The darkness was endless.
Elder felt his lungs burn as though he had been drowning for eternity. There was no sound, no warmth, only the weightless void pressing against him. Then—light. A sliver of brilliance tore open the abyss, and with it came the roar of life.
He gasped, dragging air into his chest, and collapsed onto something hard and cold. The surface beneath him was stone, smooth yet cracked, like the ruins of an ancient temple. His fingers trembled as he touched the dust coating the floor.
"…Where am I?"
The voice that escaped his lips felt foreign, trembling with confusion.
When he raised his head, he saw a vast chamber lit by torches that flickered with a ghostly blue flame. The walls were engraved with runes that pulsed faintly, as though breathing in rhythm with his heart. And at the center of the room stood a colossal statue—a knight clad in black armor, holding a sword buried into the ground.
Elder staggered to his feet. His body felt frail, weaker than he remembered. He searched his mind for memories, but they were scattered fragments: a modern city drowned in neon lights, a life filled with monotony, and then—darkness.
"This isn't… Earth."
The realization crashed into him. His heart pounded, but before fear could overwhelm him, a sound echoed inside his skull.
Ding.
A crystalline chime, clear and commanding.
[Welcome, Chosen Vessel.]
[Initiating Binding Protocol…]
Elder froze. Words glowed before his eyes, suspended in midair like a hologram only he could see.
[Designation: Elder]
[Status: Level 0 – Mortal Shell]
[Mission: Survive the First Trial]
His breath quickened. "A… system?"
The word felt absurd, but the interface responded as though acknowledging his thought.
[Correct. You are the last bearer of the Forgotten Covenant.]
[Failure to survive will result in termination.]
Termination. The word sliced through him like a blade.
The statue at the center of the chamber shuddered. Dust fell from its shoulders as the stone groaned. Elder stumbled back, eyes wide, as the knight's helm tilted downward, its hollow gaze fixing upon him.
"No, no, no…" His voice cracked.
The ground trembled. The knight's sword tore free from the stone with a sound like a thousand screams. With one motion, the statue stepped down from its pedestal, each stride shaking the chamber.
This is impossible. I don't even have a weapon.
Panic surged through him, but then the system flared again.
[First Trial Initiated.]
[Survive for 300 Seconds.]
Elder's vision sharpened, his heartbeat loud in his ears. His body screamed at him to run.
The knight swung its massive blade, a black arc that cleaved through the air with a thunderous roar. Elder threw himself to the side, barely escaping the strike. The stone floor cracked open where he had stood, shards flying past him.
I'll die. I'll really die here.
But his legs moved on instinct, carrying him across the chamber. He had no training, no strength. Yet in that desperate moment, a voice stirred within the system.
[Tip: Fear is the enemy. Focus on survival.]
"Easy for you to say!" Elder shouted, ducking under another swing. His body rolled across the floor, pain stabbing into his shoulder.
Seconds felt like hours. The knight moved with terrifying precision, its blade smashing through pillars, filling the chamber with dust and debris. Elder panted heavily, each breath cutting into his lungs. His vision blurred, but he forced himself onward.
"Just… three hundred seconds," he muttered. "I can survive… I have to."
Another strike descended, this time aimed directly at him. With no way to dodge, Elder raised his arms in futile defense.
And then—
Clang!
A faint shield of light burst into existence around him, deflecting the sword just enough for him to stumble back. His eyes widened.
[Hidden Trait Activated: Covenant's Protection.]
[Duration: 30 Seconds Remaining.]
A warmth spread through his veins, faint but empowering. The knight's movements seemed slower, his own reflexes sharper. For the first time, Elder stood tall instead of crawling like prey.
He gritted his teeth. "If I'm supposed to be a Vessel… then I won't break so easily."
He dodged another strike, this time with grace rather than panic. His body still trembled, but he felt a flicker of determination ignite within. He shouted, a raw cry that echoed through the chamber as he ran toward the far wall.
Seconds bled away. 270… 280…
Finally, the last strike came. The knight raised its sword high, shadows swallowing the chamber. Elder braced himself—
Ding.
[Trial Completed.]
The knight froze mid-motion. Cracks spread across its stone body, glowing with crimson light, until the statue shattered into fragments. The chamber fell silent once more.
Elder collapsed to his knees, gasping. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his chest heaving. He had survived. Somehow, impossibly, he had survived.
The system chimed again.
[Congratulations, Elder.]
[You have completed the First Trial.]
[Reward: Covenant Seed.]
A sphere of light drifted from the shattered remains of the knight and sank into his chest. His heart skipped a beat as warmth surged through him, filling his veins with power.
[Status Updated.]
[Level 1 – Initiate of the Covenant.]
Elder's hands shook, but this time, it was not fear. It was something else—hope.
He lifted his gaze to the ceiling of the chamber, where cracks revealed a sky of crimson dusk and swirling stars he had never seen before. A world far more ancient and dangerous than Earth.
"This… this is where I begin."
The system's voice echoed once more, calm yet commanding.
[Warning: Greater Trials await beyond this chamber. The Covenant binds you to a path of blood and fire. Do you accept your fate?]
Elder clenched his fists, his fragile body trembling under the weight of destiny. He had been weak all his life, forgotten by the world he came from. But here—here he had a chance.
"I accept," he whispered. His words carried into the silence, resonating against the chamber walls.
The torches flared brighter. The runes on the floor shifted, forming a pathway that led to a massive door engraved with symbols of war and eternity.
Elder stood, his body battered but his resolve unbroken. He walked toward the door, each step echoing louder than the last.
And as the door slowly creaked open, the world beyond revealed itself—an endless land of mountains bathed in fire, forests where shadows moved, and cities of towering spires that glowed with forbidden magic.
His journey had only just begun.
The Covenant had chosen him. And he would carve his name into destiny itself.