The entrance to the Wailing Crypts yawned open before Eira, a jagged scar on the desolate hillside. Mist clung to the stones, cold and damp, seeping through her boots and into her bones. The crypt was ancient—far older than the surrounding ruins—and it carried an aura of foreboding that kept most people at bay. Most people, but not her.
She adjusted the strap of her satchel and rested her hand on the Spectral Quill at her hip. The polished wood and carved runes pulsed faintly, as though eager to begin.
"Easy, Quill," she muttered, the words as much for herself as for the tool. "We'll find something worth the effort this time."
The system chimed in her mind—a soft, mechanical note that sent ripples across her vision as translucent blue text appeared.
[System Notification: Echoes Detected in Proximity.]
[Current Tale Density: High.]
[Estimated Reward Range: Common to Rare.]
A rare shard. Eira’s heart skipped at the possibility. Tales of that caliber weren’t just valuable—they could shift the trajectory of a Necroscribe’s career. She clenched her fists, trying to still the nervous energy that prickled at her skin.
The first lantern flared to life as she stepped deeper into the crypt. Its spectral glow illuminated a hunched figure hovering beside a cracked tombstone. The ghost was hazy, barely more than an outline, but its posture was unmistakably broken.
Eira pulled out her quill, the runes along its length sparking to life. The tool felt warm in her hand, its power thrumming like a second heartbeat. She focused on the ghost, letting the system process the details.
[Echo Analysis Complete.]
[Name: Erynn the Shepherd.]
[Tale Type: Minor Reflection.]
[Potential Rewards: Common Memory Shard, 5 Lore Points.]
She stifled a groan. Another farmer’s tale. These were dime a dozen—simple tragedies about lost harvests and starving families. But she couldn’t afford to leave anything behind.
“Alright, Erynn,” she said, raising the quill. “Let’s hear it.”
The ghost’s head lifted, its empty eyes locking onto hers. It opened its mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, the tale unfolded in her mind like a series of fragmented dreams.
A barren field. A child crying. The slow, painful death of livestock.
Eira let the images wash over her, barely paying attention as her system translated them into data.
[Echo Extraction Complete.]
[Rewards Acquired: Common Memory Shard, 5 Lore Points.]
The ghost dissolved into the air, leaving behind a faintly glowing shard. Eira caught it in her hand, its warmth fleeting. She dropped it into her satchel with a sigh.
“Dead men tell the best tales,” she muttered, repeating the mantra all Necroscribes were taught. “But not if they’re like this.”
She was about to move on when her system chimed again, this time with a sharper, more insistent tone.
[System Notification: High-Risk Echo Detected.]
[Name: Warlord Drelgar.]
[Tale Type: Unfinished Tragedy.]
[Potential Rewards: Rare Memory Shard, Skill Fragment.]
Her breath hitched. The name was a legend whispered among Necroscribes—the Butcher of the Broken Crown. He was the kind of tale people risked their sanity for, the kind that could make or destroy a career.
Eira’s hand tightened around her quill. “This is it,” she whispered to herself. “This is the one.”
She stepped deeper into the crypt, her boots crunching against the loose gravel. The air grew colder, sharper, as though the shadows themselves were closing in around her. The lantern marking Drelgar’s echo flared to life at the far end of the chamber, its light a deep, throbbing red.
Eira hesitated at the threshold. The warnings flashed across her system interface:
[Caution: Corrupted Echo Detected.]
[Potential Side Effects: System Instability, Mental Strain.]
“Not the first time,” she muttered, stepping forward.
The chamber lit up as the echo began to take form. Warlord Drelgar’s figure loomed above her, a hulking mass of shadow and flickering light. His armor was battered, the once-gleaming metal now tarnished and cracked. His eyes, hollow and burning, locked onto Eira as his voice rumbled through the crypt.
“Another scavenger come to pick my bones,” he growled. “What makes you think you’re worthy of my tale?”
Eira swallowed the lump in her throat. “I don’t need your approval. Just your story.”
The warlord laughed, a harsh, brittle sound that echoed like breaking glass. “Bold words. Let’s see if you can survive hearing it.”
The tale began, and Eira’s system flooded her with fragmented images:
A crown of broken swords. A throne drenched in blood. The screams of the dying.
The visions hit her like a tidal wave, each one more vivid and gut-wrenching than the last. Her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stay upright, her quill trembling in her grip as it absorbed the story’s essence.
