---
After so much waiting, Ethan was finally ready to integrate his first gene.
He had deliberately skipped over Gilgamesh's genes. Brute force alone didn't interest him. Yes, Gilgamesh was unimaginably strong—stronger than any witch—but his power lacked versatility. It was raw, overwhelming… and limited.
Magic, on the other hand, was different. It was complex, adaptable, and filled with hidden potential.
Especially the Evil Eye, whose unique abilities—particularly its power of mental suggestion and charm—could be devastating in a modern world.
The cold, mechanical voice of the Tyranis Hive Mind echoed in his head:
"Do you wish to assimilate the Evil Eye gene?"
"Yes."
Ethan drew a deep breath. "Proceed."
"Assimilation process initiated. Prepare for neural reconstruction."
Pain struck like lightning.
He collapsed onto his bed, body trembling, sweat beading on his brow as his nervous system was rewritten at a fundamental level.
And amidst the agony, one thought floated to the surface:
Thank you, Akinas Speedster.
The player who created the Evil Eye had unknowingly given rise to an entire magical civilization. Ethan made a mental note to erase a few offenses from his grudge list.
---
It took nearly thirty minutes before Ethan could even sit up again. The process had succeeded—but his mind felt unstable, thrumming with dark, chaotic power.
"So this is the side effect of the Evil Eye gene… Such darkness…"
His thoughts were flooded with aggression, seduction, and a deep, irrational hunger. He felt wild, like something primal was stirring beneath the surface of his consciousness.
He finally understood what Circe must have endured.
His lower body pulsed with fire.
For one terrifying moment, he genuinely wanted to ride to darkfall red-light district and help a struggling college student "pay her tuition."
No. No. Control yourself.
Clenching his fists, Ethan forced himself into meditation. He began reciting the techniques from A Beginner's Guide to Meditation and Magic, the foundational tome written by the Three Great Witches.
He crossed his legs, slowed his breathing, and tried to find stillness.
But it was difficult. Hours passed with no success.
He lacked a teacher. He lacked guidance. New witches had the personal instruction of Medea, Cassandra, or Circe—but Ethan was alone. He could only laugh bitterly at the irony.
Still, he persevered.
And slowly… very slowly… he found his center.
By the end of the day, he had entered the most basic meditative state.
Then, something shifted.
He began to feel it—the ocean of mental energy he had unknowingly accumulated from countless creatures in the sandbox during the extinction events. A terrifying reservoir of power surged within him, waiting to be molded.
"At this rate… in less than three days, I'll reach the level of an apprentice wizard."
He exhaled, deeply relieved.
"Soon, I'll be the first true wizard in the real world."
Ordinary people would never walk this path. They lacked the genes. They lacked the access. But Ethan had the sandbox—and he had foresight.
"If Earth has no supernatural system… then I'll build one. From scratch."
---
His thoughts settled into planning mode.
"I need to introduce more supernatural species. The Evil Eye alone sparked the birth of magic. What else could I create?"
His excitement returned.
---
At six o'clock the next morning, Ethan leaned over his courtyard's sandbox.
Fifty years had passed.
And in that span of time, a whole new era had unfolded.
---
Kingdom of Babylon – Year 146.
The two guardian goddesses, Medea and Cassandra, tracked down Circe's hidden cult deep in the Balchik Mountains. The resulting war shook the realm. Both sides were left wounded and diminished.
Kingdom of Babylon – Year 154.
From within the Babylonian palace, a cry of joy echoed across the land.
"This is it! The principle of fusion! This is Truth! One element dominates, one is subordinate, and one is the bane!"
Cassandra, the Witch of Spring, had done the impossible.
In her relentless study of medicine and livestock, she had uncovered the first true formula of Alchemy—the Trinity Principle. From this, she created the Witch Factor Compatibility Potion, which drastically reduced the genetic rejection rate between Evil Eye and human DNA.
The results were staggering.
For the first time in history, witches began appearing in great numbers, ushering in the Era of Witches.
Kingdom of Babylon – Year 167.
The two guardian witches once again pursued Circe, but she escaped into the unknown. Worse still, Medea and Cassandra began to show signs of aging.
It shook them to their core.
Kingdom of Babylon – Year 171.
In desperation, Cassandra studied the ancient Epic of Genesis, and recreated the long-lost Potion of Longevity once used by Gilgamesh.
Kingdom of Babylon – Year 198.
Medea and Cassandra had reached 213 years of age.
Though their appearances remained eternally youthful, time had taken its toll. Their souls felt the creeping chill of mortality.
---
The royal plaza was carved from white stone, bathed in golden light.
A black carriage drawn by two mighty Arrah beasts halted before a towering temple. Two women stepped down, cloaked in elegant robes, their staves glimmering with arcane power.
They were radiant—unchanged by the centuries.
Magic had preserved their faces, but not their lives.
The plaza's centerpiece was a monumental statue of the God of Wisdom, Mercury. It depicted a faceless man cloaked in shadows, with a three-eyed raven perched on his shoulder, gazing into the distance.
This was Hermes, the god who had given them the gift of civilization.
The god who had shown them the Three Great Disciplines: Meditation, Magic, and Alchemy.
The two great witches knelt before the statue.
"O great god Mercury… we have come to see you again."
Their eyes shimmered with tears.