The goblin horde surged up the hill like a green tide of death, their weapons gleaming in the afternoon sun. Kael stood perfectly still in the center of the clearing, his obsidian blade held low and ready. Through Death's Echo, he could sense their battle plans, their individual strengths and weaknesses, even their fears. The ability was intoxicating—like having a direct line into the minds of his enemies.
Marcus took position beside him, his weathered face grim but determined. "Fifty to two. I've faced worse odds."
"Have you?" Kael asked, his voice strangely calm. "Because I haven't. And I'm looking forward to it."
The first goblin reached the clearing—a lean warrior with a pair of curved daggers that dripped with some kind of toxin. Kael moved with fluid grace, his blade intercepting the creature's dual strike and sliding along the weapons to pierce its throat. The goblin's eyes widened in shock before it collapsed, its life force already being drawn into Kael's Dimensional Arsenal.
[GOBLIN WARRIOR DEFEATED]
[SOUL ABSORBED]
[DEATH'S ECHO ACTIVATED]
[ACQUIRED: POISON BLADE TECHNIQUE]
[ACQUIRED: DUAL WIELDING PROFICIENCY]
The knowledge flowed into Kael's mind like water into a sponge. He could feel the goblin's muscle memory becoming his own, its understanding of blade work and poison application integrating seamlessly with his existing skills. It was a rush unlike anything he'd experienced before—the sensation of growing stronger with each kill.
Two more goblins reached him simultaneously, their crude swords swinging in coordinated strikes. Kael's enhanced perception, boosted by his absorbed knowledge, allowed him to see the attack coming long before it arrived. He sidestepped the first blade and caught the second on his obsidian edge, the superior metal cutting through the goblin's weapon like paper.
His return strike took the first goblin's head clean off while his off-hand, now moving with the fluid grace of the dual-wielding technique, drew a dagger from his belt and buried it in the second goblin's heart. Both creatures fell, their souls joining the growing collection in his Dimensional Arsenal.
Marcus was fighting three goblins at once, his veteran experience evident in every movement. The older man was skilled, but Kael could see he was being overwhelmed. The goblins were faster and stronger than anything they'd faced in the Tutorial Realm, and Marcus's iron sword was struggling to penetrate their armor.
"Marcus, duck!" Kael called out, his voice carrying the authority of his newly awakened Legion Commander talent.
The older man responded instantly, dropping to one knee just as Kael's thrown dagger whistled over his head to embed itself in the throat of the goblin about to strike him down. The creature toppled backward, its soul immediately drawn into Kael's arsenal.
But even as they fought, more goblins kept coming. The hill was crawling with them now, their numbers seemingly endless. Kael's enhanced senses picked up the sound of more approaching through the forest—this wasn't just a hunting party, it was a full war band.
"We need to even the odds," Kael muttered, his mind racing through the possibilities offered by his new abilities. The Soul Forge pulsed in his consciousness, showing him visions of weapons perfectly suited to the current battle. But creating new equipment would take time he didn't have.
Instead, he reached into his Dimensional Arsenal and withdrew one of the Primordial Weapon Tokens. The crystalline disc felt warm in his palm, thrumming with barely contained power.
"I need a weapon for this battle," he said to the token, his voice carrying the weight of absolute command. "Something that can handle multiple enemies at once."
The token dissolved into liquid light that flowed over his obsidian blade, transforming it into something beyond mortal comprehension. The new weapon was a bastard sword of impossible darkness, its blade seeming to absorb light rather than reflect it. Along its fuller, silver runes pulsed with inner fire, and the crossguard had been shaped to resemble skeletal wings.
[WEAPON TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE]
[SHADOWBANE - PRIMORDIAL GRADE]A sword forged from the essence of conquered darkness. Grows stronger with each soul it claims. Current souls: 4/∞
Special Abilities:- Soul Rend: Attacks have a chance to instantly kill enemies and absorb their souls- Shadow Step: Teleport short distances through shadows- Darkness Aura: Nearby enemies suffer reduced accuracy and movement speed
The weapon felt alive in his hands, its consciousness pressing against his own like a loyal hound eager to hunt. Kael smiled grimly as he felt its hunger—it was a perfect match for his own growing thirst for power.
"Now we're talking," he murmured, and launched himself at the nearest cluster of goblins.
Shadowbane sang as it cut through the air, its darkness-wreathed blade cleaving through goblin weapons and armor alike. The first goblin warrior barely had time to register the threat before the sword's Soul Rend ability activated, instantly killing the creature and adding its essence to the growing collection within the blade.
Kael flowed from enemy to enemy like a dancer performing a deadly ballet. The Shadow Step ability allowed him to teleport through patches of darkness, appearing behind enemies who thought they had him surrounded. His absorbed knowledge of poison techniques and dual wielding merged with his natural combat instincts, creating a fighting style that was both elegant and terrifyingly effective.
[GOBLIN WARRIOR DEFEATED]
[GOBLIN SCOUT DEFEATED]
[GOBLIN BERSERKER DEFEATED]
The notifications flowed past his consciousness like a river of power. With each death, he grew stronger, more skilled, more dangerous. The Death's Echo ability was feeding him a constant stream of new techniques and knowledge, while his Dimensional Arsenal grew heavy with captured souls.
