The crimson mana surrounding the woman was distorting in a weird way. The crimson mana dissapatied.
I tossed another spear in my hand. My head filled with memories of the trial I undertook.
“ System Prompt
Thank you for returning the mistake you will now be rewarded. First reward for weapon recipes ypu will unlock during the trial. Second reward Heartsbound necklace.
For the first trial of four faces you must forge 4 replicas of grand items. To obtain the recipes of grand items.
Recreate the Orrick’s Final Thought in 1 hours.
Recreate the Aegis of the Twin Forge in 2 hours.
Recreate the The Unerring Bow of Telra in 3 hours.
Recreate the The Grasp of Velthorn in 4 hours. Goodluck. Hint blood is critical to complete both trials.”
As soon as I finished reading the prompt a ringing sound was emitted from the center of the room. The ringing was like a bell forged not from metal but memory—something ancient, echoing deeper than sound should ever go. It wasn’t loud, but it vibrated through my ribs like a second heartbeat.
I turned slowly, wariness prickling the back of my neck, and my eyes locked onto the center of the room.
A pedestal had risen—unbidden, unnatural—from the stone itself. It was black on one half and bone-white on the other, carved in swirling, mirrored patterns that seemed to twist and shift even when I wasn’t looking directly at them. Something about its symmetry felt off, like the two halves weren’t opposite… but adversarial. One wasn’t light and one dark. They were in conflict. Bound in balance.
Hovering above it, suspended in stillness, was a necklace.
No, the necklace.
It wasn’t showy. A simple black cord, almost frayed at the ends, holding a single teardrop gem—crimson at first glance, but inside it shimmered with coiling silver veins. The gem pulsed faintly. Like it was breathing. Like it knew I was here.
I didn’t step closer yet. Not until the system beckoned me further.
“ System Prompt
Step forward all great bonds are forged in blood.”
My feet moved before my mind could respond. It’s like the whole room The cord slithered up my wrist like a living thing, coiling with terrible grace. The gem pulsed once more, and before I could fight it, the necklace latched around my throat like it had always belonged there.
The world snapped.
Everything froze—the mana, the room, even the air. The only now moving was a small dagger cutting through the air and the silence. Then came the final System Prompt, etched into the space behind my eyes: Blood is required to awaken the necklace.
[Trial of the Four Faces - Part I: COMPLETE]
You have forged the Heart’s Bond.
Second Trial Initiating…
Face Thy Reflection.
The dagger sliced clean through my palm, and the pain was instant—bright, electric, raw. But before I could even hiss through my teeth, the gem at my throat flared with a blinding radiance.
The crimson core of the teardrop gem burned alive with silver lightning, veins of energy spiraling outward like a living constellation. Then, with a sound like metal being forged in divine fire, the necklace changed. The black cord writhed, hardening, twisting.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
It wove itself into something stronger—blackened steel entwined with shimmering gold, gleaming like the spine of a dragon. It felt heavy with purpose, like it had chosen me. When the light finally died down, I wasn’t just wearing a necklace. I was wearing a pact. A binding. That promise was soon drowned out by a system prompt.
“ Heartsbound necklace awakened level 1
A reward gifted by the system to the First one. Enhances the ability to manipulate the elements.
- Soul bound when equipped other users can use it unless the soul bound dies. ( Connections through blood are exempt from soul bound.)
- Allows the user to create small particles of certain metals in the air.
- Doubles the amount of elements that the user can be manipulate.
- The user can manipulate metals in non sentient living things.
The user can manipulate 3 metals currently Gold, Iron and Copper so generating 3 new elements.
Randomizing random metals.
- metal Tungsten
- metal silver
- metal titanium.
Starting trial 1 Orrick's Final Thought
Study the spear that killed the first warlock. Then craft a replica with over a 20 percent accuracy to the original with only three elements. “
I stood still as the final words of the prompt echoed inside my skull. They didn’t fade like a normal voice would—they burned themselves into me, branded into my mind like fresh iron pressed into skin. The moment the system said “Orrik’s Final Thought,” I felt something shift.
