System Activated: Rise of Liam Mercer

Chapter 6: Secrets of the Divine Houses

The city was quieter now, the storm having passed, leaving the streets glistening under scattered streetlights. 

Liam Mercer followed the cloaked mentor through narrow alleyways and hidden passageways of London, every step silent, purposeful. 

The docks behind him were abandoned, the echo of last night’s battle fading into memory. “Where are we going?” Liam asked, voice low, still carrying the rough edge of adrenaline.

“To a place few have ever seen,” the mentor replied, hooded face unreadable. “A place where the Divine Houses maintain their secrets. Where power is cataloged, measured, and distributed.”

Liam frowned. “You mean, like a library?”

The mentor shook their head. “More than that. It is a vault. A nexus of knowledge and power. Core Fragments, elemental hierarchies, forbidden rituals, all here. But the Houses guard it jealously. Few who enter leave unchanged.”

“Great,” Liam thought. “Just what I need, more rules, more traps, more people trying to kill me.”

The mentor led him to a hidden staircase, descending into the bowels of an abandoned warehouse. 

Water dripped from the ceiling, echoing off concrete walls. The air was damp, heavy, and faintly charged, as if the space itself anticipated their arrival.

“Before we begin,” the mentor said, “you must understand this: power is not given freely. It is taken, earned, or inherited. Each Core Fragment you possess is a piece of that hierarchy. And each fragment brings responsibility, and danger.”

Liam’s fists clenched. “Responsibility?”

“Yes,” the mentor said, voice soft but sharp. “Every time you use your power, the Houses observe. Every victory, every failure, every strike you make, cataloged. The higher you climb, the more attention you attract. Ignore this, and your rise will be short-lived.”

Liam exhaled, frustration mixing with curiosity. “So, if I want to survive, I have to play by their rules?”

“Not exactly,” the mentor said, stepping aside. A faint shimmer filled the walls as a hidden door slid open, revealing a chamber bathed in cold blue light. 

Shelves, pedestals, and floating sigils hung in midair, each glowing faintly, like stars captured in the shadows. Liam’s eyes widened. “This is insane.”

The mentor nodded. “Every fragment here is cataloged. Every Bearer is recorded. And every House has its own domain, its own specialization. 

Fire, water, wind, earth, even rarer elements, bound to specific Bearers. You are one of the few who can interface with multiple elements, but only if you grow strong enough.”

Liam took a cautious step forward, examining a pedestal where a fragment pulsed faintly, suspended in a sphere of energy. The System hummed in his mind.

[Core Fragment Detected Nearby: Elemental Affinity Unknown.]

[Recommended Synchronization: High Priority.]

“Can I touch it?” he asked.

The mentor’s hooded gaze was firm. “Not yet. Core Fragments respond to intent and mastery. You must understand your current power before you can synchronize with the next tier. Otherwise, you risk corruption, or worse.”

“Corruption?” Liam repeated, feeling a shiver.

“Unchecked power can consume the Bearer. The Houses have seen many rise and fall in moments. Those who fail lose more than life, they lose themselves.”

Liam’s jaw tightened. “I’m not failing.”

The mentor’s voice softened, almost a whisper. “Perhaps. But you must also understand that vengeance, rage, and pride are double-edged. They fuel power, but they also blind the Bearer to strategy, patience, and foresight. You will need all three to survive what comes next.”

Liam took a deep breath, letting the weight of the chamber settle over him. The air vibrated faintly, pulsing with the energy of hundreds of fragments cataloged over centuries. 

He felt the hum of his Tier Three Wind Mastery, and beneath it, the pull of fragments he hadn’t yet unlocked. “So, what’s first?” he asked, voice steady despite the rising tension.

The mentor gestured to a floating holographic map of London, overlaid with faint sigils marking locations. “You will begin by understanding the Houses themselves. Their territories, their hierarchy, and their influence. Knowledge is the first weapon, and tonight, you will see it in practice.”

Suddenly, the room shifted. Lights dimmed. A faint vibration thrummed through the floor. Liam’s pulse spiked.

“Watch carefully,” the mentor said. “This is your first trial, not a fight of fists, but a test of perception. The Houses are watching, and they will strike when least expected.”

Liam’s eyes narrowed, wind coiling faintly around his arms. Good. Let them come. I’m ready.

From the shadows of the chamber, a ripple of energy spread across the floor, and the first sigil activated, projecting a holographic Acolyte in combat stance. 

Liam took a defensive posture, feeling the thrill of anticipation. The mentor’s voice was calm, precise: “Learn their patterns, exploit weaknesses, and synchronize your abilities. Only then can you claim what is yours.”

The air hummed louder, the system thrumming in his veins. London, the Divine Houses, and the underworld itself were opening before him.

And for the first time, Liam Mercer felt the full weight, and the full promise, of his destiny.

