The forge had been silent for too long. Not just any forge, but the Skyforge Core, newly built from the shards of a broken world.
Its centerpiece pulsed now with obsidian-blue light, surrounded by five towering pylons, inscribed with radiant glyphs of both necromantic and arcane origin.
Standing before it, Iden narrowed his eyes.
"It's time."
From his storage, he retrieved every high-grade material he'd saved:
Reinforced obsidian shell from the Titanic Cave Crab.
Hardened mana fangs of the Night Howler Beast.
Purified Cores of lightsteel gathered from a shattered celestial ruin.
And most importantly… the fossilized Abyssal Worm Bones, still humming with dark mana.
He threw them into the center glyph-altar.
The forge flared to life, spiraling mana into the sky like a column of divine lightning. Then—
SYSTEM ALERTSKELETON FUSION EVOLUTION TRIGGERED
▸ Input Class Types: Warrior (Lvl 26), Tank (Lvl 25), Mage (Lvl 25), Scout (Lvl 23)▸ Input Materials: [Epic Grade: Abyssal Bone, Obsidian Shell, Lightsteel Core, Night Howler Fang]
▸ Result: [Skeletal Paragon – Hybrid Unit]▸ Tier: Mythical▸ Name: Sovereign Dreadknight
From the swirling mana burst forth a silhouette—towering, plated in ancient bone, bearing spectral flames where its heart should be. It gripped a dual-bladed halberd made of fused mana and steel.
Iden didn't need to command it. The Sovereign Dreadknight knelt before him.
"Master.""Where shall I conquer?"
A burst of violet aurora cracked the sky across all major regions. The system rang in every candidate's ears.
WORLD THREAT METER – UPDATE▸ Threat Origin: SANCTUM▸ Status: Tier 4 – Regional Apex▸ Type: Fusion Summoner / Orbital Technocrat▸ Estimated Force Strength: 2,700+ Combat Units▸ Known Arsenal: Skyforge Weaponry, Skeleton Fusion, Orbital Strike Capability, Mythical Summons
WARNING – Further evolutions may attract [Cataclysm Class Entities]
An exiled warlord slammed his glass goblet on a rune-map.
"So the undead king rises, and the stars favor him. My scouts say he's no tyrant. Just... a builder."
"Send tribute. And ask to join."
General Makov read the announcement over a glowing parchment.
"Skeletons and missiles… That's not war. That's art."
He tapped a new directive on the council slab:
"Petition: Entry into the Ascendant Pact."
A group of rogue summoners debated furiously.
"We either align… or get swallowed."
The youngest among them nodded grimly.
"Send a messenger to Sanctum. Tell them: we want in."
Petitions. Declarations. Flags. Banners. Tokens of allegiance from distant fortresses, mobile cities, and secret enclaves.
By sunrise, ten new independent factions had officially pledged allegiance to Sanctum. The alliance was no longer informal.
It had a name now, etched into the throne room wall:
THE ASCENDANT PACT
A coalition of undead, humans, hybrids, engineers, and mages.
Bound not by race, but by vision.
[System Update – Alliance Core Activated]
▸ Alliance Name: Ascendant Pact▸ Sanctum Status: Founding Capital▸ Iden Status: Overlord-Class Entity – Architect of Ascension▸ Special Bonus: All Allied Settlements Now Receive Partial System Blessings▸ System Update: [World Harmony vs. World Corruption] Mechanic Activated
Iden stood on the high observation bridge of the relay tower.
Below, his summons marched in perfect formations.Builders were already expanding north, miners drilling toward a mana vein.Above, orbital drones buzzed quietly in surveillance.
Rael leaned against his shoulder, reading one of the new alliance messages.
"You realize you've gone from summoner… to sovereign?"
Nyra smiled faintly, arms crossed beside him.
"Good. Now the world listens. And soon… we make it follow."
Iden watched the sky, lips curling slightly.
"No… we lead. It's what we were summoned for."