Kyren couldn't just sit around waiting. With 100 stat points still unspent and nothing better to do, he opened the system again. He couldn't lie to Veldthar—and in the morning, they'd be walking into cult territory anyway. Veldthar wouldn't need to be ready.
"I know I won't regret this, buddy," Kyren muttered as he dumped all 100 points into the upgrade.
Veldthar upgrading. 20 hours remaining.
The message appeared, covering Veldthar's stat box.
Kyren sighed. He was bored again—and weaponless. With nothing to train with, he did the next thing that came to mind: he summoned Liora and Arvalen.
Liora appeared gripping Arvalen's growing mane like she'd just been riding him. Arvalen looked noticeably larger—half a foot longer, ten pounds heavier.
"You've been growing fast," Kyren said, crouching to pet him, puzzled. It had only been a day since the spirit lion hatched.
"Why'd you summon us? We gotta fight or somethin'?" Liora asked, putting up her tiny fists and throwing a few quick punches.
Kyren chuckled. "Nah. I just wanted to chill with you two a bit. You'll be stuck in the Wayfinder's Realm soon."
"Why?" Liora zipped up to his face, concerned.
Kyren tugged at his cult robes. "Because we're walking into cult territory dressed like this."
"Oh. I thought you were making some kind of fashion statement," she teased, circling his head.
He sat back, feeding Liora some mana and tossing Arvalen meat from his bag. They played, they relaxed. For the first time in a while, Kyren felt like a normal teen with a couple of weird magical pets.
1:00
The number flickered in the air.
A rustle broke the quiet. Kyren snapped his head around to see Runa crawling out of the tent. Her eyes locked with his, and she walked over.
"Sleep good?" she asked.
"I did. You?"
"Real good. But… uh, what are you sitting on?"
Kyren glanced at the box under him. "Something I found the other night. Kind of hard to explain. You'll just have to wait an hour like me."
"Well," Runa said, stretching, "since I gave you a sword lesson, it's your turn."
"I don't know everything," Kyren said. "But I'll tell you what I know."
"Let's start easy. Who was first?"
"Leon Divertas. First powered generation."
"How'd he get the city? What'd he do?"
"Simple. He killed a dictator, led a revolution, and took the city as his reward."
"Did he rule long?"
"About 30 years. Then the cult got revenge."
Runa blinked. "The cult we're fighting now? That far back?"
Kyren nodded. "Yeah. And I think the man who killed Leon… might be the current leader. Not sure."
She narrowed her eyes. "So… who were Leon's kids?"
Kyren smirked. "You want more answers, give me more sword lessons."
Runa scoffed, but her grin gave her away. "Fine. But now I get to ask something."
"Go ahead."
"Who rules your city?"
"A group of noble families," Runa said easily. "They control everything."
"Do you know their names?"
"Let me see… Thorncrest, Marigold, Drelmor, Stormholt… and the last one is something with Veil… Veil-something. They're really secretive."
"Wouldn't be Veilheart, would it?"
"I think it is—but how do you know that?"
CLICK.
The box beneath Kyren snapped open, throwing him backward.
Runa stood over it, eyes wide. Inside lay a katana: sleek, obsidian-black with a silver edge. The guard was shaped like a lion's eye, and etchings of claws and fangs curved along the blade. Its sheath was black with golden lions carved near the hilt.
The blade gave off a low, mournful hum—like the breath before a roar.
Kyren scrambled forward, pulled it from the box, and instantly stored it in his inventory. Mana swirled around it as it vanished, then reappeared sheathed at his hip.
The box dissolved into mana.
"What was that? Where did the sword come from? And how did it disappear and reappear like that?" Runa asked all at once.
"Okay, okay," Kyren said, holding up his hands. "Let me explain."
He gave her the half-truth—calling it a spatial storage ring instead of revealing the system. He explained how the sword needed to enter storage before he could summon it.
"The box? Found it in the same place I found him," Kyren said, nodding toward Arvalen.
"And where's that?"
"A place that might answer your earlier question. The sign read Veilheart Château."
Runa's eyes lit up. "When we finish in Zybana… take me there?"
"I will," Kyren said, standing and stretching. "But for now, I'm taking a nap. Wake me when the sun rises."
He turned to leave, then glanced over his shoulder. "Also—you're way softer to sleep next to than the rocks."
Runa's face began to blush as she hid her face underneath her hands.
He crawled into the tent, and for the first time in many nights, no visions or dreams haunted him. Just silence.
A somber sleep greeted him—brief but peaceful.
He woke to Runa's gentle nudge and the scent of breakfast. Lydel was cooking nearby. All three wore the robes of the cult, waiting for the signal to move.
But for now, they had a little more time.
Time to enjoy each other's company.
Kyren opened the system and pulled up his weapons & armor tab.
Fang of Requiem
Description:Born from the union of the Blacklion's rage and the Silverlion's grace, this blade carries the burden of two legacies—and the promise of one future. It is not just a weapon, but a declaration: Kyren will never be what the world tried to make him. He will be more.
Abilities:
1. Blackfang Requiem (Passive)
Clean strikes draw fragments of enemy vitality, healing Kyren with each precise hit. The smoother the strike, the deeper the cut—and the stronger the mend.
2. Lion's Echo (Active – Mana Infusion)
Channeling mana into the blade sharpens it beyond steel and time. For a few heartbeats, each swing blurs with speed and echoes with ancestral roar.
3. Moonstep Veil (Passive Reaction)
Dodging successfully allows Kyren to vanish in a flash of silver light and reappear behind the enemy. If he strikes within a breath, the echo leaves a delayed slash that lands a moment later.
Kyren's eyes widened. The blade wasn't just beautiful—it was perfect. A fusion of two legacies. One step closer to who he was becoming.
He wasn't ready to test it yet.
But soon.