Kal’s form moved through the void as the storm of red-gold light attempted to suppress him, part of him knew that if he stopped it would be his end. So he raged through the storm of his metaphysical enemies, moving much faster than he had before. A small part of him worried about his mental energy use but it was quickly crushed each and every time an ember struck him. Understanding also came with each collision, the embers going to destroy who he was. Make him a puppet of Dhinir, much worse than just a follower. He would be a devotee, utterly bound to the will of some god he barely knew or even cared to know but the primal fury allowed him to resist. It pushed him further and further into the void, the sea of enemies only growing deeper and deeper until he saw it. A titanic crimson flame burned in the distance, its light flickering as trillions of embers constantly flooded it. His target found Kal sped through the remaining distance. The flame was huge. It continued to grow as he got closer, the void making his perception of size flawed. Finally, he made it to the very edge of the flame's radius, the embers redirecting towards the flame drawn to the most resonant source. His mind still erratic with the rage he felt during the assault Kal tried to inspect the flames. They were constantly under assault from the strange energy, every moment he could sense it weakened by the most minuscule amount. But it was weakening. He needed to concentrate, he tried to calm himself but as he did the flames dramatically decreased in size, dropping in intensity by at least half allowing more and more of the embers deeper into the flames. He watched a few as they flew through the flame and hit something he was originally excited to find. His core, or what's left of it. Throughout the crimson flame were intricate crimson threads just like the ones he had been practicing with during the last week. These were on another level however, each fundamentally resonated with him in a way he was worried he could not replicate. They were imbued with so much power, no not power, potential. That was it, the very framework that contained the power he needed to ascend was destroyed. So his potential was zero. Kal’s rage exploded again, his form igniting into a flame similar to the strange inferno in front of him. “Who did this to me!” Kal roared into the flames. The inferno exploded with him quadrupling in size, its flame overtaking him and pushing the foreign energy further away. What was this crimson flame? His mind raced, sidetracked with roars of frustration and wrath he tried to understand what was in front of him. His core was destroyed, but Melisia had never mentioned anything like this flame.
“Melisia, what is this flame?!”
A moment later she responded, “Kal, thank the gods you're back. What happened?”
Her voice sounded frail to his mind. “Fuck the gods! What is this flame within my core?!”
“Kal you can't say such th-”
“One of those fucking things did this to me! Tell me what it is now!” Kal’s mind wavered, his vision turning red and the inferno grew.
“It’s your birthright…. I was going to tell you but”
“What the fuck is a birthright?!”
“It’s your soul! It’s different from normal mortals, we only know about two different kinds. Yours isn’t one of them,” her voice seemed to quiver for a moment before continuing. “It’s why I delayed helping you, I worried about what I was awakening.”
Kal’s mind twisted his priorities forcibly shifted, was no one a friend? Was the world against him? First damned gods and now his first true mentor.
“I’m sorry Kal, I…I was afraid. But I’m going to help you get through whatever this is.”
A moment later she appeared before him, she looked exactly the same as she did outside of the void though her usual cheery self was gone. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide as she looked around his core space. Could Kal trust her? She had already lied to him twice at least and now she had admitted to keeping his birthright from him whatever that is.
“I’m going to help you Kal.”
He dropped the thought, he didn’t have time to worry about trust. He nodded and Melisia began inspecting the area.
“I can't do anything directly like this but my Comprehend the Astral Threads skill still works,” she spent a moment scanning the inferno and the strange light. “You were right Kal, Dhinir has done this to you. It has the same mana signature as his blessings. I don’t know how I didn’t detect it before. But there is another signature here that I don’t recognize, my skill is telling me that it is having an obfuscation effect on your soul. I think whoever placed it there was trying to hide you from Dhinir.”
Kal’s form flared up, someone else had messed with his core. Perhaps he should be thankful since not being detected by Dhinir sounded like a plus in Kal’s book, but it still pissed him off that someone had been rooting around in his core space.
“How do I fix it?”
“I… I don’t know Kal, you barely have a core at this point. The usual core soothing remedies won't work anytime soon if at all. Perhaps your skill will help?”
Frustrated, Kal started weaving a thread that was nowhere near complex enough to compare with the original core threads but he got to approximately the same size and tried to fuse its end to one of the fragments. Nothing, they simply didn’t react to each other. He tried to force it but they were just too different, his threads just didn’t have the same complexity or potential as his original core threads. He either needed to match the core's threads or… He could start again. He could destroy what was left, and build a new core. It would definitely be less sophisticated but did that matter if he could improve it later?
His mind focusing properly for the first time since the attack began turned to Melisia, “What will happen if my core is completely erased?”
