A notification appeared.

_ _ _

_ _ _

Whilst Alexander was preoccupied with the notification, the chains struck.

They wrapped themselves around his arms before searing deep into his flesh.

Caught off guard, “AHHHHH” Alexander screamed.

He tried moving his hands up to draw his weapons, yet it was ineffective. His strength was no match against them.

As Alexander pressed upwards, they continued to exert themselves, pulling him downwards.

Their tug of war raged on. Until the searing pain multiplied, Alexander dropped to his knees, no longer able to command his body.

Yet, they persisted, wrapping around arms even tighter and burning even stronger.

Alexander didn’t know how long he endured. All he knew was after the pain subsided, he immediately collapsed to the ground.

***

“Hey! Wake up, samurai. We got a city to burn,” Chibi Cillian poked Alexander’s face with a tiny faked katana.

“Huh!?” “Where am I?” “Is that you, Cillian?”

Still exhausted from passing out, Alexander asked.

“Don’t you want to test out your new weapon upgrade?” Chibi Cillian asked with a cheeky smile.

‘Right! The weapon upgrade, I forgot.’ ‘I was attacked before I could check it.’ ‘What happened to the chains that attacked me?’

Countless thoughts filled Alexander’s mind as he sat up.

Looking down at his beaten up arms, he was surprised. They were healed. No, it was correct to say they looked never injured in the first place.

However, as Alexander continued his inspection, he realised that new golden chains tattoos occupied the area between his elbow and his wrist.

He tried caressing the tattoos and moving his arms. Nothing happened. Everything functioned normally as if the tattoos were only decorative.

He turned his head towards Chibi Cillian for answers.

“Try channelling your mana towards them.”

He did as told. As his meagre amount of mana passed through his arms and arrived at the tattoos, they lid up.

Slowly they unwrapped themselves from his arms, dropping to the ground.

Glancing down at the newly materialised chains still connected to his arms, Alexander was intrigued at their countless application.

Chibi Cillian was the gift that kept on giving.

“Try using your weapon together with the chains.”

The chains work as a mana storage device. As long as there is some mana in them, they will materialise. The user can recall their mana whenever they want.

Hence, Alexander recalled his mana, and the chains returned to his arms.

With his right arm, he drew his Shortsword. Then he repeated the same process of channelling his mana again. However, unlike before, Alexander only channelled his mana into this arm.

As the right-arm chain materialised, it automatically connected itself to his sword's pommel.

***

Alexander obviously couldn’t help himself from trying out the new upgraded weapon.

Alexander flung his weapon forward a random tree, roughly 3 metres away from him.

The weapon zipped across the air like normal as if the chain didn’t weigh it down.

As the weapon was about to punch through the poor tree, Alexander commanded the chain to stop. The chained obeyed, pausing its extension before dropping to the ground.

Alexander turned back to share his excitement with Chibi Cillian whilst recalling his chain and weapon. Chibi Cillian gave him a warm smile.

“I take it that you like the upgrade?”

Alexander replied with enthusiasm, completely forgetting that he was recently assaulted by these demonic chains.

“Of course!”

“That’s good. However, you better catch up if you don't want to be left behind,” Chibi Cillian pointed at the armoured skeleton in the distance.

“Oh shit. Wait for me!”

***

It took a while for Alexander to catch up to the armoured skeleton.

As his legs carried him across the empty field, the duet of chalice and sword abated. And a new march of soldiers sallied forth.

From the blaring trumpet, a picture of a thousand recruits emerged. They were eager to test themselves against the trail of the fortress.

At the helm were the armoured commanders, not made of bone but one of flesh and blood, meticulously training their troops and readying for another war.

However, as he snapped back from the music, the field of fresh recruits disappeared, leaving only a battered skeleton standing beside a steep part of the ravine’s wall.

It looked noticed Alexander’s arrived and spoke.

“New recruit … must pass … the challenge … of the wall,” its voice was monotonous as ever as it pointed up at the wall.

After providing an incredibly descriptive introduction, the armoured skeleton proceeded to walk off.

Dumbfounded by the terrible AI, Alexander decided to chase after it to ask for more information.

***

Alexander dashed and soon caught up to the armoured skeleton.

“It … has been … so long … since we … last have … a new recruit,” it spoke in the same husky voice.

It stared at him for a moment before turning around, gesturing for Alexander to follow.

“Come … new recruits … must prove themselves … at the wall.”

It repeated the same routine before returning to the training field.

Flabbergasted, Alexander looked back at Chibi Cillian floating near the wall.

“Could you at least tell me what’s going on?”

“Place your hand on the wall!” Chibi Cillian smiled, gesturing towards the wall.

Alexander walked back and complied. As he placed his hand on the wall, foreign memory surged in.

***

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*

A tired boy in a military tunic collapsed on the floor. He was breathing heavily, exhausted from climbing.

An officer noticed him and came over. The officer’s face was full of lash scars. He looked pitifully at the young recruit.

“You should go home, lad. This is no place for kids like you.”

The boy ignored the officer. He struggled up to get some water before returning to training.

***

“Ahhh!” Alexander screamed and grabbed his head in excruciating pain.