The skies above the fractured continent burned with a deep crimson light, casting long shadows across the broken lands below. Billions of lords had descended from countless worlds—Earth, mystical realms, and dimensions unknown—drawn by an ancient summons, a call that resonated beyond space and time. Each lord carried their own hopes, fears, and ambitions, but all shared a common goal: to seize dominion over this war-torn land and carve out their own legacy.
For many, summoning beasts was a skill learned through blood and magic—ferocious creatures born of flame, ice, shadow, or fury. Others commanded legions of troops, warriors born from the earth or shadow, demons, angels, and hybrids whose origins were as mysterious as the lands they now sought to conquer.
But among them stood one who was unlike the rest.
Rael Valenhardt awoke with a start inside his fortress—a colossal structure of dark steel and stone, surrounded by endless wilderness teeming with monstrous life. His memories of Earth were hazy, fragmented, but one thing was clear: he was chosen by an ancient system, one far older and more complex than the simple summoning arts others wielded. This system granted him a power that blurred the line between life and machine, beast and war machine.
A voice echoed inside his mind, calm yet commanding.
"Welcome, Sovereign Rael. Your journey begins now. Your power: to forge mechanized beasts from the cores of the creatures you defeat, and to craft components to upgrade your army and fortress. Harness elemental crystals to unlock new technologies and fortify your dominion."
Before his eyes, the fortress shifted subtly, steel plates sliding and gears turning deep within the walls. The once static structure was alive—capable of transforming into an imposing artillery fortress, bristling with cannons and long-range weapons. This was no ordinary castle. It was a war machine.
Outside, the world was restless. The first beast tide—a terrifying wave of monstrous creatures—was gathering in the dark woods beyond the fortress. These beasts were driven by primal rage and corrupted by wild magic. Their roar was a thunder that shook the ground, a signal of the storm that was about to descend upon the land.
But Rael felt no fear. Instead, a quiet determination settled in his chest.
He reached out with his mind to the battlefield, sensing the life forces of the creatures beyond. Each kill would not just mean survival but power. From their fallen bodies, he would extract "Beast Cores" — pure concentrated essence of their strength, spirit, and energy. These cores could then be forged with mechanical components to create new mechanized creatures—formidable allies that combined the ferocity of beasts with the resilience and precision of machines.
Within his fortress, elemental crystals—harvested from ancient ruins and from the remnants of defeated foes—glowed faintly in the research chambers. These crystals were the key to advancement, powering his creations and allowing his fortress to evolve further.
Across the continent, the other lords raised their banners, summoning legions of beasts and troops in hopes of overpowering one another. Yet none possessed the unique blend of innovation and primal force that Rael commanded. His mechanized beasts, forged from the very essence of the wild, were an unknown factor—a weapon of unpredictable strength.
The world trembled beneath the threat of endless war. Some lords sought alliance, others conquest, and many only survival. But the true battle was just beginning, and Rael stood at the precipice of a new era.
An era where technology met magic, where beast and machine fused in a dance of destruction and creation.
The Era of Castles was reborn.
And Sovereign Rael was ready to rise.