Two hours had passed since Kael escaped the collapsing Gate.
His system was still stabilizing, the Seed fragment buried in his chest like a second heart. The glow beneath his skin had faded, but the burn it left in his soul hadn't.
He moved through a forgotten part of the wastelands—old-world ruins overtaken by silence and weeds. No drones. No Reclaimer presence. No signals. Only the wind.
But Kael knew he was being watched.
> [Core Sync: 10%]
[Corruption: 3% – Stable]
[System Alert: Echo Trail Detected – Unknown Pursuer Following]
He stopped at the edge of a broken overpass.
Behind him, the shadows shifted.
> "You walked out of a Seed Gate alive," said a deep, gravelly voice.
"Either you're lucky… or you're cursed."
Kael turned slowly.
The man standing in the street wore an old Reclaimer coat—ripped, patch-covered, its emblem burned away. He was tall, scarred, and wore a helmet with only one glowing red lens.
> [Name: Malric – Exiled Vanguard]
[Class: Decay Channeler]
[Affiliation: Unknown – "The Gravepath"]
[Status: Hostile]
> "You're one of them," Malric growled. "A bearer."
Kael raised his guard. "I'm not your enemy."
> "You will be. The moment your Seed turns against you."
With a flash of motion, Malric slammed his hand to the ground. Black smoke spread like veins across the earth.
Kael's HUD lit up.
> [Skill Detected: Entropy Field – Physical Decay Applied in Radius]
[Warning: Armor and weapon degrading rapidly]
The rod on Kael's back crackled, its edges rusting. He cursed and rolled aside as Malric surged forward, a chain of corrosive energy coiling from his gauntlet.
Their weapons clashed—Kael's flame against Malric's rot.
Kael struck with a burst of Hellfire—but the flames hissed and died the moment they touched Malric's aura.
> "You can't burn what's already dead," Malric spat, smashing Kael into the pavement.
> [HP -21%]
[Core Sync Pulse Triggered – Adrenal Boost Activated]
Kael's body surged with power. The dragon fragment whispered again.
> "Break him."
> "No." Kael growled. "Control it. Use it."
He feinted left, then swept low—driving his elbow into Malric's weakened armor. The impact cracked ribs. Kael followed with a brutal uppercut ignited with partial flame.
Malric staggered.
> "Good," the man coughed. "You're not hollow like the others. But still…"
"You'll lose control. You'll become a husk like the dragon."
> "Then why fight me?" Kael shouted. "Why not help?"
Malric's eyes narrowed behind the lens.
> "Because if you can't kill me now… you won't survive what's coming."
He lunged again—one last blow.
Kael ducked and drove his fist into Malric's chest. Not killing him—just ending it.
Malric collapsed.
Breathing heavy, Kael stood over him.
> [Victory Logged: Duel – Gravepath Vanguard Neutralized (Non-Lethal)]
[Data Unlocked: Gravepath Lore Fragment (1/7)]
[Reputation Unlocked: The Watchers Are Aware]
Kael pulled the man to safety, propping him against a wall. He lit a small flame to keep them warm.
Malric coughed, grinning through blood.
> "Maybe you're not completely lost."
> "What's the Gravepath?" Kael asked.
Malric smiled faintly. "We're what's left of the first war."
> "What war?"
Malric's eyes closed.
> "The one the Reclaimers erased from history…"
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