The Legacy of the Star Forger - Chapter 2: The First Strike of the Cosmic Anvil
In-Game Date: 3rd Cycle, Year 512, Harvest Season | Time: 09:01
The light wasn't just an explosion; it was a flood.
It didn't blind Klaus; it absorbed him. Every particle of his virtual being was disintegrated into a river of golden data and then reformed, reforged in the core of that primordial energy. He felt no ground beneath his feet, nor air in his lungs. He was pure consciousness, suspended in a vacuum of pure potential.
Sounds echoed in his mind, not through his ears. They were the echoes of the first hammer strikes on the universe's first anvil. They were the whispers of stars being born and the reverberations of entire galaxies shattering. It was the symphony of creation and destruction, and he was at its center.
Elara's voice was the only beacon in this cosmic storm.
"A blacksmith understands metal. He heats it, he strikes it, he bends it. But a Star Forger... a Star Forger understands the essence that the metal contains. The history of the ore in the rock, the memory of the fire that melted it, the potential of the sword it will become. You won't just shape steel, Klaus. You will shape the very reality of the Eternal Cycle."
Images exploded behind his closed eyes. He saw constellations being forged on an anvil made of nebula. He saw a legendary swordsman, whose blade cut through dimensions, whose name was Valor, whose power was so great that it threatened the balance of the Cycles. He saw a silver-haired mage, Kieran whose arcane intellect was a force of nature, calculating probabilities as others calculated strikes. And he saw a stealthy attacker, Lyra whose movements were as unpredictable as the wind.
These were not mere players; they were pieces on the cosmic board that he was destined to influence.
"Your tool isn't just the hammer, brother. It's your will. Your code is simple: what you create will have a price. What you destroy will make room for the new. Now... AWAKE!"
Klaus's consciousness was violently reassembled into a single point.
He was back in the forge chamber, on his knees, gasping. His novice clothes had burned away, replaced by a simple leather apron, blackened by cosmic soot, and sturdy pants. His hands were wrapped in linen bandages that glowed with subtle runes. And in his right hand, he firmly gripped the Hammer of the First Flame.
Now, he felt its true weight. It wasn't physically heavy, but conceptually so. It was like holding a world seed.
His interface flickered violently, updating.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have completed the unique quest: The Architect's Legacy!]
[Reward: Unique Class [Star Forger] granted!]
[Reward: +5,000 EXP!]
[Ding! Congratulations, you have reached level 9!]
[Ding! Congratulations, you have reached level 10!]
[! SYSTEM WARNING: YOUR CLASS HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY ALTERED !]
Class: [Star Forger] (Unique)
Cosmic Alignment: Neutral-Creator
Description: Heir to the legacy of the Architect Elara, the Star Forger transcends common class definitions. A craftsman who fights on the front lines, a swordsman who forges his own destiny. His creations are not mere items; they are fragments of stabilized reality, capable of evolving, adapting, and altering the balance of power in the Eternal Cycle.
Basic Class Attributes:
· Strength Bonus per Level: +3
· Agility Bonus per Level: +2
· Intellect Bonus per Level: +1
· Vitality Bonus per Level: +2
· Proficiency Bonus per Level: +3
[Class Skills Unlocked:]
1. Forger's Eye (Level 1 - Passive)
Allows inspection of the essential composition of materials, creatures, and players. Reveals weak points (zones of "impure metal"), elemental resistances, and the evolution potential of items. Accuracy increases with skill level and Intellect.
2. Anvil Strike (Level 1 - Active)
Cost: 30 Cosmic Energy (a new bar that replaces Mana)
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Channels cosmic energy into the hammer, delivering a crushing blow that deals 150% Strength Damage and stuns the target for 1.5 seconds. Against weak points revealed by [Forger's Eye], deals additional true damage equal to 5% of the target's maximum Health.
3. Field Forge (Level 1 - Active)
Cost: 100 Cosmic Energy
Cooldown: 1 Hour (In-Game Time)
Summons a temporary Cosmic Forge (lasts 10 minutes) that allows repairing, enhancing, or creating [Common] or [Uncommon] quality items in the field. Efficiency and quality increase with skill level.
4. Star Steel Skin (Level 1 - Passive)
The Forger's body is tempered in the cosmic forge. Grants +10% Physical Damage Reduction and +5% Elemental Damage Resistance.
Klaus was breathless, reading and rereading the descriptions. This class was absurdly versatile and powerful. It wasn't just a hybrid; it was a perfect synergy between creation and combat.
His mana bar was now a Cosmic Energy bar, glowing with a silver-blue hue, filled with tiny golden sparks.
Elara's projection was fading, her smile both sad and hopeful.
"The first test is over, Klaus. The next one begins now. The world out there won't wait for you. They will hunt you, fear you, or use you. Remember: forge your own path. Forge... alliances. Alone, you are just a man with a hammer. But with the right allies... you can be the anvil on which a new cycle is forged."
