Chapter 1: Awakening in a New World
Edward Lin awoke to the acrid scent of smoke and the distant hum of neon lights. A dull pain throbbed through his body as he pushed himself up from the cold pavement. Narrow streets lined with aging brick buildings and dimly glowing signs in both English and Chinese met his gaze, illuminated by flickering streetlamps.
This looked like 1940s Chinatown. The problem was, that shouldn't be possible. His last memory was of his apartment in 21st-century San Francisco. His mind reeled. Had he been drugged? Was this an illusion?
A sudden movement caught his attention. A group of gangsters stood at the alley's entrance, their voices hushed but urgent.
"Hey! You there!"
Edward barely had time to react before they moved in. Instinct took over—he raised his hands, bracing for impact. But something strange happened. A faint glow emanated from his fingers, and a pulse of energy shot outward. The nearest thug was thrown back, hitting the pavement hard.
The remaining gangsters hesitated, muttering in alarm. Edward himself was frozen, staring at his hands. That… that was alchemy. Not just any alchemy—the structured, scientific transmutation from Fullmetal Alchemist.
A sudden wave of dizziness hit him. At the same moment, something unseen stirred in his mind, and a translucent blue screen flickered to life before his eyes.
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[Proficiency Panel Activated]
January 7, 1947 – New York, Chinatown
Host: Edward Lin
Age: 20
Alchemy Proficiency: 15% (Level: Initial)
Transmutation: 10% (Level: Initial)
Reinforcement: 8% (Level: Initial)
Creation: 5% (Level: Initial)
Wealth: $500
Property: None
[Levels of Mastery]
Initial
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Master
Grandmaster
Physical Condition: Normal
Status: Disoriented
---
Edward's breath caught. A status screen? It looked like something out of an RPG, yet it perfectly aligned with what had just happened. His alchemical skills were in their infancy, but they were real. He had power here.
He had no time to dwell on it. The gangsters, shaken but not deterred, recovered quickly. Edward turned and ran, pushing past confused pedestrians and slipping into the labyrinth of Chinatown's alleys. He needed to get off the streets, find shelter, and figure out what the hell was happening.
Securing a Foothold
After what felt like an eternity, Edward found himself in front of a dimly lit boarding house. The sign was in Chinese, advertising cheap rooms for travelers. It was exactly what he needed.
Mrs. Wong, the landlady, eyed him suspiciously at first, but his fluent Cantonese and polite demeanor softened her stance. "A traveling student, are you?" she asked, eyeing his worn clothes.
"Yes," Edward lied smoothly. "From the countryside. Just arrived, looking for work."
Mrs. Wong scoffed but took his money and gave him a tiny room on the top floor. It wasn't much—just a bed, a wooden desk, and a single flickering lightbulb—but it was enough.
Acquiring Funds
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January 9, 1947
The next issue was money. His modern knowledge was useless in a world where credit cards didn't exist, and he had no identification. But he had something better: alchemy.
Sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, Edward focused on a handful of cheap metal trinkets he had found discarded in the alley. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on them and willed the reaction into existence. A soft glow, a shift in the material's structure, and seconds later, the worthless scraps had transformed into small pieces of gold.
It wasn't perfect—his skill was still in the Initial stage—but it was enough.
He visited a pawnshop the next day, careful to keep his head down. The owner, an elderly man with sharp eyes, examined the gold but didn't ask questions. It wasn't unusual for desperate people to sell family heirlooms in these times.
---
[Proficiency Panel Update]
Alchemy Proficiency: 18% (Level: Initial)
Transmutation: 14% (Level: Initial)
Reinforcement: 9% (Level: Initial)
Creation: 7% (Level: Initial)
Wealth: $800
Property: Rented Room in Boarding House
---
Edward walked out with enough cash to survive for weeks.
Forging an Identity
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January 12, 1947
The last thing he needed was a name. An undocumented drifter in Chinatown was a target. Through careful observation, he learned about a man named Mr. Chen, an expert forger who provided new identities for those who needed them—immigrants, refugees, and fugitives alike.
The meeting was short and quiet. Edward crafted a believable backstory: an orphan displaced by the war, looking for a fresh start. Mr. Chen took his payment and, a few days later, provided him with papers under his real name: Edward Lin.
Laying Low
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January 15, 1947
For now, he had everything he needed—shelter, money, and an identity. He kept a low profile, taking small handyman jobs around the neighborhood and subtly using alchemy to fix broken items. It gave him a steady trickle of income and kept him from standing out too much.
But he knew this fragile peace wouldn't last. The streets of Chinatown were controlled by ruthless gangs, and even now, Edward could feel something else lurking beneath the surface—something beyond human.
Magic, mutants, and creatures of the dark.
He had survived his first night. Now, he needed to find his place in this world before it consumed him.