Whispers Beneath the Roots
The forest grew darker the deeper Ruko walked. The wind had stopped somewhere behind him, leaving only the crunch of his boots and the faint pulse of energy that led him forward. The air itself felt heavier, laced with shadow.
> [System Notice: Energy Signature – Stable.]
[Shadowline Resonance: 95 m ahead.]
Ruko smirked. "So, the treasure hunt begins huh."
Branches creaked above him as something leapt from tree to tree. He didn't glance up—just tightened his cloak and slowed his steps. Yew's voice, calm and precise, echoed in his head.
> [Yew]: Caution recommended. Unknown entities adapting to your presence.
Ruko: "Figures. So the world started to gets stronger the moment I breathe in it."
He reached an open glade where the earth dipped into a crater. At its center stood an obelisk of black stone half-buried in moss. Faint silver lines pulsed across its surface—like veins carrying memory instead of blood.
The hum in his chest synchronized with it.
> [System Notice: Jizuko Relic – Verified.]
[Classification: Shadowline Root Fragment.]
Ruko crouched beside it, brushing off the moss. The moment his fingers touched the surface, visions flickered—too fast to catch. A woman's laughter, a blade sinking into darkness, the echo of a child's cry. Then silence.
"Okay… what's the hell is that cause i dont remember this," he muttered. "And the vision is probably cursed."
> [Yew]: It's not a curse. It's a pulse memory—a recording from your ancestors. It reacts only to blood of the same frequency.
"Huh how do you know about this and i have ancestors?"
>[Yew]: "I can't recommend that answer host, just in my memory box," Ruko frowned. "Ok then I guess my ancestors likes me."
Before he could study further, the ground quivered. Something slithered out from the shadows behind the obelisk—tall, sinewy, shaped like smoke given bones. Its eyes burned violet.
> [Warning: Mutated Shadow Beast Detected.]
[Threat Level: Above Standard Goblin × 8.]
Ruko sighed. "Really? I just cleaned my cloak."
He dashed aside as the creature's claw carved through a tree trunk. Splinters exploded. Ruko's movements flowed like water—calm, precise, unhurried. His hand glowed faintly red.
> [Skill: True Copy – Initiate.]
The beast lunged again, and he mirrored its motion perfectly—its own swipe redirected back into its body. A hiss, then black blood sprayed across the dirt. It stumbled but didn't fall. It learned.
> [Yew]: It's adapting to your copied rhythm. Recommendation: Disengage.
Ruko grinned. "Recommendation denied."
He slid under its next strike, his fingers tracing a sigil mid-air.
> [Rewrite: Impact Delay × 3.]
He struck once, lightly, then stepped back. The hit seemed to do nothing—until three seconds later.
Boom. The creature's chest imploded, shadow scattering into fragments of smoke and ash.
Ruko stood still, eyes half-lidded. "Not bad. But that took more stamina than expected."
> [System Notice: Physical Drain – 12%.]
[Stabilization: Ongoing.]
As the ash settled, the obelisk pulsed brighter, absorbing what remained of the creature's essence. Its surface shifted, revealing hidden carvings—ancient text glowing faint blue.
Ruko traced the letters. "Looks like coordinates… and a warning?"
> [Yew]: Translation: 'Do not awaken the second gate until your second memory fragment return.'
Ruko tilted his head, whispering, "Guess I'm still locked out then."
He glanced up. The sky above the canopy had dimmed—twilight already creeping in. A faint chill brushed the air, carrying a voice only he could hear.
"Find the roots, shadow child…"
Ruko froze. The tone wasn't Yew's; it was softer, older—something that felt familiar, yet distant. His chest tightened for a moment before he shook it off.
> [System Notice: External Transmission Detected.]
[Source Unknown.]
[Yew]: "Host, this isn't within the Sealer's network. It's something… older."
Ruko's smirk returned, faint but sharp. "Then maybe it was my past ancesters who I dont want to meet yet."
>[Yew]: Sorry host they are not existed," Ruko is shocked. "Huh then why do I feel like someone is calling me."
>[Yew]: Sorry can't recommend that answer," Ruko felt uneasy about this memory or whatnot is going on. "Well let's get the Relic or whatever it is."
He pressed his palm against the obelisk once more. A single spark ran up his arm, disappearing into his veins. For an instant, his shadow rippled—stretching wider than his body, taking the faint outline of wings before fading.
> [System Notice: Bloodline Sync Progress – 0.92%.]
"Slow and steady, huh," he murmured, pulling his hood up. "Fine by me cause i like a long journey to get strong anyway."
With the forest growing still behind him, Ruko turned back toward the path leading deeper into the wild. Somewhere ahead lay another fragment—and perhaps a clue to why the world itself trembled when he breathed.
The obelisk pulsed once more after he left, releasing a faint whisper into the wind.
"The last of Jizuko walks again…"