Chapter 1: The End
"Dear beautiful babes of the future or lame boring men who happen to stumble upon this: It is now year 607, month 7, day 7 of me being trapped in this box of despair and depression. I've been in here so long that the stick people I drew on the wall have started talking to me.
Just the other day, when I was doing my regular workout routine, Rob—the second friend I made on the wall—told me,
'You could do all the sit-ups you want, and still no girl would want a weirdo who talks to himself.'
To which I responded kindly with,
'ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU, NOODLE MAN, AND I'LL WIPE YOUR SMART ASS CLEAN OFF THE WALL.'
I fear Rob didn't like my response too much because he hasn't said a word to me since. That was two years ago.
Today is a special day because, 550 years ago, I drew Rob on the wall of this hellish place—the day I made my TRUE first stick friend. So, I'm going to do something special for him and draw him his very own girlfriend. Hahahaaaa—aren't I a genius, dear reader?? This should serve as an apology, right? Right??"
A man speaks these words in a dimly lit, cube-shaped room. He looks rough—his long, scraggly dark brown beard and twisted, matted brown hair framing a face hardened by time. His toned, muscular physique betrays years of daily workouts, though his only clothing is a loincloth fashioned from what might have once been the sleeve of a nice coat. His stench could knock a full-grown man unconscious, and his skin glistens with grease as if coated in butter.
The box shaped room hes in, the cube, is cold and oppressive: stone floors, metal walls covered in moss and rust, and a ceiling with a single strip of weak artificial yellow light illuminating the 20x20-foot space.
In the left corner lies a pile of dirty clothes and trash masquerading as a bed. Two feet to its right, a U-shaped platform welded into the wall serves as his workstation, strewn with knife-like rocks, a magical pen that never runs out of ink, and a large notepad he's currently writing in. On the opposite side, a slightly cracked screen emits a faint blue glow, displaying an assortment of books for him to read in his spare time.
The man sets the pencil down and mutters to himself, "Okay, Rob, what's your ideal girl, hmm?" He rises from the desk and walks to the right wall, opposite his bed, picking up his magic pen before scribbling a basic stick figure with long hair and a wobbly smile. He places his hand over it for a moment and a dark purple glow emits from his palm for a brief moment.
"This is perfect. I shall name you Tess," he says, admiring his work. "Ooooohhhhh, Robbbbb, I have someone I'd like you to meetttt."
He crouches beside a poorly drawn stick figure wearing a top hat. The figure seems to move, scowling up at him.
"Basil, how many times do I have to tell you… PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, YOU ANIMAL! YOUR ASS IS HANGING OUT, AND I CAN'T STAND TO LOOK AT THAT UGLY MUG OF YOURS—YOU LOOK LIKE A CAVEMAN!" Rob snaps.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Listen… there's someone I want you to meet." Basil gestures toward Tess. "Her name's Tess. What d'ya think? Huh? Huhhh?" He raises his eyebrows repeatedly, grinning.
Rob glances at Tess, who seems to have just gained self-awareness. He blushes, forming an awkward grin. "Well, I guess… she's kinda… cute and all. Should I go say hello?" He twiddles his stick-figure hands together.
"Go for it buddy. And take this as my official apology for what I said a while back," Basil says, giving him a thumbs-up while thinking to himself 'happy birthday little guy'.
He watches as Rob approaches Tess, their conversation starting awkwardly before she laughs at something he says. Satisfied with his matchmaking, Basil lies in the center of the room, staring at the faint yellow light.
"*Sigh*… When will I get out of this stupid cube? The goddess may have given me immortality, but what's the point if I'm stuck in here forever?" His gaze drifts to the left wall, where scratch marks and fist-shaped dents mar the surface. "If only the magic runes infused into the floor tiles didn't drain my mana—then I could break out of here in no time."
