Karl stood silently beneath the hovering crests, still tracing the glow of the cobalt gear-shaped sigil that pulsed faintly in front of him.
Hephaestus turned away from him, lifting his hand. The molten chamber shifted — vast walls of runic metal unfurled, and streams of golden script poured from them like cascading code.
"This," Hephaestus began, his voice carrying both thunder and calm, "is the Ladder of Ascension — the evolution each Chosen must undertake to reach their true form. A Class is not a title, Karl. It is a promise. The beginning of your divine identity."
Karl raised a brow. "You mean Classes evolve?"
"Precisely."
Hephaestus struck his hammer against the ground — and a massive golden ring appeared beneath them, splitting into concentric circles. Each ring bore ancient markings glowing in distinct colors.
"The first step," he explained, "is the Adept Tier — the stage where you merely understand your class. At this level, you wield your Primordial's gift but remain bound by mortal limits. Every Chosen begins here."
Hephaestus motioned to the second ring — burning brighter.
"The next is the Exemplar Tier — the point where your class becomes instinct. Your body, soul, and Vythra begin to merge. You no longer use your class — you are your class."
Then, the third ring ignited like a sun.
"Beyond that lies the Ascendant Tier. Here, you transcend the natural order. Your body stops aging, your essence becomes a concept — your power begins shaping reality instead of obeying it."
Karl's eyes widened. "And above that?"
Hephaestus smiled faintly — proud, but cautious.
"Few ever reach the final step. The Genesis Tier — the realm of the Primordials themselves. Those who reach Genesis cease to exist as individuals and instead become forces. Their names become laws — their will, eternal."
Karl swallowed hard, voice low. "So… you're saying every Chosen has the potential to become like you?"
Hephaestus' molten eyes flickered with both pride and grief. "Potential, yes. But potential demands sacrifice. Every ascension requires not strength, but definition. You must know exactly what you are — what your purpose is."
The forge god raised his hammer again, letting molten sparks rain down around Karl.
"For you, Kurogane Karl — the Forgesmith Class is built on the foundation of creation through comprehension. Your ascension will depend on understanding the blueprints of existence itself. Each design, each weapon, each structure you forge from your Vythra brings you closer to your divine truth."
Karl looked down at his palm — blue circuits flickered faintly beneath his skin like nanite veins.
"So… the more I build, the more I become what I was meant to be."
Hephaestus nodded, his tone softening.
"Exactly. But do not confuse creation with construction. To forge is to breathe life into the inanimate. That is the essence of your class."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze burning with pride.
"When your understanding surpasses that of creation itself — when you can forge something without needing material, tool, or time — only then will you become a Genesis Forgesmith. The Architect of Reality."
Karl stared at him, awe flickering in his eyes. "That… sounds like becoming a god."
Hephaestus chuckled. "No, Karl. It means becoming the one gods depend on to exist."
The forge dimmed to a soft cobalt glow as Hephaestus' final words settled in the air.
Karl's mind still buzzed with the weight of it all — Juggernaut, Tempest, Arcanum… Forgesmith.
Each class, each potential, felt like the edge of a universe waiting to unfold.
But before he could process it, the ground began to breathe.
The metal beneath his feet vibrated — not with machinery, but with presence.
Hephaestus turned toward the center of the chamber, his molten eyes flickering.
"Brace yourself, Karl," he murmured, voice like grinding gears wrapped in reverence.
"You've seen fragments of us before… but never the full pantheon."
A tremor shuddered through the forge — and then, one by one, the Primordials appeared.
Kaiser – Primordial of Strength
The first to manifest was Kaiser, his immense frame rising from a pillar of red-gold flame.
Each breath he took bent gravity itself; the air rippled as if bowing to him.
Karl's chest tightened — this was the being whose blood had shaped Shojiro,
and whose power made even mountains kneel.
Kaiser's voice was deep, calm, but heavy as thunder held in a cage.
"Another child of creation…" he said, eyes gleaming like molten metal.
"I see my brother's work in you, Hephaestus."
Hephaestus chuckled, folding his arms. "And your pride in his bones, Kaiser."
Artemis – Primordial of Wisdom
Then came Artemis, descending in a cascade of silvery starlight.
Her presence silenced everything; even the forge flames froze mid-flicker.
She moved like thought itself — graceful, precise, and ancient.
