The underground bronze vault rumbled open. As torchlight revealed star-charted walls, Leo "tripped," letting the key fall into the enemy general's grasp. "Fool! This triggers the Starfall Steel trap!" The general sneered, inserting the key—only for the ceiling's constellations to detonate, vaporizing half his men. Leo had used rebirth memories to manipulate the trap.
He dragged the chief's granddaughter, Elena, toward a secret passage. She shoved him off, trembling. "How did you know the vault's traps? And why did they call us 'traitors' blood'?" Stone walls exploded. The general crawled from rubble, his left arm morphed into a bronze claw—Starfall Steel had fused with his flesh.
[System Alert: Host forcibly awakens 'Clockwork Heart' talent!]
Gears in Leo's chest whirred. The claw's movement slowed into frames. He grabbed a rusty cleaver and hacked at a bolt on the claw's joint. Sparks flew.
"Run!" he roared at Elena. "Tell the blind blacksmith—'Gears need a spring!'