That night, Adrian secretly returned to the abandoned settlement.
He had memorized the location of the watchtower from the old documents.
He carried a lantern, a short sword, and two healing potions.
The tower stood on a rocky hill beyond the settlement.
Its upper section had collapsed.
Vines covered the stone walls.
Adrian approached carefully.
His enhanced hearing detected nothing unusual.
He entered through the broken doorway.
Inside, the air was cold and dusty.
A staircase led downward.
Adrian followed it.
At the bottom, he found a circular chamber.
An old suit of armor stood in the center.
Its metal surface was covered in frost.
A stone pedestal stood before it.
Adrian approached.
The pedestal contained an inscription.
To those who carry the will of a knight, the final oath shall remain.
A translucent screen appeared.
[Ancient Knight Inheritance Detected.]
[Inheritance Site: Northern Watchtower.]
[Trial Requirements: Unknown.]
The chamber suddenly illuminated.
A voice echoed through the room.
"Who seeks the inheritance of Sir Aldric Frostbane?"
Adrian stepped backward.
A ghostly knight appeared.
His armor was cracked, and a faint blue light shone beneath his helmet.
Adrian bowed slightly.
"Adrian von Valen."
The ghost remained silent.
"Why have you come?"
Adrian considered his answer.
"I seek knowledge and strength."
The ghost raised its sword.
"Many have sought strength. Few understood its purpose."
Adrian remained still.
"What purpose do you believe it serves?"
"Protection."
The ghost knight lowered his weapon.
"Strength without purpose becomes destruction."
The chamber trembled.
Three stone doors appeared.
"Choose one trial."
The first door was marked with a sword.
The second with a shield.
The third with a crown. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Adrian studied them.
He remembered the original novel's description of the knight.
Aldric Frostbane had been a royal guardian.
He had protected the northern villages during the ancient war.
The sword probably represented combat.
The shield represented endurance.
The crown might represent leadership.
Adrian looked at the ghost.
"Must I choose?"
"Yes."
He considered his current abilities.
He wasn't strong enough for a serious combat trial.
The shield might involve surviving a powerful attack.
The crown was uncertain.
After a moment, he chose the second door.
The shield.
The ghost nodded.
"Then prove that you can endure."
The door opened.
Beyond it was a dark chamber.
Adrian stepped inside.
The door closed behind him.