Chapter 5 – The Streamer’s Secret
Nightfall crept over Blackthorne High, but the school didn't sleep.
Especially not when a dungeon had cracked reality wide open just hours ago.
While authorities scrambled to contain the situation and fabricate a "gas leak" excuse, a deeper chaos stirred—one far more thrilling than they could ever imagine.
Velarion, wrapped in shadows atop the old bell tower, observed everything below with calculated detachment. The Forgotten Flame Dungeon had temporarily sealed itself—probably recharging for its next wave—but something else had caught his attention.
Someone.
She wasn't like the others.
He'd sensed her near the dungeon's mouth. A subtle energy. Not magical, not divine—but digital. Electric.
System-aligned.
She had watched from behind the statue of the Fallen Archmage, holding what looked like a VR recording wand cloaked in stealth tech. She wasn't part of any Faction he recognized—but the flicker in her aura... it pulsed in rhythm with the Harem System's scan matrix.
> [New Signature Detected: Hybrid Interface Sync – Tier: Unclassified.]
[Target: Kira Nova. Status: Unbonded. Bond Type: Tech-Based.]
[Special Class: Dungeon Tracker – Tech Affinity Variant.]
[Compatibility: High.]
[Initiate Tracking Sequence? Y/N]
Velarion grinned. "Yes."
---
The Next Day – Digital Arts Hall, Sector C
Kira Nova was more than just a pretty face—though her face alone had millions of fans hooked to her livestreams. Her pale-pink hair framed an effortlessly cool expression, and those holographic contact lenses shimmered with blue code. She wore a cropped hoodie and utility skirt, stylish but tactical.
Her online alias: NovaFlare.
She wasn't just popular. She was dominant in the virtual space. A VR gaming queen. A dungeon-scouting prodigy. And if Velarion was right—she had seen too much.
He watched from behind a column as she entered the classroom alone, a private tech-lab designated only for the school's top-tier coders. That was his cue.
He stepped through the door with casual arrogance, letting the sound of his boots echo.
She looked up. Mild surprise, then amusement. "You're Adrian Cain. The guy who fell off the third floor last week."
Velarion chuckled, leaning against the door. "I got better."
She tapped her wand against the table, eyeing him. "You were at the rift. Near the dungeon crack."
He tilted his head. "So were you."
Her smile vanished.
He stepped closer.
Kira stood up, subtle tension in her posture. "Who are you, really?"
Velarion raised a single finger. With a snap, his Infernal Aura flickered behind him—a silhouette of horns and flame just for a blink.
Kira's breath hitched. "That wasn't magic…"
"No," he murmured. "It's older. And you're not from a typical awakened family, are you, NovaFlare?"
Her lip curled, but she didn't deny it.
He placed his palm on the desk. The System shimmered in his vision:
> [Target Confirmed: Kira Nova. Affinity Type – Technomancy Core. System Sync Available.]
> [Soul Sync Variant: Digital Fusion – Consent Required.]
> [Reward: Vision Link Skill, Dungeon Scan Function, Passive Buff: Neural Mapping.]
Kira leaned in, studying him.
Her voice dropped. "You're like a walking system hack. Every energy signature you give off sets my sensors into overdrive."
"Scared?" Velarion asked softly.
Her eyes gleamed. "Intrigued."
He circled her like a predator, his presence slowly pressing into her space.
"You livestreamed the dungeon," he said.
Her lips parted. "Only for a second. My system blocked it afterward. Too much interference."
"But not before your Tracker Codex registered me."
A flash of panic crossed her face.
He grinned. "I saw the glow. You marked me."
"…You're dangerous."
"I'm essential," he countered, his voice velvet-smooth. "And you want to be close to the danger, don't you?"
She inhaled sharply as his fingers grazed her wrist.
> [System Alert: Sync Threshold Met.]
> [Initiate Tech-Based Bond Sequence – Confirm?]
Her cheeks flushed—not from fear, but from stimulation. The System's aura was wrapping around hers now, tingling at the edge of sensation. Like a digital kiss between frequencies.
"…I want in," she whispered.
Velarion's eyes flared crimson.
> [Soul Sync Initiated – Kira Nova.]
> [Extracting Core Affinity: Technomancy Interface.]
> [Processing Passive Skill Integration…]
Kira's body shivered as system light engulfed them both. Velarion felt her data core flowing into him—pure, cool, electrical. It sharpened his senses, flooded his mind with maps, wireframes, dungeon analytics, and…
Her breath.
Her heartbeat.
Her hunger.
She collapsed into his arms, her body arched with raw system overload. "This… feels illegal."
"It is," he whispered. "But it's ours now."
> [New Skill Gained: Vision Link – Map Dungeons in Real-Time.]
[Dungeon Scan: Weak Points Detected. Entry Rerouting Enabled.]
[Bond Level: 18%. Mental Sync Engaged. Access to Kira Nova's Holo-Net Connection Approved.]
Velarion held her tightly as she steadied her breath. Her arms circled his waist instinctively.
"What do I call you?" she whispered.
He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear.
"Call me Emperor."
