Power corrupts...
That old cliché had been kicking around since the first cave dweller figured out he could bash his neighbor over the head and take his mammoth steak. It stuck around like a cockroach, surviving every empire, apocalypse, and global screw-up since. People always thought they were the exception to the rule, that were special, smarter, and untouchable, until the ground gave way under their arrogance.
Kael chewed slowly on a protein bar, standing next to Eva in the warm glow of the forge. The heat of the thing soaked into his bones, washing away the usual static hum of self-loathing in his head. For once, he didn't feel like the walking punchline of the universe.
The floor beneath his feet thrummed, low and steady. It felt... alive. That alone should've set off every mental alarm he had left.
"So, Eva," Kael asked between bites, voice flat, "what's the deal with the Primordial Forges? How did you create something like this?" He gestured lazily to the swirling ghostfire dancing within the forge's mouth, flickers of color too ancient and strange to name.
Eva turned to him with a soft smile. For reasons he couldn't place, it made the skin on the back of his neck itch.
"Do you really want to know?"
Kael paused mid-chew. The way she said it—like he'd just unlocked a hidden horror movie scene—made him rethink the question. But he'd asked. If life had taught him anything, it was that ignorance wasn't bliss. It was a time bomb with a polite smile.
"Yeah," he said, his voice betraying every ounce of doubt he felt. "Just tell me."
Eva tilted her head, then turned back toward the forge. The flames cast ripples of light across her synthetic face.
"Have you ever heard of Elyndra, the Weeping Mother of Terra?"
Kael frowned. The name rang some ancient, dusty bell in the back of his head—like something he'd skimmed in a forgotten history tome or a bedtime story meant to scare children into brushing their teeth.
"Sounds familiar," he muttered, "but nope. Drawing a blank."
She nodded, expression distant, as if reaching into the abyss of memory.
"Let me tell you a tale," she began, and her voice dropped into a tone Kael didn't know she had. Soft. Reverent. Almost mournful.
"In the beginning, when the Void still whispered and stars were just dreams, the Primordial Gods chose one among them to nurture the newborn world—a goddess of earth, sky, and soul.
Her name was Elyndra.
She wasn't forged from war or fire, but from balance. Woven from stardust, seeded in silence. Where her feet touched the land, it bloomed. From her breath came the wind. From her tears, the oceans. From her laughter, the rivers ran wild and free. She sang mountains into existence and danced forests awake.
But time passed. Her divine kin, the other gods, returned to the stars. Elyndra remained alone. Watching. Waiting.
She fell in love with mortals—fragile, fleeting things with hearts too quick to break. She took lovers among them, whispered life into their blood. From these unions, six children were born. Immortal. Radiant. The Minor Gods of Flesh and Flame.
She loved them with everything she was. Too much, maybe. And they... feared her.
To them, her love was suffocating. Fire wrapped in silk—warm one moment, unbearable the next. And in their fear, they turned on her. On the night of a blood moon, they tore her heart from her chest while she wept.
The world shattered. Oceans rose in fury. The stars dimmed in mourning.
But even torn from her body, her heart would not die. It pulsed with divine, uncontainable power. So her children, desperate to contain what they'd done, divided it into six fragments—not trophies, but prisons.
Each piece became a Primordial Crystal, containing a shard of her godhood:
Aetherion—Heart of Air and Thought
Terradryn—Heart of Stone and Flesh
Pyrelune—Heart of Flame and Will
Crythralis—Heart of Ice and Regret
Noctyra—Heart of Shadow and Secrets
Lumivelle—Heart of Light and Memory
Over the centuries, the children scattered, hiding the shards across the world. But they made a fatal mistake. Their immortality—their strength—was bound to hers. And as her body slumbered deep within the earth, her power remained trapped.
The Minor Gods withered. One by one, they aged. Died. Faded into myth.
The shards remained. Until the Magisters found them. And with them, they forged the first of the Primordial Forges—monuments of impossible magic, fueled by a broken goddess's heart."
A chill spider-walked down Kael's spine.
He stared into the forge, the flickering light now far less comforting. It hissed softly, as if mocking him for ever thinking he was in control. There was a story in every ember. A scream in every glow.
"So..." he drawled, "I've been poking around with a piece of a dead goddess's heart?"
