The dim light of an oil lamp cast dancing shadows on the cavern walls as Richard intensely observed the Guardian's chest. Nearly thirty hours had passed since he escaped from the Veil Society with the precious artifact, and the countdown that the system had imposed echoed in his mind like an ominous drum.
[**Mission in progress: Open the Guardian's Chest**]
[**Time remaining: 6 hours**]
[**Status: Apprentice of the Veil (level 2)**]
[**Mana: 17/19**]
"Six hours," he murmured, running his fingers over the intricate symbols engraved on the surface of the chest. "The system said I needed to reach Level 2, and now I've achieved it, but..."
His eyes settled on the description that had appeared when he first found the chest: "Requirements for opening: Ritual of Blood and Knowledge." The required level was only part of the equation; the ritual was the key.
The chest rested on a small rock formation, surrounded by Emily's amulet and the harmonization disk, forming the same perfect triangle that had worked to amplify his mana. Next to these objects, Richard had placed the Core fragment obtained in the temple, hoping its energy could help in the ritual.
Elyndra entered the chamber, her ethereal presence illuminating the space with a subtle silver glow.
"Your time is running out," she said, kneeling beside him. "If you don't open the chest before the time limit expires, the energy contained inside could destabilize."
Richard looked at her with concern.
"What will happen if that occurs?"
"The ancient knowledge could be lost forever," she responded gravely. "Or worse still, become corrupted and turn into something dangerous. Ancestral artifacts aren't simple objects; they contain living energy that responds to certain conditions."
"The ritual..." Richard began, feeling the pieces starting to fit together. "'Blood and Knowledge.' The blood I understand, but what knowledge do I need to offer?"
Elyndra observed the chest intensely, as if she were reading something invisible to Richard.
"Knowledge isn't just information, Richard. It's understanding. The fragment you obtained in the temple represents a type of pure ancestral knowledge, a fundamental understanding of the nature of the veil. You'll have to offer both blood and the fragment."
Richard reflected on this. The fragment was valuable, crucial for his mission to find the others and restore balance. But if he didn't open the chest, everything could be in vain.
"The chest contains something important, doesn't it? Do you know what's inside?"
Elyndra shook her head.
"Each Guardian's chest is unique, adapted to its bearer. What yours contains only you will be able to discover. But I can help you with the ritual. I've guided other guardians in the past."
Richard nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility. Five hours and forty minutes remaining.
"Show me what I must do."
---
Under Elyndra's guidance, Richard prepared the ritual. He drew a circle with blue crystal dust around the chest and the artifacts. At the cardinal points of the circle, he placed small luminescent stones that Elyndra provided him.
"Rhythm is important," she explained while guiding him. "The ancients understood that time itself is a component of power. Synchronize your breathing with the pulse of the fragment."
Richard closed his eyes, concentrating on feeling the pulsing energy of the crystalline fragment. Slowly, his breathing began to match the subtle rhythm of the ancestral object.
"Now," continued Elyndra, "you must perform the invocation while activating the Arcane Reading ability. The words will emerge from the connection between your mind and the symbols on the chest."
"And the blood?" asked Richard, opening his eyes.
"At the end. When the symbols respond, you'll know the moment."
Richard activated the Arcane Reading ability, focusing on the intricate engravings of the chest. The symbols began to glow faintly, reorganizing themselves before his eyes to form words in a language he had never studied but somehow could understand.
[**Enhanced Arcane Reading activated**]
[**Mana: 16/19**]
[**Translating ancestral inscription...**]
With a firm voice, Richard began to recite:
"*Anu-en-ki-ga, mashkim-hul ba-ra-en. Im-dugud-mušen-gal, ka-ta bala-e. Ur-sag-me-šár-ra, nam-ti-la ba-an-šúm.*"
The symbols on the chest glowed with greater intensity with each word pronounced, as if they recognized Richard's voice. The circle of crystal dust began to emit a bluish glow that rose forming a column of ethereal light around the ritual.
Elyndra observed with a solemn expression, but Richard perceived a flash of amazement in her silver eyes, as if she were witnessing something unexpected.
"Continue," she encouraged him. "The chest is responding to your lineage."
Richard continued reciting phrases that appeared in his mind, words in a language predating any known civilization. As he progressed, he felt something awakening within him, as if each syllable pronounced activated an ancestral memory dormant in his blood.
[**Synchronization with ancestral artifact in progress**]
[**Lineage resonance detected: 42%**]
[**Mana: 14/19**]
When the last word left his lips, the chest emitted a pulse of energy that reverberated through the cavern. The symbols engraved on its surface reorganized once more, forming a single central symbol: the spiral surrounded by eyes.
"It's time," said Elyndra with a tense voice. "The guardian's blood must seal the pact."
Richard took a small ritual dagger that Elyndra had prepared. With a decisive movement, he made a precise cut on the palm of his left hand. The blood flowed, bright and warm, as he let it drip over the spiral symbol of the chest.
"*With my blood I offer life. With my knowledge I offer light*," pronounced Richard, following the instinctive guidance he felt arising within himself.
He placed the Core fragment on the chest, next to the drops of his blood. For an instant, nothing happened, and Richard feared he had failed.
Then, the fragment began to dissolve, transforming into liquid light that merged with his blood. The mixture of blood and light was absorbed into the engravings of the chest, causing each line, each curve, each symbol to shine with blinding intensity.
An ancient mechanism emitted a soft but unmistakable click. The lid of the chest opened slightly, releasing a beam of golden light.