He taps the side of his forehead, and three digital windows appear in his vision:
#### Stats Window: ####
- Name:Basileus Narciss
- Age:22 (639)
- Level: 65
- Job: Eldritch knight
- Title: Goddess's Guardian
- HP: 200/200
- Mana: 60/32,000
- STR: 205
- VIT:200
- INT: 170
- AGI: 112
- PER: 60
- XP to Next Level: 2,450/8,000
- Available Points:12
#### Skills Window: ####
Basic:
- Innocence (F)
- The king (A)
- Swordsmanship (S)
- Mana Control (SSS)
- Charisma (F)
- Crafting (B)
- Longsword Mastery (S)
- spell knowledge (B)
- Rune Knowledge (B)
- Healing (C)
- Scholar (A)
Unique:
- Immortality (EX)
- Oversight View (EX)
- Haggle (SS)
- Misfortune (D)
#### Inventory: ####
Gold:61,304
- Box 1: 2,000 HP Potions
- Box 2: 2,000 MP Potions
- Box 3: Winter Cloth Set
- Box 4: Summer Cloth Set
- Box 5: Bread x100
- Box 6: Jerky x100
This skill—Oversight View—was gifted to Basil by the Goddess of Order, Sarien. It allows him to see other guardians' stats and skills while providing a spatial inventory where items neither decay nor age. Activating it is simple: tap his forehead and think 'Open.'
"Looks like my mana's getting low again. Guess I'll meditate and recharge for now,"
Basil mutters, sitting cross-legged. A low hum fills the air as he draws in ambient mana. Moments later, he checks his status—11,200/32,000.
"That should be enough for now." He stands, returning to his desk and picking up the pencil.
"Dear reader, it has occurred to me that I haven't told you how I ended up in this situation. So, let's start from the beginning, shall we?"
——-
My name is Basileus Narciss, and I am the eldest son of Duke Zion Narciss and Duchess Emily Narciss. I had two younger brothers and one sister. We lived in the Dalen Kingdom, within the Narciss territory, where my father governed the land and its people. My father was the greatest swordsman in the kingdom—a gentle yet stern man who cared deeply for his subjects. From him, I learned many things: how to wield a sword, how to lead, how to care for those under my charge, and, perhaps most importantly, how to haggle—how to sell something barely valuable at an insanely high price or how to rob someone of every last… *Ahem*. As I was saying, my father was a very righteous man.
Life was good for me as a child. My days consisted of sword training, roaming the estate, and terrorizing the maids. That all changed on my twelfth birthday, when the gates we now call Hell's Gates opened across the continent. They varied in shape and size, and no one knew what would emerge until it was too late. In our imeadite territory, only one gate appeared—right in the middle of the village. It was enormous, towering over the houses, visible even from the estate. Unsure of what it was, my father gathered his knights, took up his sword, and rode out to investigate. Foolish and curious, I followed.
By the time I reached the village, beings had already begun pouring out of the gate. We call them Hell's Legion now, but back then, to me, they were just monsters. Giant, human-like creatures with horns protruding from their bodies, dark red skin, and deep maroon eyes. Each stood at least ten feet tall. But the thing I'll never forget was their murderous smiles. Every single one wore the same expression—gleeful, as if this slaughter was *fun*. I cowered, but my father and his elite knights stood firm. They cut down countless demons, buying time for the villagers to flee.
Until it arrived.
A being whose mere aura made men buckle in fear. It had four maroon eyes, two horns curling from its forehead, and a slim frame—so tall it had to crouch to pass through the gate. In its hands was a massive glaive, its shaft constructed from the spines of past victims. Half of my father's men fled in terror. I watched as my father charged fearlessly—only for the demon to seize him, lift him before his men, and tear his head off as easily as snapping bread. It tossed his headless corpse at the remaining knights, laughing, then hooked my father's skull onto its belt, grinning wider.
Terrified, I ran to the estate to warn my family.
But I was too late.
When I arrived, I collapsed at the horror before me. My siblings were being swallowed whole by a bloated, club-wielding demon with a single horn jutting from its forehead. The maids and servants were being violated and torn apart by smaller fiends. And then I saw my mother—the woman who had always smiled at me, even when I spat hateful words at her; the woman who nursed me through illness, who loved me unconditionally simply because I was hers. A four-armed demon with crimson skin ripped her arms off, violated her, licked its lips, then crushed her into a bloody pulp with a massive hammer.
I tried to run to her, to save her, but she met my gaze with dull, lifeless eyes and shook her head. *Don't come.* She never screamed. She only watched helplessly as her children were devoured, one by one, their kicks and screams fading—until her own light vanished.
Powerless, I stared at the ground. Then, a shadow loomed over me.
This is it. The end. No more suffering.
A soft thud made me look up.
My father's head lay before me, blood weeping from his eyes, his face smeared with mud and filth. I screamed. The demon only laughed and walked away, knowing despair was worse than death.
When the demons finished with the village, they lumbered back toward the gate. Each one laughed as it passed me.