"Technically," Eva said, "she's not dead. Just... sleeping."
"Oh, great. Sleeping. Because that always ends well." Kael let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what's worse. That she existed. Or that someone thought turning her into a DIY god-forge was a good idea."
The forge pulsed. Like it agreed. Kael took a step back. He didn't stop staring. And for the first time in a long time, he wondered if the universe had just handed him a gift—or a loaded gun with the safety off.
🐺⚙️"༒ The Howl of the Forsaken ༒"⚙️🐺
Kael sat slouched on the steps, elbows braced against his knees, chin balanced on a fist like a brooding statue that had seen some serious shit. It had been an hour since Eva's little bedtime horror story, and the weight of it still gnawed at the back of his skull. Part of him—okay, most of him—wanted to call bullshit. Goddess hearts turned into magic batteries? Sounded like a lunatic's fever dream. But deep down, in that festering part of his brain where doubt loved to throw dance parties, he knew it was probably true. Because of course it was.
And now he had this forge—this ancient, divine, probably cursed engine of cosmic misery—just sitting there like a loyal puppy waiting to obey. Only it wasn't a puppy, it was a god-fragment-fueled weapon factory. Just his luck.
He didn't ask for any of this. The forge had chosen him to be its guardian. Guardian. Kael snorted softly. The word felt like a cruel joke from the universe; one more punchline in a long string of cosmic comedy sketches written at his expense.
Was he the right person for the job? Hell if he knew. His idea of long-term planning used to be finding his next meal without getting stabbed in the ribs. Now he had a magic system, spell trees, and possibly divine responsibility. Yay, character growth.
And yet... a tiny, treacherous part of him wasn't entirely horrified by the idea. Power corrupted—yeah, yeah, he'd heard that one before. It echoed in his skull like a broken record, courtesy of every dying idealist who ever thought they could beat the system. But power also changed things. It tilted the scales. And Kael had spent enough years choking on dirt and disappointment to know that sometimes? Corruption looked a lot like survival.
He sighed and dragged a hand down his face, fingers pressing into his temples like he could physically massage the existential crisis out of his brain. Overthinking wouldn't help. Not here. Not now.
He had a job to do—one that didn't involve dying faceless in a gutter like the rest of Ashgarde Reach's forgotten trash. This was his shot to prove everyone wrong. His family that ditched him. The system that ignored him. The world that gave up on him at thirteen. He wasn't going to die on their terms.
Kael stood and walked over to the podium. The golden HUD flared to life with a hum that sent a thrill down his spine. Time to get to work.
He tapped open the system panel. Three summoning slots. That meant he had to be smart. No cannon fodder, no trash mobs. He needed actual monsters—something with teeth. Soul-rich, dangerous bastards he could bind into service. The good stuff never came cheap.
His fingers slid across the interface as he opened the forge's library tab. Scroll after scroll of digital tomes unraveled before him—books on forging, weapon design, elemental manipulation, alchemy, and combat theory. Knowledge was currency here, and the price tags were steep. Just the novice tier books would cost him 20,000 soul credits.
He hissed between his teeth. "Divinity really knew how to gouge a guy."
Still, they were essential. He needed a foundation, and there was no shortcut around that. Instead of dumping all his loot at the ARC Division—because trusting bureaucrats with power had never gone wrong before—he could offload his scavenged treasures through the store hub and convert them into soul credits.
It was all about balance. Trade. Build. Learn. Eat, preferably.
If he got good enough at crafting artifacts, maybe he could peddle them in the city's black markets. Make a name for himself. Or at least afford a sandwich that didn't bite back.
Kael tabbed over to his battle mage spell tree and raised an eyebrow.
🔥 1. Ember Claw:
Type: Offensive / Melee
Description: Kael channels heat through his fingertips, coating his claws in flickering ember fire. His slashes leave behind burning marks that sear enemy flesh for 3 seconds. Deals 60 fire damage.
⚡ 2. Arc Bind:
Type: Utility / Control
Description: Releases a chain of crackling arcane lightning that binds one enemy for 8 seconds, rooting them in place.