[**Ritual successfully completed**]
[**Mission accomplished: Guardian's Chest opened**]
[**Time remaining: 4 hours 12 minutes**]
[**Reward: +2 maximum mana capacity (21/21)**]
[**New ability unlocked: Arcane Channeling**]
Richard exchanged a look with Elyndra, who nodded slightly, encouraging him to continue. With trembling hands, he fully opened the chest.
Inside there were no jewels, nor gold, nor any material wealth. Instead, there rested an ancient rolled parchment, whose surface seemed to glow with its own light. Next to the parchment was a small metallic object the size of a medallion, engraved with the same spiral symbol.
"The Scroll of Vision," murmured Elyndra, with evident surprise in her voice. "And the Guardian's Seal. I haven't seen these relics together since..."
She stopped abruptly, as if she had been about to reveal too much.
Richard carefully took the parchment. Upon unrolling it, he saw no written text, but a blank surface that glowed softly.
"It's empty," he said, puzzled.
"It's not empty," corrected Elyndra. "The Scroll of Vision doesn't show its content until the bearer is ready. It's a living relic, a physical manifestation of ancestral knowledge. It will reveal its content when you need it, not when you desire it."
Richard then took the medallion, the Guardian's Seal. As he held it, he felt an immediate connection, as if the object had been waiting for him. He turned it between his fingers, studying the intricate engravings on its surface.
"What is it for?"
"The Seal will allow you to access places hidden from others, doors and passages that only the Guardians can perceive," explained Elyndra. "It's a key, an identifier, and a focus to channel your energy. With it, you'll be able to activate certain ancestral mechanisms and communicate with other bearers of similar seals."
Richard reverently stored both objects, feeling that he had taken another step in his understanding of the mysterious legacy to which he was connected.
The system updated his information:
[**New items acquired:**]
[**- Scroll of Vision (Unique object)**]
[**- Guardian's Seal (Equipable: +15% mana efficiency when active)**]
[**Guardian Lineage: 45% awakened**]
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the cavern changed. A feeling of alertness, almost electric, seemed to charge the air. Elyndra tensed, turning abruptly toward the entrance of the chamber.
"They've found us," she said with a tense voice. "The Veil Society... and they're not alone."
Richard felt a chill run down his spine. Quickly, he stored the new artifacts in his backpack along with the empty chest.
"How? This place was protected."
"Someone has guided them here," responded Elyndra, with a somber expression. "There's a traitor among those who know our location."
The disturbing thought crossed Richard's mind: Emily? Jake? Elliot? Or one of Elyndra's contacts?
"What do we do now?"
Elyndra drew her crystal dagger, which began to shine with an intense silver light.
"I will hold them back. You must escape with the Seal and the Scroll. Head south, toward the mountains. There's another refuge there, marked on this map."
She handed him an ancient map with barely visible marks that seemed to glow under certain light.
"And what about you?" asked Richard, resisting the idea of abandoning her.
"My duty is to protect the legacy," she responded with determination. "And now you are part of that legacy. Don't worry about me, I've eluded the Veil Society for centuries."
The sound of approaching vehicles reached them, followed by voices and footsteps. The Veil Society was close, very close.
Richard activated the system, checking his options:
[**Tactical analysis:**]
[**- Southern escape route: 67% probability of success**]
[**- Wind Steps available: Estimated duration 22 seconds with current mana**]
[**- New item: Guardian's Seal can hide magical presence if activated**]
He placed the Seal around his neck, immediately feeling how it resonated with his energy. A subtle field formed around him, like a cloak that blurred his arcane presence.
"Go," insisted Elyndra. "We'll meet in the mountains if I can get away from this. If not... find Emily. Her grandmother left her more knowledge than she herself understands."
Richard nodded, pressing the Seal against his chest.
"I'll come back for you," he promised.
Elyndra smiled, a strangely tender gesture on her normally serene face.
"I'll be fine. It's the Seekers who should worry."
With those words, she headed toward the entrance of the cavern, her slender figure subtly transforming as she advanced. A silver energy enveloped her, and for an instant, Richard thought he saw another creature in her place: something ancient and powerful, with multiple appendages and eyes that shone with primordial wisdom.
Richard waited no longer. Activating Wind Steps, he slipped toward the back passage that Elyndra had shown him days earlier, an escape route that wound through rock formations until exiting several kilometers to the south.
[**Wind Steps activated**]
[**Optimized consumption thanks to the Seal: 0.6/second**]
[**Mana: 15/21**]
As he ran at superhuman speed, Richard felt the weight of his new responsibility. He was no longer just an archaeology student caught in an ancestral mystery. He was a Guardian in training, bearer of ancient relics, part of a legacy that he was just beginning to understand.
Behind him, he heard the roar of a magical combat beginning. Rays of light and explosions of energy briefly illuminated the night sky. Elyndra was waging a battle to give him time to escape.
With the Guardian's Seal against his chest, the Scroll of Vision in his backpack, and the determination of a man who had finally found his purpose, Richard Wonder ventured into the darkness of the desert, heading toward an uncertain future but one charged with ancestral possibilities.
[**New mission available**]
[**Objective: Reach the refuge in the mountains**]
[**Time limit: 48 hours**]
[**Warning: Multiple factions are seeking the artifacts you carry**]
The desert wind would soon erase his tracks, but the path he had begun to travel was already marked in a tapestry much older than the desert itself.