Morning sunlight, golden and warm, poured through the window, painting the stone floor of Leonidas's small room in soft light. A faint chime, resonant and familiar, echoed in his head.
[Daily Attribute Bonus: +1 DEX]
New DEX: 102
He yawned and stretched, the joints in his shoulders and back popping softly. A slight grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Better than nothing," he murmured, rolling his neck.
The persistent numerical updates were still an oddity — a constant reminder of the strange reality he now lived in. But in time, he'd learned to appreciate the small, daily gains. Every point, every increment, felt like a step toward something greater. Toward something he still couldn't fully grasp.
Today, his only class was in the afternoon. That left him with a perfect stretch of time to finally act on something he'd been preparing for — a dangerous opportunity few would dare attempt, and fewer still even knew existed. His gaze drifted to the worn satchel slung over his wooden desk, the familiar weight inside.
He knew what lay hidden deep within the ruins north of the city. Not because anyone told him, nor because it was recorded in the academy archives or whispered among scholars. No — something within his memories, fragments of a life he didn't consciously recall but which felt undeniably his own, told him exactly what waited there. A cursed relic, forgotten by the world, and a guardian bound to protect it for eternity.
"Another piece of the puzzle," he muttered, rising from his cot.
He didn't understand these memories, these flashes of innate knowledge that guided his actions. Were they truly his? Echoes of a past life? Or something far older, far stranger? The questions lingered at the edges of his mind, a persistent hum in the background, but for now, they were a luxury he couldn't afford.
Survival came first. Knowledge was power.
He grabbed his weapon — a simple, yet perfectly balanced longsword, its hilt worn smooth from countless hours of practice — and slipped out of his room as dawn broke, the academy still largely asleep.
The path to Ebon Hollow was overgrown and crumbling, a testament to centuries of neglect. Ancient trees, their gnarled branches twisted like the arms of slumbering giants, formed a perpetual canopy overhead. Their roots clawed at the broken flagstones beneath. The remains of fallen warriors, their rusted weapons and decayed armor buried in earth and moss, lay scattered along the way — a silent warning to those who dared trespass.
Leonidas moved with practiced ease, his senses sharpened, constantly scanning the shadows.
These ruins… they pulse with a forgotten power, he thought as the air grew heavier and colder with every step deeper into the hollow.
Arden Everfall will be here. He always is.
As he neared the heart of the ruins, a cold, oppressive presence settled around him, chilling him to the bone. The mist, thick and swirling, began to coalesce, drawing itself into a towering figure.
From within the haze stepped a massive form clad in blackened, corroded armor, a rusted greatsword resting across one shoulder. Faint, unsettlingly bright blue flames burned in the hollows of its skull, where eyes should have been.
[Monster Detected: Lich]
Name: Arden Everfall
Level: 62
Status: Cursed Guardian
Leonidas gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his sword. He knew this one.
A former knight from two centuries ago, Arden had been renowned for his unwavering loyalty and formidable prowess. Cursed by a powerful Saint Mage after a failed mission to steal a holy artifact: to forever guard the Ember Sigil — a relic capable of destroying the powerful Orpheus Shield, a divine blessing tied to music spirit instruments.
The Orpheus Shield… Considered unbreakable, a sacred defense tied to the gods themselves.
But Leonidas knew better.
The Sigil was the one thing that could shatter it. A relic capable of breaking that sacred barrier with a mere touch, no matter the melody's strength or the spirit's power. In the wrong hands, it could turn the tide of any battle. It was a weapon of impossible consequence.
As the Lich raised its greatsword, slow and deliberate, Leonidas drew his own blade, the rasp of steel echoing in the eerie silence.
"Forgive me, old man," Leonidas said softly, grim resolve in his voice. "But this has to end."
The Revenant's head tilted, the blue flames flaring in its sockets. It spoke in a hollow, rasping voice, the words rattling like dry bones.
"None shall… claim the Sigil… I am sworn…"
"I know your burden, Arden," Leonidas replied, shifting into a ready stance. "But the world's changing. This relic… it can't stay hidden forever."
"Your words… mean nothing… intruder…"
And with that, the battle began.
The fight was brutal — a dance of life and undeath. The Lich's greatsword swung with terrible force, each strike trailing bursts of necrotic fire, carving deep gashes into stone walls and earth alike. The ground trembled beneath its fury.
But Leonidas moved with purpose, a fluidity that defied his years. Somehow, instinctively, he knew every pattern of the creature's attacks. Like recalling a long-buried memory, a forgotten lesson etched into his bones. Ancient combat whispers guided his parries and dodges.
He ducked a horizontal slash that would've cleaved him in two, the rush of air from its passage ruffling his hair. He caught a heavy overhead thrust, deflecting it with a sharp twist of his wrist, sending the blow skidding wide. Then, moving like a ghost, he struck at the exposed joints in the cursed armor, targeting weaknesses known only to a select few in history.
Each movement was precise, economical. No wasted effort.
Bit by bit, he chipped away at the Revenant, his blade finding cracks and fissures in the centuries-old magic binding it. The Lich growled, low and guttural, with each successful strike, its movements becoming slightly more desperate.
Then, as it reeled from a heavy blow that splintered part of its shoulder armor, Leonidas saw his chance.
That familiar internal whisper screamed at him.
He drove his sword into the cursed core buried deep within its chest — a weak point known to few, a secret tied to the creature's very existence.
The Lich staggered, its greatsword falling to the ground with a resounding clang. The blue flames in its eyes flickered violently. For a moment, its hollow voice softened, gaining a hauntingly human tone filled with profound weariness.
"Blood of… mine… you carry it well, Leonidas…"
And with a final, shuddering sigh that seemed to carry the weight of two centuries, the blue flames dimmed, then vanished, and the towering figure crumbled to dust. Its cursed armor disintegrated into fine ash, scattered by the morning breeze.
On an ancient pedestal, the Ember Sigil lay waiting — a smooth, obsidian-like stone etched with arcane symbols, glowing faintly with pulsing crimson light.
[Item Acquired: Ember Sigil]
Effect: Destroys an active Orpheus Shield upon contact.
Leonidas picked it up, feeling the cold, almost unnatural weight settle in his palm.
It's real.
The confirmation sent a shiver through him. This world was filled with powers, blessings, and relics most would never even conceive of. The Orpheus Shield was believed inviolable, a gift from the gods, untouchable by mortal hands.
But this Sigil… it broke all the rules.
Without a word, he tucked the Ember Sigil away safely and turned toward the academy. The mist thinned as the sun rose higher, piercing through the ancient canopy, illuminating the path ahead.
The world was far deeper, far more dangerous, than anyone believed.
And Leonidas was determined to uncover its truths — not because of what he once knew, but because now, it was his reality.