NOVEL WEB Chapter 18: New Discovering
Next Mission Preview: Battle for the Tomb's Relic
✓A desperate three-way fight between Bae Kae, the Emperor's Shade, and Kai-Hoon's assassins.
✓A new unexpected player enters the battle—an unknown third party.
✓The true power of the Counter-Relic is revealed.
✓Bae Kae is forced to make a decision that will alter the fate of the rebellion forever.
☰ New Gameplay Unlocks:
✔ Faction Reputation System – Alliances and betrayals will have long-term effects.
✔ Tactical Combat Expansion – Use the environment and relics strategically.
✔ Secret Ending Pathways – Choices made here will determine future outcomes.
Opening Cutscene: Three-Way War
The air in the tomb crackled with dark energy. The Emperor's shade moves above us, bound by only one remaining seal. At the same time, Kai-Hoon's elite assassins—the Blood Vultures—closed in, their curved blades glinting in the dim light.
The lead assassin, a man with a red color mask, tilted his head. "I see you've gone through a lot of trouble for this relic, Bae Kae. Too bad you won't live to see what it does."
Before I could respond, a fourth voice interrupted.
"Now, now—there's no need to be greedy."
From the darkness, a new figure emerged—a woman wearing a long cloak with piercing golden eyes.
☰ New Faction Reveal: The Black Talon – Mercenaries of the Underworld
✔ A neutral faction hired by unknown forces to steal the relic for their own gain.
✔ Masters of poison, illusion, and battlefield manipulation.
✔ Unpredictable—may turn against anyone, depending on how the battle unfolds.
Jian Mu groaned. "Another one? You have got to be kidding me."
Mission Update: Survive the Multi-Faction Showdown
✔ Seal the Emperor's Shade before it regains full strength.
✔ Fight off Kai-Hoon's assassins and the Black Talon mercenaries.
✔ Keep the Forbidden Seal from falling into enemy hands.
The tomb suddenly turned into chaos.
Combat Mechanics: Multi-Faction Battlefield
☰ New Dynamic Battle Mechanics Introduced:
✔ Factions fight each other, creating tactical opportunities.
✔ Stealth and deception—players can manipulate enemy forces to attack each other.
✔ Environmental combat—tomb traps can be triggered mid-battle.
I ducked swiftly from a strike from one of the Blood Vultures, flipping backward onto a raised platform. The Black Talon mercenary vanished in a move of shadows, reappearing behind Jian Mu. He barely deflected her poisoned dagger with his blade.
"Watch your back!" I shouted.
He turns around swiftly, but not fast enough—her blade grazed his arm.
☰ New Status Effect: Poisoned – Jian Mu will slowly weaken unless cured.
As the battle raged, one of my own soldiers suddenly turned on us.
A trusted lieutenant, someone who had fought alongside me for years, ran forward toward the Forbidden Seal.
☰ Plot Twist: A Double Agent Within the Rebellion Was Still Active!
✔ Revealed as a sleeper agent working for Kai-Hoon.
✔ Steals the Forbidden Seal mid-battle, attempting to escape.
✔ Choice: Chase them down OR use the chaos to eliminate other threats first.
Jian Mu clutched his wounded arm. "You go after them—I'll hold off these mercenaries!"
I didn't hesitate. I launched myself after the traitor.
Chase Sequence: The Labyrinth of the Dead
☰ Gameplay Mechanic: High-Speed Chase Through a Crumbling Tomb
✔ Obstacle dodging – Falling debris, shifting walls, and hidden traps.
✔ Timed choices – Take shortcuts or safer paths?
✔ Clash in the dark – The traitor fights to slow Bae Kae down.
The traitor dashed through a collapsing corridor, clutching the relic. And I pursued him, leaping over broken platforms, and dodging spears that shot from the walls.
☰ Choice:
✔ Use a thrown dagger to slow them down.
✔ Trigger a trap to collapse part of the path.
✔ Catch up and engage in close combat.
I chose to trigger a trap—activating a hidden mechanism that caused the floor to shift beneath them. The traitor stumbled, barely catching themselves before before running into the darkness below.
But it wasn't over.
Suddenly, they twisted mid-air, throwing a handful of powder at me—smoke bomb!
☰ Gameplay Effect: Vision Obscured – Reaction time slowed.
By the time I cleared my vision, they were gone. I gritted my teeth, anger rising up within me. The traitor was escaping, and I had no time to run after them, and then a whisper echoed through the tomb, cold and ancient.
"You wish to claim my relic? Then prove yourself worthy."
A golden mist slowly formed in front of me, taking the form of the Emperor's younger self. He stood tall, dressed in regal robes, his gaze piercing through time.
☰ New Choice:
✔ Accept the Emperor's challenge – Face him in a one-on-one duel for the relic.
