The figure moved with unnatural slowness, its gaunt body swaying with every step. The air around it felt wrong—like the space itself warped in its presence.
Kael's pulse quickened. His instincts screamed at him to run, but something held him in place.
What is this thing? A person? A monster?
The figure lurched forward, stepping into the dim blue glow of the newly awakened Kingdom System runes.
It was a man—or at least, what was left of one.
His skin was stretched tight over his bones, his eyes sunken but glowing faintly, flickering like dying embers. His lips were cracked, revealing teeth sharpened unnaturally from decay or something far worse. His clothes were nothing more than rags, hanging off his skeletal frame.
But despite his fragile appearance, something about him radiated danger.
Then, the system screen flickered again.
> DING!
[Detected: Lost Subject of the Forgotten Kingdom]
Status: Wraithborn | Corrupted Citizen
Threat Level: Unknown
Kael's stomach twisted.
"Corrupted citizen?"
Was this man part of the kingdom that once existed here?
Before he could think further, the Wraithborn snapped its head up, its glowing eyes locking onto him.
And then—it lunged.
"Shit!" Kael stumbled back, his foot catching on a broken stone. He barely had time to twist away as the creature's clawed hand slashed through the air, missing his face by inches.
It moved fast. Too fast for something that looked half-dead.
Kael's heart pounded. He had no weapons, no combat skills, nothing. If he took a direct hit—
The system chimed again.
> DING! Combat Mode Activated.
Combat Tutorial Initiating…
Generating Weapon…
A sudden weight materialized in Kael's hand.
He barely had time to react before his fingers curled around the hilt of a crude sword—a rusted, single-edged blade, old but functional. The moment it appeared, something clicked in his brain, like a part of him instinctively knew how to hold it.
"It gave me a weapon?!"
The Wraithborn lunged again, claws outstretched.
Kael raised the sword on instinct.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the creature's claws scraped against the blade, its force jolting Kael's arms. He gritted his teeth, his feet sliding back from the impact. The creature hissed, its lips curling over jagged teeth.
> DING! First Combat Engaged.
Tutorial Tip: The Wraithborn are remnants of forgotten citizens. Corruption has altered their forms. To cleanse them, defeat them.
"Cleanse?"
Kael had no time to think. The Wraithborn lunged again, swiping low. He barely dodged, rolling across the stone ground. His hands stung from the rough landing, but he ignored it, forcing himself to his feet.
The creature wasn't stopping. It moved in a blur, claws slicing toward him.
Kael swung his sword—not with technique, but with pure desperation.
SHINK!
The blade slashed across the Wraithborn's chest. A pulse of blue energy erupted from the wound, and for the first time, the creature staggered back. It didn't bleed—the wound simply burned away, dissolving into shimmering dust.
It hissed, its glow flickering weakly.
"I can hurt it."
The realization sent a jolt through Kael's body.
"I can kill it."
He didn't wait. This was his chance.
Kael stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly. The creature swiped again, but this time, he was ready. He ducked low, pivoting to the side.
Then he drove the blade straight through its chest.
> DING! Fatal Strike Landed.
The Corruption Begins to Fade…
The Wraithborn let out a low, hollow wail, its entire form cracking with blue light. For a brief moment, Kael swore he saw something behind those glowing eyes—a flicker of awareness, a glimpse of something human.
Then, it shattered.
The creature dissolved into wisps of light, leaving behind only dust and silence.
Kael stood there, chest rising and falling heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead. His grip on the sword tightened as he looked around, expecting more.
But there was nothing.
Just him.
And the ruins.
Then, the system chimed again.
> DING! First Enemy Defeated.
EXP Gained: 50
New Title Earned: [First Protector of the Forgotten Kingdom]
A title?
Before Kael could process it, another notification appeared.
> DING! You have purified a Corrupted Citizen.
A New Citizen Seeks Refuge in Your Kingdom.
Kael's breath caught.
"What?"
He turned sharply, scanning the ruins. For a moment, he saw nothing—but then, from the same direction the Wraithborn had appeared, another figure emerged.
A young girl.
She looked human, unlike the Wraithborn, but… different. Her skin was pale, her eyes glowing faintly like dying embers. She clutched a torn cloak around her frail frame, stepping hesitantly into the dim blue glow of the Kingdom System's runes.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"Y-You… saved me…"
Kael stared, his pulse still racing.
"Was she inside that creature? Was that why it looked almost… aware before it died?"
The system chimed again.
> New Citizen Acquired: [Name: ???]
Your Kingdom's Population: 1.
Kael's eyes widened