A single candle flickered on a splintered table, its flame dancing in the tense silence that gripped the Eternal Tavern. The runes on the walls pulsed erratically, their amber glow stuttering like a heart under strain. Elias Varn stood at the room's center, his emerald eyes locked on the boy at the door—a wiry figure no older than sixteen, his glowing moon-like eyes burning with rage. The boy's blade, etched with Voryn's claw-like sigil, hummed with void energy, its presence making the nexus groan beneath the floorboards. The air was thick with the scent of fear, ozone, and the faint sweetness of spilled mead, a reminder of the tavern's fragile sanctuary.
The boy's words echoed in Elias's mind: You killed her. Now you face the Weaver's wrath. Lysara, the Emissary of the Forgotten, was gone, her [Curse Fragment] now a pulsing weight in Elias's inventory. But this boy—wielding the Weaver's Blade—was no mere pawn. The Vitality System's alert screamed danger, and Elias's curse ached, draining faster under the blade's influence.
Ping!
The system's chime pierced his thoughts, its golden screen flaring with urgency.
Vitality System: Critical Alert! Threat Detected: Weaver's Blade (Bearer: Unknown).
Abilities: Curse Amplification, Nexus Severance.
Reward: +150 Vitality Points, [Weaver's Blade].
Penalty: -600 Vitality Points if the tavern falls.
Current Vitality: 500/500.
New Hint: The boy's blade is bound to the curse's origin.
Disarm him to unlock its secrets.
Elias's grin was sharp, a blade of its own. The boy was a clue to his curse's source, but his power threatened the nexus. Kaelith, bloodied but defiant, stood with her dagger drawn, her wings shielding Sylva, whose marked wrist was dormant but still a risk. Drenvar, the former keeper, hovered near a shattered table, his fiery scars glowing with restrained power. Lirien's tome floated, her arcane barrier flickering as she fought to stabilize the nexus. The patrons, a mix of mercenaries, travelers, and mystics, watched in tense silence, their trust in Elias the only thing keeping panic at bay.
"Kid," Elias said, his voice a blend of charm and steel, stepping forward with a casual swagger, "you're a long way from home. Put the blade down, and we'll talk. No need to ruin a perfectly good night."
The boy's eyes flared, his grip tightening on the blade. "You don't get it, Varn," he spat, his voice cracking with emotion. "Lysara was my sister. You killed her. The Weaver chose me to finish what she started."
Elias's grin faltered, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. Lysara had been a tool of the Pantheon, but a sister? That changed things. He raised a hand, his scars glowing faintly. "I didn't want to kill her," he said, his tone softer but firm. "She came for my tavern. I had no choice. You do."
The boy laughed, a bitter sound that didn't match his age. "Choice? The Weaver doesn't give choices. He takes." He raised the blade, and the runes screamed red, a rift tearing open behind him. Voidlings swarmed out, their insect-like forms skittering toward the patrons.
Ping!
Vitality System: Emergency Alert! Threat Detected: Voidling Swarm (x12).
Abilities: Swarm Tactics, Mana Drain.
Reward: +40 Vitality Points, [Voidling Husk x2].
Penalty: -100 Vitality Points if the swarm breaches the nexus.
Current Vitality: 500/500.
Elias moved like lightning, his scars blazing as he unleashed a wave of starlight, vaporizing four voidlings. Kaelith soared overhead, her wings slicing through two more, while Drenvar's fire incinerated another pair. Lirien's barrier flared, protecting the patrons, but the boy's blade pulsed, and the nexus groaned, its stability dropping to 70%.
"Kid, you're gonna bring this place down!" Elias shouted, dodging a voidling's claws. He grabbed a chair, hurling it at the boy, who deflected it with a slash of his blade. The impact sent a shockwave through the tavern, cracking a wall and draining 10 Vitality Points from Elias's curse.
Current Vitality: 490/500.
The boy's eyes were wild, his blade glowing brighter. "The Weaver wants the nexus," he said. "Your curse is his key. When you die, the realms open, and he rises."
Elias's heart sank. The boy wasn't just a threat—he was a fanatic, bound to Voryn's will. But the system's hint was clear: the blade held secrets about the curse's origin. He needed to disarm the boy without killing him. He dove forward, his scars flaring, and tackled the boy, pinning his sword arm. The blade's energy burned, costing another 15 Vitality Points.
Current Vitality: 475/500.
"Lirien, seal the rift!" Elias shouted, struggling to hold the boy. The elf's tome glowed, her chant weaving a lattice of light that closed the rift, trapping the remaining voidlings. Kaelith and Drenvar dispatched them, their teamwork a blur of fire and steel. But the boy was strong, his blade pulsing with void energy that pushed Elias back.
