"In the world of Aetherion, two natural forces shape reality: mana and aura.
Mana users, commonly known as Mages, do not simply cast spells. They can tear the skies with lightning, burn entire forests with a single gesture, and freeze rivers with no more than a whisper. Generations have risen and fallen beneath the shadow of arcane power.
Yet for all its might, magic has become a crutch.
Technology has withered. Innovation, stifled.Villages, cities, even the mightiest kingdoms have become utterly dependent on magic — blind to any other path. In Elandor, progress is not measured by invention, but by how much mana one can control.
Aura, however, is different.
It cannot be summoned with chants or glyphs. It must be forged — through discipline, instinct, and sheer force of will. Aura users are rare. Their bodies become weapons. Their strikes split boulders. Their presence silences rooms. Most are born into ancient warrior bloodlines, hidden far from the cities drunk on magic.
You, Veigar, have been summoned to Aetherion to—"
"Wait, wait, wait… Who's talking? Why does this sound like a YouTube ad?"
"You are now the chosen bearer of the Supreme Mage System, a tool designed to help you ascend to—"
"Yeah, that's cool and all, but… did I die? Also… Supreme Mage? I don't even like magic. I really prefer swords."
"Yes, you did die. Welcome to the Eternal Void, a space between worlds. Only two minds exist here: yours and mine."
"Right… and why did you pick me? I've never read a book without pictures. You should've gone for an actual nerd, not a former League addict."
"Are you refusing your destiny, Veigar?"
"No, I'm just offering constructive feedback."
Silence.
"Also... how did I die? What about my family? My friends?"
"You ask too many questions. Just answer: do you accept your destiny?"
"I accept becoming a warrior. Magic? I'll pass."
Before he could hear a reply, an unseen force dragged his soul. All his senses were overwhelmed—then came the light. Blinding, pure light. The scent of wet earth, leaves, and chirping birds followed.
When his vision returned, he was lying beneath a tree.
"…Where?"
A stunning scene stretched before him: a humble village in the distance, surrounded by mountains cloaked in forest. The sunrise looked like it was painted just for him. The air was fresh — too fresh. The ground was soft, the leaves danced with a breeze that didn't feel like Earth.
It was beautiful.
"Damn, I don't know if Earth ever had a view as beautiful as this… Maybe I should've gone out more often. Anyway."
He stood up and examined his new body — pale porcelain skin, long arms, and visible veins.
"Looks like someone never left the basement either…"
The environment felt oddly familiar, and yet… wrong. Trees, grass, soil — they looked like the ones from Earth, but something was off. There was a pulse in the air. Like static. But it wasn't electric — it was warm, flowing, alive.
"Is this mana?"
Veigar raised his hand and reached for the invisible energy.
"System? Cheat code? Interface? Status? Open Sesame? Google Assistant?!"
Nothing.
Hours passed. He tried every command. Even "ARISE!" in the Sung Jin-Woo voice.
Still nothing.
He lay back under the tree, arms crossed behind his head. The blue sky stared back at him.
"…Did I get scammed by a divine being?"
Eventually, curiosity dragged him off the ground. He wandered the forest's edge, taking in every plant, every flower, every animal call. He wasn't sure what he expected — maybe a dragon, maybe a wolf. What he got instead was… nothing.
Just peace.
Well, until a roar shattered it.
Veigar froze on the spot
"…Okay, I'll come back later. Thanks for the heads-up."
He bolted in the opposite direction, deciding it was too early for death in this new life.
He reached the village without much trouble, drawn by smoke trails and rooftops in the distance. It was bigger up close — not a tiny hamlet, but not quite a town either. Stalls, homes, and roads built with stone and wood. The kind of place you'd see in RPG tutorial zones.
And people.
Lots of them.
They stared. Especially the women. Whispering and pointing.
"Either I'm famous... or hot. I'll take hot."
A few tried to talk to him.
"⸺eja talmën, zor ik Valen?"
"Huh?"
"Zer aviemta nolde, et ren talvas…"
"…Yeah, I got nothing."
They frowned.
"Dude. You throw me into a world and forget the language pack?"
He wandered aimlessly, failing every social interaction. Gestures helped — a bit. Smiling helped — slightly. But eventually, his stomach started to growl.
He had no money, no map, and no idea what was edible.
Eventually, a merchant approached, speaking slowly and with exaggerated gestures.
"⸺Nol deil... merka? Alen vorr…?"
Veigar just blinked and gave a thumbs-up. The merchant gave him a loaf of bread out of pity.
"…I don't know if I'm being blessed or humiliated."
He found a quiet bench at the edge of town and sat down. He took a bite. It was dry and oddly sweet — like someone made banana bread with tree bark.
"Okay, not dying of hunger today. Progress."
He leaned back on the bench, legs stretched, eyes fixed on the horizon. The sky was painted in warm gold and sleepy lavender, as if the world itself was trying to wind down — unlike his brain.
"So this is it… New world. No internet. No bed. No idea what I'm doing. I don't even know if I'm technically alive or just on some magic life-support system."
His fingers traced the edge of the wooden bench. Rough. Splintered. Real.
"Back on Earth, I never thought about this stuff. I was just… drifting. Games, memes, avoiding human interaction whenever possible. I wasn't living — I was queuing for life and kept alt-tabbing."
He chuckled softly.
"Still… If I could become something here, anything... I'd love to be a swordmaster. Like, a real one. Bobonoa Zoro level. Or Master Ti from that one mobile game with more bugs than features. Hell, even Hasuo the Tornado Blade Saint would've been fine."
A breeze brushed through the village, and with it came silence — not the empty kind, but the peaceful kind.For the first time since waking up in this strange world, Veigar didn't feel overwhelmed. Or lost.
And yet, as the sun began to set, Veigar could feel it — something inside him. A spark. A warmth in the center of his chest. It pulsed once. Then again.
Something was building inside him.
Mana.
Maybe he wasn't entirely abandoned after all.
Maybe… the system was waiting.