The fire in Lornel's small cabin crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the walls. Eirik sat at the wooden table, staring down at the tome Lornel had given him. The symbols and diagrams on the pages seemed to shift under the firelight, as if the book itself was alive with dark energy. Next to the book, the Shadow Core pulsed faintly, its power thrumming through the air, almost in sync with Eirik's heartbeat.
Lornel leaned over the table, his sharp eyes watching Eirik closely. "If you're going to use the Shadow Core, you need to understand what you're dealing with. Shadow magic is not like the elemental magic you'll see most mages use. It's more volatile, more dangerous. It feeds on emotion, fear, anger, ambition."
Eirik felt a chill run down his spine, but he kept his expression steady. "And you think I can control it?"
Lornel straightened up, pacing slowly around the room. "You can control it, yes, but it will take time. Shadow magic isn't something you learn overnight, and if you're not careful, it will consume you. But the crafting system you possess gives you an edge most people don't have. You don't just wield magic, you build with it."
Eirik looked down at the tome again, the weight of Lornel's words sinking in. If he could master this power, he would have something that even the Architects feared. But Lornel's warning echoed in his mind: If you're not careful, it will consume you.
"How do I start?" Eirik asked, his voice steady.
Lornel approached the table again and placed his hand on the Shadow Core. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, as though the core was responding to his touch. "The first step is simple," Lornel said. "You need to bind yourself to the core."
Eirik frowned. "Bind myself?"
Lornel nodded. "The Shadow Core is a powerful magical artifact. Right now, it's untethered, a loose source of energy. But if you bind it to your crafting system, you'll be able to harness its magic and shape it into something useful."
Eirik glanced at Lyra, who stood silently by the door, her arms crossed. She hadn't said much since they'd arrived, but her expression told him everything he needed to know, this was dangerous.
"Are you sure about this?" Lyra asked, her voice low.
Eirik met her gaze, his own doubts gnawing at the back of his mind. But there was no turning back now. The Architects had already made their move, and if he was going to survive in this world, he needed every advantage he could get.
"I have to," Eirik said quietly.
Lyra nodded, though her eyes betrayed her concern.
Lornel stepped back, giving Eirik space. "Place your hand on the core," he instructed, his voice calm but firm. "Let the energy flow into you, and focus on your crafting system. You need to allow the system to absorb the magic, only then will you be able to manipulate it."
Eirik swallowed hard, his hand hovering over the core. The air around it pulsed with dark energy, almost as if it were alive, waiting for him. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and then placed his hand on the core.
The moment his fingers touched the cold surface, a surge of energy shot through his arm, like icy fire running through his veins. His mind exploded with a rush of images, shadowy figures, twisted landscapes, and the faint whisper of voices he couldn't understand. The power of the core overwhelmed him, threatening to pull him under.
"Focus!" Lornel's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding.
Eirik clenched his teeth, trying to push back against the flood of magic. He focused on his system, on the familiar sensation of crafting. The Ether Dagger, the Mana-Infused Trap, all the things he had built with his own hands. He visualized the crafting screen in his mind, the blueprints, the materials, the process.
Slowly, the wild magic began to settle, its chaotic energy drawn into the framework of his system. The core's power became more manageable, more structured, as it fused with his crafting abilities.
New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Crafting
You can now craft with shadow-based materials.
New blueprints available.
Eirik gasped, his grip on the core tightening as the system flashed with new information. He could feel it, the core was now part of him, part of his system. The wild, uncontrollable energy was still there, but it was tamed, bound to his will.
He released the core, his body shaking from the effort. The pulsing light from the core dimmed slightly, its energy now linked to Eirik's system.
"You did it," Lornel said, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and caution. "You've bound the core to your system. Now you can start to use its power."
Eirik sat back, breathing heavily. The energy from the core still thrummed through him, but it was no longer overwhelming. It was like a tool now, dangerous, yes, but something he could control.
Lyra stepped forward, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern. "What now?"
Lornel smiled faintly. "Now he learns to use it."