(Alistair's POV)
The realization hit me like a thunderbolt.
This world—Eldoria—was not just some random fantasy realm.
It was a place I knew.
Not as Alistair Vaelthorne.
But as Ethan Kael.
The very world from that old RPG.
The game Sofia had forced me to play over and over again.
The game I had mocked, complained about, and sworn to never touch again.
And now, I was inside it.
Memories from two different existences clashed inside me.
My training as Alistair Vaelthorne—the disciplined heir of House Vaelthorne, the ruthless prodigy, the warrior obsessed with power.
And the life of Ethan Kael—the fallen Titan, the war-hardened soldier, the man who had lived in a world ruled by science instead of magic.
They should have felt separate.
They should have been two different people.
But now, they were one.
After last night's rest.
And for the first time since my Second Awakening, I truly understood what had happened.
I hadn't just assimilated Ethan's memories.
I had become him.
And he had become me.
Our thoughts, our instincts, our experiences—they were fused together, completely and irreversibly.
I wasn't just Alistair.
I wasn't just Ethan.
I was both.
****
I took a slow, steady breath, sorting through the information flooding my mind.
The Aurelian Empire. The ruling kingdom of humanity.
The Age of Awakening. The era where magic flourished and warriors rose in power.
The Constellations. Divine and abyssal beings that granted blessings to those they favored.
And then—the protagonist.
The so-called "Hero of Light."
I felt my lips curl into a disdainful smirk.
I remembered everything about him.
The cliché golden boy.
The man who somehow managed to save every beautiful woman he met, collect them like Pokémon, and defeat enemies who should have slaughtered him through sheer luck and plot armor.
The game had rigged everything in his favor.
Enemies underestimated him.
People forgave his mistakes.
Women flocked to him.
Logic bent to accommodate his existence.
And now?
Now, he was real.
Which meant that this world's future was already written.
Unless I changed it.
I sat on the edge of my cot, fingers pressing against my temples.
"Alright. Think."
The world's events were pre-determined.
But I had knowledge that no one else possessed.
I knew where powerful artifacts were hidden.
I knew which enemies would rise.
I knew how the war between the Constellations would unfold.
I knew how this world was supposed to play out.
And I wasn't going to let it happen.
A slow, dangerous smile spread across my face.
"Let's see how lucky you are when I'm in the picture."
The game's script, i had no intention of following it.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the remnants of exhaustion fade from my body.
Everything had changed.
The fusion of two souls, the sudden flood of memories from another world, the realization that this reality followed a game I once played—it was overwhelming.
But I was not someone who let uncertainty consume me.
I was a swordsman, a warrior, and now, a devourer.
And the first step to mastering my new existence was understanding exactly what I had become.
"Status Window."
At my command, a translucent screen flickered into existence before my eyes.
---
Status Window
Name: Alistair Vaelthorne (Formerly Ethan Kael)
Race: Human
Age: 17
Rank: D+
Stats (Ranked from F to SSS)
Strength: D+
Agility: D+
Endurance: D+
Mana: C-
Intelligence: A
Perception: B-
---
I frowned, my eyes narrowing at the numbers.
For an average awakener my age, this was considered exceptional.
I understood the power scaling system far better now.
A single rank difference was the difference between life and death.
Someone at C could dominate me right now, and a B-rank fighter would crush me effortlessly.
This… was unacceptable.
But at least I had advantages.
My Intelligence was A rank, meaning my mental processing, learning ability, and battle awareness were beyond normal human limits.
My Perception at B- meant my reaction time and mana sensitivity were already high.
That explained why my senses felt so sharp after the fusion.
I could process multiple stimuli at once.
The way the air shifted.
The subtle fluctuations of mana in my surroundings.
The faint vibrations in the walls.
It was like I could feel the world breathing.
This would only grow stronger as I advanced.
But stats weren't everything.
It was my blessings, skills, and mastery over combat arts that would determine my true strength.
---
Blessings and Authority
Blessings:
Blessing of the Moon Huntress (Lesser Blessing)
Effect: Increases affinity with nature magic.
