Chapter 1: The Flame That Whispers
A Lazy Prince Wakes Up
The sound of buzzing flies.
That was the first thing Lykos noticed as he woke up flat on a cold marble floor, his cheek stuck to it like a lazy cat's belly in the summer heat.
His second thought?
"...Ow. Why does my back feel like I slept on broken statues?"
Groaning, Lykos pushed himself up, blinking at the cracked ceiling above him. Vines had crawled through the broken stone, twisting lazily across faded murals of what once were gods—now more dust than divinity.
He squinted.
"This… isn't my room. And why does it smell like olives and disappointment?"
A notification popped up in front of his face. Not a phone screen. Not a game UI. Just… floating text.
[System Activated: Olympian Summoning System]
Power Source: Forgotten Flame Detected
Welcome, Prince Lykos.
Your Empire is: 2% alive
Population: 537 starving humans
Military: 18 men with sticks
Food: 0
Hope: Not found
First Gift Unlocking...
"…What."
Lykos blinked, rubbed his eyes, then looked around.
A ruined throne room. Stone columns cracked. Faded red banners drooping like wet laundry. Broken statues of ancient Greek gods lined the sides, their heads missing or their arms snapped off.
And he—he wasn't himself.
Lykos ran to a broken mirror.
A lean, bronze-skinned young man stared back. His face was princely, sure—but tired. Weak. The kind of man who would skip sword practice for wine tasting. Long black curls, half-tied, and lazy gray eyes. Yep. That was the body he was stuck in.
But in his mind?
His name wasn't originally Lykos.
"My name was Kael. I was… a gamer. A history nerd. I got hit by a bus after an all-nighter. So that wasn't a dream…"
This wasn't just some "you're in a game now" story. This was real. His body ached. The hunger in the city? Real. The flies? Oh, definitely real.
He looked down at his arm.
It bore a faint red symbol now—like a flickering flame.
"The Forgotten Flame... I guess this is the power the gods used to summon me."
DIN...
[Welcome Gift Unlocked]
Hero Summoned: Homerus – Master Bard
Item Unlocked: Whispering Lyre
"Inspire the broken. Tell the world their story."
Summoning… [5% Materialized…]
Lykos raised an eyebrow. "Homerus? The storyteller from Greek mythology?"
A warm golden glow began forming in front of him, pulsing slowly, like a heartbeat of music in light. It shimmered, forming outlines of a man with a lyre in hand.
"Okay," Lykos said, a grin forming. "This is kinda awesome."
But then he turned—and saw the open doorway beyond the throne.
Outside, the city of Aetherion lay in ruin. Crumbling walls. Crops dead. The townspeople wandered like ghosts, hopeless.
Suddenly, the system chimed again:
[New Mission Received]
Mission: Restore Hope (Urgent)
Your citizens are losing faith.
Perform a public speech with Homerus.
Reward: +50 System Points, Unlock Summoning Altar
"Me? A speech?" Lykos groaned. "I can barely give a group presentation without sweating."
The golden light behind him pulsed once more—and a voice echoed in the chamber:
"Young prince," said the forming figure. "You do not speak to impress. You speak to awaken the flame."
The light thickened.
It pulsed like a heartbeat, golden and warm, until finally
A man stepped out.
He was tall, dressed in flowing robes that shimmered like sunlit scrolls. His hair was silver, though he looked no older than thirty. And in his hand was the lyre—carved from olive wood and stringed with threads of golden light. It hummed, like it was already singing a song not yet written.
The man smiled.
"I am Homerus," he said, bowing deeply. "Once the voice of empires. Now, the servant of a prince who smells like dust and sleep."
Lykos blinked.
"…Did my first summon just roast me?"
"Only lightly," Homerus replied. "A light roast keeps the spirit warm."
🎻 [Whispering Lyre Activated]
Inspires crowds. Amplifies emotion. May or may not reveal embarrassing memories if overused.
Lykos frowned. "Wait, what was that last part—?"
"Never mind that," Homerus said with a wink. "You have people to lead. They're gathered in the plaza. Waiting. Desperate."
"Desperate for food, maybe. I don't know about speeches."
"You don't need to inspire the mind," Homerus said, handing him the lyre. "Just touch the heart. And don't drop this. It cries if it hits the ground."
"The lyre cries?"
"It's emotionally sensitive."
Outside the crumbling palace, the city stretched like a dying memory.
The plaza was full of people—thin, tired, sunburnt. Mothers clutched empty baskets. Soldiers leaned on spears that were more splinter than steel. No one looked up. No one cared.
Lykos stepped up onto a cracked fountain pedestal. Homerus stood beside him, arms crossed.
The lyre floated into Lykos's hands.
It was warm. And when he strummed it—just once—the sound echoed across the plaza like thunder in a storybook. Soft. Deep. Familiar.
People looked up.
"Oh no," Lykos muttered. "They're actually listening."
He cleared his throat.
"People of Aetherion," he began, voice shaking. "You don't know me. Not really. And I won't lie—I don't really know me either."
Someone coughed in the silence.
"But I do know this city is broken. I know we're all tired. And I know we've been forgotten—by gods, by kings, maybe even by ourselves."
He took a breath.
"But not anymore."
