Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 214: Forged in Blood and Iron

As blood pooled around Greg’s feet, he felt an immense pressure weighing down on him, heavy and unyielding like a mountain.

Yet he didn’t even flinch when the voice whispered into his ear

"As a reward for passing this Trial in a way I did not expect, I shall grant you more than what I promised."

Greg scowled and retorted

"You didn’t promise me shit! You just told me to fight and to kill or die!"

There was a brief silence, causing Greg to realize that he may have fucked up. Just why did he have to swear at the omnipresent voice?

’Shit! Did I go too far? I got too heated and my bad habit came out...Coach always said my temper was going to be the death of me...’

Then all of a sudden, the voice began to laugh...hard. It was a booming echo of a laugh that hurt Greg’s ears but it was filled with unexpected joy and amusement.

"Hahahahhaha! You. Brat. I like you!"

The tone of the voice had shifted, no longer was it curt and disinterested like a grumpy old man who was being forced to do something, instead it was that of an old senior who had taken a shine to a young man who reminded him of himself when he was younger.

"Uhh..Thank you?"

Greg was confused as he looked around, unable to keep up with the sudden change in the man’s attitude.

"You’re welcome! Now let us speak of rewards! Actually it would be better if we spoke face to face!"

"Alright. That would be great! I will admit that I am not a fan of talking to a disembodied voice."

Greg admitted with a sheepish smile on his face. However he froze when he heard the voice’s next words.

"In that case, look up."

Greg hesitated, the blood beneath him now cool against his bare feet. Slowly, cautiously, he tilted his head back.

What he saw made his breath catch.

Far above the arena, higher than any ceiling should have been, two enormous eyes stared back at him. They glowed faintly with a molten light, the deep orange of smoldering metal fresh from the forge. Each iris was the size of a man, and they didn’t blink. They didn’t need to.

The space above was not sky or roof but something else entirely. It was the silhouette of some massive humanoid creature. If not for the orange eyes, Greg might have mistaken it for a shadow cast by some really freakish light.

"You see me now,"

the voice rumbled again, but this time it was not just sound. It carried a strong vibration. It rattled Greg’s bones, reverberated in his skull, and sank into the iron of the cage itself.

Greg swallowed hard. He didn’t try to hide the awe in his face. Or the unease.

"You’re... big," Greg muttered.

The laughter returned, softer this time but still powerful. Like boulders grinding together under a waterfall.

"Bigger than most things you’ll ever meet. But not beyond you. Not forever."

Greg wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or a warning.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice smaller than he liked.

"I am a God of a People who have ceased to be. Hence I am a Forgotten God. I was content to slowly fade away but with your arrival, I now have hope. Hope that my old name may flourish...You may call me Vulkar"

Greg’s gaze remained locked on those molten eyes high above. The shadow of Vulkar stretched across the arena, dark and heavy like a storm about to break. The immense presence filled the space, silent except for the god’s voice that vibrated in the very air around him.

Greg felt a strange mix of fear and resolve swelling inside him. This was no ordinary opponent. This was a being of legend, a living monument of metal and endurance.

"I don’t know if I’m worthy," Greg said, voice steady despite the enormity before him.

"I am just a man who likes to fight. I don’t have any lofty goals or the like that would help you."

He was steadfast in his honesty

Vulkar’s gaze seemed to bore into Greg, the molten glow flickering like a forge’s flame in the depths of those giant eyes.

"Worthy," the giant rumbled, "is not given to those who seek glory or power for its own sake. Worthiness comes from persistence, from enduring when all else fails. You fought because you had no choice, because it was you or death. That is the heart of a Titan."

Greg swallowed hard. The weight of those words settled on him, heavier than the shadow cast by Vulkar’s immense form. He looked down at the blood now drying beneath his feet, then back up to those eyes that held the patience of ages.

"You don’t need lofty goals," Vulkar continued, "but you need to accept what comes next. The legacy of the Titans is not just strength or size. It is endurance, resilience, and the unbreakable will to rise again. Are you ready to carry that burden?"

Greg’s fists clenched. His voice was steady, but inside a fire was kindling. "I’m ready."

A deep, reverberating hum filled the air, shaking the cage and the ground beneath him. Vulkar’s shadow stretched and twisted, tendrils of darkness flickering like molten metal flowing in slow, deliberate currents.

"Then rise as a child of my Kin. Become what was lost. Become a Titan."

The heat around him rose, a sudden blast of molten power that seeped into his bones. Greg felt his body swell with energy as his muscles expanded and tightened while his bones seemed to grow and compress. Letting out a breath he didn’t he know he was holding, white steam escaped his lips.

[You have attained the Titan’s Legacy]

[Your Race has changed from Human to Titan]

[Racial Bonuses shall be applied]

[Bloodline Abilities Unlocked]

[Unique Opportunity Cleared: +25,000 EXP]

[You have Leveled up x7]

Once the heat subsided, Greg felt great. No, he felt better than that. No words could describe the feeling of power that coursed through his veins. He looked up at the sky with gratitude in his eyes but was stunned when he saw Vulkar’s figure was being distorted.

’I...Have...Two...final gifts."

He said, his rumbling voice filled with static as if he was becoming farther away. Greg wanted to say something but two small orange stars fell from his eyes and like a bolt of lightning struck his chest but caused no pain.

[You have Learned the Skill: Titan Forms]

[You have Learned the Skill: Metalize]

As soon as he heard those notifications, Greg disappeared from the ring. Moments later, the ring faded away like smoke.

Vulkar was alone again, his eyes shifting off into the distance.

"Discordia...I place my final hopes with you.."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l