The ruins had grown quiet again. Only the soft hum of the spire broke the silence, its veins of blue light pulsating like a heartbeat. Kairo sat cross-legged on the cracked stone floor, his eyes locked on the glowing panels hovering before him. Two hours had passed since he first touched the Command Nexus, and still, his hands trembled—not from fear, but from awe.
"Two hours… and I've barely scratched the surface," he muttered. His blue eyes reflected the lines of text, scrolling endlessly with commands and data. "This is insane… it's like Chronicles of War—down to the last detail. No… it is Chronicles of War."
A faint chime rang in his head. The system's sterile voice cut through his thoughts.
[Functions overview: Formation Organization / Area Detection / Blueprints / Relic Integration / Quest Management.]
Kairo leaned forward, running his fingers through his messy black hair. "Let's go one at a time."
Kairo opened the first function, formation Organization:
He tapped the panel, and holographic diagrams burst into view. Phalanxes, pincer formations, skirmisher spreads, siege lines—all rendered in spectral blue.
Kairo's lips parted. "Formations… and not just simple ones. Complex matrices, layered maneuvers. This isn't just pre-built templates. It lets me design and store my own."
He chuckled faintly, something almost unhinged in the sound. "God… it even has adaptive commands. Like setting a trigger to 'if flanked, fall back to line B.' That's… exactly what I did in-game."
His eyes narrowed. "Which means… if I had troops here, I could run a full battle like a grandmaster. One against thousands. An entire army… obeying me with perfect precision."
Kairo continued to the next, area Detection:
The diagrams folded, replaced by a sweeping sonar-like pulse. A wave of blue spread outward from the spire, mapping terrain in real time. Trees, rocks, water sources—all registered as shifting icons. A small section glowed faintly.
Kairo leaned in. "Resources… stone, metal, even edible plants. And there—" his finger pointed at the glowing mark, "—that's not terrain. That's… a relic signature."
The system confirmed.
[Relic signature detected: Tier 1 / Distance: 1 kilometers northwest.]
"Tier 1…" Kairo repeated. "So relics have ranks. Just like in the game. Higher tiers… rarer units."
Then kairo opened blueprints:
Another panel shimmered open, this one filled with scrolling blueprints. Primitive walls, watchtowers, forges, even spears and bows.
Kairo's brows furrowed. "So… I don't start at endgame. Makes sense. Blueprints unlock by tier. Just like the tech-tree. That means… as I rise, the Command Nexus will unlock stronger weapons, advanced fortresses, even magical engines of war."
He scrolled further, lips pressing into a thin line. "I'll need resources. Wood, stone, ore. Without them, these blueprints are just pictures."
At last, he opened the progression tab. Twenty tiers, listed in glowing numerals. Each tier held two empty slots, framed with intricate runes.
20 Tiers in total. Each Tier provides 2 Relic Slots. Relics summon units into Host's service. Relic rarity determines slot cost. Territory Core protects integrated Relics. If Territory Core is destroyed, all Relics are released.
Kairo sat back, staring at the glowing slots. His voice was low, contemplative.
"So… this is how it works. Relics are everything. Troops, power, progression. No relics, no army. No army… no chance of surviving this world."
He rubbed his chin. "And the Territory Core… that's the heart. Lose it, lose everything. Just like the stronghold in Chronicles of War."
He exhaled, a grin flickering on his lips. "Which means… if this world really mirrors the game… then the end goal is the same." His eyes hardened, glinting like steel. "Conquer the world."
Before he could bask in the thought, the system chimed again.
[Warning: Residual Aura detected.]
[Explanation: A strong presence recently fell here. Its aura suppressed local beasts. Aura is dissipating. When it vanishes, surrounding predators will converge to feed on remains.]
Kairo's blood ran cold. He turned toward the spot where the angel had died. Her ashes were gone, her spire pulsing faintly.
"So… they'll come here. Drawn to her body." He clenched his fists. "Of course. In a world like this, even corpses become fuel."
The system pulsed again.
[New Quests Available.]
Kairo leaned forward as the text scrolled.
[Quest 1: Locate a Relic: A Tier 1 signature has been detected nearby. Objective: Secure it before the beasts arrive.]
[Quest 2: Strengthen Territory: Reinforce the terratory before hostile creatures converge.]
Kairo's jaw tightened. "So… this is how it starts. No time to mourn. No time to hesitate. Just survival."
He rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes. His blue eyes burned with sharpness.
Kairo: "…Alright, Nexus. Talk to me. How do I secure a relic?"
[Locate relic->Integrate with Nexus->Unit becomes bound to Host.]
Kairo: "Simple. And beasts?"
[Eliminate threats or fortify Territory: Failure = loss of core.]
Kairo: "So it's just like Chronicles. One mistake, and everything collapses."
He rubbed his temples, chuckling dryly. "Great. Nothing like familiar hell to make me feel at home."
The Nexus pulsed.
[Encouragement: Host has 98.6% compatibility with system functions.]
Kairo blinked. "Wait… encouragement? Since when did RTS systems talk back?"
No answer came. Only the steady hum of the spire.
Kairo sat back down, gazing at the ruins, the sky darkening above. His thoughts swirled.
"If this really is Chronicles of War… then I already know the path. Step one: gather relics. Step two: expand territory. Step three: annihilate anything that stands in my way. It's all the same."
But then his expression softened, memories surfacing. The waiting room. The girl's voice. Grandma would've been proud.
His fists tightened. "…I'll live. I'll survive this cursed world. And I'll find the truth. About why I'm here. About what she—" his eyes flicked to the spire where the angel had stood, "—died for."
He stood, fire sparking in his gaze. "I'm the Overlord. That hasn't changed. If the Command Nexus has chosen me… then I'll use it. To command, to conquer, to carve my mark into this world."
The system flickered again, urgent.
[Quest Timer: Aura Dissipation – 04:59:32]
Kairo smirked faintly, his strategist's mind already calculating. "Four hours until the beasts come. Enough time to find that relic. Enough time… to start my campaign."
He pulled up the map, the relic's glow pulsing northwest.
"Alright then. First mission. First victory. Let's see if this world can handle me."
He clenched his fist, and the system's panels pulsed in response.
[First Mission Begins.]