Warden Ralzek moved like a monster sculpted from war itself.
Twin swords of jagged iron screeched as they met Aelric's steel, sending shockwaves through the ruined chamber. Every strike was meant to kill. Every movement was cruel precision.
Aelric could barely keep up.
> [Warning: Opponent's Tier Exceeds Current Rank]
[Strategy Advised: Parry and Evade | Critical Weak Point: Left Knee, Exposed Core]
"Too slow, boy," Ralzek growled. "Your father had fire. All I see in you is fear."
Aelric gritted his teeth.
Lyria darted in from the side, unleashing a cascade of storm mana. Bolts of white-hot lightning danced across the Warden's corrupted armor, briefly staggering him.
But he didn't fall.
Ralzek let out a roar, his mana flaring in sickly green arcs. Chains of dark energy erupted from the ground, lashing toward Lyria.
Aelric stepped in without thinking—his blade flashing—
Clang!
The chains shattered.
Blood ran down his arm, but he stood firm.
He'd promised himself: No more deaths. Not like Father.
> [System Points: 12 Available]
[Emergency Protocol: Trial Override – Legacy Fragment Detected]
[Unlock Skill: Blade Memory Echo – Accept?]
Aelric didn't hesitate.
"Accept."
The chamber exploded with light.
For a heartbeat, Aelric stood within a memory not his own—a world of fire, banners, and betrayal.
He saw his father again.
Kaelen stood on a battlefield, drenched in ash, eyes blazing.
> "The blade remembers."
Then the memory faded—and the power remained.
> [New Skill Acquired: Blade Memory Echo]
— Temporarily summon a phantom strike from a blood-bound ancestor.
— Cooldown: 3 Days
Aelric's aura surged.
Mana whipped around him like a storm. His eyes glowed faintly with blue light. The Warden hesitated for the first time.
"You're not… him."
"No," Aelric said. "I'm what comes after."
He dashed forward—faster than before. His sword shimmered, a second strike following his own.
The phantom blade of Kaelen Vaelion struck alongside his.
Slash!
The Warden howled as the twin blades carved through his corrupted core.
Green light cracked—flickered—died.
The monster collapsed.
The silence that followed was absolute.
Aelric fell to one knee, gasping.
Lyria dropped beside him, a hand on his back. "That wasn't normal mana. What did you do?"
"I remembered," he whispered. "And the blade did too."
The seal at the center of the chamber pulsed softly.
> [Seal Recognizes Bearer – Vaelion Line Confirmed]
[Unlocking: Blade of the Oathsworn]
The black sword rose slowly from the stone.
It was unlike any weapon he'd ever seen—obsidian-edged, veined with glowing blue script, humming like a living thing.
Aelric reached out—and the sword leapt into his hand.
> [You Have Acquired: Blade of the Oathsworn]
"To protect the realm. To destroy the corrupted. To remember what was lost."
As his fingers closed around the hilt, a deep voice echoed in his mind.
> "Your path begins now, Heir."
Far away, in a tower of gold and shadows, the obsidian mirror trembled.
The ancient voice returned.
> "The sword has awakened. The Vaelion line stirs again."
The old man bowed low before the glass.
"What would you have me do?"
> "Send the crows. The heir must not reach the Fifth Empire."