The ground trembled beneath Xel'Varyn's feet, sending ripples through the sands. The air itself grew heavier—thick with power, thick with something old.
She tightened her grip on her blades. The battle with the Veiled King's forces was not over, but something far worse had begun.
A deep, resonating pulse echoed from the depths of Dah'Zirath. A call. A summons.
And something in her blood answered.
---
[System Update: The Relic Stirs]
Artifact Resonance: 80% (Reality is distorting.)
Enemy Morale: 40% (The Veiled King's forces are panicking.)
Environmental Effect: Echo of Chains (Ancient bindings weaken—something is about to break free.)
New Status Effect:
Whispers of the Forgotten (You hear voices of those long sealed away. Are they warnings or invitations?)
---
The Battlefield Fractures
Edwin landed beside her, daggers slick with blood. "This isn't normal," he hissed, his usual calm fraying at the edges.
Victor swung his war axe, sending another enemy sprawling into the sand. "Doesn't matter. We finish the job—"
A scream split the air.
Not a human scream.
Something deeper. Something woven into the fabric of existence itself.
The ruins beneath them collapsed inward, stone shattering as a massive, blackened chain burst from the ground.
It writhed like a living thing, its links humming with dark energy. And then—they began to break.
One by one.
---
[System Update: The Seal is Breaking]
The First Chain: Broken. (The relic's power is no longer contained.)
Entity Awakening: ??? (Your presence has accelerated the process.)
*Choice Approaching: Will you claim the relic's power, or destroy it before it consumes everything?
---
The Moment of Decision
Xel'Varyn stared at the monolithic, shifting mass now rising from the sands.
She could feel the pull. The power was immense—raw, unshackled, intoxicating.
Her path had always been clear: Take what she needed. Become stronger. Build her empire.
But this…
This was something else.
Power like this came with a price.
And she had to decide if she was willing to pay it.
---
[To Be Continued...]