The chain of light burned like acid around Lucas's ankle, its glow pulsing in time with the Exile mark on his arm. He gritted his teeth, sprawled on the tunnel floor, as Lord Varyn's towering figure loomed above the hatch. The Soulforged Lord's armor gleamed with runes, each one radiating a pressure that made the air feel heavy, suffocating. Lucas's spear lay just out of reach, knocked from his grip when the Soulbind chain yanked him down. Kael stood frozen at the hatch's edge, her daggers raised but her face pale, her bravado crumbling under Varyn's presence.
"Exile," Varyn said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to shake the earth. "Your defiance ends here. The System has no place for your kind."
Lucas's heart pounded, Wrath surging in his chest like a wildfire, urging him to fight despite the odds. Resilience kept his panic at bay, but barely. The System's warning flashed in his vision, cold and unyielding.
[System Alert: Soulbind Lock Complete. Resistance Futile. Quest Failure Imminent.]
[Soul Core Status: 23/100 Shards to Tier 1. Aspects Active: Resilience, Wrath.]
Lucas clawed at the chain, his fingers blistering from its heat. The pain was excruciating, but Resilience dulled it enough for him to think. He wasn't a hero, not even close, but he'd survived a Shadowfang, hunters, and a village mob. He wasn't about to let some self-proclaimed lord end him now.
"Kael!" Lucas shouted, his voice hoarse. "Do something!"
Kael snapped out of her daze, her daggers flashing as she hurled one at Varyn. The blade struck his armor and bounced off, sparking harmlessly. Varyn didn't even flinch. He raised a hand, and another chain of light shot toward Kael, forcing her to dive aside. The Outcast rolled, cursing, and scrambled back to the hatch.
"Keep him distracted!" she yelled, disappearing into the chamber below.
"Distracted?" Lucas muttered, incredulous. "Against that?"
Varyn stepped through the hatch, his boots cracking the stone ladder as he descended. The chamber seemed to shrink under his presence, the runes on his armor glowing brighter. "You cannot run, Exile," he said. "The Soulbind Aspect binds your Core to mine. Every move you make, I feel. Every step, I follow."
Lucas's mind raced. The System's quest, Escape the Hunters, was slipping away, and this new threat was beyond anything he'd faced. He needed a plan, but all he had was a burning ankle, a missing spear, and two Aspects that felt woefully inadequate against a Tier 3 Lord.
Then the System flickered, its text glitching, letters fracturing like shattered glass.
[Anomaly Detected: Exile Mark Resonance. Unstable Core Interaction.]
[Emergency Option: Overload Aspect - Wrath. Risk: Soul Burn. Reward: Temporary Power Surge. Activate? Y/N]
Lucas didn't hesitate. He jabbed "Y" in the air, desperation overriding caution. A roar filled his chest, not his own but something primal, as Wrath exploded through him. His vision tinted red, his muscles trembling with raw energy. The chain around his ankle cracked, its light dimming as his Exile mark flared brighter than ever.
Varyn's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise breaking his stoic mask. "Impossible," he muttered. "An unrefined Core shouldn't-"
Lucas didn't wait for him to finish. He lunged for his spear, the Wrath-fueled surge making his movements faster, sharper. He swung the weapon in a wild arc, aiming for Varyn's chest. The Lord raised a hand, and a barrier of light shimmered into existence, deflecting the blow. The impact sent Lucas staggering, but he didn't fall. Wrath kept him upright, screaming for more.
"You dare challenge a Soulforged Lord?" Varyn said, his voice laced with disdain. He gestured, and the chains tightened, pulling Lucas to his knees. Pain seared through him, but Wrath burned hotter, drowning it out. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand.
"I'm not dying here," Lucas growled, his voice raw. "Not to you."
Varyn's expression darkened. He stepped forward, raising a gauntleted fist that glowed with runic energy. "Then suffer the System's judgment."
Before the blow could land, an explosion rocked the chamber. Shards of stone and crystal rained down as Kael burst from a side tunnel, a glowing orb in her hand. She hurled it at Varyn, and it detonated in a blinding flash of blue light. The Lord staggered, his chains flickering, and Lucas felt the Soulbind's grip loosen.
