They moved quietly through the lower depths of Vault Echo-7, the only light coming from system-glow and faint embers flickering from the last trial. The descent spiraled downward through stone carved by time, etched with ancient glyphs in a language neither of them recognized. Jace's hand grazed one of the walls—it pulsed, reacting faintly to his presence.
"You're triggering it again," Lys whispered.
"I think it recognizes the Archive," he murmured. "But it feels... older. Like it predates the system."
Lys gave him a sideways look. "The system is supposed to be ancient."
He didn't answer. Not because she was wrong—but because a gut feeling told him the Archive wasn't part of the system. It was something deeper. Like a parasite or… a key.
The stairway ended at a sealed chamber. Twin doors of onyx, inscribed with spiral patterns that throbbed like veins. At the center, a small pedestal glowed.
> [System Node Detected: Bloodline Imprint Required]
A red light hovered in front of Jace's chest.
> [Compatible Signature Found: Bloodline Fragment – Grade Unknown]
[Would you like to imprint and proceed?] [Y/N]
He hesitated. "It wants... a bloodline imprint."
"You sure it's safe?"
"Nope."
He pressed his palm against the pedestal.
The world pulsed red.
Pain lanced up his arm as something inside the Archive twisted. A brand seared itself into his forearm—a spiral of crimson lines forming a circle.
> [Bloodline Recognized: Echo Variant – Archive-Bound]
[Partial Awakening Initiated.]
Jace stumbled back, gasping.
> [New Feature: Bloodline Path – Locked Skills now visible on System Tree]
The doors groaned open.
Lys caught his shoulder. "What did it show you?"
He shook his head. "Something... nested inside the system. Like skills I wasn't meant to see."
They stepped into the Vault chamber.
It was circular—walls lined with silent statues, each cloaked and faceless. In the center, a small platform rose with a floating crystal above it—deep red, shaped like a beating heart. Glyphs swirled around it like a slow storm.
> [Archive Core Fragment Detected – Interfacing…]
The system surged.
> [System Tree Unlocked: Bloodline Tier 1]
[Visible Abilities:
– Blood Pulse (Passive): Increases regeneration speed based on missing HP.
– Echo Veins (Passive): Damage resistance increases slightly as more Archive cores are collected.
– Pulse Shift (Active): Short-range burst that knocks enemies back and slows time momentarily (CD: 30s)]
Jace stared at the display. "These weren't here before."
"They're connected to your blood," Lys said quietly. "You're changing."
She sounded wary, but not afraid. Just... observant.
Jace absorbed the Blood Pulse ability. A warmth spread through his body, steady and comforting.
"I don't know what I am anymore," he admitted.
Lys looked at him for a long time, then sighed. "Join the club."
Just as she turned away, a wind picked up inside the chamber. Cold, sudden, unnatural.
> [External Threat Detected – High-Speed Entity Incoming]
Jace's instincts flared.
Before they could move, the far wall burst inward—ice exploded across the floor—and a figure landed with a crash, encased in plated frost-armor.
A voice echoed, hollow and cruel.
"Archive Bearer. Bloodmarked. You are out of time."
Jace stepped forward, blade at the ready. Lys stood beside him, eyes narrowed.
"Another bounty hunter?" she growled.
"No," Jace said, staring at the figure's insignia. "That's not a hunter."
He pointed to the emblem on its chest—an intricate swirl of red and silver.
"That's a Blood Inquisitor."
The Blood Inquisitor raised one hand and the temperature plummeted instantly. Frost bloomed along the walls, spreading in cracks across the ceiling and floor like spiderwebs. The flickering glyphs around the Archive Core dimmed in response, struggling against the sudden elemental pressure.
> [Warning: Ambient Temperature Drop Detected – External Threat Level: B+ Rank]
[Combat Class: Hybrid Enforcer – Blood & Frost Variant]
[Recommended Strategy: Avoid direct confrontation. Escape or delay until reinforcements arrive.]
