Forge Goddesses to Rule the World

019

The violet hum of the Nihility Divine Thunder still resonated in Leo Shaw’s bones as he lay back on his massive, velvet-upholstered bed. After the intense shower and the psychological chess match with his parents, his mind was finally clear enough to dive deep into the digital labyrinth of the System Shop.

The translucent blue interface shimmered in the dim light of his suite, a window into a marketplace that transcended the limitations of The Grand Dominion. Leo’s fingers ghosted over the holographic icons as he scrolled past the "f*******n" tier, deciding to explore the more "mundane" categories to see what a billionaire’s son could acquire for his daily life.

He first tapped into the "Miscellaneous" section. To his surprise, it was a bizarre collection of the everyday and the absurd. There were wooden brooms, silver spatulas, and even high-end kitchen appliances, all priced in fractions of a point.

"One-tenth of a point for a self-cleaning mop? One-hundredth for a box of premium tissues?" Leo chuckled, shaking his head. "I could buy out the entire inventory of a luxury department store with the change from a single quest. It’s useful, I suppose, if I ever find myself stranded in the Netherlands without a frying pan, but it’s not exactly going to help me reach the top of the Nirvana Ranking."

He moved on to the "Medicine" section, and his amusement quickly turned to a sharp, clinical interest. This wasn't a collection of herbal teas; it was a vault of biochemical and spiritual miracles. There were Healing Pills that could mend a shattered femur in seconds, and Recovery Pills that could instantly replenish a cultivator’s spent Spirit Power.

He saw a vial of Spirit-Backlash Inhibitor—a rare serum used to prevent a metahuman’s core from exploding during an unstable breakthrough—priced at a steep 500 points. But the true masterpiece of the section sat at the very bottom, encased in a pulsing, golden aura.

Item: 【Resurrection Divine Bean】

Description: A miracle of the highest order. So long as the soul has not fully dissipated, this medicine can reconstruct the physical body and pull a life back from the brink of the void.

Price: 50,000 Points.

Leo’s breath caught in his throat. Fifty thousand points—roughly $5 million USD in the system's skewed economy, or the affection of five hundred Goddesses. Even with his 0.1% discount coupon, he couldn't afford it yet. But the knowledge that such a thing existed changed the way he viewed mortality. In a world where Mutated Beasts could erase a city in a single afternoon, having a literal "extra life" was the ultimate security.

Next was the "Spirit Beast" section. In The Grand Dominion, there was a vital distinction between a Mutant Beast and a Spirit Beast. Mutant Beasts were creatures of raw, uncontrollable aggression, warped by the Spirit Revival into predatory monsters. But a Spirit Beast was something different—a creature hatched from a rare egg and bonded to a human master through a Spirit Seal.

The shop offered eggs for everything from a Purple-Feathered Heron to a Three-Legged Golden Crow. Each egg was priced according to its potential Tier, with some of the "God-Tier" eggs costing hundreds of thousands of points.

"A loyal partner that grows with me," Leo mused. "Better than any bodyguard. A Spirit Beast doesn't care about money; it only cares about the bond."

Finally, he clicked on the "High-Tech" tab, and for a moment, he forgot he was in a world of martial arts and ancient Secret Techniques. The screen was filled with weaponry and vehicles that looked like they belonged in a thousand-year future.

He saw Mecha-Arm Gauntlets reinforced with Spirit Ore, Destruction Ray rifles, and personal Energy Screen generators. But the crown jewel of the section was a vehicle that made his $15 million sedan look like a tricycle.

Item: 【Star-Crosser Interceptor - 'Wraith' Class】

Description: A streamlined, obsidian-hulled starfighter capable of near-lightspeed travel and wormhole navigation. Equipped with an S-tier Artificial Intelligence and a twin-linked Purple Thunder Laser array. It possesses its own localized Defense Matrix and can bypass any terrestrial radar.

Price: 1,000,000 Points.

"I could leave the planet," Leo whispered, his eyes wide. "If things get too hot in Forest City, I could literally find a new home in the stars."

He closed the system with a sharp flick of his wrist, the blue light fading. He felt a profound sense of scale. The Spirit Martial Academy was just a small pond. His father’s wealth was just a small pile of gold. The system was showing him a universe where the rules of man were irrelevant.

He lay in the dark, the silent hum of the mansion’s Celestial Spirit Aegis a comforting background noise. Tomorrow was the Awakening Ceremony. Tomorrow, he would stop being a spectator and start being a player.

The next morning, Forest City was bathed in a pale, golden light. The sun rose over the jagged skyline, reflecting off the reinforced glass of the skyscrapers and the shimmering Energy Screen that protected the wealthy districts from the encroaching wilds of the Skyfield Forest.

Inside the halls of the Spirit Martial Academy, the atmosphere was electric, bordering on frantic. This was the most important day in the lives of the senior class—the day they would finally discover if they were destined for glory or mediocrity.

In Class 2-Spirit, the desks were pushed together as students gathered in tight clusters, their voices a cacophony of nervous energy and wild speculation.

"Did you hear? The Military Martial Academy is sending scouts today!" a boy shouted, his face flushed with excitement. "They’re looking for anyone with an A-tier elemental affinity to fast-track into the West Martial Military District!"

"Forget the military," a girl replied, clutching her notebook to her chest. "I just want to awaken a Spirit Shield or some kind of Recovery Pill affinity. I don't need to be a hero; I just want a stable job at the Nirvana Spirit Tower."

