Chapter 21 - The Bloodline that was forgotten

Kael remained inside the inheritance chamber for several minutes.

He didn't move.

He simply stared at the fifth door.

The voice had disappeared.

But its words remained in his mind.

I remember your father.

And I remember what he did to me.

Kael slowly tightened his grip around the Darven katana.

“My father never mentioned you.”

The chamber gave no answer.

Kael looked down at his damaged weapons.

The Darven MP-01 had several cracks across its magical frame.

The Darven SR-01 was still functional, though its outer casing had been damaged.

The Darven GL-02 had survived.

His katana was completely unharmed.

That alone felt strange.

The creature from the trial had been powerful enough to destroy almost everything around him.

Yet the katana hadn't even been scratched.

Kael slowly drew it.

The dark blade reflected the faint crimson light of the chamber.

The Darven crest on the handle glowed.

Then—

[Bloodline Resonance detected.]

Kael froze.

The sword vibrated slightly in his hand.

A second message appeared.

[Ancient weapon memory attempting synchronization.]

Kael's eyes widened.

“Again?”

The sword suddenly pulled itself from his hand.

It floated in front of him.

Crimson light spread across the blade.

Then a voice whispered.

Not from the chamber.

Not from the System.

From the sword.

“He still carries it.”

Kael's expression changed.

“Who?”

Silence.

Then—

“The one who betrayed the First.”

The sword fell.

Kael caught it.

“What does that mean?”

No answer.

The System appeared.

[Warning.]

[Unknown external influence detected.]

[Source cannot be identified.]

Kael stared at the message.

Even the System didn't understand what had happened.

That bothered him more than anything.

He sheathed the katana.

“I need information.”

He looked around the chamber.

The ancient statues stood silently around him.

Five of them.

Each held a different weapon.

A sword.

A spear.

An axe.

A bow.

And a strange firearm.

Kael walked toward the statue carrying the firearm.

He had noticed it before.

But now something seemed different.

The statue's hand was slightly open.

As if it was holding something that was no longer there.

Kael touched the statue.

Nothing happened.

He pushed mana into it.

Still nothing.

Then he used Metal Control.

The statue reacted.

[Metal Control resonance detected.]

The stone cracked.

A hidden compartment opened beneath the statue.

Inside was a small metal disc.

Kael picked it up.

[Unknown Artifact detected.]

[Artifact Grade: C]

[Function: Memory Storage]

[Compatibility: Darven Bloodline]

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Another memory.”

He activated it.

A projection appeared.

An ancient Darven stood in the same chamber.

But this wasn't the First.

He wore lighter armor.

His face was partially hidden.

Behind him stood several warriors.

And among them—

Kael saw a familiar symbol.

The same crimson mark that had appeared on the Crimson Ironhide Ravager.

Kael's breathing stopped.

The warrior spoke.

“The First has failed.”

Another warrior answered.

“He hasn't failed.”

“He refused.”

Silence.

Then the first warrior continued.

“He refused to open the Fifth Gate.”

Kael stared at the projection.

The First Darven had never told him that.

The memory continued.

“If he will not open it, another Darven will.”

The projection suddenly distorted.

The System displayed:

[Memory corruption detected.]

[Recovered information: 63%]

The warrior's next words were barely understandable.

“Destroy the—”

Static.

“—before the bloodline reaches—”

Static.

“—ten percent.”

The projection vanished.

Kael stood completely still.

“Ten percent…”

That was the exact threshold the inheritance had already mentioned.

Something was trying to prevent him from reaching it.

Then he remembered the masked figure.

You aren't ready.

The First Darven.

The strange creature.

The Metallic Predator.

The Crimson Ironhide Ravager.

The Fifth Gate.

They were connected.

Kael looked at the black artifact hanging from his belt.

The key.

Maybe it wasn't simply opening the inheritance.

Maybe it was activating something.

Something that had been waiting for thousands of years.

A faint tremor passed through the chamber.

Kael immediately stepped back.

[Warning.]

[External entity approaching.]

Kael raised the Darven MP-01.

“Here we go again.”

The fifth door remained closed.

But footsteps echoed from behind him.

Kael turned.

Someone was standing at the entrance.

Black cloak.

Silver mask.

The same mysterious figure who had appeared before.

Kael immediately aimed the MP-01.

“You.”

The figure didn't attack.

Instead, he looked at Kael's weapons.

“You survived.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“You knew about this trial.”

“Yes.”

“You knew about the Fifth Gate.”

“Yes.”

“You knew about the First Darven.”

A pause.

“Yes.”

Kael's finger tightened around the weapon.

“Then start talking.”

The masked figure tilted his head.

“You're at six percent.”

“I know.”

“Then you have survived longer than most.”

“Most what?”

The figure remained silent.

Kael took a step forward.

“Most Darvens?”

“No.”

The answer was quiet.

“Most people.”

Kael frowned.

The figure continued.

“Your bloodline isn't unique.”

Kael froze.

“What?”

“There were others.”

“How many?”

“Enough.”

Kael's mind raced.

His father had told him the Darven family was a rare bloodline.

A powerful one.

But never—

never that there had been others.

The masked figure turned toward the statues.

“The Darven bloodline didn't begin with your family.”

Kael looked at the First Darven's statue.

“Then who created it?”

The figure looked directly at him.

“That is the question you should be asking.”

Kael waited.

The figure continued.

“The First Darven did not create the bloodline.”

“Then what did he do?”

“He inherited it.”

Kael's eyes widened.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then the masked figure said something that made Kael's blood run cold.

“Your father knew.”

Kael immediately raised his weapon.

“My father knew?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't he tell me?”

The masked figure looked toward the fifth door.

“Because he was afraid that if you knew too much…”

His voice became quieter.

“They would find you before you were ready.”

Kael's expression darkened.

“Who are they?”

The masked figure didn't answer.

Instead, he stepped backward.

“Reach ten percent.”

“Wait!”

Kael moved toward him.

The figure disappeared into the darkness.

Kael stopped.

On the ground where the figure had stood was a single object.

A bullet.

Not an ordinary bullet.

It was made entirely from black metal.

Kael picked it up.

The moment he touched it—

[Unknown Material detected.]

[Compatibility: Extremely High.]

[Bloodline Resonance: 17%]

Kael stared at the message.

Then another appeared.

[New Hidden Objective.]

[Reach 10% Bloodline Progress.]

[Reward: Unknown.]

[Warning: Progress beyond 10% may permanently alter the host's bloodline.]

Kael slowly closed his hand around the black metal.

For the first time, he wasn't sure whether reaching ten percent was actually something he wanted.

But one thing was certain.

He couldn't turn back anymore.

He had entered the inheritance.

He had awakened the Fifth Gate.

And now—

something was watching his progress.

Waiting for him to reach ten percent.

Kael looked toward the exit.

“I'll reach it.”

He sheathed his katana.

“But I'm going to find out what happens before you do.”

Far beneath the chamber, something opened its eyes.

A voice whispered through the darkness.

“Six percent.”

A second voice answered.

“Then the child has survived the trial.”

The first voice laughed.

“Good.”

Chains began to move.

“Let him reach ten.”

A pause.

Then—

“That's when the real hunt begins.”