I was still pulling splinters of shadow-steel out of my arm when the mirror cracked.
Not the metaphorical kind.
An actual, ancient mirror in my chamber—shattered down the center like a jagged smile. A ripple of black mist leaked from its broken frame, pooling like ink across the floor.
Nyx growled. "That's not normal."
"You think?" I muttered, tossing the bloody cloth aside.
The temperature dropped. The mist thickened.
A figure stepped out, high-heeled boots clicking against obsidian stone like thunder dressed in silk.
She moved like a phantom and stood like a queen.
And I immediately regretted not brushing my hair.
> [Lilith Noctara – 3rd Daughter of the Demon King]
Title: The Crimson Blade of Sovereignty
Authority Rank: Tier 5
Danger Level: Fatal
Great.
She looked the same as the last time I saw her, which was… right before she almost cut my head off during a training match.
Hair like a river of black fire. Eyes like dying stars. And that ever-present smile that promised pain in the most elegant way possible.
"Well," she said, tilting her head. "Still breathing, little sister? That's... unexpected. I had bets placed."
"Charming as ever," I muttered, standing straighter. "To what do I owe the trauma?"
Lilith's eyes drifted to the cracked mask on my desk—the one I'd taken from the Seventh Heir's assassin.
She smiled wider.
> [Tension Detected – Combat Readiness: 82%]
[Auto-Defense Mode: Standby]
"You've made quite the entrance onto the stage," she said, pacing. "Maze trial complete. Survived an ambush. And Father actually acknowledged your existence. A strong start."
"Getting stabbed tends to boost motivation," I replied.
Lilith stopped inches from me. She was taller, older, stronger—and she knew it.
"But motivation without control..." Her fingers gently tapped my chest—right over my core. "That's how heirs burn out before they bloom."
I didn't flinch.
She raised a brow. "Hmm. You've grown teeth."
Nyx stepped beside me, fur bristling. "She's not alone anymore."
Lilith's eyes flicked to him. "Oh? The soul beast awakens. How loyal. I do hope that lasts."
There was silence—like a blade held just above my throat.
Then she turned, her voice colder.
"You should know something. The others? They've noticed you now. The Seventh won't be the last to send a gift."
"Let them come," I said, fists clenched.
She looked over her shoulder. "Brave."
Then she stepped back into the mist.
But just before disappearing, her final words were laced with warning:
> "Don't chase power faster than your shadow, little sister. Some doors only open with blood... and most won't close after."
And she was gone.
The room stayed cold for a long time after.
> [System Update – Threat Level Increased]
New Quest Unlocked: "Legacy Echo – Forgotten Spire"
Objective: Locate your first Legacy Fragment
I exhaled, finally letting the tension fall from my shoulders.
"Nyx?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Pack your things."
He tilted his head. "Where are we going?"
I smirked.
"To find out what the hell a 'Legacy Echo' is."
The gates of the Demon King's Citadel closed behind me with a heavy groan.
For the first time since my reincarnation, I stood beyond its walls—outside the stone bones of power, surrounded by skyless dark and jagged earth that breathed like a beast.
> [You have entered: Abyssal Wastes – Outer Ring]
Environmental Hazards: High
Visibility: Low
Sanity Drain: Passive – Wear protective wards.
Nyx adjusted the enchanted scarf around his neck. "So… this is the welcoming committee?"
Ash rained from the clouds like gray snow. Gnarled trees wept black sap. The wind carried distant howls—none of them human.
"I expected more blood rivers," I said, adjusting the twin blades at my back. "Maybe a lava pit."
"Patience. We're only twenty feet in."
We moved cautiously through the Wastes, following the direction indicated by the System's new quest marker.
> [Legacy Echo – Signal Strength: Weak]
I could feel it calling. Something ancient. Forgotten. Buried.
And watching.
Nyx's fur prickled as we passed a broken obelisk carved with runes.
> [Warning: Cursed Monument – Do Not Interact]
Naturally, I touched it.
"Sylvia—"
A blast of red runes lit up my palm and the obelisk flared—
Then died.
> [Resistance Check Passed]
Status Effect: Cursed Touch – Immunity Granted
I blinked. "Well, that was fun."
"You're going to get us killed."
"Eventually. But not before lunch."
We continued walking until the Wastes opened up into a strange ravine—a canyon cracked through the black earth like a wound.
And at the center stood a tower.
Crooked. Crumbling. Covered in chains and rusted glyphs.
> [You have discovered: The Forgotten Spire]
Quest Objective: Reach the Summit.
Side Note: Expect traps. Lots of traps.
A deep rumble echoed from within.
Nyx narrowed his eyes. "Something's awake in there."
"I'd be disappointed if it wasn't."
I took a step forward—
And the ground beneath me roared.
The earth split open, and from the shadows burst a creature wrapped in chains and shadows, with three jaws and six arms wielding rusted scythes.
> [Mini-Boss Encounter: Grievous Warden – Guardian of the Echo]
It screamed, and the world shook.
I smiled, unsheathing my blades.
"Now this feels like a proper welcome."
The thing shrieked—six rusted blades swinging like a cyclone of death.
I dove, rolled, and sprang back to my feet just in time to parry the last strike.
