The stillness of the mountainside village belied the growing tension gnawing at Rayan's chest. The Dungeon Node beneath the ancient statue continued to pulse—slow and ominous—like a heartbeat echoing from the underworld.
Inside the Lord's Mansion, he stood alone within the dimly lit Anima Forge chamber, a basement sanctum newly discovered beneath his estate. The crystal-ribbed device hummed softly as it responded to his intent. Swirling sigils of gold and obsidian spun in slow spirals above the rune-etched floor.
[Cheat Skill Activated: Anima Forge — Interface Accessed][Subfunctions: Summon | Upgrade | Bind | Integrate | Class Matrix]
Rayan inhaled sharply, eyes scanning the expanding menu. He hovered over Class Matrix, unsure of what to expect.
A shimmering array bloomed into view. At its center was a radiant sphere labeled:
[Lord-Summoner Initiate – Level 2]
From this point, three primary pathways branched outward like veins of fate:
Warden of Echoes"A fortress-bound commander. Specializes in enduring summons that shield and counter."
Anima Channeler"Bridge the gap between flesh and spirit. Merge with elemental and mythical summons for hybrid forms."
Soul Armature Master"Blacksmith of life and death. Crafts weaponized summons with modular abilities, fits relic cores."
Each class was uniquely tailored—nothing like the standard skill trees players back on Earth might expect. No one else had access to this; it was the divine anomaly of his Anima Forge.
[Advance Class Must Be Chosen Before Level 5. Class Choice Determines Future Summon Types.]
"No pressure…" Rayan muttered.
The Forge blinked patiently. He backed out of the Matrix. It was too soon. He needed more experience, more understanding of this world and its threats.
Turning, he approached the summoning ring embedded in the center of the floor—an elaborate mechanism of copper, rune-stone, and quartz. As his palm hovered over the activation glyph, the chamber began to hum.
[Daily Free Summon – Available][Processing Terrain Affinity: Mountain | Dungeon Influence: Active][Generating Anima Form…]
Glowing fragments of emerald and stone coalesced into a squat, hulking shape. The summoning light dimmed, revealing a creature with thick mossy armor, stubby arms like battering rams, and eyes glowing with ancient calm.
[Mossplate Golem – Tier 0 | Role: Guardian | Bound to: Lord Rayan Khael]
Its presence immediately shifted the air. Where Ignis was fire and motion, this golem radiated stability. A mountain in miniature.
"Well," Rayan said with a grin, "Guess I have my frontliner."
Ignis floated near the golem, puffing a few harmless embers at the newcomer. The golem didn't react. Rayan felt their bond settle into place—two summoned spirits tethered to his will, bound by the soul thread that only the Anima Forge could create.
Outside, the wind had shifted. Clouds crawled over the distant peaks as Rayan made his way to the village square, the golem thudding behind him, Ignis drifting in lazy spirals overhead. Locals peered out from cracked doors, eyes wide with fear and wonder.
The statue loomed ahead.
Its eyes glowed faint red now—subtle, but wrong.
[Dungeon Node — Status: Instability Detected][Corruption Leakage: Minimal | Threat Threshold: 1%][Objective Unlocked: Investigate First Floor Entrance]
Rayan hesitated, then stepped forward. His foot hit the center ring, carved into the stone beneath the statue's base.
There was no dramatic flash—just a strange, quiet snap in the air. And then the world shifted.
One blink later, he was underground.
Dungeon – First Floor: Memory of the Buried
The air was thick with spores and silence. Rough stone corridors extended into darkness, walls glistening with bioluminescent moss. Roots hung from the ceiling like skeletal fingers. A low hum, like a heartbeat muffled in rock, echoed through the passage.
[Entering Dungeon: Floor 1][Instability: Semi-Dormant | Creatures Active: Yes][Recommended Party Size: 2-4 | Minimum Level: 3]
"Great," Rayan muttered. "I'm a party of one and a half."
Ignis floated forward, its flames dimmed slightly by the mana-thick air. The golem stood like a monolith, ready.
They moved cautiously. Every step deeper felt like wading into someone else's grave.
Then—a skittering sound.
From the ceiling, a black shape dropped with a screech. It had a chitinous shell, six spiny legs, and a grotesque jaw lined with wriggling teeth.
[Corrupted Skitterspawn – Level 4 | Affinity: Acid]
"Golem, intercept!" Rayan commanded instinctively.
The moss-covered guardian surged forward, catching the monster mid-leap. Acid sizzled on its stone shell, and chunks of moss burned away, but the golem held.
"Ignis, burn it!"
[Command Accepted — Ignis: Flame Spiral]
A tight cyclone of fire whipped from Ignis, spiraling toward the Skitterspawn. It shrieked, twisted, and cracked as the flames overwhelmed its defenses.
[Enemy Defeated — XP Gained: 22][Loot: Skitterspawn Carapace Fragment (Common)]
Rayan wiped sweat from his brow. That was close. He checked the Forge interface—no permanent damage to the golem.
But then—four new red markers appeared in his vision. Further down the tunnel, shapes skittered toward him.
"Damn it, it's not done."
He had two options. One path led down, deeper into the Dungeon's floor where a distant glow pulsed like a warning. The other veered left, toward a ruined structure partially collapsed under centuries of stone.
[Mini-Boss Signature Detected: "Watcher Beneath" Stirring | Estimated Activation: 3 Hours]
"Nope."
He turned and ran.
Back on the surface, the Dungeon Node statue now glowed with a faint red pulse. Villagers were beginning to gather around it, murmuring in fear.
Lina, having disobeyed his order to stay inside, ran to him the moment he emerged.
"Brother!" she cried, throwing her small arms around his waist. "The ground was rumbling, and I saw sparks again! I told you not to go!"
"I know," he said, kneeling and wrapping her in his arms. "I'm fine. Just not strong enough yet."
She sniffled and whispered, "The dungeon… it's calling."
He frowned. "Calling?"
She looked up, eyes glowing faintly—just for a second.
[Unique Class Detected – ??? | User: Lina Khael][Affinities: Time | Song | Rift Echo]
It was only a flicker in his vision, gone the next heartbeat. But the implications were staggering.
She's not just special… she's dangerous. And precious.
Back in the mansion that evening, Rayan stared out the window as the moon rose. The Dungeon pulsed in the distance, and the Forge's whisper returned:
Create… Command… Ascend.Or fall beneath the tide of ruin.
And for the first time since arriving, Rayan felt the weight of his role.
Not just as a Lord.
But as a protector.