Summon The Gods

Soren climbed down from the tree as the morning light filtered through the canopy. His muscles still ached from the previous day's training, but the soreness was manageable—nothing unbearable.

The vegetable he had eaten last night had been underwhelming. It had the texture of a softened carrot but retained its deep purple color. Still, it had given him some energy—not in the physical sense, but mentally. Just the act of eating had made him feel a little more stable, a little less like he was running on empty.

At least the river water was fresh and flowing. Even though he was in the Havens, the chances of it being safe to drink were high.

Today, he had two main objectives.

First, he wanted to manifest his essence into a tangible element—preferably water. If he could do that, he would always have a source of drinking water, which would significantly improve his chances of survival.

Second, he needed to train with the dagger—or, if possible, hunt for food.

If he could accomplish either, he would have a better gauge of whether he was actually ready to start moving. His fighting skills weren't abysmal, but he was far from a seasoned warrior. Caution was better than overconfidence.

For now, his makeshift 'camp' was the safest place he had. But eventually, he would have to leave it.

Soren sat down, grounding himself as he gathered his focus. He could feel essence coursing through his body, flowing like an unseen current beneath his skin. As he concentrated, his senses sharpened—the gentle rush of the river grew clearer, the wind threading through his hair became more distinct, and the rustling leaves above sounded almost deafening.

Everything around him was amplified.

Closing his eyes, he drew his essence toward his hands, contemplating how to shape it into something tangible.

Something out of nothing.

I need to manifest it.

Water… what does it feel like? How much does it weigh? How much should there be?

Raising his hands with open palms, he focused.

There was a response—an inkling of movement, a shift in the energy around him—but it wasn't enough. No matter how much he concentrated, the essence refused to take form.

After several attempts, exhaustion began creeping in. His body protested the repeated strain, the constant push and pull of energy draining him faster than expected.

That was his flaw. The flaw of 'Jack of All - Master of None.'

Others could mold their element efficiently, their essence adapting naturally to their mastery. Soren, on the other hand, had no such advantage. Every attempt he made came at a steeper price—his essence usage was inherently wasteful.

Even small efforts felt like forcing a rusted mechanism to move.

But then—something clicked.

What if I don't just form it? What if I release it?

With that thought, he gathered even more essence, envisioning it not as something stagnant, but something expelled, something propelled.

The moment the idea fully settled in his mind, it happened.

A small body of water materialized in his hands, suspended in midair. Soren barely had a moment to register his success before—

*Fwoosh.*

The water shot forward in an uncontrolled burst, streaming across the river like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Soren's eyes widened.

That wasn't what I expected.

For the first time in a long while, curiosity overtook exhaustion.

The experiment had drained more from him than he anticipated, but he wasn't done yet. He needed to understand why it had behaved that way.

Did the water shoot forward because I shaped it that way? Or would it have stayed in place if I hadn't given it direction?

Testing a new theory, Soren took a steady breath and envisioned the water not moving, but holding its shape. This time, he didn't just create—he molded.

Slowly, he formed a wall of water in front of him, a translucent barrier suspended in the air. It wavered slightly, its edges unstable, but it held.

For a few moments, at least.

His control faltered. His essence thinned. The water lost cohesion and collapsed, splashing uselessly onto the ground.

Soren exhaled sharply, falling onto his back, drained.

The amount of water had been small, yet the toll had been immense.

That was the cost of his mastery—no shortcuts, no efficiency, just raw expenditure.

Even if he succeeded, he would always burn through more essence than anyone else.

If he wanted to survive, he needed to find a way to work around it.

Soren lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. His limbs felt heavy, drained from the failed experiment, but his mind was still racing—analyzing, questioning, trying to piece together the inefficiency of his mastery.

Then— a sound.

A faint rustle.

Soren's breath hitched. His fingers twitched against the damp earth as he forced himself upright.

The rustling continued—soft at first, but steadily growing louder.

He turned toward the treeline, his muscles tensing. The sound wasn't the wind. It wasn't the leaves shifting naturally. It was movement.

Then, the forest changed.

The gentle hum of nature—the distant chirps of birds, the quiet murmur of the river— all of it faded.

The world went silent.

Soren swallowed. Something was near.

His instincts screamed at him to be ready. His body, still aching, protested as he shifted into a defensive stance, eyes locked on the underbrush.

The bushes trembled.

A shadow moved within them.

Soren's heartbeat pounded in his ears as, slowly, a figure emerged.

