Ethan's pulse thundered as Zane, the Blood Forger, stepped closer, his red cloak billowing in the humid jungle air. The blood-red gauntlet on his right hand pulsed with a sickly glow, its surface etched with runes that seemed to writhe like veins. His smirk was a predator's, all teeth and menace, and his voice carried the weight of someone who'd already won. "Eclipse Forger," he said again, savoring the words. "You're a long way from home."
Ethan gripped the Pulse Lance, its violet tip flickering from the Behemoth fight. His essence was at 26/100—barely enough for a desperate play—and his artifacts (Voidfang Dagger, Blast Gauntlet, and the lance) felt like pebbles against a tank. The system's interface hovered, its warning stark.
[Blood Forger Zane detected. Threat Level: Extreme. Recommendation: Retreat.]
"Retreat where?" Ethan muttered, glancing at the Crystal Jungle's dense canopy. Behind him, Lira raised her crossbow, her scar taut with tension. Kael and the scavengers formed a ragged line, spears and rifle ready, but their faces screamed we're screwed. The Verdant Covenant's robed figures watched from the Rift Spire's base, their glowing staves still, as if weighing whether to intervene.
"Zane," Lira spat, her voice low. "Dominion's lapdog. What's he want with you?"
"No clue," Ethan whispered, eyes locked on Zane. "But I'm guessing it's not a friendly chat."
Zane's smirk widened, his gauntlet flaring. "The Iron Dominion pays well for rogue forgers. An Eclipse Forger, though? You're a prize. Surrender, and I might let your friends live."
Ethan's programmer brain kicked into overdrive, analyzing options. Fighting was suicide—Zane's aura screamed power, and that gauntlet wasn't decorative. Running meant abandoning the Rift Spire, their only shot at safety. The Covenant might help, but their neutrality felt like a trap. His Essence Sense pinged, faint but promising, from a cluster of crystal vines nearby—shards, maybe 10 essence. Enough for a Crystalweave Net or Disruptor Bolt, if he could reach them.
"Pass," Ethan said, stalling. "I'm not big on leashes. How about you crawl back to your bosses and tell them I'm not interested?"
Zane chuckled, a sound like breaking glass. "Bold. Stupid, but bold." His gauntlet pulsed, and a crimson whip coalesced, its tip dripping with liquid red. "Last chance."
Lira fired, her essence-tipped bolt streaking toward Zane's chest. He flicked his whip, and the bolt dissolved in a spray of blood, the air hissing. Ethan's stomach dropped. That's his system. Blood crafting. The system confirmed it, a new prompt flashing.
[Blood Forge System detected. Specialty: Life essence manipulation. Artifacts: Crimson Lash (Tier 2). Threat assessment: Lethal.]
"Move!" Kael roared, his rifle barking. Bullets pinged off Zane's cloak, which shimmered like liquid metal. The scavengers hurled spears, but Zane's whip lashed out, slicing them to splinters. Ethan dove for the vines, Essence Sense guiding him to a glowing shard buried in the soil.
[Essence gained: +8. Current Essence: 34/100]
"Not enough," Ethan hissed, spotting another shard ten feet away. Zane's whip cracked, grazing Lira's arm. She cursed, rolling behind a tree, blood welling. Kael's mechanical arm whirred, deflecting a lash, but the force sent him sprawling. The Covenant watchers didn't budge, their staves glowing brighter, like they were charging something.
Ethan scrambled for the second shard, dodging a whip strike that carved a trench in the ground. His fingers closed around it, chaos energy tingling.
[Essence gained: +7. Current Essence: 41/100]
The Crystalweave Net blueprint glowed in his menu—40 essence, a chance to slow Zane. Ethan poured his essence into it, the shard dissolving as a shimmering mesh formed, compacting into a throwable sphere. His essence dropped to 1, and he hurled the net, shouting, "Lira, catch!"
She snatched it mid-roll, firing it from her crossbow. The net unfurled, wrapping Zane's legs, and he stumbled, snarling. The whip flickered, but the net held—for now. Ethan sprinted to Lira, helping her up. "We need the spire. Now."
"Covenant's not moving," she panted, clutching her arm. "They're waiting for something."
"Then we make them move," Ethan said, mind racing. The system pinged, a new blueprint flickering—Voidflare Trap, 35 essence, "Blinds and disorients for 15 seconds." If he could scrounge more essence, it might buy time to reach the Covenant.
Zane roared, the net fraying as his gauntlet pulsed. Blood seeped from the ground, forming spikes that shattered the mesh. "You think you can stall me?" he snarled, raising his whip. "I'll bleed you dry!"
Kael fired again, his bullets forcing Zane to dodge. Ethan's Essence Sense screamed—another shard, 20 meters behind a crystal tree. He ran, the jungle shaking as Zane's whip lashed out, splintering bark. Ethan dove, grabbing the shard.
[Essence gained: +10. Current Essence: 11/100]
"Twenty-four short," Ethan cursed, scanning for more. A faint glow pulsed in the tree's roots—another shard, bigger. He pried it free, pain flaring in his shoulder from the viper cut. The system chimed, but a new warning flashed.
[Corruption: +3%. Warning: Sustained essence exposure increasing corruption rate.]
The itch in his mind sharpened, a whisper of something dark, but Ethan shoved it down. No time for system glitches. He grabbed the shard, essence surging.
