Ether: Pulse of the Forgotten

Silence.

The dust had barely settled. Darren lay sprawled on the ground, chest rising and falling in shaky, uneven breaths. His body wasn't broken, but his pride? Shattered.

Kai had won.

The system notification still hovered in the air, but no one spoke. No one moved.

And then—someone did.

One of Darren's men. Broad-shouldered. Scarred hands gripping the hilt of a blade. His face was set in stone, his eyes dark with something that wasn't fear.

Hate.

Kai saw it before he even moved.

The moment the man lunged, blade flashing toward him, Kai sighed.w.

He took a single step forward.

The man's sword came down—but Kai's hand moved first.

A simple touch. Fingertips pressed against his chest.

And then—

Something inside the man broke.

Not bone. Not flesh.

Something deeper.

A ripple of silent devastation.

For half a second, nothing happened. The man took 2 more steps.

Then—his body locked up.

His pupils dilated. His mouth opened in shock—but no sound came out. His breath hitched—then stopped entirely.

His sword slipped from his fingers.

His knees buckled.

And just like that—he was dead.

No blood. No impact. No visible wound.

Just gone.

Kai exhaled, shaking out his wrist. Rift Palm.

A clean, silent death.

He barely even glanced at the body as it hit the ground. Instead, his gaze flicked back to Darren—who was staring at the corpse like it had just shattered his entire reality.

"You saw that, right?" Kai asked casually. "So can we not do the whole revenge plot later?"

Darren didn't answer.

His jaw tightened. His hands curled into weak fists. His pride was still there—barely clinging on.

But he knew.

Everyone knew.

Kai crouched down, resting his elbow on his knee as he looked Darren in the eye. "Say it, Manager."

Darren swallowed hard. His breath was shaky. His pride wanted him to hold on. But his body? His instincts? They had already given up.

"I…" His throat tightened. His voice came out hoarse. "I lost."

Kai clapped him on the shoulder. "Smart choice."

Then he stood.

His gaze swept across Darren's remaining men.

"Same goes for the rest of you," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Join us or leave."

Some didn't hesitate.. Hands raised, impressed by the display

Some simply turned and walked away.

No words. No argument. Just gone.

Kai exhaled, cracking his neck. "Well, glad that's settled."

________

The system notification still hovered in the air, its cold text cutting through the settling dust.

⸻

Territory Duel Complete

Victor: Kai [Level 30 → 34]

Challenger Defeated: Darren [Level 30]

Defending Party Retains Leadership.

⸻

Kai rolled his shoulders. "Huh. Four levels. Not bad."

The crowd around him stayed quiet. The weight of what had just happened still hung in the air. Darren was still kneeling, still breathing hard, still processing everything.

Kai walked over, crouched down, and lifted the weapon. Heavy. Good weight. The serrated edges gleamed in the fading light, cracks of ember-red mana pulsing through the dark steel.

Darren watched.

Then—a system window popped up

⸻

Weapon Acquired: Emberfang Cleaver

Type: Greatblade

Durability: 90/90

Effects:

• Scorched Bite: Each successful strike builds up Burn stacks. At 5 stacks, the next hit ignites the target, dealing heavy fire damage over time.

• Mana Furnace: Absorbs ambient mana to fuel its flames. Cannot be used without mana input.

Description: A massive, heat-imbued cleaver torn from the corpse of the Infernal Stalker. Its blade never cools completely, and it hungers for more fuel.

⸻

Kai blinked.

Then exhaled through his nose. "Damn," he muttered. "This thing's actually kinda cool."

Kai turned it over in his hands. Then—he slung it over his back.

Darren's jaw tightened.

"You're keeping it?" His voice was hoarse.

Kai shrugged. "You lost it."

Darren grumbled, but he didn't argue.

Smart.

Instead, he forced himself to stand. His stance was unsteady, but he wasn't broken—not completely. That was what made Kai pause.

Darren had lost everything. His fight. His leadership. His sword.

Darren watched, tight-lipped. His Emberfang Cleaver, now resting casually against Kai's shoulder like it was nothing special.

Kai flicked his eyes back to him. "You're strong," he admitted. "Even if you're an idiot."

Darren's gaze snapped to him.

Kai adjusted the Cleaver on his back. "That final swing of yours? If I hadn't dodged, I'd be in pieces right now. And even though I'm better than you—" he grinned, "—you're still worth keeping around."

Darren's brow furrowed. Suspicious. Confused.

Kai smirked. "We've got one last boss left in the tutorial."

The words hit differently. The crowd reacted—some tensed, some exchanged uneasy glances. Darren's men had mentioned killing a boss to get his sword, but this?

A final boss?

Darren narrowed his eyes. "So what? You want me to help you fight it?"

Kai tilted his head. "I want you to do whatever you want. But if you want to keep breathing, I'd rather have you fighting beside me than against me so we can leave this place."

Darren's hands twitched. His shoulders tensed.

Kai gave him a second. Let him think.

Then he shrugged. "You're not getting your sword back, though."

Darren scowled. "Figured."

Kai grinned. "Smart choice."

Then—a new notification appeared.

⸻

Settlement Upgrade Acquired!

