The freezing cold was older than mountains. It seeped through the skin, the flesh, and the bone, yet it halted precisely where his heart should have been—at the furnace now resting, pulsing weakly, within the core of his soul. That sensation was the first thing that greeted Ardyn Valen from his eternal slumber. He didn't remember light. He only remembered the dimming fire, the drying blood, and his father's desperate whisper a thousand years ago.
He awoke from his millenary sleep, not in a silk bed, but on the cold, stone floor of an ancient stasis chamber that should have been obliterated. Thick dust covered everything, the ash of a lost civilization. Ardyn tried to take a deep breath, but all he inhaled was the scent of stale copper, moss, and a suffocating void.
I am alive.
That realization should have brought joy. Instead, Ardyn felt only a sharp, stabbing pain that pierced the core of his being. He wasn't merely wounded. He was shattered. He didn't need a mirror or ancient magic to scan himself. He felt it intuitively—his soul, his Soul Core, had been torn apart, 87\% of it gone.
[Soul Core: Integrity 13\%. Status: Critical. Function: Minimal. Requires Pure Soul Catalyst.]
The whisper came from within, like the resonance of heavy metal vibrating. It was the voice of The Last Soul Furnace, the grand relic of the Soulforger Clan, which, in the moment of his clan's demise, had fused with Ardyn, its last heir. The Furnace was why he survived, but also his curse. It demanded fuel. It was hungry.
"More than a thousand years..." Ardyn's voice sounded like stones grinding, hoarse and alien even to his own ears. His sharp eyes scanned the darkness, catching details that should have been lost to memory.
The sturdy stone walls, carved with the symbols of the Soulforgers—the symbol of the Soulfire, the Hammer, and the Soul Core. All were covered in soot and cracks.
The Valen Clan... The Soulforger Clan... We are all broken.
The burden of a thousand years of legacy and vengeance weighed upon him, far heavier than the stone. He remembered the faces, the cheerful laughter, and the roar of their clan's forges in The First Cycle—all swept away by the Void wave.
Ardyn clenched his fist. There were no tears. Only steely resolve. His 13\% soul integrity might be fragile, but he had one advantage no one in The Ruined Age possessed: The Last Soul Furnace. As long as that relic pulsed in his chest, he was the sole hope for the ancient art of Soulforging.
🌌 The First Threat of the New Era
Ardyn had no time for reflection. The survival instinct of a Soulforger raised in an era of total war immediately took over. He felt a tremor. Not of the earth, but of the Void.
A thin crack appeared in the stone wall opposite him. Initially just a small fissure, it radiated a faint, putrid purple light, like rotting flesh. The fissure slowly widened, not due to physical pressure, but due to a distortion of reality. This was a mini Void Rift, and it meant only one thing: Voidspawn.
Damn it! This world is still ruled by the Dominion.
From the fissure, a hideous creature crept out. It was about a meter tall, its body a dark, moving mass like solidified shadow. Its eyes glowed red and emitted a little cold steam. The creature made a terrifying click-click sound as its sharp legs touched the floor. This was a Shadow Lurker, the lowest-tier Voidspawn, a new generation Ardyn had never seen.
The creature immediately sensed Ardyn's fragile Soul Core—an appetizing target for any being that lived on the Void Path.
KHAA-ARRR!
The Shadow Lurker leaped.
Ardyn knew he couldn't fight it head-on. His 13\% soul was insufficient to summon a proper Forged Spirit, let alone engage in physical combat. He could only rely on the one basic function of the newly awakened furnace: Forced Absorption.
He raised his hand. All his focus was on the vibrating Soul Furnace. He envisioned the furnace as a greedy black hole, ready to suck in anything that approached.
VWOOOM!
Not fire. Not magic. What emerged was an invisible vortex, a pure energy vacuum that twisted the air. It was the Furnace's Manifestation of Emptiness, an ancient skill to drain an opponent's energy.
The Shadow Lurker was startled. The putrid purple aura around it was helplessly sucked toward Ardyn's palm. The creature struggled, but the Void itself was energy that could be processed.
SHIIIK!
With a terrifying hiss, the Shadow Lurker was drawn into the vortex, its solid body disintegrating into dust and purple smoke before reaching Ardyn's furnace.
💡 The First Spark and Inner Monologue
The increase was minimal, almost insignificant. But for Ardyn, who was on the verge of soul death, it was life itself.
So, I don't just survive. I can use it.
This was the difference between the Valen Clan and the rest of the world: While others feared the Void, the Soulforgers could process it. Void was poison, but a poison that could be converted into fuel.
"The forbidden art... resurrected in the age of darkness," Ardyn smirked cynically. The grin was not pleasant; rather, it was cold and filled with vengeance.
He leaned his back against the cold wall, closed his eyes, and scanned himself one more time. He needed to know how dire his situation was.
The Last Soul Furnace was an SSS-Tier relic, a forge that should be capable of tempering stars. However, after a thousand years of inactivity and harboring his shattered soul, the furnace was functioning at only 0.001\% capacity.
