That night, Ethan stood before the family.
They had gathered in the main hall—three hundred men, women, and children, their faces thin and worried. They had heard about the Ashford demand. They knew what was coming.
Ethan stood before them, Arthur’s sword in his hand.
"I know you’re afraid," he said. "I know you’ve lost hope. But I’m here to tell you that hope is not lost."
He raised the sword.
"This belonged to Arthur Blackwood. The Iron Ghost. He was the greatest warrior our family ever produced. And he is coming back."
The crowd murmured.
"Coming back?"
"How?"
"He died three hundred years ago!"
Ethan raised his hand.
"He died protecting this mountain. He died protecting us. And now, we’re going to bring him back."
He paused.
"But we need your help. We need your belief. We need you to remember."
『 Family Faith: 20 』
『 Story Credibility: 22% 』
『 World Rebuttal: 5% 』
『 Next Milestone: 25% Credibility — Strengthen the Legend 』
Ethan could not sleep.
After the gathering, after the speeches and the promises and the fragile hope he had seen in his family’s eyes, he had returned to his room. But the walls felt too close. The air too still. The silence too loud.
So he had come here, to the hidden chamber beneath the ancestral hall.
The murals loomed in the candlelight, their ancient figures frozen in eternal battle. Ethan sat before the sealed door, Arthur’s sword across his lap, and listened to the silence.
『 You should rest, Host. 』
"I can’t."
『 The body needs sleep. The mind needs dreams. 』
"I’ve had enough dreams lately."
He traced the inscription on the sword’s blade.
"Tell me about Aldric Blackwood."
The system was silent for a long moment.
Then:
『 Aldric Blackwood was not born a leader. He was born a farmer’s son, in a time when the Blackwood name meant nothing. 』
『 He was the youngest of five children. The weakest. The one everyone expected to die young. 』
Ethan frowned. "What changed?"
『 He found something. In the mountains. A cave that should not have existed. A voice that should not have spoken. 』
"The god."
『 The Devourer. A being of endless hunger. It offered him power—power to protect his family, power to destroy his enemies, power to live forever. 』
"And he accepted."
『 He was desperate. His family was starving. His village was dying. He would have done anything. 』
Ethan stared at the murals.
"What happened next?"
『 The Devourer gave him power. But it demanded a price. Blood for blood. Life for life. Every generation, one Blackwood must be sacrificed to feed the god’s hunger. 』
"And Aldric agreed?"
『 He had no choice. The deal was already made. The only thing he could do was find a way to break it. 』
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
"The system."
『 Yes. He created me as a failsafe. A tool that would allow a future Blackwood to create ancestors strong enough to challenge the Devourer. 』
"But it didn’t work. The family still declined. The sacrifices still happened."
『 Because no one was strong enough. No one believed enough. Until now. 』
Ethan looked down at the sword.
"Until me."
The candlelight flickered.
Ethan felt it before he saw it—a coldness in the air, a weight pressing against his chest.
Something was here.
Something that did not belong.
He rose to his feet, the sword in his hand.
"Who’s there?"
Silence.
Then..
Laughter.
It was soft, almost gentle. But there was no warmth in it. No humor. Just a cold, ancient amusement.
"You’re perceptive. I’ll give you that."
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. From the shadows. From the walls. From inside Ethan’s own mind.
Ethan’s grip tightened on the sword.
"Show yourself."
"I would. But I’m not quite... whole yet."
The shadows shifted.
A figure stood before the sealed door. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His face was hidden in darkness, but Ethan could feel his eyes—cold and empty, like staring into a void.
"You know who I am," the figure said.
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
"Silas?."
"Clever boy."
『 Warning: Silas Blackwood is attempting to manifest. 』
『 His power is tied to the family’s belief in Arthur. 』
『 The stronger Arthur becomes, the stronger Silas becomes. 』
Ethan steadied himself.
"What do you want?"
Silas laughed again.
"I want what I’ve always wanted. To see the Blackwood Family destroyed. To see Arthur’s legacy turned to ash."
He stepped closer.
"But I’m patient. I’ve waited three hundred years. I can wait a little longer."
"You won’t win."
"I already have."
Silas gestured toward the murals.
"Look at them. Your ancestors. Your heroes. All dead. All forgotten. And you think you can bring them back?"
His voice dropped.
"You’re playing a game you don’t understand, boy. And when it ends, and it will end, I’ll be the one laughing."
The coldness vanished.
Ethan stood alone in the chamber, his heart pounding.
『 Warning: Silas’s manifestation has been delayed. 』
『 But he will return. 』
『 You must strengthen Arthur’s story before Silas can fully manifest. 』
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"How long do I have?"
『 Unknown. But the World Rebuttal is accelerating. 』
『 Silas is not the only threat. The world itself is resisting your lies. 』
Ethan looked at the sealed door.
"What’s behind this door?"
『 The Nexus. Where the ancestors will manifest when they are ready. 』
"And Arthur?"
『 He is close. But not yet whole. 』
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Then I need to find more evidence. More proof. Something that can’t be denied."
『 You need to find the forgotten ancestors. 』
Ethan frowned.
"What?"
『 The Blackwood Family has had many ancestors. Some were celebrated. Some were forgotten. Some were erased from history entirely. 』
『 You need to find them. Bring them back. Strengthen the family’s belief. 』
Ethan considered this.
"How do I find them?"
『 You must search. The records are incomplete. The murals tell part of the story. But the truth is buried deeper. 』