She vanished completely, and the luminous anvil in the center of the room lost its glow, becoming a large, inert dark stone. The forge was officially "open." It was his now.
Klaus stood up, feeling the new power coursing through his veins. He was level 10, but his attributes, thanks to the class bonuses, were equivalent to a level 25 player focused on physical combat.
Name: Ouroboros
Class: Star Forger
Level: 10
Cosmic Energy: 250/250
Attributes:
· Strength: 49 (20 base + 27 from class + 2 from points)
· Agility: 44 (25 base + 18 from class + 1 from points)
· Intellect: 21 (10 base + 9 from class + 2 from points)
· Vitality: 34 (15 base + 18 from class + 1 from points)
· Proficiency: 40 (10 base + 27 from class + 3 from points)
He was ready.
His first instinct was to test his skills. He turned to a rock formation on the cavern wall. His eyes momentarily glowed with a faint golden shine.
[Forger's Eye Activated.]
Klaus's vision changed. The rock was no longer a solid texture. He could see veins of impurities, points where the structure was weaker, glowing in a soft red. It was like seeing the skeleton of reality.
He gripped the Hammer of the First Flame with both hands. The handle was warm and alive to his touch.
"Anvil Strike!"
Silver and golden Cosmic Energy surged from his body into the hammer, which shone intensely. With a grunt, Klaus delivered a horizontal strike, twisting his entire body, and hit the glowing weakest point on the rock.
BOOM!
The impact didn't sound like metal against stone, but like contained thunder. The rock formation disintegrated not into chunks, but into a fine quartzite powder, which shimmered for a moment before dissipating. A critical damage number, in deep red, hovered in the air where the rock had been: -1,147.
Klaus was stunned. That was the damage of a level 30 tank with a maxed-out skill. And he was a level 10 blacksmith.
The cost, however, was noticeable. His Cosmic Energy bar dropped significantly. This class was a resource devourer.
As the dust settled, a new sound filled the chamber. It wasn't the growl of a beast, but the distinct clank of metal armor and muffled voices.
"... the energy signal came from this direction. Something was activated."
"The City Guard said a low-level nutjob came down here. Must be him."
"A cosmic disturbance like that... could be a relic. Or a bug. Either way, it's our chance."
Three figures emerged from the forge entrance. They weren't from the City Guard. They were players.
The leader was a man in heavy chainmail armor, carrying a two-handed axe. His name was Grommash, level 22, from the "Iron Claws" guild. To his right was a woman in greenish robes, a level 20 Druid named Silvana. And to his left, a skinny man in leather clothes with two poisoned daggers, a level 21 Rogue named Rictus.
PKers. Player killers.
Grommash eyed Klaus, then the now-dark anvil, and finally the unique hammer in his hands. His eyes narrowed with greed.
"Well, well, well," he growled, his voice rough. "Looks like the little mouse found the cheese. Kid, that hammer in your hand is emitting an energy signature that's making my rare detector go crazy. Hand it over, and we'll send you back to your spawn point quick and painless."
Klaus kept his expression neutral, but his mind raced. Three against one. Significantly higher levels. But they were specialists. Grommash was Damage/Tank, Silvana was Heal/Control, Rictus was Burst Damage/Stealth. And he... he was an unknown variable.
He silently activated [Forger's Eye] on the trio.
Grommash: Weak Points - Armor joints on the left shoulder (poorly forged connection), slit in the helm (reduced peripheral vision).
Silvana: Weak Points - Wooden arcane focus on her staff (vulnerable to concussive damage), entwined roots at her feet (reduced mobility during channeling).
Rictus: Weak Points - Energy buckle on his boots (stealth nullified if damaged), right wrist overloaded with poison (reflexive damage if hit).
It was invaluable information.
"I just found it," Klaus said, his voice calm, contrasting their aggressive stance. "And I'm not in the mood to donate."
Rictus laughed, a high-pitched, unpleasant sound. "The newbie's got balls. I'll enjoy cutting them off."
Silvana raised her staff. "It doesn't have to be this way. Just hand over the item. It's a game, not worth the delevel."
It was a weak attempt at deterrence. Klaus could see the healing energy already pooling in her hand, ready to sustain her party members.
"Last chance," Grommash roared, hefting his axe.
Klaus didn't respond. Instead, he acted.
He didn't run backward. He ran sideways, toward a pile of metal scrap left from Elara's forge. His eyes scanned the heap, instantly identifying a piece of metal closest in shape to a blade.
"Field Forge!"
With a shout, he slammed the Hammer of the First Flame into the ground. A shell of golden energy, like a heat shield, exploded around him, covering a five-meter area. The air inside shimmered with intense heat. In the center, a spectral silver anvil materialized.