Urgent Problems:
The outside world: Full of lethal Voidspawn and the Void Path.
Power: No weapons, no armor. Fragile Soul Core.
Fuel: He must constantly harvest souls or essence—anything—just to keep his soul intact.
I cannot run. I must fight, and to fight, I need a weapon. I need a Forged Spirit.
The Valen Clan was famous for forging weapons that possessed souls, weapons that could think, that grew with their owner. To forge his first Forged Spirit, Ardyn needed two things: stable Soulfire, and a Pure Soul Catalyst.
His current Soulfire was only a tiny spark from his 13\% soul. It would expend the rest of his energy.
A Pure Soul Catalyst... where could I find a pure soul in this damned ruin?
As he crawled, gathering pieces of ancient metal and stone, his finger touched a small, dull silver locket, hidden beneath the dust. It was a keepsake. A keepsake... from his Mother.
The Soul Furnace reacted immediately, pulsing with a painful rhythm.
[Ancient Memory Found: Mother's Soul Fragment. Status: Ready to be Forged as a Catalyst. Risk: Loss of Remaining Soul Fragment. Proceed?]
The coldness in his heart turned into a burning ache. The locket was the only thing left of his mother, the gentlest Chief Soulforger, who had held him in her arms in the final moments before the Void gate exploded.
I have to use this? To live? To seek vengeance?
Ardyn quickly closed the locket. No. Not yet. He wouldn't sacrifice his last fragment of memory unless there was absolutely no other way.
🛠️ Preparation and Initial Soulforging
He had to find an alternative. In these ruins, there must be remnants of ancient Forged Spirits that he could recycle. That would be much safer.
Ardyn stood up, limping through the narrow stone corridors. This place was their clan's ancient Cryo-Chamber, an underground bunker designed to withstand the first apocalypse. But a thousand years was too long. The walls were cracked, and the air felt heavy.
Suddenly, he froze. From the distance, he heard an unnatural roar. It was no longer a Shadow Lurker. It was the sound of battle.
The outside world... is full of conflict.
He moved toward the source of the sound, approaching a narrow tunnel that led to the surface. Upon reaching the exit, he hid behind the rubble, peering out.
The sight outside made Ardyn's eyes narrow. It was the true sight of The Ruined Age.
Up there, not far from the ruins, a small group of soldiers in polished armor (perhaps from one of the new kingdoms) were fighting desperately against a wave of larger Voidspawn—a kind of Void Brute twice the size of a man, with horned skin and long claws.
These new soldiers used the Arcane System: they fired magical projectiles and crystal-infused energy, not ancient Soulfire or steel.
Hmph, a weak and inefficient power.
Although their Arcane System seemed sophisticated, they were overwhelmed. One of the soldiers, a woman with tied-back silvery hair, fell, screaming as the Void Brute raised its claw to strike.
Ardyn felt the pull of one instinct: Flee.
However, he also felt another pull—the instinct of a Soulforger to Create.
As the Void Brute prepared to strike, it let out an ear-splitting howl. The howl contained a wave of pure Void energy that made the female soldier slump and convulse.
Void Wave. That is high-level Void Essence.
The Soul Furnace in Ardyn's chest pulsed faster. Hungry.
[Target Found: Mid-Grade Void Essence. Usable as Fuel. Warning: Highly Toxic.]
This was an opportunity. If Ardyn could absorb the Void Essence from that Brute, he might gain enough energy to stabilize his soul drastically—perhaps even to forge his first weapon without sacrificing his Mother's locket.
But to absorb it, he had to be very close.
A decision, Valen. Survive at high risk, or die slowly underground.
Ardyn never hesitated with risk. He was a Soulforger. They lived by risk.
He gripped a chunk of stone in his hand. His eyes radiated the same cold light as the furnace in his chest.
"I need a catalyst," he hissed. He would not use his mother's locket. He would use the monster's soul.
He closed his eyes, focusing his 13\% energy. He ignored the pain and trauma. He focused only on his internal fire. He drew the purified Void essence he had stored earlier from the Shadow Lurker and forcefully began to heat it.
The process was agonizing. It felt like swallowing lava. But Ardyn gritted his teeth.
"I need a Hammer. I will forge the most primitive Forged Spirit."
🔨 Hammer and Shadow
He had no hammer. So, he had to create one.
Ardyn held out his hand, and with his remaining energy, he drew several stone and metal fragments from the ruins, forcing them to fuse in his palm. With a very weak Soulfire, he heated the melting mass of rock and metal.
Fusion.
His soulfire struggled. His blood boiled. He was about to faint. But in that critical moment, a memory from his father's past flashed—an emergency solidification technique.
Force your will, my son!
With an internal scream, he pressed all the pure Void essence into the melting metal and stone mass.
CRUNCH!
In his hand, the mass hardened, changing shape. It wasn't a beautiful hammer, but a small, jagged black stone mace, with a core that emitted a faint purple glow of Void.
[Epsilon Tier Forged Spirit Created: Shadow Mace. Materials: Scrap Metal, Ruin Stone, Low-Grade Void Essence. Status: Fragile, Lifespan: 5 Minutes.]