"Move, Exile!" Kael shouted, tossing him a small, rune-covered dagger. "Cut the chain!"
Lucas caught the dagger and slashed at the chain around his ankle. The blade's runes flared, and the chain shattered, freeing him. The System updated instantly.
[Quest Progress: Escape the Hunters. Progress: 80%. Soulbind Lock Disrupted.]
[Warning: Soul Burn Imminent. Wrath Overload Draining Core Stability.]
Lucas's vision swam, his body suddenly heavy. The surge of Wrath was fading, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. Soul Burn, the System had warned. He didn't know what it meant, but it couldn't be good.
Kael grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the side tunnel. "Come on! The Outcasts are holding the main chamber, but Varyn's hunters are closing in."
Lucas stumbled after her, his legs like lead. The dagger felt warm in his hand, its runes pulsing faintly. "What was that orb?" he asked, his voice slurring.
"Wardbreaker," Kael said, not slowing. "Outcast tech, scavenged from old ruins. It messes with Aspects, but it won't stop Varyn for long."
The tunnel twisted upward, the sounds of battle, clashing steel, shouts, and beastly roars, fading behind them. Lucas's arm throbbed, the Exile mark still glowing, but the Soulbind chains were gone, at least for now. The System pinged again.
[Soul Burn Effect: Core Efficiency Reduced by 50% for 12 Hours. Avoid Combat.]
"Perfect timing," Lucas muttered, his sarcasm masking the fear gnawing at him. He'd barely survived Varyn, and now he was weakened, with hunters and a pissed-off Lord on his tail.
They emerged into a dense forest, the moonlight barely penetrating the canopy. Kael led him to a hidden alcove behind a massive tree, its roots forming a natural shelter. She crouched, scanning the darkness. "We're not safe yet," she whispered. "Varyn's Soultrackers will pick up your mark again soon. We need to reach the Outcast camp by dawn."
Lucas leaned against the tree, his breath ragged. "Why are you helping me? You don't even know me."
Kael's eyes flicked to him, sharp but guarded. "Because you're not the only one the System's screwed over. Exiles, Outcasts, we're all pawns in its game. If you're as strong as you seem, maybe you can help us break it."
Lucas wanted to ask more, but a distant howl cut through the night. Not a Shadowfang, something bigger, deeper. Kael's face paled. "Voidstalker," she whispered. "Tier 4. Varyn must've summoned it to flush us out."
The System flashed, its text glitching again, more violently than before.
[Emergency Quest: Evade the Voidstalker. Reward: 30 Soul Shards. Penalty: Death.]
[Anomaly Detected: System Integrity Compromised. Exile Mark Triggering Unstable Resonance.]
Lucas's arm burned, the Exile mark pulsing so brightly it lit the alcove. Kael grabbed him, her voice urgent. "We need to move! Now!"
They sprinted through the forest, branches clawing at Lucas's face. The Voidstalker's howls grew closer, shaking the ground. Lucas's Soul Burn made every step agony, his body sluggish despite Resilience's efforts. Kael was faster, but she stayed close, her daggers ready.
They reached a clearing, and Lucas's heart sank. A massive beast stood before them, its form a shifting mass of shadow and bone, its eyes like twin voids. The Voidstalker. But worse, behind it, Varyn's hunters emerged, their weapons glowing. And at their center, Varyn himself, his armor untouched by the chaos, his eyes fixed on Lucas.
"You cannot escape the System's will," Varyn said, raising a hand. The Voidstalker roared, charging forward, and the hunters fanned out, cutting off their retreat.
Lucas gripped the runic dagger, Wrath a faint flicker in his drained Core. Kael stood beside him, her stance defiant but her hands trembling. The System glitched again, its text fracturing into nonsense before reforming into a single, chilling line.
[Anomaly Critical: Exile Mark Overload. Core Collapse Imminent. Activate Final Protocol? Y/N]
Lucas froze, the Voidstalker's claws gleaming as it lunged. Final Protocol? Core Collapse? He had no idea what it meant, but the System's words felt like a death sentence. As the beast's jaws opened, inches from his face, he stabbed at the air, choosing "Y."
A pulse of energy erupted from his Exile mark, and the world went white.