Why am I so powerless? Why did this happen? We did no wrong. We ruled justly. So why?
I screamed at the gods, begging for help. Villagers my father had died protecting trampled over my mother's corpse in their rush to escape.
And then I realized:
No one cared.
NO ONE GAVE A FUCK
Whether I lived or died, my life was a speck in an endless cycle. To the world, I was just one tragedy among millions.
So I stopped crying.
I stood.
I took my father's sword.
And, filled with rage, vengeance, and hatred for the world—I ran through the gate.
Upon passing through the gate, three things happened.
First, I was hit with such intense heat that my tears evaporated off my face.
Second, the demons paused, turned, and saw me—then kept marching forward, as if I wasn't even worth their time.
Third, and most importantly, a digital message window appeared before me.
---
### CONGRATULATIONS ###
You have passed the test to become a Guardian (by passing through a Hell's Gate). You may now select one of the three Jobs tailored to your talents.
---
### Job 1: ###
Title: Splashy Slashy
Rank: (A)
Description:Using the blood of your enemies, you can conjure daggers and knives to slaughter more foes! A class that excels in mobility and a swift way to kill enemies. As the name suggests lots of slashing your enemy and lots of there blood will splash on you. You are offered this Job because the Goddess of Death *licks her lips* at the smell of despair festering inside you.
Stats gained upon choosing
+ 5 STR
+ 3 VIT
+ 7 INT
+ 12 AGI
+ 7 PER
Skills gained upon choosing
- Blood control (D)
- Blood weapon conjure (A)
---
### Job 2: ###
Title:Eldritch Knight
Rank: (Unknown) *1 of 1*
Description: the Eldritch Knight stands as a formidable sentinel, a master of both blade and mana. This warrior commands the dark elements of mana, gaining incredible power over a long period of time. The Eldritch Knight's strikes are not merely physical; they carry the weight of the innocent souls that are slain, inflicting wounds that sap the strength of the enemys and sanity of the wielder. Shadows gather at their feet, coiling upward to cloak them in an aura of dread, as if the very essence of darkness bows to their command. You are offered this Job due to your latent mana potential and swordsmanship. As the Middle Dimension's First Guardian, you are granted this one-of-a-kind Job by the Goddesses of Order.
Stats gained upon chosing
(Unknown)
skills gained upon choosing
-(unknown)
-(unknown)
---
### Job 3: ###
Title: Light Bringer
Rank: (S)
Description: Blessed by the Goddess of Life, who pities your loss, you wield a near-unbreakable shield of light and armor as light as a feather yet sturdy as a mountain. Your sword burns with holy radiance, Emiting nothing but the glory of the goddess of life, through her name you cleave through enemys effortlessly. You are offered this Job due to your talent in swordsmanship—and because the Goddess of Life sympathizes with your suffering.
Stats gained upon choosing
+ 40 STR
+ 60 VIT
+ 30 INT
+ 10 AGI
+ 10 PER
Skills gained unpon choosing
- Radiance (S)
- Armor of light (A)
---
I had no idea what a Guardian was, who these goddesses were, or why they'd help me. But one thing was clear—I didn't need to think. The choice was obvious.
If I picked Light Bringer, I could probably take down two out of three of those demons before dying.
But one phrase burned in my mind:
"Pitied by the Goddess of Life."
Pity. Sympathy.
Of all the words she could've used, she chose those.
I laughed uncontrollably, then screamed:
"WHO ASKED FOR YOUR PITY?! TO HELL WITH YOU!"
Gritting my teeth, I made my choice.
---
Ding
Another message appeared.
---
### HIP-HIP-HOORAY!! ###
You have chosen Eldritch Knight(SS)! The world will know your name 'soon', First Guardian. The Goddess of Balance is pleased with your selection.
---
### STATS ###
Name: Basileus Narciss
Age:12
Level:1
Job: Eldritch Knight
Title: First Guardian
- HP: 50/50
- Mana: 25/25
- STR: 17
- VIT: 50
- INT: 25
- AGI: 12
- PER: 16
- XP to Next Level:0/100
- Available Points:0
---
### SKILLS ###
Basic:(Can be learned/upgraded through training or skill points.)
- innocence (F)
- The king (F)
- Swordsmanship (A)
- Mana Control (F)
Unique:(Granted by the Goddesses—cannot be changed or upgraded.)
- Haggle (SS) (Your father was quite the man)
- Misfortune (A) (Luck? Never heard of her.)
---