The Dark Warlock's Game

Chapter 10: Forge of the Future

Vardy stepped onto the Sign, and the teleporting light him and everyone else. In a moment, they arrived in the dim interior of the Apex Realm temple, with its gray stone and tall gothic pillars.

"The Apex Realm. I never thought I'd be back here with you, master," said Ferah. She seemed happy at first, but then she squinted. "Something feels off about this place."

"What do you mean?" asked Vardy.

"The Apex Realm is supposed to be a safe space created by the twin gods Amara and Sindri. It should have a warmth to it from their powers. But I don't sense it. It feels...dead," said Ferah. "It's like this place is just a copy, lacking the real 'life' but still having its powers."

"I noticed that too," said Vardy. "My theory is that this isn't the real Apex Realm. It's just a replica, still holding its powers but lacking the true essence."

"Is that so?" Ferah looked around warily. "As long as you trust it, I will too."

"So far, it hasn't let me down," said Vardy. He leaped over the Wellspring of Life to the Forge where he found the System hammering away at nothing.

Ferah followed Vardy closely, raising her shield against the glitchy stick figure. "There's no point, Ferah. The Apex Realm is a no combat zone," said Vardy.

"Forgive me, master," said Ferah, lowering her shield but still eyeing the System suspiciously.

"I understand your caution," said Vardy. "This thing seems to be a fusion of Amara and Sindri, performing their functions in the Apex Realm. Can you sense anything unusual about it?"

Ferah stared at the System for a moment before shaking her head. "I sense no hostility. It feels unfinished, like raw energy."

"That's what I thought," said Vardy. "It only responds to certain commands. We have to rely on it for now."

"I trust your judgement," said Ferah. "Especially over my impulsiveness."

Vardy approached the System. "Here for a forging request."

"Ah, a forging, is it?" said the System. "I can do that any time! What'll it be, lad?"

"Soul forging," said Vardy, selecting the "Soul of Sly" from his inventory.

The orb floated to Vardy, and he absorbed it into his inventory. "This will do," said Vardy, equipping the mask. "Piece by piece, I'm ready for battle."

"Marvelous!" said Ferah, clapping her hands. "Onwards, then!"

Vardy and his growing entourage of undead traveled through the Vagrant forest. He knew the general direction of Haven, but without an Eye-Phone, he lacked a reliable map.

To make up for this, he had the Evil Eye float above the trees to guide them.

Every now and then, Ferah would sense danger with her "Defender's Vigil" passive. When this happened, Vardy would stand behind her shield while the Evileye scouted ahead with its permanent invisibility.

Although it couldn't pass through solid objects, it could maneuver through tight spaces and its omni-directional vision made spotting threats easy.

Mostly, Vardy encountered Essentrias, the most common Vagrant in the forest. These were easily defeated - Vardy alone could handle one with his physical stats.

In total, he defeated 5 Essentrias and gained 50 EXP.

After about an hour of traveling, they stumbled upon a pack of them, led by a larger Alpha with a red line of fur on its forehead.

The Evileye spotted them sleeping in a clearing by a stream, with a few keeping watch.

What do we do, master? Ferah asked telepathically. Should we just pass by?

I have a plan, Vardy replied, glancing at his skeletal allies, Luthor, and Tracy. Let's add an Alpha to our ranks.

Why not replace the zombies? Ferah queried. They're the weakest.

They stay with me, Vardy asserted. No more questions.

Understood, Ferah said. I'm sorry-

Don't be, Vardy interrupted. You're fine. Let's proceed.

Ferah charged in with her shield, drawing the attention of the Essentrias. She easily dispatched them, displaying her combat prowess.

The Alpha, blinded by the Skeleton Rogue, charged at Ferah, but she stood her ground, deflecting its attack with her shield.

As the other Essentrias swarmed her, Ferah unleashed her "Bloody Strike", incapacitating them.

Only the Alpha remained standing, but Ferah quickly disposed of it by impaling it on a tree with her shield.

