ch 35

Chapter 35: Whispers Beneath the Soil

The next morning came quietly.

The sky was silver, clouds low and fat with rain that refused to fall. The village bustled with energy—wooden carts rattling down narrow roads, laughter echoing through open windows, and the smell of baked roots and salted fish filling the air.

It was the Harvest Fair.

Not the grandest of events. Just simple games, shared meals, and dancing under the lantern tree. But to the villagers, it meant celebration. Survival. A reminder that they had lived another year.

Elric walked through the streets slowly, hands in his pockets, Rocky trudging behind him with a flower crown lopsided on his head.

Hiss rode in his sleeve, flicking his tongue at curious children.

And Boneclaw… wasn't around.

He'd vanished sometime during the night—after the message appeared.

"You are being hunted."

Those words still echoed in Elric's head.

Even now.

Even here.

"ELRIC!"

His sister Feli raced over, dragging Yui behind her. They were both wearing matching brown tunics, patched in the same places. Feli held a wooden bowl overflowing with boiled nuts. Yui carried her wooden sword proudly on her back, like a warrior.

"We entered the carving contest!" Feli beamed.

"I made a dog," Yui announced.

"She tried to give it fangs and wings," Feli added. "So now it looks like a flying goat."

"Strong goat," Yui corrected.

Elric chuckled and knelt down. "You both win by default."

"Really?" Feli's eyes lit up.

"No one else made flying goats," he grinned.

They giggled and hugged him, and for a few moments, Elric allowed himself to enjoy the calm. The laughter. The feeling of belonging.

But even during the fair, something tugged at the edges of his mind.

The circle he found last night…

The System message…

New summon slot unlocked.

He hadn't summoned anything new yet. He could feel the empty space inside his system menu like a door waiting to be opened.

But there was something odd about it this time.

Usually, when he opened a summon slot, the System offered suggestions, summoned the creature with him, or linked it to a beast he bonded with.

But now?

Nothing.

No name. No shape. No prompt.

Just the quiet hum of potential.

And the warning:

Unknown Dungeon Activity Detected Near "Riven's Hollow."

Elric looked up at the clouds and sighed.

Rain would come soon.

And when it did, he knew something else would come with it.

That night, after the fair had ended, Elric stayed up late helping clean the square. Grandpa Riven leaned against the lantern tree with a pipe in his mouth, watching the villagers with quiet amusement.

"Elric," he called softly.

Elric walked over, tossing a bundle of firewood onto a cart.

"Yes?"

"Come with me."

No questions asked.

They walked through the village and into the hills, passing the grazing field and the old stone well, until they reached the hollow behind the barn. This place was quiet. Still. A place only Riven visited.

There, nestled into the roots of a thick ash tree, was a trapdoor.

Elric blinked.

He'd never seen it before.

Riven tapped the edge with his cane and opened it, revealing a spiral of stairs descending into the earth.

"You've seen the signs," Riven said softly. "The watchers. The fire. The mark."

"Yes," Elric replied.

"And the System warned you."

Elric nodded.

Riven placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then it's time you learn what we protect."

The tunnel beneath the tree was narrow, lined with roots and cold stone. The air smelled like ash and old ink. As they descended, Elric noticed carvings along the walls—symbols, patterns, and faces he didn't recognize.

At the end of the path was a wooden door.

Thick. Heavy.

Riven placed his hand on it, and it glowed.

A gentle blue shimmer pulsed from the wood, and the door opened without sound.

Inside was a small chamber.

A circular room filled with ancient books, dusty tools, and a pedestal in the center. Upon the pedestal sat a sphere of dark glass, swirling with red mist.

"What is this place?" Elric whispered.

Riven stepped forward and tapped the sphere.

It rippled like water.

"This," he said, "is the Echo Stone."

Elric frowned. "Echo of what?"

"Worlds," Riven said. "Other lives. Other systems."

Elric's heart thudded.

"Like… other realms?"

"Yes. Realms the System watches. Connects. Some already broken. Some still forming."

He turned to Elric and smiled.

"And one day, you'll walk across them."

Elric stared at the stone.

So this was why Riven always seemed one step ahead.

Why he wasn't surprised by monsters or shadows.

He knew.

"How?" Elric asked.

Riven exhaled. "When your father disappeared… he left this stone in my care. Said it would guide you one day. Said you'd need it."

Elric stepped closer to the pedestal.

The mist inside the glass moved—faster now.

Like it recognized him.

And in the fog, he saw a flicker.

A mask.

Gold. Laughing.

Elric's eyes widened.

Riven's face turned grim.

"They know who you are now," he said.

[Main System Menu]

— Core Class: Legendary Shepherd

— Summons: Boneclaw | Hiss | Rocky

— Summon Slot Available

— Skill Available: "Call of Echoes"

— Dungeon Core: Unclaimed (Hidden)

System Note: "One path has opened. Others wait in silence."

Elric reached toward the Echo Stone.

His fingers brushed the glass.

And suddenly—

He wasn't standing in the chamber anymore.

He was standing in a forest of bone. A sky of black fire. A world without light.

Something stirred in the shadows.

Something massive.

With wings of smoke and eyes like lanterns.

It opened its mouth.

And spoke a single