The academy's library was a labyrinth of towering shelves and floating orbs, each glowing with the soft light of preserved knowledge. Kairo Voss slipped through the aisles, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpets. His hazel eyes scanned the spines of ancient tomes, searching for anything related to the spire, runes, or the mysterious Vaultspace. The S-rank observer's rune stone weighed heavy in his pocket, its faint hum a constant reminder of the task ahead.
> [Status Screen]
Name: Kairo Voss
Age: 16
Rank: D+
Class: None
Skills:
• [Vaultspace] (???)
• [Spatial Awareness] (D, Passive)
• [Combat Reflex] (D, Passive)
• [Blade Echo] (C-)
• [Mana Weave] (C+)
• [Mana Surge] (D)
• [Shadow Sense] (D+)
• [Mana Disrupt] (D+)
Strength: 8
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 7
Vitality: 3
Mana: 10
Dexterity: 4
Titles: Vaultborn, Ember's Bane, Shadow's Bane, Sentinel's End
Inventory: Rune Stone (Fragment 1/3)
Kairo's D+ rank—earned after neutralizing the spire's anomaly—had gained him some guarded respect among peers, though whispers of "cheater" and "lucky" still lingered. His duel with Lucas and the spire mission had drawn unwanted attention, and the S-rank observer's scrutiny felt… ominous. He needed answers—and fast.
A faint glow caught his attention. Nestled between two dusty volumes was a small, leather-bound book, its cover etched with runes matching those on the spire. Kairo pulled it free, a tingle running through his fingers as he opened it. Inside were sketches of the spire, notes on its construction, and mentions of "the Vault"—a sealed dimension of pure mana.
> [Quest Update: Echoes of the Vault]
Objective: Decipher the book's clues to locate the first rune fragment.
Reward: Unknown.
His pulse raced. This was the lead he'd been seeking. He tucked the book into his bag and slipped out of the library, determined to act. The text hinted at three rune fragments hidden across the academy's historic sites. The first, it suggested, lay in the old training grounds—abandoned since a dungeon breach years prior. He resolved to investigate that night.
---
The Old Training Grounds
The abandoned training grounds sprawled on the academy's far edge, long neglected and overtaken by vines. Crumbling stone walls leaned unevenly, as if sagging under the weight of time and untold secrets. Kairo's boots crunched on scattered debris; his [Spatial Awareness] was on high alert. He could sense every subtle shift in ambient mana.
By his side was Lira Hale, her silver hair tied back in a practical braid, eyes calm but observant. She wore the academy's healer's uniform, her bracer glinting with tiny mana glyphs. Her presence steadied him in the dim, moonlit ruins. Two others completed their group: Taryn Voss—his cousin, a D+ rank Fire Mage whose whip already crackled with ember sparks—and Milo Kren, a D rank Rogue with a dagger at the ready and wary amber eyes.
> [Team Status]
Taryn Voss (Rank D, Fire Mage)
• Skills: [Flame Lash] (D+), [Ember Burst] (D)
Milo Kren (Rank D, Rogue)
• Skills: [Quickstep] (D+), [Trap Sense] (D)
Lira Hale (Rank D, Healer)
• Skills: [Minor Healing] (D+), [Mana Shield] (D)
"Creepy place," Milo muttered, the edge of his hood brushing cracked stone. He flicked his dagger, its blade catching a shard of moonlight. "Perfect for a trap."
"Or a treasure," Taryn countered, her whip sizzling as she flexed her fingers. "Let's grab this fragment and go."
Kairo led them to a fractured stone archway, faded runes carved around its curve. He pressed the S-rank observer's rune stone against the surface. The rune lit up, burning blue-white for an instant, then the archway flared—cracks racing across its face—revealing a hidden passage beyond.
The air changed as they descended. Footsteps echoed in a narrow tunnel stitched with threads of arcane energy. Mana lines traced the path, glowing faintly beneath their feet. The tunnel spit them out into a circular chamber lined with jagged crystals that pulsed in concentric patterns. At its center, on a pedestal of black marble, rested a second rune stone—similar to the first, but etched with a different symbol.
> [Quest Update: Fragments of the Vault]
Objective: Retrieve the second rune fragment (2/3).
Warning: Guardian detected.
A low growl rumbled through the chamber as the shadows peeled back. From the darkness emerged a hulking Stone Golem—its massive frame carved from living rock, eyes aglow with molten energy, runes etched across its limbs pulsing in resonance with the spire's hum.
> [Enemy: Stone Golem]
Rank: C
Skills: [Rock Slam] (C), [Earthquake] (C)
"Great," Milo groaned. "A walking boulder. My favorite."
Kairo drew his sword and summoned [Mana Weave]. Pale blue mana coursed along the wooden blade's grain, lending it a faint glimmer. "We can handle it," he said, voice steady. "Taryn, flank it from the side. Milo, draw its attention. Lira, support from behind."
The golem attacked first—a thunderous [Rock Slam] that sent echoing tremors through the chamber. Kairo sidestepped with [Mana Surge], the mana-infused adrenaline blasting him aside. His sword struck the golem's elbow, but the impact was like hitting boulder—mere scratches on stone.
