[Welcome, Host. You are now the bearer of the Ancient Legacy.]
Noah collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily as the glowing threads finally dissipated, leaving behind an eerie silence in the once chaotic room.
The pain had vanished, replaced by a strange sense of clarity and vitality. He slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, feeling his newly healed body, the warmth of life filling him once again. His hands trembled, not from fear, but from the sheer awe of what had just transpired.
As the final remnants of the merging process settled within Noah, his vision blurred once more.
The energy coursing through him had taken its toll, leaving him utterly exhausted. His body, though healed, felt foreign and heavy, as if it no longer belonged to him. His knees buckled, and the ground rushed up to meet him.
Darkness crept in from the edges of his consciousness, and the last thing he saw was the faint glow of his sword, pulsing with the power of the artifact.
"I... survived..." he whispered weakly before his eyes fluttered shut, and everything went black.
[A threat has been detected!]
[The Host hadn't awakened his "Status" yet, so it's up to the System to defend.]
The air grew thick with tension as the System's automated defense mechanisms kicked into action. The room pulsed with energy again, but this time, it wasn't the ancient legacy merging with Noah—it was a barrier, an unseen shield forming around him. A soft hum resonated through the space as unseen forces surged forth, preparing to repel the incoming danger.
"Host, you remain unconscious, but your survival is assured... for now." The system's cold, calculating voice echoed in the void as it assessed the approaching threat, activating dormant defenses Noah wasn't even aware existed.
Whoosh-! BOOM-!
The air trembled as a violent shockwave erupted through the room. Shrouded in shadow, a monstrous creature flew backward, slamming into the crumbling walls. Its guttural roar echoed in the chaos, but the sheer force of the blast left it dazed, struggling to regain its footing. The artifact in Noah's possession pulsed ominously, releasing a torrent of power that shook the very foundations of the room.
The walls began to crack and cave in, debris raining down as the structure buckled under the immense energy. The power surged out from Noah's unconscious form, not as a direct attack, but as a protective shield empowered by the ancient artifact and the system's defense protocol.
The monster, writhing in pain, attempted to rise, its grotesque form twitching in defiance. But the glowing barrier around Noah intensified, unleashing waves of power that battered the creature relentlessly.
The creature let out a final, desperate growl, claws scraping against the ground as it fought to resist the invisible force. But it was no match for the system's automated defense.
Slowly, under the overwhelming pressure of the energy field, the monster's form began to flicker, its dark mass breaking apart piece by piece.
"No... escape..." the system's voice droned emotionlessly.
Roar-!
The creature convulsed one last time before it crumbled into dust, its existence fading under the relentless assault.
The room fell silent, save for the crumbling stone and the soft hum of the artifact.
The threat had been neutralized, and the system's power receded, leaving Noah safe within the wreckage, unconscious but protected.
…
When Noah opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the floor, looking up at the illuminated stone ceiling.
The room was quiet and strangely lit. He asked himself again, 'Where am I?'
As he tried to sit up, he felt a huge change in his body. The pain had disappeared, and his weight had noticeably lightened, making it much easier for him to move.
He looked around, trying to make sense of his new location, and his feelings began to swing between confusion and astonishment.
The place he was in looked like a vast cave, not the cave he had been in before.
As he examined his surroundings, he noticed that the place was a large, empty circle, but it looked more like an underground room than a cave.
Noah remembered the deep wound he had sustained from the long sword and decided to check on his condition.
He placed his hand on his stomach, where he could feel the hole the sword had made, but he found no pain or blood. It was just a small hole in his shirt and traces of blood on the fabric.
"What's going on? Noah wondered in surprise, remembering that he had been bleeding profusely in the previous room and one question popped up hitting his brain.
How did his body recover so quickly?
He remembered Hunter Elijah's talk about the healing artifacts, and how they could heal any wounds and prevent death. He didn't believe it at first, but it seemed that he was indeed lucky.
As he examined the place, he felt a sharp pain in his head. He closed his eyes and raised his hand to feel the source of the pain, then the pain gradually subsided.
He opened his eyes to discover that a dark blue aura glowed from his body, while runic lines appeared around him, sparkling like electric sparks.
"What's happening to my body?," he wondered, feeling a significant change in his senses. His eyes became sharper, his ears more sensitive, and his nose able to distinguish the various scents in the room.
He smelled the foul odor of blood in the place, which made him feel anxious. When he looked down, he saw the scattered corpses of his fellow hunters.
As he examined the corpses, he heard footsteps approaching. His gaze focused on the entrance and saw a group of heavily armed Hunters, two of them in black suits, approaching him.
Noah felt scared by these Hunters, and the sudden pain in his head caused him to fall to the ground, losing consciousness.
"You, go over there…" The voices of orders echoed around the place.
Quickly, the crowd dispersed. Some began to remove the bodies, while others began to search for survivors. One of the men approached the end of the cave, examined Noah Nightshade, and found that his heart was still beating.
"Here... A survivor!" the man shouted, drawing attention.