The holographic Acolyte before him shifted, its form flickering with crimson and gold sigils, moving as though alive. 

Liam Mercer tightened his fists, wind curling like serpents around his arms. “Show me everything,” he muttered, voice low but fierce. “I’ve learned enough to beat this.”

The mentor nodded, hands folded beneath the cloak. “Remember: this is not just about strength. Observation, timing, and precision, every action counts.”

Liam exhaled sharply, summoning a spiral of wind that danced across the floor, slicing at the projected figure. 

The Acolyte blocked with an arc of energy, sparks scattering across the chamber. He twisted, using Gale Step to leap over an incoming strike.

Landing lightly beside a pedestal holding another Core Fragment. “Focus,” he thought. “I need control, not just power.”

He extended a hand toward the fragment. A faint hum answered, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The System whispered in his mind:

[Core Fragment Synchronization Possible. Elemental Affinity: Unknown. Risk: Moderate.]

Liam clenched his teeth. “I’m ready.”

The fragment responded instantly, energy coursing through his veins. His vision blurred, then sharpened.

Revealing subtle currents of wind, traces of elemental influence, and the faint aura of other Bearers scattered across London.

The holographic Acolyte lunged again. Liam reacted without thought, letting the wind guide his movements. 

He spun, striking with an air blade that collided with the figure’s defense, then launched himself upward, summoning a vertical cyclone that lifted the projection into the chamber ceiling.

“Impressive,” the mentor murmured. “You are beginning to understand synchronization. But now, test multiple fragments simultaneously.”

Liam’s eyes narrowed. He reached for two more nearby fragments, letting them hover near his palms. 

Energy pulsed, harmonizing with the wind around him. The System chimed, [Tier Three: Elemental Synchronization Ready.]

“Fine,” Liam muttered. “Let’s see what happens when I push this further.”

He released the energy from the fragments, merging them with his wind mastery. The air around him exploded into a violent spiral, debris lifted, holographic Acolytes flung in every direction. 

Sparks of unknown energy coalesced, forming jagged arcs that ripped through the chamber like lightning. The mentor’s hooded gaze remained steady. “Good. But now, face the real threat.”

From the far end of the chamber, the air shimmered violently. A dark form emerged, larger, denser, radiating malice. Its eyes glowed faint red. 

Unlike the projections, this entity moved independently, testing Liam’s new synchronization in real time.

“A fragment guardian,” Liam muttered. He could feel its energy resisting his control, bending his wind, challenging every motion.

The figure lunged. Liam dodged, the wind guiding him with preternatural precision. He countered with an Air Strike, forcing the entity backward. 

It recovered instantly, tendrils of dark energy curling around him, slicing through the air with lethal intent. “This is no hologram,” Liam realized, pulse spiking. “This is a real test.”

He pushed harder, letting the energy from the Core Fragments flow through him. Cyclones erupted around the figure, debris and water spinning violently, a controlled storm. 

Each strike forced the guardian to retreat, but every counter from it was faster, smarter, and deadlier.

“You are strong,” the mentor’s voice echoed, “but remember, strength without foresight is meaningless. Observe, adapt, exploit weakness.”

Liam’s teeth clenched. He focused, letting the fragments’ energy synchronize fully with his Tier Three Wind Mastery. 

The guardian lunged again, this time, he anticipated every movement. Cyclones spun around it, air blades striking in perfect rhythm, finally forcing it to stumble and retreat.

The chamber trembled, energy arcs dancing across the walls. Liam fell to one knee, gasping, drenched in sweat and the hum of raw power. The System pulsed urgently:

[Elemental Synchronization Complete.]

[Core Fragments Detected: 5/10.]

[Combat Efficiency::Maximized.]

He looked at the fragments hovering before him. Half of the known pieces were already within his grasp, and the System promised more if he continued to ascend.

The mentor approached, voice calm but firm. “You have passed the first trial. But the Houses will not remain passive. They will observe, interfere, and challenge. Every fragment you claim will make them aware, and they do not forgive those who rise too quickly.”

Liam straightened, wind swirling around him, energy coiling like a living entity. “Then let them come. I’ll make them regret ever underestimating me.”

A rumble shook the chamber. Shadows flickered at the edges of the room. From the darkness, a tall figure, far larger and more menacing than any Acolyte, stepped forward, eyes glowing like embers.

The mentor’s voice softened into a whisper: “This is only the beginning, Mercer. The Houses are aware of you now. And the underworld waits.”

Liam’s grin was sharp, predatory. “Good. I’ve been waiting for this.”

The wind coiled tighter around him, surging in response to his intent. The chamber pulsed with raw energy, and London itself seemed to tremble.

“Let the games begin,” Liam thought, eyes glowing bright as he stepped toward the unknown, ready to claim the underworld as his own.