The Transmigrated Author-Chapter 285: Soul Forger

[Location: Soul Forger's Prism]

Far from the newly liberated Iron Fist territory, in the heart of the Central City, a man stood before an ancient being of immense power.

Aubin Henri Richard wiped his brow, the perpetual heat of the chamber making his formal attire cling uncomfortably to his skin.

The massive underground cavern stretched far beyond what the eye could see, its walls adorned with strange, pulsating runes that cast an eerie blue glow across the polished stone floor.

But it was the creature before him that caught his attention.

The Soul Forger towered over Richard, easily five times the height of a normal man.

Its skin resembled granite—rough, mottled with veins of luminescent blue, and seemingly impenetrable.

Two massive ram-like horns curved from its skull, each one etched with symbols that shifted and changed when viewed from different angles.

Its pure blue eyes contained no pupils, yet Richard could feel the creature's gaze boring into him, studying him with ancient intelligence.

Despite its massive upper body, the Soul Forger's legs were disproportionately small, giving it an odd, almost comical appearance that belied its true power.

Heavy chains of an unknown metal—neither gold nor silver, but something that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it—bound the creature to an enormous pillar carved from a single piece of strange stone.

"Tell me more about these... invaders," Richard said, his voice echoing in the vast chamber.

He paced before the Soul Forger, hands clasped behind his back.

"Three warriors have already cleared one of the four territories. How is this possible?"

The Soul Forger's massive head tilted slightly, those pupilless blue eyes tracking Richard's movements.

"They are anomalies," the creature rumbled, its voice like grinding stone.

"Not part of the original design. Especially the one called Rel. He carries power beyond what should exist in this realm."

Richard's brow furrowed. This was troubling news. When he'd first been pulled into the Orb of Phantasmal, he'd found himself displaced not just in space but in time—arriving years before the original incursion was meant to take place.

It had been a stroke of fortune, giving him time to establish his power base, to find and bind the Soul Forger.

"Can they be stopped?" he asked, approaching the stone where the creature's chains were anchored.

The Soul Forger's mouth split in what might have been a smile, revealing teeth like polished obsidian.

"All things can be stopped, little human. It merely requires the right... tools."

Richard nodded, running his fingers along the ancient stone. "And you can forge these tools for me?"

"I can forge anything," the creature replied.

"Weapons that can tear reality itself. Armor that makes flesh impervious to all harm. Even vessels that can contain souls... or transfer them." Its massive shoulders strained against the chains.

"But first, I must be free."

Richard laughed softly. "Not free. Never completely free. But I can offer you... mobility."

He snapped his fingers, and a dozen soldiers emerged from the shadows of the chamber, pushing a massive cart.

Atop it sat an intricate contraption of metals and strange crystalline substances—a harness fit for the Soul Forger's massive frame, connected to restraints that would allow limited movement while maintaining control.

"My scientists have been working on this for months," Richard explained.

"It will allow you to move about the forge, to create as you wish, but will prevent you from turning against me."

The Soul Forger's eyes narrowed, glowing more intensely. "And why should I accept such half-freedom?"

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Richard smiled thinly, pulling a small crystal from his pocket—identical to the one Rel had received, but pulsing with darker energy.

"Because I possess this," he said, holding it up.

"One of five fragments that, when combined, will allow communication across time itself. Imagine what you could tell your past self, what warnings you could send, what fate you could avoid."

The massive creature went still, its eyes fixed on the crystal. For the first time, Richard saw something like fear in those ancient features.

"Where did you find that?"

"I have my sources," Richard replied, his thin smile growing colder. "But that's not what matters. What matters is what we can accomplish together."

The Soul Forger's massive hands strained against his chains, the ancient metal groaning under the pressure.

His eyes never left the crystal in Richard's palm.

"You speak of partnership," the Soul Forger rumbled, "yet you hold me in chains. What assurances do I have that you won't simply use me and discard me once your goals are met?"

Richard approached the massive being, stopping just beyond the reach of those enormous hands.

"Because I need you. Not just for now, but for what's to come." He gestured to the harness his soldiers had brought.

"This isn't a prison—it's a compromise. Mobility in exchange for loyalty."

The Soul Forger's laughter shook dust from the ceiling, a sound like boulders tumbling down a mountainside.

"You humans and your delusions of control."

His massive form leaned forward as far as the chains would allow.

"But very well. I will forge whatever you desire—weapons, armor, structures beyond your imagination—if you release me from this pillar."

Richard's eyes narrowed. "Just like that? No other conditions?"

"Just one." The Soul Forger's voice dropped to a whisper that still filled the entire chamber. "When the time comes for me to claim what is rightfully mine, you will not stand in my way."

A tense silence fell between them. Richard knew the risks. The Soul Forger was ancient, powerful beyond measure, and undoubtedly had his own agenda. But Richard also knew that without the creature's assistance, his plans would crumble before they even began.

"Agreed," Richard finally said, signaling to his soldiers. "Prepare to transfer him to the harness."

As his men moved forward with tools and equipment, Richard turned the crystal over in his hand.

The Soul Forger might believe himself to be the puppet master in this arrangement, but Richard had no intention of being anyone's pawn.

The harness wasn't just a means of control—it was a safeguard against betrayal.

The transfer took hours.

The ancient chains, forged from metals unknown to modern science, resisted conventional tools.

Eventually, Richard had to bring in specialists—mages whose sole purpose was to unravel the magical bindings that had kept the Soul Forger imprisoned for centuries.

When the final chain fell away, the massive creature rose to his full height, stretching limbs that had been bound for longer than human civilization had existed.

The chamber trembled with his power, and for a moment, Richard felt a flicker of doubt.

"Now," the Soul Forger said, his voice resonating with newfound freedom, "the harness."

Richard snapped his fingers, and his soldiers moved forward with the contraption.

The massive creature allowed the harness to be fitted, its ancient eyes watching Richard's every move.

As the final locks clicked into place, a smile spread across the Soul Forger's craggy face.

"A wise precaution," he rumbled, testing the limitations of his new restraints. "But ultimately futile."

Richard maintained his composure, though inwardly he knew the truth—he was playing a dangerous game with a being whose power dwarfed his own. The Soul Forger could crush him with a thought, yet Richard needed that power if he was to achieve his goals.

"Now," Richard said, pocketing the crystal fragment, "let's discuss what you'll be creating for me."

The Soul Forger flexed his massive arms, the harness creaking but holding firm.

"Weapons beyond your comprehension. Defenses that will make your central city impregnable. But first…"

"I require materials. Rare metals, crystalline compounds, and something more... personal."