Dain Soul Construct

Dain walked through the bustling streets, his steps heavy, his mind clouded. Towering skyscrapers stretched toward the sky, their glass exteriors reflecting the neon glow of the city. 

People moved past him in a blur—merchants shouting, Etherglides humming overhead, and Soul Warriors flaunting their abilities.

Fayburgh City. The place where dreams were either made or crushed.

"What should I do now?" he muttered aloud, feeling lost.

They had come to Fayburgh City for a better life, yet while his so-called childhood friends basked in newfound fame, he was stranded in a city where he knew no one.

"I need to find a place to stay," he mumbled.

To his shock, a single room in an ordinary inn cost 10 soul coins—an amount that could sustain him for a year back in his town.

Finally, he found a room in a run-down inn near the slums for 1 soul coin. Exhausted after hours of wandering, he collapsed onto the worn-out bed and drifted into deep sleep.

The Next Morning.

Dain woke up feeling refreshed and ready to execute the plan he had come up with the previous night.

"Since no organization will recruit me, my only option is the Adventurer Organization."

He stepped out of the inn and bought a steaming hot bun from a roadside vendor, which cost him 50 shards.

Watching the Etherglides zip past at extreme speeds, he sighed once again at how poor he was. Still, he decided to book a ride.

Taking out his old communication device, he ordered the cheapest Etherglide, which cost 2 soul coins.

A minute later, the vehicle arrived, floating a few inches above the ground.

Quickly, he got in and instructed the middle-aged driver, "Take me to the Adventurer Organization."

"Ah! You must be a newly awakened Soul Warrior," the driver remarked as he expertly maneuvered the Etherglide through the busy streets.

"Yes," Dain nodded, his gaze fixed on the fast-moving scenery outside.

The man chuckled. "What a time to be young. Kid, don't be like me—prepare carefully for your first dive. Forget about the rank of your Soul Construct. Only if you survive your first dive will those things matter."

Dain didn't respond but listened carefully to the man's rambling. He didn't mind; the driver was quite the talker.

Truly, he had heard many stories of children with powerful Soul Constructs perishing during their first dive into a Dimensional Rift.

Their world was anything but peaceful, with rifts and Dimensional Collapses occurring frequently. 

Rifts could still be conquered, but a Dimensional Collapse was the true nightmare.

Around Fayburgh City, several rifts remained open, posing a significant risk to the city's security.

From the age of fourteen, every citizen who awakened a Soul Construct was required to complete at least one major dive.

"We've arrived," the driver announced.

"Thank you," Dain said before jumping out of the Etherglide.

Before him stood a tall building with a plaque that read: Adventurer Organization. 

He saw many young people like himself entering the building.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

The lobby was packed with young awakeners, all queued up, waiting for their turn. 

Among them were those who had awakened inferior Soul Constructs and had not been selected by any prestigious organization.

After waiting for thirty minutes, it was finally his turn.

A middle-aged woman behind the counter looked up. "Kid, how may I help you?"

"I'd like to become an adventurer and rent a mana room," Dain said slowly.

"That will cost you 5 soul coins."

After receiving the payment, the woman handed him a form to fill out. Once completed, she issued him a badge and led him to the second floor.

There, multiple mana rooms were available—designed for young awakeners to summon their Soul Constructs for the first time.

Seated inside one of the mana rooms, Dain could feel the pure mana in the air, far richer than outside. 

Taking a deep breath, he began practicing the General Soul Strengthening Technique, a method distributed by the Soul Construct Authority.

For three hours, he was immersed in cultivation, attempting to summon his Soul Construct—but failed. Instead of materializing his Soul Construct, he noticed that his soul was growing stronger by the minute.

"Is my talent that bad?" he muttered, doubt creeping into his mind.

"I only have one hour left." His heart pounded heavily. If he failed to summon his Soul Construct within the four-hour time limit, he would have to pay additional fees.

A broke kid like him, where would he get more money?

Shaking off the anxiety, he focused all his energy on cultivation.

Just a few minutes before the four-hour mark, his body trembled. He suddenly sensed an additional space within his mind.

There, seated in his Soul Space, was a black armor.

Whoosh!

The Black Armor vanished from his Soul Space and materialized outside, encasing his body from head to toe.

[Class: Unique Construct]

[Rank: Inferior (+)]

[Unique Abilities: Study. Analyze. Reprogram.]

[Study] – Allows you to observe an object, technique, or phenomenon at an accelerated rate.

➤ Enhances learning speed for skills, formations, and artifacts.

➤ Grants detailed insights into structures and energy flows.

➤ Can be used on living beings to understand their abilities.

[Analyze] – Breaks down complex structures or systems, revealing their inner workings.

➤ Dissects and interprets formations, artifacts, and techniques.

➤ Detects hidden flaws, weaknesses, and inefficiencies in weapons, artifacts, and skills or techniques.

➤ Predicts enemy moves based on combat patterns and energy fluctuations.

[Reprogram] – Allows you to alter, enhance, or modify the properties of an artifact, formation, skill, or technique.

➤ Refines and customizes techniques or artifacts for personal use.

➤ Alters formations and enchantments, improving their efficiency or repurposing them.

➤ Can disrupt enemy formations or weapons, causing malfunctions or reversals.

For a moment, Dain was speechless, unable to believe the information flooding his mind from his Soul Construct.

"How could this be…?" His heart pounded in both shock and excitement.

"Three unique abilities?"

For a newly awakened Soul Construct, one general ability was the norm—so why did he have three?

Knock! Knock!

Just as he was about to study his Soul Construct further, a knock at the door interrupted him.

Quickly, he retracted his Soul Construct into his Soul Space and left the mana room.

Outside, he saw many other awakeners emerging from their rooms, smiling with excitement.

"I can't wait to test my Soul Construct's power!"

"Same here!"

"I heard the Adventurer Organization has a training ground."

"Let's go train before we sign up for our first dive!"

Eager to test his Soul Construct, Dain followed the crowd.

Upon arriving, he saw dozens of young awakeners practicing with their Soul Constructs. Many were refining their general boxing and blade skills.

Dain knew both skills but wasn't in a hurry to train. Instead, he observed the various Soul Constructs—each unique in color and appearance.

"Aren't you going to train?" a boy beside him asked while swinging his sword. "We only have today, you know."

"I know," Dain responded before walking to a secluded corner.

Summoning his Soul Construct, the Black Armor once again enveloped him.

"Huh!" He took a deep breath, adjusting to the feeling, before beginning his training.

Dain clenched his fists, the armor adjusting like a second skin and he threw a punch.

Whoosh!

[Studying…]

A message appeared in his mind, but he didn't stop throwing his punches. After completing a basic punch sequence, another notification popped up.

[Analyzing…]

[Detected 15 weaknesses in your punching technique.]

[Reprogramming…]

[Errors corrected. The technique has been optimized for your body type.]

Instantly, a new and improved version of the technique surfaced in his mind.

It felt like the move had been tailored specifically for him.

A slow grin formed on Dain's lips.

His Soul Construct might be ranked "Inferior," but he was beginning to realize...

It was anything but ordinary.