Marcus was holding his own against a pair of goblin spearmen, but Kael could see the older man was tiring. His movements were becoming slower, less precise. It was time to end this.
Kael activated Shadow Step, teleporting directly behind the goblin leader who had been directing the battle from the treeline. The massive creature spun around with surprising speed, its great sword whistling through the air in a strike that would have bisected a normal challenger.
But Kael was far from normal. Shadowbane met the goblin's blade with a sound like breaking thunder, and the primordial weapon's superior nature became immediately apparent. The goblin's sword shattered on contact, its fragments raining down like metallic snow.
The goblin leader's eyes widened in shock and fear as it realized it was facing something beyond its understanding. It opened its mouth to call for retreat, but Kael's blade found its throat before the words could form.
[GOBLIN CHIEFTAIN DEFEATED]
[SOUL ABSORBED]
[DEATH'S ECHO ACTIVATED]
[ACQUIRED: BATTLE LEADERSHIP]
[ACQUIRED: INTIMIDATION MASTERY]
[ACQUIRED: TRIBAL WARFARE KNOWLEDGE]
With their leader dead, the remaining goblins lost their cohesion. Some fled back into the forest, while others threw down their weapons and cowered in submission. Kael felt the Legion Commander talent stirring within him, showing him how to bind these defeated enemies to his will.
"Kneel," he commanded, his voice carrying supernatural authority.
The surviving goblins—nearly thirty of them—dropped to their knees as one. Kael could feel their fear, their recognition of his superiority, their willingness to serve rather than die. The Legion Commander ability reached out, forming invisible bonds between their souls and his own.
[LEGION COMMANDER ACTIVATED]
[30 GOBLIN WARRIORS BOUND TO YOUR SERVICE]
[DIMENSIONAL ARSENAL EXPANDED TO HOUSE LIVING SERVANTS]
[NEW BARRACKS CONSTRUCTED AUTOMATICALLY]
Marcus approached, his sword dripping with goblin blood. "What just happened? Why aren't they attacking?"
"They're mine now," Kael explained, his voice carrying a note of wonder. "The Legion Commander talent lets me bind defeated enemies to my service. They'll fight for me now, and they'll grow stronger as they serve."
He gestured to the kneeling goblins, and they rose as one, their eyes now glowing with a faint blue light that marked them as his servants. Their wounds were already beginning to heal, and he could sense their stats improving as the binding took hold.
"This is just the beginning," Kael said, looking out over the vast landscape of the First Floor. "With the Realm Builder talent, I can create a fortress. With the Soul Forge, I can arm them with weapons that will make them unstoppable. And with Death's Echo, I can give them the skills they need to conquer this entire floor."
Marcus shook his head in amazement. "You're talking about building an empire."
"I'm talking about survival," Kael corrected. "The Tower has a million floors, and each one will be harder than the last. I need to be more than just a challenger—I need to be a conqueror."
As if responding to his words, a new notification appeared:
[OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: BUILD AN ARMY]
[REWARD: FLOOR MAP UNLOCKED]
[REWARD: SETTLEMENT LOCATIONS REVEALED]
[REWARD: FLOOR GUARDIAN LOCATION MARKED]
A translucent map materialized in Kael's vision, showing the entire First Floor in stunning detail. He could see cities, dungeons, monster territories, and resource nodes scattered across a continent-sized landmass. In the far north, a massive fortress was marked with the symbol of the Floor Guardian—a red dragon coiled around a mountain peak.
"There," Kael pointed to a location on the map about fifty miles south of their current position. "Blackrock Fortress. It's abandoned, but it's in a strategic position overlooking the main trade route. We'll make it our base of operations."
Marcus studied the map with the eye of a veteran strategist. "Good choice. Defensible position, close to resources, and far enough from the major powers that we can build up our strength without interference."
Kael nodded, already planning the march. His goblin warriors would serve as scouts and skirmishers, while he and Marcus would focus on acquiring more powerful servants and resources. The Soul Forge would allow him to create equipment that would make his forces competitive with the established powers of the floor.
"My lord," one of the goblins spoke, its voice carrying a guttural accent but perfect comprehension. "The Ironback Tribe will not accept our service to human-thing. They will send death-warriors to reclaim us."
"Let them come," Kael replied, Shadowbane humming with anticipation in his grip. "I could use more souls for my collection."
The goblin bowed deeply, its loyalty absolute. "We live to serve, Master. The Ironback Tribe will burn, and their souls will feed your power."
As the sun began to set over the First Floor, Kael Thorne stood surrounded by his first subjects, his first army, his first step toward the conquest that would carry him to the top of the Tower. The Tutorial Realm had taught him the necessity of strength. Now it was time to learn the art of dominion.
In the distance, smoke was rising from what the map identified as goblin territory. Word of the Ironback Tribe's defeat was spreading, and the various powers of the First Floor were taking notice. But Kael welcomed their attention. After all, he had a reputation to build and an empire to forge.
The Tower of Eternity stretched above them, its peak lost in the clouds of forever. One million floors to climb, one million challenges to overcome. But with each victory, each soul claimed, each enemy bound to his service, Kael was becoming something more than human.
He was becoming a force of nature.