The chamber was completely dark.
Adrian raised his lantern.
Stone walls surrounded him.
A narrow corridor stretched ahead.
He walked slowly.
After several steps, a metallic sound echoed from above.
He looked up.
A massive stone blade dropped from the ceiling.
Adrian jumped backward.
The blade struck the ground.
The impact shook the corridor.
"Wonderful."
He continued.
The next trap was a series of moving stone pillars.
Adrian watched their rhythm.
His enhanced hearing helped him detect the mechanisms beneath the floor.
He crossed carefully.
Then came the final chamber.
A stone knight stood in the center.
Its body was covered in ancient runes.
A message appeared.
[Trial of the Shield]
[Objective: Survive three attacks.]
[Defeat is not required.]
Adrian stared at the message.
Three attacks.
That sounded manageable.
The stone knight moved.
Adrian raised his own weapon.
The impact threw him backward.
Pain spread through his arms.
He rolled across the floor.
The second attack came faster.
Adrian barely avoided it.
The sword struck the ground beside him.
A crack spread through the stone.
The knight raised its weapon for the final strike.
Adrian noticed something.
The stone knight's movements were powerful but repetitive.
Its left foot shifted slightly before every attack.
He waited.
The knight moved.
Adrian stepped aside at the last moment.
The sword struck the ground.
The impact missed him.
A notification appeared.
[Trial Completed.]
[Condition: Survive three attacks.]
[Inheritance qualification confirmed.]
The stone knight froze.
A blue light spread through the chamber.
Adrian felt something enter his body.
It was different from his previous inheritances.
His bones seemed to become heavier.
His muscles tightened.
[Ancient Knight's Legacy Acquired.]
[Partial Inheritance: Frostbane's Resolve]
[Effect: Improved resistance to physical strain and increased mental stability under pressure.]
[Additional Abilities: Locked.]
Adrian opened his status.
This was not a conventional bloodline.
It was an inheritance.
And it was only partially unlocked.
The chamber began to tremble.
A second notification appeared.
[Warning: Ancient inheritance detected by external entity.]
Adrian frowned.
"External entity?"
A distant roar echoed through the mountain.
The Frostfang Wolf.
Or something else.
The trial chamber's entrance opened.
Adrian immediately left.
He had obtained what he came for.
But the inheritance had apparently attracted attention.
He needed to return to the camp before anyone noticed his absence.
As he emerged from the tower, a cold wind swept across the hill.
For a brief moment, he saw a pale figure standing between the trees.
It disappeared almost immediately.
Adrian tightened his grip on his sword.
He had a bad feeling.