The morning air in Velyra was cold and quiet. Mist hung over the rooftops, blurring the sun as it tried to rise.
Kael stood on the balcony of the guildhall, staring at the city below. He could feel it — a storm coming.
The cult had moved into the upper wards, hunting the Heart of the First Serpent. If they found it before he did, the entire city might fall under their control.
He wasn't going to let that happen.
---
Downstairs, the others waited around a table covered with maps and sketches.
Selene pointed to a red mark on the map. "The Council's treasury vault lies here — beneath the main hall. It's guarded by enchantments and reinforced walls."
Aurelia crossed her arms. "So we can't just walk in."
Nyra grinned. "Who said anything about walking?"
Kael looked at the map again. "There's a tunnel system that runs under the hall. We can enter through the old sewer gate, get in, and get out before the guards even know we're there."
Serana frowned. "And if the cult is already inside?"
"Then we take it from them," Kael said simply. "No more hiding."
---
They prepared quietly.
Kael adjusted his armor, feeling the weight of the chains wrapped around his arms. Each one pulsed faintly with his heartbeat, humming with restrained energy.
Aurelia checked her blades. Selene whispered a short prayer for focus. Nyra tied her hair back, claws glinting.
Serana approached Kael last, holding a small amulet. "Take this. It will hide your system's presence for a short time. If the cult is using detection spells, they won't sense you right away."
Kael nodded. "Thank you."
She smiled faintly. "Just come back alive."
---
They moved through the tunnels before dawn.
The sewers smelled of damp stone and rust, but the path was clear. Rats scattered as they passed. The deeper they went, the colder it became, the air heavy with the scent of old magic.
Selene led the way, her light spell faint but steady. "We're close," she whispered.
Kael could feel it — the pull of something powerful ahead. The Serpent's essence.
When they reached the last gate, Aurelia knelt beside it and traced the runes carved into the metal. "Old wards. I can break them, but it'll take a moment."
"Do it," Kael said.
She pressed her hand against the runes and muttered a few words. The gate shimmered, then cracked open with a low groan.
---
The treasury was nothing like Kael expected.
It wasn't gold or gems that filled the vaults — it was artifacts. Weapons, scrolls, relics from old wars. And at the center of the room sat a pedestal, glowing faintly with blue light.
Upon it rested a crystal heart, shaped like a serpent's eye.
Serana gasped. "That's it. The Heart of the First Serpent."
Kael stepped forward, but the moment his boot touched the floor, the air shimmered.
A circle of red light erupted around them, and masked figures appeared from the shadows.
"Cultists," Nyra hissed, drawing her claws.
Kael's chains snapped to life. "So, they were waiting."
---
The cult leader stepped forward — a tall man in a crimson robe, his mask carved from bone.
"Vessel of Desire," he said. "You've come just as the god foretold."
Kael's expression didn't change. "I'm not your vessel."
The man chuckled. "You still deny it. Even as the god's pulse beats inside you."
His hands rose, and the other cultists followed suit, chanting low and fast. The room filled with red light as their shadows twisted across the walls.
Kael's system flared to life.
[Combat Detected.]
[Desire Resonance Activated.]
Chains burst outward, smashing into the first line of enemies. The room shook from the impact.
Selene and Aurelia charged in behind him, moving like one. Nyra's claws slashed through spells mid-cast, sparks flying as steel met magic.
Serana held her amulet tight, chanting a warding spell to keep the energy from crushing them all.
---
Kael fought through the chaos, his movements sharp and focused. The chains moved like extensions of his will — blocking, striking, grabbing.
Every emotion he felt — anger, determination, even fear — fueled the resonance.
The cultists screamed as his power tore through them. But the leader remained calm, hands raised as he channeled something far more dangerous.
A black serpent of energy rose from his body, coiling above his head.
"Do you see it now, vessel?" the man shouted. "The god has already chosen you!"
Kael's eyes flared red. "Then tell your god this—"
He drove his chain forward, piercing the serpent and slamming the cult leader into the wall.
The magic circle shattered with a thunderous crack.
---
When the light finally faded, the cultists were gone — their bodies dissolving into dust.
Only the crystal heart remained, still glowing faintly on its pedestal.
Kael approached it slowly.
Serana stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Be careful. The Heart reacts to the system's energy. If you touch it carelessly, it could consume you."
Kael studied it for a long moment. Then he reached out and let his hand hover just above it.
The crystal pulsed once — and the system flared.
[Warning: Ancient Relic Detected.]
[Compatibility: 82%.]
[Absorb Fragment? Y/N]
Kael hesitated, then whispered, "Yes."
Light surged through him, filling his veins with heat. The chains around his arms vibrated violently, then went still.
When the glow faded, the Heart was gone — absorbed.
The others watched him carefully.
Aurelia asked quietly, "Kael… are you still you?"
He nodded, though his voice came out deeper, calmer. "Yeah. But the system feels… different."
Serana looked uneasy. "You've just taken in a part of a god. Be careful. That kind of power always has a price."
Kael gave a faint, grim smile. "I've been paying prices my whole life."
---
They left through the tunnels before the guards arrived.
By the time the city woke, the cult's presence in the treasury had been erased — but rumors spread fast. Some said the vault had exploded. Others said a demon had been born below the Council Hall.
Kael didn't care what stories they told.
He'd gained something more valuable than reputation — knowledge.
The Heart's memory had shown him flashes of a place beyond the city walls — a temple buried under sand, where the Serpent's full form had once been sealed.
That was where the next piece of the system's truth waited.
---
Back at the guildhall, Kael stood before the fire, silent.
Selene entered quietly. "You found what you were looking for?"
"For now," he said. "But this was only the beginning."
She nodded. "You're planning to go after it, aren't you?"
"Yes. And this time, I'm not waiting for them to strike first."
---
That night, Kael wrote a message to the guild leaders of nearby cities. An invitation — or a warning.
To those who wish to survive what's coming,
Join me.
He sealed the letter and looked toward the moonlit streets.
The Serpent's voice was quiet tonight.
But somewhere deep inside, he knew it was still watching.
He clenched his fist. "You gave me your hunger," he whispered. "Now I'll use it to destroy you."