---
Outside the Lab – Rooftop Overwatch Drone POV
High above them, a low-flying surveillance drone hummed. Someone was watching.
> [Observation Confirmed: Subject Cain – Soul-Sync Detected.]
Inside a dark mobile command center, a woman in white armor frowned.
"She's already syncing with him? Damn it."
"Orders?" asked a male agent beside her.
The woman's eyes glowed. "We move in after the mini-raid. Cain doesn't belong to Earth alone anymore."
---
System Alert (To Velarion):
> [Dungeon Boss Awakening Imminent.]
[Location: City Underpass – Nest of Cinders.]
> [Mini-Raid Recommended. Participants: 3+]
[Failure Penalty: System Regression + Territory Loss.]
Velarion stared at the alert with a cold grin.
"Then let the raid begin."
Kira slowly pulled back from Velarion's embrace, her fingers trembling slightly as the last waves of the soul-sync faded. Her cheeks were still flushed, her breath shallow. She stared at him, eyes glowing faintly with system code.
"I can feel your thoughts… flashes, impressions. Fire, war, blood," she whispered. "You're not just a dungeon diver. You're something older. Something… wrong."
Velarion smiled darkly. "I'm something this world tried to forget. But now I remember everything."
Kira's fingers touched her chest. "My neural link is fused with yours now. I should be terrified."
"You're not."
"No." She swallowed. "I'm exhilarated."
> [System Update: Tech-Bond Integration Success.]
[Harem Protocol Progress: 2/10 Bonded Queens.]
[Raid Force Level: Tier 1. Assemble team of 3 minimum.]
[Bonus Objective Unlocked: First Raid Commander Title – Requires Leadership Test.]
Velarion stepped toward the lab's central holoscreen and with a swipe of his hand, linked Kira's codex to his interface. A full 3D render of the City Underpass – Nest of Cinders dungeon blossomed into view. It was jagged, pulsing with ember veins and dark crimson hotspots indicating creature clusters.
Kira blinked. "That's… that's not public. This level of dungeon telemetry is restricted to Guild systems."
"It's mine now," Velarion said. "And you're part of it."
"Who else is coming with us?"
A slow smirk spread across his face. "My Ice Queen still owes me a debt."
Kira rolled her eyes, but there was a flicker of jealousy in her voice. "Let me guess. Cold, powerful, and emotionally constipated?"
"She'll thaw," he replied, stepping toward the door. "Eventually."
Kira's voice dropped, playful but dangerous. "Don't forget… I'm synced now. If she hurts you, I'll drop a blackout field on her faster than she can blink."
Velarion didn't respond. He only turned back for one last glance.
"Ready your gear. We move before midnight. And Kira—" his voice dipped to a commanding growl, "—no broadcasting this raid. No stream. No audience."
Her smirk twitched. "Fine. But next time, I want you on camera."
> [Kira Nova's Bond Level: 24%]
[Emotion Detected: Curiosity, Lust, Territorial Instinct]
---
Later – Dormitory Rooftop
Velarion stood alone beneath the moonlight, his arms crossed as the heat from the Nest of Cinders pulsed faintly from beneath the city below. The air tasted like war.
The System chimed again:
> [Time Remaining: 10 Hours]
[Mini-Raid Requirement: Team of 3 Minimum. Suggested Roles: Damage Core / Tracker / Burst Mage]
Selene's face flashed in his mind—her pride, her resistance… her weakness when their bond had been sealed.
She would come. Even if she didn't know why.
And Kira? She was already his. Mentally fused. Technologically aligned. He had cracked her defenses, and now she craved his fire like code to a processor.
But three wasn't enough in the long run.
Velarion tilted his head toward the clouds.
Somewhere in the Light Faction's citadel… Aria Solstice, the untouchable Saintess, was already dreaming of him.
She just didn't know it yet.
Not yet.
---
Elsewhere – Command Center of the Light Faction
The woman in white armor—the one watching from the drone—stood before a glowing celestial map.
Her name: Paladin-Valkyrie Seraphine Lux, a high commander tasked with identifying and eliminating rising threats. Adrian Cain was now at the top of her list.
"He's bonded with two already," she murmured. "And the system he's using… isn't from this world."
Behind her, holy warriors polished their blades, prepping for a purge.
"Dispatch Ezekiel. If Cain enters the Nest of Cinders, he's not allowed to leave alive."
---
Final System Alerts (Visible Only to Velarion)
> [RAID PARTICIPANTS: 2/3 – MINIMUM NOT YET MET.]
[BOND LEVEL (KIRA NOVA): 24% – EMOTIONAL LINK ACTIVE.]
[BOND LEVEL (SELENE FROST): 48% – POWER LINK ACTIVE.]
[WARNING: External Hostile Entity Detected – Light Faction Vanguard Inbound.]
[New Sub-Quest: Defeat the Light General Ezekiel during the raid.]
[Bonus Reward: Dark Ascension Title, +5 Soul Points, Saintess Vision Unlock (Corruption Arc Trigger).]
Velarion's grin widened, eyes glowing in the night.
The board was set.
The raid was coming.
And soon… the Saintess would fall.
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