The silence inside the hidden cavern felt different now.
Not cold.
Not empty.
It felt… fulfilled.
As if two hundred years of waiting, guarding, and carrying the last wish of a dead master had finally reached its end.
Ren exhaled slowly, letting that weight press against his chest.
He turned back to the stone crates—twenty of them—lined like soldiers on silent duty. Each sealed box hummed faintly, protective mana clinging to them even after centuries. Ren approached the first one and placed his palm on the lid.
A gentle shimmer of ancient magic rippled under his touch—
and the lid dissolved into light.
Inside, perfectly preserved, were sky-blue mana crystals glowing like trapped winter stars.
Ren felt breath hitch in his throat.
"These… would feed a whole village's mages for a year," he whispered.
He activated his new skill.
Inventory.
The crystals vanished into storage, weightless but not meaningless.
Ren moved on:
Earth-rich green crystals
Fire-red volatile crystals
Ores infused with mana veins
Star-touched silver
Rare stones with swirling mana
Even materials Ren couldn't identify
Every chest held something irreplaceable, something the previous reincarnator must have gathered with his own hands—hands that had built and commanded thousands of golems. Hands that had failed a kingdom but tried to make up for it until they stopped moving forever.
Ren swallowed hard as he stored the last item.
This wasn't treasure hunting.
It felt like inheriting someone's hope.
A sharp crack made Ren spin around.
The Earth Golem—the one that had carried its master's final order for two centuries—was beginning to fall apart. Stone plates slid off like ancient armor. Dust drifted down its legs in silent streams.
Yet somehow… it moved.
Not fast.
Not menacing.
But purposeful.
With a shuddering arm, the golem lifted one last time and pointed toward a shadowed corner of the cavern.
Ren followed the gesture, heart tightening.
There, half-buried under debris, lay a faintly glowing stone orb—small, fragile, flickering like a dying ember.
Ren knelt and picked it up gently.
A notification flickered in his vision:
[Earth Golem Core — E-Rank (Top Grade)]
Condition: Severely Damaged
Mana Cycle: Nearly Broken
A cracked heart.The seed that had once grown into this towering sentinel.
"It's… weak," Ren murmured. "You held on too long, didn't you?"
He didn't know why the words came out so soft.
Maybe because he could feel something—something faint but unmistakable.
A sense of… relief.
Not from him.
From the golem.
As if it was glad—finally—that its last duty was done.
Another deep fracture ran through the golem's chest, light spilling through the cracks. The giant kneeled—slowly, reverently—as if bowing to Ren.
The gesture made Ren's breath tremble.
"You… knew I was like him, didn't you?"He didn't know why he asked.He didn't expect an answer.
But the golem's fading core flashed once—softly.
An affirmation.
Ren approached, and at that exact moment, the stone giant's chest split open, revealing a second core—larger, brighter, steady.
Not weak.Not dying.
Strong. Stable. Full of potential.
Ren lifted it into his palms with both hands.
[Earth Golem Core — D-Rank (Top Grade)]
Condition: Fully Functional
Potential: Compatible with Golem Creation (MAX)
"This one is… your true heart."
The giant's final glow pulsed again.
This time, even Ren felt it clearly—
Happiness.
A quiet, soft, warm happiness.
Not from understanding emotions.
Not through telepathy.
Just… a feeling, subtle and instinctive.
The satisfaction of a loyal being who had fulfilled the last duty of its master.
And now, entrusted its legacy to a new one.
As the light faded, Ren whispered,
"…Thank you. For everything you protected."
The golem didn't answer with words—it crumbled.
Slowly, silently, peacefully.
A final bow of stone collapsing into dust.
When the last piece fell, the cavern dimmed—but it did not feel empty.It felt… at peace.
Ren stood there for a long moment, both cores pressed to his chest.
He wasn't crying.
But his throat tightened, and his eyes felt hot.
He didn't know the previous reincarnator.He didn't understand the golem's thoughts.He didn't share their memories or their pain.
But he felt something.
Gratitude.
Loneliness.
Relief.
And a quiet joy that someone—finally—came to take the burden.
Ren placed the weakened E-rank core gently into Inventory.
