In this grim reality, where the Kraelith Empire's invasion pushed humanity to its limits, life on Arkos Prime was dictated by war. The line between childhood and adulthood blurred out of necessity, as the planet's remaining inhabitants had been forced to adapt to survival in the face of annihilation. In this war-torn society, a person was considered an adult at the age of 15. By then, boys were drafted into the military ranks, and girls were prepared to support the war effort by any means necessary.
Matt, like many others of his generation, had grown up in the shadow of constant conflict. His transition into adulthood was not marked by celebration or rites of passage but by battle scars. By the time he reached 20, he had already fought in over a thousand battles, each one a life-or-death struggle that hardened him into a soldier of unparalleled skill and resilience. The relentless cycle of bloodshed had forged him into one of the Empire's finest warriors.
Surviving that many battles was no small feat. Most of Matt's peers perished before they could even make a name for themselves on the battlefield. Those who did survive were often maimed or broken, in body or mind. Yet Matt endured. His unmatched ability to navigate the carnage and barbarity of war earned him the reputation of a hardened veteran, as most men in his unit hadn't lived to see their 20th birthday. By that age, Matt had already outlived many of his comrades, and the Empire took notice.
The Astraellan Dominion, always in need of elite soldiers who could turn the tide in their favor, decided to form a specialized military unit composed entirely of veterans who had survived the harshest battles imaginable. This unit, known as the Astraellan Special Forces, was created with one purpose: to engage in high-risk operations that no ordinary soldier could handle. It was a group that lived on the knife's edge, undertaking suicide missions that others would deem impossible. Matt, with his extraordinary survival record, became one of the unit's top operators.
The special forces unit was tasked with launching lightning raids on the Kraelith's supply lines, targeting their infrastructure with precision and brutality. Over the course of 200 raids, Matt and his comrades wreaked havoc on the enemy, slowing the Kraelith's advance and buying precious time for the empire to regroup and reinforce its defenses. These missions were not just about victory—they were about survival. Every raid was an opportunity to deal a blow to the enemy while proving that humanity would not go quietly into extinction.
Despite the odds stacked against them, the special forces succeeded where many had failed. Their success was not without sacrifice; comrades fell on every mission, leaving Matt and others to carry on with the knowledge that death could come at any moment. This grueling cycle of warfare shaped Matt into a man both feared and respected by his peers and superiors alike.
By the time Matt was 25, he was poised to become a {reserve veteran}, an esteemed rank that only a few ever reached. In a world ravaged by war, making it to 25 as a soldier was a rarity—most died long before, claimed by the relentless tide of battles. As a reserve veteran, Matt was expected to step away from active combat and take on a new role: ensuring the survival of humanity not through war, but through life itself. The empire recognized that soldiers like Matt were irreplaceable, not only for their combat experience but also for their genetic resilience. His new duty was clear—before being called back to the front lines, he was to father as many children as possible to ensure the continued strength of the human race.
The Astraellan Dominion, desperate to rebuild its population in the face of extinction, had turned procreation into a strategic mandate. Soldiers like Matt were encouraged, even ordered, to father children who could one day become the next generation of warriors. The brutal pragmatism of this policy reflected the reality of their world: survival was a numbers game, and the Dominion needed to produce warriors faster than the Kraelith could kill them. In a way, it was another battlefield—one where the stakes were just as high.
But even as Matt tried to focus on his duties, the voice from his alternate self lingered, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. It had been days since the message echoed in his mind, telling him he was the last version left. The system the other Matt spoke of felt distant, like a half-remembered dream. Despite his experience as a battle-hardened soldier, Matt couldn't shake the feeling that something far bigger than the war was looming over him.
Still, he kept himself fit, training at his home relentlessly as though war could return to his doorstep at any moment. His muscles, hardened by years of violence, tightened as he moved through grueling exercises. The empire's decree to father children felt distant, even ridiculous, compared to the life of bloodshed he had known.
Then, without warning, he thought of the message once more. Out of a mix of frustration and curiosity, Matt sarcastically thought, "Status."
Suddenly, a window-like screen flickered to life in front of him. For a brief second, Matt wondered if the years of war had finally cracked his mind. But there it was, undeniable and glowing, displaying information in a way that seemed ripped out of the most fantastical tales.
Name: Matt Ode
Race: Unknown (Demonic Celestial??)
Title: None
Level: 1 (XP 0/1000)
Class: War Veteran, Special Forces
Vitality: 10 (10000 [Sealed])
Strength: 16 (978 [Sealed])
Agility: 14 (985 [Sealed])
Intelligence: 19 (693 [Sealed])
Wisdom: 1000 [Sealed]
HP: 100
Mana: 0 (Sealed)
Unused stat: 0
Skills:
Psychological Warfare (Lv. 6), Pharmaceutical Interrogation (Lv. 7), Interdiction Tactics (Lv. 7), Sharpshooter (Lv. 7), Resource Denial (Lv. 7), Advanced Surveillance & Espionage (Lv. 8), Fear Manipulation (Lv. 8), Electronics Warfare & Jamming (Lv. 8), Battlefield Medicine (Lv. 8), Disabling Armored Units (Lv. 8), Poisoning (Lv. 8), Engineering & Trap Setting (Lv.9), Improvised Weaponry (Lv. 9), Disruption of Enemy Logistics (Lv. 9), Adaptive Memory Suppression (Lv. 9), Sadistic Arts (Lv. 9), Advanced Reconnaissance (Lv. 9), Sabotage Recovery (Lv. 9), Camouflage & Concealment (Lv. 10), Enhanced Torture Techniques (Lv. 10), Demolitions and Explosives (Lv. 10), Escape and Evasion (Lv. 10), Saboteur's Precision (Lv. 10), Unyielding Focus (Lv. 10), Psychic Resistance (Lv. 11), Sabotage Tactics (Lv. 11), Psychological Breaking (Lv. 11), Interrogation Tactics (Lv. 12), Trauma Compartmentalization (Lv. 12), Silent Assassination (Lv. 12), Tactical Ambush Techniques (Lv. 12), Stealth Movement (Lv. 13), Mind Over Body (Lv. 13), Infiltration & Covert Operations (Lv. 13), Close-Quarters Combat (Lv. 14), Battle-Hardened Mind (Lv. 15), Pain Tolerance (Lv. 16), Mental Strength (Lv. 20), Necromancer (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Fire Arts (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Water Arts (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Earth Arts (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Lightning Arts (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Wind Arts (Lv. Max) [Sealed] Fire Magic (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Water Magic (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Earth Magic (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Lightning Magic (Lv. Max) [Sealed], Wind Magic (Lv. Max) [Sealed]
Note (For host one-time only): The host might be wondering what the difference is between arts and magic. Arts draw upon your physical strength and skills, while magic relies on the use of mana. Your sealed stats will remain visible until you've either used up your three chances to escape death or surpassed those limits.
'What in the bloody seven hells is this shit?' Matt growled, his voice thick with disbelief and irritation as he stared at the screen. It was the stuff of fairy tales and madmen's dreams—certainly not something a soldier would have any use for. He'd spent his life fighting real battles, not dabbling in mystical nonsense.
But the words on the screen didn't disappear. He glanced at his stats, the "sealed" numbers glaring back at him like a mockery of the power he didn't have.
He didn't ask for this. He didn't want this. Yet here it was, and like the voice had said—he had no choice.