Karl recognized her instantly — the one who had guided his visions.
When her eyes met his, Karl felt both exposed and enlightened.
Her voice was serene.
"The child who carries his parents' dream… You have walked through knowledge and found wonder instead of arrogance. That is good."
Poseidara – Primordial of the Tides
The third presence arrived as a mist that shimmered blue and white.
From it stepped Poseidara, tall and composed, her long hair moving like underwater current.
Tiny droplets orbited her body like suspended tears.
"Your flow is stable," she observed, her gaze flicking across Karl's nanite veins.
"The tide of your essence moves as it should. Water adapts — learn that."
Voltraeus – Primordial of Lightning
A spark tore through the chamber like a whip.
Voltraeus appeared in a jagged burst of gray lightning — lean, fast, eyes sharp as fractured glass.
His grin was restless; his energy never sat still.
"So this is the kid with the Gear Drive, huh?"
He smirked, folding his arms. "Looks sturdy enough to handle a little voltage."
Hephaestus muttered, "You'll fry him before he finishes booting."
Voltraeus laughed. "Hey, how else does a newborn learn to run?
Nocturne – Primordial of Shadows
The shadows behind Karl deepened — and from them, Nocturne emerged.
He didn't walk. He unfolded.
A violet silhouette with a crown of dim light, his eyes two endless voids.
Karl felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Nocturne's voice was soft, but it vibrated in the bones.
"Fear not, little maker. Darkness does not threaten light — it defines it."
Aegriya – Primordial of Sanctum
Golden motes drifted from the ceiling, and from their midst, Aegriya appeared —
radiant, armored, wings made of luminous glyphs.
Her beauty was divine, yet her expression carried the weight of command.
"You have been built with love and purpose," she said,
"but even purpose must be protected. Sanctity is not weakness — it is will."
Karl felt something stir — like the memory of a prayer he never knew he remembered.
Moara – Primordial of Puppetry
Next came Moara, emerging from swirling magenta smoke and bone strings.
She twirled one finger and a dozen floating skeletal marionettes spun around her,
smiling as if they shared a secret joke.
"Ahh~ the craftsman boy," she purred. "A forger of dreams and frames.
Your fingers will one day shape destinies, child. Just make sure they don't strangle you."
Karl blinked. "…Noted."
Hephaestus sighed. "Ignore her dramatics."
Thanamira – Primordial of Spirits
Soft green light filled the room — calm and soothing.
Thanamira glided forth, ethereal and motherly, her hair moving like wisped smoke.
She smiled at Karl, eyes filled with warmth that could silence fear.
"I was there when your heart reawakened," she said gently.
"Be proud, Karl. You were born twice — once by blood, and once by purpose."
Karl bowed instinctively. "Thank you… for saving me."
She simply nodded, as though she already knew his words before he spoke them.
Savitar – Primordial of Momentum
The air cracked. The world blurred.
A streak of pale white lightning tore across the chamber,
splitting the ground like a racing comet.
Savitar appeared mid-step, his body still humming with kinetic motion,
his long white coat rippling like it refused to obey gravity.
"—Sorry I'm late," he said, voice fast, sharp. "Had a detour through subspace."
Hephaestus crossed his arms. "You always do."
Savitar smirked at Karl. "So this is the Forger. The one who builds what others dream.
Not bad, rookie. Try to keep up — the world doesn't wait."
Hephaestus – Primordial of Creation
Finally, the forge itself brightened as Hephaestus stood beside Karl —
his molten form reflecting all the colors of the other Primordials.
The teacher, the smith, the silent fire that had shaped Karl's rebirth.
He looked at his pupil, then at the pantheon around them.
"For the first time in millennia," he said,
"the Ten stand in one forge. All watching the rise of our kin's descendant."
Karl's throat tightened. His hands trembled — not in fear, but awe.
He was surrounded by the architects of existence — beings who were the laws of reality.
Every breath felt heavy, sacred, eternal.
He fell to one knee, instinctively lowering his gaze.
"Forgive my ignorance before… I didn't understand who you were."
Kaiser chuckled, a sound like distant thunder. "Understanding comes from flame, not fear. Rise, child."
Karl stood, trembling but determined. "Then teach me."
Artemis' silver eyes softened. "And you shall learn. For your path begins now."