---
The forest stood quiet in the aftermath of Yuki's battle with the Gloomhorn Revenant. Mist danced gently through the air, curling around pale leaves and glowing stones, like the Hollow itself was breathing in relief.
But inside Yuki… something stirred.
> **\[Mindforge Core] – Initiating Soulspace Stabilization.**
>
> Warning: Incomplete Anchor. Temporal Drift Imminent.
Before he could react, the world twisted.
The ground beneath him faded into starlit blackness, the trees and wind replaced by a vast, endless chamber of floating obsidian fragments and drifting strands of golden light. His body felt both present and insubstantial.
Yuki was no longer in the forest.
He was inside himself.
---
The space was strange. Abstract. Ethereal. The core of his being—a pulsing ember at the center of an ever-turning forge. It resembled a beating heart of fire and mist, cradled by spiraling chains of pale crystal.
> **Welcome to the Inner Forge.**
> **\[Mindforge Core] – Phase 1 Synchronization: Initiated.**
Suddenly, voices—his own, but fractured—echoed from the shifting shards around him.
"You are no dragon. You are a *thing* wearing scales."
"Did you forget the screams as you burned the beast alive?"
"You stole power, and you think it *earned* you strength?"
Each voice carried weight—emotional projections of fear, doubt, and guilt. Not foreign, but familiar. Memories. Echoes. Remnants from his human life, now distorted.
Yuki growled lowly.
These weren't just illusions. They were mental bindings—obstacles that threatened to slow his evolution.
And if he wanted to wield the Mindforge Core fully, he had to face them.
---
The first fragment pulsed, showing a memory: A battlefield of his former world—human corpses strewn in ashes, a dragon's breath searing the sky.
It wasn't real.
It was *symbolic*—his fear of losing control.
Yuki spread his wings and struck it with a burst of **Phoenix Pulse**-infused spirit fire. The image shattered, leaving only silence and a glowing rune drifting toward the core.
> **Emotional Fragment Cleansed. +1 Synchronization**
Another shard spun toward him, this time whispering the names of people he couldn't protect—family? Friends? He couldn't remember clearly anymore. But the ache remained.
This time, he didn't burn it.
He let the flame in his chest warm it.
*Acknowledgment. Not denial.*
The fragment dissolved gently, feeding into the central forge.
> **+1 Synchronization. Empathic Thread Formed.**
A third test followed—a vision of the daggerfang matron, its body torn by his claws, but staring back with intelligence. Was it right to call such creatures monsters? Or had he simply become one?
This time, he gave no answer.
He let **Draconic Roar** resound—not in fury, but as a declaration of self. Not man. Not beast. Something *becoming*.
The last echo vanished.
The forge pulsed. Then—
> **\[Mindforge Core] – Stabilized. Mental Fortitude Increased.**
>
> You have unlocked the skill: **Cognitive Shell (Lv.1)**
>
> > Grants resistance to mental interference, illusions, and soul-piercing attacks.
> > Enables partial awareness and willpower-based actions during unconscious or soul-drained states.
Yuki exhaled, though breath wasn't needed here. The Inner Forge dimmed, threads of light curling inward as the obsidian fragments faded.
His eyes opened.
---
He was back in the Hollow.
His body hadn't moved, though the glowing symbols around his scales were new—thin, silver runes that shimmered like soulsteel.
The forest's tone had changed too. Where it was once defensive and heavy, now it was… curious. *Respectful*.
Even the wind felt lighter.
> **Title Gained: \[Awakened Soulwalker]**
>
> > Awarded for stabilizing a Core of Consciousness before spirit contract.
> > Slightly enhances interactions with soul-bound creatures. Unlocks potential for Mental Constructs in future evolutions.
Yuki's tail curled beneath him as he lowered his stance.
So that was the Mindforge.
Not a weapon.
*A mirror.*
And in mastering its reflection, he had taken the first step toward shaping his will into power.
---