The Abyssal Spire wasn't built. It was born.
Vale stood at the heart of it now, where the walls pulsed faintly with a heartbeat not his own. The Spire had risen the moment he'd claimed the Dreadspire Core, erupting from the dead earth like a fang of the realm itself. Obsidian veins glowed faint purple, like blood had begun to circulate through stone.
> [Structure Active: Abyssal Spire – Tier 1 Fortress]
Functions Unlocked:
• Legion Cradle – Regenerate and reinforce shade-bound souls
• Soul Archives – Access memories of consumed entities
• Forge of Echoes – Craft relics from devoured essences
• Gate of Realms – Access paths to unclaimed domains
Serah stood beside him, her voice low. "The Spire knows you now. It will grow with your will."
Vale looked out the arched window. The wastes around the Spire had started to darken, curling in toward the tower like reality itself bent under his dominion.
He opened the Forge of Echoes. A table of carved obsidian shimmered to life. Images flickered above it—essence profiles of enemies consumed.
> Available Core Fragments:
• Warden Tharax – Boneplate Shell, Obsidian Will
• Fallen Mage-King of Kareth (Fragmented)
• Lesser Shade Warlord – Ethereal Bind, Wrath Pulse
Vale selected Boneplate Shell and Obsidian Will, combining them into a new relic:
> [Forged: Mantle of the Hollow Warden]
Passive: +20% damage resistance
Active: Once per battle, block a fatal blow and retaliate with shadow surge
He equipped it. The armor fused seamlessly over his cloak, whispering against his skin like smoke-fed silk.
Then he turned to the Gate of Realms.
It stood at the center of the Spire's lowest level—an ancient arch of shifting shadow, where whispers of other worlds flickered like candlelight.
> [Next Conquest Realm Available:]
• Ashvault Labyrinth
Difficulty: Moderate
Inhabitants: Shadebound Cultists, Wyrm-Constructs
Unique Reward: Soul-Splitter Relic
Realm Warden: Unknown
Vale stepped closer.
And from the Gate, a voice rose—not hostile. Not afraid. Just curious.
"Another shadow rises… Come, Legion Lord. Let's see if you can survive the maze."
Vale drew Nightpiercer.
"I don't survive realms," he said. "I own them."