The stars hung low in the night sky as Thorne left the town behind, the dirt road before him dimly lit by moonlight. The pendant—the Crest of the Fallen Sovereign—rested against his chest beneath his cloak, pulsing faintly with heat every few minutes, as if reminding him it was still there. Each pulse stirred something within him. A whisper. A memory. A promise.
He tightened the straps on his pack and glanced at the notification still hovering in the corner of his vision.
[Quest Active: Legacy of the Sovereign – Part I: Investigate the Clan Archives]
The Obsidian Sanctum's territory was days away, and the roads between were plagued by roaming beasts and bandits. But that wasn't what had him tense.
It was the silence.
Too silent.
Thorne halted.
The pendant flared—brighter than before. Then the system chimed in.
[System Alert: Anomaly Detected Nearby. Initiating Emergency Sub-Quest.]
[Sub-Quest Generated: Wielder's Rite – Claim the Weapon Meant for You]
"What?" Thorne murmured, eyes scanning the dark woods around him.
A swirl of wind erupted in the distance, kicking up leaves and dust as glowing runes circled a cluster of stones. From the sky, a faint blue light descended—forming a sigil in the air before slamming into the ground. The earth shook. Magic rippled outward.
Thorne stepped forward cautiously. The stones parted with a grinding of ancient gears, revealing a hidden stairwell spiraling down into the earth. The dungeon conqueror hesitated only briefly before descending.
As soon as he passed through the entrance, the air grew heavy with age. Blue torchlights lit with a flicker on either side of the narrow corridor. Symbols lined the walls—some he recognized from his childhood books, others far older.
The corridor opened into a small chamber carved from obsidian, and at its center stood a pedestal of black stone. Floating inches above it was a sword—its form shifting subtly, as though it existed between moments.
A deep, reverberating voice echoed in his mind.
"Wielder of the Crest. Bearer of the Sovereign's Blood. You have come."
The sword rotated slowly, revealing intricate patterns along its blade—runes similar to the ones on his pendant. It looked… incomplete, yet powerful. Hungry, yet patient.
[System Notification: You are eligible for a Unique-Class Weapon.][Binding Initiation: Standby… Confirmed.][You have acquired: Sovereign's Will – Adaptive Relic Blade]
The moment Thorne stepped forward and grasped the hilt, a jolt of energy surged through him. Visions filled his head—his father in full armor wielding the same sword, commanding energy with each swing. A battlefield. A betrayal. A broken blade hidden away until the bloodline called it again.
The hilt warmed in his grip. The blade shifted—reshaping itself to suit his form and style. It was light, yet impossibly sturdy. The more he focused, the more it responded.
[New Ability Unlocked: Sovereign's Resonance – The weapon grows stronger with your will and adapts to your combat style. Increases effectiveness in dungeon environments.]
[Bonus Effect: Hidden Memories Within – Seek dungeons tied to your legacy to unlock sealed potential.]
Thorne exhaled slowly, raising the blade in front of him. "You were his… weren't you?"
The sword thrummed, responding faintly.
"This isn't just a weapon. It's a part of him. Of them."
The chamber's lights dimmed as the quest notification updated once again.
[Sub-Quest Complete: Wielder's Rite][New Passive Acquired: Echo of the Lineage – Grants improved affinity with relic-type artifacts and ancient dungeon mechanics.]
Thorne looked down at the blade—Sovereign's Will—and felt something settle in his chest. Resolve, perhaps. Or maybe, for the first time, a sense of direction.
As he stepped out of the chamber, the earth rumbled once more and the staircase closed behind him, sealing the chamber as though it had never existed.
Back on the road, he tested the sword's weight. It cut cleanly through a branch with little resistance. More than that—it responded to his thoughts, adjusting its balance as if it could read his intentions.
Then, without warning, a rustle in the trees.
Thorne spun just in time to parry an incoming dagger.
A figure in a long, dark cloak emerged from the shadows. A mask covered half their face, but their stance was unmistakable—trained, graceful, dangerous.
"Thorne," the figure said. "You weren't supposed to leave that dungeon alive."
The Sovereign's Will glowed faintly in Thorne's hand. "You knew I was there?"
"You tripped an old alarm," the figure replied. "That pendant you carry… it's stirred interest."
The trees shifted. More figures emerged—three, four, maybe five. All armed. All masked.
Assassins.
[System Notification: Hostile Intent Detected – Combat Mode Engaged.]
Thorne raised his blade. His body ached from his recent trials, but the weapon in his hand pulsed with fresh energy. This would be the first real test.
"Come then," he muttered, fire burning in his eyes. "Let's see what this new will of mine can do."