Jace grit his teeth. "Reinforcements aren't coming."
The figure stepped fully into the vault, revealing a face hidden beneath a frozen mask. Frost curved like antlers from the sides of its helm, and a glowing sigil pulsed along its throat.
Lys dropped into a low stance. "I've fought Cryomancers before, but that pressure—he's not just a caster."
"He's fused," Jace said. "System-bonded. Like me."
The Inquisitor's voice echoed again, empty of emotion. "Surrender the Archive. This anomaly ends here."
Jace looked down at the flickering Core. "If he gets that, it's game over."
Lys nodded. "Then we make sure he doesn't."
The Inquisitor raised both hands, and dozens of jagged spears of ice materialized around him in a perfect halo.
> [Initiating Combat – Countdown Engaged]
Jace didn't wait.
He activated Shadow Blink, phasing behind a statue as ice spears detonated where he'd stood. Lys moved at the same moment, flipping over the platform and landing near the Inquisitor's side. Her daggers flared blue as she struck.
The Inquisitor didn't flinch. He turned mid-spin and parried with a gauntleted arm, retaliating with a frost wave that sent her flying.
> [Lys Health -14%]
Jace burst from cover and swung his blade at the exposed back of the figure, but a shield of crystalline ice formed in an instant, deflecting the blow.
The Inquisitor retaliated with a palm to Jace's chest. Frost bloomed instantly across his ribs, threatening to pierce skin.
> [HP -10%]
[Status Effect: Freezing – Minor speed penalty applied]
Jace snarled, activating Blood Instinct and ducking beneath the next strike. He kicked off the central platform and rolled behind one of the statues, breathing hard.
> [Time Remaining: 00:02:57]
[Escape Route Locked: Vault Security Override Active]
[Condition: Survive or Disable Threat]
"Not how I wanted to test this," Jace muttered. He reached into the system and activated his new ability—
> [Pulse Shift – Activated]
A burst of red force erupted from his core, knocking the Inquisitor back just as he was about to finish Lys. Time seemed to slow for a second, and Jace darted across the room, catching her mid-roll and pulling her back to cover.
"You good?"
"Bruised," she hissed, "but not done."
They peered from behind the fallen statue as the Inquisitor stood again, arms outstretched.
The room darkened.
Above, the Core began to flicker violently.
> [Alert: Core Synchronization Attempt Detected – Enemy Attempting Interference]
Jace's system screamed warnings in red.
Lys turned to him. "If he links to it first, you're finished."
Jace knew she was right.
> [New Objective: Sever Synchronization – Use Archive Bond to override external control]
He stood.
The fire returned to his chest—not rage, not desperation, but something else.
Will.
He activated Shadow Blink, appearing directly atop the Core platform, hands stretched out. Crimson light erupted from his fingertips as he reached deep into the Archive's bond.
The Inquisitor shouted something unintelligible—but it was too late.
Jace's palm met the core.
> [Override Engaged – Bloodline Bond Affirmed]
[Archive Core Locked to Primary User]
[Enemy Link Severed]
[Pulse Feedback Triggered – Redirecting to Hostile Entity…]
The Inquisitor staggered back as red lightning arced from the core into his chest. His frost aura cracked. His antler-helmed mask shattered in half.
And beneath it—
A human face.
Barely older than Jace.
"...It's you," Jace whispered.
The Inquisitor stared in shock as blood poured from his nose.
"You're from the academy..."
Lys's eyes widened. "What the hell?"
But the figure said nothing. He vanished into mist—a teleport escape rune leaving behind only frost and silence.
> [Threat Neutralized – Trial Passed]
[New Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Echo Veins Lv.1]
Jace fell to his knees.
Lys stood by him, breathing hard. "He was one of us."
Jace didn't reply. He couldn't.
Because he'd just seen something in the Inquisitor's eyes.
Not hatred.
Not madness.
But fear.
Jace sat on the edge of the Core platform, fingers still tingling with residual energy. The Archive Core pulsed slowly now—steady, calm—like it had accepted him. Bonded with him.
