In my previous life, a sudden, unannounced visitor in my office meant a security breach or a very persistent auditor. Sitting on a throne of obsidian, watching a man bleed silver-flecked dust onto my floor, I realised the 'security breach' was now a monster, and the 'auditor' was a terrified boy looking for a miracle. My first instinct was to check my calendar. My second was to realise I now had the power to delete the problem entirely.
The beast—a multi-eyed nightmare Nyx called a 'Blight-Walker'—wasn't just a threat; it was clutter. It was dirt in my new territory. As it lunged, teeth snapping toward the throat, I didn't feel the adrenaline of a prey animal. I felt the cold, clinical annoyance of a supervisor looking at a broken copier.
CLANG.
The sound of its fangs shattering against my palm was the most satisfying 'performance review' I had ever conducted.
"Ooh, Artie," Nyx's voice hummed, vibrating through my very marrow. "You've got that 'I 'm-about-to-fire-someone' look again. Just a heads-up: in this world, 'firing' usually involves a lot more screaming and significantly less paperwork."
I didn't answer her. I didn't need to. She was already woven into my thoughts, a chaotic thread in the tapestry of my new consciousness. I gripped the beast's snout, feeling the Thermal Mastery skill flare in my chest like a banked furnace.
"You are trespassing," I said. The voice didn't sound like mine. It sounded like the mountain itself was speaking.
With a thought, I increased the output. White-hot light erupted from my fingertips, and the beast didn't just die—it was deleted. Its essence evaporated into a cloud of fine ash, leaving my obsidian floor spotless.
[Notice: Biological Threat Neutralised.]
[Territory Sanctity: Restored.]
I looked down at the traveller, who was still trembling at the base of my dais. He looked at me with the same wide-eyed terror my junior associates used to have during a downsizing. But there was something else there, too. Hope. The most dangerous resource in any venture.
"Stand up," I commanded. "The beast is gone. Now, tell me why you've come to the Ruined Reach. And be concise—I dislike long meetings."
"Really, Boss?" Nyx giggled. "A God of the Shattered Aeon, and you're still worried about the clock? We have eternity now. Maybe try: 'Speak, mortal, for I am thy salvation'?"
"Efficiency is a divine attribute, Nyx," I thought back, stepping off the throne. My boots clicked against the black marble, a sound that echoed with the weight of a closing gavel. "Now, let's see if this boy is worth the investment."
"My name is Arthur."
The name was a relic of a life spent in cubicles. I saw the man's face go blank; it was the same look my juniors gave me when they were out of their depth. To him, 'Arthur' wasn't a name—it was a title of power.
"You chose that over 'The Star-Eater'?" Nyx teased.
"It's a brand," I thought. "Simple. Direct. It sticks."
"Now, speak your name, traveller," I said. I stood tall, resting both hands on my waist.
"I... I am Elian, my Lord Arthur. I was a simple shepherd from Kaelos, a village at the base of these mountains."
"Hmm. Elian of Kaelos. A shepherd who outran a Blight-Walker to reach my sanctuary... you have guts," I said. I gave him a small nod of approval, the same way I used to praise an employee who stayed late to finish a project.
"You are right, Lord Arthur. There is more," Elian whispered. "I heard stories of a forgotten god living in these ruins. I came seeking help to fight the God of Iron, Valerius, and his cruel laws."
'Nyx, who is this Valerius?' I asked in my thoughts.
'Think of him as a spoiled brat with too many toys,' Nyx replied instantly. 'He has no ethics. He is the main reason why the divine supply chain is broken. He hoards everything for himself.'
"What is Valerius doing? And why are you running from him?" I asked. I noticed Elian was still trembling, struggling to stand under the heavy pressure of my presence.
Elian took a deep breath, trying to steady his shaking legs. The "Divine Pressure" coming from Arthur felt like standing too close to a massive, silent engine. It was powerful, yet strangely comforting.
"Valerius is... he is a monster in iron skin, My Lord," Elian began, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He does not care for his people. He only cares for his Forge. Every month, his Iron Guard comes to Kaelos to collect the Tithe. They take our grain, our silver, and when we have nothing left... they take our blood."
I frowned. In my old world, taxes were a headache, but "blood taxes" were a sign of a failing business model. You can't grow an empire if you kill your workforce.
"Explain this Tithe," I commanded. "Why blood?"
"He uses it to power his Soul-Forges," Elian said, a tear tracing a path through the dust on his cheek. "The iron he creates isn't normal. It needs the life-force of mortals to stay strong. Last night, my village couldn't meet the quota. The Iron Guard didn't just leave; they opened the gates and let the Blight-Walkers in. They said if we couldn't be useful as workers, we would be useful as bait."
'See what I mean, Artie?' Nyx sighed in my mind. 'Valerius is the worst kind of manager. He's burning the furniture to keep the office warm. It's unsustainable.'
'It's more than that, Nyx,' I thought back, my silver eyes glowing brighter. 'It's a market opportunity. If the God of Iron is liquidating his assets, I'll be the one to buy them up.'
I looked at Elian. The boy was broken, but there was a spark of iron in his spirit—the kind of grit you look for in a startup employee.
"Elian," I said, stepping closer. "You came looking for a forgotten god to fight your battles. You found me instead. I am not a god of mercy, but I am a god of Order. And Valerius's 'Atrocities' are creating a massive deficit in my new world."
I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. My skin was cool, but Elian gasped as a jolt of silver energy surged into him.
[Skill Active: Legacy Architect — Granting 'Junior Associate' Status.]
[Resistances Shared: Thermal Fluctuation (10%), Physical Defence (5%).]
"Stand up," I said. "A shepherd cannot fight a God of Iron. But a Vanguard of the Reach can. We are going to Kaelos. I want to see this 'Forge' for myself, and I think it's time Valerius received a formal notice of termination."
Elian stood up, his eyes now reflecting a hint of my own silver light. He didn't look like a terrified boy anymore; he looked like a man who finally had a Boss worth dying for.
"Ooh, I love a good hostile takeover!" Nyx cheered, her voice bouncing happily in my head. "Shall I pull up the directions to Kaelos, or are we going to make a dramatic entrance?"
"Both," I thought. "Elian, lead the way. We have a village to acquire."