But the D-rank core…He kept in his hand.
Warm. Alive.The final gift of a hero who died alone.
Ahead, the stone passage shimmered with ancient light—another room waiting.Another secret left behind.
Lyra still lay unconscious, healing.The storm outside waited.The wedding countdown ticked.The Earth Golem was gone.
And Ren—whether he wanted it or not—was now the heir to a legacy built on regret, sacrifice, and hope.
He exhaled.
"…Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what you wanted me to find next."
Holding the glowing core close, Ren stepped deeper into the ruins, where the true beginning of his path waited.
The cavern had grown quiet again—too quiet.The dust of the fallen golem still floated in the cold, dim air, slowly settling over the stone floor like a final curtain.
Ren held both cores carefully.
The E-Rank Top Grade Core, cracked and trembling with weak mana.And the D-Rank Top Grade Core, bright and full of strength.
He stared at the damaged one for a long moment.
"…You waited for so long," he whispered.
Something in him tightened—an instinct, a feeling, maybe just a spark of empathy. He couldn't ignore the worn, flickering light inside that smaller core. It looked like a fire struggling against wind, barely alive but refusing to extinguish.
Ren knelt and slowly placed his fingertips over its surface.
"Let's try something…"
He closed his eyes, summoned what remained of his mana pool, and pressed a small part of it inside.
Soft. Controlled. Gentle.
Mana flowed like warm water through his veins.
Crack…
A faint glow answered.
Ren's eyes widened.The system notification blinked before him:
[Mana Infusion Detected][Target: Earth Golem Core — E-Rank (Top Grade), Critical Condition]Infusion Efficiency: 7%Recovery Progress: LowStatus: Stabilizing… Successful]
The core flickered—once, twice—then steadied into a faint, stable hum.
Ren let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"You're awake… somehow."
He didn't know if a core could feel gratitude.He didn't know if it understood anything at all.
But that faint, resilient pulse felt like a tiny heartbeat trying its best.
He gently stored it in his Inventory, protected and safe.
His gaze shifted to the other core—the D-rank one.
It radiated power. A living stone heart waiting, ready to obey whoever infused it with purpose. The weight of its presence pressed against Ren's palm.
He knew he could create a golem now. The skill was already in his mind:
[Golem Creation (MAX)]
The knowledge was perfect.Clear.Limitless.
He could restore the ancient craft, create a guardian, even build an army someday.
But when his mana touched the edge of the core, the system flashed a sharp warning:
[Warning]User Mana Reserves: Inadequate.Creating a D-Rank Golem requires a stable mana circulation and higher physical and magical endurance.Minimum Requirement: Level 20 or High-Tier Mana Heart.
Current Level: 15Mana Circulation: Insufficient
Result of Attempting Creation:— Severe mana depletion— Risk of unconsciousness— 30% chance of permanent damage to mana pathways— 100% chance of failure
Recommendation:Do not attempt creation.
Ren froze.
"…So I really can't do it."
His fingers curled around the core. It was warm—alive—and waiting for a master.
Not now.Not yet.
He exhaled slowly, a mix of frustration and responsibility tightening in his chest.
"Fine. I'll grow first," he whispered. "Then I'll come back for you… properly."
The core hummed softly, as if acknowledging his decision.
Ren stored the D-rank core next—carefully, respectfully.
With both cores secured, Ren stood in the now quiet chamber. Nothing remained of the massive golem—no stone body, no echo of footsteps. Only dust and memory.
He placed his hand over his chest.
"…I'll do better," he murmured.
Not just for himself.Not just for his siblings.But for the previous reincarnator who died alone, burdened by guilt.And for the golem who waited two hundred years to fulfill a final promise.
Ren felt it—not completely, not in words—but enough to understand:
That golem died satisfied.Because someone finally came.Someone who could continue its master's will.
And Ren intended to honor that trust.
He turned toward the exit of the ancient cavern, the soft glow of magic stones lighting the path back to Lyra.
A new power slept inside him.A forgotten legacy rested on his shoulders.And two cores awaited the day he would become strong enough to awaken them.
Ren took a deep breath.
"Let's go," he whispered, stepping forward.
And with that, he left the chamber—its history finally at peace.