The ruins lay dormant, silent beneath the shroud of dawn mist. Thorne stood at the base of what was once a grand citadel, its spires shattered, overtaken by vines and ash-gray moss. Time had eroded the grandeur, but the presence of something ancient still clung to the stone.
[Quest Update: Legacy of the Sovereign - Part II: Explore the Clan Archives]
"This is the place," Thorne murmured, stepping past broken pillars. The wind carried whispers—real or imagined, he couldn't tell—but each footstep echoed like a memory.
Inside the citadel's hollow remains, walls bore faded murals of armored figures wielding brilliant weapons—each one bearing the winged crest. His family's crest. His breath caught in his throat as he moved deeper. The system stayed silent, letting him walk in peace through the remnants of legacy.
[Environmental Effect: Suppressed Mana Flow Detected]
That explained the unease. This place was built to shield secrets—even from time and magic.
Near a collapsed wall, Thorne's gaze landed on a sloped corridor veiled by hanging roots. He pushed through them, descending. The air thickened, and the walls glimmered faintly with protective runes.
[System Alert: Hidden Chamber Detected. Anomaly Source Nearby.]
It took another twenty minutes to reach the chamber. A domed hall opened up before him—surprisingly intact, lit by blue flames that sparked to life as he entered. At its center was a pedestal, and atop it rested a sword.
But not just any sword.
Its blade was dark, almost obsidian, etched with golden lines that pulsed like veins. The hilt was wrapped in crimson leather, and a winged sigil rested on its guard. Energy rolled off it in waves—raw, contained, and hungry.
[System Notification: Unique Weapon Detected - Sovereign's Will][Requirements Met. Claim is Possible.]
Thorne hesitated. His hand hovered over the blade.
Then he heard the voice.
Not the system.
A whisper—ancient, commanding, and familiar.
"Bearer of our blood... take up the burden."
His fingers wrapped around the hilt. Instantly, power surged into him like lightning through stone. Visions crashed into his mind—war, betrayal, a throne aflame.
[Unique Weapon Acquired: Sovereign's Will - A sentient blade forged for the heir of the Sovereign Clan. Abilities: Adaptive Slash, Bloodline Resonance, and Memory Echoes.]
The blade hummed as if recognizing him.
A hidden panel in the chamber opened.
Inside were books—fragments of knowledge, scrolls marked with sigils, maps of old clan territories, and at the very back, a locked tome titled "The First Betrayal."
[Item Acquired: Clan Archives - Volume I]
Thorne took them all.
As he turned to leave, something in the air shifted. A tremor. Dust rained from the ceiling.
[Warning: Presence Detected. Multiple Hostiles Approaching.]
Figures in dark armor emerged from the corridor, led by a woman with silver hair and eyes like glass.
"The Sovereign's dog has returned to sniff his master's bones," she said coldly.
Thorne tightened his grip on the sword. "And the vultures came to feast."
She smiled. "Kill him. Retrieve the weapon."
Flames erupted behind him as the first wave attacked.
The echo of legacy now roared in steel.