Chapter 26 - The first legendary beast

Kael stood beneath the three glowing symbols.

Lion.

Serpent.

Skull.

He had expected another explanation.

Another memory.

Instead, the chamber shook.

BOOM.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Nightfang immediately lowered himself.

“That isn't the inheritance.”

Kael looked around.

“Then what is it?”

Nightfang's golden eyes widened.

“The beast.”

Kael's expression changed.

“The Shadow Lion?”

“No.”

A second tremor shook the chamber.

“This is something older.”

The black door behind them suddenly slammed shut.

CLANG!

Kael turned.

The three symbols disappeared.

The System flickered.

[Emergency Warning.]

[External interference detected.]

[Pocket-world stability: 91% → 84%]

Kael frowned.

“What's happening?”

Nightfang stared at the ceiling.

“The prison is weakening.”

The Prison Breaks

A crack appeared across the stone floor.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Crimson energy seeped through them.

Kael immediately summoned the Darven AR-02.

Nightfang backed away.

“Kael.”

“What?”

“Whatever happens…”

His voice became serious.

“Do not let that energy touch you.”

Kael nodded.

The floor exploded.

A column of crimson-black energy shot upward.

Kael was thrown backward.

Nightfang barely managed to hold his position.

Then a voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Not from the System.

Not from the inheritance.

A real voice.

Ancient.

Furious.

“DARVEN.”

Kael froze.

The chamber trembled.

“YOU HAVE RETURNED.”

Kael raised his weapon.

“Who are you?”

Silence.

Then—

“The one your bloodline imprisoned.”

Kael's eyes widened.

Nightfang looked terrified.

“That isn't possible.”

Kael looked at him.

“What isn't?”

“The Legendary Beasts aren't the only things imprisoned here.”

The floor cracked again.

Something began climbing through.

Black armor.

Four arms.

Silver eyes.

Kael immediately recognized it.

The same entity from his first inheritance trial.

But this time—

it wasn't a memory.

[Threat Analysis.]

[Analysis failed.]

[Physical existence confirmed.]

Kael's expression changed.

“You're real.”

The creature looked at him.

“Yes.”

Kael raised his AR-02.

“Then why didn't you kill me before?”

The creature's four hands tightened around their weapons.

“Because I was ordered not to.”

“By who?”

The creature looked toward the three symbols.

“By the one who built the prison.”

Kael's mind raced.

“Who built it?”

The creature suddenly attacked.

The Black Knight

Kael barely blocked the first strike.

CLANG!

The force threw him backward.

He summoned the MP-01.

The creature moved.

Kael fired.

Every shot missed.

Not because the creature was faster.

Because it was predicting him.

Kael switched weapons.

GL-02.

Fire.

The creature jumped over the explosion.

Kael immediately summoned the AR-02.

He fired upward.

The creature twisted in midair.

The bullets struck its armor.

This time—

one penetrated.

The creature landed.

It looked at the damaged armor.

Then at Kael.

“You have changed.”

Kael smiled.

“That's the idea.”

The creature disappeared.

Kael's instincts screamed.

He turned.

The ancient spear was already coming toward him.

He barely moved his head.

The spear grazed his cheek.

Kael stepped back.

The creature swung the axe.

Kael blocked with the katana.

BOOM!

His arms shook.

He was being overwhelmed.

Kael released the katana.

The creature's axe continued forward.

Kael dropped beneath it.

His AR-02 appeared in his hand.

He fired directly upward.

The creature recoiled.

Kael grabbed the katana again.

Metal Control.

The blade flew from his hand.

It circled around the creature.

The creature blocked it.

Kael smiled.

“That was the point.”

The AR-02 transformed in his hand.

Metal shifted.

The weapon changed shape.

[Weapon Manifestation detected.]

[Blueprint adaptation successful.]

The assault rifle became a compact magical shotgun.

Kael fired at close range.

The creature was pushed backward.

Kael immediately switched back to the katana.

One strike.

Two.

Three.

The creature blocked every attack.

Then its fourth arm struck Kael's chest.

Kael flew backward.

He landed hard.

[Vitality impact detected.]

[Moderate injury.]

Kael coughed.

“Okay…”

He stood.

“…that one hurt.”

The creature walked toward him.

“You are stronger.”

Kael raised his weapon.

“But you are still weak.”

Kael smiled.

“I know.”

He pointed toward the floor.

The creature looked down.

Thousands of metal fragments surrounded its feet.

Kael had been controlling them throughout the fight.

He hadn't been trying to attack.

He had been setting a trap.

Metal Control.

The entire floor rose.

Metal wrapped around the creature's legs.

Then its arms.

Then its weapons.

For three seconds—

the creature was completely immobilized.

Kael didn't waste them.

