The fox was already awake, its yellow eyes fixed on him, the silent judgment in its gaze making Khal shift uneasily beneath the coarse blanket.
System Notification:
New Trait Acquired: Resonant Core
Description: Integrates unstable external energies to amplify latent abilities.
Warning: Side effects unpredictable. Proceed with caution.
He groaned softly. “Unpredictable, huh? Just what I needed.”
At least it wasn’t nausea this time.
His senses felt sharper throughout the day, though his thoughts betrayed him. Trying to focus felt like chasing fireflies in a fog. When he sparred with Lira, the sword felt lighter in his hand, but his timing was off. Twice, he stumbled over his own feet, nearly sending the fox flying in a startled yelp.
“Careful,” Lira said, half amused, half exasperated. “Are you stronger… or just clumsier?”
“Maybe both,” Khal said, laughing weakly. The fox flicked its tail in agreement—or was it mockery?
Later, rummaging through the caravan’s storeroom—half avoiding chores, half searching for distractions—Khal noticed a faint glow from a dusty chest shoved in a dark corner. It pulsed softly, a warm light bleeding through the gaps around its rusty latch.
The system chimed softly.
Unknown Artifact Detected
Potential Resonant Core Link: High
Investigation recommended.
He knelt, fingers trembling slightly, and eased the latch open.
Inside lay several strange objects: a delicate silver amulet etched with intricate runes, a small vial filled with shimmering liquid that shifted colors like a storm trapped in glass, and a tattered scroll sealed with crimson wax.
Khal picked up the amulet first. It hummed faintly, pulling at something deep inside him.
System Hint:
Artifact: Amulet of Veiled Paths
Effect: Enhances perception and intuition in dangerous or deceptive environments.
Activation Method: Unknown
He turned his attention to the vial next. The liquid inside swirled hypnotically.
System Hint:
Artifact: Elixir of Fading Shadows
Effect: Temporary cloaking and stealth enhancement
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Usage Limit: Single dose
Finally, the scroll. The wax broke under his fingers, revealing a faded map marked with strange symbols he couldn’t decipher.
System Hint:
Item: Map of Forgotten Trails
Description: Reveals hidden locations and secret paths unknown to most travelers.
Potential Usefulness: High
His heart hammered in his chest. These items felt like lifelines thrown into a storm—answers, maybe. Or warnings.
But who had left them? Why were they hidden in the caravan’s depths? And how did this all connect to the shadow stalking him—the man named Mirek Hollowthorn?
The system didn’t answer. Instead, it whispered cryptically.
System Advisory:
Artifacts likely tied to ancient factions opposing Mirek Hollowthorn.
Further exploration and mastery recommended.
Warning: Mirek’s agents may be searching for these artifacts.
Khal looked down at the fox, which gave him a look that clearly said, You’re in way over your head, buddy.
A chill crept through the evening air.
Somewhere unseen, eyes watched.
And the game was only beginning.
Khal sat cross-legged on the rough wooden floor of the caravan, the amulet resting in his palm like a fragile secret. The glow from the campfire flickered across the worn metal, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The air smelled of smoke and earth—comforting, but somehow stifling.
His fingers traced the runes. What are you? he wondered. And why do you feel like you’re pulling at something inside me?
He tried to focus, to push through the fog in his mind, but it was like grasping at water. The system hadn’t given him a manual or a friendly tutorial—just vague hints and cryptic warnings. Typical.
System Prompt:
Activate Artifact: Amulet of Veiled Paths?
Input required: Activation command unknown.
Recommendation: Experimentation suggested.
Experimentation. The word echoed mockingly. Khal wasn’t exactly the experimental type. More like the blunder type.
He slipped the amulet around his neck, feeling the cool metal against his skin. Nothing happened. He blinked. Nothing.
He tried moving his head slowly from side to side, squinting at the firelight, expecting maybe to see a shimmering aura or a glow indicating the artifact was working.
Nothing.
The fox cocked its head, clearly unimpressed.
“Come on, work,” Khal muttered. “Please don’t turn me invisible or something. I’m not ready for that kind of embarrassment.”
He frowned and concentrated harder, willing himself to feel something—anything.
Then, faintly, a whisper of warmth spread from the amulet’s core. The edges of his vision blurred. The shadows around the campfire deepened and twisted. For a moment, the world seemed sharper, but also... strange.
“Did I just—see something?” Khal’s voice was a mixture of awe and confusion.
He shook his head, and the feeling slipped away.
Next came the vial.
Khal eyed it suspiciously. One sip, and I either become a shadow ninja or poison myself. Yep. Sounds about right.
But curiosity won over caution. He uncorked the vial and sniffed. It smelled faintly of mint and something metallic.
“Okay, here goes nothing.”
He took a tentative sip.
The liquid was cool, sharp, and then—nothing.
He waited.
Seconds stretched.
Then suddenly, the edges of his body seemed to blur, and when he shifted behind a tree, even the fox seemed to pause, eyes wide.
He ducked out, grinning.
“This… actually works!”
The fox barked happily, tail wagging like a flag.
But the victory was short-lived.
A rustle in the nearby bushes snapped Khal’s attention toward the shadows.
His heart hammered.
He wasn’t alone.
System Alert:
Presence Detected: Unknown Entity Approaching.
Recommendation: Prepare for possible confrontation.
Khal swallowed his sudden surge of panic.
Okay. Think. Amulet, elixir... something.
The amulet pulsed faintly against his chest, and the effects of the elixir still hummed faintly in his veins.
He crouched low, readying himself.
Behind the bushes, a figure stepped forward—cloaked, face obscured by shadows. A sharp glint of a dagger caught the firelight.
Khal’s breath caught.
He was about to learn just how real the warnings were.