The Lord of this Territory has claimed victory! The settlement will now begin upgrading.

⸻

Kai blinked.

Oh. Right.

He had a territory now.

A place to protect. A fight to prepare for.

And, apparently, some menu options to check.

Kai sighed. "Alright, let's see what this is about."

A simple thought, and a new menu opened.

⸻

[Lord System – Territory Management]

✔ Settlement Name:Unnamed

✔ Current Population: 87

✔ Defensive Rating: 1/10 (Minimal fortifications detected)

✔ Available Upgrades: 1

⸻

Kai frowned. "Only 87 people?"

"Some left," someone muttered behind him. "And… a few didn't make it."

Kai exhaled. "Alright. First upgrade. What are my options?"

The menu shifted.

⸻

[Available Settlement Upgrades]

1. Reinforced Foundations (Strengthens structures, making buildings sturdier against damage.)

2. Basic Fortifications (Generates a perimeter of reinforced wooden walls—more for keeping things out than resisting a siege.)

3. Survivor Training Camp (Establishes a basic training area, allowing fighters to improve their skills faster.)

⸻

Kai stared at the options.

Two days.

That's all they had before the final boss found them.

Alright, let's go with that one.

He selected Basic Fortifications.

The system confirmed the upgrade. Then—a rumbling sound echoed through the settlement.

The earth trembled. Wood cracked.

Before Kai's eyes, thick wooden spikes began sprouting from the ground, forming a jagged perimeter around the settlement. Not a perfect wall, not a fortress—but a rough, effective barrier.

People murmured. Some stepped back, others reached out, touching the wood with disbelief.

Darren, still standing nearby, let out a short scoff. "Magic walls. Of course."

Kai ignored him, checking the menu again. Something had changed.

⸻

✔ Defensive Rating: 3/10 (Basic wooden perimeter in place)

⸻

Still not great.

He turned to the settlement. "Alright. We've got two days," he said, voice carrying. "That means we don't waste time."

The survivors were still watching him.

Still waiting.

Kai glanced at the Lord Menu again. There was another tab. Appointable Roles.

⸻

[Assign Leaders?]

✔ General: [Vacant]

✔ Architect: [Vacant]

✔ Governor: [Vacant]

⸻

Kai clicked his tongue. Alright. He wasn't going to micromanage everything. Time to delegate.

He looked over the gathered survivors.

"Anyone with earth magic or construction skills, step forward," he said.

A few people stepped up, but one stood out—a muscular woman with stone-coated fingers, sharp eyes, and a permanent scowl.

"Gita," she said, crossing her arms. "Before all this, I built things for a living. Now I break things too."

"Perfect," Kai said, selecting her in the menu.

[Architect Assigned – Gita]

She stiffened slightly as the system prompt appeared, then just grunted. "We'll need more materials."

Kai nodded, then turned to Darren.

"General!," Kai said.

Darren snorted. "Excuse me?"

"You wanted to run this place. Now you can—just not as the leader." Kai tilted his head. "Or would you rather sit in the corner and sulk while we prepare for a fight?"

Darren exhaled sharply.

Then, finally, he nodded. "Fine."

[General Assigned – Darren]

The menu updated.

✔ Defensive Rating: 5/10 (Basic wooden perimeter + structured leadership in place)

Kai moved to the last role. Governor. Second-in-Command.

This one was easy.

He turned to Sasha.

"You're in charge when I'm not here," he said.

Sasha blinked. "What?"

"You heard me." Kai stretched his arms. "I need someone who actually gets me handling things when I'm not around. You already watch my back—might as well make it official."

Sasha studied him for a moment, then smirked. "Fine. But I get veto power on dumb decisions."

Kai snorted. "No, you don't."

[Governor – Sasha]

The menu flashed.

✔ Defensive Rating: 6/10 (Leadership fully established, efficiency boosted)

Better.

Kai rolled his shoulders. "Alright, people. We've got two days before whatever's out there decides to come knocking. Let's make sure we're still here to greet it."

And with that—

The real work began.

⸻

The settlement had changed.

Two days ago, it had been nothing but open dirt and scattered survivors. Now?

✔ Wooden spike barriers had been reinforced with stone walls—rough and uneven, but solid enough to withstand a real fight.

✔ Small stone structures had risen inside the walls, hastily crafted but sturdy—shelters, a basic armory, and a training ground.

✔ The militia had taken form—60 fighters, split into semi-balanced squads. They weren't soldiers, but they could fight.

It wasn't much. But it was enough.

For now.

Kai stood atop one of the makeshift walls, arms folded as he surveyed the work. Below, Gita barked orders at her earth mages, reinforcing weak points with another layer of stone. Darren was off to the side, overseeing a sparring match between two of the newer recruits.

Sasha leaned against the wall next to him. "Not bad for two days," she muttered.

Kai let out a short breath. "Yeah. Could've been worse."

Her gaze flicked to him. "You nervous?"

"Nah," he said, watching as a group of archers lined up for target practice. "I'm just wondering how much worse it's gonna get."

Sasha let out a quiet chuckle. "That's the spirit."

The city—if it could even be called that yet—was still unnamed.

But it stood.

And soon?

They'd find out if it could hold.

⸻