Ivaim let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.
'Sigh… I really need to stop handing out my Threshold Items so easily,' he thought.
'Next time, I'll need to be more careful. Do some proper background checks first. Otherwise, I'll just keep running into trouble like this.'
The weight of his mistake lingered, but something else began to bother him.
'I don't know when the Black Veil Master and her Walkers will come into my Fractured Reality...'
'They have one of my Threshold Items now… and I can't stop them from using it.'
A shiver ran through him as another thought struck.
'What happens if someone enters my Fractured Reality while I'm not there?'
The thought unsettled him. His Fractured Reality was more than just a space—it was a reflection of his essence, his rules, his power.
If someone twisted that… if they tampered with the core of his reality… the consequences could be catastrophic.
'I'll need to set up traps… defenses. Maybe even a way to stop them from getting in too far.'
He decided, his mind racing with plans.
Ivaim let out a long, frustrated sigh. His mind was racing, but he forced himself to focus on the immediate concerns.
There were too many things he couldn't control right now. But there were a few things he could still manage.
[Believer count is still unstable…]
[Your body will destruct in 31 hours!]
The system notifications flashed in front of him, each one a grim reminder of the pressure mounting on him.
If he didn't gain more believers by the end of the day, he might as well say bye-bye and pray that God would be merciful towards him.
The thought made his stomach churn, but he pushed it aside for the moment. There was no use dwelling on it when there were things he could do now.
'I need to find a way to get more believers without constantly inviting trouble...'
Ivaim thought, the weight of his looming deadline pressing on his chest.
'First, I'll check on my only believer, Kalisto. Maybe that'll give me a better idea of where to go from here.'
With a mental push, he exited his Fractured Reality.
The world around him rippled and shifted as the space around him seemed to fold in on itself. When his feet landed, he found himself beneath an old, weathered bridge.
The air was damp, and the sound of water trickling through the rocks echoed in the background. It was an isolated, forgotten place—perfect for staying under the radar for a while.
As Ivaim took in his surroundings, his eyes were drawn to something glinting under a pile of dirt near his feet.
He crouched down and brushed the dirt aside, revealing a small silver coin.
He picked it up and held it between his fingers, inspecting it. The faint shimmer of its surface caught the dim light.
'Thank the stars I thought of this.' He thought with a sigh of relief.
'I didn't want to risk spawning right next to Kalisto again...'
After learning that he would always appear right next to a selected Threshold Item when he left his Fractured Reality, Ivaim had quickly realized he needed to be smarter about where he spawned.
He'd tossed one of his Threshold Items far from his usual spots, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention.
The coin in his hand was one of those items, and right now, it felt like his lifeline.
A system notification flickered in front of him:
[Threshold Items]
[Internal: 2/3]
[External: 2/3]
Ivaim studied the information. He knew exactly what it meant.
Internal Threshold Items were those he controlled—he could place them wherever he wanted, give them to whoever he chose, or use them to manipulate his surroundings.
But External Threshold Items were unpredictable.
They had a will of their own and could spawn anywhere, only to be found by unsuspecting individuals who might end up in his Fractured Reality, whether they wanted to or not.
'I need to make sure someone finds this coin' Ivaim thought, turning the object over in his fingers.
' I need believers, and fast. The longer I wait, the worse it gets.'
Ivaim's mind raced with thoughts of how to gain believers. He could use the coin to attract someone, but how could he make them believe in him?
His powers weren't flashy, and he knew that to gain a following, he needed to offer something that would appeal to people's desires—wealth, power, safety.
But he didn't have time to waste on empty promises. He needed real believers, not just anyone looking for a quick fix.
The problem was, Ivaim wasn't a famous Reality Master. He wasn't well-known like others who had followers or made names for themselves through acts of power.
There were so many Reality Masters out there, all competing for believers. Some had great abilities, others had connections.
People trusted them because they could see what they could do. But Ivaim?
He was just another name, and without something strong to offer, it would be harder to gain the trust of others.
Would they see him as good?
Or would they doubt his intentions and wonder if he was a fraud?
It was a constant struggle, especially with so many others out there trying to do the same thing.
After carefully analyzing the situation, Ivaim took a moment to steady his thoughts.
Slowly, he began focusing on the Threshold Items he had given Kalisto, reaching out with his senses to locate him.
'One step at a time, Ivaim...'
...
Kalisto blinked, unsure if he had heard the woman correctly.
The excitement he'd felt moments before evaporated, replaced by confusion.
"Babysit?"
Kalisto repeated, his voice hesitant, as if the word didn't quite fit his idea of what he'd signed up for.
The woman nodded, her face etched with exhaustion.
"Yes. You'll be assigned to watch over the boss's kid for a while. Twelve years old."
"He's... well, let's just say he's persistent about wanting to be a Walker, just like you."
Kalisto raised an eyebrow, trying to wrap his mind around the idea.
A kid?
Babysitting wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when he'd been looking for a mission.
"You want me to babysit a kid?"
Kalisto asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.
The woman sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as if this wasn't the first time she'd had to explain this.
"He's relentless. The boss is tied up with other matters and can't watch him all the time. But the kid needs someone reliable, someone discreet. That's where you come in."
Kalisto couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
Discreet? Sure.
His ability was subtle, but babysitting wasn't exactly what he envisioned when he'd decided to live life as a Walker.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Kalisto muttered under his breath.