[System Notification: Rare Memory Shard Unlocked.]
[New Skill Fragment Available: Berserker’s Fury.]
Her vision blurred as the last fragment of the tale seared itself into her mind—a pair of hands, bloodied and shaking, lifting the shattered remnants of a crown. Drelgar’s voice rang out, low and cold.
“Dead men tell the best tales,” he said, his figure beginning to dissolve. “But some stories are better left buried.”
The system pinged one last time.
[New Quest Unlocked: The Forgotten Throne.]
Eira collapsed to the ground, her chest heaving. The shard in her hand pulsed with an unnatural heat, its glow casting eerie shadows across the chamber. She stared at it, her mind racing.
This wasn’t just a story. It was a warning.
And she had just become part of it.
Eira sat on the cold stone floor, clutching the shard. Its warmth pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat, and she felt the weight of the tale still lingering in her mind. Drelgar’s words echoed in her ears: “Some stories are better left buried.”
Her system interface blinked with overlapping notifications, their blue text stark against the crimson glow of the corrupted shard.
[System Notification: Rare Memory Shard Acquired.]
[Skill Fragment Available: Berserker’s Fury.]
[Warning: Corruption Detected. Proceed with Caution.]
She stared at the last line, her heart pounding. Corruption. It wasn’t the first time she’d encountered it, but this felt… different. Heavier.
The shard thrummed again, and her system chimed.
[New Memory Fragment Available for Viewing.]
[Would you like to review it now? Y/N.]
Eira hesitated. The last time she’d accessed a corrupted memory, it had left her bedridden for a week, her mind consumed by fevered visions. But this was different—this was Drelgar.
“Do it,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
The world around her dissolved into a swirling haze of light and shadow. She felt herself being pulled into the fragment, the air growing thick and oppressive.
---
Memory Fragment: The Siege of the Broken Crown
The vision sharpened into focus, and Eira found herself standing on the edge of a battlefield. The sky above was a sickly gray, choked with smoke and ash. The ground beneath her feet was soaked with blood, the bodies of soldiers strewn like discarded dolls.
At the center of the chaos stood Drelgar. He was a colossus of a man, his armor dented and streaked with gore. His warhammer, a monstrous weapon that seemed more suited to toppling walls than men, swung in wide arcs, crushing everything in its path.
Eira watched as the warlord bellowed orders, his voice cutting through the din of battle like a blade. His soldiers moved with precision, their faces hard and unyielding. They weren’t just following him—they worshipped him.
But there was something wrong. A shadow hung over Drelgar, a darkness that seemed to twist and writhe around him. His movements grew erratic, his attacks wild and uncontrolled.
The vision shifted, fast-forwarding through scenes of carnage and betrayal. Eira saw Drelgar’s enemies close in, their faces grim with determination. She saw his soldiers falter, their faith shaken.
And then she saw it—the moment of his downfall.
Drelgar stood in the ruins of his throne room, his body battered and broken. His enemies surrounded him, their weapons drawn. But he didn’t kneel. He didn’t beg.
Instead, he laughed—a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers down Eira’s spine.
“You think this is the end?” he snarled, blood dripping from his lips. “Dead men tell the best tales. And mine is far from over.”
As his enemies closed in, the vision shattered like glass, leaving Eira gasping for air.
---
Back in the Crypt
Eira’s eyes flew open, her chest heaving. She was back in the crypt, the shard still glowing faintly in her hand. But something had changed. The air felt heavier, the shadows darker.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Her system interface flared to life.
[Memory Fragment Assimilated.]
[Skill Fragment Updated: Berserker’s Fury → Berserker’s Wrath.]
[Warning: Corruption Level Increased to 15%. Proceed with Extreme Caution.]
She stared at the notifications, her mind racing. The corruption was spreading faster than she’d anticipated. If it reached 50%, she’d lose access to the system entirely—and worse, she’d risk being consumed by the echoes.
“I need to get out of here,” she muttered, forcing herself to stand. Her legs felt like lead, and her head throbbed with the weight of Drelgar’s tale.
As she turned to leave, the lanterns lining the crypt flared to life, their ghostly light casting eerie shadows on the walls.
A low growl echoed through the chamber, and Eira froze.
[System Notification: Hostile Echo Detected.]