[Essence gained: +15. Current Essence: 26/100]
Zane's whip struck, grazing Ethan's back. Pain seared, and he stumbled, blood soaking his shirt. The system didn't flag corruption, but the wound burned like acid. Lira fired, her bolt hitting Zane's shoulder, and he grunted, whip faltering. Kael and the scavengers pressed forward, spears jabbing, buying seconds.
Ethan sprinted to another tree, Essence Sense pinpointing a final shard. He dug it out, essence climbing.
[Essence gained: +12. Current Essence: 38/100]
"Got it," Ethan thought, crafting the Voidflare Trap. His essence drained to 3, and a small, glowing disc formed, its surface crackling with chaos. He lobbed it at Zane, shouting, "Eyes!"
The trap detonated, a blinding violet flash engulfing the clearing. Zane roared, clutching his face, his whip flailing blindly. Lira grabbed Ethan, dragging him toward the Rift Spire. "Go, go, go!"
The Covenant finally moved, their staves flaring as a barrier of green light snapped up, blocking Zane's path. A robed woman with silver hair stepped forward, her voice calm but commanding. "Enough. This is Covenant ground. Stand down, Blood Forger."
Zane's eyes cleared, his smirk returning despite the blood dripping from his shoulder. "You'll regret sheltering him, Sylvara. The Dominion doesn't forget."
"Nor do we," Sylvara said, her staff glowing brighter. "Leave, or we'll show you why."
Zane hesitated, then retreated, his cloak vanishing into the jungle. Ethan's chest heaved, the system chiming.
[Combat resolved. Essence gained: +20 (hostile forger repelled). Current Essence: 23/100]
Lira slumped against a tree, clutching her arm. Kael helped the scavengers, one nursing a whip gash. Ethan leaned on the Pulse Lance, pain throbbing in his back. The Covenant's barrier faded, and Sylvara approached, her eyes locking onto Ethan.
"You're the Eclipse Forger," she said, not a question. "Your system's dangerous. Why should we trust you?"
Ethan forced a grin, despite the pain. "Because I just saved my crew from that psycho. And I'm not a fan of the Dominion either."
Sylvara's lips twitched, almost a smile. "Bold. We'll see if you're useful. Follow us."
The Covenant led them into the Rift Spire, a towering structure of crystal and vines, its interior lit by floating orbs. Ethan's Essence Sense buzzed—essence everywhere, embedded in the walls, the floor, even the air. The system updated.
[Objective updated: Gain the Verdant Covenant's trust. Craft a Tier 2 artifact to prove your worth.]
"Tier 2?" Ethan muttered, checking the menu. Tier 2 blueprints—Starweave Cloak, Voidshard Bow—required 100 essence and a skill upgrade. His Void Forge was still Tier 1, and his essence was a measly 23. The Covenant's essence-rich spire was a goldmine, but Sylvara's watchful gaze told him he'd need to earn it.
Lira nudged him, her arm bandaged by a scavenger. "You okay, newbie? That was ballsy, taking on Zane."
"Stupid, you mean," Ethan said, wincing as he touched his back. "What's his deal?"
"Zane's a hunter," Lira said. "Blood Forge lets him craft from life essence—blood, flesh, you name it. He's loyal to the Dominion, tracks rogues for sport. You're on his list now."
"Fantastic," Ethan said, sarcasm dripping. "Any chance the Covenant's got a 'Hide from Psychos' package?"
Kael overheard, grunting. "Covenant's no charity. They'll want your system. Prove you're worth keeping, or they'll sell you out."
Sylvara led them to a chamber with a central altar, its surface etched with runes. Essence shards glowed in alcoves, and Ethan's fingers itched to grab them. "This is the Forge Sanctum," Sylvara said. "Craft something worthy, Eclipse Forger, and we'll consider you an ally."
Ethan's menu flashed, a new skill upgrade available.
[Skill Upgrade Available: Void Forge – Tier 2. Unlocks advanced crafting. Cost: 50 essence. Accept? Y/N]
He needed 27 more essence, and the altar pulsed with it. Sylvara's eyes narrowed, as if reading his thoughts. "The sanctum's essence is ours. Take it, and you're a thief."
Ethan swallowed, the corruption itch flaring. The system's silence on corruption was maddening, but Zane's threat loomed larger. He needed Tier 2 to survive, and the Covenant's test was his shot. His Essence Sense scanned the chamber—shards in the alcoves, enough for the upgrade and a Tier 2 artifact. But stealing meant burning bridges.
Before he could decide, the spire shook, a deep rumble echoing. Sylvara's staff flared, and a Covenant scout burst in, breathless. "Voidborn breach! Riftstalker at the perimeter!"
Ethan's blood ran cold, the memory of the Ashen Wastes' Riftstalker flashing. The system pinged.
[Voidborn Riftstalker detected. Threat Level: Extreme. Objective: Defend the Rift Spire.]
Lira loaded her crossbow, Kael raised his rifle, and the scavengers gripped their spears. Sylvara turned to Ethan, her voice sharp. "Prove your worth now, forger, or we all die."
As roars echoed closer, Ethan's Essence Sense caught a new presence—human, blood-red, lurking outside the spire. Zane was back, and he wasn't alone.