Echoes of the Past
Samuel's POV
I walked through the ruined remains of the Forsaken Lands, the wind howling through shattered stone pillars and broken archways. The air was thick with the scent of dust and forgotten history. The system had given me a simple task—find three ancient records hidden somewhere in these ruins.
Simple? Maybe. But in a land where the dead refused to stay buried, nothing was ever truly easy.
I adjusted my Gauntlets of Abyss, feeling the weight of power radiating from them. If anything tried to stand in my way, I was more than ready.
"Alright, System," I muttered, "where's my first target?"
A faint golden marker appeared in my vision, leading deeper into the ruins. I smirked. "Let's get this over with."
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First Record – The King's Fall
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The first marker led me to a half-collapsed temple, its once-grand entrance now choked with rubble. Statues of armored figures lined the broken pathway, their faces eroded by time. As I stepped inside, the temperature dropped, and I felt an odd presence in the air.
"Figures," I muttered. "Nothing is ever abandoned without a reason."
At the temple's center stood a stone pedestal, and on it lay a dust-covered tome. I reached for it, but the moment my fingers brushed the cover, the temperature plummeted further, and an echoing voice filled the chamber.
"Who dares disturb the words of the Forgotten King?"
I turned slowly, facing the spectral figure that materialized from the darkness—a knight clad in ghostly armor, his ethereal form flickering like a dying flame.
"Oh great, another undead babysitting a book." I flexed my fingers. "Look, I just need to read that record. No need to make this ugly."
The ghostly knight raised his sword. "Only those worthy may bear witness to the fall of the Forsaken Kings!"
I sighed. "Alright then, let's dance."
The knight lunged, his blade slicing through the air. I ducked, pivoted, and drove my gauntlet into his chest. The impact sent him flying into a crumbling pillar, dust and debris raining down around us.
He roared, reforming his shattered body, and charged again. This time, I let him get close—too close. At the last second, I stepped aside and slammed my gauntlet into his helmet, sending cracks rippling through his ghostly form.
"I don't have all day," I said, "so just stay down."
The knight trembled, then let out a final, hollow laugh. **"You… are worthy."**His body shattered into wisps of smoke, leaving only the tome behind.
I picked it up and flipped through the pages. It told of the last Forsaken King, betrayed by his own council and abandoned to the darkness.
"One down."
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Second Record – The War of Shadows
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The next location led me into the depths of a ruined catacomb, the walls lined with stone coffins and faded murals of battles long past. The air was thick with an unnatural stillness, as if the very dead were listening.
I spotted the record—a weathered scroll resting atop an ornate altar. Just as I reached for it, the torches lining the walls burst to life, their flames burning an eerie blue.
"Of course," I muttered.
The ground shuddered, and skeletal warriors clawed their way out of their tombs, hollow eye sockets burning with malice.
One of them, larger than the rest and wearing a cracked crown, stepped forward, gripping a rusted greatsword. "Intruder…"
I cracked my knuckles. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with."
The skeletons swarmed me. I ducked under a swinging blade, grabbed one by the skull, and slammed it into the wall, shattering it instantly. Another lunged, but I twisted aside, delivering a devastating punch to its ribcage, sending it flying into its allies.
The crowned skeleton let out a piercing shriek and swung his massive sword. I met his strike head-on, catching the blade between my gauntlets. Sparks flew as metal scraped against enchanted abyssal steel.
"Nice sword," I grinned. "Mine's better."
With a surge of strength, I twisted, snapping the rusted blade in half. The skeleton staggered back, and I took the chance to drive my fist into his ribcage. A shockwave erupted, turning him to dust.
The remaining skeletons crumbled, their magic fading.
I grabbed the scroll and read its contents—it spoke of a war between the Forsaken and an unknown enemy, a battle lost to time.
"Two down, one to go."
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Third Record – The Abyssal Pact
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The final record was hidden within the remains of a sunken fortress, its ruins half-buried in the shifting sands of the Forsaken Lands. As I navigated the broken corridors, I found the last record resting atop a black stone altar, its edges pulsing with a faint, eerie glow.
"That's definitely not normal."
As soon as I reached for it, the air twisted. A shadowy figure emerged—a wraith draped in darkness, its eyes burning like embers.
"The pact must not be revealed," it hissed.
I clenched my fists. "Oh, but I love uncovering forbidden secrets."
The wraith lunged, its claws raking through the air. I dodged, but its shadowy tendrils wrapped around my arms, trying to drain my energy.
"Tch—annoying bastard."
With a surge of willpower, I activated my Gauntlets of Abyss, their black energy crackling as I tore free from the shadows.
I rushed forward, feinting left before driving my fist into the wraith's core. The impact sent shockwaves through its form, making it shriek in agony.
It lashed out in desperation, but I dodged its attack and followed up with a devastating uppercut, shattering it into wisps of smoke.
The altar's glow faded, and the final record was mine. It spoke of an ancient deal between the Forsaken and the Abyss, a dark pact that ultimately led to their downfall.
I exhaled. "That's three."
As soon as I finished reading, the system notification appeared.
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[Quest Completed!]
Reward: 500 Gold, Forgotten King's Relic
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A small, ornate ring materialized in my hand, humming with forgotten power.
I smirked. "Well… that was fun."
Time to find out what this relic could really do.