The cold here was not natural.
It was the kind that clung to bone and memory—the kind that made your breath fog even when your body burned with mana. Lucien stepped deeper into the chamber, each footfall echoing like a toll bell in a silent cathedral.
It was no ordinary cave.
It was a tomb.
A place sealed by history, carved by reverence, and forgotten by all but the gods.
And at its center—resting on a raised dais of obsidian and etched iron—was the Guardian.
The corpse sat upright, armored in plates blacker than night, its helm crowned with runes that shimmered faintly as if resisting the passage of time. The sword at its side was snapped, but its aura lingered like dying thunder.
Lucien's breath hitched.
This was no mere artifact.
This was the final echo of a being that once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with titans.
And next to the corpse, hovering just above a pedestal carved in dragonbone, was the prize.
A Trait Stone.
Pulsing.
Alive.
---
> [Trait Stone: Shadow Soldier (SS+ Grade)]
Create shadow copies of those you slay. 70% of their peak power.
Bound by soul. Loyalty absolute.
---
Lucien's eyes narrowed. It radiated a pull—tempting, powerful, seductive.
The Shadow Soldier trait wasn't just strong. It was broken.
In the hands of a tactician? It was a kingdom-ending weapon.
He reached out.
But didn't touch it.
Not yet.
"This isn't the time," he muttered.
The stone would shine too brightly on the system's radar. If he absorbed it now, even the gods might notice.
He wrapped it in a silken cloth infused with mana-nullifying runes and slipped it into his storage grid.
> [Storage Grid: 2.01/10 m³]
He'd wait. For the right moment. For the right war.
Because some powers weren't meant for peace.
---
Then he turned back to the corpse.
Unlike the stone, this wasn't passive. This was calling to him.
Or rather—Devour was calling it.
The Guardian's armor shimmered with ancient runes, each one encoded with a history of war. Even after centuries of death, the bones beneath it hummed with latent command.
Lucien stepped closer. Carefully.
Then knelt before the fallen sentinel.
"Rest now," he whispered. "I'll carry your strength."
He placed his hand upon the armored chest.
---
> [Devour Trait – Active]
Target: Ancient Guardian Corpse
Danger Level: Low
Trait Detected: Eye of Data (SS Grade)
Unique Skill Fragment: Shadow Gaze (Locked)
> Confirm Assimilation?
---
"Yes."
The moment he spoke, the cave roared.
Mana erupted in spiraling torrents. The runes on the Guardian's armor flared, then broke apart like shattered mirrors. Lucien gritted his teeth as the force slammed into him—not physical, but spiritual.
It was the rush of memory.
A battlefield soaked in black fire.
Giants bleeding starlight.
A single figure standing against them—watching. Seeing. Knowing.
The Guardian's eyes had once pierced truth itself.
Now that gaze was his.
---
> Trait Acquired: Eye of Data (SS Grade)
Allows full analysis of individuals.
View Traits, Skills, Levels, System Panels.
Detect concealed abnormalities and affinities.
Passive: Insight Pulse – Activate for immediate scan of all entities within 50 meters.
> Devour Capacity: 2/4 Traits Ingested
---
Lucien gasped as the surge subsided, falling back to one knee. His red eyes flickered with new depth—like lenses adjusting to an unseen spectrum.
He felt the world differently.
The wall behind him? Weak spot, lower left corner.
The cave ceiling? Laced with mana veins. Could collapse if pressured.
His own body? Stamina: 47%. Mana: 82%. Soul resonance: rising.
He could see everything.
Not just visually.
Systemically.
Secrets had become data.
Mystery had become pattern.
And power… power had become predictable.
He rose slowly.
"This... This is control."
---
There was no one to see him leave the tomb.
No bards to sing of the theft that had just occurred. No statues to mark the stolen destiny. No screams from the gods who had intended it for someone else.
Only silence.
And the sound of footsteps retreating into the shadows.
Before he reached the tunnel's exit, Lucien turned back once—just once—and stared at the Guardian's now-empty seat.
"This world gave you destiny," he murmured.
His fingers clenched around the trait stone in his pocket.
"I'm stealing it back."