Nightfall came, but Rayden remained in the dead forest, staring into the dark. The memory shard had shaken him. The power he witnessed — it was more than rage, more than destruction. It was annihilation born from a soul consumed.
The words echoed in his head again: "This system must never awaken again."
But it had.
And it chose him.
He left the forest the next morning, heading west toward the Ironspine Ranges. According to legend, a prison-temple lay buried beneath its rocky cliffs — one said to have held criminals who possessed corrupted systems in ancient times.
Rayden wasn't sure what he'd find, only that his next steps felt pulled by an invisible thread.
The climb was brutal. He bled from his palms and knees. At times, the Berserk System whispered, offering him strength in exchange for surrender. He refused. He had to stay in control — or it would take everything.
On the third day, he found it.
The entrance was hidden behind a waterfall, sealed by a massive stone door etched with old runes. One of them pulsed in a pattern that made his chest ache — the same sigil that appeared when he gained the Blood-Bound Oath.
He placed his palm to it.
[Runic Match: Berserker Sigil Detected]
[Gate Unsealed]
The ground trembled. The waterfall parted. The door opened into darkness.
Inside, torchlight flickered to life, revealing walls lined with murals — depictions of ancient warriors, chained and kneeling, with eyes of red flame.
In the center of the chamber stood a figure bound in thick, rusted chains — or rather, what remained of it. A corpse, mummified by time, sat atop a black throne. But its eyes… still glowed faintly.
A metal plaque at the base read:
Here lies Verrak the Chained. The Second Berserker.
Rayden's pulse quickened.
He stepped closer, and the system reacted.
[WARNING: Residual Memory Imprint Detected]
[Activating Passive: Chain of Remorse – Insight Triggered]
► When near ancient Berserkers, flashes of their final thoughts will surface.
Suddenly, Rayden heard a voice — but it wasn't from the system.
It was from Verrak.
"Power was never the curse. It was the freedom that destroyed us."
Chains rattled on the corpse. Rayden stepped back instinctively.
Then, a new alert.
[System Notification: Legacy Challenge Available]
Would you like to inherit a fragment of Verrak's strength?
Rayden hesitated.
This wasn't just power anymore.
It was a chain.
And he had to choose whether to wear it — or break it.