Sparks flew.
The impact numbed my wrist. This wasn't some assassin puppet or rabid imp. This was a true guardian—a relic of the old world, still bound to protect what remained.
> [Combat Engaged – Grievous Warden (Lv. 33)]
HP: 84%
Trait: Chainbound Berserker
Status: Enraged
> [Sylvia – Demon Princess (Lv. 11)]
HP: 88%
Authority Sync: 14%
Active Buff: "Battlelust – Minor"
Soul Beast Sync: 65%
"Nyx!" I shouted.
"Already ahead of you!"
He dashed behind the Warden like a shadow, snapping with ethereal fangs at the creature's exposed joints. One of the chains broke loose, flailing wildly like a wounded limb.
I struck next, dashing up a crumbled stone, flipping through the air, and slashing down with both blades toward its core.
Clang.
Steel hit chain. My blades slid off.
> [Skill Activated – Ghoststep]
Cooldown: 12s
I vanished midair, reappearing behind the creature—and plunged one blade into its back.
It roared, spinning violently. One of its claws caught my side.
Pain bloomed.
> [HP -17%]
Status: Bleeding (Minor)
"System, analyze weakness!"
> [Analyzing…]
Weak Point Detected: Chain Core embedded in left chest cavity
Suggestion: Sever connection during Berserk cooldown
Perfect.
"Nyx, distract it! I'm going for the core!"
He howled and launched forward, drawing its attacks like a blur of flame and fangs. I bolted sideways, sliding under a swinging scythe and vaulting up the broken tower wall.
Ten feet up.
Twenty.
I could see the core now—a beating orb of red light encased in cursed metal, pulsing with corrupted Authority.
> [Authority Surge Detected – Core Overloading]
"Nope. Not today."
I leapt.
Time slowed.
Blades forward.
> [Skill Fusion – Blood Spiral Slash]
First-Time Use Bonus Applied.
I spiraled midair like a comet of red and silver, drilling straight into the core.
CRACK!
The chain snapped.
The light flared once—then shattered.
The Grievous Warden stumbled… let out a death rattle… and collapsed.
> [Boss Defeated!]
XP Gained: +1,820
Skill Proficiency Increased.
Item Dropped: Core Fragment – Forgotten Echo
New Skill Unlocked: "Chain Reap"
I landed hard, coughing, blood trickling down my side.
Nyx padded up beside me. "That was unnecessarily dramatic."
I smirked through the pain. "But effective."
> [Quest Progress Updated – 1/5 Legacy Echoes Acquired]
I picked up the Core Fragment. It burned faintly in my palm, humming with Authority. Something old. Something mine.
One down.
Four more to go.
The core fragment pulsed in my hand like a heartbeat.
It wasn't warm. It was alive—or maybe just remembering what life used to be.
> [Legacy Echo Identified: Soul-Shard of the Crimson Warden]
Type: Incomplete Legacy Fragment
Status: Dormant
Unlock Condition: Sync Authority to 20% minimum.
I dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. My ribs still ached from the fight, my side was wrapped in blood-soaked cloth, and my head buzzed with static.
Nyx paced beside me, tail low. "What is that thing?"
"I think it's… memory. Will. Power. Whatever the Warden was, this fragment is what's left of it."
> [Do you wish to resonate with the Legacy Echo?]
Warning: Unstable spiritual signature. Side effects may include hallucinations, stat fluctuation, or partial possession.
I stared at the fragment a moment longer… then nodded.
"Yes."
The world dropped away.
Darkness.
Then fire.
Then a battlefield drowned in screams.
I wasn't me anymore—I was him. The Crimson Warden. Once a champion of the old Demon Lords, betrayed by the same blood he served. Cut down. Chained. Sealed away.
Yet still loyal. Still waiting.
"They called me a monster. But I only obeyed."
I stood above a mountain of corpses—heroes, demons, mortals, beasts.
And at the center of it all, a throne.
Burning.
Empty.
I gasped and fell forward, eyes wide. Nyx was already holding me upright.
"Sylvia! Hey—are you—?"
"I'm fine." My voice rasped. "I saw it. The Warden's final memory."
And more than that.
> [Authority Sync: 20% Achieved]
Legacy Echo Assimilated – New Trait Unlocked: Echo-Bound
> Echo-Bound:
You may absorb the memories, power, and instincts of legacy fragments. Beware—each carries the will of its origin.
"Echoes aren't just power-ups," I whispered. "They're pieces of them. The past. Their regrets. Their rage."
Nyx's eyes narrowed. "And you want to collect more of them?"
I stood, gripping the fragment tighter. "I don't have a choice. If I want to survive in this world—if I want to climb even halfway to my siblings—I need everything I can get."
He was silent for a while.
Then smirked. "Well then. Guess we'd better hunt down the next fragment before someone else does."
I grinned. "Exactly."
> [New Quest Added – Echo Hunt: Fragment 2 – "The Weeping Knight"]
Location: Ruins of Kharos
Suggested Level: 20+
Warning: Active Claim by 4th Heir Detected
I pocketed the fragment, wiped the blood from my chin, and turned toward the rising storm in the east.
One down. Four to go.
Let the real hunt begin.