The mist swirled around the obsidian table. The ghostly projections of Damien's vassals sat in silence, looking at the floating images in the center of the room.

The Rat King Core, pulsing abyss mana. The heavy, rusted coils of Abyss Iron Chains.

"Indeed the abyss holds quite the uniqe amount of materials," Damien said, his spectral fingers tapping the table.

"This core alone seems to posses many times the amount of mana a regular tier 6 core on the surface can hold, And the Abyss Iron? It's dense enough to withstand incredible ammounts of pressure."

He looked around the table.

Alfred was a butler and assassin. Lyra was a more of a mage. Leona was a warrior. Barnaby was a merchant. Cipher was an information broker. Isabelle was a maid.

"To be honest I had long wanted to give hepheastus a contract gem," Damien sighed.

"However, I never found the right time with all the chaos."

He looked at the empty chair to his left. It was the only seat at the table that remained vacant.

He looked at Alfred.

"However, Now It's time he became family."

"System," he commanded inwardly.

"I need to send a physical Contract Gem to the Surface. Materialize it here, in the mental space, and transfer it to a Alfred."

[System Alert]

[Action Requires High Energy Cost.]

[Materializing a Soul Object across Dimensions violates the spatial laws of the Abyss.] [Cost: 50,000 DP.]

The number was staggering. 50,000 DP for the former Damien this would be a lot.

However the current Damien didn't blink.

"Pay it."

BOOM.

The grey mist in the center of the Roundtable swirled violently. Gold and violet lightning crackled, tearing a hole in the mental projection.

Reality was being overwritten by brute force.

Slowly, a physical object solidified on the obsidian table.

It was a Contract Gem. It glowed with a heavy, rhythmic pulse, feeling far more "real" than the ghostly avatars of the vassals.

"Alfred," Damien slid the glowing gem across the table.

"You possess [Spatial Manipulation]. You are the only one who can carry this without destabilizing the transfer."

Alfred stood up. His spectral form looked solemn.

"Take this to Ironforge," Damien ordered. "Give it to Hephaestus. Tell him t=about the in and out."

Alfred reached out.

As his ghostly hand touched the physical gem, a blinding light filled the room.

[System Notification: Item Transferred.] [Recipient: Alfred.]

And with that, Alfred's avatar flickered and vanished from the Roundtable.

….......…..

[Location: The Eastern Wastelands – Physical World]

Alfred gasped, his eyes snapping open.

He was standing in the middle of a scorched crater in the Wastelands. The wind howled, carrying ash.

He looked down at his hand.

Resting in his palm, warm and pulsing, was the blue gem. It had traveled from the Abyss, through a dream, into reality.

"The Young Master," Alfred adjusted his glasses, a rare smile touching his lips.

"Always dramatic."

He didn't waste time and activated his spatial magic.

[Space Art: Long-Range Warp].

Fortunately he had only reached the border of the Eastern lands and was not affected by the anti magic field yet

Smirking slightly with the gem in hand, he vanished.

…..........….

[Location: The Royal Workshop – Ironforge City]

[Time: Midnight]

The workshop smelled of oil and ozone.

Prince Hephaestus sat at his workbench, surrounded by blueprints.

He looked exhausted. His beard was unkempt, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Sales are up 200%," he muttered, tossing a report into the trash.

"Phantom Type-1 is a success and the Council is happy."

He picked up a wrench and threw it across the room.

CLANG.

"It's boring!" Hephaestus groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Mass production. Efficiency. Safety regulations. I'm not a damn assembly line! I'm an Artificer!"

He looked at the prototype on his desk, a safe, reliable mining droid.

"I want to build something... impossible."

"Then perhaps," a voice spoke from the shadows,

"you should work for a man who specializes in the impossible."

Hephaestus jumped, grabbing a welding torch as a weapon.

"Who's there?!"

Alfred stepped out of the shadows. He dusted off his suit, looking impeccable despite the sudden arrival.

"Mr. Alfred?" Hephaestus lowered the torch. "I thought you went to the East."

"Indeed," Alfred said smoothly, walking to the workbench. "However im back now."

He placed the blue gem on the table. It hummed, vibrating the tools around it.

"The Young Master is currently conquering the Abyss, and he currently needs your help."

Hephaestus's eyes widened. " My help? How? I can't go to the Abyss?"

"Inded you can't go" Alfred corrected.

"However, it doesn't mean that things can't come to you?"

"In the abyss he has found materials that are much greater than what is on the surface"

Alfred leaned in.

"And to use these materials he needs your help."

He pointed to the gem.

"In exchange for total commitment. You'll get to build his armory, and he'll give you the materials to forge legends."

Hephaestus looked at the gem. He looked at the boring mining droid blueprints on his desk.

He remembered how many times, Damien had helped him and the dwarves in the past and even the most recent war.

What kind of person would he be if he couldn't help back now that the opptunity had arrived

Plus the thought of crafting legendary artifacts was too much for a plus for him.

"Legends..." Hephaestus whispered.

Without much hesitation, he took the gem from Alfreds hand and swallowed it.

In an insant, his consiousness was then pulled to a strange place

….....................

[Location: The Roundtable of the Greedy King]

ZZZT.

The empty chair to Damien's left solidified.

Hephaestus appeared. He looked around the misty void, his eyes wide with wonder. He looked at Lyra, Leona, and the map of the world.

Then he looked at Damien.

[System Notification: New Vassal Acquired.]

[Name: Hephaestus (The Artificer Prince)]

[New Shared Ability: Mana Forging / Soul Blueprint.]

"You..." Hephaestus grinned, a manic energy returning to his face.

"You really know how to make an entrance, boss."

"Welcome to the family, Prince," Damien said, his voice warm.

He waved his hand. The projection of the Rat King Core and the Abyss Iron Chains floated toward the smith.

"I need armor," Damien said.

Hephaestus looked at the materials. His spectral eyes began to glow with the same blue light as his blueprints.

"Abyss Iron..." Hephaestus murmured, already mentally disassembling the chains.

"And this core..."

He looked up at Damien, cracking his knuckles.

"Give me one day! I'll give you something amazing!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.