With their new, secret mandate from the Princess and a vault full of the cult's plundered resources, the Unchained underwent a transformation. They had always been a formidable pack of survivors, a motley collection of desperate fighters bound together by their shared status as outcasts. Now, for the first time, they had the means to become a true army.

The days that followed were a whirlwind of activity within the hidden fortress of Asylum. The sounds of hammers on anvils, the crackle of enchanting runes, and the shouts of training instructors echoed through the cavernous halls. The atmosphere was electric, charged with a sense of purpose they had never known before. They were no longer just running; they were preparing for a war, their war.

Edward, now armed with the Whispering Blade and the knowledge it imparted, became more than just their leader; he became their quartermaster, their chief strategist, and the architect of their newfound strength. The cult had hoarded not just artifacts, but a staggering amount of Soul Points, the crystallized essence of their countless sacrifices. Edward now controlled this vast treasury, and he began to spend it with the calculated precision of a master general equipping his legions.

He spent hours navigating the Oblivion Market's interface, his mind now able to process its complex systems with the clarity he'd gained from the Architect's core. He was no longer just a customer; he was a master of the system, exploiting its loopholes and finding the best value for every precious point. He didn't just buy weapons and armor; he bought blueprints, enchanting schematics, and skill-imprinting scrolls. He was building his army from the ground up.

The forges of Asylum, once used for simple repairs, now glowed day and night. Beast-kin blacksmiths, their massive arms hammering glowing metal, worked alongside rogue mages who etched intricate, power-enhancing runes into the cooling steel. A production line was born in the heart of the mountain, churning out gear specifically tailored to the unique needs of their unconventional forces.

For Fenris, the brawling heart of The Unchained, standard weapons were useless. Edward commissioned a new set of gauntlets and greaves for her, forged from adamantite, the heaviest and most durable metal known. They were not elegant weapons; they were brutal instruments of demolition, each one weighing more than a normal man. When the blacksmiths presented them to her, Fenris let out a booming, joyous laugh. She slipped them on and punched a nearby stone pillar, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the solid rock. "Good," she grunted, a feral grin on her face. "These have a nice weight."

For Selene and her shadowy assassins, Edward purchased a set of daggers forged from a rare, light-absorbing alloy. They were named 'Silence's Kiss.' When held in the shadows, the blades themselves seemed to vanish, becoming invisible to the naked eye. He also acquired a series of skill scrolls that taught a form of silent movement, allowing his assassins to move like ghosts, their footsteps making no sound even on a floor of dry leaves. Selene accepted the gifts with a rare, genuine smile, testing a dagger's balance with the practiced ease of a master. "You know just what a girl wants, your Majesty," she purred.

And for Sarah, who had always been their moral anchor but had often felt helpless in a fight, Edward found something special. He knew she would never be a front-line warrior, but her empathy and resolve were a unique kind of strength. He acquired a set of artifacts—a silver locket and a pair of simple, leather bracers—that didn't create attacks, but amplified the wielder's own innate qualities. When Sarah wore them, a faint, calming aura surrounded her. Wounded warriors brought to her felt their pain lessen. Those consumed by fear or rage found a strange sense of clarity in her presence. She was not a healer in the magical sense; she was becoming a beacon of hope, a support unit whose greatest weapon was her own unwavering spirit.

The rest of The Unchained were not forgotten. Warriors were given armor that was both light and strong. Mages received focusing crystals to enhance their power. Beast-kin fighters were given weapons that complemented their natural claws and fangs. The rag-tag militia of survivors began to transform, their mismatched gear replaced by the sleek, practical, and deadly equipment of an elite fighting force. They started to look like an army. They started to feel like one. Their morale soared. They were no longer the world's trash, armed with scavenged scraps. They were the Wild King's chosen, armed with the best gear their secret war chest could buy.

Edward watched the transformation with a deep, quiet pride. This was his pack, his people. Every piece of armor he commissioned, every blade he approved, was a promise. It was a promise that they would not be helpless anymore. It was a promise that they would have the tools they needed to fight for their freedom.

It was on a day like any other, as he stood in the main training hall watching Fenris teach a group of new recruits how to properly shatter a shield with a single punch, that the world decided to change the rules of the game once more.

Without any warning, a massive, system-wide notification appeared in the vision of every hunter on the planet. It was not a regional alert or a simple quest notification. It was a World Quest, a legendary event that had not been seen in over a century. The text blazed in the air before them, written in letters of gold and sea-green.

[World Quest: The Sunken City Rises!]

[The abyssal metropolis of Y'ha-nthlei, long slumbering in the deepest trenches of the ocean, has risen from the depths. Its cyclopean gates are now open to all.]

[The first Faction to battle its way to the city's heart and claim the Abyssal Core will be granted an S-Rank Faction Title, permanent control over the surrounding resource-rich territory, and a Divine-Grade reward from the System itself.]

A wave of stunned silence fell over the training hall. Every member of The Unchained was staring into the middle distance, their eyes wide as they read the impossible words.

Edward felt a chill run down his spine. Y'ha-nthlei.

It was the same name, the same impossible, legendary location that the Whispering Blade had shown him in its vision. The place where its last wielder had hidden his legacy. His personal, secret quest had just become a global, public free-for-all.

He looked at the faces of his soldiers. He saw their shock, and then he saw a dawning, hungry light in their eyes. They had just been armed and trained into a formidable fighting force. And the system had just presented them with the ultimate proving ground.

The entire world was now in a race. A race to the same dark, sunken city at the bottom of the world. A race to the very place where Edward knew his destiny, and their only hope, was waiting. The hunt for the legacy was on. And everyone was invited.

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