The sound of children playing outside is something in which lustron had become accustomed to being a natural alarm clock. These sometimes obnoxious noises were like a sweet symphony to his auditory system. He was alive. For some reason, the playing was happening in the dead of night.

He shrugged off the oddity and tried to stand. His limbs did not respond. With horror, he realized that the darkness was not caused by the time of day either.

He must have been buried alive. Struggling against the weight holding him in place, he felt his muscles contract, but the obstacle was a shell wrapped all around him.

Lustron tried to scream, unable to open his jaw, his voice rumbled back into his chest as an extended grunt.

Though he tried not to panic, he could not stop his mind from wandering. All his life, he was spit on and treated as a lesser being. Were the nobles right? Were he and his kind just rambling beasts with no souls? Was this hell or some purgatory hellscape where he could hear his siblings play while lying beneath the ground, tormented for eternity?

The endless contemplation only served to ignite his anxiety. With all his might, he screamed and struggled against what was holding him. Blessedly his struggle earned a response.

"Lustron?" His younger adopted sister spoke near his ear. "Gran! He is awake!"

Her voice became further away as her feet clomped in the dirt away from wherever lustron was currently.

"Ya foolish boy. Call up your screen and allocate your stats properly. Less you want to be a statue for the rest of ye life? Think you are an elder dwarf or something?" Gran spoke with urgent frustration. The thick emotions layered over her scolding showed how worried she had truly been.

Heeding her words, he pulled up his screen with a thought. Despite his worry to the contrary, the blue box-like information panel appeared in the darkness caused by his closed eyes. The slew of information threatened to overwhelm him. Taking it one box at a time he worked his way through.

Lustron Traiver

Lvl 5

Title Protector

Class: Tank

Secondary Class: N/A

Available stat points:100

Socket points used: 1

Available: 7

Stats

Spiritual stats:

Health: 40 = 400hp

Regen: 30

Mana: 30 = 300mp

Wisdom: 30

Physical stats:

Speed: 30

Precision: 30

Strength: 35

Durability: 130

Grey magic Defensive path

Genesis

External

Internal

Soul

Tier One

Earth Wave

Earth draw

Locked

Lvl 20 Tier Two

Locked

Locked

Locked

Lvl 30 Tier Three

Locked

Locked

Locked

Lvl 40 Tier Four

Locked

Abilities:

Innate (Low tier) 2/4:

Mana source

Steadfast

Black

Thick skin

Grey

E

E

E

E

Class bound abilities:

Tank (Low tier)1/4:

No secondary class

Harden Grey

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

Skills:

Special traits:

Shield wield I (Class granted)

Dragonize

Selfless protector

After reading through, he noticed a flashing indication toward the bottom of the screens.

Warning. Stat requirements not met. Durability has breached Centurion. Health is not at 50. Strength is not at 50. Speed is not at 50. Petrification attributed.

With a deep hum, he attempted to get Gran's attention.

"Stop making those noises, you songbird," Gran spoke tauntingly. Without much pause, she continued. "You can see the issue, ya must have leveled up some so use your stats to correct the deficit. If you are anything like your parents, even a few levels would give you more than enough points. Lucky bastard."

Lustron felt a hand press onto his arm, supportingly. Two smaller hands following led him to guess it was the twins copying Gran.

Using his points and the notification message, he set the listed stats to 50. Out of his hundred stat points, it cost him forty-five to raise his strength, speed, and health. As soon as he thought of making the change, it was applied.

Power, unlike anything he had ever known, rippled through his limbs. Though the changes were minor, the energy he currently felt was not. Slowly he forced his fingers to move. With the added stats, he was able to wiggle his fingers. Still, it felt as if he was encased in an outer shell. An odd feeling even though he was used to living with his scaley hide.

Just like with his fingers, he attempted to open his eyes. As if glued shut, the lids were heavy. Slowly balling his fists, he forced them open with a loud clack. Light rushed into his corneas as if greeting a long lost friend. It was blinding, but he urged the lids apart in fear of repeating the process.