I blinked—and suddenly I wasn’t alone in the room anymore.
The walls didn’t change, the pedestal remained, the air still carried the metallic scent of blood and mana. But there, in front of me, floating in the air like a memory caught in time, was the spear. Encased in a prism of protective glass.
Orrick’s Final Thought.
It hung motionless, spinning slowly, silently, tip down and shaft up, like it was being offered by the very world itself. But what chilled me wasn’t the weapon’s size, shape, or even the craftsmanship. It was the feeling. The residual aura around it.
This weapon had killed a warlock. Not just any warlock. The first Orrick. Everyone who has ever stepped outside had heard of him. The legend of The one who could shake the continent with a single spell, who even a thousand years after death his magic still affects the world.
“ And this spear killed him I would think something powerful enough to kill the strongest warlock to ever exist would be renowned, but this is the first time I’m hearing of it. Too much for a tutorial reward.
And yet here it was, I’m not complaining because it’s a opportunity to get stronger. But it’s a little different than what
I stepped closer to the weapon to examine and noticed the prism was shaking. Not violently shaking barely even noticeable but shaking nonetheless.
“ So I have a hour to recreate a spear that killed a god seems easy enough.”I laughed not because the task was actually easy. but because the ridiculousness of it.
My memory shattered my mind returning to the present. “ Oh I didn’t do anything to the spears. Your magic is just failing you. It’s normal for witches to lose control. ”
I can see why the system said that the spears killed the first Warlock. Just some weaker versions of the spear could disrupt such dense mana.
She glared at me now—no more calm, no more breathless awe. Only the simmering hate of a predator who just learned it’s not the apex anymore.
“You cocky little bastard,” she hissed. Her hands clenched, and the air around her warped with the faint echo of heat, like the room itself was trying to push me away in her defense. Her mana was trying to reassert dominance—but I could see it now. Like cracks forming in a perfect painting, the flaws were visible. Her control was slipping.
I tossed the spear lazily from one hand to the other. The shaft hummed with faint resonance—like a tuning fork echoing in a distant graveyard. Not loud. But full of memory. Of finality.
“You ever wonder,” I said, stepping forward, “why people like you always assume raw mana is enough? That all that power boiling in your veins guarantees victory?”
The corner of her mouth twitched—snarl or smirk, I couldn’t tell. “Because it has been that way for the entire tutorial.”
A uncontrollable laugh pierced out from my body. “ No magic is about being dramatic as possible and doing it with finesse. Maybe if you didn’t come in here guns blazing you wouldn’t have gotten stabbed or if you kept up your barrier it would’ve been reflected.
She spat blood to the side, then smirked like she still held some unseen card. “You think this is over? You think you’ve won because your toy shut off my flow for a second? Cute.”
I tilted my head. “Flow? Oh, you mean that seizure of sparks you called a spell earlier? Thought it was a tantrum.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re arrogant.”
I stepped closer, spear dragging lightly behind me with a metallic whisper. “And you’re bleeding.”
“Temporarily.” She lifted her chin. I just had one more piece of spear affecting my mana and it just so happens that I was able to get it out. She added gesturing to the blood she just spat out a small sheen reflecting a piece of shrapnel.
“Oh good,” I said, smiling tightly. “You’ve graduated from denial to delusion. Impressive speed. Maybe there’s a leaderboard for that.”
She flared her nostrils and took a step back, crimson mana sparking violently along her arms like a fuse had been lit. “You don’t get it. I was holding back. I thought you might be worth testing. But now?”
I sighed. “Please don’t say the line. Everyone says the line.”
Her brow furrowed. “What line?”
I mimicked her voice in a mocking falsetto: “‘Now I’m going all out.’” I rolled my eyes. “You people really don’t have new material, do you?”