Prologue: From Chains to Crowns
In the flickering haze of his cramped Chicago cubicle, Ethan Blackwood—thirty-five, burnt-out corporate drone, chained to endless spreadsheets and a life of quiet desperation—slammed his desk. "Screw this grind. No power, no respect, just bills and bosses. If I got one shot, I'd seize a world and rule it." A faulty power surge hit his PC. Sparks flew. Agony claimed him.He awoke amid ancient ruins, the air thick with fading magic and the tang of recent battle. Crumbled towers loomed under a bruised sky—Eregion? No, something grander. Ethan's new body felt vital, unscarred, dressed in simple wanderer's leathers. "This can't be... Middle-earth?"A serene blue panel shimmered into view.
[Wishmaker System Activated. Host: Ethan Blackwood. Location: Middle-earth, late Second Age, days after Sauron's fall at the Battle of Dagorlad. Ilúvatar is absent; Valar cannot leave Valinor. Shape this world unchallenged.]
[Daily Allocation: 1 Low-Level Wish (affects 1 person). 10 Lows = 1 Mid-Level Wish (1 country). 10 Mids = 1 High-Level Wish (Middle-earth). 10 Highs = 1 Divine Wish (all existence). 10 Divines = 1 Universal Wish (gates to multiverse: Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, etc.). Revitalize fading magic to fuel your rise.][Warning: Rival transmigrators lurk with their systems. Some oppose. Some may ally. Proceed with caution.]
Ethan's blood boiled with old frustrations. No more weakness. Dominion or death. "System, first low-level wish: Transform me into a Maiar spirit on par with Sauron in power—immense magic, shapeshifting, dominion over elements and wills, but subtle, undetectable to elves or men for now."[Wish granted. Maiar essence integrated. Power capped to low-level scope (self only). 0/1 daily low-level wishes remaining today. True potential awaits stacking.]Energy surged through him like liquid fire—vast, terrifying. He flexed, and a nearby stone cracked without touch. A Maiar? Me? Humility gripped him; he quashed the thrill, heart racing. Sauron fell. Elves, dwarves, those unseen Valar... they'll crush me if I slip. Stay low. Learn first.Distant cries echoed—survivors of the Last Alliance? Ethan melted into shadows, his new senses picking up faint magical echoes, the world's magic already waning post-Sauron. I'll revitalize it. Master spells, blades, enchantments. Stack wishes slowly. No rushing into wrath.Unseen in Mordor's smoldering depths, a rival from a grim Westeros glimpsed his arrival via [Thronebreaker System]. "Fresh blood. Let's see if he breaks."
[End of Prologue. Arc 1: Shadows of Caution – Mastering the Fallen Age.]