Kai looked over a summary of his status as he flexed the fingers of his freshly regrown arm.

Name: Kai Allan

Race: Human

-Titles-

Lord, First Odyssey Champion.

-Achievements-

Max, Apex World Wonder, Apex Bloodborn, Primal Slayer, Vital Hunter I-II-III, Aura Hunter I-II-III, Reaper.

-Vital aura-

Level: 44

Free stat points: 24

Mind: F-Awakened (0/40 stats)

Body: E-Purified (0/80 stats)

Senses: E-Purified (0/80 stats)

Efficiency of vital aura attributes: +14%

-Vital traits-

Apex Explorer (Flawed, Senses)

Primal Eyes (Flawed, Senses)

Foxfire (Flawed, Body)

Hotplates (Flawed, Body)

Limb Regrowth (Flawed, Body)

Apex Ironblood Will (Fine, Mind)

Apex Vortex Heart (Fine, Body)

7/10 vital fusions slotted

-Soul aura-

Soul: E-Purified (Early)

Affinity: Cosmic, Gravity, Hydrokinesis, Martial.

-Aura traits-

Weight Surge (Flawed)

Water Slap (Flawed)

Water Pierces Rock (Flawed)

Waterfall Smash (Flawed)

Gravity Wave (Fine)

Apex Bloodfury (Fine)

6/10 aura fusions slotted

His arm looked exactly the same as it used to. He held a minor hope that his vital meridians would be healed, but frowned when he examined his new arm and found that was not the case.

Kai shook his head, focus. He had secured an extremely long and durable rope from the Rakin elder. Now he needed a private, and safe space to open a wormhole to the Starforge.

Trying to kill two birds with one stone, he and Hawkin had trudged over to the mountain waterfall at the back of the encampment, from there they followed an azure and gold river of aura into a large damp cave that contained Skyhearth’s aura river nexus. Kai gaped openly at the luminous gold and azure cluster of crystals shaped like an ancient doorway embedded into the ground. His eyes traced the latticework of crystal sprawled out from the organic structure that covered the ground like clover.

His curiosity got the better of him and he tried to absorb aura from it but nothing happened. Worth a try, he shrugged then reached out tentatively to touch the crystal nexus.

Aura river nexus: Skyhearth

Lord: Kai

Travel (Locked)

Buildings

Defensive structures

Stats: 11 Unblooded, 83 Vital Hunters, 14 Aura Hunters, 3 Apex Hunters.

Tax collected: 1.3% of a level [Claim]

Kai was sure there would be tempting options under buildings but his first priority was to make sure everyone would be safe while he was away. I’m not losing people again. He looked at the defensive options, narrowing his selection down to what he could afford now and perhaps one step into the future.

…

Aura-stone walls (200 E-grade crystals)

Arclight dome (900 E-grade crystals)

Temporal sphere (700 D-grade crystals)

…

Stone giants - Temporary (2,000 E-grade crystals)

Arclight wreath - Temporary (9,000 E-grade crystals)

Temporal dissolution - Temporary (7,000 D-grade crystals)

…

The best he could afford was the Arclight dome, which sounded pretty good. The Temporal sphere was the equivalent of 7000 E-grade crystals.

Kai selected Arclight dome and watched 900 E-grade crystals vanish into the crystal nexus. The only reason Kura did not make a scene was because her evolution was near, which elevated her mood.

He followed a bolt of golden light that arced outside then shot into the sky, exploding into a crackling dome of diffuse golden aura that covered the encampment. He wasn’t sure exactly what it would do, but the sight was impressive; Kai decided to check later and returned to the damp crystalline cavern.

“Hawkin, please make sure no-one disturbs me till I come out, it may be dangerous.”

Hawkin nodded, the sound of the rushing waterfall behind him.

Kai cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. “You ready, Kura?”

Yes yes!

Kai tied the rope around his waist and tugged it several times to test its strength, it held fast. He was concerned about getting trapped floating aimlessly in the endless expanse of space till he died.

Kai peered into Hawkin’s determined eyes as the Rakin veteran held out his rugged paws. Kai barely hesitated before he handed the other end of the rope to Hawkin, and they nodded at each other.

“If I’m not back after nine minutes, pull me out and if the wormhole collapses for some reason… well then open it again with this crystal.” Kai tossed Hawkin an unused Waystone Crystal, which the Rakin caught deftly and tucked away. The single emerald return crystal Kai had, would be a last resort.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“I won’t let the person who avenged my son’s death die, Lord Kai,” Hawkin said, with a bow.

Kai cringed. “Please just call me Kai.”

Hawkin hesitated, seeming to consider the suggestion before he smiled and shook his head. “No.”

Oh well.

Kai shrugged, then plucked a second purple Waystone Crystal from the back of the Starforger’s legacy tome, then began channelling his aura into it for the next ten minutes until the wormhole tore into existence.

Kai stared hungrily at the portal, however his feeling was eclipsed by Kura howling within his mind.

Hurry hurry!

Kai motioned for Hawkin to stand far back, and after the Rakin had taken a few steps, he motioned for him to move back even further. Once Kai was satisfied he coated himself in a thick layer of his stardust aura and breached the wormhole with his palm. The wormhole roared to life and tried to suck him in, his pants whipping around him, however his body and aura had increased by a grade since last time and the difference was immediately noticeable.

