The journey to the Crystal Vale was a test of patience and will.
The road twisted through fog-covered forests where the trees whispered in languages long forgotten. Mana storms rolled across the horizon like slow-moving beasts, forcing Kairo and Zevrin to take cover in ancient ruins more than once.
But the air grew colder as they neared the Vale.
> "This place feels... wrong," Zevrin muttered.
Kairo didn't respond. His focus was fixed on the jagged mountain range ahead, glowing faintly with shards of crystal embedded deep into its rocky flesh. The ground shimmered with mana-rich dust that tingled against their skin.
> "You sure this is the right place?" Zevrin asked.
> "The system's guiding me here," Kairo said, tapping the interface that floated faintly in front of him.
[Quest Update: Enter the Forge of Embers. Speak with the Guardian.]
As they stepped into the Vale, a shimmering dome of energy flickered to life, revealing a hidden village carved into the cliffside.
It was silent.
Too silent.
Ash drifted in the air. Houses stood abandoned. Cracked weapons lay scattered across the ground as if a battle had taken place—and been erased.
> "This village was alive once," Zevrin said, crouching to inspect a burnt helmet. "What happened here?"
Kairo knelt beside a runestone still faintly glowing.
> "Fire magic. Ancient. Controlled. Someone burned this place down with precision."
Then, the ground trembled.
Far ahead, a forge roared to life, casting a crimson glow into the darkening sky.
---
The forge was massive, carved into the mountain itself. Chains as thick as tree trunks hung from the ceiling, and rivers of molten metal flowed through rune-inscribed channels. The air was heavy with heat and something else—power.
And there, standing at the center of it all, was the Blacksmith.
A towering figure with burn-scarred arms and glowing red eyes. His hammer looked like it could crush a mountain. Flames danced around his feet, yet he stood untouched.
He turned slowly as they approached.
> "So… the cursed one has arrived."
> "I'm Kairo Velan," Kairo said firmly. "I was told the Guardian of the Vale could help me."
> "Help you?" the Blacksmith laughed, deep and harsh. "Boy, I don't help. I test. And if you're not worthy, I bury."
The forge roared louder.
> "I don't have time for games," Kairo said. "The fragments are awakening. I need answers."
The Blacksmith stepped down from the anvil. His presence was suffocating. The heat thickened with each step.
> "Then prove you're not just another fool chasing power."
He raised his hand—and the forge responded.
A suit of armor stepped out of the molten river, shaped from enchanted obsidian and armed with a blazing greatsword. Its eyes glowed with emberlight.
> [New Objective: Defeat the Forged Champion]
> "You fight him," the Blacksmith said. "Survive, and I'll tell you the truth about Thalor. About yourself."
The armor charged.
---
The duel was brutal.
The Forged Champion moved like liquid fire—faster than its size suggested. Its blade sang with heat, cutting stone like butter. Kairo dodged the first strike, but the shockwave still flung him across the forge floor.
> "Kairo!" Zevrin shouted, readying his spear.
> "No!" Kairo called. "This is my trial."
He forced himself up, blood in his mouth.
Lightning sparked around his fingers. He summoned a wall of mana and absorbed the next blow, redirecting the force into a surge of energy that exploded under his feet—launching him skyward.
> Think, Kairo. It's not human. It's a construct. No fear, no pain. You have to outsmart it.
He focused his mana into a single point. Blue flames erupted from his hands—flames that weren't supposed to exist. Flames he'd only recently discovered.
> "Bluefire. A spell from Thalor's memory…"
He hurled it forward.
The flames struck the armor's chest, and for the first time, it stumbled.
Kairo darted forward, blade drawn, and plunged it into the heart of the construct—channeling every ounce of mana he had into the strike.
With a screech of twisting metal and shattering enchantment, the Forged Champion collapsed.
Smoke rose. The forge quieted.
---
The Blacksmith nodded slowly, eyes gleaming.
> "You've passed."
> "Tell me what you know."
The Blacksmith walked back to his anvil and picked up a glowing shard—purple, jagged, humming with raw energy.
> "This is the second fragment. It was once part of Thalor's core. You already carry the first, don't you?"
Kairo nodded.
> "Then you're more than just marked. You're bonded. His soul… whispers through you."
> "Why me?"
The Blacksmith looked at him, solemn.
> "Because you were born of the final fire. During the Skyfall War, a single child was touched by divine and abyssal energy. That child was you. And Thalor's curse… sleeps inside you."
The weight of the words pressed down like iron chains.
> "So what happens if I gather all seven?" Kairo asked.
> "You'll either ascend beyond mortality… or be devoured from the inside out."
He handed Kairo the fragment.
> [Fragment Acquired: 2/7]
> [Class Update Available]
[New Ability Unlocked: Flame of the Fallen God]
> "The world will hunt you now," the Blacksmith warned. "You carry more than power—you carry fate."
---
Outside, the sky had cleared. Stars shone like distant watchers.
Kairo stood still, fragment in hand.
He had survived the trial.
But the road ahead was only growing darker.