The growl grew louder, and a shape emerged from the shadows. It was a wraith—a twisted, malformed spirit drawn to the corruption of the shard. Its body flickered like a flame, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Eira gritted her teeth and drew her Spectral Quill. The runes along its length burned brightly, and her system chimed.
[Combat Mode Activated.]
[Current Skills: Spectral Bind (Lv. 3), Shadow Veil (Lv. 2), Berserker’s Wrath (Lv. 1).]
The wraith lunged, its claws slashing through the air. Eira rolled to the side, her quill tracing a glowing sigil in the air.
[Skill Activated: Spectral Bind.]
The sigil exploded into chains of light, wrapping around the wraith and pinning it to the ground. It screeched in rage, its form twisting and writhing.
Eira didn’t hesitate. She activated her next skill, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Veil.]
Darkness enveloped her, shrouding her figure in a cloak of shadows. She moved swiftly, her steps silent as she closed the distance between herself and the wraith.
With a sharp thrust, she drove the Spectral Quill into the wraith’s core. The creature let out one final, ear-piercing scream before dissolving into ash.
[System Notification: Hostile Echo Neutralized.]
[Rewards Acquired: 25 Lore Points, Fragmented Memory Shard.]
Eira dropped to her knees, her body trembling. The fight had taken more out of her than she’d expected.
“This shard better be worth it,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
The system chimed again, and a new notification appeared.
[Quest Update: The Forgotten Throne.]
[Objective: Seek the Source of Drelgar’s Corruption.]
Eira’s grip on the shard tightened. Whatever she’d gotten herself into, there was no turning back now.
Eira sat against the cold stone wall, her breath slowing as she processed the latest system notifications. The air in the crypt remained thick with residual energy, the kind that could linger for days after a corrupted echo was neutralized. Her mind buzzed, and the shard in her hand pulsed faintly, as if it had a heartbeat of its own.
Her system flared to life, filling her vision with translucent overlays.
[System Update: Skill Growth Initiated.]
[Skill: Berserker’s Wrath (Lv. 1 → Lv. 2). Effectiveness increased. Secondary Ability Unlocked: Fury Threshold.]
Berserker’s Wrath: Grants a burst of strength and speed for a limited time. Now reduces incoming damage by 10% while active.
Fury Threshold: Activates a critical burst of power at low health, dealing damage proportional to missing health.
Eira’s lips twitched into a wry smile. “Well, at least something good came out of this mess.”
She accessed the rest of her interface, her gaze flicking through the different tabs.
---
[Eira Nightshade: Current Status]
Level: 12
Attributes:
Strength: 9
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 18
Perception: 16
Abilities Unlocked:
Spectral Bind (Lv. 3): Conjures spectral chains to immobilize a single target. Duration: 10 seconds.
Shadow Veil (Lv. 2): Cloaks the user in shadows, reducing detectability and increasing evasion.
Berserker’s Wrath (Lv. 2): Grants temporary combat enhancements at the cost of stamina.
Lore Points: 145
Memory Shards: 2 Common, 1 Rare (Corrupted)
---
Her system layout was a simple grid, streamlined for quick navigation—a perk of her profession. Necroscribes often needed to multitask during dangerous assignments, and speed could mean the difference between survival and death.
She tapped on the Lore Points tab, bringing up a secondary menu.
[Lore Points Shop: Available Upgrades]
1. Attribute Increase (10 Lore Points per stat).
2. Skill Upgrade: Unlock advanced abilities for existing skills (50 Lore Points).
3. Memory Extraction Tool: Used for purifying corrupted shards (100 Lore Points).
Eira scrolled through the options, frowning. Purifying the corrupted shard would cost most of her accumulated points, but it seemed like the safest path forward.
“Guess it’s time to cash in,” she muttered, selecting the tool.
---
[Lore Points Spent: 100. Memory Extraction Tool Acquired.]
Her satchel vibrated faintly as the tool materialized inside. She reached in, pulling out a small device shaped like an hourglass. The sand inside glowed faintly, shifting hues from silver to gold.
“Alright, Drelgar,” she said, placing the shard on the floor. “Let’s see what secrets you’ve been hiding.”
The hourglass hovered above the shard, its glow intensifying as the two objects interacted. The process was slow, the crypt filling with a low hum as corrupted energy bled out of the shard and into the hourglass.
