Chapter 1: The Altar's Awakening: A New Beginning or a Curse?
The full moon hangs high in the night sky.
Ash opens his eyes in a new world.
He stands on the city's altar, a rush of surprise flooding his senses. There's a warmth, an unfamiliar sensation spreading through his body, as if something is seeping into him.
A sudden pain claws at his mind—a fierce headache, sharp and overwhelming, as if a thousand ants are chewing through his brain.
Minutes drag by as the agony begins to fade, and with it comes relief. His mind feels lighter, clearer, as if he has been reborn. His vision sharpens, and his body feels stronger than it ever has before. But fear grips him. Fear from the pain. Fear from the unknown. His skin, marked with imperfections, begins to smooth out. He looks down, his skin appearing younger, far younger than it should be.
The sensation is almost… wonderful. A genuine smile pulls at his lips as the truth settles in: he looks younger.
Minutes slip by as he stands motionless on the altar. The altar itself pulses, glowing a soft golden hue three times.
Then,
Information floods his mind. It's like a direct message from the altar city, telling him that he is standing on the altar and has been summoned to the world of Eldros. The realization crashes over him like a tidal wave. The world of Eldros. His heart sinks with a wave of sadness and regret. He can never see his friends, his parents, or his brother again. The thought gnaws at him.
His mind drifts to the last memory of his life on the blue planet. A truck. The collision.
Pain pierces his chest, and his heart races. His mind is a blur of shock. His eyes feel numb, and tears begin to trickle down his face, wetting his cheeks and nose. He chokes out a cry, "Mom! Mom!"
Desperation grips him as he grabs a fistful of soil from the ground, his hands trembling. His tears fall faster now, mingling with the earth. His family, his friends, his brothers and sisters, flash before his eyes. He imagines their faces, the faces of those he will never see again.
He feels like a man who has lost everything.
Fifteen minutes pass.
He forces himself to breathe, to regain control. He tries to piece together the puzzle of his death. Why had the truck hit him? He was walking in a place vehicle didn't usually go.
The answer comes to him in fragments. He was killed by a criminal.
He recalls being a journalist on the blue planet, always striving to be a successful reporter. His boss had offered him a sting operation to expose a massive drug network poisoning the youth of his country. Ash had accepted.
For six long months, he worked tirelessly, chasing leads, putting himself in danger. He uncovered dark secrets—drug lords, politicians, all tangled in a web of corruption. The day he submitted his report, he had hoped for justice. But now, he believes the CEO of his company sold him out. The criminals, the politicians—they must have been behind his death.
Ash clenches his fist, the anger rising. "What can I do to them in this new world?" he thinks bitterly.
He falls silent for a moment, the storm inside him calming. "I should focus on this world," he resolves, his expression hardening.
—
He tries to recall the information from the altar city.
Minutes later,
He remembers,
"In this world, every time someone is summoned to bond with the city's altar, they are tasked with defending the land of Eldros against otherworldly entities. Eldros is at war, fighting for survival—a war that has raged for ages.
The world has the power to grant its people longevity, but it also uses dark, powerful methods to kill, to wage war, to protect itself. He knows now that as long as he is bound to the altar city, he will survive. If the altar is destroyed, he will die. But worse, his body will be used as a weapon—a mindless monster to attack another city."
Ash sighs, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.
"What kind of luck do I have?" he thinks grimly. "To be sent to this killing world, where death is a breath away and no one even gets a burial. It sucks, doesn't it? To die unjustly, only to end up in a world that doesn't care."
"This really sucks," he mutters, his irritation rising.
But even in his frustration, hope stirs. He longs for something—anything—that will give him a chance to survive. He can't do it alone. His fragile human body is no match for this world.
With a desperate cry, he calls out, "Give me some compensation to survive in this world!"
Almost immediately, the altar city glows brightly. Information floods his mind again.
He learns that every new altar owner is given a chance to choose an ability ball from the world's treasury.
Surprise and joy burst within him. "Anything that can make me stronger, I'll take it. I won't be weak in this world—not after everything I've seen."
He also learns that,
"These ability balls will become passive abilities for the altar once fused with it, helping the city grow."
A few moments later,
He finds himself teleported to a mysterious room. The teleportation causes him pain, but it fades quickly. He feels confused and disoriented, and then he sees them—countless shiny balls in all colors, scattered across the room.
A sense of awe fills him. There are so many. He tries to take in the vastness of the room, but it feels like it stretches on forever. The ability balls are far apart, almost too far to reach. Hours seem to pass as he explores the space, but there is no exit, no way out.
A mysterious prompt appears in his mind.
A window pops up in front of him.
...
.....
Mysterious room closes in: 10 mins
...…..
........
Panic surges through him. He doesn't have time to waste. He has to pick an ability ball or risk leaving empty-handed. His altar city's survival depends on this. He can't afford to be weak.
After five frantic minutes, he finally spots it—an ability ball unlike any other. It glows with an intense, dark green light, and the energy it radiates fills him with a sense of peace. All the fatigue, all the exhaustion, melts away.
He feels a strange connection to the ball, as if it is meant for him. But he hesitates for only a moment.
Grabbing the ball, it feels warm in his hands—unlike anything he's ever experienced. Holding it, he feels a power coursing through him, something new, something immense. He thinks, "Am I just imagining this, or is the ball really this powerful?"
Returning to the altar city, he feels the ball slipping from his grasp, as if it has a will of its own. He tightens his grip, unwilling to let go.
Seconds pass, and the altar city shines again. New information floods his mind.
The altar city now needs to fuse with the ability ball.
He slowly opens his fingers. The green ball rushes to the altar's core, and Ash feels the temperature rise. He steps back, moving away from the growing heat.
A few minutes later, another prompt appears before his eyes.
...…
......
Ability ball fusion with altar city time needed: 20 mins
...…
........
Twenty minutes pass.
Another window pops up.
Name your altar city?
He names it "Nexus City."
Another window appears.
...…..
......…
City: Nexus City
Ability: Territory defense double
Description: In the event of city defense, all attack and defense power of people and buildings is doubled.
Altar level: 0
Area: 625 square meters
Status: Very small village
Building: None
Population: 1
Specialty: None
Attack power level: 0 (0/1000)
Description: City's power level to attack enemies
Defense power level: 0 (0/10000)
Description: City's defense power level against enemies.
.....
..........
He stares at the altar city's status in disbelief. A realization settles in. This is just the beginning.