The lyre pulsed brighter.
"I don't have miracles. I don't have armies. But I have this—" he lifted the lyre, "—and a flame. A flame that whispers. It told me we're not done yet."
He pointed to the ruined temple on the hill.
"Tomorrow, I'll summon warriors of the old world. Not because we worship the past—but because we build from it."
He looked at the people.
"Stay. Watch. Fight. Or walk away. But if even one of you still believes in this city… then I'll believe too."
Silence.
Then, slowly… a soldier stepped forward.
He dropped to one knee.
A woman followed—an old vendor, clutching a cracked pot.
One by one, they knelt. Not because he demanded it. But because something inside them stirred. Like maybe, just maybe… the flame wasn't dead yet.
🔥 [Mission Complete: Restore Hope]
+50 System Points
[Summoning Altar Unlocked]
"...That worked?" Lykos whispered.
"Of course it did," Homerus said, proud. "You've lit the first spark."
Lykos barely had time to let his words sink in before the people began to move—slowly at first, as if unsure of whether to trust their own eyes or the distant dream they had once believed in.
Homerus had already disappeared into the shadows, no doubt off to write an epic poem about Lykos's "magnificent" speech (or maybe just complain about how badly the speech went). Lykos didn't care either way. He had more important things to do.
The Summoning Altar was waiting.
Hidden at the edge of the city, beneath an old olive tree, the altar stood—a simple stone structure, engraved with ancient runes that pulsed softly in the evening light. The Forgotten Flame flickered beneath it, its fire dim yet intense. It was as if the flame itself could hear him, waiting for his command.
Lykos stood before the altar, hands hovering nervously over the stone surface.
"What now?"
A voice echoed in his mind. Not Homerus's this time.
"Place your hand upon the stone to activate the summoning. The more you sacrifice, the more you can summon."
Summon.
That word rang in his head.
Lykos thought about it. He had 50 System Points from his speech—and that wasn't nearly enough to summon anything substantial. He could summon a few soldiers, sure, but the real heroes? Those would require more than just a "good speech."
But still, he couldn't just sit around waiting for the world to fall apart.
So, with a determined breath, Lykos placed his hand on the altar.
🔥 [Summoning Menu]
Available Summons:
Basic Soldier: Cost: 10 System Points
Greek Archer: Cost: 15 System Points
Heroic Soldier: Cost: 25 System Points (first time summon)
Demigod (Locked): Cost: ??? (Unlockable after 500 System Points)
Legendary Hero (Locked): Cost: ??? (Unlockable after 1000 System Points)
Lykos stared at the list, tapping his chin.
The Basic Soldier seemed like a safe bet. But the Heroic Soldier? That was the kind of unit he needed—someone who could lead men, someone strong.
He counted his points.
50 points. He could do this.
The altar began to glow with golden light.
[Summoning... 10%]
[Summoning Heroic Soldier…]
As the light brightened, Lykos felt a strange pull. His stomach flipped, as if the very air was being sucked into the altar. The golden light spiraled, taking shape—until finally—
A tall man stood before him.
Clad in bronze armor, his eyes burning with purpose. A sword rested in his hand, but the man didn't look at Lykos. He gazed into the horizon, as if searching for something greater.
"I am Ariadne," the man said, voice deep and strong. "I was a soldier in the service of Sparta. But you… summoned me. What do you ask of me, my prince?"
Lykos's jaw dropped.
"Wait. Ariadne? That's a woman's name…"
"Not here, it's not," Ariadne replied dryly. "Names mean little to warriors. My strength and loyalty are yours, Prince Lykos."
Lykos blinked, still adjusting to the fact that his first summon was, apparently, not just a heroic soldier, but a spartan warrior who had more presence than he did.
"So... Uh, you're okay with this?"
"Is it not the will of the Forgotten Flame?"
🏛️ [Summoning Complete: Heroic Soldier Ariadne]
Class: Spartan Warrior
Skills: Tactical Genius (Sealed)
Level: 1
Cost to Unlock Skills: 100 System Points
Special Ability: Blood of the Warrior (Increased Strength in Battle)
Lykos didn't even know where to start. So many things to process.
"I'm... going to need more points for this," he muttered.
Just then, the altar chimed again.
🔥 [New Mission Available]
Mission: Recruit Your Army
Summon at least five soldiers to form a basic defense force.
Reward: +100 System Points, Unlock Summon Limits
Failure to complete this mission within 3 days will cause a major penalty to food production.
"Okay, looks like I don't have a choice," Lykos groaned, holding his head in his hands. "I guess I'm going to be summoning a lot of people now."
With his new Spartan warrior by his side, Lykos turned back toward the city. It was time to start recruiting.
But as they walked, Lykos couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was watching them. Watching him.
There were enemies out there, hidden in the shadows of the world. Not just in Aetherion's streets, but from the very heavens themselves.
🔥 [New Objective Unlocked]
Objective: Keep Your Summons Alive
Each time a summon dies, the cost to summon them again will double.
Tip: Summons are like rare Pokémon—treat them with care.
Lykos sighed, looking at Ariadne.
"Well, at least you look useful."
Ariadne cracked a smile—only just.
"I don't need your praise, Prince. Just your orders."