In the wake of the envoy’s disappearance, two Game alerts buzzed for my attention.

You have been allocated a new task: Find the last Wolf Envoy. Your objective is to locate Ceruvax, the only remaining envoy of House Wolf. By your target’s own words, he is presently trapped in one of the Nexus’ many dungeons. Find him to learn more about the way of the wolf.

You have been allocated a new task: Stay True to Wolf. Your objective is to acquire a mana-based Class for your tertiary Class to remain on the path of Wolf.

I pursed my lips as I considered both messages. They added weight to Ceruvax’s own words. So it looks like he was not lying.

Setting aside the matter for further consideration later, I stepped up to the table beside the still open exit portal. It was almost time to leave, but I still had a few things to finish up first.

The table was empty.

I’d been hoping for another attribute gem, but alas, there was none to be had. However, carved on the table’s surface, in glowing lines of silver, was an elaborate and intricate depiction of dozens of fantastical beasts.

On the left was a dragon captured mid-flight, towards the bottom was a writhing serpent, in the right corner a griffin dived downwards, and in the center a hydra battled a snarling wolf.

But these were not the only beasts depicted, only the largest. Intertwined around them were many others, including a two-headed lion, a unicorn, a manticore, and so on.

This must be the Blood Talisman. Without hesitation, I placed both my hands flat down on the table.

Contact established between anointed scion and Blood Talisman. Reading candidate’s blood signature...

I waited patiently. After a drawn-out moment, another message unfurled.

Scion, the fallen of your House have gifted you their essences, and your bloodline is ready for its first awakening.

The blood of an ancient is a fearsome thing. Memories of traits, skills, and abilities lie long dormant within them. When sufficiently awoken, your blood can be made to ‘remember’ its ancient lineage and perform feats you had not thought possible before. It is up to you, with the aid of the Blood Talisman, to determine which of your blood memories will awaken.

Exploding blood: Your blood can be weaponized. This blood memory will grant you the ability: exploding blood. It can be used once per day to destroy all enemies of lower levels than yourself within a 9-yard radius. Its activation time is instantaneous. This is a generic blood memory.

Note: blood memories are powered by your blood itself and consume neither psi, mana, nor stamina.

Revitalizing blood: Your blood can reinvigorate. This blood memory will grant you 4 abilities: recover health, recover psi, recover mana, and recover stamina. Each can be used once per day on yourself or another to fully restore any lost health, stamina, mana, or psi. Its activation time is instantaneous. This is a generic blood memory.

Secret blood: Your blood can be used to conceal and deceive. This blood memory will grant you the trait: secret blood. It will hide every aspect of your ancient lineage—including Marks, Classes, skills, and traits—behind a false façade. Players and Powers alike will be deceived. The effects of this trait are untraceable and permanent. However, it will only apply to aspects related to your ancient bloodline. This is a blood memory unique to House Wolf.

My mouth dropped open in astonishment as I read the descriptions of the blood memories. All three were exceedingly powerful. Which did I choose?

Exploding blood was a combat ability that I could see multiple uses for and was especially useful in that it would scale with my own level. Revitalizing blood could prove the difference between life and death in battle—literally—for me or an ally.

But despite the obvious benefits of the first two blood memories, my attention focused on the third. At first glance, what it offered seemed redundant. My deception skill allowed me to conceal more about myself and equally well—though only after I trained the skill sufficiently, which could take months to years.

Secret blood, on the other hand, was both permanent and untraceable.

As hunted as I am now, how much more so will I be once the Powers discover that I’ve awoken my Wolf blood?

I was certain, too, that it was to secret blood that Ceruvax had been referring to earlier. With my bloodline concealed, I could enter Nexus without fear of being hunted by any but the Awakened Dead faction.

Unless, I thought wryly, I manage to make more enemies between now and then. Which seemed entirely possible. Probable, even.

My humor fading, I refocused on the three blood memories and made my choice.

You have been awarded the trait: secret blood.

That simply, I was done. The carving on the table stopped glowing, and I removed my hands. Just one more thing to do.

Turning my focus inwards, I invested my newly earned attribute point in Magic. None of my other attributes needed urgent attention right now, and given that I would need to acquire a magic Class soon, I thought it prudent to begin improving my magic now.

