Chapter 6 – Echoes of Instinct
The sun hung low, bleeding orange across the rooftops of the beginner village. Asura walked its cobbled streets with deliberate pace, drawing subtle glances from the Natives. They could tell he was an adventurer—an outsider—but more than that, some sensed something deeper. He had arrived earlier than foretold. And that alone made the air uneasy.
He had already completed a string of quests earlier in the day—eliminating a rogue beast pack near the south ridge, retrieving lost heirlooms for the blacksmith, and neutralizing a corrupted totem on the edge of the farming district. All standard, all routine. But it was experience, and he needed every scrap.
[Level Up: Asura – Level 6 | EXP: 4800/6400]
Now, with his sword sheathed and the village momentarily peaceful, he turned his steps toward the apothecary just off the town square—a modest stone structure nestled between two garden walls. It wouldn't remain quiet for long. Once the other players arrived, this place would be swarming with customers.
But for now, it was still his world alone.
Asura entered the shop, nodding briefly at the distracted herbalist behind the counter. He'd passed through this place many times in his previous life, never once thinking it held any secrets. But this time—
[Foreshadow Activated]
A golden shimmer pulsed faintly along the back wall of the shop. Just a flicker. Nothing someone without his gift would notice. But to him, it was a flare.
He slipped past the counter and pressed against the glow. With a soft click, the panel gave way, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling downward into the earth.
[Hidden Zone Discovered: Secret Merchant – Restricted Native Access]
It wasn't a cellar. It was a secret shop—stone floors, crystal lights, rare weapons and relics stacked in glass cases. There were items here that belonged in capital cities, not the outskirts of creation.
And behind the counter stood a woman who absolutely didn't belong here.
Her long violet hair shimmered with a faint iridescence, her robes embroidered with constellations that moved subtly. She didn't look surprised to see him.
"You're early," she said, her voice low and oddly calming.
"I didn't make an appointment."
"No. But your aura did."
[Native Identified: Lysaria – Shop Keeper | Origin: Unknown | Inspection Incomplete: Tier Too High]
Asura approached slowly, eyes scanning the shelves. The soft thrum of latent magic buzzed faintly in the air. The items were powerful, most completely out of place in a town this low-tier.
"You shouldn't be here," he murmured.
"Neither should you. But fate has its own map." She tilted her head. "What are you?"
Asura didn't answer. Nearby, a glass case shimmered, labeled with signs written in both runes and Old Tongue:
One pulsed faintly in his direction—Moonroot Elixir.
Something in his spine tightened. He picked it up.
He moved methodically, examining each item:
Moonroot Elixir – Rare lunar-based potion capable of healing divine or corrupted beings. Plays a vital role in certain hidden quests.
Embercore of Aetheris – A concentrated flame relic once used by ancient phoenix-blooded healers. When consumed by a compatible vessel, it can reignite severed magical pathways and restore the dormant essence of flame-aligned bloodlines. Rumored to be capable of triggering lineage healing if bonded through flame and flesh.
Moonflare Bombs (x3) – Alchemical explosives that disorient enemies and lower light-aligned resistance.
Scroll of Void Lash – Tier 1 Attack Magic; channels chaos energy into a ranged whip strike.
Spectral Step Manual – Skill book; temporarily phases the user through solid matter.
Gravetide Cloak – A shadow-woven cloak that grants immunity to fear and status effects.
Spell: Frost Reap – Cold-element AOE burst with lingering slowing effect.
Memory Stone – Blank – Can permanently store one skill or spell of the user's choosing.
Prices gleamed in numbers well beyond what any beginners could afford. Purchasing the elixir, Embercore, and bombs came up to 11,500,000 Myznar.
[Currency Deducted: 1 Platinum + 150 Gold Coins]
Lysaria's gaze lingered on him as he finished selecting his purchases. "You carry too many destinies for one soul."
"That's the problem," he replied, placing the last of his gold down.
"When you are done with your quest return here. I will have a gift for you."
Night fell quickly.
Asura stood at the edge of the northern caves, the moon cresting the jagged mountains overhead. His breath misted in the cold. No monsters roamed. No ambient noise. Only silence and pressure.
[Hidden Quest Zone Entered: Blessing of the Hidden Star]
Condition: Solo Player. Timer: 6 Nights Remaining.
He descended slowly.