Now haven beaten the inflicted blindness, he looked over at his siblings and Gran. They looked horrible; it was as if they hadn't slept at all.

"Put more into your strength. You need it to be at least half of your durability so you can move properly again. Trust me, boy. This is not an uncommon thing. It is not recommended to bond with a mind orb until you are well into level twenty."

At the urging of his, caretaker Lustron obliged. The enormous boost to his strength gave him chills as the energy ran through his body and boosted his muscles. In an instant, he felt himself again. Rising, he rushed over and picked up his siblings gently. Though he could move again, he now lacked his usual speed and flexibility.

While he held the younger orphans, they wept. Gran placed a hand on his shoulder and gave the two a chance to cry about how worried they were, and how it had been a week since the battle.

After some time, Lustron put them to bed. Though it was the middle of the day, it seemed neither of them had successfully slept since their big brother got injured. After sitting by their bed constantly reassuring them, it was all okay now they both passed out.

Gran looked at lustron and handed him an item.

"Follow me." She spoke as Lustron looked at the ring from his inheritance. Walking quickly out, even though she was less than half his height, he struggled to keep up.

Each step he had to make forcibly, it took all of his concentration to move his body around.

"Gran..wait up," He called out. She continued toward the institute, stopping briefly to allow him to close some of the growing distance between them.

She couldn't be heading toward the forge. No. No one except her and Gramp ever set foot in the holy place of her work. Lustron wondered about their destination as the older woman scuttered past the doors of the institute. There was only one other building besides that and the huts. Standing before the beautifully crafted blacksmith building,

Lustron gulped hard. Gran was already inside. Hesitating, he slowly stepped forward.

"Hurry the hell up, you damn lizard," Gran shouted from inside.

The words itched under his skin and made him slightly annoyed. Rushing down the stairs leading inside, he was about to give the old gal a piece of his mind when the sight before him took his breath away.

Entirely crafted from stone, the grad room was much larger than he expected. Its contents of fire and rock had a primal presence to it. Natural elements maintained and shaped to urge the process of creation. Tools of every shape and size were placed into the walls as if pressed into soft dirt. Likely, Gran used her magical abilities to do so.

Looking around, partially completed weapons and armors sat on wooden benches. Lustron could feel the metal and stone all around him.

A roaring hearth held heat so hot that Lustron felt the pressure of it urging him out of the room. He began to sweat, the liquid sliding its way out of his scales and down his neck.

"Close that mouth, boy. Breathe through your nose in here." Gran hopped up and gave him a light slap under his chin.

Lustron slammed his jaw shut as he continued to marvel at the work area.

"You have surpassed the level of normality, boy. Ye remember how your ma had silver scales, and your da had scales that looked to be melted from gold?" She spoke as she walked to the wall. Pressing a hand next to an arm-sized hammer, the stone wall spit it out into her hands.

Lustron meekly nodded, the thought of his parents, and their glorious scales was bittersweet. He and his brother had more of a beige hide. He never knew why he was not like them.

"Well..." Gran swung the hammer at Lustron's chest. Reacting slowly, he brought his arms up in a cross just in time to take the blow.

As the blow hit, a metallic sound rang out, and he flew backward. As he hit the stairs, the breath was knocked out of his body.

"Think of the word health." She spoke as he repeatedly gasped, trying to regain his lost air.

At the thought, two bars entered the corner of his vision. He could see his health bar had gone down a fraction of its entirety.

"You are more robust than a human with your scales. You will likely look like your mother eventually, but know this. You are not invincible. A blade may take a hundred strikes to pierce you, but your health will be going down all the way. It reaches zero, and you are dead. Ya better not ever let me catch you thinking you are invincible. You are heat resistant, resistant to most weapons, and can last a hell of a long time on the battlefield, but I am sure I do not have to remind you that we lost your mother. Any time you think you are undefeatable, you look down at your hide and remember hers."

As lustron caught his breath, he held out his arm. True enough, his beige, almost red plate-like skin, was now tinged with grey here and there. Nowhere near the silver armor-like skin his mother proudly had. Even in battle, she wore thin leather, generally relying on her natural armor.

