Midnight
Alister lay in deep sleep, holding Astra in his arms, but his consciousness was elsewhere.
His dream came not as a series of images, but as an endless expanse of blinding white. There was no sky, no ground, no horizon—just pure, limitless void. He was alone, yet he felt a presence, ancient and immense, humming through the very air around him. But this presence felt fragile, fading like a whisper in a storm.
A voice—not of words but of thought—echoed directly in his mind. It was a soundless whisper, barely a breath, a plea from a dying entity.
"I am... the spirit of this world. And I am dying."
Alister's warrior's mind, so accustomed to cold logic and the brutal truth of the battlefield, was utterly baffled. A world spirit? A voice in his head? He was a man who had lived by the sword, a pragmatist who believed only in what he could see and touch. This was beyond his comprehension.
The voice, weak and trembling, continued. The world's magic was fading, slowly but surely—a spreading sickness killing the very lifeblood of the planet. As the magic waned, so did the world's spirit. It had little time left.
"It was I who brought you here," the voice revealed, its words filled with profound sorrow. "The last of my strength was used to pluck a soul worthy of a second chance—a soul forged in battle and loss. I chose you, a warrior without a world, to be my vessel. I am about to dissipate, but in my final moments, I have bound what remains of my essence to you. The last of my power will manifest as a system."
Alister's mind reeled. A system? What did that mean?
The voice answered his unasked question, its thoughts growing weaker with each word. "This system will be your link to me, to this world. As you help me grow, as you restore the flow of magic, your power will rise. Your strength will depend entirely on the strength of this world. As my magic strengthens, so will you. As you help the world grow, it will in turn make you stronger than any wizard who has ever lived."
The voice grew fainter—a final, desperate plea before fading into nothingness.
"You are my last hope. My strength is your strength. Rise, warrior, and save me. Save yourself. Save the world."
The immense presence vanished, leaving behind profound emptiness. Alister's dream began to fade, the brilliant white giving way to familiar darkness.
_________________________________________
Alister's eyes snapped open. The familiar stale air of the cupboard filled his lungs. He lay motionless, the images of the vast white void and the fading voice replaying in his mind.
Magic. A system. A world spirit.
The words felt surreal, like something from a child's fairy tale, yet the memory was as vivid and real as the cold floor beneath him.
The silence of the cupboard was suddenly shattered. A voice, similar in resonance to the world spirit but entirely devoid of emotion, echoed in the air around him—cold and mechanical, like iron scraping against stone.
[Ascension System, now online.]
A faint, ethereal light shimmered in the cramped space, coalescing into a transparent blue screen that hung in the air just inches from his face. The screen was covered in lines of text and symbols, a bewildering display that pulsed with faint, steady light.
Alister's eyes widened. He reached out a trembling hand, and his fingers passed through the glowing text as if it were a ghost.
[User authenticated: Alister Potter. Soul signature confirmed.]
[Welcome, host. The Ascension System is now online and fully integrated.]
System? Host? Alister's mind, which had just grappled with the idea of magic and a world spirit, felt pushed to its limits.
"What... what are you?" His voice was a rough whisper, his throat dry.
[I am the link between you and the World's Core. My purpose is to facilitate your growth and the ascension of this world as you restore its magical flow. I will provide assistance based on your progress and the world's needs.]
[To begin, please call 'Status' to view your current standing.]
Alister stared at the screen, a mix of apprehension and awe building in his chest. He was a man who had faced down armies without flinching, but this was something else entirely. He took a deep breath.
"Status," he commanded, the word feeling strange on his tongue.
The transparent blue screen flickered, replaced by a new display.
_____________________________________________
[Status]
Name: Alister Potter
Age: 10
Race: Human
Tier: 0 (Ordinary Folk)
Magical Attributes:
Magic Power: 0.01 (Latent)
Control: 0.01 (Untrained)
Abilities:
Warrior's Instinct (Passive): Retains instincts and muscle memory from previous life as a swordsman. Grants heightened situational awareness and an innate understanding of combat.
Ascension System (Unique): Binds host to the world's core. Allows for the acquisition of magic power and is capable of processing large amount of information making it a powerful research tool but it's effectiveness is based on the world's magical strength.