"I heard the Top Scholar from Flame City awakened a Triple-S rank fire ability," another student whispered. "If we don't get at least a B-tier today, we’re going to be left in the dust."

The door to the classroom swung open, and the room went momentarily quiet as Leo Shaw walked in.

He looked different today. Even those who didn't know about his Spirit-Forged Body could sense a change. He walked with a new, effortless power, his tailored uniform struggling to contain the lean, dense muscle of his frame. His eyes—boosted by the "Predatory Aura" of the Bertie Bott's Bean he had consumed the night before—held a depth and magnetism that made people instinctively look away, yet feel an irresistible urge to follow him.

Yuna Lynch, who had been sitting quietly at her desk, immediately stood up and waved, a shy, radiant smile on her face. "Leo! Over here!"

Leo offered her a warm, genuine smile—one that made several nearby girls sigh in envy—and made his way toward her.

However, as he walked past the third row, he felt a cold, sharp gaze boring into the side of his head. He didn't need to look to know who it was. Jack Lewis was sitting there, his face a mask of bitter, undisguised hatred.

Jack had spent the entire night in his cramped apartment, staring at a picture of his cousin, Chad Lewis, who had vanished into the Netherlands labor camps. He didn't know exactly what Leo had done, but he knew the Shaw family was behind it. To Jack, Leo was the embodiment of everything wrong with the world—a Rich Kid who bought his way out of trouble and into the hearts of beautiful women.

Just you wait, Shaw, Jack thought, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his desk. The Awakening Ceremony doesn't care about your father’s bank account. It doesn't care about your expensive suits. If I awaken an S-tier talent and you’re just a C-tier failure, I’m going to crush you in the Academy Arena. I’m going to show everyone that you’re nothing but a hollow shell.

Leo paused for a fraction of a second, his "Predatory Aura" sensing the murderous intent radiating off the boy. He turned his head slightly, catching Jack’s eye. Instead of anger or fear, Leo’s expression was one of profound, aristocratic pity.

To Leo, Jack Lewis wasn't a rival. He wasn't even an obstacle. He was a "clown"—a small man with a small soul who believed that a single roll of the genetic dice could change his fundamental lack of character. Leo knew something Jack didn't: power wasn't just about what you were born with; it was about what you were willing to take.

Leo didn't say a word. He simply continued walking, dismissing Jack’s existence with a casualness that was more insulting than a slap.

He reached Yuna’s desk and pulled up a chair. "Morning, Yuna. You look like you didn't sleep a wink. Still worried about the results?"

Yuna bit her lip, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "How can you be so calm, Leo? This is our whole future! My parents are B-tier awakeners, but I’m terrified I’ll only hit a C-tier. If that happens, I won't even be able to get into Clearspring Academy, let alone a top-tier school."

Leo reached out, his hand gently covering hers. His touch was warm and incredibly solid, sending a surge of calm through her. "Trust me, Yuna. You’re more talented than you realize. I have a feeling that today, you’re going to surprise everyone. Including yourself."

He was thinking of his Talent Enhancement ability. Even if Yuna awakened as a C-tier, he could simply spend a few points and turn her into an S-tier. With him by her side, her "destiny" was whatever he decided it would be.

"I hope you're right," Yuna whispered, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. "I just... I want to be able to stand beside you. I don't want to be left behind."

"You won't be," Leo said, his voice dropping into a firm, baritone register. "I promise."

The conversation was interrupted by a sudden, heavy silence that swept across the classroom like a physical wave. The door at the front of the room opened, and May Lewis stepped inside.

If she had looked professional yesterday, today she looked like a goddess of war. She was wearing her formal instructor’s uniform—a high-collared, charcoal-and-crimson suit that accentuated her commanding height and her flawless figure. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a severe, elegant braid, and her obsidian eyes scanned the room with a cold, piercing intensity.

She wasn't just a teacher today; she was the representative of the West Martial Military District, the one who would oversee the transition of these children into warriors.

"Quiet," she said, her voice not loud, yet carrying a resonance that silenced even the most unruly students in the back row.

She walked to the lectern and placed a heavy, metallic case on the surface. It was embossed with the seal of the The Grand Dominion.

"The time for talking is over," May Lewis continued, her gaze lingering on Leo for a split second before sweeping back to the class. "In a few minutes, the Awakening Ceremony will begin. You will be called in groups of five to the Academy Arena, where you will be exposed to a high-density Spirit Air pulse. Your resonance with that pulse will determine your Tier, your element, and your future."

She leaned forward, her hands gripping the edges of the lectern. "Some of you will find that the heavens have blessed you with the power to change the world. Others will find that they are meant for a quieter life. Whatever the result, remember this: in the Metahuman World, the only thing more dangerous than a weak man is a man who doesn't know his own limits."

She opened the case, revealing five shimmering, crystalline orbs—Spirit Ore sensors designed to measure the initial surge of power.

"Class 2-Spirit, get in line," she commanded. "The future is waiting."

Leo stood up, his heart beating with a slow, heavy rhythm. He could feel the Source of Spirit Stones in his core beginning to spin, sensing the impending surge of energy. He looked at May Lewis, who offered him a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

He looked at Yuna, who was pale but determined.

And then he looked out the window, toward the massive Academy Arena in the center of the campus, where the crystalline towers of the Nirvana Spirit Tower reached toward the sky.

The game was over. The legend was beginning.

Leo Shaw stepped into the aisle, his head held high, ready to show The Grand Dominion exactly what happens when the son of a billionaire is given the keys to heaven and hell.