The weapon was fragile, a temporary Void weapon, but it was Ardyn's first Forged Spirit in a thousand years.
"Enough," Ardyn whispered, gripping the Shadow Mace.
He leaped out of the tunnel, directly into the chaos.
The Void Brute was roaring triumphantly over the fallen female soldier. The other soldiers were too far to help.
This was his chance. Ardyn, with 13\% soul and the Shadow Mace, sprinted toward the Void Brute.
"Hey, monster! I think your Void Essence looks better in my furnace!"
💥 Mini Climax: The Last Forger in Action
The Void Brute turned, surprised to see the skinny human who had suddenly appeared. The creature exuded an aura of disgust, viewing Ardyn as mere food.
It swung its massive claw.
Ardyn used ancient speed, leaping aside. He knew he couldn't take a physical hit. He had to reach the monster's energy core.
He ran past the slumped female soldier. The woman, semi-conscious, saw Ardyn's figure and cried out: "Who—stop! Don't get close, you'll explode!"
Ardyn ignored her. He leaped onto the back of the Void Brute, gripping its tough horns.
I need two seconds!
He plunged the Shadow Mace into the monster's back, not to wound, but as a focus point.
VWOOOM!
Ardyn activated the Forced Absorption function of the Last Soul Furnace through the Shadow Mace. His target: the Void Core inside the monster's chest.
The Void Brute instantly felt a soul-piercing pain. It screamed, not a physical sound, but a howl of panic. Mid-grade Void Essence began to flow rapidly, like a black waterfall, from its body to the Shadow Mace, and from the Mace to Ardyn.
[Void Essence Flowing Rapidly... Purification Initiated. Soul Integrity Increasing... 14\%. 15\%. 16\%.]
The pain was overwhelming, like his internal organs were being ripped apart. Ardyn's body shook violently. His eyes bled, and his veins bulged. Yet, he didn't stop.
The Void Brute thrashed desperately, collapsing to the ground.
"No! You can't take it from me!" Ardyn roared, his voice now mixed with the rumble of the furnace.
Suddenly, the voice in his head shifted, becoming deeper and more ancient, no longer the sound of the Furnace, but the voice of his Father, the Master Soulforger.
Don't just absorb, my Son. Forge! Convert that poison into protection!
Ardyn had an insight! He couldn't just absorb. He had to immediately forge this toxic essence into something stable!
He released the Shadow Mace and pressed his empty hand onto the wound he had just made. The Void Essence rushed in, 17\%, 18\%.
Now!
He heated the newly absorbed Void Essence and shaped it around his skin. In a fraction of a second, the skin on his right arm hardened, turning into a layer of opaque black armor, radiating the same cold aura as the Void Brute.
[Epsilon Tier Forged Spirit Created: Void Hide Armor (Proto). Duration: 15 Minutes. Function: Basic Physical Defense.]
The Void Brute twitched one last time, then fell, turning into dark ash. It had lost its Soul Core.
Ardyn staggered back, gasping. His soul integrity was now 20\%. Stable enough to survive the apocalypse for a few hours.
The female soldier stared at Ardyn. Her silvery eyes radiated a mixture of fear, confusion, and awe.
"You... you used Void essence... what kind of demon are you?" the woman, clearly an Arcane Knight from the new kingdom, whispered.
Ardyn, with one arm covered in primitive Void Armor and his face scarred, looked at the woman coldly.
"I am no demon. I am a Soulforger," he replied, his voice returning to its flat, deadly tone.
He had to leave. Too much attention.
However, before Ardyn could turn away, The Last Soul Furnace sent its final warning, much louder than before.
[Warning: A High-Level Observing Entity Has Locked Location. Entity Radiates Dominance Energy. Identification: Lord Vorath.]
Ardyn suddenly felt an unseen presence in the sky, watching him. It was a presence he recognized from his thousand-year nightmares, the presence responsible for the destruction of his clan. Lord Vorath.
In the distance, the stone rubble that formed the wall where Ardyn was hiding began to shake. An ancient telepathic message pierced his skull.
<
The message wasn't a threat. It was an order.
What? Vorath wants me alive?
💥 Cliffhanger
A coldness older than a thousand years returned to Ardyn. He realized one terrifying thing—the destruction of the Valen clan wasn't the end, but the beginning of a much larger plan. He wasn't running from the Dominion. He was their bait.
CRACK!
The rubble wall next to the female soldier exploded. Not from a Voidspawn, but from a much greater force.
Suddenly, Ardyn saw his Mother's Locket, which he still held, emitting a faint light. The Last Soul Furnace gave him one more terrifying choice.
[Catalyst Required Immediately for Escape. Use Mother's Soul Fragment. Yes/No.]
"What do I do?" Ardyn whispered. On one side, Lord Vorath was waiting. On the other, he had to sacrifice his mother's fragment.
Damn it!
He clenched the Locket, his eyes radiating a cold, ruthless resolve.
"I will use you, Mother. To live. And to destroy him."