Magic learned: None
World's Current Status:
World Magic Level: (Critical)
World tier: TIER 3 (capable of housing tier 3 people)
_____________________________________________
Alister's eyes scanned the information. His past life, the one of cold steel and brutal strength, was reduced to a single line: "Warrior's Instinct." The rest was a bleak assessment of his current existence—a Tier 0 human with nearly zero magical power. The system had confirmed what he already knew, made even more humiliating by its cold, mechanical presentation.
"World tier... Tier 3?" His voice was low, his mind racing. "You said the world is dying. What happened?"
[The world's Tier represents its magical potential. It was once a Tier 4, capable of housing and sustaining beings of that power level. However, its current magical energy is at a critical state. It has fallen to Tier 3 and is no longer capable of sustaining a true Tier 4 existence.]
Alister's brow furrowed. The numbers and tiers were new to him, but the core concept was simple. The world was like a rusted sword that once held a powerful enchantment—it still looked strong, but its power was gone.
"How do I fix it?" A flicker of his warrior's pragmatism returned. He had a problem. He needed a solution.
[The World's Core is being drained. Its magical energy comes from wizards when they practice magic. Furthermore, the world core grows when wizards research and discover new knowledge. Powerful and useful magical knowledge is disappearing into history, causing a decline of powerful and capable wizards. To restore the world, you must solve this problem.]
Alister's gaze drifted to the line that read "Abilities." He focused on the Ascension System's description: "capable of processing large amounts of information, making it a powerful research tool."
"So you can help me with this? You're a research tool?"
[Correct. As the host, you can ask me to process information. My ability to do so is linked to the world's current magical strength. The more magical energy is restored, the more effective I become. Currently, my research capabilities are limited.]
Alister took a deep breath, the implications settling in. "I understand," he said, quiet resolve hardening his voice.
[System will now transmit magic power from the World's Core to host's body.]
"Will it have any side effects in the future?" Alister asked nervously.
[No. As World's Core and host are now a single entity, there will be no conflict. Are you ready to begin?]
Alister took a deep breath. "Yes."
The moment the word left his lips, a powerful, unseen force surged through the cramped cupboard. It wasn't wind or sound, but pure, raw energy that crackled in the stale air. A brilliant, ethereal light—the same shade of blue as the system screen—flowed from the display and enveloped him.
He gasped as the energy poured into his body. It didn't hurt, but it was an intense, overwhelming sensation, like a river of liquid fire rushing through his veins. He felt it course through his blood, his muscles, every nerve ending—a potent, foreign power that was now part of him.
But as the energy settled, he realized something strange. It didn't make him feel stronger. His small, frail body remained unchanged. His muscles didn't bulge, his bones didn't feel denser. The magic power was not a physical force, but a form of energy that resided within him, dormant, waiting to be used.
The blue light faded, and the screen flickered.
[Magical Energy Transferred. Your Magic Power has been updated.]
______________________________________________
[Status]
Name: Alister Potter
Age: 10
Race: Human
Tier: 1
Magical Attributes:
MagicPower: Tier 3
Control: 100%
________________________________________________
"System, why is my magic control 100%?" Alister asked, surprise in his voice. He had been a swordsman, a master of his own body and blade. The idea of effortless control over a new, foreign energy was beyond his comprehension. He expected a number, a percentage to be earned through endless practice and grueling effort.
[This is a basic function of the System's processing power. As your conduit to the World's Core, I can perfectly control the flow of magical energy. My capabilities are an extension of your own.]
Alister's mind instantly grasped the implication. The System wasn't just a guide or a tool—it was a crutch. It would do the hard work for him, allowing him to bypass the years of practice and grueling effort that real wizards would need to master their craft.
He would still need to learn the spells, the knowledge, and the art of magic, but the basic, fundamental difficulty of controlling raw power had been effortlessly bypassed. He wouldn't have to spend years learning to cast a simple charm; he could focus on the theory, the application, and the purpose.
Alister's gaze drifted back to the status screen. The line for "Magic Power" now read "Tier 3." It was no longer latent. The raw, untapped energy was now a part of him.
The ethereal blue screen flickered and faded, its light receding into the air until it was gone. The cold, musty air of the cupboard once again settled over them. But this time, the darkness was not a prison—it was a sanctuary.
Alister lay back on the thin mattress, the faint, tingling energy of his new power a constant presence in his veins. He turned onto his side, his arm gently curling around Astra's small, sleeping form. The gentle warmth of her body was a profound comfort.
(END OF CHAPTER)
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