The Eternal Tavern hummed with life as the night deepened, its warm glow a beacon against the encroaching darkness outside. The chaos of the earlier fight had settled, replaced by the familiar rhythm of clinking mugs, raucous laughter, and the low murmur of stories swapped across tables. The runes on the walls pulsed softly, their light dimming to a gentle amber, as if the tavern itself were exhaling after the Shadow Wraith's defeat. Elias Varn stood behind the counter, pouring a shimmering blue ale for a dwarf with a braided beard, his movements fluid despite the faint ache in his chest—a reminder of his curse and the Vitality Points he'd burned.
The tavern was packed tonight. The mercenaries, led by the scarred Gorran, were in high spirits, toasting Elias's victory with mugs of his finest mead. Lirien, the silver-haired elf, had returned to her tome but occasionally glanced at Elias, her sharp eyes hinting at unspoken questions. Kaelith, the winged courier, was now mediating a truce between the goblin Taz and a new patron—a hulking orc with a warhammer propped against his chair. In the corner, the hooded man with fiery eyes remained, sipping his drink and watching the room with an intensity that set Elias's instincts on edge.
Ping!
The Vitality System's chime cut through Elias's thoughts, and a translucent screen appeared, its golden letters glowing with urgency.
Vitality System: Bonus Objective Reminder. Objective: Discover the Shadow Wraith's origin within 21 hours. Reward: +20 Vitality Points. Penalty for Failure: -100 Vitality Points. Current Vitality: 335/500. Additional Hint: The answer lies within the tavern's walls.
Elias's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. A hundred-point penalty? That was half a month's worth of life, maybe more. The system was rarely this harsh, which meant the wraith's appearance was no random attack. The hint—within the tavern's walls—was vague but pointed. The Eternal Tavern was more than a building; it was a nexus, a convergence of realms, and its walls held secrets even Elias hadn't fully uncovered. He'd inherited the tavern five years ago, along with the curse, and while he'd mastered its basic functions, its deeper mysteries remained elusive.
He handed the dwarf his ale, flashing a grin. "Careful with this one, Brak. It's brewed with starlight. Might make you see things."
The dwarf chuckled, his beard quivering. "If I start seein' unicorns, I'm blamin' you, Varn."
Elias laughed, but his mind was elsewhere. The [Fragment of the Void] from the wraith's defeat sat in his system inventory, a dark shard pulsing with an energy that felt... wrong. The [Mystic Brew Recipe] was safer—a formula for a drink that could restore mana and vitality, potentially easing his curse's drain. But the fragment? It was a clue, maybe the key to the bonus objective. He needed to investigate, but the tavern demanded his attention, and the night was far from over.
As he wiped down the counter, Kaelith approached, her black wings rustling softly. "You're brooding," she said, leaning against the bar. "That's not like you."
Elias raised an eyebrow, his smile returning. "Brooding? Me? I'm the picture of sunshine, Kaelith."
She snorted, her sharp features softening. "You just fought a Shadow Wraith like it was a bar brawl, but you look like you're carrying the weight of the world. Spill it, Elias. What's got you so tense?"
He hesitated. Kaelith was a friend—or as close to one as he allowed himself to have. Her work with the Sky Guild made her a valuable ally, and her sharp wit matched his own. But his curse and the system were private burdens, ones he'd never fully shared. Still, the wraith's words—the gods themselves want this nexus—and the system's hint suggested he couldn't tackle this alone.
"Ever hear of someone targeting the tavern?" he asked, keeping his tone casual. "Not just troublemakers, but... something bigger. Organized."
Kaelith's eyes narrowed, her wings twitching. "The Eternal Tavern's a legend. Everyone knows it's a neutral ground, a place where realms meet. But that makes it a target, doesn't it? Power attracts power."
Elias nodded, pouring her a glass of the blue ale. "And trouble. That wraith wasn't here for the drinks."
She took the glass, her fingers brushing his. "You think it was sent? By who?"
"That's what I need to find out," he said, glancing at the hooded man in the corner. "And I've got a feeling our quiet friend over there knows more than he's letting on."
Kaelith followed his gaze, her expression darkening. "He's been here all night, barely said a word. You want me to dig into him? Sky Guild's got ears everywhere."
Elias shook his head. "Not yet. Let's see if he makes a move first."
