The Ruins of Elaris stood before Nyxaris like a forgotten graveyard of stone and time. Crumbling pillars, shattered archways, and moss-covered statues lined the landscape. The air carried a strange energy—neither welcoming nor outright hostile, but watchful.
As he stepped forward, a cold breeze whispered past him, carrying fragments of voices, unintelligible yet filled with emotion.
[Quest Objective Updated: Investigate the Source of the Whispers]
Zeraldris' voice rumbled in his mind. "This place… It's more than just ruins. Something lingers here."
Nyxaris nodded. "I can feel it. But what exactly are we dealing with?"
"Memory." The dragon's tone was laced with something rare—caution. "Something wants to be remembered."
The deeper Nyxaris went, the stronger the whispers became. Faint figures flickered in the distance, illusions of people long gone. Warriors in tattered armor, mages weaving forgotten spells, and a lone knight standing atop a broken pedestal.
Then he saw it.
Embedded in the stone floor, surrounded by shattered remnants of battle, was a sword. Unlike the rusted weapons littering the ruins, this one gleamed with an eerie light, its blade unmarred by time.
[System Alert: You have discovered a Unique Item – ???]
Nyxaris hesitated. He had read enough fantasy stories to know that touching mysterious artifacts in ancient ruins was not always a good idea.
But before he could even decide, the whispers stopped.
The ruins fell silent.
Then—
A ghostly figure materialized before him, wearing a suit of armor adorned with sigils that pulsed faintly. The knight's eyes, hollow yet piercing, locked onto Nyxaris.
"You… have come." The voice was deep, resonant, carrying the weight of centuries. "Do you seek to inherit the legacy?"
Nyxaris glanced at the sword. The game wasn't giving him an option to decline. This was happening whether he was ready or not.
"…Yes."
The knight nodded. "Then prove yourself."
Before Nyxaris could react, the battle began.
The knight moved like a shadow, closing the distance in an instant. Nyxaris barely managed to dodge the first strike, feeling the sheer force cut through the air where he stood just a moment ago.
"Fast—!"
Rolling to the side, he shifted into his slime form, using his liquid-like body to absorb the shock of impact as the knight's blade struck the ground, creating a small crater.
Nyxaris retaliated, extending his shadow tendrils to bind the knight's movements, but the ancient warrior countered with a burst of energy, shattering them instantly.
"This is going to be tough."
But he wasn't alone.
"Nyxaris, focus on endurance. You won't win by overpowering him," Zeraldris advised. "Let him make the first mistake."
Taking the dragon's advice, Nyxaris switched tactics. Instead of attacking recklessly, he focused on dodging, parrying, and reading the knight's movements.
Minute by minute, the battle shifted. The knight, once relentless, began to slow. His strikes became more predictable.
And then—Nyxaris saw his opening.
The moment the knight overextended on a downward slash, Nyxaris twisted, dodged inside his guard, and delivered a precise counterstrike—a condensed shockwave blast aimed directly at his chest.
The knight staggered.
Then, with a final swing, Nyxaris struck. His attack landed true, and the spectral warrior faded into mist, his armor crumbling into dust.
The sword, now free, pulsed with energy.
[Trial Completed: You have inherited the Blade of Elaris.]
[New Item Acquired: Sword of Echoing Fate]
An ancient blade bound to the remnants of the past. It carries the whispers of those who have wielded it before. Its true power remains unknown.
Nyxaris exhaled, gripping the hilt. The blade was light, perfectly balanced in his hands.
"Well done," Zeraldris murmured. "This sword… It might be more important than you realize."
But before Nyxaris could celebrate, another system notification appeared.
[World Announcement: Player "Nyxaris" has obtained the Sword of Echoing Fate – A Unique Item!]
[Developers' Internal System Alert: UNEXPECTED EVENT DETECTED – PLAYER ACCESSING UNPLANNED CONTENT.]
"He's doing it again," one of the developers groaned, staring at the live feed. "He's bypassing progression routes we didn't even implement yet!"
The head developer clenched his jaw. "This wasn't supposed to happen for another six months."
Another developer hesitated. "We could… step in?"
A heavy silence filled the room.
"No." The lead sighed. "You know the rules. We cannot interfere. We just have to watch."
But in the back of his mind, a single thought repeated:
Who the hell is Nyxaris?
Nyxaris took a deep breath, adjusting his grip on the Sword of Echoing Fate as the eerie ruins faded behind him. The weight of the blade was unfamiliar, but something about it felt… natural, like it had always been meant for him.
"That was quite the battle," Zeraldris mused from within. "You're getting better at reading your opponents. Still, you hesitate too much."
Nyxaris scoffed. "I'm not exactly some master warrior, y'know. I was a broke student just a few days ago."
"And now you're an anomaly in this world," the dragon rumbled. "Best you adjust quickly."
Before Nyxaris could reply, his vision was overtaken by a system notification.
[New Quest: The Goblin Village in Peril]
A village of goblins is under attack by a pack of Dire Wolves. Their warriors are weak, their defenses fragile. If no one helps, they will be wiped out. Will you intervene?
Quest Rewards:
Gold: 250
Possible Item Drop
Potential Ally
Accept? [YES] [NO]
Nyxaris hesitated for a moment. He had been planning to head toward Astrid, but this seemed urgent.
Besides, it was a goblin village.
And if this game was anything like Tensura, goblins could evolve and become valuable allies.
"I assume you're taking it?" Zeraldris asked.
Nyxaris smirked. "Of course."
He selected YES, and immediately, a red marker appeared on his mini-map, showing the goblin village's location. It wasn't far—maybe a thirty-minute walk.
He set off without hesitation.
The sound of panicked screams reached Nyxaris long before he saw the village.
When he finally arrived, the scene was worse than expected.
Huts were in flames, goblins—small, weak, barely armed—were scrambling to protect their young, while massive Dire Wolves, easily twice their size, prowled the area. Their fur was black as night, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
A single goblin, slightly larger than the rest, stood in front of a group of children, holding a crude spear with shaking hands. He was terrified, but he refused to move.
One of the Dire Wolves lunged.
Nyxaris moved before he could think.
With a burst of speed, he closed the distance, shifting his slime body to absorb the force of impact. The wolf's claws slashed through him, but it did no real damage—his body simply reformed.
Then he struck.
His new sword whistled through the air, and with one clean slash, the Dire Wolf staggered back, a deep wound forming along its side.
The other wolves paused, now focusing on him.
A system notification popped up:
[Combat Event: Defend the Goblin Village]
Wolves Defeated: 1/12
Objective: Protect the goblins and eliminate the remaining Dire Wolves.
"Twelve of them?!" Nyxaris muttered. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Numbers mean nothing if they cannot strike you," Zeraldris reminded him. "Keep moving. Make them fear you."
The largest wolf, easily the alpha, let out a chilling howl, and the rest of the pack rushed him all at once.
Nyxaris gritted his teeth.
This was going to be a long fight.
"He's already engaged the wolves," one of the developers noted, watching the live feed.
"He shouldn't even be at this level yet," another muttered. "How the hell is he keeping up?"
The lead developer remained silent, eyes locked on the screen. Nyxaris fought differently than other players. He wasn't just using brute force—he was learning, adapting to the game as if he had played it for years.
And worst of all…
He was thriving.
"This kid… He's breaking everything we planned."
The lead developer sighed.