At the heart of the cavern, amidst cracked stone and ancient bones, a great beast lay curled—silver-furred, massive even in its wounded state. Chains lay shattered around her. Her breath was shallow. Her flank burned with old scarring.
Fenrir.
She opened her eyes as he approached. Amber light met blood-red. She did not rise. She did not growl. But the cave shifted under the weight of her gaze.
Asura knelt. He removed the Moonroot Elixir and set it beside her muzzle.
"I didn't come to kill you," he murmured. "But I'll finish it if you force my hand."
She didn't move. Only sniffed.
Then drank.
And everything shifted.
The elixir ignited her blood. Her wounds began to mend. Her aura surged—primal and feminine, ancient and newly awakened. Her form shifted, bones reshaping, light bleeding from her skin.
And before him stood a woman.
Barefoot. Silver-haired. Shorter than him by a head. Clad in nothing but the remnants of divine mist.
Her eyes burned.
The scent hit her first—his bloodlust, barely restrained, burning under the surface. The Asura bloodline pulsed. Red mist licked from his skin.
Her breath hitched. A growl built in her throat.
Instinct collided with instinct.
And the cave erupted.
Not in violence. Not in battle.
But in fire.
The flames were not destructive, but consuming. Asura's senses dimmed beneath their heat. Fenrir's lips found his neck, her growl vibrating against his skin. His vision turned red. Her nails raked over his back, dragging out sparks from the burning power coiled just beneath his surface.
His hands found her hips. Her lips met his. There was no hesitation—only release.
Two ancient forces, long denied. Her divine instincts, his berserk Asura blood.
They collided in shadow and flame, the cavern trembling from the echoes of their storm. Flesh, heat, breath—all tangled in instinct's spiral. What had begun as chance evolved into something uncontrollable, inevitable.
Neither dominance nor submission. Just need.
Later, only silence remained.
Her head rested against his shoulder. His hand lay across her waist. Both breathed in sync. The tension of centuries unraveled between them.
[Bond Formed: Fenrir – Phase I]
Passive Unlocked: Fenrir's Loyalty – Celestial bond may manifest once per lunar cycle during mortal peril.
[System Notification – Hidden Quest Triggered]
Quest: "Fangs Beneath the Moon" (Epic Rank – 4 Stars)
Origin: ???
Through your divine union, Fenrir has become pregnant with your child. This hidden bloodline will carry traces of the ancient storm, and fate will ensure its protection—or destruction.
Objective: Await birth of the first Divine-Hybrid offspring.
Optional Objectives: Strengthen bond with Fenrir | Unlock shared combat techniques | Discover the prophecy of the Moon-Blooded
Rewards:
Title: Father of Storms – Lightning affinity skills gain +10% damage when protecting bonded family.
Skill: Thunderstep (Active) – Instantly dash forward with lightning; stuns nearby enemies on arrival.
Passive: Fenrir's Instinct – Enhances reflexes during ambushes and heightens perception in low-light environments.
Unlock Future Chain Quest: Moon-Blood Legacy
This quest is now bound to your bloodline.
A sudden, sharp burn flared across the center of Asura's chest, searing like molten silk beneath his skin. He hissed, staggering as if struck, the pain radiating outward from the very place the aurora mark lay hidden. Before he could react further, a new kind of status screen shimmered to life before his eyes—not the familiar blue or red of the system's norm, but a mesmerizing aurora of colors.
[Divine System Override Detected]
Multiple Divine Eyes Upon You… Several Sealed Blessings Detected. Quests Awaiting Discovery. Conditions Hidden Until Fulfillment.
Hidden Divine Quest Updated – "In the Wake of Desire" (Divine Rank – ??? Stars) Condition Fulfilled: Sleep with a woman more than three tiers above your current power level.
Quest Reasoning: The Goddess of Love observed the fire of your devotion— for the sister fate once denied you. Against impossible odds, you never wavered. Moved by your passion, she bestows this thread of love upon you. You are deserving of a powerful and beautiful family in this life.
Rewards Unlocked:
[New Status Branch Unlocked: Divine Favor] – This section of your status is sealed from normal system restrictions. Any Skills or Talents obtained here do not occupy existing active/passive slots.