As Kaelith returned to her table, Elias's attention shifted to the tavern itself. The system's hint suggested the answer was here, within the walls. The Eternal Tavern was alive in its own way, its runes tied to the nexus's power. He'd explored its hidden rooms before—cellars that led to pocket dimensions, attics that opened to starlit voids—but there was one place he rarely visited: the Vault.
Tucked beneath the tavern, sealed by runes only the keeper could unlock, the Vault held relics from past keepers, artifacts of the nexus, and records of its history. If the wraith's origin was tied to the tavern, the Vault was the place to start. But opening it would cost energy, and energy meant Vitality Points.
Ping!
Vitality System: New Optional Mission Available!
Mission: "Secrets of the Vault."
Objective: Access the Vault and uncover clues about the Shadow Wraith's origin. Reward: +10 Vitality Points, [Unknown Artifact]. Cost: -20 Vitality Points to unlock the Vault. Accept? [Y/N]
Elias grimaced. Twenty points to unlock the Vault was steep, but the penalty for failing the bonus objective was far worse. He mentally selected Y, feeling a faint burn in his chest as the system deducted the points.
Current Vitality: 315/500.
He slipped out from behind the counter, nodding to a barmaid—a cheerful halfling named Mira—to take over. "Keep things under control, Mira," he said. "I've got business downstairs."
Mira winked, already pouring drinks with practiced ease. "Don't blow up the place, boss."
Elias chuckled, but his mood was grim as he descended a spiral staircase hidden behind a tapestry. The air grew colder, the runes on the walls glowing brighter as he approached the Vault's door—a slab of obsidian carved with interlocking sigils. He pressed his hand against it, his scars flaring, and the door groaned open, revealing a chamber lit by floating orbs of light.
The Vault was a cavernous space, its walls lined with shelves holding artifacts: a cracked sword pulsing with divine energy, a crystal orb that whispered in forgotten tongues, scrolls sealed with wax that burned without heat. In the center stood a stone pedestal with a book bound in black leather, its cover etched with the same runes as the tavern's walls.
Elias approached the book, his heart pounding—not from fear, but from the curse's ever-present ache. He opened it, and the pages glowed, revealing entries written by past keepers. Most were mundane: records of patrons, trades, and repairs. But one entry, written in a sharp, angular script, caught his eye.
"The Shadow Wraiths serve the Forgotten Pantheon, gods cast out by their kin. They seek the nexus to unbind their masters. The tavern must never fall. If it does, the realms will bleed."
Elias's blood ran cold. The Forgotten Pantheon? He'd heard rumors—whispers of gods so ancient their names were erased from history. If they were behind the wraith, this was bigger than a single attack. He flipped through more pages, finding sketches of artifacts, including one that matched the [Fragment of the Void] in his inventory: a shard used to summon wraiths, tied to a ritual called the Unbinding.
Ping!
Vitality System: Bonus Objective Progress Updated.
Clue Found: Shadow Wraiths linked to the Forgotten Pantheon.
Next Step: Identify the wraith's summoner within the tavern. Reward Progress: +5 Vitality Points.
Current Vitality: 320/500.
Elias closed the book, his mind racing. The summoner was still here, among his patrons. He pocketed the [Fragment of the Void], its dark energy prickling his skin, and headed back upstairs. The tavern was as lively as ever, but now every face seemed suspect. The mercenaries? Too rowdy to be subtle. Lirien? Her magic was too pure for void rituals. Kaelith and Taz? Unlikely, but not impossible.
His gaze settled on the hooded man again. The fiery-eyed stranger hadn't moved, but his presence felt heavier now, like a storm waiting to break. Elias approached, his smile casual but his senses sharp.
"Enjoying the night?" he asked, leaning against the man's table.
The stranger's eyes met his, burning like twin suns. "You're a curious one, Varn," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "Most men would've died facing that wraith. Yet here you are, playing host."
Elias shrugged, his grin masking his suspicion. "It's my tavern. Comes with the job. You got a name, friend?"
The man paused, then smiled faintly. "Call me Drenvar. Just a traveler, like the rest."
"Drenvar," Elias repeated, testing the name. It felt heavy, like a lie. "Stick around. Things get interesting here."
As he walked away, Elias's mind churned. Drenvar was hiding something, but so were half the patrons in the room. He needed more information, and the night was young. For now, he'd keep the tavern running, his eyes open, and his power ready. The gods might want his nexus, but Elias Varn wasn't giving it up without a fight.