Silence reigned in the grand sect hall as all eyes locked on the bizarre scene that had just unfolded. The elders, dignified and composed a moment ago, stared blankly at the youth now seated in the sect leader's throne. His robes were muddy, his blue hair wet and tousled, and a strange cat-like creature with fluffy silver fur and blue-tipped ears lay curled comfortably in his lap, purring softly.
Arthur blinked at the row of silent, wide-eyed elders, a group of strangers in colorful robes, and the envoy still holding a cup of tea mid-sip. His lips curled into a sheepish smile as he raised a single hand in awkward greeting.
"Hi," he said.
There was no response. The room remained frozen.
Before Arthur could say anything else, a loud and familiar ding! rang out.
"System Message: Congratulations, Host! You have been falling for approximately two hours and have now reached Level 3. New skill acquired: Lazy Fall."
Arthur's jaw dropped.
"TWO HOURS?!" he exclaimed. He stared at the cat on his lap. "You—you knew we were falling that long?!"
The creature—System in its animal form—yawned, stretched, and rolled over in his lap.
"You were the one who said we should leave the cave!" it grumbled. "I told you it was cozy. But no, you had to be the brave little fool."
"How does falling count as lazy?!" Arthur demanded, pointing at the notification hovering in front of him.
System shrugged with its tiny paws. "Gravity did the work."
Arthur groaned and rubbed his face, completely unaware of the dozens of people watching him with mouths agape.
Still talking to himself, he stood from the throne, gently setting System on the plush cushion. "Right, I just need to find a place to sleep this off. Maybe some hot food too."
He stepped down from the throne, walking slowly and casually across the hall, eyes scanning the intricate wall carvings and ornate golden pillars. He nodded, impressed. "Fancy place. Bit too much blue though."
The envoy's mouth twitched.
Elder Bo leaned toward Elder Mo, whispering, "He thinks this is...what, a tea house?"
"Should we stop him?" Elder Ming asked.
"No," Elder Mo muttered. "I'm invested now."
Arthur walked right past the envoy, who stepped aside automatically, still in a daze. He even nodded politely to one of the guards and smiled. "Nice armor. Shiny."
As he neared the entrance to the hall, two guards crossed their spears to stop him. Arthur blinked at them.
"Oh? The exit's this way, right? I must've walked into some noble's home. Sorry about the mess—I fell through your roof."
Before either guard could respond, a metallic clang echoed from behind him. Arthur turned and gasped. The sword—the one he had pulled from the cave wall—was now floating upright, its tip aimed directly at his back. It hovered a mere foot from his spine.
"You again?!" he shouted. "Stop following me!"
He began to walk again. The sword followed.
Arthur stopped. The sword stopped.
He bolted.
The sword gave chase.
"Why are you like this?!" Arthur shouted, sprinting across the hall, his boots slipping on the polished floor.
The elders all stood now, a mixture of confusion, fascination, and growing suspicion on their faces.
"It's...it's behaving like her sword," Elder Mo whispered, his voice trembling.
The envoy narrowed his eyes. "You don't mean—?"
Elder Mo gave a tight nod. "That sword. It chased her around the training grounds for weeks before she accepted it. This one..."
Meanwhile, Aithur had ducked behind the throne again, panting.
"I don't even like swords!" he cried.
System, still lounging atop the throne, watched him with a bored expression.
"This is your fault," Arthur accused.
"Mine? You picked it up. It didn't pick you. Except—wait, no, maybe it did."
The sword suddenly hovered into view, peeking over the throne's edge like a curious puppy. Arthur shrieked and bolted again.
He zigzagged across the hall, diving under tables, jumping over cushions, even leaping over the envoy's shoulder at one point. The envoy didn't flinch. He just sipped his tea with wide eyes.
"Elder Huo, am I dreaming this?" the envoy asked.
"If you are," the elder replied, "then we share the same nightmare."
Eventually, Aithur made a dash for the guards at the main doors again. As the sword surged after him, he dropped to the floor and slid under the crossing spears, grabbing System as he went.
"Sorry, weirdos, I'll see myself out!"
He vanished through the doorway.
The sword slammed into the doors a second later and paused, floating uncertainly. Then it zipped after him with a dramatic hum.
For a brief moment, the elders, envoy, and guards stood in stunned silence.
Elder Ren cleared his throat. "Well... that was something."
Before they could respond, the ground gave a low rumble. The cups on the table trembled.
The clouds above darkened through the glass windows. A heavy pressure began to settle over the hall.
Then came a roar. Not of a beast—but something deeper. Older.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck the tall crystal tower on the edge of the sect grounds. Thunder rolled over the valley.
A guard burst into the hall, skidding to his knees before the elders. "S-Sirs! A squadron of ships just arrived over the eastern horizon. Flying black flags. We—we don't recognize the symbols."
The envoy's expression darkened.
Elder Mo looked toward the hallway where Aithur had vanished and clenched his fists.
"It's beginning again," he whispered.
Arthur, standing outside and catching his breath as the sword stopped, looked up at the sky. The clouds above twisted like a vortex.
He clutched the system to his chest.
The system cracked one eye open and muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this..."
The wind howled louder.
Aithur whispered, "Please tell me this is just another weird level-up event."
The sword hummed ominously.
Thunder answered.