Episode 9: Whispers from the First Flame

The dawn sun cast a golden hue over Ember Hollow, but its warmth could not reach the tension clinging to the village air.

Red light still pulsed faintly from the cracks beneath the earth—where the shrine once slept.

Kuro Jin emerged from the forest path behind Elder Hara's hut, clothes singed, breath heavy, but eyes burning with newfound clarity.

The village elder stood waiting for him, flanked by a few cautious villagers.

"You went below," Elder Hara said quietly.

Jin didn't deny it. "I had to."

He opened his palm—the rune on it now pulsed steadily, no longer faint.

"I found something down there. A voice. A memory. Something that knows about me… about the system."

The elder's expression tightened. "Then it has begun again."

---

[System Prompt: Quest Progression Detected]

Main Quest: Rise of the Divine Emperor

Subthread Activated – Echoes of the First Flame

Objective: Learn the fate of the previous outworlder. Discover the origin of the Divine System.

Timer: None – Open Progression

---

Later that day, in the elder's private chamber, Jin sat cross-legged on a woven mat as Elder Hara retrieved an old, cracked wooden box. Inside was a scroll—sealed with black wax.

"This was left behind… by someone like you. Years ago. Before even I became the Elder."

He unsealed it.

Faint system runes shimmered across the parchment—just like the UI inside Jin's mind.

But what made his breath hitch… was the name signed at the bottom.

[Name: Arlen Kairos – Outworlder | Status: Deceased(?)]

Affiliation: Divine Code v.0.1

Title: First Synchronizer

Jin's thoughts spiraled.

"There was a version of the system before mine…?"

Elder Hara nodded slowly. "Arlen came from beyond the sky. He helped our people fight against a rising darkness—but one day, he vanished… and with him, the balance."

Jin gritted his teeth.

"So whatever this 'Divine Conflict' is… it's not new."

The elder laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're walking a road with blood on its stones, Jin. The previous flamebearer couldn't finish it. But you—"

He looked into Jin's eyes.

"—you carry both the old fire and something new. That gives me hope."

---

That Night

Jin stood at the edge of Ember Hollow, gazing out at the Whispering Woods. The stars above Noveria were unfamiliar, but somehow comforting.

A notification chimed.

[New Feature Unlocked: System Echoes]

You can now access scattered memories of previous system users.

First Echo Detected – Coordinates Locked.

"Guess I'm not sleeping tonight."

He began walking toward the darkened trail east of the village—toward the system's ping.

Branches creaked. The mist thickened. But his resolve burned hotter than fear.

And then—he saw it.

A crystal shard suspended mid-air between two ancient trees. Ghostly images flickered within—of a man standing atop a burning citadel… and falling.

Jin reached out.

[System Echo Accessed: Arlen Kairos – Final Memory Fragment]

"To whoever finds this… know that the system is incomplete. It was never meant to merge with this world. But it chose me—and now it chooses you. Finish what I could not. Become the flame… or the world will be lost."

The shard dissolved.

Jin's eyes widened as information flooded his mind—combat techniques, forgotten knowledge, a glimpse of an enemy cloaked in void.

And one phrase burned across the system UI:

[Synchronization Surge – 51%]

New Skill Acquired: Soulbrand Resonance

Grants temporary invincibility (3 seconds) upon critical HP. 12-hour cooldown.

He dropped to his knees, panting.

"I can feel it now… the path ahead."

But as he rose, the mist parted to reveal a new figure—a tall man in silver armor, face hidden behind a visor etched with runes.

"You touched the Echo," the figure said coldly.

Jin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The man pointed his blade. "An Observer. And you've become a variable."

Before Jin could respond, the system blared a warning:

[DANGER – Unknown Entity Detected: Class Omega]

[To Be Continued...]

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