> [Archive Core Fully Integrated – Vault Node Claimed]
[System Upgrade: Vault Interface Access Expanded]
[New Functions:
– Custom Skill Pathing
– Passive Trait Fusion
– Bloodline Tree Visibility Increased by 1 Tier]
Lys stood at the far wall, arms crossed, gaze distant. She hadn't spoken since the Inquisitor fled.
"You're quiet," Jace finally said.
She looked at him. "You saw it too, right? That was a student. Our age. Maybe older. But not much."
He nodded. "He looked terrified."
"Then why try to kill us?"
Jace sighed. "Maybe he didn't have a choice."
She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped over to one of the broken statues and tapped the faded symbol at its base. "I recognize this."
"You do?"
She nodded. "Barely. It's from an old underground faction—pre-Union. Pre-Federation even. A group called the Red Echoes."
Jace blinked. "That's... the same symbol from the tomb where I got the Archive."
"Exactly."
They stared at each other.
"So the system, the Archive, the vaults, the bloodline markings... all of it ties back to something older than anything we've studied," Jace murmured.
Lys paced. "The Red Echoes were rumored to be… not human. Or not entirely. Hybrids, or something more. The Federation burned all known texts decades ago."
Jace's system chimed.
> [Memory Fragment Recovered – Vault Echo-7]
[Processing…]
[New Lore Entry Unlocked: "Origin of the Blood Archive – Echo Transmission 001"]
A small projection appeared between them. A voice played—a woman's, ancient and laced with grief.
"We gave them everything—our minds, our strength, our blood. And still they hunted us. If you're hearing this, you bear the flame. The Archive lives on. But beware—its light draws shadows."
The voice faded.
Jace whispered, "What the hell did I get myself into?"
Lys turned away, then paused. "You know I should leave, right?"
His stomach twisted.
"But I won't," she added, glancing over her shoulder. "Not yet."
"You trust me that much?"
She shook her head. "I trust what you are. Whatever this thing inside you is—it chose you. And right now, you're my best shot at staying alive."
Jace chuckled softly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Don't get cocky."
> [New Objective: Return to Surface – 13 Hours Until Next Trial Cycle]
[Vault Map Unlocked: Echo-7 Sublevel]
They headed toward the rear stairwell, now unlocked thanks to the Core. The hallway was narrow, stone interlaced with red filament-like veins pulsing faintly.
Lys pulled out a folded map. "If this connects to the old tram system, we can reach the north sector before sundown."
"Great," Jace muttered. "Maybe we'll only get jumped by two more Inquisitors before lunch."
They descended into the tunnels.
A few minutes in, Jace slowed, eyes narrowing. Something felt… off.
The walls shimmered faintly, like heat distortion. He raised a hand.
> [Warning: Illusory Veil Detected – Minor Spatial Distortion]
[System Suggestion: Caution – Possible dimensional bleed]
"Lys," he said quietly, "we've got a problem."
Before she could respond, the ground trembled. The wall beside them collapsed inward, revealing a swirling vortex of red and black energy.
> [Dimensional Rift Detected – Archive Origin Signature Present]
From within the rift, a voice echoed.
Not from a being.
From the Archive itself.
"Come forth, bearer. The next key awaits."
Lys grabbed his arm. "We shouldn't—"
But Jace had already stepped forward.
The world twisted—
And he vanished.
---
Elsewhere…
High in the peaks of the abandoned frost ranges, the Inquisitor knelt in front of a hooded figure seated atop an obsidian throne carved into the mountain wall.
"He has awakened the second core."
The voice that replied was male, ancient and cold.
"Then it begins."
"What are your orders?"
"Do nothing. For now."
The Inquisitor hesitated. "But he's growing stronger."
"Let him."
The figure turned slightly—revealing a face of pale stone, eyes carved like rubies.
"Let him rise. The Archive was always meant to burn its bearer alive."