Lustron stood and slowly nodded. Though the blow was annoying, he could see the twisted pain in Gran's expression.

"I won't be making the same mistake with you. You see that pile of armors?" She gestured to a corner of the workshop.

Various parts of ruined armors lay in a heap there.

"The damn queen watches me like a hawk. That is all I have managed to scrape together. Ever since she came here..." Gran suddenly stopped speaking as a swirl of purple mist flowed into the building.

Lustron felt his mind go blank as he forgot what they were talking about. The only reason he recognized this happening, now, or anytime was because he always came back to his senses sooner than the adults. When his mind cleared, he had to wait a few minutes for

Gran to regain herself.

Grinding her teeth, he could tell how frustrated she was, but speaking about the blood magic would only cause them both to be afflicted by it again.

"We are going to make you a full suit of armor from that pile. You may not need it, but until you can show me that you are beyond your mother, I require that. In return, I will teach you everything I know about being a tank," Gran pushed her hammer back into the wall, as if liquid the surface took it and then exerted on its typical hardness locking it in place.

Turning to the young kobold, she raised her hand and put it out. Lustron did not need to think on it. Stepping forward, he grasped her arm. Her small, powerful hands did not even fit halfway around his forearm, but his hand surrounded her arm. With a nod, she unclasped and gestured toward the forge. Reaching into a pile, she pulled out a small pebble.

"This is a trace amount of lead I pulled out of some silver I was purifying. It melts even in a regular fire. My forge is supplemented with Ruby crystals, so it reaches a much hotter temperature than that. I see how you are shying away from the heat. We will fix that, and get you an understanding of your abilities at the same time. Hold this rock close to the fire. Keep an eye on your health bar. You are not immune to heat, but it would take quite some time to kill you with your scales and durability." She finished speaking and walked over to a sword that looked nearly finished. As she began grinding and polishing the blade into a beautiful sheen, she grunted loudly.

"I won't be giving ya orders twice, boy." She growled out.

Lustron hesitantly held out the pebble toward the fire. As a flame licked his fingers, he winced and brought it back. The pain was there, but it was much less than he expected. Slowly he returned it toward the heat.

"Good, now this will not be quick. It may take you a long time to be able to withstand the heat. You are fighting against your mind's natural safety measures. Over the next few weeks, as you adjust to the heat, bring it closer to the flame. Focus on the voice of the ore. I am sure you feel it. When it starts to melt, I want you to attempt to force it to maintain its shape. Understand?" Gran spoke without facing him.

"Ah, shit," Lustron cursed as he moved his hand too close toward the fire.

"We can use that too. You know how I pissed you off, and you rushed in here in a huff? That is a skill I have acquired. It helped me attract those bug bastards away during the attack also. Called Taunt. I want you to insult me whenever you feel too much pain." She faced the boy and showed a rare smile.

Lustron blushed at his outburst.

"I couldn't speak in such a way to you. You have done too much for me. I do not need that skill." He kept his attention toward the fire. He was not the type to be rude or vulgar in that way.

"Listen here ya pea-brained brat. My word is law in this here forge. When you have a teammate on the line, you want them to get skewered, or do you wanna take the pressure off them and keep them alive? I have never met such a large man who is such a mouse inside, you think that you would not have the proper parts downstairs," Gran cackled as she continued her verbal onslaught. "Ya cry too much too, how are you going to attract a lady with all that blubbering, I think-

A spark flew out lazily and landed on the soft interior scales of Lustron's wrists. As it burned him, the pain in conjunction with the verbal assault thrown his way made his patience boil over.

"Enough you old bat!" He shouted and his empty hand flew to his mouth as his eyes opened wide.

Gran turned to him and laughed so hard she fell backward, the sword she was working on clattered on the stone floor.

"Looks like there is some potential in you." Keep it coming whenever you get burned." She got up and picked the sword from its resting spot.

