ttznovel Chapter 184: Can’t share
Chapter 184: Can’t share
Leaving the site behind, the two of them headed toward the hospital, walking side by side through the quiet streets.
It was only a fifteen-minute walk from their current location, so neither of them bothered looking for a taxi.
The silence between them had persisted for quite some time.
Mostly because Hannah was listening to music through her earphones as she walked.
However, it was obvious she wasn’t doing it out of boredom, nor was she trying to avoid Kyle.
She was still troubled by what had happened earlier.
Kyle felt uneasy as well, but perhaps because he hadn’t been involved with the Aether World for very long, he couldn’t fully grasp the weight of the situation.
Hannah was different.
Like many veterans, she had likely witnessed unchanging pattern in the past. She understood what stable rifts were supposed to look like and how dangerous even minor irregularities could become.
That was why this sudden change genuinely concerned her.
’System... do you have any idea what’s behind this change?’ he asked inwardly. ’We assessed the gate with God’s Eye, but even then we couldn’t identify its anomalous nature.’
[Host, from what the system is permitted to tell you, these changes are deliberate and occur in response to circumstances. The rifts are evolving. In the near future, similar phenomena will begin appearing across the world.]
Kyle’s steps slowed slightly.
"...."
There was far too much to unpack from that single statement.
What did it mean by permitted to tell?
Did the system know the exact cause behind these changes and simply wasn’t allowed to reveal it?
And if such abnormalities were destined to become more common, wouldn’t the entire Nightwalker society be forced to adapt?
Their established protocols, threat assessments, and response strategies would all need to evolve rapidly.
A troubling thought crossed his mind.
What if, yesterday, the PSC had trusted the gate’s initial readings and dispatched a team of low-ranking officers to handle it?
The answer was simple.
A powerful Ghoul would have emerged and slaughtered them.
The outcome would have been catastrophic.
The more Kyle thought about it, the more alarming the situation became.
The danger wasn’t merely that stronger creatures were appearing.
It was unpredictable.
For decades, Nightwalkers had built their procedures around the assumption that a rift’s assessment could be trusted.
If that assumption was no longer true, then every gate had the potential to become a hidden disaster waiting to unfold.
’Then is there a way for me to accurately judge a Gate’s strength? Maybe not by relying on devices, but by reading its fluctuations and estimating its potential for growth?’
[Host, for that... the host needs to rank up God’s Eye.]
Kyle frowned.
That meant...
’It’s actually possible?’
[Nothing is impossible for God’s Eye to perceive.]
[Your compatibility with the ability is what currently prevents you from reaching its full potential.]
[The host may use system points to level up the skill. However, the system would advise taking a more practical and safer route.]
’And that is?’
[Using the ability yourself.]
[The host fails to realize just how much experience is required for growth. That’s why...]
[Ding! Quest Generated.]
[Quest: Level Up.]
[Task: Use God’s Eye without assistance for one minute during combat today.]
[Reward: +50 EXP, +1% Magic Control.]
[Time limit: 16 hours 59 minutes]
[Current Progression: 120/1000 EXP.]
Kyle blinked as the series of messages appeared before him.
The system had practically gone out of its way to guide him.
That alone was surprising.
Normally, it remained focused on matters related to streaming, offering little beyond the essentials. Yet now it sounded unusually proactive, almost insistent on steering him toward improvement.
For a moment, the behavior felt strangely out of character.
Not that he was complaining.
He genuinely appreciated the help.
God’s Eye was the ability he relied on more than any other. It had become his first instinct in almost every situation, a tool he reached for before anything else.
And Aleda had already warned him about this.
Relying on the system’s assistance whenever he activated God’s Eye would only slow his growth. If he wanted to unlock the true potential of the ability, he needed to learn how to use it on his own.
The quest, then, wasn’t merely a task.
It was a reminder.
A push toward mastering the power instead of leaning on the crutch that came with it.
"Kyle!"
The call snapped him out of his thoughts.
Raising his head, he spotted Amanda waving enthusiastically at him.
A smile naturally formed on his face as he walked over.
"Morning. Sorry for not calling you last night."
He slipped an arm around her waist and lowered his voice slightly.
Amanda’s face brightened.
"It’s okay. I knew you were tired." She pouted a little before adding, "Though I would have appreciated it if you’d fallen asleep after answering my call."
Kyle could only offer a helpless smile.
Just then, Clara glanced around and frowned.
"Ethan isn’t here yet? That’s strange."
The reason she had come so early was partly because she expected Ethan to arrive before anyone else.
As much as it pained her to admit, she knew just how much Layena meant to the man she adored.
"Maybe he’s already inside," Hannah suggested.
The group didn’t dwell on the topic any further and proceeded into the hospital.
The reception staff didn’t stop them, allowing them to pass without issue.
A few moments later, they stepped into the elevator together.
As the doors slid shut, Amanda turned toward Kyle.
"So? How was your second day at work?"
Her arm remained linked with his, refusing to let go.
A faint trace of dissatisfaction slipped into her voice despite her efforts to hide it.
Even on the second day, she still hadn’t been allowed to work alongside him.
It was frustrating.
She was his senior.
She was supposed to be the one guiding him, teaching him the ropes, and helping him settle into the profession.
For heaven’s sake, that was practically her right.
Kyle somehow sensed the conflict brewing inside her, but he decided it was a conversation better left for later.
Glancing toward Hannah, he said,
"Well, about the expedition—"
"You’ll hear about it from the base."
Hannah cut him off before he could continue.
Amanda and Clara immediately turned to look at her.
Realizing how abrupt she had sounded, Hannah added,
"I can tell you that something unusual happened, but the exact details need to reach the base first. Only after that can the information be disclosed to others."
Kyle frowned slightly.
Was it really necessary to keep it from them?
Perhaps Hannah noticed the question in his expression because she quickly continued,
"Look... I honestly don’t know whether what we witnessed today should be shared with the public or not. I know the two of them are Nightwalkers, but we still need to be careful."
"...You do realize we’re standing right here, don’t you?" Clara said with a wry smile.
Hannah let out a sigh.
"I swear, the moment I get permission, I’ll tell you every single detail of what happened."
Then she folded her arms and leaned back against the elevator wall.
"But for now..."
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open.
"...let’s focus on Layena."