He barely felt the cold and he held his ground without much effort as the wormhole failed to inhale him. Kai looked back to make sure Hawkin was okay; they nodded at each other once more over the noise, the Rakin’s ears flapping towards the hungry vortex.

Here we go.

Kai steeled his nerves then took a massive breath and dived through the wormhole in the direction of the Starforge. He shivered, not just from the frost on his skin but from the splendour of the cosmos before him. It was nothing like being in a mindscape; he was literally floating in a sea of stars.

Despite the danger of being trapped here forever he could not restrain the grin that spread across his face. He spun in place while gliding through absolute silence, watching lilac phoenix nebulas blaze in the distance. His understanding of the cosmos deepened.

Kai floated into the shattered remains of the space island he’d experienced via Altair Sol's heritage crystal, then shifted his attention back to what was around him as he brushed debris aside; there were details his improved senses could make out now that he was closer.

He noticed that what he thought was normal ice had chromatic hues that reminded him of Vess, what really happened here? He spotted preserved grass clinging to chunks of dirt and rock, and a withered tree with a single glittering blossom that also piqued his interest. But right now he had to focus on Kura.

When he stared at the body of the old Starforger he realised that everything was orbiting around the old Shadar’s body, and not the inert Starforge as he had initially suspected.

Kai used Gravity Wave repeatedly to roughly navigate towards the body as time and the oxygen in his lungs burned away. However the closer he got the more pressure rolled off the corpse in powerful waves that threatened to drown his consciousness. The aura was beyond measure, and it was just a corpse. Despite the cold he found himself covered in sweat and stopped about ten feet from the corpse, physically unable to go any closer without his body and mind crumbling; even his soul felt strained.

Kura, it’s time to evolve, can you reach the body? It has to be a unique source of aura.

Kai watched a familiar burst of white light snake towards the body, but it was immediately rebuffed.

Strong aura. Hurt hurt.

Kai clenched his fists. So devouring a being too many grades above us is impossible? He was preparing for the worst when Kura spoke again.

Star. Star. Starforge.

“You think you can devour the Starforge?” Kai exclaimed, surprised.

Yes. Special. Evolve.

Kai could feel her frustration at being unable to fully express herself; if there was something he understood it was being unable to express yourself verbally.

I’m not sure, Kura, according to the legacy tome we’re supposed to restart it?

You. Promised. Trust trust.

Kai scratched his head, his face pale from low oxygen. Okay, let’s go for it, Kura. He swam through space and drew closer to the giant inert crystal sandstone Rubik’s Cube that had to be the Starforge and touched the engraved runes on its coarse surface, but nothing happened. Assuming that it was a forge in the conventional sense—Kura could already create objects—so this could be an even better choice in the long run, though he was not sure what would happen to the tome. Either way he had promised her anything to make up for sharing all the crystals she had created with Skyhearth. With minutes left he confirmed his decision. Kura was more important to him than a dead man’s legacy.

Devour the Starforge.

The Starforge burst into white light as Kura inhaled it like a tiny black hole on his finger. Then she started to crack and vibrate, unable to contain whatever it contained. Light seeped out the ring like cosmic liquid and panic flooded Kai as his every hair stood on end.

No no no! Kura, are you okay? There was no response. His blood ran cold. If she’d eaten the Starforge without meeting the other requirements first, she may have shattered.

“Kura, Apex Evolution!” Kai screamed mutely into space, causing his lungs to burn.

Kura: Apex Mimic Ring (Young)

Rarity: Mythic (Spirit Treasure)

Traits: Voracious Pride

Apex Evolution options:

Unique aura source:

Starforge [Selected]

Primal vital aura:

Amarok Kitsune [Selected]

Consume one of your vital traits for improved evolution?

Foxfire [selected]

Continue: Yes / No?

Some of his panic receded; the options had been pre-selected, which had to mean Kura was okay on some level, and of course she would choose the Amarok Kitsune and Foxfire. Kai hesitated for only a moment before choosing yes as more cracks appeared on his spirit treasure, his companion.

His excitement was tempered with concern as he turned his attention to the cosmic aura that emanated power as it leaked from his ring. His heartbeat returned to normal and he sighed with relief when he saw the cracking and breaking cease, then the treasure ring glowed a brilliant white and seared his finger while the metal liquified and reforged into stardust metal. Kai smiled when he saw the face of the ring; it was now a tiny kitsune fox with an open jaw, and the band was a tail that wrapped warmly around his finger.

Congratulations, your struggle for supremacy has yielded results!

You have created an Apex Evolution!

Trait: Apex Starforged (Scales with age)

Description: Kura becomes forged from the stars themselves and partially as indestructible and expansive as the cosmos itself. Created items have a chance to be Starforged.

Apex bonus: Starfire: If Kura has sufficient aura, emit a burst of Starfire.

Kai was gobsmacked. It sounded like Kura was nigh indestructible with vastly increased storage space—her pride aside. He was eager to see what kind of starforged items she could make, and what that actually meant. He briefly fantasised about breaking Herod’s jaw open and Kura breathing starfire down the murdering bastard's throat till he turned to ash.

Kai barely had time to celebrate before another unexpected notification appeared, causing him to blink in surprise.

Kura has invited you into her mindscape.

Accept / Reject?