Damien stood atop the grassy rise, the warm sun brushing across his skin as the scent of earth and blood mingled in the breeze. Around him, his newly summoned warriors stood half-clothed, their disciplined stances belying their lack of equipment. He needed to fix that. But first, he had a theory to test.
Raising a hand, he called upon the power of his newly acquired spell: Divine Transmutation. He directed his will toward a nearby patch of land and then toward the mound of bandit corpses he'd buried earlier. With a whisper of power, the earth split open, revealing ten of the fallen. Buzzards had only picked apart some; the rest were still intact.
His mind focused. He needed mounts—powerful warhorses capable of enduring long journeys and battle alike. With one hand pointed toward the corpses and the other at an empty clearing, Damien activated the spell. His arms glowed with an ethereal blend of violet and gold light, his will channeling through the air like a storm building before a strike.
The bodies shimmered, then disintegrated into golden particles, vanishing from the world.
In their place, five massive horses burst into existence. Each was a different color—midnight black, snow white, ash gray, deep mahogany, and flame-red chestnut. Their muscular frames stood over seven feet tall at the shoulder, veins pulsing with life, and they carried sleek saddles outfitted with gear straps, harnesses, and leather satchels. Damien's breath caught—he had created warhorses fit for kings.
And yet, he wasn't done.
Approaching the white stallion, Damien extended his hand and activated his second new ability: Skill Imbue. Golden and violet energy danced across the animal's body, forming a glowing glyph in the air before him.
> – MOUNT STATUS –
Name: Damien's Warhorse
Attribute: Wind
Skills:
• Wind Barrier – Deflects arrows; minor protection in close combat.
• Endurance +50% – Can travel 500 miles a day with minimal rest or sustenance.
• Fearless Mount – Unshakable loyalty to its rider, prioritizes rider's safety at all costs.
He grinned. With that kind of mobility and reliability, the mounts were more than animals—they were strategic assets.
He repeated the process with the remaining four horses, each gaining similar traits. The divine energy humming in the air felt almost sacred, as if he were weaving divinity into flesh itself.
"System," Damien said aloud, curiosity biting at his thoughts. "Where did the saddlebags and tack come from?"
> [[They were created from the leather armor still present on the corpses. All materials available at the time of transmutation are used unless the Host specifies otherwise.]]
He raised a brow, impressed. That meant the potential combinations of creation were limited only by imagination and raw material. He could transmute just the organic portions—or everything. Good to know.
But he needed more.
Damien crouched, placing both palms on the soil. He summoned his Earth Magic, diving deep beneath the surface in search of precious ore. He could sense it—veins of iron hidden beneath layers of stone. Drawing on his core, he began pulling the ore upward. The strain was tremendous; his mana core protested, and he had to stop multiple times to rest.
After five hours and six rests, he finally succeeded. A mountain of dark stone, glittering with veins of iron and hidden gems, erupted from the ground, towering nearly twenty feet tall. He sat down, exhausted and drenched in sweat, munching on fruit while sipping magically conjured water. He could already feel his mana core evolving—he must've leveled up again. That gave him hope.
Once replenished, Damien used his magic to separate the ore and precious stones into two piles. Iron, magnesium traces, diamonds, rubies—the earth had provided more than he expected. With these, he could create armor leagues beyond what existed in this world.
"System, I need templates and body measurements for everyone I name."
> [[Confirmed. At current Hero Level, the Host may access and fabricate advanced armor and weapon templates. Templates uploading now…]]
A brief pulse hit Damien's mind. Suddenly, he knew how to craft dozens of armor styles, blade schematics, and even intricate weapon designs. It was as if he'd spent a decade in an artisan's forge.
He got to work.
"Everyone, line up. Ranged troops on my left."
The nine recruits saluted with precision, fists over their hearts, and snapped into position. Damien approached the first—Commander Dulan, a copper-skinned man with sharp eyes and shoulder-length curly hair. Damien raised his hand, focusing on the black-and-green assassin-style template with reinforced magnesium alloy.
Dulan was bathed in golden light. When it faded, he was fully armored in sleek leather layered with shimmering metal that reflected the sun. An alloy-plated hood and half-mask gave him a ghostly presence, and his bracers featured a retractable wrist crossbow. A silver "C," encased in diamond, shimmered on his chest to mark his rank.