Divine Favor: Kiss of the Velvet Rose • Trait: Heart of Duality – +10% combat stats when protecting a bonded soul. • +3 Luck Stat • Fertility Blessing – Any child born from your loins will develop rapidly and carry latent potential shaped by your bloodline. • Charisma Aura – Naturally attracts strong, powerful women from afar. +75 Charm (Hidden Attribute Revealed)
This thread has only just begun, and many more blessings lie veiled, waiting to be unraveled.
Asura exhaled slowly. The blood-mist that had clung to his skin—visible and pulsing since the dungeon—was gone. A quiet stillness hung in its place.
But something new stirred.
A soft shimmer pulsed from the center of the cavern, guiding his eyes toward an altar carved from blackened stone.
Yet something else stirred—subtle, feral, ancient.
When his hand touched the stone—
[Chain Quest Activated: Jade of the Moon – Fragment I]
[Memory Echo Initiated: Moon Jade Fragment I – Cutscene Playing]
A rush of moonlight and shadow. Screams twisted into silence. Radiant beams clashed against blackened flame. A goddess cried out, her sacred stone shattered in a moment of betrayal—its purity tainted, its heart broken. The echo of lunar divinity whispered: Make me whole again.
The sun god, driven by obsession, sought what could never be his. On the rare lunar eclipse, when their celestial paths brushed, he struck. Out of jealousy, he cursed her heart—splitting the Moon Jade into five fragments.
Nyx, primordial goddess of the night, bore witness to the crime. In sorrow and vengeance, she scattered the shards across the lands, shielding them from all but the chosen—so that one day, her dearest daughter might be freed from the crimson curse.
[Chain Quest Available – "Curse of the Moonjade" (Epic Rank – 5-Part Series)]
Restore the five shattered fragments of the Moon Goddess's sacred stone.
Find the descendant of the moon to purify them.
Accept Quest? [YES] [NO]
Asura chose YES.
[Chain Quest Accepted: Curse of the Moonjade – Phase I Complete]
Reward: Moon Knight Armor (Bound) | Skill Gained: Lunar Mantle – Passive Damage Resistance in Moonlight
Darkness surged from the crimson stone, wrapping around Asura's limbs, torso, and face. Cold yet electric, it moved with eerie purpose. He gritted his teeth as shadows solidified into a full-body armor—sleek, obsidian with veins of lunar silver pulsing beneath its surface.
[New Equipment Acquired: Moon Knight Armor – Bound to Asura]
Armor Skills Gained:
Lunar Mantle (Passive) – Reduces damage by 15% when under moonlight.
Shadow Cloak (Active) – Become intangible for 2 seconds; 20 sec cooldown.
Nocturne Step (Passive) – Movement speed +10% at night.
Moonbrand (Passive) – Attacks leave a stacking debuff in darkness; 3 stacks trigger a slow.
Lunarsurge (Active) – Once per night, unleash a burst of lunar energy dealing AOE magic damage and restoring 10% HP.
[System Notification – Hidden Quest Triggered] You have uncovered the truth of the ***** Temporary Blessing. It now awakens as: Blessing of Nyx.
[Divine Favor: Embrace of the Umbral Queen] •Gain passive night vision and detect hidden paths in shadowed areas. • +10 Agility during nighttime or in shadow-infused zones. • Immune to fear, illusions, and possession attempts from dark-aligned foes. • May learn Shadow/Umbral skills without consuming a skill slot. • Domain Skill: Midnight Sanctuary (Active) – Shrouds the surrounding area in magical night for 30 seconds. All allies gain +15% agility and +10% evasion. Cooldown: 6 hours.
Carries high reputation with followers of night, shadow cults, and moon-bound sects. May open unique dialogue or quest options among their ranks.
This quest is now bound to your soul. It cannot be discarded.
Other divine blessings hidden within remain veiled—awaiting discovery.
[Cursed Sword – Sealed] has reacted to an unknown relic… The trapped soul begins to stir…]
Near the base of the altar lay a fractured sword—jagged, rusted with time but humming faintly with pressure that did not belong in this era. The moment Asura stepped near, the sealed blade on his back pulsed—heat rippling through its hilt.
[Devour Compatibility Detected: Fractured Eclipse Blade]
Warning: Feeding may trigger dormant soul response.
Proceed?
He drew the cursed sword slowly, its weight heavier than before. He didn't understand its name or its origin. The system had always identified it as nothing more than:
[Weapon: Cursed Sword – Sealed]
But it responded to hunger.