Drenvar grabbed the boy's other arm, his fiery scars flaring. "He's not just a kid," Drenvar growled. "The blade's amplifying him. It's tied to the curse's source."
Elias nodded, his mind racing. He summoned the [Curse Fragment] from his inventory, its energy resonating with the blade. "Kid, listen," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The Weaver's using you, like he used Lysara. Let me help you."
The boy's eyes flickered, doubt creeping in, but the blade pulsed, and he screamed, slashing at Elias. The blow grazed his chest, the curse flaring as 20 Vitality Points vanished.
Current Vitality: 455/500.
Elias staggered, but his grin returned, fierce and unyielding. "Alright, kid. Hard way it is." He channeled the nexus's power, the crystalline sphere in the core chamber flaring in his mind. The runes blazed, and he formed a whip of starlight, lashing the boy's blade. The impact sent it flying, embedding it in the wall. The boy collapsed, his glowing eyes dimming.
Ping!
Vitality System: Mission Complete! Weaver's Blade Disarmed.
Rewards: +150 Vitality Points, [Weaver's Blade].
Voidling Swarm Neutralized.
Rewards: +40 Vitality Points, [Voidling Husk x2].
Current Vitality: 645/500 (Overflow stored for next threshold).
Elias exhaled, his chest heaving. The tavern was intact, the runes stabilizing, but the boy's words lingered: When you die, the realms open. He approached the blade, its sigil pulsing faintly. The [Curse Fragment] in his hand burned, syncing with it. He touched the blade, and a vision flashed in his mind—a cavern of shadows, a throne of void, and a figure cloaked in darkness: Voryn, the Weaver of Voids. The figure spoke, its voice a knife in Elias's soul: You were born to break, keeper. Your curse is my blood.
Elias stumbled back, the vision fading. Drenvar caught him, his expression grim. "What did you see?"
"The Weaver," Elias said, his voice hoarse. "My curse—it's his blood. I'm not just bound to the nexus. I'm bound to him."
Kaelith, helping Sylva to her feet, looked horrified. "You're saying you're... part of a god?"
Elias's grin was weak but defiant. "Looks like I'm more than just a barkeep." He turned to the boy, now unconscious but alive. "We need to know what he knows. Lirien, can you scan his mind?"
Lirien nodded, her tome glowing as she knelt beside the boy. "It's risky, but I'll try. His connection to Voryn is strong."
As Lirien worked, Sylva approached, her eyes guilty. "I'm sorry, Elias," she said. "I brought this here. The mark—it's gone, but I still feel him."
Elias placed a hand on her shoulder, his charisma easing her fear. "You're not the enemy, Sylva. The Weaver is. Help us, and we'll make him pay."
The tavern's runes pulsed softly, the nexus stabilizing at 80%. But the [Weaver's Blade] hummed, its energy tugging at Elias's curse. He clutched the [Curse Fragment], its secrets tantalizingly close. The system's hidden objective—uncover the curse's origin—was now personal. Voryn's blood ran in him, but what did that mean? Was he a weapon, a pawn, or something else?
Ping!
Vitality System: Hidden Objective Progress.
Clue Found: Curse tied to Voryn's blood.
Next Step: Interrogate the boy or analyze the [Weaver's Blade] for further clues.
Reward Progress: +20 Vitality Points.
Current Vitality: 665/500 (Overflow stored).
Elias poured a drink, his hands steady despite the revelation. The tavern was his home, his fight, and he'd be damned if he let a god take it. But as he sipped, a shadow moved at the edge of his vision—a figure cloaked in starlight, watching from the doorway. It wasn't Lysara, but its aura was familiar, ancient, and cold. The runes flickered, and a whisper echoed: The Weaver is only the beginning, Varn. The true enemy waits.
Elias's grin hardened, his eyes locking on the figure. "Round two, huh?" he muttered, setting his glass down. The figure vanished, but a new rune appeared on the floor, pulsing with an energy that made the nexus tremble—a sigil not of Voryn, but of something older, darker.
Ping!
Vitality System: Critical Alert! Threat.
Detected: Unknown Sigil.
Abilities: Nexus Corruption, Realm Breach. Reward: +200 Vitality Points, [Ancient Sigil].
Penalty: -700 Vitality Points if the tavern falls.
Current Vitality: 665/500.
Elias stood, his scars blazing. The tavern was his, and no god—Weaver or otherwise—would take it. But the new sigil pulsed, and the air grew cold, promising a battle he wasn't sure he could win.
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