CHAPTER 241: SIR BROKEN

[!Ding! Congratulations for completing the quest against the Church.]

[Your rewards are being calculated...]

Logan stared at the floating text with a skeptical look on his face.

Gabriel closed the box and slipped it away. He watched Logan’s face for a beat, then spoke calmly. "Look up."

[Ding! Rewards ready.]

[You gained experience points.]

[Ding! You have leveled up.]

Logan blinked in surprise, not expecting to level up. Of course, he didn’t know how the system worked, nor that it deemed his quest worthy of a level-up.

Regardless, he was now level two in the span of just two hours—placing him among the top five players in his batch, meaning those who started the game at the same time as him.

’I guess the reward isn’t that bad after all,’ he thought with a small smile.

He had thought that was all—until he saw the masked man retrieving a mechanical-looking mask with a faint, steady glow along its edges.

Gabriel held it out. "Take it."

Logan hesitated. "What is—"

"Put it on," Gabriel urged. "You’ll see."

He swallowed, then took the visor with both hands. It was unexpectedly light. Carefully, he lifted it to his face.

[Ding! You have received: Combat Visor Mk.I (Bronze).]

[Combat Visor Mk.I (Bronze)]

[Durability: 90/100]

[Description: A visor equipped with basic combat-assist optics. Enhances clarity and target-tracking speed, making it easier to land precise strikes against fast-moving enemies. Grants +5 Perception when equipped.]

[Ding! Do you wish to equip Combat Visor Mk.I (Bronze)?]

Logan’s eyes widened.

"Equip it," Gabriel repeated.

He clicked [Yes].

[Ding! Equipped: Combat Visor Mk.I (Bronze).]

[Perception +5.]

The world snapped into focus, and his vision sharpened instantly.

He could now see the ripple patterns on the fountain water, dust motes drifting near the torchlight, and even the subtle twitch in Gabriel’s gloved fingers. Player names at the plaza edge updated faster. Movement trails left faint afterimages for a split second, making paths easier to read.

Logan flinched, gasping in amazement. "Whoa..."

As he turned his head, the visor quietly tracked motion with tiny brackets that locked onto passing players before fading. Target assist—light, but definitely there.

He looked back at the masked man, speechless. "This is... crazy."

Gabriel’s voice stayed flat. "You’ll outgrow it soon, but for now it’ll be very useful for you."

Logan touched the frame, still stunned. "How did you even get this? Beginner town gear is trash. This is—"

"From my stock," Gabriel smirked.

"Your stock?" he echoed.

Gabriel didn’t explain. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill. I have more valuable treasures where that came from."

In truth, he was giving away the visor for two reasons. One—it was equipment he had already outgrown. Two—since it was extracted from a mechanical bot, it could influence Logan’s final class during awakening, increasing his chances of obtaining a mechanical-based class.

"I... I don’t know what to say."

"Don’t say anything." Gabriel stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Listen instead."

Logan nodded quickly.

"The Church will flag you," Gabriel continued. "Knights may question you, some priests will deny blessings, and certain NPC paths will close."

His throat tightened, and he sighed. "So I really can’t use the Church anymore... How will I awaken my class then?"

"You won’t need them," Gabriel said flatly. "Use the Association instead. They don’t discriminate."

"One more thing." Logan raised a hand. "I know this will be useful for me, but is there any specific reason why you decided to give me this out of all your stock?"

Gabriel glanced at the visor. "They’re very useful for mechanics."

Logan looked down, then up again. "You... you know my class?"

"You don’t have a class yet," Gabriel said. "But your path is already chosen."

Logan took in a deep breath, feeling like everything was moving too fast. How did this person know he would end up with the mechanic class?

The mechanic/blacksmith class was one of his preferred ones, but he knew the class selection process in Realm of Ascendency was complicated. How did this man know—and why was he so confident?

The city looked different now—angles, lines, timing. Small details he never noticed before stood out. The visor annotated distance and speed in tiny, unobtrusive numbers whenever something moved quickly—a sprinting player, a patrolling guard, even the flick of a pigeon’s wing.

He exhaled slowly. "Thank you."

"Good." Gabriel shifted his weight, watching two city guards speak to a priest across the square. "You’ll lay low for a day. Avoid the eastern quarter. Take gathering or delivery quests on the south road. Keep your head down and your visor on."

"Okay."

"After that," Gabriel continued, his tone low and even, "focus on reaching level ten as fast as you can."

"Level ten?" Logan frowned. That would be difficult to reach quickly.

"Yes," Gabriel said. "Then head to the capital and wait for me there."

"Can I at least form a party?" he asked meekly.

"That would’ve been great—but you’re too shy. Walk alone," Gabriel replied.

One of Logan’s eyebrows twitched. "Wait—who told you I’m shy?"

Gabriel didn’t reply, instead glancing around. Logan followed his gaze and noticed almost everyone else had already formed parties—except him.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, it does," he whispered softly. "The only reason I can even talk so freely with you is because you’re not real."

Gabriel didn’t comment. Instead, he made a hand gesture, and a faint glow appeared as a new interface opened before Logan.

[Ding! You have received a quest.]

[Title: The Craftsman’s Seed]

[Difficulty: Easy]

[Description: Collect 30 Metallic Scraps and Mechanical Parts from fallen monsters, ruins, or debris piles. Optional: Attempt to craft something using the parts.]

[Reward: ??]

[Penalty: None]

"That’s all. I’ll take my leave," Gabriel said. "Make sure to complete this before we meet again."

"Why are you doing all this?" Logan suddenly asked out of the blue.

"I’m investing," Gabriel replied. "So don’t disappoint me."

"I’ll try not to," Logan said with a nervous smile.

Gabriel nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait—who are you?" Logan asked, curiosity finally breaking through. "Are you some kind of hidden NPC? An event character?"

Gabriel chuckled lightly. "Something like that."

Before he could ask again, a small magical circle lit up beneath Gabriel’s feet as he activated his skill [Burrow Shift].

"Wait—at least give me a name so I can find you when I come to the capital!" Logan called, a little breathless. "If anyone asks—what do I call you?"

Gabriel paused, and as his body started to sink into the ground, he said in a loud, clear voice,

"Sir Broken."