Veldthar bolted through the plains—his speed was immense. Kyren didn't even have to direct him; it was like the beast could see the compass too. The moon barely illuminated twenty feet ahead, but Veldthar flew through the night undeterred, the wind howling past them as the plains blurred beneath their feet.
Soon, Kyren began to notice rubble—collapsed buildings made of old brick, long reclaimed by time. And then he saw it. A massive structure loomed ahead. At least sixty feet tall and a hundred long, with towering spires rising from its center and sides like skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky.
A rusted sign above the massive doors read:
Veilheart Château.
Kyren slid from Veldthar's back and approached. Was this Kyanna's family home?
He slammed his shoulder into the towering doors. They creaked under the weight of time but didn't give. Gritting his teeth, Kyren surged forward and bashed them again—this time, the doors groaned open, and Kyren tumbled into a vast entry hall.
Grand staircases curved upward on either side. Two halls split off into darkness. The compass pulsed, pointing left.
Kyren followed the hallway, passing door after door. The further he walked, the more the silence pressed in. The compass didn't so much as flicker—until he passed two massive doors. The arrow jumped.
He reached for the handle and slowly pushed the door open.
A massive training hall stretched before him. Weapon racks—empty. Shredded training targets lined the far wall. Dust hung in the air, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
The compass pointed to the center of the room.
Kyren stepped forward and saw it: a circular carving in the floor, surrounded by glowing runes he had never seen before. An interact circle.
He stepped into it.
Mana stirred within his body—unbidden—and flowed into the runes. The carved lines lit up in sequence, spiraling outward. Gold light filled the cracks. The air thickened. Then—
CRASH.
A pile of rubble exploded near the back of the hall. A four-armed humanoid figure surged forward, blades gleaming dully with age. It spun like a top, slashing in every direction as it lunged toward Kyren.
He jumped back, summoning both blades, eyes sharpening.
Predator Eyes: Activated.
Kyren's gaze locked onto the automaton, each movement clear—too clear. He began analyzing its style, its timing, its weaknesses.
The automaton fought like a human—but faster. Stronger. Four arms made it impossible to land a clean hit.
The runes continued to spread, climbing the walls and spiraling toward the roof. A large circle, mirroring the floor, glowed above them.
They clashed again—blades meeting in a flash of golden light.
Kyren gritted his teeth. His speed gave him the edge, but the automaton was relentless. Blow after blow, he was barely staying ahead. Then—his vision narrowed. The golden light flared brighter than before.
And something changed.
The mana he had been holding onto—Stalwart Shield—began to swirl around him, no longer dormant. His system pulsed. Mana surged from deep within his chest, laced with something… older.
A dome of golden light formed around him—only a slight shimmer visible to the naked eye.
When the automaton entered it—
Kyren felt it.
His entire body reacted. Muscles snapped into motion, faster than he could consciously command. Time slowed.
He brought both blades down hard on the automaton's upper shoulders.
Clang—Clash—CRACK.
The two upper arms dropped to the ground.
The automaton stumbled back, twitching. Kyren stared at the dome surrounding him, blinking.
"Was that… Vireon's power?"
[Secret Mission Complete!]
Reward: Stalwart Shield Upgrade
New Ability Unlocked: The King's Barrier
You have awakened the defensive instinct of The King's Barrier.
The King's Barrier (Active | 60-second duration)
A protective dome of mana surrounds you in a 3-foot radius. While active, you gain:
• Spatial Awareness: Sense any enemy that enters the dome, even if invisible or undetectable by normal means.
• Reaction Surge: Briefly boosts Kyren's reaction time and reflexes when an enemy breaches the barrier.
• Shield Conversion: 20% of incoming damage is absorbed and redirected into your next melee or dash attack.
"The strongest shield is not one that blocks—but one that punishes those who cross it."
The automaton twitched—and then lunged again.
Kyren didn't flinch. The dome still had 40 seconds left.
As soon as it crossed the boundary, Kyren felt it again. Every fiber of his body lit up, reflexes sparking like lightning.
He stepped in, spun low, and sliced through its remaining arms. With a grunt, he followed through with a swift kick that sent the automaton crashing into the far wall.
It hit hard—and stayed down.
Until the runes pulsed once more.
The severed arms levitated—and reattached.
Veilborne Heir: 5%, the system chimed.
Then came the pain.
A spike through his skull. Kyren dropped to his knees, clutching his head. His vision blurred—spun—
—and he fell into a memory.
A young Kyanna, no more than eight, stood in the same training hall. A small katana gripped tightly in her hands. Across from her, a smaller automaton—nearly identical—moved with quick, deliberate attacks.
She struck again and again, faster each time. But no sound echoed through the room.
Silence.
Others in the room tried to speak, to shout—but no sound escaped their lips. The room was still. Kyanna kept training.
In the quiet, she moved better. Cleaner. Stronger. The silence became her rhythm. One by one, the others faded from the vision.
Until only she remained.
And the automaton—dismantled before her.
Today, Kyanna awakened her power.But on this day, she also began to lose her family.
Kyren gasped awake, still on the ground. The pain faded—but something else had already begun.
The spirit egg appeared before him, unprompted. It hovered for a moment, glowing a faint, regal gold. The glow intensified. Cracks spidered along its shell. Kyren shielded his eyes as the light grew too bright to bear.
When the glow finally faded, a lion cub lay curled where the egg had been.
It was nearly two feet long—far too large for the shell it emerged from. Golden fur shimmered like tarnished crown metal. Its mane had only begun to grow, but it carried itself with eerie stillness.
The cub locked eyes with the fallen automaton and released a low, primal growl—quiet, but filled with warning.
Kyren crouched beside it, reaching out slowly.
"You're way too big to have fit in that egg…"
His system pinged again.
[Veilborne Heir: 10%]
Kyren blinked, then checked the Wayfinder's Kin tab.
Arvalen – World Lion Cub.
Status: Bonded.