Ascendancy: The System’s Chosen

Eleanor stepped into the doorway, her pulse pounding like a war drum.

The chamber beyond was a collapsed hall, half-buried in rubble, moonlight barely slipping through the cracks. The air was thick with decay, and in the farthest corner—a girl.

She couldn't have been more than ten years old, her frail body curled against a broken pillar. Dark curls covered most of her face, but Eleanor could see her trembling hands, the tear-streaked dirt on her cheeks.

"Ronan?" the girl whimpered, lifting her head.

Ronan pushed past Eleanor, falling to his knees beside her. "Lia! I'm here!"

The girl—Lia—sobbed as she clung to her brother. "I was so scared…"

Relief crashed over Eleanor—they found her.

But the feeling didn't last.

Because the air shifted.

A low growl came from the darkness beyond the rubble.

Eleanor's stomach dropped. Something else was here.

Then—glowing red eyes.

A shape slithered from the shadows, massive and wrong.

[Ruinborne Stalker – Level 5]

(A mutated predator that thrives in the dark. Highly aggressive.)

It was fast.

Eleanor barely had time to shove Ronan and Lia out of the way before it lunged.

She rolled, barely missing its claws. The creature was feline-like, but its body was half-decayed, bone exposed where flesh should have been.

This wasn't just a monster. It was corruption made flesh.

And it was far above her level.

Eleanor clenched her jaw. Run or fight?

She had never run from a fight.

The Stalker circled, its claws scraping against stone. It was waiting for an opening.

She needed a weapon.

Her eyes darted to the rubble. A broken rusted sword stuck out from the debris—useless in perfect conditions, but better than a rock.

She ran for it.

The Stalker struck.

[Skill Activated: Predatory Instincts]

She twisted mid-dash, dodging by inches. Claws ripped through the air where her neck had been.

Eleanor grabbed the sword.

The moment her fingers closed around it, a system notification appeared.

[Weapon Identified: Broken Knightblade] (An ancient sword, dulled with age. It carries a remnant of its former strength.)

[Would you like to absorb the weapon?] (Y/N)

Eleanor's breath caught. Absorb?

She had no idea what it meant—but she was out of time.

"Yes!"

The moment she confirmed, a surge of energy shot through her arm.

The sword disintegrated into light—and that light poured into her body.

Her vision flashed white.

[New Ability Unlocked: Phantom Edge]

(Your body remembers the blade. You can manifest a spectral weapon for a short duration.)

A burning sensation spread through Eleanor's palm.

She lifted her hand—and a ghostly, shimmering blade appeared in her grasp.

The Stalker lunged again.

This time—she met it head-on.