Dawn's pale fingers crept across the sky as Cedric and Lynne emerged from the Silent Vault. The broken sentinel's warning echoed in their minds: another bearer, clad in lies, would soon rise. They could not hesitate.
> System Notification
Corrupted Shard Integration: 2%
Required Synchronization: 25%
Next Sync Point: Demonic Resurrection Site
Lynne folded the Memory Shard into her pack. "The system's aura will guide us. We need to locate the new resurrection."
Cedric nodded. He flexed his ribs, still tender from the last battle, and tested his senses. A faint thrum of malice pulsed in the air—far weaker than his own seal, but unmistakable. It beckoned south, toward the Marshes of Mourning.
They set off at a steady pace, skirting crumbling roads and crossing silent fields of scorched grass. As noon approached, the marshes emerged: pools of dark water, reeds black as ink, and a sky heavy with storm clouds.
> Threat Scan: Yellow
Ambient Mana: Unstable
Demonic Residue: Strong at Center
Lynne frowned. "This place is tainted. The Church must have dumped excess mana here."
Cedric's blade glinted as he surveyed the horizon. In the distance, a pillar of smoke spiraled upward. He pointed. "There."
They trudged through the muck toward the smoke's source. Each step sank ankle-deep; each breath tasted of rot. Then they saw it: the broken tower of an old watchpost, blackened and cracked, its top blown away as if by an explosion.
At the tower's base lay a scattering of ash and bone. A circle of scorched earth marked the resurrection site.
Cedric knelt, tracing a hand through the ash. The system chimed:
> SYNC POINT REACHED
Corrupted Shard Integration: +10% → 12%
Hint: "Seek the Usurper's Sigil"
Lynne peered at the ground. "Usurper's Sigil… the betrayer's mark."
He stood, scanning the ruins. A single symbol remained partially intact on a shattered wall: a stylized flame pierced by seven spikes. The same emblem he'd once seen on the traitors' banners.
> System Notification
Corrupted Shard Resonance: 27%
Synchronization Complete
New Function Unlocked: "False Flame Trace"
A ghostly overlay flickered into view, highlighting a faint, winding trail of corrupted mana leading toward the east—into the marsh's blood-red waters.
Cedric sheathed his sword. "That's our path."
They followed the trace, wading chest-deep through cold mire. Dead fish floated in the water, their eyes glassy. Every step raised ripples of mana that glowed sickly crimson beneath the surface.
Suddenly, ripples converged ahead. Lynne hissed, raising her staff. Cedric tensed, sword drawn.
A shape burst from the water: a figure clad in dark armor, horns curling backward from his helm, eyes blazing with false fire. He stood knee-deep in the marsh, blades of black steel in each hand.
> Threat Scan: Red-Black
Level Estimate: ≥7
Status: False Demon Lord
The man's voice echoed with unnatural resonance. "So, the brine-born sinner returns." His blade swept in an arc, sending a wave of water toward Cedric.
Cedric parried, the force pounding him backward. "Who are you?" he spat.
The false lord laughed. "I am what you were meant to be: a beast of wrath, a symbol of terror. I am the Church's perfect champion."
He lunged. Cedric sidestepped but felt the shock of impact as the blade nicked his side.
> HP -22 → 104/126
Ripples glowed around the false lord—threads of corrupted mana, snapping and crackling. Lynne called from the rear, "Watch his weave! It's off-key!"
Cedric recognized the pattern: the Threads of Magic, twisted. If he could disrupt that weave, the usurper would falter.
He dashed forward under the false lord's second swing, using Quick Strike to slash at the corrupted threads binding the helm's crest. The glow around the sigil flickered.
> Hit: Corrupted Threads Severed
False Flame Power Reduced
The usurper roared, his armor cracking as the dark magic ebbed. Cedric pressed the advantage, driving him back with a series of precise strikes. Each blow rang against the steel helm until it finally split with a shriek of twisted metal.
The false lord staggered, collapsing to his knees as the corrupted mana dissipated in a swirl of black mist. Cedric lowered his sword, breathing hard.
> XP +148 (False Demon Lord Defeated)
New Function: Trace Overload
The trumpets of a nearby Church patrol sounded in the distance. Cedric extended a hand to the fallen usurper.
"Your reign ends," he said quietly.
The man's eyes cleared, revealing a tired expression. "Thank you," he whispered, before slipping into unconsciousness.
Cedric sheathed his blade. Lynne joined him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Now we know who they'll crown," she said. "And we know how to unmake them."
Cedric nodded. Over the marsh's still waters, his purpose crystallized: expose the lie, reclaim the cycle, and ensure no false lord ever wears the crown again.