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The Forge Lord.

Bab 1: Prologue: The Forge Lord

What kind of day do you like?

Personally, I love sunny summer days—the feeling of the breeze cooling you down, the joy in the atmosphere. No freezing in my balls...

Aaah~, it's such a wonderful time.

The sky is clear, and the light blue canvas of it has always been something I wished to soar through. I've never traveled, by the way, nor have I left my country.

Not that I'm missing too much. I live in Argentina, the best country in the world, and in my province, Santa Fe, we often boast that we have the most beautiful women in the world.

Ah, women—the downfall of men. The creatures that brought beauty into the chaos of life, and the reason why I'm lying here, staring up at the sky. I was just shot recently. Crazy, right? Well, I saw a girl being robbed by some thugs on a bike, and I decided to jump in. I thought my years as an amateur boxer would come in handy.

You see, the funny thing about doing things in real life outside the fantasy that we might have in our heads is that reality is a cruel and merciless bitch. No matter how big, strong, and skilled you may be in Muay Thai, boxing, and other martial arts, it's nothing against a nine millimeter.

Sadly, you don't bring bare hands to a fight with guns. The two impacts on my chest can testify to that. As the blood soaked through my clothes and the world around me began to darken, I couldn't help but reflect on the irony of it all.

It's funny how death never aligns with the grand, heroic images we conjure in our minds. I often find myself thinking it would be a pretty boring and normal death, but one filled with love and happiness, surrounded by my most cherished ones by my side. Other times, mostly influenced by amazing songs playing in the background, I imagined myself fighting a war somewhere.

Yet, I couldn't have expected that one of the scenarios I often thought of would really come into reality. Lying on the cement floor, I felt warmth draining away from me while the beating of my heart resounded like thunder in my ears. The blue sky with a few clouds was all I could see, while the summer sun from Rosario—the city I was from—bathed my agonizing body.

The only redeeming thing was that the one I managed to punch was knocked out, probably with a broken jaw too. My knuckles hurt a little bit. The thugs were scared off by the shots and left the woman in peace. Some might criticize my actions, but I'd like to think I had a good death. I did something right, even if it wasn't the grand, glorious end I might have wanted.

It was then, while I was staring at the vast sky, that I felt my vision slowly darken. The earplugs in my ears were singing a melody that seemed oddly out of place for my final moments.

"Young man, there's no need to feel down

I said: Young man! Pick yourself off the ground

I said: Young man! 'Cause you're in a new town

There's no need to be unhappy..."

Sometimes life doesn't give you a fitting soundtrack for the stages you're going through. As the melody played on, I could hear the distant cries of the woman I tried to save, her beautiful accent cutting through the haze of my fading consciousness.

Damn, her situation must suck. Imagine getting robbed, and the person trying to help you gets shot.

"Ay Dios! A-a-aguanta y-y quedate t-tranquilo, ya llamé a la policía!" Her voice was filled with desperation, but I could barely make out the words. Her face appeared before me, her green eyes glistening with tears. For a fleeting moment, I thought, 'Damn, she's pretty. I would have liked to get her number,' while a smile appeared on my face.

A hideous one, from what I can see, as the woman looked even more disturbed and pulled her head back shakily. I felt my vision slowly darkening while my whole body longed to close my eyes and drift to sleep.

My last moments were a jumble of fading colors and distant sounds. I thought maybe I'd get to see more of the world, experience more. But then, everything faded to black. The last thing I heard was a jovial and great bridge, "...It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A..."

'Oh yeah, I'm sure it is...'

And then, nothingness. I didn't feel time passing, nor anything else. It was like those times you put your head on the bed and wake up the next day automatically.

Yet the only thing that happened after an unknown time was seeing lights and a white roof; I guess I was taken to a hospital. But the last image I remember was something really weird.

I saw this guy who could only be described as a handsome man who looked like a chad. He had long black hair, a square face, and black onyx eyes. The man just smiled at me, and then it all went into darkness.

That was the last thing I saw from Earth.

---<●>---

An olive and opaque sky.

Confused and alert, Gino's eyes opened wide, gasping for breath as if he'd been drowning, while he looked with surprise and confusion at the heavy and gloomy sky framed by several worn-out structures and buildings. Out of the corner of his eye, he managed to see, if his judgment wasn't failing him, skyscrapers of disproportionate heights and illogical design that seemed to penetrate and blend into the sky. Completely defying gravity.

Puzzled by the situation, Gino placed his hands to his sides and with difficulty, sat up while his stiff and numb body responded slowly. His eyes focused more clearly on his surroundings. Strangely, Gino observed the mix of architectures in the buildings that had a familiar touch but were also strange and foreign.

'Just what in the world?...' He thought to himself.

Windows akin to those built in the old times of chapels and monasteries. Facades and decorations with a certain grandeur and splendor that spoke of the brilliance this place probably once had.

With some agitation and disoriented by his current situation, Gino took small, hesitant steps and then leaned against a wall as he walked toward a narrow alley between the tall buildings around him, from which a certain draft came, and his eyes managed to make out something that caught his attention.

Almost dazed, he paid little attention to his senses as he advanced for a few meters until the walls of the buildings gave way, revealing a structure that took his breath away and left him unable to react.

Rising like a colossus, an artificial mountain made of a mix of many styles, and thousands of buildings around it, stood imposingly across several clearly detailed levels. As the bulk of the structure became narrower as it disappeared into the olive/golden clouds, Gino's vision could not see beyond.

Straining his eyes to see more details of the mishmash of buildings put together and the bridges between them like a webway, he could make out figures walking between them, but the distance was ridiculous.

