Niklaus

In a world powered by the cultivation of potent Spirit Souls, Ren is an outcast. Born with a chaotic, primordial power that renders him "Aether-deaf," he is seen as a worthless dud in a society that values strength above all else. His entry into the prestigious Eldorian Spirit Master Academy marks him as a target for scorn and ridicule from the powerful scions of noble houses.
But Ren’s seeming weakness hides a terrifying potential, a secret recognized by only one person: a mysterious and powerful GAMA Elder who takes the boy under his wing. Forced to live a double life, Ren endures public humiliation as the academy’s worst student while secretly undergoing a brutal and unorthodox training regimen. He learns to turn his weakness into a weapon, mastering a unique art of manipulating the physical world that defies the known laws of cultivation.
Using his sharp intellect and invisible arts, Ren achieves a series of impossible victories against opponents far stronger than himself. However, his success doesn't bring glory; it brings suspicion. Each baffling victory makes him a greater enigma, attracting the unwanted attention of not just his academy rivals, but also a powerful, shadowy organization that sees his unique existence as a dangerous anomaly that must be understood—or erased.
Now, Ren must navigate a treacherous world where every display of his true ability could lead to his destruction. He must unravel the secrets of his forgotten bloodline and master the raging storm within his soul, all while hiding his power from allies and enemies alike. For in a world where might is right, the greatest threat is the one that no one ever sees coming.

Disclaimer: Inspired by Douluo Dalu (Soul Land)

Aerthos: Soulforged

The Shattered Peninsula was a violent, angry land. The air itself was a chaotic storm of conflicting Aetheric currents, and the ground was a treacherous maze of razor-sharp red rock and deep, hidden chasms. For Ren, it felt like home.

"The beacon's resonance is strongest from that direction," Zephyrion's voice guided him, pointing his mind towards a towering, needle-like spire of rock several miles inland. "It is hidden deep within the rock. An old Raijin outpost, likely."

Ren moved with a new, predatory grace. In this wild land, power was the only law, and the Aether Apprentice realm was a mantle of authority.

As he approached the base of the spire, he felt other Aetheric signatures. A squad of five Spirit Masters, their power fluctuating between Rank 9 and Rank 10. They were powerful Initiates, likely a team from a minor Noble House, drawn here by the same Aetheric disturbance that had alerted Zephyrion.

He found them at the mouth of a narrow cave leading into the spire. They were trying, and failing, to bypass a crumbling stone door sealed with ancient, glowing Raijin runes.

Their leader, a young nobleman in flamboyant, sea-green robes with an arrogant sneer, turned as Ren approached. "And what have we here? A lone scavenger looking for scraps? Be gone. This territory is now under the claim of my House Barracuda."

Ren's eyes simply scanned the glowing runes on the door. He recognized the script from his studies in the archive. It was a simple Raijin resonance lock.

"That door will not open to brute force," Ren stated calmly, his gaze still on the door.

The nobleman laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. "Listen to the commoner, pretending he can read ancient runes! It seems this fool needs to be taught a lesson in respecting his betters. Kill him and throw his body to the Razor-Crabs."

The four other Spirit Masters, his household guard, moved to surround Ren, their weapons drawn, their Aether flaring with malicious intent.

"Finally," Zephyrion's voice was a low, satisfied hum. "No more schemes. No more hiding. Show these insects the meaning of divine right."

Ren didn't even look at the four who were surrounding him. His eyes remained fixed on the arrogant nobleman. He raised a single hand.

The air grew heavy. The scent of ozone became overpowering.

"What is this?" the nobleman stammered, his arrogant expression faltering as he felt a pressure so immense it made his own Spirit Soul tremble in fear.

Ren clenched his fist. He unleashed the raw, unrefined fury of the Second Tempering—a controlled, directed explosion of pure, chaotic lightning Aether.

A web of brilliant azure lightning erupted from Ren's body. It did not strike a single target. It simply expanded, a dome of pure, annihilating force. The four surrounding Spirit Masters shrieked as the lightning slammed into them. Their Aetheric shields, powerful for an Initiate, shattered like glass. Their bodies were thrown backward like broken dolls, crashing against the rocks, scorched and unconscious before they even hit the ground.

The entire exchange had lasted less than a second.

The nobleman stood frozen, his jaw slack, his face a mask of utter terror.

Ren lowered his hand and finally turned his gaze to the boy. "You were saying something about my betters?" he asked, his voice cold as the wind.

The young noble of House Barracuda dropped his weapon, fell to his knees, and began to beg for his life.

Ren ignored him. He walked to the ancient stone door and placed his palm on the glowing runes. He channeled a tiny, precise thread of his soul's Aether into the lock.

With a deep, grinding groan that echoed with the weight of millennia, the ancient Raijin door slid open, revealing a dark, silent passage leading into the heart of the mountain. Ren stepped inside without a backward glance, leaving the whimpering noble to his fate in the monster-infested wilds. Might was right, and his path lay forward.

Chapter 86: The Vultures of The Coast