"...a new heir."

The voice continued to reverberate inside Surya’s head. His body froze. Not out of fear, but because the gaze of the purple eye upon the sword's hilt felt startlingly real. It blinked slowly, as if observing him from a hair's breadth away.

"What... what are you?" Surya whispered.

No answer. Instead, the ancient sword slowly drifted closer.

"Surya! Get away!" Dimas shouted, grabbing his arm.

But it was too late. The sword dissolved into a streak of black light.

Whoosh!

The radiance plunged straight into the palm of Surya’s left hand, landing squarely over the Soul Sigil that had been glowing dimly.

"Arghhh!"

Agony exploded through his entire body. It felt as though a thousand searing needles were driving deep into every bone and tendon. Surya dropped to his knees, clutching his left hand.

The black symbol began to shift. The intricate lines that had once been dormant now writhed like living ink. New patterns multiplied, weaving into a circle of increasing complexity.

The wind whipped up violently once more. The ash surrounding Surya swirled into a tight vortex. The other survivors scrambled backward several steps.

"What's happening to him?" "It's because of that sword!" "Leave him behind!"

Not a single person dared approach. They could only watch as black light continued to pour from Surya’s frame.

And then... the ancient voice returned. But this time, it was far clearer.

《Relic Confirmed.》

《Initiating Soul Bond....》

《Heir Compatibility: 100%.》

《Synchronization Commencing....》

Surya squeezed his eyes shut. Not by choice, but because his body refused to obey him anymore.

Behind his eyelids, an alien world stretched out before him: Crimson skies. Black mountains. Oceans of ash. And... a man standing atop millions of corpses.

He wore a long black cloak. In his right hand, he clutched a sword identical to the relic that had just fused with Surya. The man slowly turned his head. His eyes were hollow, yet their glare was enough to crush the breath from Surya’s chest.

"Legacy..." the man’s voice echoed. "Not a gift. But a curse."

Instantly, the entire vision shattered like glass.

Surya snapped his eyes open, gasping. "Ha... ha..." His breathing came in ragged gasps.

The torment in his palm slowly receded. But the black symbol had transformed. At the center of the Soul Sigil, a new emblem had emerged—the shape of a closed eye.

Suddenly, the mysterious voice echoed once more. But this time, it wasn't just Surya hearing it. Every survivor caught the exact same sound.

《Soul Sigil Successfully Awakened.》

《Heir Detected.》

《Relic: Ancient Ash Sword.》

《Relic Rank: Unknown.》

Everyone stared straight at Surya. "What does that mean?" "Did he get powers?" "Can we do that too?"

Before they could even begin to debate, the voice spoke again.

《The Price of the Legacy Shall Now Be Paid.》

Surya furrowed his brow. "Price?"

Instantly, a sharp throb lanced through his skull. Throb... throb... throb... The pain escalated. He gripped his head, wincing.

And then... something began to slip away. Slowly. Unstoppably.

A face... A home... A woman’s laughter... A warm embrace... Everything dissolved like morning mist.

"No..." Surya tried to grasp at them. Who? Who was that woman? Why... why couldn't he picture her face?

Tears spilled unbidden down his cheeks. He tried to recall his childhood, the house where he was raised, the voice of someone who always woke him up, a lullaby sung to him every single night.

Yet everything had vanished. Empty. Utterly empty.

All that remained was the bare realization that he once possessed those memories. But their contents were gone.

《Curse Successfully Imposed.》

《Curse: Lost Memories.》

《Each surge in power will strip away a portion of the heir’s most cherished memories.》

Surya froze. "Memories... That's the price for this power?"

His hands shook. He wasn't afraid of physical pain. But losing his memories? That was infinitely more terrifying. What if one day he forgot the faces of his parents? What if he forgot who he was?

"Damn it..." For the first time since arriving in the Shadow World, Surya felt genuine terror.

"Surya!" Dimas rushed over to his side. "Are you alright?"

Surya nodded slowly. "I..."

Before he could finish, a low growl resonated from deep within the trees. Grrrrrrrr...

Everyone froze stiff. "That is..." Another growl followed. Then another. And another. As though the entire forest had suddenly filled with feral beasts.

"Monsters..." Mr. Yusuf swallowed hard. "There are too many of them."

The trees began to shake. Ash rained down. Black figures slowly materialized between the trunks. One. Three. Five. Ten.

The eyeless monsters that had massacred the survivors earlier were returning in far greater numbers.

"They found us!"

"Ruun!"

Panic tore through the group once more.

Yet Surya didn't run. For some reason, his gaze locked onto the Soul Sigil glowing on his palm.

The relic spoke once more. "Hold me."

A black sword materialized out of thin air, as if sliding straight out of Surya’s own shadow. He grasped the hilt. Oddly enough, the blade that had previously felt heavy now rested in his hand as light as a twig.

"Trust your instincts." The relic's whisper was soft.

The first monster lunged. Surya drew a breath. Without consciously deciding to, his body moved on its own. One step to the left. A dodge. The monster overshot him. Surya pivoted.

His sword swept outward. Swwish!

A black slash flashed through the air. The monster's body locked up. A moment later, its head slid cleanly off its shoulders and hit the dirt. Thud!

Everyone stared in disbelief. The monster... was dead from a single strike.

Surya’s eyes widened. "I..." He hadn't even processed how he had swung the blade. The relic had practically guided his limbs.

Yet before relief could settle in, two more monsters attacked simultaneously.

Surya whipped the sword around. Clang! The creature's claws deflected off the metal. He stepped forward. Thrust. CRAASSHH!

The black sword impaled the monster's chest. The creature let out a shrill shriek before dissolving into scattering ash.

The final monster tried to flee. But Surya hurled his sword. Swiiing!

The blade spun through the air, burying itself deep into the beast's back. Its body instantly disintegrated into flakes of ash.

Silence. No one spoke.

The survivors stared at Surya with looks of utter shock. The man who, moments ago, had been just as terrified as they were... had just slaughtered three monsters entirely on his own.

Surya stared down at his hands. He could feel a fresh surge of power pulsing through his veins. But alongside it... a hollow ache resonated deep within his soul, carved out by memories that would never return.

Suddenly, the entire Ash Forest plunged into darkness. Not because night had fallen, but because the sole moon in the sky slowly began to shift colors. White. Gray. And then... pitch black.

The atmosphere instantly turned freezing cold. The wind died down. The falling ash froze mid-air.

Every remaining monster snapped its head upward toward the moon. Their bodies began to violently shudder. Crimson fractures split across their black skin. Their frames swelled. Their claws elongated. Their maws gaped wider.

A horrifying shriek echoed across every corner of the forest. Auuuuuuuuuuu!!

Surya gripped his sword tighter. The relic in his hand hummed softly, whispering with a severity he hadn't heard before.

"Damn it..."

"The Black Moon has risen."

"They are... evolving."