The jungle was different now.
Not visibly, but Karl could feel it. Every step he took carried a weight beyond explanation. The air hung thicker, and the trees creaked with whispers only the relic seemed to understand.
It pulsed harder than ever before.
Something was near. Calling.
They took shelter behind a waterfall, inside a narrow cave with walls damp from decades of mist. Robin pored over her notes and deciphered glyphs with furrowed concentration.
"This symbol keeps repeating," she said, pointing at a looped rune. "It means 'Threshold'… or 'Boundary'. Maybe a door?"
Karl leaned in, examining the page. "Door to what?"
"Or door to where," Robin muttered, eyes narrowing.
Karl pulled the relic from his bag.
It had changed again.
Once smooth, it now bore a ring of runic lines etched into its surface. At the centre, the symbol Robin identified glowed a faint violet.
He touched it.
System NotificationVault Resonance DetectedHidden Path ActivatedOptional Mission Unlocked: Whispers of the Deep VaultObjective: Discover and Survive the Vault TrialReward: 1 Rare Ticket + Bonus Vault RewardTrait Awakening: Eligible
Conversion Available: Tickets can be synthesised into higher tiers in the System Menu.
A ray of light was emitted from the relic's centre, tracing a beam toward the cave wall.
Behind the waterfall, a crevice shimmered faintly—an illusion peeled away, revealing a path descending beneath the island.
The tunnel opened into a stone corridor filled with murals and mechanical pillars. Robin trailed her fingers along the symbols.
"This technology… this is pre-Void Century," she whispered. "It might even be pre-ancient civilisation."
Karl didn't speak. He felt the relic's pulse align with his heartbeat.
Soon, they arrived at a large chamber with a platform shaped like a hexagon.
A pedestal rose in the centre.
Karl approached and placed the relic on it.
The air shifted.
The pedestal hummed, and the walls shimmered as a mechanical voice filled the air. Not loud. Not even audible.
But he understood it.
"Enter. Be judged by what you may become."
System UpdateVault Trial InitiatedTrial: Echo of the Forgotten FlameObjective: Survive and Adapt to Flame ConstructsReward: Vault Shard (Rare or Higher)Trait Awakening (Conditional): Flame of the Unyielding
Trial Begins Upon Solo Entry
Robin frowned. "It won't open unless you go alone."
"I figured," Karl said, stepping onto the platform. "Stay close. If I'm not back in an hour…"
"You will be back," Robin said firmly.
Karl gave her a nod.
Then the world blinked.
Within the Vault
Karl stood in an arena made of scorched black stone. Lava boiled beneath transparent crystal flooring, and the sky above shimmered with blue fire.
Pillars rose from the ground, and constructs formed—golems of flame and molten metal.
The first lunged. Karl dodged, rolling beneath its swipe and driving a knee into its molten chest. His body felt sharper and faster.
More tuned in.
The second hurled a fire spear—Karl caught it with bare hands, and his skin singed—but he gritted through it.
They kept coming.
He didn't stop.
Skill Progression Detected• Endurance (Uncommon) – Level Up• Heat Resistance (New) – Acquired
Vault Sync Rate: 82%... 93%… 100%
The arena exploded into flames—
Karl stood at the centre.
Unburnt.
And smiling.
Trial CompleteVault Flame AbsorbedTrait Unlocked: Unyielding EmberDescription: When under intense stress, trauma, or pressure, the user gains a temporary surge of energy, focus, and stamina. Scales with the level of danger. Resistant to heat-based conditions.
Reward: +1 Rare Ticket | Vault Shard (Legendary Tier)
Ticket Inventory Updated• 2 Common Tickets• 4 Uncommon Tickets• 7 Rare Tickets• 3 Legendary Tickets
Karl awoke outside the Vault, the glowing band on his wrist now altered—imbued with a subtle red hue and a pulsating ember at its centre.
Robin rushed over. "You're okay!"
"I've been through worse," Karl muttered, pushing himself up.
Robin looked at his arm. "Is that part of the Vault?"
Karl flexed his hand.
"Looks like it."
Elsewhere...
Shuzo stared at a monitor, tracking the seismic tremors across the island.
"The Vault opened," one of his men said.
Shuzo smiled faintly. "And he survived."
He turned toward the window.
"The real hunt begins now"
Trait Gained: Unyielding EmberVault Trial Cleared: Echo of the Forgotten FlameTickets Earned:1 RareVault Shard Tier:
LegendaryKarl's Inventory Grows
Next Chapter: Beneath Silent Roots