---
[Memory Extraction Complete.]
[Corrupted Shard → Rare Memory Shard.]
[System Notification: New Skill Fragment Available.]
Skill Fragment: Warlord’s Command (Passive) – Gain increased damage and resistance when fighting alongside summoned allies or party members.
Eira’s brows furrowed. She had no allies, let alone summoned ones. The skill seemed out of place for her solo lifestyle, but it was undeniably powerful.
“Maybe I’ll sell it,” she mused, sliding the purified shard into her satchel.
Her system chimed again, this time with a low, urgent tone.
---
[System Alert: Residual Corruption Detected in Area.]
[Threat Level: Moderate.]
[Recommendation: Investigate or Retreat Immediately.]
Eira stood, her hand tightening around the Spectral Quill. She glanced back at the far corner of the crypt, where shadows pooled unnaturally. The air was colder there, and the faint sound of whispering voices drifted toward her.
“Of course,” she muttered. “Because one wraith wasn’t enough.”
She pulled up her system map, a semi-transparent overlay that highlighted the crypt’s layout. A blinking red dot marked the source of the residual corruption, situated in a chamber she hadn’t yet explored.
Her system offered two options:
1. [Investigate the Source.]
2. [Mark as Incomplete and Exit Crypt.]
The second option was tempting. She’d already secured the rare shard and upgraded her skill; there was no reason to risk further danger. But the allure of unfinished tales was irresistible. If this corruption was tied to Drelgar’s story, leaving it unresolved might cost her a chance at even greater rewards.
“Let’s finish this,” she said, selecting the first option.
The corridor leading to the marked chamber was narrow and twisted, the walls closing in like the maw of some great beast. Eira moved cautiously, her footsteps echoing faintly. The lanterns here were dimmer, their light flickering as though struggling against an unseen force.
Her system pinged again, and a new notification appeared.
[New Tale Fragment Detected: The Warlord’s Betrayal.]
[Warning: Tale Fragment Contains High-Risk Corruption. Proceed with Caution.]
She stepped into the chamber, her heart pounding. The space was larger than the others, its walls lined with crumbling statues of armored figures. In the center stood a spectral figure—taller and more defined than any she’d seen before.
Drelgar’s image flickered, his eyes glowing like embers. He held his warhammer in one hand, the weapon dragging against the stone floor with an eerie screech.
“You return,” he rumbled, his voice resonating through the chamber. “Did I not warn you?”
Eira raised her quill, its runes glowing brighter in response to the warlord’s presence. “You warned me,” she said. “But you also left your story unfinished. And I don’t leave tales half-told.”
Drelgar chuckled, a sound like grinding stone. “Bold words. Let’s see if you can earn them.”
The chamber plunged into pitch-black darkness, the only illumination coming from the glowing runes on Eira’s Spectral Quill and the faint ember-like glint in Drelgar’s eyes. The oppressive weight of corruption pressed against her chest, and her system flared with rapid notifications.
[System Notification: Encounter Initiated.]
[Foe: Echo of Warlord Drelgar.]
[Threat Level: High.]
Eira’s fingers tightened around her quill. She wasn’t facing a simple wraith—this was an Echo, a fragment of a powerful being’s memory, twisted by corruption. Echoes were unpredictable, often possessing abilities tied to the original entity’s greatest strengths.
[Combat Mode Activated.]
Her system immediately mapped out potential actions, overlaying glowing outlines of terrain she could use, defensive positions, and projected attack arcs from Drelgar. A timer ticked faintly in her peripheral vision, tracking every second.
---
System Mechanics: The Combat HUD
Eira’s system was a hybrid of predictive and reactive elements. In combat, it analyzed the enemy’s movements in real-time, offering potential counters and enhancing her reflexes.
HUD Highlights:
Health Bar: 100/100 (Her health level was full, but one hit from Drelgar could change that.)
Stamina Meter: 85/85 (Every skill consumed stamina, making resource management critical.)
Corruption Meter: 15% (This would increase if she absorbed more of Drelgar’s residual energy.)
Her skills appeared on the bottom of her HUD, along with cooldown timers and their associated stamina costs:
Spectral Bind: Ready (Cost: 15 stamina).
Shadow Veil: Ready (Cost: 10 stamina).
Berserker’s Wrath: 5 seconds cooldown (Cost: 20 stamina).
