Chapter 6: The Chains of Blood
The air in the underground chamber was thick with the stench of blood and stone. Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders as the Guardian's massive corpse lay at his feet. His body still hummed with the aftershock of the battle, his muscles sore but alive.
[System Alert: Blood Guardian Defeated – Experience Gained]
[New Ability Acquired: Crimson Hunger]
Kael glanced at the notification, eyes narrowing. Crimson Hunger?
A strange warmth coiled in his chest.
[Ability: Crimson Hunger – A-]
The power of the Blood Guardian courses through your veins. The more you fight, the stronger you become. Absorbing blood enhances physical abilities for a limited time.
Kael clicked his tongue. So, I drink blood and get stronger? Not creepy at all.
Before he could test it, a deep grinding noise echoed through the chamber.
Kael's head snapped up.
The walls shifted.
Massive stone panels slid open, revealing a staircase descending even further underground.
[System Alert: Bloodline Trial – Stage 2 Initiated]
Kael exhaled. Of course, there's more.
With one last glance at the Guardian's corpse, he moved forward.
The Descent Into Madness
The deeper Kael went, the heavier the air became.
The torches lining the walls flickered, casting twisted shadows. The stone beneath his feet felt different. Older. Almost... alive.
His instincts screamed at him. Something was wrong.
And then—he heard it.
A faint whisper.
Not words. Just... something scratching at the edge of his mind.
Kael slowed his steps. His hand tightened around his dagger.
[System Alert: Mental Interference Detected]
[Passive Resistance Activated]
Kael's jaw tightened. Interference?
Before he could react, the walls lurched.
A sudden force slammed into him, sending him flying back.
THUD.
Kael rolled to his feet, coughing as dust filled the air.
When it cleared—his heart stopped.
Chains.
Countless black chains slithered from the walls like living things, twisting and writhing. They pulsed with a crimson glow, like veins filled with burning blood.
[System Alert: Curse of the Drayven Bloodline Detected]
Kael's eyes widened. Curse?
A voice, low and ancient, rumbled through the chamber.
"Welcome, child of Drayven."
Kael turned sharply.
At the center of the room, a figure sat on a throne of bones.
His skin was ashen gray, his eyes glowing like molten gold. Black chains wrapped around his arms and legs, pinning him in place.
A Drayven ancestor.
Kael's pulse quickened. What the hell is this?
The figure grinned.
"Let's see if you're worthy of carrying our blood."
The chains lunged.
The Trial of Chains
Kael dove to the side, barely dodging as a chain slammed into the ground where he stood. Cracks splintered the stone, dust flying into the air.
Another chain whipped toward him.
Kael twisted—too slow.
SNAP!
A chain coiled around his arm, burning his skin.
[System Alert: Blood Corruption Inflicted]
Your strength is being drained. Escape quickly.
Kael gritted his teeth.
The moment the chain touched him, he felt it. A pull.
Like something was trying to strip him apart from the inside.
The figure on the throne chuckled.
"The blood of the Drayven is a curse as much as it is a gift."
Kael's vision blurred for a second—a flash of something else.
A battlefield.
Hundreds of warriors. All chained. Screaming.
Their bodies twisting, warping—until they were nothing but husks.
Kael's heartbeat slammed in his chest.
Was this... the fate of the Drayven bloodline?
The chains tightened.
No.
Kael ground his foot into the stone.
If he didn't break free now, he wasn't getting out at all.
[Phantom Step – Activated]
His body flickered.
The chains snapped through empty air.
Kael reappeared above the throne.
His dagger flashed down.
SHNK!
Straight into the figure's heart.
For a moment, silence.
Then—a grin.
The figure looked up at him, unfazed.
"Not bad."
Then—he shattered.
Like glass.
And just like that—the chains vanished.
[System Alert: Trial Completed – Blood Corruption Purged]
[New Title Acquired: He Who Breaks Chains]
Kael landed softly, breathing hard.
He didn't understand everything that just happened.
But one thing was clear.
The Drayven bloodline wasn't just cursed. It was hiding something.
And he'd just scratched the surface.
The Awakening
As the chamber began to collapse, a new doorway opened ahead.
Kael didn't hesitate. He ran.
The moment he stepped through, he felt it—a rush of energy, cold and sharp.
Then—his body froze.
A voice, clear as day, spoke inside his mind.
"Awaken."
Kael's eyes snapped wide.
And everything went white.
Elsewhere...
In a hidden chamber, far above, Lord Verrian watched through a flickering crystal.
Seraphina stood beside him, arms crossed.
"He survived." Her tone was unreadable.
Verrian didn't respond. His golden eyes remained locked on the crystal.
The vision showed Kael, surrounded by pure white light.
Seraphina's gaze darkened.
"You knew this would happen."
Verrian's fingers tightened on the armrest of his chair.
"No." His voice was calm, but there was a hint of something else beneath it.
"This… is something else."
The crystal flickered.
And for a brief moment, Kael's silhouette changed.
Not human.
Not entirely.
Seraphina's breath caught.
"What… is he?"
Verrian finally looked at her.
And for the first time, he had no answer.