A Threat

"Uhm… uhm…

Before Medora could speak a word, the gentlemen spoke up.

"Follow us, Daylan Rhys." 

One of them gestured toward the entrance. Dexter and Medora exchanged a glance, and she gave him a firm nod.

Without a moment to waste, he followed. He knew his ability would be questioned—if they didn't already know about it. Considering how rare it was to complete the Fate Trial, he was certain there would be measures in place to ensure anyone who did was kept under the Church's watch.

Dexter was escorted to an office door, where they gestured for him to go in. He drew a deep breath, grasped the handle, and pushed the door open.

This presence.

Before him stood a man with a goatee and a scar running across his left eye, sitting behind a desk. His towering presence seemed to loom over Dexter, growing heavier with each passing second.

The man grinned. "Come in, Daylan Rhys… come have a seat." He gestured at a seat.

Dexter shook himself from his thoughts and walked in for his seat.

He rested his hands on the desk. "You might have heard of me, but you haven't seen me in person. I am Lieutenant Bruce Beck of the Honor Chivalry."

"Honor Chivalry?" He wore a confused expression.

"Yeah, the honor of the church… I'm surprised you know nothing of it. Daylan."

He propped his elbows against the desk. "You finally passed a trial—the Fate Trial, no less. Who would have thought… congratulations."

Dexter remained calmly seated, waiting for why he was summoned.

He reached beneath the desk and retrieved a blue spherical crystal. "Place both hands on this crystal," he instructed. "It will glow based on your ability type—the dimmer it shines, the lower your level, and the brighter, the higher."

Dexter gave a firm nod and placed his hands on the crystal. The moment he made contact, it began to glow. After a brief moment, the glow slowly faded and stopped.

"Novice? That's unusual for a Fate Trial… your abilities mostly come as an advance type… interesting."

He handed Dexter a form to fill out. It asked for his name, age, ability, and details about the trial he had completed.

Wait… why do they want to hear about my trial? To help their favorites stand a better chance?

Despite his concerns, he filled out the paperwork and gave it to Lieutenant Bruce.

"Since you've completed the Fate Trial, the Honor Chivalry will be taking you in as a trainee. You have two days to prepare. Once that time is up, you'll be brought in… You may leave now."

Dexter stood up and walked out of the room with quiet respect. As he had expected, he had no say in whether he wanted to work for the Church or not.

But that was the least of his concerns, especially since he might get paid. What troubled him more was that Bruce, just a lieutenant, had such an overwhelming presence. That made things clear to Dexter—his Spiral ability might seem impressive, but since Fate Trial abilities were said to be the strongest, there were likely many people with powers far beyond his.

As he strolled down the corridor, Medora and Zira hurried toward him. The moment he saw them, the question he had asked earlier resurfaced in his mind.

"Where's mother?"

Medora began scratching the back of his head. At that instant, Dexter knew something was wrong.

"Hello?"  He waved.

"Mother has been arrested," Zira said, her voice cracking.

Dexter's eyes were wide open, his body shivering as he stared at them.

"Yeah, Day. Mr. Enzo arrested her because of your debt."

Dexter clenched his fist, his teeth gritted.

That moron.

Dexter gestured for them to head toward his mother's prison cell. For some reason, Medora hesitated—but Zira didn't. She quickly took his hand and began leading the way.

Before long, they arrived at the prison. Dexter managed to convince the guards to allow him to visit his mother.

As soon as his mother noticed him, she hurried to the gate. 

"My goodness, you're alive, Daylan." Tears streamed down her cheeks. Dexter's heart melted—he swallowed hard, struggling to find his words.

"I have an ability now, Mother. I will do whatever it takes to pay the money and get you out." 

She reached out and gently touched Dexter's face. "That's wonderful, Daylan… I knew you could do it. But don't worry about me, okay? Just do your best—become the kind of person who can stand against the Church, like you've always dreamed of." Her voice trembled with emotion.

"No, mother… I won't rest until you are saved." Before Dexter knew tears were streaming down his cheeks.

His mother smiled softly. Before long, the prison guards entered and began ushering them out.

"I'll free you soon, Mother," he said firmly. The guards burst into laughter, amused by what they saw as a ridiculous claim.

They were out of the prison. Dexter stood before it, staring up directly at it.

"There's something in you now—something that makes me believe every word you say. At this point, if you told me you wanted to become the God of this fake world, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

You're Daylan—the most honest person I know. So I believe you. If you could pass the Fate Trial of all things, then freeing your mother would be nothing for you. And you should know—I'll always stay by your side, just like you've always stayed by mine."

Dexter turned to Medora and smiled. Zira took his hand with a smile of her own, and he motioned for them to head back home.

As they began walking, Dexter drifted into thought. Seeing how much everyone cared for Daylan filled him with quiet happiness. In his previous life, he had no one—only books and writing. This… this was the kind of connection he had always longed for.

Dexter Grey was an author on WebNovel, son of the late Harry and Mira—a loner in his world. But here, I am Daylan Rhys: son of Giselle Rhys, brother to Zira Rhys, and best friend to Medora Isla.

I may not possess all of Daylan's memories, but this is my life now. Until I return to my writing career, I will do everything in my power to protect these people with every ounce of knowledge I have.

For now, I am Daylan Rhys.

Before long, they arrived at home, but as soon as they got there, Medora spoke up.

"Zira will be staying with me, and since you've completed the Fate Trial, what's next? How do you plan to join the Honor Chivalry?"

"Uhm… two?"

"Alright. Zira and I will bring you food this evening. Keep your ability to yourself, for now, Daylan."

He gave a firm nod, smirking. Zira waved at him as they walked away.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

You have received a new task: [Activation Cue.]

Objective: [You must decide on the specific mannerisms or actions through which you want each ability to be activated.]

Duration: [Twenty minutes.]

Twenty minutes? Can't you give me a day or something to think it through?

Without wasting a moment, he began considering all the possible options available to him.

Okay… I've got it. 

For Spiral Edge, I'd suggest activating it instinctively. I can't count my jabs in the middle of a fight.

For Time Spiral, I'll go with a snap of my fingers and say 'loop sync' internally. I don't want to accidentally mistake a snap for a time rewind.

For Spiral Form, given the limitations in fully understanding everything before I can create, I'll go with perfectly visualizing anything I want to create from scratch and saying 'Soul Spiral' internally.

Lastly, for Spiral Mind, I'll need to maintain eye contact with my target for a few seconds and say 'fractional echo' internally.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Congratulations, you have completed [Activate Cue].

At that instant, there was a knock on the door. 

They've returned earlier than expected. 

He walked over and opened the door. Before him were Enzo and his guards, along with Enyo.

So that's his child, huh?

Enyo shoved him aside and entered uninvited.

"Who would have thought a brat like you would pass the Fate Trial?" Enzo said, walking into the room.

"I'm here to make you an offer. I want your newfound ability at my disposal. You'll work for me—at least ten years, as my personal guard. After five years of service, I'll free your mother."

Such a terrible offer—he thought, calmly watching Enzo yap.

"I am literally the king of Honor City—this is my city. The most important person in the church—including the central city. I won't ask twice."

He gestured to a guard to bring out the paperwork for their deal.

"Sign that, and the deal is sealed. I don't have all day—hurry up."

"I won't be signing that… give me a year, and your coins will be paid in full."

They all burst into laughter. "How disrespectful… Did you think I'll give you a year? You have a month to pay my money in full. Fail to do so, and the amount will double. You'll either die by my hands or join your mother."

They continued laughing as they walked out of the room.

Just as expected, he fell for it… I need to start referring to myself as Daylan.