After 1 month of traveling they arrive at the temple, the final climb to the temple took nearly two hours, with narrow paths carved into sheer rock faces and strong winds threatening to sweep them off their feet. Ashreign led the way, using his Khain Bloodline ability to sense safe footholds and hidden pathways that weren't visible to the naked eye.
As they reached the temple gates, massive stone doors covered in ancient runes, the Corruption Cleansing Crystal in Ashreign's hand blazed with purple light. The runes on the doors began to glow in response, shifting from black to silver.
"The seal recognizes you, young lord," Raven said quietly, watching the doors with awe. "No one has been able to get this close in generations."
Ashreign stepped forward, placing his hand on the door alongside the crystal. The system chimed loudly in his mind, only he could hear it:
[SEAL DETECTED: KHAIN BLOODLINE REQUIRED]
[BLOODLINE MATCH CONFIRMED: FULLY AWAKENED]
[ACTIVATING TEMPLE ENTRANCE SEQUENCE]
[WARNING: PROCEED WITH CAUTION, THE TEMPLE CONTAINS TRIALS TO TEST THE HEIR'S WORTHINESS]
The doors rumbled open with a sound like grinding stone, revealing a vast courtyard inside, overgrown with silver grass and dotted with statues of ancient Khain ancestors. At the far end stood the temple itself, a towering structure of black stone that seemed to absorb and reflect light at the same time.
As they entered the courtyard, the doors slammed shut behind them, and the air crackled with magic. A voice, deep and ancient, echoing from all around, filled the space for all to hear:
"Heir of Khain. To claim what lies within, you must pass three trials. The first shall test your strength."
The ground began to shift, and a circular arena rose from the center of the courtyard.
[TRIAL 1: STRENGTH]
[DESCRIPTION: Defeat the temple's guardian, a being of pure balanced magic. You must use both light and dark magic equally to succeed. Failure will seal the temple forever.]
The moment the trial details appeared in his mind, the system suddenly flashed an urgent notification, silent to everyone but Ashreign:
[URGENT SIDE QUEST TRIGGERED: NO SHORTCUTS TO POWER]
[DESCRIPTION: You are forbidden from using any gacha items or system boosts during this trial. Prove your strength comes from your own training and bloodline, not from external power.]
[OBJECTIVES:]
1. Defeat the guardian using only your natural abilities and Khain Bloodline powers: IN PROGRESS
2. Do not activate any system items or stat boosts during combat: IN PROGRESS
[REWARD: BLOODLINE ENHANCEMENT: Permanently increases all stats linked to your Khain Bloodline by 10%]
[FAILURE PENALTY: Trial is automatically failed, and your bloodline power will be temporarily weakened]
Ashreign paused, his expression serious as he processed the system's words. He'd been planning to use a powerful potion he'd "found" in his family's vaults, (actually pulled from a gacha pull) , but now he knew he couldn't rely on anything but his own skills.
"I need to face this one alone," he said aloud to Raven and Kara, who stood at the edge of the arena. "The guardian will only respond to the heir's pure bloodline power. External aid will break the trial's magic."
"That's not entirely true", he thought to himself, but it's the best way to explain why I can't use any of my hidden advantages.
A figure materialized in the arena, tall and humanoid, with one side made of shimmering light and the other of solid shadow. It drew a sword that mirrored its form, its eyes glowing with neutral power. Without warning, it charged forward with incredible speed.
Ashreign met the guardian's strike head on, his Khain's Fang sword glowing with both light and dark magic, power drawn purely from his awakened bloodline. He'd trained for this moment every day since unlocking his full Khain Bloodline, his movements precise, his mana control flawless. No one watching could see the system's guidance helping him anticipate each strike, or how his bloodline was naturally enhanced beyond what should be possible for a six year old.
He used Shadow Step to dodge a sweeping blow, an ability he'd told his family he'd learned from ancient scrolls, then countered with a concentrated blast of light magic that forced the guardian back. But the being was relentless, shifting between shadow and light forms to strike from unexpected angles. Ashreign had to stay balanced, using shadow magic to evade and light magic to defend, never favoring one over the other, drawing every ounce of power from his bloodline.
After several minutes of intense combat, Ashreign could feel his stamina beginning to run low. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Drawing on the deepest reserves of his Khain Bloodline, he channeled all his remaining energy into a single attack, combining Dark Magic Enhancement with Light Magic Shield to create a wave of balanced energy that rippled through the arena.
The blast struck the guardian square in the chest. For a moment, the figure wavered, then dissolved into shimmering particles of light and shadow. These particles flowed toward Ashreign, merging with his skin and strengthening his bloodline connection.
[URGENT SIDE QUEST COMPLETED: NO SHORTCUTS TO POWER]
[REWARD: BLOODLINE ENHANCEMENT: ACTIVATED]
[DESCRIPTION: All stats linked to your Khain Bloodline are permanently increased by 10%]
[TRIAL 1 COMPLETE: STRENGTH CONFIRMED]
[REWARD: A-RANK KHAIN'S FANG UPGRADED TO S-RANK: SHADOWLIGHT EDGE]
[DESCRIPTION: Gains additional balanced magic damage, can purify corruption on contact, and responds only to the wielder's Khain Bloodline.]
[ADDITIONAL REWARD: +15 STRENGTH, +10 AGILITY]
Only Ashreign could see the system notifications flashing across his vision. To everyone else, it looked like he'd achieved the impossible through sheer talent and hard work.
As the arena began to lower back into the ground, a stone pathway appeared leading toward the temple's main entrance. The ancient voice echoed once more:
"Strength without wisdom is nothing. The second trial awaits within the temple walls."
Ashreign turned to his companions, who were watching with a mix of pride and amazement.
"Rest up," he said to them. "We've passed the first test, but the hardest ones are still ahead of us."
That night, as they camped in the courtyard, Ashreign examined his upgraded sword, pretending to study its new markings as he secretly pulled up his system profile in his mind:
[INFINITE GACHA SYSTEM: MAIN TAB]
[PLAYER STATUS]
Name: Ashreign Khain
Title: Reincarnator, Destined Villain, Force Commander, Family Secret Keeper
Level: 16
Age: 6 Years, 2 Months
Affiliation: Khain Family + Merchant Alliance + Bladeheart Guild + Shadow Tribes
Bloodline: Khain Bloodline (Fully Awakened + Enhanced)
Ability: Magic Swordsman (Dark/Light, Mastered)
Mana: 15,000 / 15,000
Stamina: 12,000 / 12,000
[STATS]
Strength: 140
Agility: 150
Defense: 110
Intelligence: 165
Luck: ???
Willpower: 190
Charisma: 130
[CURRENCY]
Gacha Points: 5,100
EXP: 750 / 20,000
World Gold: 325,000