“I don’t know. It has always been thought that the core is the home of your soul and that if it was destroyed so was the soul, but yours is clearly different,” she gestured towards the core fragments slowly being eaten away by the few embers that could make it through the flames.”Your core is also the base that all of your skill threads are connected to.”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Kal suspected she would say that, he was fairly certain he would die if the core was destroyed but he worried that Dhinir’s embers goal would be achieved if he simply helped destroy his core as it was now. It was clear that the inferno didn’t hurt him, it simply resonated with the rage Kal felt. Perhaps it was the inferno that drove him to such anger or maybe it was his anger that fueled the flame. For now, it didn’t matter, so Kal moved to the closest fragment and placed his fiery hand against it.The moment he touched it he could feel another problem, the core was tainted. Manipulated as if someone had altered it slowly over time. Even though it glowed crimson like his threads and resonated with him, it was like it was slightly out of tune. He could tell immediately who had done it, tiny wisps of golden light thread through the otherwise completely crimson framework of his core. Why the god of conquest had altered him and why he had obviously decided to destroy the core would have to be a mystery for now because the moment Kal detected the alteration the void froze. Kal’s body suddenly burned and not just his strange fiery form but his actual body. He could feel his health decreasing and his stamina plummeting. He tried to move but his form wouldn’t respond, and then a notification appeared.
Involuntary core alteration detected…
Foreign mana detected…
Skill resonance detected, analyzing…
Error system message intercepted by unaligned deity…
Due to multiple factors core destruction is imminent but a sponsor has offered to reconstruct your core! Do you accept? Yes/No
The pain continued but Kal didn’t even think about it before answering. Fuck no…. He knew immediately that he had to be Dhinir. What's with this guy? No way in hell would accept anything from him after what he had done to his core.
Are you sure? Yes/No
“Yes, now fuck off!” Kal yelled in his mind, if he could move he would have made his form scream it. He would create his own core if he had to. He wasn’t planning on having any kind of relationship with any of the gods, but this guy could get fucked.
Sponsor notified.
A few agony-filled moments passed as his health kept dropping, he tried to remain focused through the pain waiting for the next notification.
Skill analysis complete. Requirements Met.
Your core fractured, your growth stunted, your life forever changed by powers above your own. The gods will seek to destroy you for your defiance, the people of your world will fear and despise you, their gods will incite war against you but your path will be yours to decide.
Are you willing to forge your own path, be it monster or hero? savior or destroyer?
Yes/No
Kal could barely understand the words he was reading, pain burning through him making his form falter. He didn’t need to think to make his choice, the world was already against him from the start. For years he struggled trying anything he could to ascend, the only true help he had ever received was from Melisia, Leo, and Dalen in his unique way. If he needed to forge his own path so be it. Yes.
The notification box vanished and the inferno exploded, its crimson flame destroying everything it touched. Kal saw Melisia vanish just in time to avoid annihilation as the torrent of flames continued through the void. Through the flames, Kal could see another mana that he hadn’t seen before. It shined orange, he could just barely make it out through the storm of crimson fire. He worried for a moment about its source but noticed it quickly vanishing as more and more of Dhinir’s embers were destroyed. He was relieved but the burning pain across mind and body only grew.
Foreign mana cleansed.
The Inferno receded dramatically after the notification and Kal felt his form calm. The remaining fragments of his core hung in a broken circle before him, the broken edges releasing sparks of erratic crimson. Kal tried to memorize as much as he could from each of them, he would need to recreate it or at least something similar before he could truly begin his path. He wished Melisia had been able to stay through the chaos earlier since she would likely be able to help him understand the purpose of each of the strands in these threads. He was starting to falter, his vision fading as he took in the last few details he could understand, then he looked at the final notification, one he knew was necessary but scared him all the same.
Begin core deconstruction? Yes/No
Kal sighed, he knew this was going to hurt. He just hoped it wasn’t permanent. He mentally accepted the command and the fragments detonated through him what felt like miles away from his crimson flame. His entire being burned, his thoughts only of agony. But in that agony was clarity, a deep part of him had awoken. A part of him that would never cease moving forward, for it was his birthright.
Your birthright stirs being of wrath.
Title acquired: Core Bane [Birthright]
Core Bane [Birthright]
Your desire to be free of a deity has pushed you to the destruction of your very own core, freeing yourself from the will of all gods. May your will be forever unbroken, your potential limitless.
+15% Will, +10% Vitality, + 10% Endurance
Title acquired: Defier of Dhinir [Unique]
Defier of Dhinir [Unique]
Your defiance of the god of conquest will be your undoing, that at least is what the sheep will say. May you forever spit in the eye of Dominion and his lackeys. +10% Will, +10% Endurance, +10% Strength.
Kal smiled despite the pain raging through him, “Bout time…” His thoughts merged with the void.
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Melisia fled from Kal’s core space, her heart pounding. She kept her Comprehend the Astral Threads active as a miracle happened before her eyes. Kal fell bonelessly to the ground, his pores leaking a red-gold mist, but only moments later the crimson light of Kal’s birthright burst out of his flesh chasing down the foreign mana of Dhinir. It was impossible, Kal could never cleanse himself of a god's mana. Quotz! What is happening? Then she saw the strange orange mana mixed with Kal’s crimson. She inspected it with her skill and almost fell along with Kal. Fyborh…how? Her eyes wide, she watched the cleansing come to fruition. Kal’s skin looked ashen but he was still breathing and he appeared stable. She knelt beside him, wiping cold sweat from his brow and moving him into a more comfortable position. Though Melisia couldn’t know if Kal had succeeded, the title she just received put her at rest.
Wrath Bringer
You have assisted Fyborh in the release of Kalum Lesta’s birthright. May you find the person you wish to be and protect Kalum during his time of weakness. I wish you luck in your search for the Astral Fall’s blessed of Quotz. +5% Wisdom, +5% Perception.