Chapter 31: Legacy

Chapter 31: Legacy I followed Elder Eldan in silence, deeper and deeper into the hidden passage that stretched beneath the Village Chief’s house. The air grew colder as we descended, the walls lit by faint, pulsing runes that shimmered in hues of blue and silver. Each step echoed softly, like walking through the spine of a forgotten legend. At the end of the stairway, the tunnel opened into a wide chamber. And I froze. It wasn’t a mere room. It was a sanctuary. An underground grove—unnatural in how lush it looked—its ceiling lost in misty shadows, and its walls covered in vines that shimmered faintly like starlight. In the center, surrounded by softly glowing stones and wild, blooming flowers, was a single grave. A simple one. No towering statues. No golden plaque. Just a stone marker, worn smooth with time. Eldan stepped beside it and bowed his head with reverence. "This," he said, voice low, "is where he rests. The one this path is named for." I stepped closer. The grave’s inscription was half-faded, but I could still make out the name carved across it. [Klaus – The First Hero] Eldan looked at me then, his expression unreadable. "After he defeated the beasts of the Infested Forest... after he earned his name and left this village to shape the fate of the world... he returned. Quietly. Without ceremony. He came back to the place of his birth to spend his final days. He did not die in battle. He chose peace." I nodded, letting the weight of those words settle in. It felt surreal. In a game where everything screamed of glory and endless war, here was a story of a hero who simply... came home. "This is your final trial," Eldan said. "Not a fight. Not a monster. Just a moment of understanding." He turned and pointed to a small, rune-etched pedestal at the foot of the grave. A single object floated above it—a radiant crystal pulsing gently like a heartbeat. "The Echo of Klaus. Touch it... and face what remains." I stepped forward slowly, eyes fixed on the crystal. My fingers brushed the edge of the glowing shard. The moment I made contact, a ripple passed through the chamber. The vines stilled. The air thickened. And the world blurred—fading to white, as if the system itself had exhaled. [You have touched the Hero’s Echo] [Trial Phase Initiated – Path of the Hero: Legacy of Klaus] [Warning: This is a Solo Trial – No help permitted] [Death in this Trial does not cause real death, but will forfeit access to Legacy Rewards] I blinked in confusion as the system message finished displaying. Wait... why is this different again? I couldn’t help but ask myself. Last time, when I finished this quest in another run—or rather, when someone else had documented it—they’d just be rewarded and done with it. Maybe once again it’s because of my stats, I muttered, accepting the trial as the white light engulfed me. When my vision cleared, I found myself sitting in the middle of a vast, sunlit city. It was beautiful. The wind was calm, the streets lined with white stone. Birds soared between spires of golden roofs. Everything had a timeless quality to it. Peaceful, quiet... almost like a dream. "So, you finally made it," a voice called from behind me. I turned, eyes widening. A young man with fiery red hair and calm blue eyes sat on the edge of a fountain, one leg stretched out casually, the other folded. He wore a simple shirt and loose pants. He looked relaxed... but something about him felt off. Like he wasn’t really young. Like his soul had seen far too much. "Are you... Hero Klaus?" I asked cautiously. He smiled and nodded. "Mhm. I guess you could call me that." I walked over and sat next to him, still unsure what this trial was supposed to be. We sat there quietly for a few moments, watching the city around us shimmer. Then he asked, "Are you ready for the trial?" I frowned. "What’s the trial about?" He chuckled softly, the sound carrying a strange mix of weariness and warmth. "I’ve wielded swords, mastered magic, commanded armies... I’ve touched the edge of the divine," he said, staring up at the endless blue sky above the city. "But even that wasn’t the end of my journey." He turned to me then, his fiery red hair swaying in the breeze, eyes like ancient pools of memory. "I traveled from village to village, not as a king, not as a god—but as a wanderer. I didn’t care for titles. I just wanted to understand the stories of the world... to see what it meant to live in every way possible. To walk every path." He smiled—not proud, but nostalgic. "I helped where I could. Cleared forests, defended homes, guided those lost in the dark. Some villages gave me names, called me their guardian. Others simply forgot. But each place... each beginning... shaped a part of me." I stared at him, the weight of his words settling over me like a blanket of truth. So that was why every beginner village had the same legend. Not because of lazy world-building. Not a system error. Not a myth copied across maps. It was him. Klaus. The Hero whose footsteps had touched every starting ground. Whose acts had echoed across the lands until they became story, then legend, then foundation. And to think... all of this had started because of the whim of a genius who simply wanted to master everything. "So... this trial," I asked again, still not quite sure what I was walking into. "What exactly is it?" Klaus glanced at me, his expression thoughtful. "Rather than calling it a trial," he said slowly, "I think it’s more accurate to call it a choice." As he spoke, the air shimmered faintly. The breeze grew still. Even the flow of water from nearby fountains seemed to pause. In front of us, a wide space opened—lined with countless mystical items. Blades, grimoires, glowing orbs, beast eggs, even armor fragments... each pulsing faintly with power. "These are all things I gathered on my long journey," Klaus said, sweeping a hand toward the collection. "Relics of paths I walked. Weapons I tested. Powers I once held and left behind."