As Leonardo descended the temple stairs, he felt the earth vibrate with every step he took. The bone ring on his finger had now fused with his skin, no longer a mere object but a living part of his body. The dawn light was piercing through the valley mist, yet it could not penetrate the three-foot radius around him—there, only a deep, mystical shadow danced.
[New Skill Unlocked: Cloak of the Void (Passive)]
[Effect: Light within a 3-meter radius is absorbed. Stealth increased by 80%.]
"The System can no longer fully control me," Leonardo smiled to himself. His transparent screen was now far more stable than before. He noticed that where his level used to show 'Null', a new symbol had appeared—a crescent moon emblem.
The grass of the valley did not wither at his touch; instead, it seemed to bow, parting a path for him. Leonardo looked toward the distant Silver City. It appeared to be floating above the clouds. Massive towers pierced the sky, with pulses of blue electricity coursing through their frames. That was the 'Silver City'—the primary stronghold of the System Administrators.
[Current Mission: Infiltrate the Silver City Periphery.]
[Target: Locate the Resistance Informant.]
As he reached the midpoint of the valley, the sound of the wind suddenly shifted. From above came the mechanical rhythmic flapping of wings. Leonardo quickly hid behind a massive boulder. He saw three mechanical drones casting beams of blue light, scanning the surroundings. These were no ordinary drones; they were the 'System Eyes'.
"They know I'm here," Leonardo whispered. "But they don't know what I've become."
He decided to test his new power. He commanded his shadow to move toward the drones. In an instant, his shadow detached from the ground, soaring into the sky like a black arrow. Without a sound, the first drone froze upon contact with the dark mist and disintegrated into dust moments later.
[Chaos Essence integration: 22%...]
The remaining two drones grew alert, emitting red laser beams to sweep the area. Leonardo no longer remained hidden. He stepped out from behind the rock, the violet glow in his eyes outshining the morning light.
"Tell your masters that their time is running out," Leonardo swung his blade through the air.
With a swift motion, he generated a massive 'Shadow Wave' that coiled around the two drones. Before they could crash to the ground, Leonardo used 'Shadow Step' to appear right in front of them. He attempted to extract data from their memory chips.
[Data Extraction in progress...]
[Coordinates acquired: Sector 7, The Rusty Gear Tavern.]
"The Rusty Gear Tavern..." Leonardo etched the name into his mind. That was likely where the informant resided—the one who knew the secrets within the System.
Crossing the valley, Leonardo reached the city's perimeter. There was no physical wall; instead, a massive energy shield encased the entire city. Blue codes flickered and shifted constantly across its surface. Any ordinary player touching this shield would be incinerated instantly.
However, Leonardo aimed his bone ring at the shield. A black beam erupted from the ring, carving a small fracture into the blue barrier. He slipped through the crack and entered the city with caution.
The interior of the city was even stranger than the outside. The streets were transparent, like glass, with data constantly flowing beneath them. People moved mechanically, like robots. Familiar blue screens hovered over their heads, controlling their every action. No one laughed, no one spoke—they were all cogs in a massive machine.
Using his 'Cloak of the Void', Leonardo blended into the crowd. He even spotted some of his old acquaintances—players who once looked down on him. They were now obsessed with leveling up, fighting one another, unaware that they were merely slaves to the System.
When he reached 'Sector 7', the atmosphere changed. The grandeur faded, replaced by decay and outdated technology. This was the city's slum, where 'Glitches'—the faulty players of the System—hid away.
The Rusty Gear Tavern was tucked away at the end of a dark alley. A massive, rusted gear hung over the door. As Leonardo entered, everyone inside cast sharp gazes toward him. These people lacked the mechanical dullness of the citizens; instead, a rebellious fire burned in their eyes.
Behind the counter sat an old man, half his face mechanical and the other half human. He looked at Leonardo while cleaning a glass and said, "We have been waiting for you for a long time, Shadow King."
Leonardo was taken aback. "You know me?"
The old man laughed, a sound like a mechanical wail. "We don't know you, but we know the prophecy linked to the three moons. You aren't just a glitch in the System; you are the System's reaper."
The old man pulled a hidden lever, and the floor beneath the counter slid away to reveal a tunnel. "Go down. Your answers await you there. But remember, the true King of the Silver City has yet to awaken."
Leonardo began to descend the dark staircase of the tunnel. He could feel it—his destination was close. The secret he had traveled so far to uncover was about to be revealed.
At the end of Chapter 22, Leonardo found himself in a vast underground chamber, its walls covered with thousands of photographs and biographies of people. In the center of the room, a large screen displayed a glowing image of himself.
"Am I... not just an ordinary human?" Leonardo asked himself.
"Leonardo tightened his grip on the bone ring, feeling its cold energy coursing through his veins. He knew that the answers he sought were hidden deep within this underground vault. Every photograph on the wall was a piece of a puzzle that he had to solve before the System administrators realized he had breached their final sanctuary. His journey was no longer about survival; it was about reclaiming his lost humanity