THE GOD OF MISFORTUNE
Chapter 6: (CH5)THE ASCENDANT REALM

Chapter 6: (CH5)THE ASCENDANT REALM

Luis was halfway through a sad microwave burrito when reality ripped open around him.

One moment, he was in his apartment. The next, the air warped and—

FWOOOM.

He stood in an endless white void. Everything was silent, still, and impossibly vast.

Then came the voice, deep and thunderous, like a collapsing star.

"HOST LUIS MENDOZA."

Luis looked up.

And kept looking.

The being before him stood as tall as a skyscraper. Six wings hovered around its body, made of floating, shifting geometric shapes instead of feathers. Its face was a mosaic of light, constantly changing, never the same for more than a second.

"WELCOME TO THE ASCENDANT REALM," it declared. "HERE, YOU WILL CHOOSE."

The void around them twisted and shifted. A wide circle formed, filled with statues—hundreds of them. Each one represented a different warrior. Some were clad in futuristic armor, others wielded massive weapons or staffs glowing with power. A few weren’t even human. Below each statue, a plaque glowed with a title:

[DRAGON SLAYER][VOID ASSASSIN][STORM LORD][WILD RIDER][SHADOWBREAKER]

Luis’s head spun. "What... is this?"

Zyx appeared beside him, unusually quiet. "Class Selection. Every Host gets one."

The booming voice echoed again.

"YOUR CHOICE SHAPES YOUR PATH. YOUR PATH SHAPES YOUR POWER. CHOOSE WISELY."

Luis swallowed hard. "I have to choose now?"

"YOUR TIME IS LIMITED."

Zyx snapped back into his usual self, pointing in every direction. "Okay, that one with the fire sword? Sunreaver. Great for countering Valen’s frost builds. Or Soulbane Executioner—tons of debuffs, works great with my misfortune aura. Maybe even—"

Luis didn’t answer. He wandered among the statues, walking past the obvious powerhouses. The ones with glowing swords, swirling spells, thunderous armor. Then, something else caught his eye.

One figure sat kneeling beside a half-dismantled machine. It wore a grease-streaked jacket and had tools hanging from its belt. No dramatic pose. No glowing aura.

Just focus.

[ENGINEER]

Zyx groaned like he’d just stubbed his soul. "Seriously?"

Luis studied the statue. "What’s wrong with Engineer?"

"It’s support," Zyx muttered. "You don’t win bloodsports by fixing things."

The voice returned, louder than ever.

"DO YOU CHOOSE THE PATH OF THE ENGINEER?"

Luis hesitated. Everything about this choice felt weirdly right.

"Yes."

The statue moved. It reached out and grabbed his wrist. Instantly, blue fire surged up his arm. His mind lit up with knowledge—schematics, equations, construction techniques, celestial alloys. He staggered from the flood of information.

"CLASS SELECTED."

The void collapsed.

Luis gasped and stumbled back into his apartment, the scent of ozone thick in the air. His hands tingled with a strange energy, and he knew—without knowing how—that something inside him had changed.

Zyx was hovering nearby, staring in disbelief. "Unbelievable. You chose the one class that turns you into a galactic handyman."

Luis smiled a little. "I can make things now."

"You can die now," Zyx shot back. "Let’s see what trash-tier perks we got."

A glowing menu popped into view:

[CLASS: ENGINEER – LEVEL 1]

Active Skill 1: Soul Forge"The Engineer sees what others cannot—the lingering essence of the fallen."Allows the extraction of Monster Souls from defeated foes (Iron-class and above).Souls can be used to craft or upgrade equipment.

Active Skill 2: Divine Blueprint"From raw essence, creation blooms."Consumes Monster Souls to forge weapons, armor, and accessories.Gear quality depends on soul tier.

Gear Rarity Tiers:

Scrap Gear (Level 1): Basic gear, low-level special effects

Forged Gear (Level 2): Minor stat boosts, moderate effects

Enchanted Gear (Level 3): One random attribute (e.g., fire resistance), high effects

Celestial Gear (Level 4): Significant power spike, unique effects

Divine Artifact (Level 5): Legendary-tier, game-changing power

Passive Skill: Hammer Modem"The right tool makes all the difference."+25% damage with hammer/blunt weapons10% chance to stagger enemies with hammer strikes

Zyx squinted at the interface. "So instead of picking something cool like a lightning god-killer, you picked... a wrench-wielder."

Luis picked up a nearby wrench, feeling its weight in his hand. "Hey. +25% damage."

A new objective lit up:

[NEW OBJECTIVE: GATHER SOULS][RECOMMENDED TARGET: IRON-CLASS MONSTERS]

In the distance, a monster roared. The windows shook slightly.

Zyx floated toward the door. "Fine. Let’s go farm some souls. But if we die because you wanted to play crafting simulator, I’m haunting you until the sun burns out."

Luis smiled and shouldered the wrench.

"Let’s build something dangerous."