Ashbourne Caldwell stood in a vast cavern, jagged rock enclosing the space from all sides. The only entrance was a single metal door set into one wall. Two Nazi soldiers guarded it, rifles in hand, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Beyond them, a handful of people clustered around a massive machine at the cavern's center, each wearing a long, white lab coat and clutching stacks of paper.
The scientists, as he called them, were busy applying the final touches to the machine. Beside them stood a man in a formal Nazi uniform-decorated with badges, medals, and an eyepatch over his left eye.
Von Drausfeld.Ash smiled to himself. I knew you wouldn't miss this-no matter how little faith you pretend to have in our dream.
Today was the day he would usher humanity into a new age, an age long forgotten.
The age of magic.
It was too early to celebrate, but after the past year's progress, he felt confident the machine would work. Hands clasped behind his back, he strode toward Von.
As he approached, Von turned, speaking in his harsh, gravelly voice. "This better work, American. We are at the precipice of defeat, and the resources we've sunk into your little project are only exacerbating the issue."
Ash didn't respond immediately. He was used to Von's condescending tone. And he knew the truth-whether Von admitted it or not. The Nazi party needed this invention more than anything. If the machine failed, they would give him more time and more resources. They had no choice.
Instead of matching Von's hostility, Ash flashed a devilish grin. "Oh, it'll work, Reichsleiter." He walked past him.
He neared the machine and paused to marvel at its intricate craftsmanship-the glowing runes etched across every surface, pulsing with an otherworldly green light. The luminosity signaled a steady influx of arcane energy from the thousands of souls dying across the Eastern Front.
A good decision to place the facility beneath the front lines, he mused. The number of deaths is unprecedented. Never before has humanity witnessed such atrocities.And that was why they were here-the machine harvested souls. There was no place more efficient than this blood-soaked land.
The thought didn't bring joy. Instead, his smile faded into a hard, stone-like expression.
These animals… they need to be herded by a better shepherd. Someone neutral. Someone who values life and death equally. Justice and cruelty in balance. Someone who works for the collective, not the individual.
Ash's hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening.
I will be that shepherd.
His conviction renewed, he approached his colleagues. Amanda Walker, a woman in her thirties with bright blonde hair and green eyes hidden behind large spectacles, turned toward him.
"Glad you could join us, President," she teased.
Ash chuckled at the title, a creation of his followers. He didn't care much for it, but it certainly helped spread his influence. With a faint smile, he nodded. "Greetings to you as well. How are the preparations?"
Amanda's expression shifted to a sharp, analytical one as she scanned the papers in her hands. She glanced at the massive machine-its central cylindrical core sprouting tubes and conduits like the roots of a mechanical tree.
"Everything's ready," she said. "We're only waiting for the right moment."
Ash nodded and drew a pocket watch from his trousers. One side held a small mirror; the other displayed a complex clock face. His reflection stared back, long, bright-brown hair and piercing silver eyes. A genetic defect from birth. His sight had once been so poor that the world looked like a fogged window.
Fortunately, his knowledge of the arcane had fixed that.
He shifted his gaze to the clock:
March, 1945 - 16:10.
It's almost time.Excitement crawled up his spine.
His journey had begun with archaeology-exploring ancient structures, uncovering forgotten truths about the world beyond. The truth of power. But true power required souls, far more than any one man could gather.
The war had changed everything.The deaths. The chaos.Unprecedented.
Through the carnage he'd harnessed enough soul energy to manifest arcane power, build a following, and strike a bargain with the Nazi party. Protection and resources in exchange for access to his knowledge.
That bargain had led to the machine before him.
He hadn't noticed his tightening grip until the watch hinge groaned. Closing his eyes, he inhaled and exhaled slowly, then pocketed the watch.
Compose yourself, he reminded.
Nearby, the other scientists worked on final adjustments-tuning gears, flipping switches, testing wires.
"How much longer?" came a voice from his right.
Ash didn't need to turn. Von.
"It won't be long now," Ash said, failing to hide the smile creeping back onto his face.
As if on cue, Hawking spoke from one of the many control panels lining the cavern walls. "We are ready to commence. Awaiting approval from the Reichsleiter."
Ash might have been offended by not being acknowledged, but petty concerns had died the moment he'd allied with the Nazis.
He nodded toward the controls. "After you, Reichsleiter."
Von returned the nod and strode toward Hawking with his guards in tow.
Everyone moved behind the control panels, forming a loose semicircle. Hawking stepped forward, grasped a large lever, and began pulling it down.
The runes flared brighter.The machine shook.Metal spun at violent speeds.Darkness swallowed the cavern as the lights cut out-likely an EMP surge.
An otherworldly hum filled the cave, loud enough to rattle teeth.
Some flinched back.Not Ash.He watched with rapt anticipation.
As the lever reached the end of its arc, Hawking jumped away-
-just in time.
A blinding flash erupted.A crushing, invisible force blasted outward.Everyone flew back, slamming into walls and equipment.