Over the next few weeks, Lustron worked harder than he ever had in his life. He felt blessed by every moment he shared with his younger brother and sister. The forge was a suffocating entity that he had to face every morning after breakfast, until long after the sun had set. Slowly, he could get closer and closer to the heat, cursing at Gran more creatively each day. The Taunt skill came first. When it did Lustron, felt the words fly out of his mouth. They began to have an effect and actually anger Gran. She balled her fists and slapped him in the jaw.

"You got it now boy. We can stop, or I may end up breaking some tools over your head."

It took a few more days of slowly melting the led in his palm until anything changed.

One day he reached in far enough that his middle knuckle rested atop the burning coals at the edge of the fire. *Bing*

Contrary to his first thought, Gran had not just dropped a tool. His screen popped up with a message.

Heat resistance acquired.

With the change, he was able to surround his hands with flame. The damage and pain were still there, but lessened dramatically.

With the closer proximity, the pebble began to quickly melt. Now a molten puddle in his hand, Lustron tried all he could to shape it back to how it was. After hours of unsuccessful attempts, he closed his eyes and felt rather than looked.

Gran stopped what she was doing and watched from her corner of the forge.

Lustron's power rippled out of him. His forehead glowed grey as his orb appeared. The metal tools surrounding them began to quiver as he increased his concentration. Slowly the metal puddle in his palm defied gravity and formed back into its previously rounded shape. *Bing*

You have unlocked Tier one: Soul genesis. Connection. Congratulations. You have unlocked the secondary class: Blacksmith.

He had done it. Raising his empty hand, he made it into a fist and threw it up. Gran cracked a slight smile and turned back to her work.

"Good job. Now get to work on that armor. You need to find salvageable pieces, take them apart, and meld them together. I will walk you through each step.

After another week of back-breaking work, learning the types of tools, facts about heat, and every secret Gran could share in such a short time, Lustron had a completed set of armor big enough to house his gigantic frame.

Another bonus he received was a Dwarven craft ability for his Blacksmith class. Not only did it boost his rate of success when making armor and weapons, but it also gave a boost to any armor he wore.

Lustron, wearing his full plate armor, followed a map given to him by the old woman. She gave him a chain with a spike and explicit instructions about a nearby dungeon. After bidding goodbye to the twins, he set off.

It took several hours of walking, the journey slowed by the weight of his new shell, but he finally made it.

You have entered The Pit of Rugenfornd. Dungeon rank 2. Recommended party size 3. Dungeons are known for their promise of two things, Treasure and death.

Staring down at the dark pit, he took a long chain out of his inventory ring. The item sat on his finger beneath his mother's gauntlets. The chain looked to be nearly a hundred yards long. Stamping the spiked end into the ground with his foot and the help of his earth magic, he flung the other side down the hole. As it loudly clattered along the rocks, he felt a small amount of fear grip his stomach.

Climbing down, he struggled to see the chain through his large metal helmet. Hand under hand, he slowly hoisted himself down. About halfway, he started to hear several hissing sounds from below. The noise shocked him, and he lost his grip. Plummeting straight down, he smashed into the stone floor below.

The violent vibrating metal of his armor protected him from most of the damage, but he was still disoriented. IT seemed it had also landed on something. Hissing sounds died out below him. *Bing*

Congratulations. You have leveled up! 20 stat points granted. Congratulations. You have leveled up! 20 stat points granted.

Lustron struggled to get to his feet. Rolling himself onto his stomach, he still could not win against the weight of his armor. With a flash of brilliance, he figured out a way. Stumbling to his feet from the odd maneuver, he looked up to where he had fallen from.

The chain dangled securely, and he could see some light toward the top. Crushed bodies of what looked like snakes began to dissolve at his feet. A slightly deeper hiss sounded from a large opening in the wall behind him. Summoning his red Ogre tower shield, he faced the ominous noise. His only weapons were his fist. At the augmentations, Gran made to the bottom of his shield. He would have to figure out a fighting style that worked best for him. Running forward, he decided to meet his foe head-on.

Unbeknownst to him, some blood from the slain snakes had collected under his boots. Sliding feet first he fell directly onto his back. Holding his shield between him and the long wicked-looking pike of the enemy, all he could do was defend.