Chainspire loomed above Nexis Core like a floating cathedral—its platforms suspended by glowing chains of data, its towers pulsing with coin energy. Zane Kael stood at the edge of the AscensionLift, staring up at the tiered realm that held his next trial.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Access to Chainspire Tier 1 requires Coin Sync Level 2 or higher.
Alternative Entry: Echo Gate Trial
Zane frowned. He'd only just unlocked Coin Sync (Basic). Climbing the tiers through combat would take days. But the Echo Gate offered a shortcut—if he could survive it.
He followed the system's trail through the lower districts, past abandoned forge halls and flickering market nodes. The air grew colder. Quieter. The buildings lost their glow, replaced by shadowed data structures and whispering glyphs.
At last, he reached it.
A massive archway stood in a crater of collapsed code—etched with symbols that shimmered like memories. Coins floated around it, spinning slowly, whispering in languages Zane couldn't understand.
[ZONE: Echo Gate]
Trial Type: Memory Sync
Warning: Failure may result in skill corruption.
Zane stepped forward.
The gate pulsed.
He was pulled into a void.
Not dark. Not light. Just… memory.
Fragments of Velaryn's past swirled around him—Coinmasters battling in ancient arenas, systems collapsing, realms fracturing. He saw glimpses of the Genesis Coin in other hands. Some noble. Some monstrous.
Then the voice returned.
"To ascend, you must remember what was lost."
A coin floated before him—silver, etched with a spiral.
[Trial Coin: Echo Fragment]
Function: Memory Sync
Status: Unstable
Zane reached out.
The moment he touched it, the void exploded.
He was in a battlefield.
Not real. Not now. But once.
Coinmasters clashed in the skies, their coins unleashing storms, firewalls, and quantum blades. Zane stood among them, invisible, watching. Learning.
Then he saw RivenSol, younger, unarmored, desperate. He held a coin that pulsed erratically. The Genesis? No. A mimic.
Riven threw it.
It shattered.
The battlefield collapsed.
Zane was pulled back into the void.
[TRIAL COMPLETE]
Echo Fragment Stabilized
New Skill Unlocked: Memory Sync
Access Granted: Chainspire Tier 1
Zane gasped as the void faded.
He was back at the Echo Gate.
His HUD updated.
[PLAYER STATUS: ZANE KAEL]
Level: 4
NewSkill: Memory Sync
CoinBalance: 1.00 (Genesis), 1.00 (Whisper), 1.00 (Echo)
Inventory: Null Dagger, Coin Fragment ×6
SystemNote:Chainspire Tier 1 Unlocked
The gate shimmered once more.
Then opened.
Zane stepped through.
Above him, Chainspire awaited.
And somewhere within… the truth behind the Genesis.