Taryn darted in, whipping a lash of fire across its thigh, searing a patch of rock. Milo circled wide, [Quickstep] bolstering his swiftness as he readied a flanking strike. Lira hovered at the edge, her hands glowing with [Minor Healing] in case one of them fell.
The golem's next assault was [Earthquake], its massive fist pounding the floor and shaking crystal shards loose. Kairo stumbled, pulled off balance, the strain of recent Vaultspace training still fresh in his bones. The taste of blood stung the back of his throat—he'd pushed too hard the night before, and his wounds had yet to fully mend.
He knew what he had to do. His pulse quickened. He tapped his interface.
> [Activate Vaultspace? Y/N]
Y
The golem's massive form dissolved and the chamber vanished. Kairo found himself back in the silent expanse of Vaultspace—the familiar, sterile white void that had become both refuge and crucible.
Pain shot through his vision. He dropped to one knee and gasped. The aftereffects of the spire mission and Shadow Hollow still churned in his body, but here he could push further. He conjured a mental image of the golem's attacks—its hulking motions, the way the earth rippled around its feet, the precise angles of its [Rock Slam] and [Earthquake]. Without hesitation, he began to train:
1. Dodge Drill: He stepped, sidestepped, and weaved through phantom quakes that shook the void's ground—practicing dozens of dodge angles per second.
2. Blade Weaving: He combined [Blade Echo] strikes with layers of [Mana Weave], testing each blow against invisible stone targets, refining the mana disruption needed to crack a golem's rune-carved shell.
3. Core Disruption: He experimented with [Mana Disrupt], lacing each swing so that if it connected with a core, it would crack stone as easily as glass.
Hours bled into days. His lungs burned from exertion; sweat poured down his back, but the white void drank it without a trace. His nose began to bleed—a slow trickle that turned into a torrent as his lungs betrayed him with a painful cough. He pressed on, vision blurring, every muscle screaming.
Finally, vision tunneled. He dropped to the ground, breathing ragged. He forced himself to stand and issued one final sequence:
> [Blade Echo – 7-hit combo w/ Mana Disrupt]
[Mana Surge – speed +15%]
He let out a guttural cry as he struck into the void. The echoes of phantom stone cracking rang out.
Then:
> [Elapsed Vault Time: 12,000 Hours]
[Skill Improved: Shadow Sense (D → D+)]
[New Skill: Mana Disrupt (D → D+)]
[Agility +1 | Mana +2]
His body sagged. He wobbled, vision spinning as fresh blood dripped from his nose. He closed his eyes, letting the white fade.
A heartbeat later, he was back in the chamber—reality returning in a rush of stone dust and the golem's roar. Taryn and Milo leapt aside at the last moment, the golem's hammer fist smashing against empty air where Kairo had stood.
He activated [Mana Surge], a surge of mana flooding his veins. Every muscle contracted and released in perfect synchronization. He darted forward, slicing into the golem's knee joint with a crackling strike of [Blade Echo], laced with [Mana Disrupt]. The rune etched on its thigh shattered in a flash of light. He landed three more slashes in that same phantom arc, each blow cracking the rock deeper.
The golem staggered. A final, furious [Earthquake] slammed through the chamber—shaking crystals loose, sending shards clattering to the floor. Kairo flew through the air under the impact, sliding along the stones on his side, vision blurred.
Then, gathering every last ounce of mana and will:
> [Blade Echo – 9-hit finale w/ Charged Mana Disrupt]
He struck its chest core—runes erupting in a burst of shattered crystal and rock. The golem's form collapsed, a cascade of heavy stones tumbling to the ground in an echoing crash.
> [Enemy Defeated]
[Experience Gained]
Kairo stumbled to his feet, grasping the second rune fragment from the pedestal. It pulsed in his hand—an orb of dark mana inscribed with the twin sigils of the spire. Instantly, a vision surged through his mind:
He saw a vast, radiant hall lined with pillars of crystal. At its center, a robed figure hammered a glowing crystal key over an anvil of light. When they turned, his face was hidden by shadow, but his voice resonated through Kairo's very bones:
> "The Vaultborn must rise."
The vision faded. Kairo stumbled backward, falling to one knee. Beneath him, the rune fragment's pulse echoed the hum of the spire—like the first note in a song he was only just learning.
Lira rushed forward, her healing aura bathing him in gentle light. "What did you see?" she asked, concern etched in her features.
"A prophecy," he rasped, voice raw. "About the Vaultborn—about me."
"Vaultborn?" Milo repeated, stepping closer. "Your title... what does it mean?"
Kairo shook his head, pressing a hand to his pounding temples. "I don't know. But the third fragment might tell me."
Taryn cracked her knuckles, her whip coiling like a living flame. "Next stop, then?"
He took a deep breath, consulting the leather-bound book in his bag. "The Academy's catacombs—behind a mana lock," he said. "That's where the third fragment lies."
Milo groaned. "Naturally. Always the catacombs. Why can't anything be easy?"
Kairo rose carefully, feeling every bruise and strain. "Because nothing worth achieving comes easy."