He fed it the fractured blade.
The reaction was immediate.
The cursed sword trembled, rattling violently in his hands before tearing itself free and rising in the air. A vortex of shadow coiled around it—tendrils of smoke and violet flame licking the blade's jagged edges. The half-destroyed form began to reforge, molten steel and darkness melding as the relic fragment was devoured.
[Seal Break Initiated – Phase 1: Sword Awakening in Progress…]
Rusted edges straightened. A broken hilt twisted into a snarling wolf's head. A crimson core beat at the sword's center, like a second heart fused with his own.
[Weapon Transformation: Cursed Sword – Desiccated Form → Ravenous Edge (Dormant)]
New Trait Gained: Waking Hunger – Blade now absorbs 1% of total damage dealt as vitality.
New Skill Unlocked: Crimson Rend (Active) – Unleash a devastating sword strike imbued with cursed energy. Deals 150% weapon damage and causes a Bleed effect that scales with user's Strength. Cooldown: 8 hours.
A low hum echoed through the cave. Then a whisper.
"Finally… a worthy soul."
A voice—faint, genderless, ancient—flickered through his mind and vanished.
He staggered slightly. The newly transformed blade gleamed in the cavern's low light. A single rune had appeared—indecipherable, glowing red along the weapon's spine.
Before he could fully reflect on the change, Driscoll emerged from the shadowed edge of the chamber and, with practiced care, retrieved the crimson Moon Jade fragment. The silent guardian nodded once before fading into the shadows beyond.
Behind him, a soft growl stirred. Fenrir shifted, rousing from slumber once more. Asura turned to face her—his eyes immediately drawn to the glowing number hovering faintly above her womb: [56 Days Remaining].
He said nothing.
Fenrir smirked, stepping closer. "At last, I am no longer chained to this cave. The world will remember the wrath of the mighty fenrir. And should any fool try to hurt what's mine—"
Her hand gently brushed the bite mark she had left earlier along his neck. "—they'll learn what it means to challenge my mate."
She leaned in, whispered against his ear, then vanished into silver mist—leaving behind only scent and memory.
Asura took one last glance at the altar, then ascended the steps.
Night reigned above ground.
[Passive Activated: Umbral Queen's Favor] – Double EXP gain while in nighttime territory.
With Ravenous Edge in hand and armor pulsing with lunar power, Asura unleashed himself upon the world.
Bandit camps fell.
Beast dens emptied.
Dungeons once thought unbreachable—cleared by a single shadow.
[LEVEL UP: Asura – Level 10 Reached]
ASURA - LEVEL: 10
Exp: 3000 / 102400
Title: Blessing of Nyx, Chosen One, First Ancestral Line, Awakened (25%), Ghostbane Monarch, Child of the Crimson Line (Tier 0), Trailbreaker, Lone Monarch,
Bloodline: Asura (unsealed)
Physique: Void Chaos Physique, Bloody Monarch Physique
HP: 10650
MP: 1168
Attributes (48):
Strength: 222[22+0+0+200]
Agility: 232 [22+10+0+200]
Vitality: 212 [12+0+0+200]
Defense: 212 [12+0+0+200]
Intelligence: 232[52+0+0+180]
Luck: 51 [Critical Hit Rate/Treasure Drop]
Spirit: 25
Charm: 85
Divine Favor: Kiss of the Velvet Rose - Embrace of the Umbral Queen (Click to expand)
Reputation: Error Feared by all by ancestral name NPC will feel more inclined to gift enhanced reward
Job/Class: None
Weapon Mastery: Sword (19%)
Talent: Foreshadow, Backlash, Soul bound Echo
Racial Traits: Asura Wrath, Asura Aura, Blood Boost, Backlash
Skill Points: 29
Active Skill: Foresight (Level 0, 12%), [Slot 2] [SLOT 3] [SLOT 4] [SLOT 5]
Passive Skill: [SLOT 1] [SLOT 2] [SLOT 3] [SLOT 4] [SLOT 5]
Currency: 1,000,048,534,800 Myznar
[BRONZE: 1000/SILVER: 38/GOLD: 5853/PLATINUM: 99,999]
Inventory: Moonflare Bombs x3, Embercore of Aetheris [EXPAND FOR MORE]