Chapter 7: Shackles of Power
The obsidian warriors closed in, their blades gleaming with cold runes. Elias's bound servant shifted, awaiting command, its blank face turned toward him.
Every breath he drew burned. His arm still bled, his chest tight from the strange tether. If I bind more, it could kill me. If I don't… I'll be overwhelmed.
The girl's voice slid into his ear like silk: "One chain won't break you. But three chains? That is where true strength begins."
The system flared in warning.
> [Echo III Directive: Minimum 3 Legion defeated.]
Options Remaining: Kill (safe, slow) / Bind (strong, costly).]
Elias roared and threw himself at the nearest warrior. His stone blade shattered against obsidian skin—but his bound servant struck in his stead, cleaving through the statue's chest. It exploded in a rain of shards.
> [Power Core Acquired.]
Strength +1.]
Heat surged through Elias's veins, but his legs trembled. The tether tugged harder, every movement of his servant drawing on his vitality. His breath grew shallow, and for a moment he thought his vision blurred.
Another warrior lunged. Reflex overrode fear—he slammed his palm onto its chest.
The shard's light flared.
> [Binding Sequence Initiated.]
Agony seared through Elias's ribs as the tether doubled. His heart felt like it was being pulled apart by hooks. The warrior froze, then bent its knee before him.
> [Obsidian Servant (Lv.1) Acquired.]
Bound Entities: 2.]
Vitality Drain: Increased.]
He stumbled, nearly collapsing. Sweat poured down his temples, his body screaming in protest.
The girl steadied him, her touch cool against his burning skin. "Look at you… already commanding a fragment of the Legion. Imagine what you could be if you bound them all."
Her smile glowed in the violet light, but her eyes… her eyes were hungry.
The last warrior advanced, slower than the others—as if even it could sense the imbalance. Elias clutched his chest, weighing the choice. His lungs burned, his muscles shook.
One more… and I might not survive. But if I kill it, I'll stay weak.
The bound warriors turned to him, awaiting his will.
The system's timer glowed coldly.
> [05:42:12]
With a ragged cry, Elias thrust his jagged stone weapon forward. He chose not to bind. The last warrior shattered into shards, and the echo of its fall silenced the clearing.
The system chimed:
> [Echo III Complete.]
Rewards Granted:]
+Strength +1 (from Power Core).]
+Skill: Chain Resonance (Lv.1) — Temporary boost when commanding bound entities.]
Elias collapsed to his knees, gasping, the tether still clawing at his insides. His two servants stood silent, their ember eyes flickering faintly.
The girl crouched beside him, her smile sharp as a blade. "You've taken your first step, Elias. But tell me—how many chains can your soul endure before you no longer belong to yourself?"
The system whispered coldly, almost amused:
> "Every choice strengthens the chain. And every chain brings you closer to the truth."
The obsidian shard sank back into the ground, leaving only silence. But the echo of countless footsteps lingered in the air, as though the Legion had only retreated… waiting.