Air ripped from Ash's lungs. Blinded and breathless, he felt himself pinned against the stone by a pressure that swallowed the entire cavern.
Then-silence.
The light vanished.The pressure faded.
Ash slid down the wall, landing on his feet in darkness.
A faint blue glow flickered near the machine, casting weak illumination across the cavern. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the dark blotches in his vision. Warm liquid trickled down his ears.
Did it work?
He staggered toward the hovering light. As his vision stabilized, he squinted-
-and his eyes widened.
A portal?
Before him hovered a massive circular tear in space. Its edges glowed with shimmering blue light; its interior was pure darkness.
This wasn't what he'd expected. No divine energy. No transformation. Just bleeding ears and a broken nose.
Driven by curiosity, he reached out-
-and agony exploded through his body.
Sight vanished. Thought evaporated. He collapsed, the stone floor meeting his knees.
His eyes snapped open moments later. Vision returned in waves. He pushed himself to his feet.
What just-
A glowing rectangular box appeared in front of him.
He jumped back, but the box stayed fixed in his view.
No matter where he looked, it followed.
He gave up resisting and read.
[Congratulations]
You have unlocked mana
Ash narrowed his eyes. Mana? So that's what the ancient power is truly called? He'd always named it the arcane, but nothing explained the floating text box.
It disappeared-only for another to replace it.
[Title Gained: The First Awakened]
You are the first of your world to awaken to the system. Your existence marks the beginning of Earth's convergence with mana.
Effects:
+20 to all stats
First class selectable at level 1
[Title Gained: Harbinger of Doom]
Your actions have directly contributed to an event of catastrophic scale.
Effects:
+20 to all stats
Awarded Skill: Aura of Death
[Skill Gained: Aura of Death]
Type: Passive
Your presence carries the weight of inevitable demise.Nearby foes suffer reduced vitality and morale. Lesser beings may flee or collapse in terror.Effect intensifies with your Arcana and Will.
A sudden surge of power crushed into him. It felt like a swarm of needle pricks racing under his skin, like his body was overdosing on caffeine.
"What is happening-" he hissed through clenched teeth, crossing his arms as the sensation overwhelmed him. After several seconds it ebbed.
Another box appeared.
[Class Selection Available]
Available Classes:
1. Spell Engineer
2. Rune Engineer
He barely had time to process it when a groan echoed behind him.
He spun around-the box followed him-and saw Von slowly getting to his feet. More troubling were the others.
They weren't moving.
Von barked, "What the hell is going on?" He stared off into the distance instead of assessing the room.
He sees it too, Ash realized.
Ignoring him for a moment, Ash knelt beside the fallen scientists. Prodding did nothing. He checked their pulses.
Nothing.
Cold dread settled in.
They were all dead.
But he and Von lived.
Why? Luck? Something else?
He knelt beside Amanda's body. Sad? Disappointed? He couldn't tell. Her brilliance had far outshone the others.
"I suppose you completed everything I asked… and more," he murmured. He removed his lab coat and draped it over her upper body. "Rest now."
As he approached Von, the man spoke with a strange, excited chuckle. "It seems your little project paid off."
Ash opened his mouth-but Von spun, pistol in hand.
"What are you-"
Gunfire erupted. Bullets slammed into Ash's head.
He braced for agony, for death-
-but the pain was muted. Like being flicked hard, nothing more.
The magazine emptied. Von froze, eyes wide. Bullets clattered to the ground. Warm liquid dripped down Ash's forehead.
Shaken, Ash touched the wounds-small indents, punctures that hadn't reached bone.
Von recovered first. He rushed toward the bodies of his guards.
Ash understood immediately.
He's going for a rifle.
He shot forward. Shockingly fast-crossing the distance in seconds. He grabbed Von's arm, stopping him cold.
Von tried to strike him with the pistol. For an instant, Von's movements slowed-just enough. Ash ducked, driving his knee into Von's chest while pulling him down.
A sickening crunch echoed through the cavern.
Von screamed, crumpling to the floor.
Fueled by adrenaline and something else-something new-Ash didn't hesitate. He brought his fist down with all his strength.
Von's skull burst under the blow-blood, bone, and viscera splattering across the stone.
Ash staggered back, staring at his blood-covered hand.
A new screen appeared.
[You have slain: Awakened Human (Lv. 1)]
Experience Gained.
[Level Up!]
Level: 1 -> 2
Stat Points Gained: 5
"What… is all this?" he whispered. "How am I so strong? How did I survive being shot?"
Every question pointed to the screens.
And another problem surfaced-he had just killed a Reichsleiter. The Nazi party would not take that lightly.
He chuckled softly. Not that I intended to let any of them benefit from our discovery. His original plan had been much quieter.
Now? He was the only survivor. Suspicious at best.
He walked to the control panels, crouched, and slid open a hidden side compartment. Inside lay explosives-enough to collapse the entire cavern.
Their final contingency.
Good. They never found these.
He sat down, exhaled, and looked at the screens hovering before him.
"Now then… let's see what all of this means."