger icon, which didn't look ominous at all.

The first thing that caught my eye was a pair of "Sea-Blessed Boots" that let you walk on water. I wasn't sure when I'd need them outside of a nautical setting, but obviously I bought them immediately. Maybe I could go for a stroll on water in Baekhaven.

"Parrot Companion (Decorative)" was 500 Coins. The description read: "A loyal feathered friend that repeats everything you say with 90% more innuendo."

"…"

I scrolled past that one quickly.

"Captain's Weatherproof Coat" was 2,000 Coins. It looked heavy, like a fancy version of the one Alberan had been wearing, but in deep navy and with gold buttons. The stats were decent—weather resistance, +15% Elemental Magic boost, and a small charisma boost when dealing with "seafaring folk".

I glanced at Llewellyn, imagining him in it.

…Wait, no. Focus.

"Portable Grog Barrel", I read aloud to Llewellyn. "300 Coins. Never run dry! Refills with rum every 24 hours. Warning: May attract pirates."

"Better not then," Llewellyn said. "Unless you miss the obscene cheering."

I snorted.

I kept scrolling. There were navigation tools, rope that apparently never tangled, and various pirate-themed accessories…

"Kraken's Grasp Gloves" provided "enhanced grip strength. Items cannot be knocked from your hands. +15% to all grappling attempts", while "Siren's Echo Earring" (800 Coins) allowed "underwater breathing for up to 30 minutes".

Not bad, I guess, but I wasn't into earrings. I considered the gloves briefly, but in the end moved on.

"Lantern of the Ever-North" (700 Coins). This looked great. Effect: Flame always points north no matter the wind. Doubles as night-light. And would make a decent desk lamp, actually.

"Charm of the Sea Dog" (900 Coins). Effect: +10% charisma with sailors, smugglers, spies, and innkeepers.

I considered this. Did I want more charisma with sailors, smugglers, spies, and innkeepers?

…Yeah, why not.

Both lantern and charm went into my cart.

"Merrow's Shellphone" (2,500 Coins). Conch shell that lets you contact any crew member within a Dungeon.

So basically a fantasy walkie-talkie. Why would we need this if mobile phones worked in dungeons?

But then again, better safe than sorry.

I put two in the cart. I was going to toss one at Llewellyn later.

I added a few random items to my cart and finalized my purchases just as we reached the rocky outcropping.

"Found anything good?" Llewellyn asked.

"Boots to walk on water," I said. "Might take Penguin on a walk in his fish form." Llewellyn snorted. "What about you?"

"Navigation tools," Llewellyn said. "Some random gear—spyglass, gloves, rope that won't tangle."

I raised an eyebrow. "Rope?"

"For practical use. Not for… other purposes."

I grinned. "I think the crew might disagree about what rope's best used for."

Llewellyn gave me a look. "Do you?"

Well.

"Maybe. Depends what you plan to do once it's on."

Llewellyn's look lingered, amused. "I doubt you'd complain."

"…"

I mean, he wasn't wrong.

We kept walking, following the map's directions. The path wound inland, away from the sound of waves. Pine trees rose on either side, needles carpeting the ground and muffling our footsteps.

Penguin had settled back in my pocket, occasionally chirping at interesting shadows.

We reached a small rise in the path. From here, I could see the beach stretching out behind us, the floating tavern town still lit up with lantern light.

"How much further?" I asked.

Llewellyn checked the map. "Should be just ahead. Look for—"

Penguin suddenly chittered loudly.

Two smooth pillars stood among the trees.

A translucent barrier all around them made it impossible to proceed without walking through them.

We looked at each other and approached them cautiously. The moment we got to the entrance, the barrier flared with light and we could see that it covered the entrance too. An invisible force pushed us back.

[System Notification: Access Denied! Crew identification required.]

"Huh?"

Fuck. I suddenly realized what that meant.

"The beads," Llewellyn said.

Yeah. "Did you—"

"No," Llewellyn said.

Goddamnit.

Penguin also looked up at me and chirped to say that he didn't have them either.

We both stared at the glowing pillars, frustrated.

Penguin jumped out of my pocket and started looking around, as if to find something useful.

"System?" I asked. "We finished the quests, but forgot to grab the beads after the last one. What now? Do we need to go back for them?"

[System Notification: Crew identification tokens are required for entrance. Other marks indicating crew status are permissible.]

Other marks? Like tattoos?