Ash clung to Karl's coat as he emerged from the sealed tunnel, the stone arch behind him crumbling inward with a thunderous groan, dust swirling in the air like the last breath of a dying fire. The air was cooler here, the faint heat from the lava veins below now replaced by a chill that crept into his bones. The tunnel walls shifted from glowing emberstone to rough, older rock marked by ancient carvings—flames curling into wings, heavy chains binding unknown shapes. These were silent warnings, remnants of a forgotten era, etched in stone to ward off trespassers or maybe to mark a sacred boundary.
The relic resting in his inventory—the Heart of Emberfall—felt strangely quiet, its usual warm pulse now subdued, as if the artifact itself was settling, learning to harmonize with Karl's very essence. Whispers of power brushed at the edges of his consciousness in fleeting warmth and cryptic visions—flashes of burning forests, a phoenix rising, and an endless sea of molten gold. The Vault's gift was evolving, and Karl could sense the shift deep inside him.
System Notification:
Trait Evolution in Progress…
Estimated Time: Unknown
Then, a new alert flickered in his mind's eye, sharp and insistent.
New Mission Available—"Broken" Circle's Reach
Objective: Investigate recent mercenary excavation above Emberfall Ridge.
Reward: 2 Rare Tickets + 1 Uncommon Ticket
Difficulty: Medium
Without hesitation, Karl accepted. The name "Broken Circle" had started to echo through his missions with increasing frequency—an ominous sign. If this shadowy faction was digging deeper into the Vaults, the island's true danger was just beginning to surface.
Mountainside—Emberfall Ridge
The sun began its slow ascent, splashing the ashen ridge with soft gold, the light catching on dust motes and the lingering smoke of earlier battles. A sprawl of makeshift tents lined the ridge near a collapsed temple, the telltale signs of a mercenary excavation site. Radio chatter crackled intermittently, and holographic displays floated above crates of equipment and digging tools.
Robin crouched low behind a shattered stone pillar, eyes sharp and alert. She'd arrived moments before Karl and surveyed the scene—at least nine mercenaries, some donning customised marine armour, others marked by the jagged black ring of the Broken Circle tattooed or emblazoned across their gear.
"They're moving faster than we thought," Robin whispered, her breath visible in the cool morning air.
Her gaze snapped to the eastern slope just as Karl stepped into view, firelight glowing faintly around him like a halo, betraying his position even before he moved forward.
"Idiot," she hissed, scrambling to keep pace but opting to skirt the perimeter to avoid confrontation.
Dig Site – Center Ridge
Karl's footfalls echoed softly until a sharp voice broke the silence.
"Contact! Movement spotted!"
He responded instantly, the Green Fire Dragon's Iron Fist blazing to life in a fiery strike that slammed into the closest mercenary's gut and sent the man crashing into a wooden crate. Gunfire erupted, bullets whipping past as Karl ducked behind the wreckage of a gear lift.
Quickly, he ran through his ticket inventory:
Rare Tickets: 1
Uncommon Tickets: 0
Legendary Tickets: 2
Mystical Tickets: 0
God Tickets: 0
Still three Legendary Tickets short of the coveted Mystical Ticket. Gritting his teeth, Karl muttered, "Then I'll earn them."
A powerful whirl of flame erupted as he activated Green Fire Dragon's Wing Attack, spinning with a fiery arc that knocked two mercenaries off their feet. A third raised a rifle—but before he could fire, Robin appeared, moving like a shadow, disarming him with a swift strike to the neck.
"You're late," she said, breathless.
Karl grinned. "Are you worried about me?"
"Only because you charge in like an idiot."
"Works pretty well so far."
They moved in tandem—Karl drawing enemy fire, Robin expertly dismantling equipment and disabling traps. Within moments, only one mercenary remained, trembling and clutching a remote detonator.
"I'll do it! Shuzo said, If we fail, we burn it all!" The man stammered.
Karl stepped forward, his eyes burning like coals. "No. You won't."
The mercenary pressed the button, but nothing happened.
Robin had already disabled the signal array.
The man dropped the device and fled, disappearing into the trees.
Mission Complete
Reward:
– 2 Rare Tickets
– -1 Uncommon Ticket
Bonus EXP: 310
Ticket Inventory Updated:
– Rare: 3
– Uncommon: 1
– Legendary: 2
Optional Ticket Conversion Available:
5 Rare → 1 Legendary?
[Yes] [No]
Karl nodded and selected Yes. A golden swirl of energy consumed the five Rare Tickets, weaving them into a single, radiant Legendary Ticket.
5 Rare → 1 Legendary
New Total:
– Rare: 0
– Uncommon: 1
– Legendary: 3
Still shy of a Mystical Ticket—but the gap was closing.
He turned to Robin, eyes narrowing. "They're digging into something beneath this ridge. Another vault, maybe?"
She nodded, her voice grim. "Or worse. There's talk of a 'resonant core'—some kind of connection between vaults across islands."
Karl's jaw clenched. "So they want to chain the power."
Elsewhere—Aboard the Ashen Maw
Shuzo stood on the deck of his sleek black ship, the Ashen Maw, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Beside him, a sharp-featured woman held a glowing crystal tablet, her face tense.
"The Emberfall node was lost," she reported flatly. "Karl destroyed the dig site."
Shuzo's expression didn't waver. "Let him think he's ahead. The real key isn't Emberfall. It's beneath Skyspire."
He turned to the encroaching dawn, voice low and cold as steel.
"Let the fire burn. Eventually, it will lead us to the gate."