---
The Echo moved first, dragging his warhammer across the stone floor. The sound grated in her ears, but her system flagged it as a feint. Drelgar’s real attack came from his off-hand—a sweeping strike aimed to catch her off-guard.
[System Warning: Incoming Attack.]
Eira rolled backward just in time, her Spectral Quill tracing glowing sigils in the air as she activated her first skill.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Veil.]
Darkness enveloped her, the skill shrouding her form and reducing her visibility to the Echo. It also enhanced her speed, allowing her to dart around the chamber like a shadow.
Drelgar roared, his hammer slamming into the ground with a deafening crack. The shockwave rippled outward, shattering nearby statues. Her system displayed the force radius, allowing her to sidestep the impact zone.
“Predictable,” she muttered, weaving through the debris.
----
Her system highlighted an opening as Drelgar raised his hammer for another strike. Eira closed the distance, her quill glowing with spectral energy.
[Skill Activated: Spectral Bind.]
Chains of light erupted from her quill, wrapping around the Echo’s arms and legs. Drelgar growled, his movements slowed but not entirely stopped.
[Foe Status: Movement Impaired (Duration: 10 seconds).]
Eira didn’t waste time. She activated her second skill.
[Skill Activated: Berserker’s Wrath.]
A surge of energy coursed through her, enhancing her strength and speed. Her quill became a blur as she struck at the Echo, each hit leaving glowing runes etched into its form.
[Foe Status: Damage Accumulated – 12%. Armor Integrity Reduced.]
But Drelgar wasn’t idle. Even bound, he managed to swing his hammer, the force breaking one of the spectral chains.
----
Her system pinged with new information.
[System Insight Unlocked: Echo Behavior.]
Drelgar adapts to repetitive patterns.
Switch tactics to maintain the upper hand.
Eira adjusted her strategy, relying on quick, unpredictable movements. She darted in and out of his reach, her quill flashing with every strike.
[Stamina Warning: 30/85 Remaining.]
She gritted her teeth. Her skills were effective, but they drained her stamina quickly. Her system offered a solution:
[Suggestion: Use Terrain Advantage.]
Her HUD highlighted a crumbled pillar near the edge of the chamber. She sprinted toward it, her Shadow Veil still active, and climbed to the top. From her elevated position, she could target weak points in Drelgar’s spectral form.
----
As she prepared to launch her next attack, her system delivered a new notification:
[Skill Synergy Unlocked: Veiled Fury.]
Combines Shadow Veil and Berserker’s Wrath. Grants critical strike capability while cloaked.
Eira’s lips curved into a grin. “Let’s see how you handle this.”
She leapt from the pillar, her quill glowing with concentrated energy. The system calculated her trajectory, ensuring her strike would hit the Echo’s core.
[Critical Hit Detected: Damage Amplified by 150%.]
Her quill pierced through Drelgar’s chest, the runes exploding in a burst of light. The Echo staggered, its form flickering violently.
[Foe Status: Damage Accumulated – 85%. Integrity Failing.]
Drelgar let out a roar, swinging his hammer wildly. The force sent Eira flying, her back slamming into the chamber wall.
[Health Warning: 55/100 Remaining.]
She coughed, pain flaring through her ribs. But the fight wasn’t over. Her system flagged one final weak point: the core of Drelgar’s hammer.
“If I destroy that…”
----
Eira forced herself to her feet, activating Shadow Veil one last time. Her stamina was nearly depleted, but she pushed through, her quill glowing with spectral energy.
Drelgar raised his hammer for a final, devastating strike. Eira darted forward, weaving through the chaos, and drove her quill into the weapon’s core.
The explosion was immediate. Light and shadow clashed, the force shaking the chamber. Eira was thrown back, landing hard on the ground as Drelgar’s form dissolved into ash.
----
Her system chimed softly, signaling the end of the battle.
[Foe Neutralized: Echo of Warlord Drelgar.]
[Rewards Acquired: 75 Lore Points, Legendary Memory Shard, Warlord’s Sigil.]
Eira groaned, pushing herself upright. The chamber was eerily quiet now, the oppressive weight of corruption gone. She stared at the glowing sigil in her hand, her mind racing with possibilities.
“Dead men,” she murmured, “really do tell the best tales.”
Her system blinked with a new notification, teasing the next chapter of Drelgar’s story.