Darven Arsenal Domain.

Weapons appeared everywhere.

Pistols.

Submachine guns.

Assault rifles.

Shotguns.

Sniper rifles.

Machine guns.

Grenade launchers.

Heavy weapons.

Everything fired at once.

The chamber exploded with light.

The creature disappeared inside the barrage.

Kael's mana dropped violently.

[Mana: 42%]

[31%]

[19%]

[12%]

The Arsenal Domain vanished.

Smoke filled the chamber.

Kael stood breathing heavily.

“Did I—”

A black hand emerged from the smoke.

Kael's expression changed.

The creature stepped out.

Its armor was damaged.

One weapon was broken.

But it was still standing.

It looked at Kael.

Then—

it laughed.

“You are learning.”

Kael frowned.

“You're enjoying this.”

“No.”

The creature raised its remaining weapons.

“I am measuring you.”

The Unexpected Enemy

Before Kael could respond—

the chamber exploded.

A gigantic shadow tore through the ceiling.

Something descended.

Black fur.

Crimson energy.

Golden eyes.

Kael froze.

Nightfang whispered one word.

“Lion.”

The creature landed between Kael and the Black Knight.

The entire chamber shook.

The Black Knight immediately stopped.

For the first time—

it looked afraid.

Kael's System went completely blank.

Then one line appeared.

[Legendary Beast detected.]

[Species: Shadow Lion]

[Level: ???]

[Grade: Legendary]

[Potential: ???]

[Threat: Unmeasurable]

[Warning: Current host survival probability cannot be calculated.]

Kael's face became pale.

The Shadow Lion looked at him.

Then at the Black Knight.

Its crimson energy expanded.

The Black Knight took a step backward.

“You…”

The lion spoke.

Its voice shook the chamber.

“You have no right to touch the Darven.”

The Black Knight tightened its grip.

“You should still be chained.”

The lion roared.

The sound alone shattered several ancient stone pillars.

Kael was thrown backward.

Nightfang grabbed him and dragged him behind cover.

Kael stared.

The Shadow Lion moved.

Kael didn't even see it.

One moment it was standing still.

The next—

the Black Knight was buried in the wall.

The lion appeared beside it.

One paw struck.

BOOM!

The entire chamber shook.

Kael's eyes widened.

That's a Legendary Beast.

He had never seen power like this.

But then he noticed something.

The lion's breathing was irregular.

Its crimson aura flickered.

Every few seconds—

its body trembled.

Kael activated Threat Analysis again.

The System finally responded.

[Legendary Beast condition detected.]

[Shadow Core instability: Severe.]

[Sealing damage: 83%.]

[Energy reserves: Critically depleted.]

Kael stared.

The weakness was real.

The thousands of years of imprisonment had damaged it.

But even weakened—

it was terrifying.

The Black Knight suddenly grabbed the lion.

The two beings disappeared into the darkness.

Kael heard a massive impact.

Then another.

Then silence.

A minute later, the Shadow Lion emerged.

Blood was not visible.

But its breathing had become extremely heavy.

The Black Knight was gone.

The lion looked toward Kael.

Its golden eyes met his.

Kael slowly raised his weapon.

He expected an attack.

Instead, the lion spoke.

“Not yet.”

Kael froze.

“What?”

“You are not ready.”

The lion turned away.

“But you will be.”

Kael stared.

“Why did you save me?”

The Shadow Lion looked back.

“Because your blood carries his scent.”

“Whose?”

The lion's eyes narrowed.

“The First Darven.”

Kael's heart raced.

The lion began disappearing into the shadows.

Then it spoke one final sentence.

“When you reach the place where your father died…”

It paused.

“Do not trust the person waiting there.”

The lion vanished.

Kael stood frozen.

Nightfang slowly approached.

“Kael…”

He didn't answer.

His System suddenly activated.

[Bloodline Progress: 10% → 11%]

[New objective unlocked.]

[Reach Level 30.]

[Inheritance Reward: Unknown.]

Then another message appeared.

[Legendary Beast encounter recorded.]

[Future Contract Possibility: Undetermined.]

Kael stared at the message.

He understood something now.

The Legendary Beasts weren't waiting for him to become strong enough to defeat them.

They were watching him.

Testing him.

And someday—

he would have to fight them.

Not because they hated him.

But because the inheritance demanded it.

Kael looked into the darkness where the Shadow Lion had disappeared.

“Then I'll become strong enough.”

Far away, the wounded Shadow Lion climbed back toward the deepest part of the pocket world.

Behind it—

three enormous eggs rested within a hidden chamber.

One black.

One green.

One white.

The lion looked at them.

Its golden eyes softened.

“Not yet.”

The three eggs remained silent.

Waiting.