Chapter: The Ruby in the Dark
The woods gave way to stone.
Roots thinned. Moss faded. The air thickened into damp silence as Oliver and Fern stepped into the entrance of a forgotten cavern, carved more by time than intention. The air was cold, still, unnervingly hollow—like stepping into a mouth that never spoke.
Oliver raised his torch. Shadows danced across the jagged walls. Fern followed behind, calm but alert, her staff pulsing softly with green light.
They didn't expect to find anything in here. But then—they saw it.
Sitting perfectly still atop a stone pedestal at the heart of the cavern was a ruby.
Not hidden. Not guarded.
Just there.
Perfectly clean. Perfectly centered. Perfectly placed.
Oliver blinked. "That's…"
"Too easy," Fern said, narrowing her eyes.
Oliver approached cautiously, his system already pinging with subtle warnings—though none concrete.
And then he saw it.
A note, old parchment, weighted beneath the gem.
Scrawled in messy ink:
> "TAKE THE RUBY IMMEDIATELY. NOW."
He stared at the words.
His stomach twisted.
"…That's a trap," he muttered.
Fern stepped forward, arms crossed, expression unchanged. "It's also bait. Forced urgency. Someone wants us to take it—without thinking."
Oliver looked closer. There were no tripwires. No magic glyphs. No mechanical traps. Nothing obvious. But everything about it screamed wrong.
He opened the Systematic Guide.
> [Unregistered Ruby Detected]
[Risk Level: Unknown]
[Note: This ruby may be linked to the Silent Stalker's pattern of movement and player elimination.]
[Warning: Proceeding without analysis may trigger consequences.]
Oliver took a slow step back.
"Fern… I think this is how he marks people."
She tilted her head. "Could be. Or worse—it could be how he opens gates."
Oliver frowned. "Gates?"
Fern stepped closer, kneeling beside the stone and placing her hand gently near the ruby—never touching it.
She closed her eyes.
"…This isn't just an object," she whispered. "It's been fed. Energy. Dark Vita. It's humming—faint, layered. Not natural."
Oliver swallowed hard. "So if someone takes it—"
"They become part of a process. A... condition," she said. "Or a contract."
He looked down at the note again.
> TAKE THE RUBY IMMEDIATELY. NOW.
It didn't sound like a warning.
It sounded like a command.
And somewhere, beyond the cavern's mouth, the forest waited.
And somewhere deeper, the Silent Stalker might already know they were here.
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Chapter Insert: Class Weakness Analysis
Oliver took a step back from the ruby, his fingers twitching slightly as he flicked open the Systematic Guide, his vision filling with glowing panels. The cave dimmed around him, but his attention narrowed to the cascading text and data.
> [Class Directory – Active Classes Recognized]
Barbarian
Bard
Druid
Hero (Paladin)
Cleric
Summoner
Fighter
Mage
Sorcerer
Monk (Spiritualist)
Librarian (Structure Binder/Manipulator)
Rogue
He selected the entry for Rogue. The Guide pulsed once, then opened a breakdown:
---
> [CLASS: Rogue]
Type: Stealth / Assassin / Trap Specialist
Common Abilities:
– Stealth Movement (Active Camouflage)
– Phantom Thread Bindings
– Vital Strike (Backline Execution)
– Illusory Step / Spatial Flicker
– Object Marking (Item-based Player Tracking)
---
> [Known Weaknesses]
– Sorcerers: Due to high-field elemental zoning and arcane presence, Sorcerers can disrupt Rogue stealth and camouflage with area-based detection spells (e.g., Arcane Pulse, Heat Vision, Zone Bind).
– Monks: Spirit-sense abilities allow Monks to detect movement through aura disruption, even in total invisibility.
– Druids (situational): If in natural environments, plant-sense abilities can locate and interrupt hidden movement.
– Librarians: Can anchor environmental structures and reshape zones, limiting a Rogue's escape or stealth windows.
---
> Counter Suggestion for Blue Rank and Below: Avoid 1v1 confrontation. Travel with Sorcerer or Monk-class ally. Avoid holding targetable items (i.e., cursed rubies or tagged objects).
---
Oliver blinked, eyebrows tightening. "So that's it… Rogues don't like being seen."
Fern, standing nearby, nodded as she glanced over his shoulder. "Sorcerers light up the field. Monks feel the tremors. Librarians twist the ground. Rogues only win if you're blind."
Oliver closed the Guide slowly, staring back at the pedestal and the ruby pulsing faintly on top of it.
"If I had a Sorcerer here," he muttered, "we might actually get answers."
Fern placed a hand on the rock and replied softly, "We don't need a Sorcerer. We have the woods."
And somewhere deep in the forest…
A Rogue who could vanish without a trace
—was being watched.