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Astral Forge

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Kalen Frost's hands were made for shaping metal, not wielding forbidden magic. But when silver patterns ignite across his skin during an attack on his village, the blacksmith's apprentice becomes the Empire's most dangerous anomaly. Thrust into the Imperial Academy—a floating citadel where the elite hone their Astral abilities—Kalen is a commoner among aristocrats, his unprecedented dual-aptitude powers as unstable as they are potent. Each practice session risks exposure; each power surge leaves him bleeding. While navigating cutthroat academic politics and the murderous attention of the Astral family, Kalen discovers his markings match ancient symbols in forbidden texts—symbols tied to the catastrophic "Sundering" that nearly destroyed reality generations ago. As boundary fluctuations between worlds intensify and pattern-hunters close in, Kalen must master abilities that defy the Empire's classification system. His unique heritage might be the key to preventing cosmic collapse—or the catalyst that accelerates it. In a world where power determines everything, Kalen's greatest weapon remains the practical mindset forged at the anvil: find the weakness, apply pressure, and reshape what everyone thought was impossible.
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My SSS Rank System

***his life had never been worse, hopeless, miserable...and alone. until he heard the sound... That small sound, like the chiming of a bell, Ding! Yes, that's the one, the sound that changed his life.*** He had always been the weakest. Laughed at by the villagers. Scorned by the hunters. Ignored by the world. Born without magic in a land where even children could tame flames or speak to beasts, Kael was a mistake in everyone’s eyes. He couldn't lift a training sword, summon a familiar, or even sense mana. Not even a flicker. Not even a spark. Not until the day the world cracked open before him. That day, rain poured like the sky wept for him. He knelt beside his sister’s broken pendant, the last thing he had of her. Mud caked his fingers. Blood stained the ground. And then— That sound. So soft, so sudden, it cut through the storm. Ding! A chime. A bell, bright and delicate, like hope itself. > [Congratulations, Host. You have been selected by the SSS Rank System.] [Initialization begins…] His breath caught. His heart skipped. And the sky— The sky stopped crying. From that moment, Kael was no longer the weakest. He just hadn't awakened yet. ***The world of Aerthrial is steeped in mana, spirit beasts, and ancient legacies. Power is everything—measured in Ranks (F to SSS). Guilds protect the world, magic academies train the elite, and the strongest become Archons—those who command dragons, bend space, or rewrite fate. No one has ever possessed an SSS Rank System. Until now.*** **** Main Character: Name: Kael Ardyn Age: 15 (at start) Background: Orphan, magicless, often bullied. His sister died protecting him from a beast raid, and he carries her pendant. Core Trait: Empathetic and underestimated—kind but sharp, and he slowly gains tactical brilliance. Goal: Become strong enough to change the broken world that scorned the weak. System Core Mechanics: SSS Rank System: Grants Kael access to a unique tiered skill tree, beast contracts, evolution paths, and system quests. Has both active abilities (combat) and passive blessings (intuition, mana growth). As Kael emotionally evolves, the System itself evolves, gaining sentience over time. Also hides an ancient “Truth Protocol”—
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