The three PKers paused, surprised by the unusual skill.
"What the hell is that?" Grommash yelled.
Klaus ignored him. He grabbed the blade-shaped metal piece and tossed it onto the spectral anvil. With a single, precise, and resounding "Anvil Strike!", he flattened one end, creating a crude handle, and sharpened the other into a deadly point.
The process took less than three seconds.
[Creation Successful: Improvised Star Forge Sword (Quality: Uncommon)]
Damage: 25-40
Bonus: +5 Cosmic Strength Damage
Durability: 50/50
Unique Effect: "First Forge" - The first strike against a target deals 50% additional damage.
He now had a weapon.
"Kill him!" Grommash bellowed, charging.
Klaus turned, the improvised sword now comfortable in his hand, feeling like an extension of his body. [Forger's Eye] highlighted Grommash's weak shoulder joint in bright red.
He didn't meet the attack head-on. He sidestepped, his level 40 Agility allowing him to dodge the heavy axe with an elegance that surprised the Berserker. As Grommash barreled past, off-balance, Klaus thrust with his sword—not for massive damage, but to precisely drive the tip into the armor joint.
CRACK!
A sound of metal breaking. Grommash screamed in pain and rage as his left arm hung limp, his mobility severely reduced. -288! (Weak Point Hit!) A [Compromised Armor] debuff appeared over his head.
"He hit my joint! How did he know?!" Grommash yelled.
Rictus had already vanished, entering [Stealth]. But to Klaus's [Forger's Eye], he was a clear distortion of light, creeping along the chamber's side. And the energy buckle on his boot glowed like a beacon.
Silvana began channeling a [Regenerative Heal] on Grommash. Klaus saw the roots entwining her feet, anchoring her in place.
He couldn't reach her in time. But he had the hammer.
Ignoring Rictus for a moment, he pivoted, aimed, and hurled the Improvised Sword like a dart. He didn't aim at her; he aimed at the wooden staff in her hands.
The blade spun through the air, striking the arcane focus with a dry snap.
-155! (Object Destroyed!)
Silvana's channeling was violently interrupted. She screamed, not in pain, but in shock, as her staff snapped in half in her hands. A [Broken Focus] debuff appeared, increasing her channeling times by 100% for 15 seconds.
"MY STAFF!" she howled.
It was in that moment of distraction that Rictus struck. He emerged from the shadows behind Klaus, his poisoned daggers seeking his kidneys.
But Klaus was waiting. He didn't turn. He was already spinning, the Hammer of the First Flame, which he had retrieved, already in a wide backward arc.
"Anvil Strike!"
The blow wasn't aimed at Rictus, but at the ground behind him.
The hammer, charged with cosmic energy, struck the stone floor with cataclysmic force. The ensuing shockwave wasn't physical, but dimensional. The ground under Rictus became unstable, a small gravity anomaly that pulled him down and flung him up at the same time, completely interrupting his stealth attack and hurling him against the wall.
-421! (Concussive Damage + Interrupt)!
Rictus slumped to the ground, stunned.
In less than ten seconds, Klaus had neutralized the tank, interrupted the healer, and incapacitated the assassin. He was panting, his Cosmic Energy now dangerously low, but he was standing, unharmed.
The three PKers stared at him, no longer with disdain, but with a mix of hatred and growing fear. This wasn't a newbie. This was a monster.
"Retreat!" Grommash yelled, clutching his injured arm. "He's not normal!"
They backed away, dragging the stunned Rictus, and vanished into the tunnel's darkness.
Klaus didn't pursue. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, breathing deeply. The battle had been intense and short, but he had used nearly all his resources. He had won not by brute force, but by pure tactics and the surprise element of his unique class.
He glanced at the Improvised Sword, embedded in what remained of Silvana's staff. He had forged it in seconds. He had turned the tide against higher-level opponents.
For the first time in two years, a true smile—not of happiness, but of reborn purpose—touched Klaus's lips.
Elara was right. He wasn't just a player.
He was a Star Forger.
And the world of Eternal Cycle would soon learn to fear and respect his hammer.
He straightened up, retrieved his sword, and looked toward the forge entrance. The path back to Aethelgard lay ahead, now filled with dangers and possibilities. He had a class to master, levels to gain, and a legacy to honor.
The sound of approaching footsteps made him spin quickly, hammer raised. But it wasn't the PKers returning.
It was Kaelon, the black-haired swordsman, standing at the entrance. He didn't look surprised by the battle scene. His gray eyes were fixed on Klaus's hammer.
"So," Kaelon said, his voice as calm and calculating as before. "The echo I felt was you. Star Forger... a fitting name for such a disruptive power."
He stepped forward, his hand hovering over his sword's hilt.
"The question now, Ouroboros, is... what do you intend to forge with it?"
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End of Chapter 2
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Words: ~2,552