His grip tightened, essence flickering at his fingertips. He knew he wasn't strong enough yet, but hesitation wasn't an option.

He had one weapon.

Aeternis.

Annoying or not, it was the only thing he had.

His jaw clenched as he prepared to summon it. If this thing attacks, I—

The creature stepped into view.

The first monster he had seen in the Havens.

It had four legs, its frame lean and wiry, muscles taut beneath silver-like fur that gleamed unnaturally, almost metallic—like a coat of sharp needles. Its maw parted slightly, revealing two large canines curving downward—predatory, lethal.

Soren didn't need experience to recognize it.

A hunter. A predator.

And it was staring right at him.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from the creature's throat. It lowered itself, weight shifting to its hind legs.

A stance before a lunge.

It thinks I'm prey.

Soren exhaled sharply and summoned Aeternis before the sword could protest.

His mouth moved before Aeternis could interrupt.

"I will fight this. Do not do anything."

For once, the divine blade didn't speak.

It simply waited.

The monster's maw dripped with saliva, its canines bared in anticipation.

Then—it lunged.

No hesitation. No strategy.

Its movements were raw, unstructured and ruthless—a predator designed for nothing but killing.

Soren didn't flinch. His mind sharpened in the face of the oncoming beast, instincts taking over.

As the monster surged forward, he sidestepped—just enough to evade the direct charge.

At the same time, he thrust Aeternis toward its exposed flank, aiming to pierce between its ribs.

A clean, precise strike.

*CLANG!*

The impact jolted through his entire arm—not the sensation of cutting through flesh, but the jarring force of steel meeting steel.

The dagger ricocheted off with a sharp metallic screech, throwing his hand violently backward.

Soren's eyes widened.

The fur—it was actual metal.

Before he could fully recover, a blur of movement caught his eye—

The tail.

A sudden, vicious strike slammed into his side.

Pain exploded through his ribs as the force sent him flying.

His body hit the ground hard, skidding across the dirt before coming to a stop.

Soren gasped, gripping his side. If he were still a normal human, that blow would have shattered his ribs outright.

He grit his teeth, forcing air back into his lungs. He had made a mistake.

With no time to rest, the monster was already charging again.

Nothing existed in its mind but bloodlust.

Soren barely avoided its snapping jaws, rolling backward as the beast lunged past him.

It didn't stop.

Even as he tried to regain his footing, the monster whirled around, its razor-sharp claws slashing downward.

Soren barely got Aeternis up in time to block, but the force behind the strike pushed him back.

The beast was relentless, pressing forward. Too strong. Too fast.

Instead of resisting, Soren let the momentum carry through, guiding its weight to the side. The monster stumbled, momentarily off balance.

But before Soren could capitalize on the opening, the creature twisted mid-motion, flinging itself sideways.

Its full body slammed into him.

Pain exploded through Soren's arm as the metallic quills sank into his flesh.

A pained yell tore from his throat.

"Aaahh!"

His vision blurred for a split second as he hit the ground hard, his arm throbbing. Blood dripped from shallow punctures—not deep, but sharp enough to send stinging pain up his nerves.

As he gritted his teeth, about to groan, his lips moved against his will.

Aeternis' voice poured from his mouth, smooth and disdainful.

"Must you be so uncivilized…?"

Soren gritted his teeth, regaining control.

The monster's head loomed above him, maw wide open—about to snap down on his throat.

No time.

With a sharp inhale, Soren flipped his grip on Aeternis and thrust upward—

Straight into the roof of the monster's mouth.

Soren felt the blade sink deep, tearing through flesh and bone as the monster's body seized. A violent, gurgled shriek escaped its throat—then its glowing eyes dimmed, its muscles going slack as a final breath rattled from its maw. Its weight collapsed against Soren before he could shove it off.

Soren kicked it off before it could collapse onto him, rolling away as he sucked in a breath.

Then, softly—

"You have slain a Tier 1 Awakened, Ironfang. Your soul strengthens."

The voice faded.

Soren lay on the ground, chest rising and falling, Aeternis still clutched in his grip.

His free hand rested over his forehead, his heartbeat hammering in his ears.

Silence.

Then—Aeternis stirred.

"Oh? You actually managed to kill it?"

A slow pause.

"Quick, someone summon the gods. The heavens must know of this legendary moment. Shall I carve it into history?"

Soren exhaled sharply through his nose. Even victory wasn't enough to shut it up.