Your Magic has increased to rank 1.

I was finally done, and it was time to return to the Game. Approaching the exit portal, I passed through without breaking stride.

Entering spirit portal. Astral transfer initiated…

…

…

Leaving the First Trial. Entering sector 12,560.

~~~

My spirit traversed the aether in an eyeblink and, with shocking suddenness, I was sucked back into my body.

Astral recombination completed. Your spirit has been rehoused in its original host.

I groaned and dismissed the alert. More messages awaited me, but I ignored them. Something else consumed my attention.

The separation of my spirit and body had been painless. The same could not be said of the reverse. My head was pounding, and I felt lightheaded. My limbs were unresponsive, and each breath was a struggle. Far worse, though, was what I felt in my blood.

I was on fire.

Blood infusion initiated. Absorbing the first essence…

…

…

The Game message made clear the cause: the blood infusion ritual. Only now was I truly feeling its effects. The energy I’d siphoned from the fallen scions raged within me, an inferno that only gradually subsided.

Drip by drip, the fallen spirits’ essences seeped into my blood. My nerves tingled in response, my skin was rubbed raw, and my organs expanded close to bursting.

Eyes squeezed tightly shut, I endured.

And after long minutes, the fiery sensations quietened.

Blood infusion completed.

Congratulations, Michael! You have awakened your first blood memory!

Blood memories are gifts from your forebears and contain the power of the ancients themselves. With each successive awakening, you will recall more powerful memories.

Your secret blood trait has been triggered! Your spirit signature has been etched with False Marks of Dark, Shadow, and Light, and your Wolf bloodline traits have been concealed.

All traces of your awakened blood have been successfully hidden.

I lifted my head and opened my eyes.

I lay in the center of the same cave, and surrounding me was the full dire wolf council. All but two of them slumped against the ground. The remaining pair—Sulan and Duggar—stared fixedly at me.

“Welcome back, pup,” Sulan said. Her words carried an undertone of relief, carefully disguised, but I knew her well enough by now to recognize it beneath her seeming casual air.

“Am I?” I asked.

I sensed her confusion. “Are you what?”

I pasted a sickly grin on my face—the best I could manage under the circumstances. “Am I still a pup? I passed the trial, after all.”

Sulan chuckled, then inclined their head. “I suppose you’re not. Well done, wolfkin.” She paused. “I never doubted you’d succeed.”

I felt more than saw Duggar roll his eyes at her. “Did you succeed?” the alpha asked. “Is your blood awakened?”

“It is,” I replied.

The big wolf bowed his head. “Then Sulan judged right,” he murmured. He raised his head. “Hail, scion of House Wolf. May darkness always shelter you.”

The alpha’s words reverberated through the cave and the larger cavern beyond. He had projected his words to the entire pack, and I sensed their acceptance and acknowledgment of my place amongst them.

Now, I was truly one of the pack.

“Thank you, Duggar,” I replied gravely, inclining my own head. I glanced at the slumped elders. They had not even stirred at the alpha words. “Are they alright?”

“They are,” Sulan assured me. “They have been worn out beyond their limits. Keeping the spirit portal open was… taxing.”

“It was more than that,” Duggar added dryly.

I studied the pair more closely, only now noticing the weakness in their own limbs. Their eyelids drooped heavily, and their tongues hung out.

My debt to the pack had grown, I realized. I could only imagine what it must have taken to keep the portal open for as long as they had. “How long was I gone?”

“For the entire night and the better part of the morning,” Duggar replied. “It’s almost noon.”

My eyes widened in alarm. “Noon?” That meant I had little more than a day remaining to my Pact with Erebus. Pressing my hands down against the floor, I tried to lift myself erect.

I failed.

My body was still too weak.

“You are not getting up just yet,” Sulan said. “Your body has been pushed past its limits.” She sat down beside me, resting her chin on my leg. “Rest now. The pack will watch after you.”

“I can’t. I have to—”

“Rest,” Duggar commanded. “For a few hours at least. I will wake you at sunset.” Slipping forward, he planted his own head across my chest.

Given no other choice, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.