The rain kept falling, but now it was nothing more than background noise, something distant, irrelevant, because Damián's full attention was locked onto the new window in front of him, one that didn't feel like the others, it wasn't a quick notification or an immediate warning, it was something deeper, more structured, more… ancient.
Something that had existed long before he did.
[FILE UNLOCKED]
[Category: Players]
[Access: Level 1]
Damián didn't move.
He didn't even try to stand up completely.
His back remained pressed against the wall, his body exhausted, but his mind… sharper than ever.
*…open it,* he thought.
The interface responded instantly.
The world didn't disappear this time.
But something layered over it.
Information.
Data.
Records.
As if he were seeing the city… through a different logic.
[Definition: Player]
— Entity synchronized with the System
— Capability to interact with the Core
— Active participation in contracts
Damián read each line slowly, carefully, not skipping anything, because he understood this wasn't just information.
This was survival.
*…so everyone who has this…* he murmured internally.
[Confirmation: Multiple active Players]
He already knew that.
But seeing it like this…
Made it real.
Made it bigger.
More dangerous.
The interface shifted.
New lines appeared.
[Player Classification]
— Low Level
— Mid Level
— High Level
— Special Entities
Damián frowned slightly.
*…which one am I?*
The system didn't take long to answer.
[User: Low Level]
[Progress: Initial]
It didn't surprise him.
But he didn't like it either.
The next section was the one that truly made him go silent.
[System Note]
— Players compete for resources
— Contracts are points of conflict
— Player elimination: Permitted
The air seemed to grow colder.
Heavier.
*…elimination?*
His jaw tightened slightly.
Because that changed everything.
This wasn't just about growth.
It was about surviving against others who were also growing.
And some of them…
Much faster.
The image of the man from before came back to his mind.
His speed.
His control.
His calm.
That…
Was not low level.
Not even close.
[Warning]
— Higher-level players can detect lower-level users
— Level difference increases risk of elimination
Damián closed his eyes for a second.
Breathing.
Processing.
*…so I'm marked.*
And that meant something very clear.
He couldn't hide.
Not completely.
The interface shifted again.
More specific.
More direct.
[Partial Record Updated]
[Recent interaction: Unknown Player]
[Status: Active]
[Result: Survival]
[Evaluation: POSITIVE]
Damián opened his eyes slowly.
*…positive evaluation…*
That made something else clear.
He hadn't just survived.
He had been… observed.
And most likely…
Remembered.
A chill ran down his spine.
But it wasn't pure fear.
It was something else.
Awareness.
That now he was inside.
For real.
The interface displayed one last section.
Smaller.
But far more important.
[Information Reward]
— Detected location: Minor Access Point
— Distance: 2.8 km
— Function: Exchange / Contact / Expansion
Damián narrowed his eyes.
*…a place…*
This wasn't a contract.
This wasn't a fight.
It was…
Infrastructure.
The system didn't just connect players.
It connected places.
Points.
Networks.
The Underworld wasn't an idea.
It was a complete system.
And he had only seen the surface.
[Marking route…]
The line appeared again.
Longer this time.
Deeper into the city.
Damián looked in that direction, feeling something inside him react, not fear, not doubt, but a kind of inevitable pull.
As if the system wasn't just showing him the path.
But pushing him to follow it.
Slowly, he stood up, his body still aching, but functional, far more than before, enough to move, enough to continue.
Because stopping…
Was no longer a real option.
*…exchange,* he thought.
That meant information.
Resources.
Other players.
And that…
Was danger.
But also opportunity.
Damián took the first step.
Then another.
Leaving the alley behind, leaving the place where he had changed, where he had been tested, where he had been recognized.
The city looked the same to anyone else.
But to him…
Not anymore.
Because now he knew something he didn't before.
He wasn't alone.
He never was.
And every step he took from now on…
Would bring him closer to something far bigger than himself.
The Underworld wasn't a place you reached.
It was a system you entered.
And Damián Cruz…
Had just crossed the threshold.