Fogmere Marsh wasn't just dangerous—it was wrong.
Kael pushed deeper into the mist-choked wetlands, every step squelching through black muck and tangled roots. The trees leaned too far, as if eavesdropping. Time felt loose, stretched. More than once, Kael found himself walking in circles until he forced himself to mark trees with blade nicks.
On the third day, he found the ruin.
It rose like a half-buried skull in the swamp, moss-covered and ancient. Obsidian stones jutted from the earth in a wide ring, surrounding a central temple, half-sunken and pulsing faintly with a red glow.
This was no ordinary ruin.
System Alert:
[Dungeon Entrance Detected: Temple of the Forgotten Flame]
Type: Cursed Domain – Restricted Access
Recommended Level: 12+
You are currently Level: 6
Warning: Risk of Permanent Soul Injury.
Kael stared at the entrance.
He should turn back.
But a second prompt appeared—
New Quest Unlocked: [Echoes of the Dead]
Objective: Investigate the Temple. Survive.
Reward: Unknown
Bonus: ??? if completed before midnight.
"…Great," Kael muttered. "It's timed."
He lit a torch and stepped inside.
The air was heavy, charged with something old. Shadows clung to the walls like memories. Strange carvings marked the stone—twisted figures with empty eyes, kneeling before a pillar of flame.
As Kael descended, the torch sputtered—and died.
Total darkness.
Then… a whisper.
"Flame… forgotten… feed us…"
Kael spun, weapon raised.
Out of the dark, they came—shades, flickering forms with hollow chests and skeletal faces. They didn't walk—they glided, moaning, reaching with clawed fingers.
[Enemy Detected: Shadow Remnant (Lv. 8)] x5
Kael activated [Quickstep] and dashed left, flanking them. His temporary spear drove through one—no effect. It passed through like smoke.
He cursed.
System Tip: Shadow Remnants are vulnerable to Light-element damage.
No Light-based skills detected.
He gritted his teeth. "Then give me one."
Emergency Protocol Triggered – Temporary Skill Fusion
[Miststep Lv. 1] + [Residual Mana Trace] + [Torch Fragment] = New Skill Acquired: [Ghostflame Edge Lv. 1]
Effect: Weapon wreathed in ethereal fire for 30 seconds. Double damage to cursed entities.
Kael's spear ignited with pale blue flame.
He struck again—and this time, it screamed.
He swept through the remnants with ruthless precision, the mist swirling with firelight. One by one, they vanished in bursts of smoke and ash.
Enemies Defeated. EXP Gained: +340
Level Up! You are now Level 7.
At the heart of the temple, Kael found it.
A single pedestal, cracked and glowing faintly. Upon it sat a mask—bone-white, shaped like a skull, eyes filled with swirling red mist.
As Kael stepped forward, the System froze.
Warning: Artifact of Unclear Origin. Identity: Redacted. Risk Level: High.
Do you wish to interact? [YES] / [NO]
He hesitated. Everything told him to walk away.
But the whispers returned—softer now.
"Help us… awaken us…"
He reached out.
You have acquired: [Mask of the First Flame]
Effect: UNKNOWN. Curse Status: Dormant.
Passive Ability Gained: ???
A dormant power stirs within your soul…
Kael gasped as heat surged through his veins.
And then… the world went black.
He woke outside the ruin, lying in the muck beneath a blood-orange sky.
No wounds. No injuries. But the mask was strapped to his belt. And deep within his System menu, a new option flickered:
[Flameborn Path: 1% Awakened]
Kael stared at it in silence.
The game had changed again.