The sky glowed grey, warning mortals to run and save themselves. The sun grew red as if foretelling the blood that would soon stain the heavens. Winds howled violently, tearing through lands and toppling mountains, while the sea roared with chaos, waves crashing together to form monstrous heights. Amid this cataclysm, we the beings of absolute power prepared for battle, facing the myths of old and the legends of the new age.
As the struggle raged between opposing forces, we, the wielders of unparalleled authority, began to falter. Our blood painted the sun crimson, and the anguished cries of our soldiers filled the skies with sorrow. The great ones, relentless and unyielding, brought us to our knees.
"Oh, my mighty soldier... last of the sons of the Beginning," a voice echoed, trembling the very fabric of existence and cracking the foundations of the universe. "Poor soldier of mine..." Another voice, filled with worry and sorrow, resonated with a power capable of breaking even the strongest spirit.
"Oh, Great and Destined One, tell me what you desire," a third voice intoned, soothing wounds and dispelling the deepest pains.
In that moment, I understood the gravity of the situation. These voices, each more profound than the last, belonged to none other than the Beginning itself the origin of all creation.
"I, the last of your children, wish to fulfil your final request. My body is frail and battered; I can no longer serve my purpose in this war," I said, bowing in reverence before the Beginning.
"Then I shall command you my last request," the healing voice replied.
"Enter the land of mortals and bestow a gift upon a child," spoke the sorrowful voice.
"Be born anew and deliver absolute order to the mortal realm," commanded the trembling voice.
With these words, my purpose was set. I was to leave the realm of absolute power and enter Earth, the world of mortals, to deliver a gift from the Beginning to a destined child.
The mortal world was a fragile and feeble place, where powerless beings struggled to survive. Unlike us, mortals were bound by the inescapable chains of fate. Their lives, dictated by this unyielding force, oscillated between the heights of success and the depths of suffering, rivalling neither heaven nor hell.
Upon arriving on Earth, the stark difference in atmosphere struck me. The vibrant green fields and towering mountains were undeniably beautiful yet tinged with an underlying cruelty. I wandered through this world for what felt like an eternity, seeking the child worthy of the gift.
A millennium passed without success, until one day, I heard the cry of a child on the outskirts of a south-eastern land.
The sound mirrored the wails of my brethren as our blood stained the skies and our comrades fell to the gods and goddesses of myth. My heart broke at the sight of the abandoned child, vulnerable in a merciless land where predators roamed freely. Driven by the grace of the Beginning, I knew this was the child.
This precious soul would receive the gift a beacon of hope against the chains of fate.
As I bestowed the gift upon the child, my body began to disintegrate. My mission complete, I prayed a final wish: that this child would prosper under the watchful eyes of the Beginning.
Seventeen years later...
I woke up from a dream. A dream that had haunted me ever since I was taken in by the orphanage. I never knew my parents; the caretakers told me I was found as an infant in a remote village high in the mountains.
They gave me the name Ezekiel Rhea, after the orphanage's late owner, who had passed away from old age. Every year since I turned thirteen, I've visited his grave to thank him for giving me a home, even though I wasn't his own.
Now seventeen, I still live at the orphanage. Unlike other teenagers who embrace the joys of youth, I've never had the luxury to explore such freedoms. The orphanage provided private tutors for my education, and I consistently earned high praise for my studies. While I regret not attending a proper school, I've made peace with this life.
From a young age, I was drawn to epics and myths, losing myself in tales of gods and heroes. They fuelled my imagination, letting me envision a world where such beings might exist.
"Weather forecast announcement: A super typhoon is set to hit the country. Please remain indoors until the storm passes."
A typhoon? That's strange; it's summer, and March isn't usually rainy. Deciding to act quickly, I headed to the public library, just fifteen minutes away, to borrow a book before the storm arrived.
As I browsed the shelves, a peculiar book caught my eye. Bound in silver with golden linings, it was heavy and exuded an air of mystery. Without much thought, I checked it out and brought it back to the orphanage.
"Weather forecast update: The super typhoon Yolan has now made landfall."
That was faster than expected. Sitting on my bed, I held the strange book in my hands, an odd sensation stirring within me. Suddenly, the book opened on its own, its pages glowing with an otherworldly light. Golden chains emerged, binding me and pulling me toward the book. I couldn't move, my eyes fixed on the radiant pages.
Before I could comprehend what was happening, I was fully drawn into the book.
I then found myself in a land so vast that nature itself seemed capable of consuming my very being.
"Status window activated." What? Where did this come from?
A translucent window suddenly appeared in my field of vision, resembling the interface of a game. It displayed my current stats:
Name: Ezekiel Rhea
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Level: 0
Class: [None]
UA: ??? [conditions not met]
Stamina: 8
Strength: 6
Agility: 7
IQ: 6
Mana: 0
Mind: 6
Skills: [None]
All my stats were low, as expected. But the more pressing question was: where am I? And what is UA?
I had countless questions swirling in my mind, but survival was my priority. I needed to understand where I was before doing anything reckless. This was an unfamiliar land, and acting rashly could prove dangerous.
I began walking, eventually finding myself at the edge of a dense forest.
"This should be a good spot to find shelter and food," I muttered to myself. I gathered wood and sticks, piling them in a small clearing. Along the way, I came across some berries and collected them cautiously.
The forest seemed peaceful for now, but I couldn't ignore the possibility that it might become perilous at night.
With some calm returning to me, I pieced together my situation. First, I had been dragged into the book during the typhoon. Second, I had arrived in an entirely different world or dimension with no prior knowledge. This was not Earth, the unfamiliar insects and trees were evidence enough.
The strange interface, which resembled a game status window, only added to the surreal nature of my predicament. Was this one of those scenarios where someone gets reincarnated into another world? But I hadn't died. It seemed as though I had been transported here, body and all. Maybe I'd just read too many novels about reincarnations and system mechanics.
As I contemplated, a growl erupted from the bushes to my right. My body tensed, instinct taking over as I readied myself for whatever emerged. I grabbed a nearby stone and hurled it toward the sound. A massive bear lumbered out of the foliage, towering over me.
This wasn't any ordinary bear. It was at least three times the size of any grizzly I had ever seen. Its glowing blue eyes pierced through me, and its crimson-tinged fur was interspersed with snake-like scales that gleamed menacingly.
I didn't need to think twice.
I had to run.