Lucien progressed farther into the crypt. Every movement made his bones ache, yet he didn't let up. The battle against the Bone Serpent had worn him down, but something in him smoldered stronger than ever before.
"Darren… you betrayed me. You took everything."
He clasped his skinny fingers into a fist. Glowing faintly under his cowl, his eyes stared at the darkness. The pendant, which he discovered earlier, gleamed about his neck, his fireproofiness still working, emitting a mild heat.
The tunnel he headed down wound in a snake-like tail. It opened up onto a slender set of stairs hacked out of rock. Frosty wind shrieked up from below.
[System Alert – Side Quest Unlocked!]
"Whispers of the Bound"
Venture into the lower crypts and discover the origin of the chained moans.
Reward: Unknown Skill or Item
Lucien lifted an imaginary brow. "Chained moans… sounds like fun."
He descended the stairs. The walls were adorned with ancient carvings—figures in chains, screaming faces, reapers standing over kneeling prisoners with scythes.
At the bottom, the air became thick.
He entered a huge, circular room.
Skeletons chained to the walls. Some lacked limbs. Some had skulls with cracked openings. Others had ancient weapons jammed through their ribs.
And at the very center—there was a colossal stone door covered in glowing red symbols.
[Warning – Sealed Tomb Detected]
Strong presence within.
"Do you wish to proceed?"
▶ Yes
◻ No
Lucien brought his hand close to the door.
"I've come this far."
He answered Yes.
The symbols disappeared. The door groaned open, its sound loudly grinding.
Behind it was a dark, long corridor. As he entered, torches flared on either side—each of them blue-flamed.
The corridor went to a great chamber.
In its center, a coffin wrapped in chains that glowed.
Murals on the walls depicted a solitary skeleton figure commanding legions of the dead, standing over burning cities, crowned by a circle of shadows.
Lucien gazed at the coffin.
He didn't know why… but something inside was calling to him.
"Is this. the original Reaper?"
[System Notice – Tomb of Chains.
Discovered]
Warning: Powerful being sealed here. Approach with caution.
Lucien stepped forward—a single step—and froze.
The coffin creaked.
Chains trembled and groaned.
A cold gust swept through the chamber.
A voice boomed.
"You… are not the one. Yet. you bear the mark."
Lucien pulled out his bone sword. "Who are you?"
"I am what is left… of the first Reaper. Bound here forever. Until… the next heir awakens me."
Lucien moved closer. "Then what do you want from me?"
"To test your will… and feed you power."
The ground shook suddenly.
Chains snapped.
Three chained knights emerged from the shadows. Each carried a rusted sword and wore shattered armor. Their eyes glowed red.
[Enemy Encounter: Chained Knights – Lv. 5 ×3]
Objective: Survive the Trial.
Optional: Kill all enemies for bonus reward.
Lucien prepared his stance.
The first knight charged. Lucien dodged, spinning to its side, and sliced its ribs. The sword cracked bone, but the knight didn't falter.
[Skill: Bone Bind – Activated!]
Chains burst from the ground, binding the knight's legs.
Lucien charged forward and drove his sword through its skull.
[Enemy Defeated – +70 EXP]
But the other two attacked simultaneously.
One of them swung down from above. Lucien parried with his sword—but the impact sent him stumbling back.
The second one hurled a chain, ensnaring Lucien's arm and pulling him towards them.
"Urgh!"
He activated Ash Cloak, escaping in a cloud of black smoke.
He reappeared behind them.
"Your turn."
He took one of the chain weapons off the wall and used it as a whip—crushing the knight's head off.
[Enemy Defeated – +70 EXP]
The final knight was more powerful. It deflected his attack and struck Lucien on the chest.
[–30 HP]
He backed off, staggering. "Stubborn…"
The knight raised its sword to deliver a killing blow.
Lucien clenched his eyes.
Then threw the fireproof pendant at the feet of the knight—
BOOM!
The heatwave dazed the knight.
Lucien rushed forward and plunged it through its chest!
The knight grunted, stumbled, and collapsed.
[Enemy Defeated – +70 EXP]
[Level Up – 4 → 5]
Lucien knelt on one knee, gasping. "Still alive…"
Chains clanged once more.
The coffin in the middle now shone brighter. The voice came back, quieter this time.
"You have succeeded. heir of death. Claim what is yours."
The coffin creaked open very slowly. A black fog spilled out.
Lucien moved forward.
Within, he discovered a cloak of black shadow and a skull-shaped mask.
[◆ Item Obtained: Cloak of the Forgotten]
Provides +10 Evasion, +5 Stealth
Resistant to low-level detection skills.
[◆ Item Acquired: Mask of the Reaper's Shadow]
Unknown effect. Grows stronger as you level up.
He donned the cloak. Shadows enveloped his body. He felt lighter, more difficult to see.
Then, he grasped the mask.
"One step closer. to who I'm meant to be."
As he pulled it over his face—
The voice spoke again.
"Your journey has only begun. But now… the Reaper watches you."
The earth trembled once more. The chains broke around the coffin. It shut itself, and the room fell silent.
Lucien prepared to exit the tomb.
The darkness complied with him now.
He returned to the crypt corridor.
Behind him, the room dissolved into dust.
[Main Quest Updated]
Kill Darren Nightshade
Progress: 0%
Optional: Discover the Reaper's legacy (1/7 relics acquired)
Lucien grinned beneath the mask.
"Darren… when we next meet, I won't be the same weak moron you deceived."
He stepped further into the blackness—prepared for whatever lay ahead.