His arsenal: a composite bow, two long daggers, a thigh quiver of 100 arrows, and a boot-knife. He looked like a wraith sculpted for war.
Next came the two Hunters. Damien gave them long padded leather jackets down to their knees, alloy-lined boots, flexible greaves, and the same composite bows with quivers. Light, mobile, deadly.
Then came the Archer, similarly outfitted to Dulan but without pauldrons. A silver bow with two arrows crossed his chest to signify his elevated status.
Damien paused to recover his mana, resting for half an hour before continuing.
The melee units were next.
Commander Bartus stepped forward—nearly seven feet tall, golden-haired, and built like a siege wall. Damien gave him full-body alloy plate armor, inch-and-a-half thick, with emerald-encrusted emblems: a green shield overlaid by a ruby sword. His greatsword gleamed like polished obsidian with an emerald pommel. He also bore a longsword, short sword, crossbow bracer, and dagger.
The Two Fighters received silver alloy plate chest armor with engraved swords across the chest, chainmail underlayers, spiked alloy knuckle gloves, and standard swords with shields.
The Knight bore dark green plate armor adorned with an engraved horse's head on the breastplate. A broad sword strapped to his back, a short sword, and dagger completed his ensemble.
Finally, the Novice Mage, Attis, stepped forward.
He looked almost comically small among the armored titans. Fair-skinned, black-haired, and barely five-foot-seven, he stood awkwardly, unsure how to salute.
Damien chuckled. "Attis, come here."
Attis jogged forward, trying to act serious but stumbling over a root.
For him, Damien transmuted a chainmail-lined black robe with green embroidery, a golden open-book insignia on the chest. His mage staff was a blend of wood and alloy, topped with a cage-like design encasing a shimmering red gemstone created from fused rubies and diamonds.
For himself, Damien forged a similar staff—only the orb was larger, multicolored, and exposed like a celestial jewel. His robe bore no insignia, only elemental patterns stitched in fine threads of his magic's hue.
He stood before his assembled troops, each one now a symbol of power and precision.
From scattered survivors to a disciplined force in less than a day.
And this… was only the beginning.
He motioned to Attis. "Come here."
"Yes, Master Archmage," the teen said, saluting.
"What's your attribute?"
"Fire, sir. I've mastered Fire Bolt, Mana Bolt, and Mana Shield. I don't have any combat skills—mages usually don't."
"Not anymore."
Damien used Divine Skill Imbue, enhancing Attis with Water as a secondary attribute and two new skills. A glowing screen appeared:
---
Status – Attis
Rank: Adept Mage (R2, T1)
Attributes: Fire, Water
Spells:
• Mana Bolt (Max)
• Mana Shield (Max)
• Fire Bolt (T3, R1)
• Water Shot (T1, R1)
• Mana Recovery (T1, R1)
• Arcane Tethering (New)
---
Attis blinked. "Master Archmage, I feel like my power doubled…"
"Your mana pool increased. You now feel elements better and can recover faster. But we're not done."
Damien instructed him to meditate. Then, with his hands outstretched, he used Arcane Enhancement and Divine Healing—simultaneously. His mana poured into Attis' body as he manually shaped his mana pool into a glowing orb.
After thirty draining minutes, it was done. Attis opened his eyes, astonished.
> [Arcane Tethering and Arcane Enhancement spells created. You are a pioneer of Damascus. Awarded: 10,000 Divine Points.]
> [Global Notification: All beings of Damascus, rejoice. The Archmage Damien has achieved legendary spellcraft. The Creator smiles upon his name. Bow or despair.]
Damien stared in shock.
"WHAT! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
---
📜 Damien Sorlen – Updated Status
Rank: Master Archmage (R3, T1)
Hero Level: 2
Divine Points: 10,020
System Skills: Divine Transmutation (Max), Divine Imbue (2 Skills/2 Attributes), Arcane Tethering, Arcane Enhancement
Magic Masteries: Earth (R5), Air (R3), Water (R2), Fire (R1), Life (R2), Arcane (R7)
Boons: Touched by the Arcane Divine, Wonderous Elemental Archmage
Titles: Archmage (+5% spell dmg, -50% elemental dmg taken)
New Feature Unlocked: Kingdom Building
---
Damien turned back toward Selene in shock. He had created a small army, equipped them, and altered the very rules of magic on this planet.
He was the variable. The harbinger. The divine outlier.
And now the world knew his name.