Lorn woke before the Common Quarters alarm, fueled not by rest, but by the relentless energy of the Eternal Core. His new status had bought him one invaluable luxury: Time and Exposure. Exempted from the Common Quarters labor, he was now free to use the empty morning hours for open training.
He walked out into the central compound of Vorg just as the sulfurous light of dawn began to seep over the walls. The air was cold. The only other people stirring were the perimeter guards and a few high-rank personnel moving between the fortified buildings.
Lorn was weak, but he was no longer hiding. He found a secluded patch of gravel near the barracks and began to move, silently pushing Aether-Flow into his mobility skills.
He initiated Runner's Break—the efficient, low-to-the-ground sprint copied from Eiara. He ran fifty yards and stopped abruptly, forcing his mastery level to stabilize. He then practiced Ruin Tread, silently gliding over the uneven ground, focusing on foot placement and balance.
His muscles burned, but the Eternal Core immediately began the repair and integration process, accelerating the skill mastery far beyond what any normal Tier Zero could achieve.
[SKILL MASTERY LEVEL INCREASED: RUNNER'S BREAK (E-RANK) 12% ]
[SKILL MASTERY LEVEL INCREASED: RUIN TREAD (E-RANK) 13% ]
He turned his focus to the F-Rank Spark. He held his hand out, channeling the basic electrical energy, trying to replicate Rath's tight, focused discharge. It sputtered, failed, and then finally coalesced into a faint, sickly green glow—his first truly offensive act of Aether-Flow manipulation.
Lorn's agreement meant he couldn't scavenge, but he could observe. He spent the middle of the day watching the village function, trying to define the hierarchy of the Organization that now controlled his life.
The village was essentially a fortress run by three distinct groups, all wearing the Organization's three-pronged flame crest:
1. Gate Guards (Clork's Crew): Focused on perimeter defense, low-rank enforcement, and punishing Tier Zeros. Their skills seemed focused on physical strength and basic Aether-Flow bracing.
2. Resource Corps (Vera's Crew): Higher-ranked personnel focused on processing Aetherite and metal, coordinating patrols, and tracking resource output. They seemed to possess more technical and analytical skills.
3. The Patrols (Eiara's Crew): Skilled combatants who took the greatest risks outside the barrier. Their Tier levels were visibly higher, evidenced by the steady, healthy blue glow of the Aether-Flow they wore as armor or channeled into their weapons.
Lorn's gaze settled on a pair of mechanics near the barrier generator, who were systematically repairing a damaged wire using highly specialized tools. Their movements were precise, efficient, and imbued with quiet power.
The Omni-Mimicry system, ever hungry, responded immediately to their technical finesse:
[SKILL ACQUIRED: AETHER-WELD (F-RANK)]
Source: Observed systematic fusion and repair technique using focused Aether-Flow by Organization Technicians.
> Description: A delicate utility skill that uses focused Aether-Flow to temporarily fuse or repair metal and ceramic materials. Useful for quick field repairs.
> Mastery Level: 10%
Lorn's newfound liberty brought him into direct contact with the one person who knew his origin was suspicious, Eiara Vana.
She found him later that afternoon near the ruined fuel depot, checking her crude rifle. She didn't approach him openly; she simply appeared, leaning against a rusted barrel, her eyes—tired but shrewd—fixed on him.
"You got guts, Trench-Rat," she said, her voice low. "Or maybe you're just stupid."
"I secured resources for the village," Lorn replied, his composure unwavering. "And I survived Clork. That's not stupid."
"You bargained with Vera," Eiara countered, loading a fresh magazine with practiced speed. "Vera is second only to the Commander here. She is a loyal dog of the Organization. She didn't buy your life, Lorn Cairn. She bought your future debt."
She pushed off the barrel, taking a few steps closer. "I told them you were an amnesiac. A blank slate. Now you've shown intelligence, ambition, and the luck to find high-grade Aetherite. You're now a variable in the equation, and variables are eliminated."
Lorn realized she wasn't threatening him; she was providing an urgent warning, born from the bitter experience of her own failed nobility.
"What is the Organization's price?" Lorn asked.
Eiara paused, scanning the horizon for distant threats—a deeply ingrained habit. "The Organization has one goal: The Citadel Project. They need Aetherite to build the new center of power in this region. You are now their most promising, and most disposable, scavenger."
"They sent you on a failed mission," Lorn pointed out. "Why are you here? You're a noble."
Eiara's composure shattered for a microsecond, the revelation of her last name hitting its mark. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"How?" she hissed. "I'm here because I'm paying a debt I can never repay. My name is cursed. Keep it out of your mouth, or I'll gut you before Vera even gets a chance."
She turned and stalked away, leaving Lorn with a deep understanding: The Organization was desperate, Vera was ruthless, and Eiara was a caged weapon who held the key to his understanding of the world's power structure.
Lorn was no longer scavenging metal. He was scavenging secrets and the high-Tier skills of a fallen noble. His exposure was a danger, but it was also the fastest path to ascension.
To be continued...