I Received System to Become Dragonborn

The elders led Erend down another series of tunnels, their dim glow a stark contrast to the heavy tension settling over the group. The silence stretched, broken only by the steady rhythm of their footsteps against the stone. When they descended Erend felt a faint almost electric charge that prickled against his senses.

Then they entered a vast, cavernous hall. Scattered across the polished stone floor lay massive, shimmering blue bones. Though disjointed and incomplete, the skeleton radiated a faint energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Even in death, it carried an undeniable presence. Erend stopped a few paces from the nearest bone — a fragment of what appeared to be a rib — and reached out with his senses. The energy pulsing faintly from the bones felt ancient and foreign, yet deeply powerful. He could barely imagine the power this goddess must have wielded when she was alife.

The room was far from empty. Gathered around the scattered remains stood Commander Varok and several squad leaders, they turned to face the new arrivals. Their postures straightened as their gazes fell upon Erend.

Elena had clearly briefed them well. Varok stepped forward. His movements were measured, his expression stoic yet respectful.

"So," Varok said. "You're the friend of Eccar."

Erend nodded, his tone even but firm. "I am."

The squad leaders exchanged glances, their respect evident in the way they stepped aside, making room for him near the remains. Erend could sense their unease. They, too, felt the faint but power coming from the bones.

Varok inclined his head. "Elena has explaining of your arrival. If you are Eccar's friend, then we are in good hands."

Erend just nodded cause his attention is now fully at the bones. The power lingering here wasn't just strength. There was something deeper about these bones, more primal.

The silver-haired elder gestured toward the remains.

"These are the goddess's bones. They were retrieved after the raid on Blackrock Pass, as you've been told. We believe her skeleton is the key to understanding the invaders' purpose and their power."

Her voice dropped slightly as she turned toward Commander Varok and the squad leaders. "You will accompany Lord Erend from here on. Work closely with him because the challenges ahead will demand cooperation."

The elders exchanged one last glance, a silent understanding passing between them. The silver-haired woman gave Erend a meaningful look, a silent reminder of the secrets they had entrusted to him.

Erend's jaw tightened. He nodded in understanding.

Without another word, the elders turned and departed, their robes trailing behind them as they ascended the tunnel.

Erend moved closer to the skeleton, his gaze scanning the massive, scattered fragments. He placed a hand lightly on one of the larger bones — a shard of a femur, perhaps — and felt the faint current of power surge through him. The goddess, in life, must have been nothing short of a force of nature.

"She was powerful," Erend murmured.

Commander Varok stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Dragonborn. "What do you make of it, my Lord?"

Erend feeling awkward hearing him addressed by that. But it doesn't matter right now. Maybe that's just how they address them as a Dragonborn.

Commander Varok stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Erend.

"Can you feel anything, my Lord? Anything different?" Varok asked.

Erend hesitated, his hand still resting on the cold surface of the bone. He furrowed his brow, trying to focus on the faint pulses of power coursing beneath his fingertips. After a moment, he spoke.

"There's power here is ancient and overwhelming," he said. "But I guess you all already know that much."

The squad leaders exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"That's more than most of us can sense, actually," Varok admitted. "Perhaps with your help we'll uncover its secrets."

He gestured toward the group. "Let me introduce the leaders of my squads. This people have been working with Lord Eccar before."

One by one, the squad leaders stepped forward, introducing themselves. Erend looking at them one by one.

Lira inclined her head. "Scouts are under my command, my Lord."

Brogar's gruff voice followed, his massive frame seeming to fill the room. "I'm the leader of the Vanguard who faces the enemy head-on."

Elena offered a faint smile. "I'm a healer."

Darek and Tovan introduced themselves as tactical and stealth specialists, while Nerin, Renna, and Kael each added their roles.

Erend nodded at them all, committing their names and faces to memory. But his curiosity lingered on one thing. He turned back to Varok.

"Commander," he began, "what really happened during the raid at Blackrock Pass? How did you manage to retrieve these bones?"

The room grew quiet again. Varok's gaze shifted momentarily to the bones, then back to Erend. His voice dropped, carrying a weight that stilled the air.

"The raid was actually the most successful raid we had in hundred of years," Varok said. "The invaders are lesser in numbers than we expected. Their reinforcement are coming. But we had Eccar at the entrance.

"Eccar held the line. The rest of us fought to destroy and kill the invaders inside the cavern, but Eccar stood alone against waves of those invaders outside. If he hadn't, we wouldn't have made it out."

The squad leaders nodded solemnly, their respect for Eccar evident in their faces.

Varok's voice grew firm again. "We didn't even know that those bones are the reason why they made a fortress there. Whatever power lies within them, the invaders want it. And now maybe we'll finally learn why they want it so badly."

"I'll do what I can," Erend said quietly.

Varok nodded, then said. "So what do we do now?"

"We wait," Erend smiled meaningfully.

---

The chamber was a void of silence. Eccar sat in the center of his confined cell with chains binding his wrists and ankles. The faint glow of runes etched into the chains that supposed to kept his Dragonborn strength suppressed.

Yet, his mind was far from idle.

Eccar sharpened his senses. He let his hearing stretch out, searching for the faintest whisper that might offer him a sliver of insight.

For hours, there was nothing. Only the monotonous shuffling of guards, the occasional murmur too faint to decipher, and the clinking of chains when he adjusted his position. Each passing moment gnawed at his patience and he start to feel annoyed.

His claws itched to tear through the walls and tear his captors apart but brute force wasn't an option — not yet. He needed more information.

And then, a fragment of conversation drifted through the stagnant air.

"...Lord Krevak… departing soon… meeting with the High Council…"

Eccar's eyes snapped open.

"Lord Krevak.

Is that the guy that brought me here? Porbably he is."

If he was leaving to meet with their High Council, it could only mean one thing: something critical was about to happen.

Eccar's annoyance shifted into a calculating determination. He leaned back against the wall, his mind already working through the possibilities.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, though his chains remained taut.

"Well, well, timee to send message to my friend." Read exclusive chapters at empire

---