Amidst the tranquil Avalon Continent, within the esteemed Arcane Warrior Academy...
"Why is there such an intense throbbing in my head? What's going on?"
Amidst waves of agony, a flood of overwhelming information cascaded into his consciousness. Ethan, clutching his head as it spun, fought valiantly to remain lucid."Ethan, are you all right?"
Professor Greenwood, his spectacles framed with golden rims, asked with evident concern.
Ethan, with his hands cradling his head, was a portrait of torment.
"I'm fine..." he gritted out through the pain, bewildered by being addressed as a mere classmate.
Was he not deserving of the title of lord?
As the pain gradually receded, Ethan seized the moment to survey his environment.
"What is this place?"
"How is this possible?"
Astonishment flooded Ethan's eyes as he scanned his surroundings.
Before him stood his high school instructor, Professor Greenwood, and his peers, Alex, Tyler...
He had reverted to his youthful self.
"Have I traversed back through time?" In a secretive act of verification, Ethan pinched his thigh with considerable force.
A sharp pang affirmed his reality.
"So, it is true!"
It was some time before calmness reclaimed him.
"Ethan, should you feel unwell, the school's infirmary is at your disposal," Professor Greenwood suggested, adjusting the bridge of his glasses with a touch of solicitude.
Ethan's condition had been notably poor today, having succumbed to slumber from the morning exercises through to the end of the third period.
"Professor Greenwood, I assure you, I am much better now. Just a spell of dizziness earlier," Ethan replied, his smile unforced, as he endeavored to radiate vitality.
"That's reassuring. Remember, I'm here if you need to talk," Professor Greenwood offered, casting a profound glance at Ethan.
He continued with the day's lesson, yet his thoughts lingered elsewhere.
Ethan gazed upon the scenes that felt disturbingly familiar, with a persistent unease troubling him.
"What's the date today?" he inquired of his deskmate, Alex.
"Everything alright with you?" Alex, his lips pursed in concern, reached out to feel Ethan's forehead, his voice tinged with worry.
"Could you just tell me the date, please?" Ethan requested, his tone imbued with urgency.
"It's the 9th of June, 2196," Alex responded, feeling that Ethan was unusually out of sorts today.
"June 9, 2196!" Ethan's voice faltered as he repeated the date, his complexion turning pale.
That was the eve of the apocalypse on Avalon Continent. In his previous existence, that very day a star was on a direct path to Avalon.
When everyone had resigned themselves to their fate, they were unexpectedly transported to a realm known as the Land of Eternal Night.
Glancing at his watch, Ethan noted it was 11:45 AM. Fifteen minutes to the broadcast that had eerily resonated at noon in his past life.
11:46... 11:47... 11:48... As time inched forward, Ethan's anxiety deepened.
At 11:59, Ethan steeled himself.
"Ding! An urgent alert: A star is on a collision course with Avalon Continent, expected to arrive in three days. Please prepare accordingly..."
The broadcast, rather than ending, repeated itself incessantly.
"How could this be happening?"
"This has got to be some joke! It's too much!"
"Maybe it's a false alarm?" Ethan offered a wry smile, reminiscent of his disbelief in his previous life.
Yet, the calamity was real; the star was indeed barreling towards them.
However, the impact with Avalon wasn't slated for three days later, but in just three hours.
Humanity didn't perish; instead, they found themselves collectively whisked away to the Land of Eternal Night.
A world where countless races flourished, and humans were but minor figures.
As discussions swirled around him, Ethan glanced at his watch again, his expression somber.
12:05 PM "The moment has arrived!"
[Ding! ]
An alarm, clear and resonant, cut through the skies of Avalon Continent, heard by all. It was a sound both grand and ominous, silencing the chatter and noise beneath.
He whispered to himself, a silent prayer before the storm.
[Ding!]
An alarm, clear and resonant, cut through the skies of Avalon Continent, heard by all. It was a sound both grand and ominous, silencing the chatter and noise beneath.
[Every soul shall be transported to the Eternal Night Continent][A temple shall be bestowed upon each, to serve as sanctuary and stronghold][A warrior breed shall be granted to each host, to be the blade with which they carve their destiny][In this realm, countless tribes clash, a testament to the eternal struggle for dominance][Peril lurks in every shadow, the threat of oblivion ever-present][Yet, within this crucible of chaos lies untold opportunity, for hosts to rise and contend against the legions of the myriad]"What unfolds before us?"
This query echoed amongst the crowd, a ripple of confusion before the impending voyage.
The faces around mirrored perplexity, a shared bewilderment.
Ethan stood, his demeanor a bastion of resolve. Lessons learned in blood and shadow had prepared him for this moment.
His past marred by missed chances and early defeats, but now, fate offered redemption. His fists clenched, a vow to grasp this new dawn.
"Boom!"
As if the heavens themselves tore asunder, a black hole unfurled in the vast expanse above, its maw widening, an insatiable force pulling all into its embrace.
"To the beyond!"
A zeal lit Ethan's eyes, a harbinger of the odyssey to come. Beyond the abyss lay a battleground of legends, a domain where mighty tribes vie for supremacy.
In but a fleeting moment, the vortex claimed all, a silent testament to the journey embarked.
...
Amidst the engulfing darkness, a speck of light beckoned to Ethan.
A voice, both mellifluous and enigmatic, heralded his arrival in a voice that seemed to weave into his very soul.
[Welcome, host, to the shores of the Eternal Night Continent][A temple of Black Iron shall be your fortress][A legion of Skeleton Warriors stands ready at your command]His eyes fluttered open to the sight of a palace, ancient and withered, yet holding tales of yesteryears.
Adorned in the manner of the olden Western courts, its grandeur contained within a modest span, surrounded by the embrace of untamed mountains, their peaks kissing the heavens.
At its heart, a pentagram, etched with runes of power, a beacon amidst the gloom.
A summoning staff, adorned with a gem of verdant hue, lay within reach, the key to awakening the warriors of yore.
Undaunted, for fate had spun this tale before, Ethan stood ready, his destiny intertwined with the Skeleton Warriors as before.
"Reveal my arsenal, system," he intoned.
[Thy temple, unnamed, stands proud at the threshold of Black Iron][A legion of Skeleton Warriors, your vanguard][To ascend, seek twenty acts of valor]"As it once was!"
With a breath of resolve, Ethan beheld his legacy anew.
The Skeleton Warrior, a specter of might in the tapestry of tribes, a chance for redemption once squandered.
A past lingered, time's weight borne...
"Ethan's Sanctuary shall it be!"
With a furrow of his brow, Ethan reclaimed the mantle of his past.
Grasping the staff, a portal of clarity emerged, a summoning icon gleaming, awaiting but a touch.
With conviction, Ethan summoned forth.
"Whoosh!"
The circle hummed, a chorus of arcane and mystery.
In a flash, two skeletal sentinels appeared, blades and shields at the ready, shadows clad in night.
Their stature modest, yet their presence, an echo of valor.