The city of Aethelburg was a city of two levels. The top level had tall, beautiful towers made of brass and glass. These towers reached a sky filled with colored smoke from magic factories. This was the home of the rich and powerful Artificers. The bottom level, the Undercity, was a dark and dirty place. It was a maze of giant pipes, old clockwork machines, and small, crowded homes. This was where the poor workers lived. Valerius was one of them.
Years ago, Valerius lived in the top level. He was a great student, a prodigy. He could feel and control the magic energy, called Aetherium, that powered the whole city. His teacher was Master Corvus, an important man on the Artificer's Council. Valerius was working on a project to make endless energy for everyone. He was close to success. But Master Corvus was jealous. He wanted the fame for himself.
One night, Corvus destroyed Valerius's machine. There was a big explosion. The magic energy did not kill Valerius, but it took away his special powers. He could no longer feel the Aetherium. In Aethelburg, a person with no magic was worth nothing. Corvus told everyone that Valerius was a failure and a danger. Valerius was sent to the Undercity and forgotten. Soon after, Corvus showed the Council his new invention. It was Valerius's project. Corvus became a hero.
Now, Valerius was a hollow man. His job was to clean the giant gears of the city's machines, a dangerous and dirty task. He was thin, and his face was covered in dirt and scars. One evening, he stopped to rest. A large news-screen on a wall was showing a big celebration. He saw Master Corvus on the screen. The Master was receiving an award for his great invention. The crowd was cheering. Valerius watched the man who stole his life. He felt a fire in his heart, a feeling he had not felt in years. It was pure, burning hate.
At that moment, a red and black screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Soul-Forge System Initializing... Host soul resonance confirmed.]
[Injustice Catalyst: Grand Betrayal.]
[Objective: Vengeance.]
[System cannot grant Aetherium power. Offering alternative path: Entropy.]
Valerius stared at the screen. He did not know what it was. But as he looked at Corvus smiling on the news-screen, he knew one thing. He would accept any power that would help him get his revenge.