Cyrilian Might

Andrew was always okay being alone.

He always knew his family would be there for him when he needed it.

What's happening right now is interesting though.

Andrew looks up to see his brother's body slowly disappear.

Andrew shouts: “No!” As he instantly appears knelt next to what’s left of Ian’s torso as the remaining fades out of existence. Thoughts of Andrew’s brother start rolling in. They’d been side by side most of their lives. They went everywhere together, had the same friends, and even lived together after high school.

His heart dropped, he can't believe what he just witnessed. He questions everything that's happened, and starts replaying events out loud.

Andrew speaks softly, "Okay, This system just slapped me with some stats, I have a screen in my head, and the only person around me just evaporated."

Andrew lets out a sigh, and closes his eyes trying to remember more.

Images begin flashing, He sees a white void, and a shadowy figure appear in front of himself.

System speaks "Welcome, Andrew. You have been selected for processing."

A few seconds go by and the System speaks again, "Processing complete. Integration is Accepted."

Screens opened in front of Andrew.

Stats:

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 6

Constitution: 8

Intelligence: 5

Wisdom: 5

Luck: 0

Free points: 0

Inventory:

Head

Shoulders

Bracers

Gloves

Legs

Boots

Trinkets: Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3

Skills:

- Thunderous Cleave -- Wielder charges their weapon with electrical energy, then delivers a powerful strike, releasing a shockwave of lightening upon impact.

- Lightening Reflexes -- An innate ability to detect and react to dangers quickly.

- Stormcaller's Fury -- Summon a radius of lightening around the wielder to ward off close combatants.

- Tempest Step -- Allow user to channel their affinity into their legs. Harness the power of the storm, and close the gap between you and your foe.

- Stormbreaker's Might -- Unknown

Abilities: Unlocked at level 10.

Race: Human

Age: 31

Faction: Unaligned

Heritage: Cyrilian Might

Bloodline: Strength’s Foundation

Built upon your forefather's will to not give up.

Ability: Passive – Unknown

Andrew had glanced away from the screen, thinking it wasn’t so bad that his strength was set at 10. He’d flexed his fingers, testing the slight resistance, and found a strange sense of satisfaction in the number. Not too bad at all, he’d thought.

The shadowy figure had extended what looked like a hand, and particles began gathering above it, slowly forming a sphere. Andrew didn’t know how, but somehow he recognized it as a grimoire core—though he couldn’t explain why. The particles swirled and settled into the orb, which began to pulse, cycling through the colors of the rainbow.

Slowly, the vibrant hues drained away, the orb turning black as the void. Then, just as quickly, it faded into a blinding white, blending into the surrounding space. A faint whirling noise echoed all around him, disorienting yet oddly familiar.

Without warning, the orb darkened again, turning a mottled gray. Jagged, bluish-white lines began striking across its surface like lightning, crackling with energy. Andrew felt an unshakable pull toward it, a sense that he needed to reach out and claim it. He stepped forward, reaching out. As he drew nearer, the orb began to glow with a soft golden hue, as if responding to his presence.

Andrew had absorbed the sphere, and in an instant, raw energy surged through him, igniting every nerve in his body. His mind flooded with knowledge—visions of lightning, bright and crackling, surrounded him. He could see movement, faster than his mind could comprehend, yet somehow, he was able to track it. Bolts of lightning rained down, striking all around him, and all throughout his body he could feel a surge of energy—wild and untamed.

His eyes snapped open, the visions fading, but the power remained. Ian is gone... What about the rest of them? My dad, mom, sister, and brothers. Are they gone like Ian too? The thought hit him harder than the energy coursing through him. A burst of energy from Andrew went off like a firework. Sparks flying wildly all around. Andrew takes a steady breath.

Instinctively, Andrew looked inward, and there it was—the core he had absorbed, snaking through his body like roots buried deep in the earth. The energy was still there, coiled, waiting to be unleashed again.

He glanced around. The landscape was peaceful, the breeze soft, the distant mountain range a serene backdrop to the scattered trees. Yet, the calm did nothing to quiet the storm within him.

Testing this newfound power, he raised a hand toward the nearest tree. Pointing his index, pinky, and thumb out. He flicked his wrist and Lightning arced from his fingertips, crackling through the air—but it vanished before reaching the bark. Frowning, he tried again, narrowing his focus. More lightning arced, but the result was the same.

Andrew let out a short laugh. If only Ian could’ve seen me try that... The smile faded, replaced by the cold reminder of his brother’s absence.

A low, guttural growl echoed through the trees. Andrew’s breath hitched as he whipped around, hand still raised toward the nearby tree.

The forest, which had been silent a moment before, suddenly felt alive with movement. Branches snapped, the underbrush rustled, and before Andrew could process the sound, something large burst through the trees.

The creature was massive, moving with unsettling grace despite its bulky frame. A lining of short, bristling fur covered its body, with a ridge of longer hair running from its narrow, pointed nose to the tip of its whip-like tail. Gleaming tusks jutted from its maw, and its eyes locked on Andrew with a predatory focus.

A notification blinked to life before him.

Quest Available Eliminate Tuskmaw Vantor 0/1

Andrew didn’t have time to read it fully. The beast was closing in fast.

"Core, help me!" he roared, thrusting his hands forward. Sparks jumped between his fingers, crackling with untamed energy, but when he tried to hurl the lightning, it refused to move. The energy stalled, sparking erratically between his palms.

The Tuskmaw slammed into him, its tusks gouging the ground on either side of Andrew’s outstretched hands. The impact nearly knocked him off his feet, but he clung to the creature’s tusks, muscles straining.

The lightning surged again, dancing through his hands and into the creature’s body. The Tuskmaw wailed in agony, its massive form bucking wildly as the energy coursed through it. Andrew let out a primal roar, twisting the creature’s tusks and forcing it to the ground. His arms tensed, every muscle in his body straining as the final surge of power burst through the beast.

With one last twitch, the Tuskmaw Vantor collapsed, lifeless.

Panting, Andrew stepped back, his hands trembling as the adrenaline began to fade. His heart raced, but the storm inside him was calming. Slowly, the system blinked to life again.

Quest Complete Choose your reward

Title Earned: Apex Predator - Kill a foe ten levels above your own. Kill or be killed. 10% increase to all stats.

Title Earned

Warchief - First to declare war

10% increase to all stats

Level Gained +1

1 point added to each base stat.

5 Freepoints available

One last screen blinked to life before him.

Quests Available.

He stared at it in disbelief. What is this?

Additional text scrolled across the screen.

Conquer the territory. 0/1

Title Upgrade: Eliminate foes 0/10

Andrew’s frustration boiled over. “What?! You want me to conquer anything in this state!?”

Suddenly, the air buzzed, his skin tingling with energy. Bolts of lightning began striking the ground around him, as if summoned by his anger. Panic gripped him—he had seen this before, in the visions after absorbing the core. Was this Stormcaller’s Fury? Had he triggered it just by getting upset?

Lightning bolts rained down, setting patches of the ground ablaze. The flames danced dangerously close to the sparse trees. Andrew’s breath quickened, the storm within threatening to break loose entirely.

“Calm down,” he whispered to himself, voice strained. “You need to control this before you start a forest fire.” He forced deep breaths, trying to center himself, trying to pull the storm back in.