✔ Refuse and chase the traitor – Risk losing an opportunity to gain his favor.
✔ Attempt to negotiate – Convince him to aid in our war against Kai-Hoon.
This was no longer just a battle. This was a test.
☰ New Gameplay Unlocks:
✔ Faction Loyalty Shifts – The Black Talon and Silent Wraiths may change allegiances based on choices.
✔ Tactical Combat Enhancements – Using relics in battle.
✔ Consequence System – The choices made here determine how the final war unfolds.
Opening Cutscene: A Throne of Bones
The golden mist thickened, swirling like a living storm. The spectral form of the Emperor's younger self faded, replaced by something far more ancient. The flickering lanterns lining the tomb's walls dimmed to a dull light, casting long, strange shadows.
Then, the bones of long-dead warriors begin to shake aggressively in their ancient armor.
☰ New Revelation: The Emperor's True Curse
✔ The Forbidden Seal was never meant to imprison the Emperor—it was meant to keep something far worse from awakening.
✔ The relic wasn't just a key to power, but a lock holding back the remnants of an ancient, forgotten war.
✔ Kai-Hoon's forces, the Black Talon mercenaries, and the betrayal within the rebellion might all be connected to this lost history.
A empty voice echoed through the chamber.
"Kneel before the Throne of the Fallen, and prove your worth, or be devoured by the sins of the past."
The ground opens swiftly like a crack on the wall. A monster hand of shadows came out from the stone floor, gripping the tomb's shattered throne. A spectral shaped being of untold evil rose up dressed in imperial robes, but with a face covered in twisting darkness.
☰ New Boss Fight: The Emperor's Curse – The Devouring Wraith
✔ A shapeshifting entity that mimics past rulers of the empire, forcing Bae Kae to fight his ancestors.
✔ Can resurrect fallen enemies from the battlefield to attack.
✔ Immune to physical strikes unless weakened by a ritual.
Jian Mu, clutching his wounded arm, groaned, "I'm going to assume this wasn't part of the plan."
I clenched my jaw. This wasn't just about power anymore. Something was terribly wrong with this entire war
Mission Update: Survive the Emperor's Trial & Unravel the Ancient War
✔ Battle the Devouring Wraith while deciphering ancient inscriptions for weaknesses.
✔ Uncover the forgotten war that predates Kai-Hoon's rule.
✔ Decide whether to claim or destroy the Forbidden Seal.
☰ Gameplay Mechanics: Multi-Layered Boss Fight
✔ Phase 1 – Duel Against Spectral Rulers of the Past.
✔ Phase 2 – Environmental Combat with shifting battlefields.
✔ Phase 3 – Ritual Combat: Break the Wraith's hold over the tomb.
The Wraith ran down with an aggressive manner. I barely dodged as shadowy chains lashed out, slamming into the walls, and sending wall crashing around me.
☰ Choice:
✔ Strike directly—Attempt to weaken its form through sheer skill.
✔ Use the environment—Trigger traps hidden in the tomb.
✔ Search for the inscriptions—Risk exposing myself to find a weakness.
I chose to search for the inscriptions.
Ducking under a spectral shaped blade, I rolled across the crumbling floor, and scanned the walls. The written words were barely visible under layers of dust and decay. But there—a symbol stood out.
☰ New Discovery: The Wraith's Origins
✔ The Emperor had made a pact with an ancient entity to unite the empire.
✔ The price was eternal servitude—the rulers of the empire were bound to feed it their life essence.
✔ The Forbidden Seal wasn't just a relic—it was the only thing keeping this entity from consuming the empire itself.
I cursed under my breath. If I took the relic, I wouldn't just gain power. I would be breaking the last chain binding this thing.
And Kai-Hoon wanted it.
☰ New Political Twist: The True War is Not for the Throne, But for Control Over the Ancient Entity
Mid-Battle Twist: Betrayal Strikes Again
Just as I tried to think of what to do next, something else, a familiar voice called out.
"I can't let you do that, Bae Kae."
From the tomb's entrance, Wu-Ji stepped forward, sword drawn.
My blood ran cold. Wu-Ji! Isn't he dead?.
☰ New Betrayal Reveal: Wu-Ji's True Allegiance
✔ Wu-Ji was never working for Kai-Hoon. He was working for a hidden third faction.
✔ His goal was never to aid the rebellion—it was to ensure that the Forbidden Seal was never taken by anyone.
✔ But now that it's been uncovered, he has no choice but to eliminate Bae Kae before he makes a decision that could doom the empire.
I gritted my teeth. "You knew about this?"
Wu-Ji's grip tightened around his blade. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out."
☰ Choice: Duel Wu-Ji Mid-Battle OR Convince Him to Join You Against the Wraith