---
I nearly scoffed.
This was what Artemis had left me with after I rejected her as my patron?
A mere scrap of power?
Even so, nature magic had potential.
I wouldn't ignore it.
But my true power lay elsewhere.
---
Ever-Hungry Maw (Higher Blessing)
Name: Black Hunger Flames
Effect: Black flames that consume enemy's stamina and mana while burning with extreme heat.
---
Now this—this was power.
These flames didn't just burn—they devoured.
Mana, stamina, even life force.
The longer an enemy fought me, the weaker they would become, while I only grew stronger.
And then, there was my Authority.
---
Authority:
Devourer's Authority
Effect 1: Increases passive mana recovery without needing to meditate.
Effect 2: Has a small chance to consume an enemy's skill when devoured.
Effect 3: Can absorb life force from others and increase lifespan.
---
This was beyond broken.
It meant I could recover mana while constantly fighting, rather than retreating to meditate like others.
It meant that every enemy I killed had a chance to make me stronger.
And it meant…
If I lived long enough, I might never die.
I let out a slow breath.
With this power, immortality wasn't impossible.
But even more than that—
This was a power that no one else in the world had.
---
Magic Proficiency
I shifted my focus to my magic.
The elemental proficiency system followed a clear progression.
Each stage—Initiate, Adept, Elemental Master, Arcanist, and Elemental Sage—marked a breakthrough in understanding and control.
Right now, my magic mastery was incomplete, but still far beyond what a normal D rank should have.
---
Elemental Proficiency:
Nature Magic – "Elemental Master" proficiency (2%)
Abyssal Magic – "Adept" proficiency (1%)
Lunar Magic – "Initiate" proficiency (82%)
Fire Magic – "Initiate" proficiency (75%)
---
Nature Magic was already at Elemental Master, meaning I could manipulate it instinctively rather than just casting spells.
But at only 2%, I had barely tapped into its potential.
Abyssal Magic, the power of the void and consumption, was already in the Adept Stage—still weak, but promising even after I just awakened it last night.
Lunar Magic and Fire Magic were nearly ready to advance to Adept.
Given the right training, I could break through soon.
And once I did?
My elemental arsenal would be far more versatile than most mages could dream of.
---
Skills and Combat Arts
Skills:
Devourer's Touch – Can absorb life force, mana from weakened or dying enemies.
Abyssal Regeneration – Rapid healing; stronger when consuming energy.
Mana Sight – Allows the user to perceive mana flows, weak points, and hidden enchantments.
Floral Dominion – Grants control over plant-based magic, enhancing growth, weaponization, and barriers.
I analyzed them carefully.
Devourer's Touch would be invaluable for growth.
Abyssal Regeneration gave me an insane survival advantage.
Mana Sight allowed me to see things others couldn't—mana pathways, weaknesses, hidden spells.
And Floral Dominion…
Well, controlling nature itself had endless strategic possibilities.
---
Swordsmanship Mastery
Finally, I examined my combat arts.
In Eldoria, swordsmen followed a similar progression system as mages:
Trainee → Swordsman → Swordmaster → Abyss Blade → Grand Swordmaster → Sword Saint.
Right now, I was already at Mastery Level, meaning I had achieved something few D rank warriors in history had.
---
Arts:
Verdant Blade Style – The swordsmanship of House Vaelthorne, integrating nature magic into precise, flowing attacks using life energy.
Lunar Cut – A sword technique that enhances slashes with lunar-based mana, increasing speed and cutting efficiency.
---
Even with my exile, my foundation was unshakable.
Now, I had Ethan's combat experience merged with Alistair's noble swordsmanship.
Technique and raw battle instinct.
Precision and brutality.
No warrior at my level could match me.
And as I grew?
Even higher-ranked opponents would fall.
I closed the status window, inhaling deeply.
I had everything I needed.
Knowledge.
Power.
I stood, rolling my shoulders.
My body felt lighter, stronger than before.
My hunger for power was sharper than ever.
TO BE CONTINUE...