Turning to Vardy, she removed her helmet, revealing a wide smile. Despite her exhilaration, she remained sane.

"A job well done, Ferah," Vardy praised. He paused, offering her a nod, hoping it would suffice to lift her spirits. He wasn't accustomed to giving praise, given his solitary upbringing.

The only commendations he'd ever received had come from his parents, who had spoken from a place of genuine warmth in their hearts. It had been many years since Vardy had felt that same warmth within himself.

"Thank you, master!" Ferah replied with a bow. "Mhm. Mhm." She nodded to herself, accepting Vardy's acknowledgment, no matter how awkward or minimal it seemed.

As Ferah absorbed Vardy's praise, he focused on the experience gained from the battle.

"Alpha Essentria slain!"

"+70 EXP"

"Essentria x10 slain!"

"+100 EXP"

"EXP Bar: 75/250 " 245/250"

Vardy sighed, frustrated to be just five points shy of reaching level 7. He disliked falling short of leveling up after a battle, but dwelling on it wouldn't help.

"Now, to resurrect this Alpha," Vardy stated, stepping toward the corpse impaled on a tree trunk by Ferah's shield. He tugged at it but found it too heavy for him to move alone. "Ferah, could you lend a hand with this shield?"

"Of course!" Ferah rushed over and easily dislodged the shield, highlighting the contrast between a warrior like herself and a mage like Vardy.

The Alpha Essentria's corpse fell to the ground, and Vardy, wary of any remaining threat, instructed his skeletons to stand guard over it.

Vardy explained to Ferah about the potential powers the Alpha might still possess, cautioning her to remain vigilant.

His concerns were alleviated when he saw a floating, green-outlined grave above the Alpha Essentria's body.

To resurrect the Alpha, Vardy needed to make space in his unit control, which was already maxed out at 8/8.

"Perfect," Vardy remarked, dismissing one of his Essentrias. "Rest now."

The Essentria licked Vardy's hand before disintegrating into nothingness.

"Now," Vardy said, kneeling beside the Alpha Essentria's corpse. He retrieved the curved daggers from its eyes and tossed them to the Skeleton Rogue. "Catch, Rogue. You'll need these."

With the daggers retrieved, Vardy activated his "Nega Force Rank 1", enveloping himself and his undead allies in a healing aura.

"Ahhh," Ferah sighed contentedly as she breathed in the negative energy. "The scent of negative energy!"

"It's still low-ranked," Vardy explained. "But I'm working on improving it. I'm curious to see how Altanas and Vagrants will react to it at higher levels."

"At least you won't have to deal with weaklings like these much longer," Ferah remarked disdainfully, eyeing the Essentria corpses.

Vardy contemplated the consequences of his power, acknowledging that it could inadvertently harm innocents.

But if necessary, he was willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. He had lost his reverence for life after his parents' deaths and now saw lives as mere game pieces.

"This is a discussion for another time," Vardy decided, focusing on resurrecting the Alpha Essentria.

"Serve," he commanded, channeling mana into the creature.

"-5 Mana"

"Mana: 93/93" 88/93"

Bright green tendrils flowed into the Alpha Essentria, causing it to shudder before rising to its feet.

"Alpha Essentria Lvl 7 reanimated"

"Units controlled: 7/8 " 8/8"

Vardy observed the reanimated Alpha Essentria, noting that he couldn't access detailed stats for reanimated Vagrants. He relied on his intuition to gauge their strength and abilities.

Based on his assessment, the Alpha Essentria was solidly D-rank, possessing multiple powers like muscle enhancement and shockwave generation.

"Now, Ferah," Vardy instructed, noticing her envy toward the Alpha Essentria. "You can drain the remaining corpses."

Ferah complied, using her "Crimson Furnace" ability to strengthen herself with their blood.

"Let's continue," Vardy suggested, but he paused as the Evil Eye signaled danger.

He linked his sight with the Evil Eye and saw something that made his heart skip a beat.