🌪️ 3. Phase Step:
Type: Mobility / Utility
Description: Kael momentarily flickers through the veil of reality, blinking forward up to 10 meters in the direction he's facing, leaving behind a vapor trail.
🛡️ 4. Stoneflesh Mantle:
Type: Defensive / Buff
Description: Channels energy into his skin, giving it the texture and resistance of stone. Reduces incoming physical damage by 25% for 30 seconds. Slightly slows movement speed.
🌑 5. Lunar Veil:
Type: Support / Stealth
Description: Manipulating ambient lunar essence, Kael shrouds himself in a thin veil of shadow, making him harder to detect. Grants partial invisibility for 60 seconds.
⚙️ 6. Aether Shard Construct:
Type: Summon / Construct
Description: Uses scrap metal from fallen enemies or nearby wreckage to forge a floating blade that fights by Kael's side that deals 40 magic damage per strike. Drains 10 mana points per minute until destroyed.
🌊 7. Frost Spire:
Type: Offensive / Elemental (Water/Ice)
Description: Kael summons a jagged spike of ice from the ground beneath his enemy, impaling and freezing their legs. Deals 80 base ice damage. Slows enemy movement by 40% for 5 seconds.
🌩️ 8. Bolt Lance:
Type: Offensive / Elemental (Lightning)
Description: Hurls a spear of condensed lightning forward in a straight line, zapping the first target hit. Deals 112 base lightning damage. Slight chance to cause Paralysis (8.5 sec). Range: 20 meters.
🔥 9. Ignition Pulse:
Type: AOE / Elemental (Fire)
Description: Kael releases a short-range explosion of flame from his core, pushing enemies back. Base 60 fire damage in a 3-meter radius. Applies Burn (20 damage/sec for 3 sec). Pushes smaller enemies away.
🪨 10. Gravel Shot:
Type: Projectile / Elemental (Earth)
Description: Forms three stones from debris and fires them rapidly at enemies. Each stone deals 40 physical/earth damage. May stagger light enemies. Great for ranged harassment.
🌀 11. Gale Barrier:
Type: Defensive Shield / Elemental (Air)
Description: A whirling dome of wind surrounds Kael, deflecting incoming projectiles and dulling melee strikes. Reduces ranged damage by 50% for 30 seconds. Mildly pushes back close-range attackers.
🔰 12. Obsidian Ward:
Type: Defensive Shield / Elemental (Earth)
Description: Summons a floating wall of dark volcanic stone in front of Kael, absorbing a flat amount of damage. Blocks up to 120 damage before shattering. Lasts for 60 seconds or until broken. Can be cast in a direction.
Kael gave a low whistle. Twelve combat spells. Not bad for a glorified street rat with delusions of grandeur. Sure, most of them were starter-level and about as intimidating as a damp fart, but with time—and mana—they'd pack a punch. The more juice he funneled into them, the harder they hit. Simple math. Dangerous math.
He scrolled back, eyes narrowing at Ember Claw and Aether Shard Construct. Both had... flair. More than that, they had hints of his other heritage.
The Lycan side.
Which brought him to the next mystery: why did his system have three separate skill trees? Battle Mage. Lycan. Summoner. It was like some cosmic RPG dev had gotten bored and had thrown all the subclasses into a blender.
Kael tapped the Lycan tab and a new list unfurled, the icons glowing with a feral edge.
🐺 1. Feral Surge:
Type: Physical Burst / Buff
Description: Kael taps into his Lycan blood, momentarily boosting his reflexes and strength. +25% movement speed and +60 Strength for 10 seconds. Grants temporary night vision. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
👣 2. Moonstep:
Type: Utility / Movement
Description: Channeling primal energy through his muscles, Kael dashes forward with supernatural speed, leaving behind a faint silver blur. Cannot pass through solid objects. +40% evasion for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 8 seconds.
🌕 3. Lupine Howl:
Type: AoE / Debuff
Description: Kael unleashes a terrifying ancestral howl that stuns lesser foes and weakens stronger ones. Fear (low-level enemies flee.) -15% defense for stronger enemies for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
💉 4. Bloodthirst Instinct:
Type: Passive / Combat Trigger
Description: When Kael lands a critical hit or drops below 30% HP, this ability activates instinctively. Gain 12% lifesteal for 10 seconds. +20% crit chance while active. Passive trigger—no mana cost. Cooldown: 25 seconds after activation.
