Rise of Lihas RAYZADA

The Whisperpine Forest seemed to breathe around Lihas Rayzada, its towering trees creaking as if whispering secrets in the fading daylight. The sixteen-year-old trudged onward, his boots sinking into mossy earth, the weight of his sack pulling at his bruised shoulder. The iron dagger at his belt gleamed faintly, still warm from the bandit skirmish hours ago. The Soul Rune Pendant pulsed against his chest, a steady heartbeat that anchored him amidst the forest's eerie hum. His silver eyes darted through the shadows, wary of the dark presence he'd sensed earlier—a void in the mana that made his Mana Sense quiver with unease.The Starforge System's screen hovered in his vision, a cold reminder of his mission:Host StatusName: Lihas RayzadaCultivation: Tier 1, Level 2 (Beginner)Skills: Mana Sense, Iron Rune StrikeProgress to Level 3: 20/150 EXPQuest: [Special Quest – Seize the Path: Travel to Valenfort City. Time remaining: 2 days, 12 hours]Reward: 50 EXP, Skill [Rune Spark]Lihas adjusted the recommendation scroll tucked in his sack, its seal a fragile promise of a future beyond Elderoot Village. "Two days left," he muttered, quickening his pace. The Celestial Origin Academy was his ticket out, but the forest felt alive with threats, as if testing his resolve. His recent level-up had sharpened his agility, but the memory of that shadowy presence gnawed at him. It wasn't a bandit or a beast—it was something more.The forest grew darker as dusk settled, the mana in the air thickening like a storm about to break. Lihas's Mana Sense flared, picking up the familiar pulses of trees and wildlife, but that void-like signature flickered again, closer now. He froze, hand on his dagger, heart pounding. The pendant glowed brighter, its runes pulsing in sync with his unease."Who's there?" Lihas called, voice cutting through the silence. The trees swallowed his words, but a low hum answered—a sound like distant thunder, laced with malice. His Mana Sense zeroed in on a clearing ahead, where the mana twisted into a dark vortex, unnatural and cold.The system's voice rang in his mind, sharp and urgent:[Emergency Quest: Unravel the Shadow. Investigate the dark presence in Whisperpine Forest. Reward: 50 EXP, Enhanced Mana Sense. Failure: Death or corruption by unknown force.]Lihas's breath hitched. "Corruption?" he whispered, gripping his dagger tighter. The system hadn't warned of anything like this before. But retreat wasn't an option—not with Valenfort waiting, not with the pendant urging him forward. He steeled himself and crept toward the clearing, the forest's hum fading into an oppressive silence.The clearing was small, ringed by gnarled trees that seemed to lean inward, as if guarding a secret. At its center stood a cracked stone altar, its surface etched with runes that mirrored those on his pendant. A faint, dark mist coiled around it, pulsing with the void-like mana he'd sensed. Lihas's Mana Sense screamed, warning him to flee, but the pendant burned hot, almost pulling him closer.As he stepped into the clearing, the mist surged, coalescing into a shadowy figure—humanoid but wrong, its edges blurring like smoke. Red eyes glowed within a featureless face, and its voice hissed like wind through broken glass. "Bearer of the Starveil… you should not be here."Lihas's blood ran cold. "Starveil?" he said, clutching the pendant. "How do you know—"The figure lunged, a claw of shadow slashing toward him. Lihas dove aside, Mana Sense guiding his dodge, the claw grazing his arm and leaving a stinging chill. He rolled to his feet, channeling mana into his dagger. The blade glowed silver, and he struck with Iron Rune Strike, the impact sending a shockwave through the clearing. The shadow recoiled, hissing, but reformed instantly, its eyes narrowing."You cannot destroy what is eternal," it whispered, tendrils of mist lashing out like whips.Lihas ducked and weaved, his agility keeping him just ahead of the attacks. His mind raced—brute force wasn't enough. The pendant pulsed, and a memory of Garen's tales surfaced: ancient spirits bound to runes, defeated only by disrupting their source. His eyes locked on the altar, its runes glowing faintly."The altar," he muttered, dodging another tendril. He sprinted toward it, the shadow shrieking in protest. The system's screen flashed:[Tip: Channel Mana Sense into the pendant to activate its hidden power.]Lihas pressed the pendant to his chest, focusing his Mana Sense as he'd done with the wolves. The pendant blazed, silver light flooding the clearing. The runes on the altar flared in response, and a pulse of energy surged through Lihas, guiding his hand. He slashed the dagger across the altar, Iron Rune Strike carving through stone. The runes shattered, and the shadow screamed, its form unraveling into wisps of dark mist.The clearing fell silent, the mana stabilizing. Lihas collapsed to his knees, panting, the pendant dimming but warm. The system's voice echoed:[Emergency Quest Complete: Unravel the Shadow. Reward: 50 EXP, Enhanced Mana Sense. Progress to Level 3: 70/150 EXP.]A new clarity flooded his senses—Enhanced Mana Sense sharpened the world, revealing mana flows he hadn't noticed before: the faint pulse of the trees, the distant hum of a river, even the lingering trace of the shadow's energy. The altar's broken runes glowed faintly, one fragment pulsing in sync with his pendant.Lihas picked up the fragment, its surface etched with a single rune: Starveil. The pendant thrummed, and the system displayed:[Item Acquired: Starveil Rune Fragment. Description: A piece of an ancient relic tied to the Starveil Bloodline. Further analysis required.]Lihas tucked the fragment into his sack, his mind spinning. The shadow had called him Bearer of the Starveil. Was it tied to the pendant? To the system? He had no answers, but the encounter felt like a warning—and a promise. The road to Valenfort was more dangerous than he'd imagined, and the Starforge System was leading him toward something far greater than an academy.As night fell, Lihas built a small fire in the clearing, the altar's ruins a silent sentinel. He completed his Daily Training Quest, running laps and swinging his dagger, the system granting 10 EXP and another Attribute Point. He allocated it to Mana, feeling his connection to the pendant deepen. The forest was quiet now, but Lihas's silver eyes burned with determination. Valenfort was close, and whatever secrets the Starveil Bloodline held, he'd uncover them—one step, one fight, one rune at a time.

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