CHAPTER 206: RING

"Take me, you are worthy."

The voice sounded in his ears again, and as it was talking, there was the sound of drums, or was it a heartbeat?

The mist parted, just barely, and Lucen saw an object floating and radiating light. It was not armor, not a weapon, not even a tome; it was a ring.

A simple band of blackened metal, floating above a stone pedestal. It was small enough to be overlooked in any ordinary collection. But here, in this oppressive silence, it felt like the eye of a storm, not to mention it was floating.

Its surface was blackened like cooled volcanic glass, but beneath the darkness, faint ember-like veins pulsed, slow, rhythmic, alive.

The second he saw the ring, the pull became stronger than ever as the sound of something similar to drums grew louder.

"Take me... You are worthy..." The voice also seemingly matched the rhythm of the drums.

"Yeah, I get it that I’m worthy, but why am I worthy?"

Lucen asked but did not approach as he was still unsure about what could happen. Right now, he could not sense any malicious intent from the item, nor did his battle instincts skill warn him of anything.

Despite all the signs telling him that this was an opportunity, he did not move for now, as he felt a similar atmosphere to that of the battlefield.

The air around the ring shifted, heavy, charged, exactly like the moment before two armies collided. That eerie stillness, that taut silence, the breath the world held right before steel met flesh.

This was the same feeling he got when the goblin army faced their own army. Lucen felt something suffocating; he felt it in his bones.

’It’s obvious that this thing isn’t an ordinary item.’ Lucen looked at the sign that was under the pedestal.

Name: Unknown

Origin: Unknown

Effect: Unknown

This ring was the prize Edric Thornehart received after defeating a powerful warlord. He then gifted it to his best friend, Richard Vaelgard, before heading off to his final battle.

’Hoh, an unexpected lore drop. An item from my Ancestor gifted to the first king... A powerful warlord owned this thing, so it must be something that would help in fighting. It shouldn’t be as dangerous as I thought since it was given as a gift... Should be right?....’

Lucen asked himself, but of course, no one would answer. The pulsing embers beneath the ring’s dark surface flared, brightening as if reacting to his hesitation.

The war drums grew louder, syncing with his own until he could no longer tell which was which.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The voice whispered again, brushing against his thoughts rather than his ears. It was like a foreign thing had entered his thoughts.

"Worthy one. Take me. I will grant you power to protect what you wish to protect. I will grant you power to destroy those who oppose. Power to bend your destiny to your own will."

’Hoh, power to protect and destroy, to bend destiny itself is it? What a standard line for some unknown item. If this were a cosmic horror story, it means I’m being tricked, but it’s also possible that this is the standard isekai cliche, and it’s real.’

He didn’t trust the words, not fully. He knew better than to believe any relic that whispered so sweetly, since he was quite a well-read person who loved playing games for their storylines.

He stayed still, letting the oppressive aura wash over him. The ring was now silent as it simply waited, waiting for the warrior to step onto the battlefield.

"I already have the power to do everything you promised. I already have ways to bend destiny to my designs." Lucen spoke with confidence.

’Though I say that, in truth, even I’m not sure. Having more options is always a good thing, but saying it out loud seems stupid. Still, if that thing is able to read minds, then... Well, whatever it doesn’t matter.’

The suffocating pressure around him, like that of the battlefield, loosened just slightly. Like a warrior lowering his spear, not in surrender, but in acknowledgment.

The ember-veins dimmed, no longer pulsing as aggressively. The heartbeat rhythm softened, no longer trying to overwhelm his senses.

"Worthy one. The choice is yours." The voice spoke in his mind and then stopped. The feeling of something foreign in Lucen’s mind had disappeared.

"Easing up now and giving me a choice, when I’m sure you already read all of my thoughts. Tsk, I really hate this feeling."

’It’s reminding me of those games that give you an illusion of choice. Yet no matter what you pick, it just leads to the same end, just a different route to get there.’

Lucen couldn’t help but click his tongue again as he scratched his head. He already made a choice, but the feeling of like he was being manipulated to make that choice was making him feel a sense of irritation.

’This thing really wants me to do the opposite of what it wants, but...’

Lucen stepped forward and stood in front of the floating ring. The sound of beating war drums could once again be heard.

"I guess it doesn’t matter if I’m being manipulated or not. I’ll take anything that could help me achieve the future I want."

Lucen spoke out loud; it was unclear if he was talking to the ring or trying to convince himself.

The moment the words left his mouth, the air shifted again. Not violently, not dramatically, but with a certain inevitability, as if a battlefield veteran simply nodded at a fellow soldier who had finally made up his mind.

The mist surrounding the area seemed to grow still. The sound of the war drums steadied. The ring’s ember-veins glowed, soft but certain, with the quiet confidence of something ancient.

Lucen, who was about to grab the ring, couldn’t help but compare this scene to many cutscenes in the video games he played. Despite the initial irritation, he was quite happy to be part of another cliche.

Lucen then showed a confident smile on his face.

"Fine then. Let’s see what you can do."

He extended his hand slowly, his fingertips hovering inches away from the floating ring. He was expecting to feel something, but there was nothing. Lucen then grabbed hold of the ring.

The moment his skin met the metal, heat surged, not burning but fierce, like the exhale of a forge that had been waiting centuries to breathe again. A shockwave of emotion, not words, burst into his mind.

There was vicious rage, steely resolve, intense defiance, and heavy pride. The emotions, despite being there, were not as overwhelming as Lucen imagined them to be. They were simply there as if trying to convey to him that they exist.

’I’m not even wearing it yet, just touching it, there are already so many things...’ Lucen looked at the ring in his hand, it felt alive like it had a pulse. ’Now let’s see what will happen when I wear you.’

Lucen gathered his resolve and wore the ring. The moment the ring slid onto his finger, it felt like there was a burst of something. The mist surrounding him disappeared. The surrounding light started flickering erratically.

Heat shot up his arm, racing through his veins like liquid fire. It didn’t burn him. Instead, it felt like his blood was being reforged, hammered, and tempered by an unseen smith.

He then felt the emotions he had felt a while ago again, but this time, it was stronger than ever.

A warrior who was raging on the battlefield. A warrior who had resolved himself like a sharpened blade, ready to die on the battlefield. A warrior who defied his destiny while laughing in joy. A warrior with such heavy pride, he would bow to no one.

There was also a sort of madness that lay hidden within, but deeper than that, there was this all-encompassing loneliness.

There was a sort of pressure coming from the ring that made Lucen’s breath hitch. Once all of that emotion came down on him, Lucen also felt some sort of power.

It was vague, but there. Lucen knew that there was more to the ring than just this, but he decided to experiment on it when he got back.

"Since I got what I need, I’d better go back before the king closes the treasure, and I’ll need to wait until tomorrow to get out."

Lucen turned around and started walking back to the entrance. While he was walking, the sound of war drums died down, and the heavy feeling coming from the ring disappeared. Even the vague presences he felt a while ago seemed to fade into nothingness.

The trip back to the entrance was silent, unlike when he came in and walked deeper into the treasury.

’To think this thing is already proving to be useful.’ Lucen looked at the black ring and chuckled.