Chapter 001: Nazi Concentration Camp
In a dark and damp prison, more than a dozen teenagers were crowded together. Sadness, despair, and the fear of death made the prison eerily silent.
Outside the prison, artillery roared, machine guns fired, and various fighter planes and bombers rumbled through the sky.
Someone died every second; limbs and heads flew through the air, and blood covered the ground. This was World War II, the soul and meat grinder known as human conflict.
In the corner of the prison, a young man, leaning against the wall, seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
In reality... he was dead.
It was late at night. In the dark and silent prison, most people were asleep, and no one paid any attention to the boy who had long since passed away.
Suddenly, his stiff body moved, and the boy slowly woke up.
Looking at the dark, humid surroundings, the boy appeared confused.
'Wasn't I sleeping on my bed in the dormitory? How did I end up here?'
Looking at his hand, which had shrunk significantly, the young man had only one thought racing through his mind: he had traveled through time.
Moreover, why did this scene seem so familiar?
Raising his eyes, the boy's pupils shrank when he saw the boy sitting by the window, gazing up at the stars.
Damn, why did he look so much like Magneto as a child?
This couldn't be a Nazi concentration camp!
With a growing sense of unease, the young man walked over to the boy who was looking up at the stars and asked, "What's your name?"
"My name is Eric. What's yours?" Eric turned his head and looked at the boy.
The young man's face paled instantly. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "My name is Smair."
[Implantation in progress. Implantation was successful.]
Suddenly, a faint sound reached Smair's ears, startling him.
"Eric, did you hear that?" Smair asked.
"Sounds? Are there any other sounds here besides the sound of gunfire?" Eric shook his head, returning his gaze to the sky outside the window.
He raised his head, staring at the small window and the starry sky, as though yearning for freedom.
This slender, diminutive version of Magneto did not yet represent the immensely powerful figure capable of commanding the world and evoking fear even among deities... He was still a young boy, immersed in sadness and fear, hoping for freedom.
[Ding! The gene collection system has been activated. The host can collect any gene, and this system will enhance the gene and transfer it to the host.]
Hearing the voice in his mind, Smair froze for a moment. Gene collection?
Smair looked at Eric, the future Magneto. A man capable of destroying all life on Earth if he chose to.
In short, why not give it a try? If I succeed, everyone benefits. If I fail, no big deal. I'll just keep clinging to Eric's coattails until I get out of this damn place.
"Are you afraid?"
Smair asked Eric again.
"What?!"
Eric turned to face Smair, stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and hugged his knees. "I... yes, I'm scared. I'm really scared! They've killed so many people! So many, so many people! I'm terrified! I've been separated from my mother. I don't know where they've taken her, or if they're going to kill her. I'm scared!"
Eric's thin body trembled slightly, and tears fell to the ground.
"Don't be afraid! We will survive! We'll definitely survive!"
Smair reached out and patted Eric's shoulder, then... plucked a hair from Eric's head and placed it into the system resource library.
This was the genetic specimen.
Lost in his sorrow, Eric did not notice Smair's small action.
"Can we... really... survive?"
Eric raised his head, a faint glimmer of hope appearing in his otherwise desperate eyes. Even a little comfort in this hell could give someone a spark of hope in such a bleak world.
"Of course, we'll survive!" Smair smiled. He had collected Magneto's genetic sample. With the power he had just gained, survival—no matter the bullet storm—seemed possible.
[The genetic sample has been successfully collected and analyzed. The analysis of Magnetism Manipulation ability is complete. Do you wish to enhance the Magnetism Manipulation ability?] The system prompt echoed in his mind.
"Enhance," Smair silently declared while talking with Eric.
[Enhancement in progress... Enhancement successful. Do you wish to fuse the abilities?]
"Fusion!" Smair declared with unwavering resolve, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. The decision was made. Only by unlocking these superpowers could he hope to endure the chaos of World War II. Without this power, his chances of survival were slim, even if he clung to Eric's coattails. Fate was unpredictable—what if he became a casualty, just a footnote in someone else's story? The thought of being the tragic catalyst for Eric's awakening was unbearable.
"Not a chance in hell," Smair muttered, his eyes burning with determination. If he was going to survive, he needed to be the master of his own destiny. No more relying on others. It was time to carve his own path through this messed-up multiverse.
A roar erupted in Smair's mind, and a blazing wave of molten heat surged through his body. The searing intensity coursed through every fiber of his being, igniting each cell in a brutal cycle of destruction and rebirth. His muscles trembled violently under the pressure, caught in an unrelenting battle of annihilation and reconstruction. It was as if he were being torn apart at the seams, only to be pieced back together, stronger and more unyielding than before.
Sweat poured from him in torrents, thick and streaked with faint traces of blood, soaking through his clothes and dripping to the ground in steady streams. Each bead of sweat seemed to carry away fragments of his former self, leaving only the agony of transformation. His breath came in ragged gasps, his vision blurred with shadows, yet through it all, Smair refused to collapse, biting through the torment with sheer determination.
"What's wrong with you?" Eric's panicked voice broke through the haze. His eyes widened with terror as he took in the sight of Smair. Blood-tinged sweat trickled down Smair's pale face, his trembling form swaying as if he might collapse at any moment. Eric rushed forward, gripping Smair by the shoulders to steady him. "Smair, talk to me! Are you okay? What the hell is going on?"
Smair let out a guttural breath, forcing himself to straighten despite the lingering tremors wracking his body. Slowly, his lips curled into a faint, almost triumphant smile. He flexed his fingers, feeling the surging power coursing through his veins—a raw, untamed energy that hadn't been there before. The pain had dulled to a faint echo, replaced by an exhilarating sense of strength.
"I'm fine," Smair said hoarsely, his voice rough but steady. He exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he absorbed the magnitude of what had just transpired. "Better than fine. I feel... reborn."
Every ounce of agony, every moment of suffering, had been worth it. Smair had been stripped of his limits, reforged in the fires of transformation. He was no longer who he had been moments ago—he was something far greater. Something unstoppable.
"It's okay. I'm fine!"
Turning his head and flashing a mysterious smile at Eric, Smair added, "Eric, I'm awakened!"
*****
You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.
patreon.com/Translator_God