The training continued for several days, each session more grueling than the last.
Kael Ardent's muscles ached, his movements grew more confident, yet the burden of expectation weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Selene Valmont remained strict, yet fair, guiding him with an almost unwavering determination.
"Your reflexes have improved," Selene remarked one morning, observing Kael parry a series of rapid strikes.
"Still, you move as though carrying the weight of doubt rather than the will to survive."
Kael remained silent.
His mind wandered to the system, the mysterious power that had chosen him.
During a brief break, he sat by the stone wall, wiping sweat from his brow.
The system interface flickered once more.
Quest Update:
– Basic Training – First Strike – Completed
– Meet Your Mentor – Selene Valmont – In Progress
New Quest Unlocked:
"Investigate the History of the Ardent Family"
Objective: Learn about your lineage and its secrets.
Reward: +30 Experience, +10 System Points.
Kael's brows furrowed.
He had never cared much about his family's history, only about proving himself in the present.
But something about the quest felt compelling, almost unavoidable.
"Selene," he began, "do you know the history of the Ardent family?"
She paused, her expression unreadable.
"The Ardents were once one of the most powerful swordmaster families in Eldoria," she said carefully.
"Your ancestors were renowned for their strength, skill, and influence.
Legends speak of an ancient hero who wielded the Blade of Eternity—a sword said to be blessed by the old gods."
Kael's heart beat faster.
"Then why has our power diminished so greatly?"
Selene's eyes darkened.
"There was a tragedy, one that few speak of."
Her voice lowered, almost to a whisper.
"A catastrophe involving the necromancer Malgath.
Many believe it was your family who sealed him away… but some say it was a betrayal."
Kael stiffened.
He had never heard of such a thing before.
"Why have I never been told this?" he asked.
Selene did not answer immediately.
"Because some truths are dangerous," she finally replied.
"They can either drive you to greatness… or destroy you."
A chill ran down Kael's spine.
The weight of his lineage, the mystery of the system, and the presence of a growing darkness intertwined into an invisible chain, binding him tighter to his destiny.
Later that evening, after the training had ended, Kael wandered through the keep's ancient library.
The towering shelves were filled with dusty tomes and scrolls, each holding centuries of knowledge.
He searched for any record of the Ardents' past.
Hours passed before his fingers landed upon a fragile book, bound in worn leather.
The title read: "Chronicles of the Ardent Lineage".
Carefully opening it, Kael began to read.
The pages told of a time when the Ardent family stood at the pinnacle of sword mastery, serving the kingdom with unmatched loyalty and power.
But then came the era of darkness.
A rising necromancer, Malgath, whose ambition to conquer the living had shaken the very foundations of Eldoria.
The chronicles spoke of a legendary battle, where the head of the Ardent family had joined forces with other noble houses to seal Malgath deep beneath the Forbidden Sector.
Yet the last entry was vague, ending with a question.
"Did the sealing come at a great price?
Or was it a betrayal, a calculated act of self-preservation by the Ardent ancestors themselves?"
Kael closed the book, his mind racing.
A thousand questions began to form, none of which had answers.
The system interface blinked softly, almost as if acknowledging his discovery.
New Quest Unlocked:
"Uncover the Truth Behind the Ardent Legacy"
Objective: Investigate the chronicles and gather evidence of the past.
Reward: +50 Experience, +15 System Points.
Kael exhaled deeply.
The first threads of his fate had been pulled, and there was no turning back.
Unknown to him, far beyond the walls of Ardent Keep, Malgath's dark influence began to spread, creeping slowly toward the surface world, ready to engulf all light in shadow.