The city felt different now.
Jack noticed it immediately.
As he walked toward Elm Street, the familiar roads of Halemont no longer looked ordinary. Lines—faint, almost invisible—ran across the ground, intersecting at precise angles. Buildings weren't just structures anymore; they were coordinates.
Everything… was a system.
"…So this is what Numerical Insight does," Jack muttered.
His eyes tracked movement automatically. Distances calculated themselves. Even the flow of people around him formed patterns in his mind.
It was overwhelming.
But addictive.
Very addictive.
By the time he reached the construction site, the sun had already begun to dip. The golden light stretched long shadows across the unfinished building.
Jack stopped at the entrance.
Something felt… wrong.
The air was heavier.
Quieter.
No workers.
No machines.
Just silence.
"That's not normal…" he whispered.
[Quest Area Detected]
[Hidden Node Nearby]
Jack swallowed.
"Okay… no turning back now."
He stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the boundary—
The world shifted.
Not visually.
But logically.
The structure of reality felt… rewritten.
The air grew colder.
And then—
A sound.
Scrrrrch…
Jack froze.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the source.
Something moved in the shadows.
At first, it looked like a person.
Then it stepped into the light.
And Jack's breath stopped.
It wasn't human.
Its body was twisted, like broken geometry forced into flesh. Limbs too long. Joints bending at impossible angles. Its face—
Blank.
No eyes.
No mouth.
Just a smooth, pale surface.
[Unknown Entity Detected]
[Analyzing…]
[Error… Partial Data Available]
Jack's heart slammed against his chest.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The creature tilted its head.
Then—
It moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Jack barely reacted.
"—!"
His body jerked sideways instinctively.
The creature's arm sliced through the air where his head had been a second ago.
CRACK!
Concrete shattered.
Jack stumbled, hitting the ground hard.
"Damn it—!"
His breathing turned sharp.
"This is real… this is REALLY real…"
The creature turned toward him again.
Slow.
Silent.
Predatory.
Jack's mind raced.
Think.
Think!
He couldn't fight this head-on.
No weapon.
No strength.
Nothing.
Then—
His eyes sharpened.
Numerical Insight activated.
The world shifted.
The creature slowed.
Not physically—
But in Jack's perception.
Angles appeared.
Movement paths.
Timing windows.
"There…!" Jack gasped.
He saw it.
A delay.
0.7 seconds between its movements.
A flaw.
The creature lunged again.
This time—
Jack moved first.
He rolled to the side just before impact.
The creature's arm slammed into the ground again.
Another crack.
Jack scrambled up.
His eyes locked onto a loose metal rod nearby.
Distance: 3.2 meters
Time to reach: 1.4 seconds
"Now!"
He dashed.
His legs burned, but he pushed forward.
He grabbed the rod—
And turned—
Just as the creature attacked again.
Jack swung.
CLANG!
The impact rattled his arms.
"Gah—!"
The creature barely flinched.
"…That did nothing?!" Jack's eyes widened.
The thing tilted its head again.
Then—
It accelerated.
Faster than before.
"Sh—!"
Jack's body reacted on instinct.
But this time—
Too slow.
SLASH!
Pain exploded across his shoulder.
Jack screamed as he was thrown back, crashing into the ground.
Blood soaked his shirt.
His vision blurred.
"Damn it… damn it…!"
He couldn't win.
Not like this.
The creature approached.
Slow.
Certain.
Like it already knew the outcome.
Jack clenched his teeth.
"No… I'm not dying here…"
His eyes trembled—
Then steadied.
Numbers filled his vision again.
Faster.
Sharper.
Clearer.
Everything aligned.
The creature's next movement—
Predicted.
Jack forced himself up.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the fear.
"Come on…!"
The creature lunged.
Jack stepped forward.
Not away.
Into it.
At the last second—
He shifted his body.
0.3 seconds window.
Perfect timing.
The creature's arm missed.
And Jack—
Drove the metal rod forward.
CRACK!
This time—
Something changed.
The rod pierced into a weak point—
A fracture in its unnatural form.
The creature froze.
Then—
It let out a sound.
Not a scream.
Not a roar.
A glitch.
And then—
It shattered.
Fragments of light broke apart and dissolved into the air.
Jack collapsed to his knees.
Breathing hard.
Shaking.
Alive.
"…I… did it…"
Silence.
Then—
[Enemy Eliminated]
[Experience Gained]
Jack looked up weakly.
"…It's over…"
But the system wasn't done.
[First Kill Bonus Activated]
[Reward Processing…]
A glow formed in front of him.
Floating.
Just like the coin.
Then—
It solidified.
A weapon.
A sleek, dark dagger with faint glowing lines running along its blade.
Jack stared.
"…No way…"
[Item Acquired]
Name: Null Edge (Common)
Type: Dagger
Effect: Slightly increases damage against corrupted entities
Durability: 100/100
Jack reached out slowly.
The moment he touched it—
A surge of energy ran through him.
Different from before.
Sharper.
Controlled.
He held it up.
The blade gleamed faintly.
Alive.
A grin slowly formed on his face.
"This…"
He stood up, despite the pain.
His eyes burned with determination.
"This is just the beginning."
Behind him—
Unseen—
The construction site shifted slightly.
Deeper layers.
Hidden paths.
Something far greater—
Waiting.
And Jack had just taken his first step into that world.