Adrian Blake soars above the endless canopy, his onyx-feathered wings casting a shadow over the trembling treetops. Below him stretches the Wilderness of Gethryl—a dreaded hunting ground for any ordinary adventurer, yet to Adrian, it bristles with untapped potential.
He folds his wings and drops like a falcon, landing lightly on a moss‐covered boulder. Around him, the forest seems alive: twisted vines slither, luminescent spores drift on the air, and from every shadow, the snarls of hungry monsters echo.
Clenching his fist, Adrian calls upon the power he stole from countless foes:
"Boosted!"
His voice rings with authority. A crimson halo blazes around his fist—the first of ten invocations. With each shout, his strength multiplies, muscles knot, and arcane energy crackles at his fingertips.
By the tenth "Boosted!," his body thrums with a thousand‐fold amplification. Veins bulge beneath silver skin; power threatens to tear him apart. Before the strain overwhelms him, he murmurs a counterspell:
"Restoration!"
A wave of soothing magic floods his veins, knitting cracked flesh and tempering the surge.
Now here, at the heart of the forest, Adrian releases the storm:
"Gravity Magic – Chaotic Tempest!"
A violet ring erupts around him, expanding outward in a maelstrom of shifting gravity. Trees buckle, boulders twist into bizarre shapes, and tens of thousands of creatures—fanged, scaled, or winged—are torn apart in an instant.
> [Ding! Plundered Trait: Massacre Insight (Blue)]
[Ding! Gained 3,600,000 XP]
Experience floods his mind like a torrent. He feels his sinews toughen, his arcane reserves swell. Thirty seconds later, the tempest subsides. The forest lies in ruin; only drifting embers and shredded foliage remain.
Adrian flexes his newly reinforced muscles, tasting the sweet tang of victory. "This realm makes for an exceptional training ground," he muses. "And thanks to 'Chosen Hero (Gold),' each victory feels smoother than before."
Spreading his wings again, he glides toward the glass‐mirror surface of Lake Serene—a fabled pool said to be protected by the Starfolk, the ancient elves. Even the chaotic gravity storm left the lake untouched, an island of stillness amid devastation.
Perched at the water's edge, Adrian studies the shimmering surface. He knows no elven tongue, and formal summoning rituals elude him. But courtesy has never been his strong suit.
He steadies himself on a stone outcropping and unleashes another tenfold chant:
"Boosted!" ×10
A golden aura surrounds him, so intense that the very air ripples. Then, cupped in his hands,an orb of condensed willpower.
"Genesis Sphere!"
The lake's surface quivers with concentric ripples. Stars appear to blink in the mist above. From that celestial shimmer, a column of sapphire light arches downward, coalescing into a figure:
– A Starfolk emissary, radiant in diaphanous cerulean robes, her translucent wings fanning starlight. Her eyes—pools of liquid moonlight—widen in alarm.
"You… child of man," she whispers, voice trembling with a mixture of awe and fear, "what do you intend with such destructive force?"
Adrian regards her calmly, the orb of energy balanced on his palms. "Simple," he replies, voice steady, "I require your people's gifts."
The elven envoy hesitates, silver tears glinting on her lashes. "You wield power that could obliterate my kin," she murmurs, stepping forward despite her fear. "Yet you ask not for war, but for boon. So speak: which gift does your heart desire?"
Her words flow like a melody, each choice a blessing:
Titan's Might (Blue): Unmatched strength in your arms, able to crush mountains.
Zephyr's Stride (Blue): Legs imbued with wind's gift, granting flight at will.
Echo's Ear (Blue): Hear whispers across leagues as if they were a breath away.
Verdant Sight (Blue): See ley lines, auras, and the true nature of all who stand before you.
She bows her head, awaiting his choice.
Adrian's gaze sweeps the battered forest, the silvery lake, the fragile envoy. A faint twinge of regret brushes his mind—for the devastation he wrought, for the trust these elves place in his word. Yet his resolve remains unshaken.
He lifts his eyes. "I want them all."
For a heartbeat, the Starfolk envoy stands motionless—her grace undone by disbelief. Then, with a soft sigh of surrender, she extends her hands.
"Then so shall it be…"
She presses a kiss to his brow. A pulse of emerald light surges into his body, weaving through muscle and bone.
> [Ding! Plundered Trait: Titan's Might (Blue)]
[Ding! Plundered Trait: Zephyr's Stride (Blue)]
[Ding! Plundered Trait: Echo's Ear (Blue)]
[Ding! Plundered Trait: Verdant Sight (Blue)]
Adrian Blake stands still as the forest's new guardian of power. His arms throb with newfound might; his feet feel the stir of wind currents; distant murmurs converge on his mind; ley currents glow beneath his gaze.
He looks down at the trembling envoy. "Thank you," he says—his voice gentler than before. "I will honor these gifts."
With that vow, he turns toward the path home, the forest bending to his every whim. The Starfolk spirit—silent now, yet hopeful—watches him leave, the echo of destiny ringing in the clearing.
Adrian Blake glides away on silver wings, four times the force in each beat, destiny's plunderer—and its unlikely savior.