Morning dawned on another perfect, sunny day.

  We hadn’t had a single rainy day since the System took over — no overcast skies, no strong winds. Every day was mild, bright, and blue.

  I took a long shower and ate breakfast. The day promised no danger, but plenty of activity.

  I pulled up the System message for the second part of my quest. Until that moment, I hadn’t even checked my Mini Map for the first location. I wasn’t sure why — maybe I was subconsciously putting it off, or maybe I’d just been too busy.

  While chewing on a snack, I finally looked. I wasn’t a native New Yorker, but if I was right, the first location was the Myrtle–Broadway Station. From the looks of it, there’d be a lot of walking involved.

  At least I was faster now. Stats really did change your body — not just strength, but endurance, too.

  Outside, I began walking. Every instinct screamed at me to avoid the Kobolds, even though the System had assured me they wouldn’t attack. I saw a few on my Mini Map and braced myself, heart pounding, as they passed by — completely ignoring me, as if I was invisible.

  It felt surreal but I pressed on. I had not time to ponder the working of an indifferent System.

  I made good time and reached the station faster than expected. It looked abandoned, but not ruined — everything was intact, clean even, just eerily still. The silence pressed in, thick and unnatural.

  I stepped inside. The first clue wasn’t hidden at all. Two blue System screens floated in plain view, their glow cutting through the dim air like ghostly lanterns.

  That part was simple enough to interpret: four locations to visit, four shards to collect, and a final destination where the Mana-Infused Watering Can awaited.

  I turned to the second screen, heart picking up a beat. Time to see the clue for the first location.

  I was stumped for a while but read it again, slower.

  Fulton’s Flow must be Fulton Street. The murals and Markets must then be Restoration Plaza… Yip, as confirmed with the reference to Plaza.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  There is a theatre there if I remember correctly but I cannot remember the name. The ‘stage of soul’ would most likely refer to it.

  Also ‘art’s sweet call’ and ‘the lady sings’

  “Looks like I am going to the theatre.”

  Nothing to do but to begin walking.

  The Plaza was farther than my first trip, but there was nothing to do except start walking. A flicker of panic hit when a Level 6 Kobold appeared on my Mini Map, yet it ignored me completely, just like the others. I picked up the pace, relieved once it was behind me.

  The Plaza was unfamiliar territory, and when I finally arrived, I took a moment to look around. The empty stillness felt wrong — too quiet, too clean. It couldn’t have been like this Before System — BS.

  I had no idea where the theatre was but luckily there was some signs that I followed. I got a little lost but found the theatre eventually. It was beautiful and I was a bit sad that I never visited it before.

  On the stage was a glass case and inside was a shard. The case was locked, and a small blue screen was hovering in front of it. I should have known it would not be that easy.

  Another riddle awaited me. As with the first I read it over and came to the conclusion that I would find another clue in the last row and the….

  Count the seats by fate’s own gate. Stop where numbers twist from great.

  Gate – Great – Eight.

  I made my way to the back of the theater and counted eight seats and found the other clue under it.

  This clue was easier — at least I knew what I was looking for, even if I had no idea where it was.

  Back on the stage, I slipped through a side door and made my way backstage. The halls were quiet, lined with empty dressing rooms and forgotten props. I wandered through them for a while, hope fading with each step… until a familiar blue glow caught my eye.

  Another System screen waited for me.

  That one was easy. I headed back across the stage and followed the signs to the bathrooms.

  The key hovered in the air, exactly where I’d guessed it would be — suspended in a faint shimmer of blue light. When I reached out, it dropped neatly into my palm with a soft metallic chime.

  I went back to the stage and unlocked the case. Under the shard was a duffle bag. I assumed that I was not meant to place the shard in my inventory.

  I shrugged and deposited shard in the bag. I looked up and was met with another screen.

  Hey everyone! ??

  If you’ve been enjoying the story so far, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a quick ? rating or review. It only takes a second, but it helps a lot with visibility and reaching new readers.

  first Royal Road chapter of each pair. The second one won’t have pictures. If you want to see all the art together (or earlier), it’s on Patreon with the combined chapters!