The inner sanctum of the Coreforge was alive with energy, though it moved according to laws Kaleo could barely comprehend. Streams of light formed lattices in the air, each a pulse of technomagical energy, connecting distant cores to a central nexus. He had never seen such synchronization—machines and spirits dancing together, as if the stars themselves had engineered this chamber.
Kaleo stepped forward, boots clicking against the reflective metal floor. His hand brushed the Ring of Halburn, feeling the faint pulse of stored energy—the remnants of his home world, the echoes of his bloodline. It was a heartbeat that connected him to the Core.
[Core Status: Partial Activation — Resonance Detected.]
[Edict of Ascendance: Trial Pending — Monitoring Emotional & Spiritual Alignment.]
He closed his eyes and began the Halburn cultivation method, as his mother had taught him. Earth stage, he centered his body, feeling the energy veins awaken from their slumber. Each pulse resonated with the Core, making the floor vibrate subtly. His muscles relaxed, his senses sharpened. Every scar, every wound from Vandor and the pocket world, began to glow faintly, a sign of minor regeneration.
[Core Update: Earth Stage Completion — Spirit Force +5%, Vitality +7%, Resonance +10%.]
Heaven Stage followed, more demanding than the first. Kaleo elevated his consciousness, reaching through layers of divine and mortal energy. The Core responded to his will, mapping the flow of celestial energy within him. Crystalline patterns bloomed across the floor, reacting to his heartbeat. The mechanized constructs in the room began shifting, subtly acknowledging him as a coherent presence of power.
[Core Update: Heaven Stage Early Completion — Affinity +5%, Willpower +3%, Purity Index +2.]
It was at Divine Stage that the room truly came alive. Energy streams formed tangible threads around him, golden and silver, tracing lines through his body like celestial filaments. He extended his senses, reaching into the layers of the universe he had glimpsed while trapped in the pocket world.
[Core Alert: Divine Stage Initiated — Vitality & Spirit Force Amplified.]
His sword, Veyra's Edge, floated from its resting place, orbiting him. The blade resonated with the Core, light flowing along its crack lines, reforming and strengthening the fractures he had carried for years.
Kaleo raised the sword, inhaling sharply. His vision sharpened, perceiving the smallest fluctuations in the energy lattice around him. A holographic display appeared, projected directly into his mind by the Core.
[Artifact Update: Current Level — A-Rank Adventurer (Spatial Calibration). High Human Status — Sealed Divine Bloodline Active. Edicts Monitoring Active.]
He tested a strike, swinging through the air. Energy followed the blade, cascading into the lattice, harmonizing with the Coreforge systems. The simulation system materialized—phantoms of legendary and mythical beasts appeared, each an echo of past encounters, designed to challenge him without killing him.
The first phantom, a colossal mechanized serpent with obsidian scales, lunged. Kaleo met it midair, spinning and parrying with the Edge. The strike was faster than light in perception, and each collision resonated in the Core, feeding his vitality and sharpening his reflexes.
[Core Log: Combat Simulation — Legendary Beast. Edict of Balance Active. Resonance +5%, Affinity +3%.]
Even with the Core's partial activation, each attack tore through his body, leaving bruises that would vanish only after a brief period of meditation. Sweat glistened on his skin, and the hum of Aether in his chest kept him tethered to reality.
The phantom countered, striking with energy tendrils that twisted around Kaleo's limbs. He felt a shock run through him—yet, instead of pain, it became a conduit. He rechanneled the energy, combining it with Halburn cultivation techniques, and struck back. The serpent faltered, disintegrating into sparks.
[Core Update: Divine Stage Mid — Vitality +5%, Resonance +7%, Soul Depth +3%.]
Kaleo dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, feeling the exhilaration of combat mingle with a quiet satisfaction. The Coreforge chamber had tested him, and he had passed—not as a mortal, not as a survivor, but as a High Human heir in partial synchronization.
[Edict of Ascendance Progress: +15%. Current Stage: Divine Stage Early.]
He wiped the sweat from his brow and lowered Veyra's Edge. The room had gone silent once more. Energy threads hummed gently, acknowledging his presence. The simulations retracted, but the Coreforge had not finished testing him.
[Core Note: Potential allies nearby — half-machine entities detected. Observation recommended.]
Kaleo exhaled. He knew he would not stay here long. The Mechanis Realm offered safety, technology, and potential allies—but the universe was vast. Beyond these walls lay realms of gods, of celestial watchers, and of enemies who knew his bloodline better than he did.
[Edict of Dominion: Future Objective — Integrate Halburn Cultivation with Artifact System. Prepare for Multi-Realm Engagement.]
He leaned against a wall, letting energy pulse through him. For the first time in years, he felt a sense of readiness—not arrogance, but preparation. The Core was not fully sentient, but it was precise, systematic, and unyielding. Each update, each Edict, each minor trial fed into his growth.
[Core Status: Partial Activation Stable. Edict Monitoring Active.]
He rose, sheathing Veyra's Edge. The journey to the Mechanis capital would be the next test: to establish alliances, gather intelligence, and continue his Halburn cultivation in a realm foreign yet aligned with his purpose.