While staring at the colossal building, Gino was left speechless as he witnessed aircrafts moving through the sky of this vibrant but ugly city. Each one had a bulky, ugly, and industrial design as they cut through the landfilled skies of towers and buildings, bending almost perfectly within the olive hue of the ambiance.

His vision then blurred, and while in his confusion, the whispers of the winds reached his ears. As if his sense of hearing was slowly returning, he began to hear more and more. His surroundings were alive, an incessant hammering and industrial noise thundered with resounding echoes, while the propulsion of those spacecraft seemed to tear the sky apart.

Stunned by the overwhelming amount of sudden information, Gino gulped down his dry throat as he supported himself against the wall on his right closing his eyes and trying to calm down, yet a sudden chime broke through his efforts. A sharp, clear *DING* that seemed to echo inside his skull, reverberating through his bones.

[> Initiating the Forge System<]

[> ...5%....10%.....25%....50%.....69%....99%....]

[System is online and ready to launch]

Gino blinked, trying to focus, but the words weren't just on a screen—they were seared into his mind, as if they were being whispered directly into his consciousness. His heart pounded. What was this? The letters glowed with a ghostly light, vivid yet intangible. He reached out instinctively, but his hands passed through empty air.

**————<...INITIATING SYSTEM, PLEASE WAIT...>————**

He felt a strange warmth spreading from the back of his neck down his spine. It was an unnatural, almost invasive sensation, like something foreign was digging its way into his nervous system. His head spun, flashes of long-forgotten memories flickering at the edges of his vision. Images of vast starships, massive fleets, battles fought in the cold vacuum of space—a history he didn't know, yet felt achingly familiar.

**○<Sequence 000069>○**

**○....<Launching tutorial>....○**

Suddenly, a smooth, modulated voice—calm, almost serene—spoke directly to him, bypassing his ears and vibrating straight into his thoughts.

●[Welcome to duty, My Lord. It is my greatest joy and pleasure to inform you that the Forge System has chosen you as the new Forge Lord.]

Gino staggered to his feet, bewildered, adrenaline surging. He looked around, half expecting to see someone, anyone, but there was only the empty alleyway filled with trash, filth, rust, and the distant hum of ancient machinery. The voice wasn't coming from around him. It was inside his mind, embedded in him like a second heartbeat.

————[Forge System]————

A cascading series of screens and symbols unfolded in his mind's eye, like a terminal window bleeding into his thoughts. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed anymore—it was as if the lines between reality and this strange, digital world had blurred.

◇~[Template: Warhammer 40,000]~◇

•Faction: <Imperium of Mankind> [Locked]

•User stats: <Gino Domenico Salerni — 19 — Terran Human, psychic mutant (Homo Sapiens Sapiens)> <Title: The Forge Lord> <Level: 1 — 0/100 XP>

•Map: <Regional Map> <World Map><Galactic Map>

•Inventory: <Tap to enter>

•{Reputation} <0 — ?> {Renown} <Who?>

•Fleet size: <0>

The information flooded him, almost too much to process at once. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of the system's words, the symbols and stats displaying his identity in a way that felt disturbingly clinical. 'Forge Lord'? 'Psychic mutant'? 'Warhammer 40,000'? None of this made sense—he was shot and then he was here. But the data felt undeniable, solid in a way that made him shiver.

●[In this window, you'll find general information regarding your abilities and possessions, alongside a brief glance at how individuals in the Milky Way view you.]

Gino's breathing steadied. The voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of authority—a sense that this was not just a tool, but a directive. Calling him for action.

————[Forge System]————

■ Missions-Events: [Complete the tutorial to receive the starter pack]

■ Trade Routes: –

■ Economy: <Hive rat> <Null> <Base: None>

■ Fleet: [Civilian] — [Military]

•<Tiers> = •<Tiers>

|I to IV| = |I to IV|

(0) = (0)

The interface was intuitive, responding to his thoughts as if he'd been using it all his life. He could feel it waiting—waiting for him to make a choice, to take the first step. A sense of weight settled on his shoulders, a responsibility he didn't understand but knew he couldn't ignore. He began to answer questions as more of his mind seemed to comprehend what was in front of him.

■ Options:

• Ship/Fleet customization: <Tap here to customize your ships>

• Blueprints: <Tap here to overview the blueprints of ships>

• Upgrade Paths: <Improve your already existing ships>

●[This window provides an overview of the current capabilities of the system and what it can offer you. The Forge System allows you to exchange 30% of all the required raw materials for the ships, platforms, aircrafts and stations you're going to be obtaining and those you unlock along the path as you level up and complete quests. All this while acquiring the technology of the Imperium of Mankind in its zenith.]

He stared at the pages in front of him with disbelief and shock, reminding himself to keep his cool and hear whatever this thing was telling him.

●[You'll be gaining experience points while doing missions, jobs, events, completing milestones, waging wars, and all things that require you to interact with the galaxy and change the wheel of fate, enabling you to unlock more powerful vessels and mediums to make your name as the Forge Lord resound throughout the galaxy.]

With a lost and bewildered look, Gino's dry lips opened and closed as they trembled, while his mind finally processed and replayed what was in front of him.

His eyes, which had seemed to fail him moments before, were now wide with red veins, as he stared in terror at the same title.

◇[Template: Warhammer 40,000]◇

Feeling strong perspiration and a cold sweat running through his body, he shouted out in a scandalized and hysterical manner, 'WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?'

For him, it seems like his last good deed on Earth was his ticket straight towards the most dreadful nightmare, towards hell.