"Blood leaves behind echoes. Even when the voice is gone."— Unnamed Hermit of the Hollow Peaks
Kai stared at the floating system prompt.
A message from an unregistered frequency.
Not a sect, not a recruiter, not a Council envoy.
"Kai… if you're reading this, then you're still alive. It's time you knew the truth about your father."
— Sender: UnknownTrace Path: ObscuredSystem Access Level: [ROOT PERMISSION GRANTED]
A cold wave passed through him.
[System Update: Personal Link Triggered]
Unlocking—Bloodline Memory KeyGene Pattern Detected: Cross-linked Ki Residue – Matched
✔ Verification Complete✔ Message Playback Initiated
The walls of the recovery room shimmered.
Kai blinked—and the world shifted.
He stood in a ghostly projection of a battlefield. Craters, fire, and a shattered sky. Dozens of warriors locked in combat, many with strange armor and techniques he had never seen.
And in the middle of it all—
A man.
Tall. Dark hair. Wielding no blade. Only fists wrapped in invisible force.
His attacks tore through enemies like wind through paper.
[Unknown Fighter: Ki Level – ???]
Name: ClassifiedAffiliation: Redacted
Status: TERMINATED (13 years ago)
Relationship: Genetic Match – 99.8%
Codename: The First Specter
Kai's chest tightened.
His father was a Specter—an off-grid, Council-wanted warrior who fought in the Phantom War, a conflict wiped from public record.
The vision paused.
Then the message began:
"Kai. I knew this would only reach you if you lived long enough. I've buried pieces of the truth inside your system. They're locked by experience and choice—just like you were always meant to be."
"The world isn't ruled by sects or beasts. It's ruled by the ones beneath the map. The Council? They're pawns. The real game's bigger."
"If you're hearing this, you've already been marked. You'll need to decide soon: Will you join a system built on lies… or rebuild the one I left behind?"
"Go to the ruins beneath Ironveil Cliff. Use the key embedded in your core. And don't trust anyone from the Flamewind Trials. Especially the one who smiles the most."
[End of Message]
Kai blinked—and the room reformed.
The scroll from the Serpent Thorn Sect still lay untouched.
The obsidian token from the Azure Grasp remained cold.
But now, something else burned beneath his skin.
A new prompt appeared.
[New Path Discovered – Legacy of the Specter]
This choice is irreversible.
By selecting this path, you forfeit sect protection and access to Council rewards.
In exchange, you unlock:— Hidden System Functions— Forbidden Techniques— Legacy Archives
WARNING: Choosing this will place you on the Council's threat list.
Kai stood.
He picked up neither scroll nor token.
Instead, he clenched his fist—and accepted the Legacy.
[Path Selected: The Specter's Inheritance]
Bloodbound Ki unlocked.Hidden stat "Instinct" revealed.New system feature: Phantom Map – Active
Your position has been flagged as Untracked.Your enemies are now watching. But they don't know where you are.
Kai exhaled slowly.
The game had changed.
And he was no longer a player on the board.
He was now the threat the board had tried to erase.