Enigmatic Cloak men!?

Ryūken accepted the wanted poster from the cloaked figure and carefully inspected it, his thoughts racing as he considered the implications of sheltering someone with a substantial bounty on their head.

Ryūken's thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of indecision. As he held the wanted poster in his hands, he contemplated the choice before him: should he sell out Lira, the enigmatic woman now resting in the library, or continue to offer her refuge and protection?

He muttered to himself, his frustration evident.

"I've always been bad with decisions, haven't I?" He cursed himself for the predicament he found himself in, torn between conflicting instincts and responsibilities.

The cloaked figures, their intentions still unclear, watched him with an air of expectancy, awaiting his choice. Ryūken knew that the decision he made in this critical moment could have far-reaching consequences, and the weight of that choice bore down on him like a heavy burden.

In his moment of inner turmoil, Ryūken reached out to the enigmatic system that seemed to inhabit the library's digital realm. He called upon it for guidance, hoping for some semblance of clarity in the difficult decision he faced.

To his surprise, the system responded with two distinct solutions, each accompanied by its own set of rewards.

{Solution 1: Sell Out Lira}

-Reward: 100,000 Gold Crowns

-Outcome: Capture Lira and collect the substantial bounty, ensuring his financial security.

{Solution 2: Protect Lira}

-Reward: Unknown, but a potential ally in unraveling the library's mysteries and uncovering the truth about Lira.

-Outcome: Continue to offer refuge and protection to Lira, possibly earning her trust and assistance in their shared journey.

The options were laid out before him, each with its own moral and practical implications. Ryūken's heart and mind were locked in a profound struggle, knowing that whichever path he chose would shape the course of his fate and Lira's as well.

The weight of the choices presented to Ryūken bore down on him with increasing pressure. He stood there, baffled and torn, as the options seemed to represent not just a simple decision but a profound moral and ethical dilemma.

In the midst of this intense and bewildering moment, Ryūken couldn't help but indulge in a bit of sarcastic self-commentary within his own mind.

"Oh, just another day in the life of Ryūken," he thought wryly. "Deciding whether to sell out a mysterious fugitive or keep harboring her in a magical library. No big deal, right?"

The dry humor was a fleeting escape from the gravity of the situation, a brief respite in the storm of choices and consequences that surrounded him.

Frustrated by the overwhelming choices and the cloak men's silence, Ryūken decided to seek clarification. He turned to the nearest cloaked figure and asked, "Can you tell me why you're after her? What's she done?"

To his dismay, the cloaked figure remained silent, offering no explanation or justification for their pursuit. The enigma deepened, leaving Ryūken with even more questions and a sense of mounting frustration.

As Ryūken continued to grapple with the cloaked figures' silence, his eyes caught a glimpse of a distinctive tattoo on one of their wrists. The tattoo depicted a snake head and a sword, a symbol that struck a chord with his knowledge from reading manhwa and manga.

His mind raced as he made a connection. "An organization," he thought to himself. "This symbol looks like something straight out of those stories—a clandestine group with their own agenda."

The realization that these cloaked figures might be part of a secretive organization added yet another layer of complexity to the situation.

Taking a gamble and driven by a growing need for answers, Ryūken boldly voiced his suspicions. He looked at the cloaked figures and asked, "Are you part of some mysterious organization?"

The question hung in the air, and he could see a flicker of panic and unease in their hidden eyes. The figures seemed to react with heightened caution, their guards going up as they exchanged wary glances among themselves.

Unaware of the growing tension he had stirred among the cloaked figures, Ryūken innocently questioned further, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I mean no harm," he said earnestly. "I just want to understand what's going on here. If you could explain why you're after her, maybe we can find a way to resolve this peacefully."

To Ryūken, his words were a plea for clarity and a desire to avoid unnecessary conflict. However, to the cloaked figures, the innocent questioning seemed like a veiled threat, especially when they sensed the aura of power and danger that surrounded him.

Their reactions heightened, and they tightened their grip on their concealed objects. In their minds, the library had become an increasingly unpredictable and treacherous place, and the man before them had become a formidable enigma in his own right.

Amid the tension that filled the library, the cloaked figures huddled together in a whispered conference. Their hidden faces and hushed voices created an aura of secrecy.

"Should we just attack him now? He's acting too suspicious."

"No, let's not be hasty. We might get some information out of him. Torture him a bit, perhaps."

"While we're at it, we could also steal some of the valuables in this place. It's a treasure trove, after all."

Their discussion was fraught with uncertainty, their motives and intentions shrouded in mystery.

Ryūken, his confusion deepening as he observed the cloaked figures huddled in whispered conversation, couldn't help but wonder if they were perhaps shy or hesitant to talk to him directly. He tilted his head to the side, puzzled by their behavior, before letting out a resigned sigh.

Deciding to take the initiative and break the silence, he walked slowly and calmly toward them, making sure to maintain a friendly and non-threatening demeanor.

As Ryūken approached with the intention of opening a direct and peaceful conversation, the cloaked figures watched in stunned disbelief. To their eyes, he transformed into an apparition of a devil, his once-friendly demeanor replaced by a menacing and terrifying aura.

Their eyes widened in alarm, and panic surged through their concealed forms. The figure who had initiated the conversation quickly signaled the others, and they, too, saw the menacing transformation unfold before them.

In their minds, the library had become an even more surreal and perilous place, and the appearance of this ominous entity that had once been Ryūken sent shivers down their spines. Uncertain of what they were facing, they braced themselves for a confrontation that had taken an unexpectedly supernatural turn.

As the transformation of Ryūken into a menacing figure left one of the cloaked men stumbling in fear, Ryūken, still unaware of his supernatural appearance, extended a helping hand to assist the frightened figure.

However, in the eyes of the cloaked man, Ryūken's hand seemed like a deadly claw, ready to strike him down with a mere flick of a finger. Panic overtook reason, and his survival instincts kicked in.

The other cloaked figures quickly came to their comrade's aid, dragging him away as they fled from the terrifying entity they believed Ryūken had become. The library's enigmatic mysteries had plunged them into a world of fear and uncertainty, and they were determined to escape this supernatural menace at all costs.

Left standing alone and utterly perplexed by the cloaked figures' sudden panic and hasty retreat, Ryūken couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What in the world just happened? One moment, we were having a conversation, and the next... They’re running?"

The surreal nature of the library and the bizarre encounters it had brought seemed to defy all logic and explanation. Ryūken was left to grapple with the bewildering turn of events, his confusion deepening with each passing moment.

Amidst the lingering confusion and unanswered questions, the enigmatic system that inhabited the library's digital realm emitted a subtle but distinct beep,

{Solution 2 Followed: Protecting Lira}

-Lira Trust Points have been obtained

+1 Min….

End of Chapter 4.