"He who wears the crown of cinders need not speak. The ash sings for him."
—Inscription on the back wall of the Scorched Crypt
The drums did not stop.
They began with a slow, hollow cadence—and deepened with each hour. Their rhythm mirrored the heartbeat of the land, growing heavier, darker, as if the world itself were remembering an old fear.
The Crown of Cinders had begun to stir.
[System Alert: Anomaly Advance Detected]
Classification: Unknown
Expected Contact: 2 Days
Notable Signature: Emberlight Surge / Crown Signal Echo
Risk Assessment: Critical
Jag stood at the forge with Rialt and Ashra, examining the Ember Core salvaged from the Flamebound Effigy. It pulsed like a living heart, radiating heat that warped the air.
Rialt grunted. "Two more like this, and I can light the Wyrmbreaker. But the trigger system's incomplete."
Jag asked, "What's missing?"
Rialt tapped the core. "A crown key."
Ashra folded her arms. "A what?"
"Some artifact forged in flame and bound by Echo sigils. It needs to be of the King's lineage—or cursed by it."
Jag said nothing. But the Forsaken Eye hovering behind him flickered once.
[Side Quest Activated: Key of Ash]
Objective: Acquire a Crown-Key
Location: Crypt of the Third Flame (Map Updated)
Rewards:
• Unlock Wyrmbreaker Trigger Mechanism
• Fire Resistance Buff for all units (+10%)
• ???
Branwyn arrived, armor re-tempered, shield braced across her back. "Scouts returned. The path south's open—but barely. Ash winds, ghost ash, visibility poor."
Jag nodded. "We'll move at dawn."
[Expedition Formed]
Jag Arclight (Lv. 5)
Branwyn the Breaker (Lv. 4)
Escort: 2 Elite Scouts
Supplies: 2 Days
Objective: Crypt of the Third Flame
Day 1: March into Ash
The southern wastes were silent.
The trees dead. The stones scorched. The earth refused sound.
They marched beneath a red sky, the ash drifting like snow.
[Environment Hazard: Ghost Ash]
— Vision -30%
— Passive Fear Buildup: +2% per hour
— Crown Presence Detected
By midday, Branwyn spotted the first marker—a statue of a kneeling knight, burned black, face melted.
"Flamebound territory," she said. "Old war graves."
They pressed forward.
Then the wind shifted.
And the crypt appeared.
An obsidian dome half-buried in ash, its entrance shaped like a screaming maw.
[Crypt of the Third Flame Discovered]
Status: Dormant
Danger Class: A
Jag drew his sword.
Branwyn readied her shield.
They entered.
The air inside was thick with emberlight.
Soot covered every wall. Burned sigils pulsed in the dark.
Then—a voice.
"You wear his mark, little prince. Why do you come?"
From the far end of the chamber rose a Cinder Warden. A knight wrapped in molten chains, face hidden by a half-melted helm. Behind him: a throne of ash.
[Boss Encounter: Cinder Warden]
HP: 680
Abilities:
• Ash Pulse: AoE Fear
• Flamebind: Chains a target, suppresses one skill
• Ember Resurrection: Revives once at 25% HP
The scouts readied bows.
Branwyn charged.
Shield Bash: -36 HP
The Warden unleashed Ash Pulse.
Branwyn: Fear resisted
Scout 1: Panic (retreated)
Jag: Crown Presence neutralized effect
Jag activated Mark Target.
He and Branwyn fought in unison, flanking, striking, drawing fire.
Cinder Warden HP: 680 → 420
Then he raised his hand.
Chains whipped from the floor, binding Branwyn.
Skill suppressed: Shield Counter
Jag triggered Command Surge.
+20% ATK / DEF
He moved in. Sword glowing.
Three strikes.
-44, -47, -51 HP
The Warden staggered.
Ember Resurrection: Triggered
HP: Restored to 170
Ash Pulse triggered again.
Scout 2: Slain
Branwyn: Injured
Jag drew the Ember Core from his pack.
It flared.
Crown Presence intensified
The Warden hesitated.
Vulnerable state: 10s
Jag struck.
Final Combo Activated
-112 DMG
-56 DMG
[Boss Defeated: Cinder Warden]
Loot: Crown-Key (Forged Sigil), Ashblood Vambraces, 100 Gold
They escaped the crypt as it collapsed into molten ruin.
Jag stared at the Crown-Key, pulsing faintly.
Branwyn whispered, "This place… it was made to worship him."
Jag replied, "And now it fuels his end."
Quest Complete: Key of Ash
Rewards Gained:
• Wyrmbreaker Trigger Mechanism Unlocked
• Fire Resistance Buff: +10%
• Hero Trait Unlocked: "Ash-Forged" (Jag) — Resistant to Burn / Immune to Ember Fear
They returned to Stormwatch at dusk.
The forge roared with new fury.
And overhead, the Crown of Cinders drifted lower—a black sun with fire for teeth.