There was no response. Only a brief burning under my left eye, and instinctively... I raised my hand to my face. I felt it there.
The mark... a black spade. ♤
Engraved into my skin as if it had always been waiting for ... my new role already had its symbol.
The glow of the spade kept burning under my skin, like a silent fire refusing to die out.
The pain was there, but it wasn't just pain… there was sothing else.
A strange, deep sensation, as if sothing invisible had lodged itself inside forever, anchoring its essence in the core of my being.
There was no turning back.
And although I understood that perfectly, I still didn't know if this was an ascension… or a sentence.
"What's this for? Why a mark?" I asked, my voice low but firm, never looking away from that figure.
The more I looked at it, the more I felt that pulse beneath my skin… a soft, hypnotic beat. As if a second heart lived inside … one that didn't beat for .
[Exactly, it's a mark. By obtaining it, you can automatically ascend through it. And with that, you'll gain many special abilities.]
"Special abilities?" I arched an eyebrow, trying to hide my unease with skepticism.
[That's right. Just as you heard. Right now, you're in the lowest rank: Observer, Level 1.]
"Seriously? You didn't even bother to give it a cooler na," I replied, forcing a half-smile, as if none of this was getting to .
[In this phase there are three levels. And you won't even be able to reach them all in this world.]
"Uh-huh… sounds complicated to level up. Wait… you said 'this world.' That ans…"
[Let's go step by step. We're not talking about that yet. First, I'll tell you the first two abilities you'll gain.]
It fell silent. Its gaze pierced through , as if waiting for a reaction. I just crossed my arms, impassive.
[In Level 1, where you are now, you gain unlimited mind control: whenever and wherever you want. But there are three conditions.]
"Unlimited mind control...? Sounds great… until soone tells you the fine print," I thought.
[One: the person must see you as an enemy.]
[Two: their stats must be below 'S.']
[Three: you can only use it once per person.]
[Duration: a full day.]
"Well, that's pretty damn useless," I scoffed, letting sarcasm slip into my words.
[Level 2 will be available once you reach Mastery.]
"When you say 'Mastery'… you an potential?"
[Exactly. Once you reach it, you'll unlock a Character Slot. And before you ask, I'll explain it.]
[The Character Slot lets you choose any character from any world you've seen. But it must share the sa power scale as this world.]
"I see… that actually sounds interesting. So I can bring them here?"
[No. You'll gain their abilities. No supernatural powers included.]
"Damn it… I already had a few people in mind, but I guess they're off the table…" I muttered, running a hand through my hair and ruffling it without noticing.
[Good. Then… it's been nice eting my future right hand.]
And before I could answer, everything vanished. The void folded in on itself and, like a curtain dropping without warning, reality clicked back into place.
The sll of the room returned first, followed by the familiar weight of my own body.
Chaerin was still there, resting against , breathing softly, as if the world hadn't stopped for an instant… because for her, it hadn't.
The god of the card had only stopped ti.
I, on the other hand, had felt everything. And what I had accepted… it had torn sothing from and given sothing else in return. Sothing that, sooner or later, would change everything.
I looked at her in silence, feeling the warmth of her body and the way her hair brushed against my arm. An impulse made lean in a little closer.
"I'm glad you're okay, Chaerin…" I whispered, letting my head rest gently against hers. I didn't want to move. I didn't want this mont —false or not— to end.
A flash crossed my mind: her laughing that day under the rain, soaked in her school uniform, eyes defiant, as if the whole world couldn't touch her. That mory… it anchored .
Then a new weight settled in my chest. It wasn't just the mark or the title of Irregular Observer, but everything that ca with it.
I had accepted a power that promised freedom, but it also stripped sothing essential from : the most human part of who I was.
"How long until I realize what I'm losing?"
And what would happen when my emotions beca a distant mory, a shadow dulled by this imposed destiny?
I thought of Chaerin, of her fragility and the strength she hadn't yet seen in herself.
"Will I be able to protect her when I start fading away myself?"
I didn't know if this was an ascension or a curse, but one thing was clear: my life would never be the sa.
I knew a part of , the human part —the one that felt and loved— would slowly wither away, consud by this path the system had forced on .
And even though that loss hurt more than I could put into words, I understood that this sacrifice was the price to move forward.
Because even if I lose pieces of myself, there's sothing I will never let die: the promise to protect those I care about, those fragnts of light that still survive in this dark world.
To protect in this life what I couldn't save in the last.
That thought anchored and gave strength when everything else seed to crumble around . It reminded that even if I was a glitch, an anomaly, I wasn't alone or lost.
I had a purpose. And that purpose gave the courage to face whatever ca next.
Maybe this new will be colder, more rational, less human on the surface.
But within that change, I will still be Suhyeon, with all my contradictions, my fears, and my deep desire not to let what still matters fall apart.
Because protecting isn't just an act of strength. It's an act of love, of will.
And even if the system tries to shape at its whim, it won't erase that essence.
So, while ti stands still around and the world keeps turning without waiting, I'll stay right here: resisting, learning, and fighting.
---
Author's note:
I wrote this chapter a long ti ago, and I still haven't decided what character to give the protagonist, so I need ideas. I will read your comnts: the one with the most likes will be chosen.
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