🛡️ 5. Ironhide Mutation:
Type: Defensive Buff / Lycan Mutation
Description: Kael temporarily hardens his flesh with primal lycan tissue, shrugging off damage. Reduces physical damage by 30% for 30 seconds. Gains resistance to knock back. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
🐾 6. Primal Rend:
Type: Offensive / Melee
Description: Kael's claws or weapon glow with lunar energy, and his next melee attack becomes a vicious, armor-shredding strike. +40% weapon damage. Shreds 15% of target's defense for 10 seconds. Applies Bleed (20 damage/sec for 3 seconds). Cooldown: 10 seconds.
***
Each spell hummed with raw animal energy. Feral Surge pulsed like an adrenaline shot. Moonstep promised ghostly speed. Bloodthirst Instinct... that one gave him pause. A skill that boosted combat power when drenched in blood and two steps from dying? Comforting.
It was clear his powers weren't designed for polite conversation or tea parties. They were made for war. Survival. Dominance.
Kael cracked his knuckles. "Guess I'm not dying in a gutter after all."
No... he was going to burn his way out of this rotten city, one soul credit at a time.
Now for the last tab, the summoner's tab.
***
⚙️ 1. Runesmith's Spark:
Type: Summoning / Construct Activation
Description: Kael channels arcane circuitry into a dormant construct, bringing it to life with a surge of Forge-born magic. Summons a small automaton (Scout Golem) for 60 seconds. Deals light arcane damage and scouts within a 60-meter radius. Can detect hidden traps or runes. Cooldown: 20 seconds. Mana Cost: 25.
🛠️ 2. Magnetron Core: Barrier Frame:
Type: Defense / Summon-based Shield
Description: Deploys a hovering construct that projects a hex-tech barrier around Kael or a chosen ally. Absorbs up to 600 damage for 60 seconds. Immune to projectile disruption. Barrier detonates on expiry, dealing 60 damage in a small radius. Cooldown: 25 seconds. Mana Cost: 25.
🤖 3. Construct: Alloy Warden Mk. I:
Type: Offensive Summon
Description: Kael summons a temporary battle construct forged from scavenged metal. Duration: 60 seconds. Melee attacks deal physical damage and can Taunt enemies. Has a 30% chance to block incoming attacks. Scales with Intelligence and Spirit. Mana Cost: 30. Cooldown: 45 seconds.
💣 4. Overload Glyph: Detonation Node:
Type: Trap / Explosive Construct
Description: Places a rune-powered mine that detonates when enemies come within 5 meters. Deals 400 arcane/elemental damage in a 5-meter radius. Has a knock back effect. Can be placed stealthily. Max: 2 at a time. Mana Cost: 12 per node. Cooldown: 10 seconds per node.
🌀 5. Aether Lattice: Amplifier Ring:
Type: Support Construct / Buff Field
Description: Deploys a floating construct that boosts the magic output of allies within its range. +15% spell damage and casting speed for 60 seconds. Radius: 10 meters. Can be destroyed by enemy attacks. Mana Cost: 22. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
🔩 6. Forgeborn Protocol: Self-Repair Node:
Type: Utility / Healing Construct
Description: Summons a small autonomous construct that attaches to a target and repairs damage over time using nanite magic. Restores 40 HP per second for 10 seconds. Cleanses 1 minor Debuff upon activation. Cannot be used on Kael if already under a healing effect. Mana Cost: 20. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
***
Huh. So from what Kael gathered, his summoning spells weren't your typical magical zoo. No wolves made of moonlight or flaming phoenixes screaming their dramatic war cries. Nope—his spells leaned more toward summoning drone-like constructs. Cold, precise, and beautiful in a terrifying, industrial way. Just like his Aether sword, they were born from metal and magic—forged midair in whirling spirals of light and steel. Each one had a different function, designed to assist him in battle, like a crew of loyal, murderous little assistants.
Kael chuckled under his breath, the sound low and rough. He couldn't wait to try them out.
Who could blame him? He'd been stuck on life's tutorial level for years—underpowered, ignored, and weaker than the most glorified street rats. But not anymore.
Now? Now he had teeth.