Ah, a new morning.
I woke to the golden light of dawn spilling through my window, painting the sky in soft hues of amber and crimson. A beautiful day. Fitting, considering what lay ahead. Today marked the first test of Bloodrose Academy.
Rising from bed, I moved with the ease of habit, stepping toward the mirror. My reflection greeted me, a young man, or at least, that was how I appeared. Long black hair, neatly tied behind me. Red eyes, gleaming like embers in the dim light. A face untouched by time, yet carrying the weight of countless years.
I was fortunate to have been born in such a place. Or rather, reborn.
Once, in a life that now feels distant, I had a different name. A name from a world long left behind. Back then, I had no knowledge of what lay beyond the veil of the ordinary, no understanding of the forces that shaped existence itself. But fate has a way of reaching even those who least expect it.
God appeared before me. Not the deities sung about in this world's sacred texts, nor the ones worshiped by those who look to the heavens. No, the one who came to me was something far greater.
Evelyn, the Outer God.
A being beyond comprehension, whose mere presence threatened to unravel reality itself. I was skeptical, of course. Who wouldn't be? But her offer was undeniable.
A trial. Ten worlds, each teetering on the brink of destruction. If I could save them, if I could endure their trials and overcome their apocalypses, I would ascend. I would become a god.
Who could refuse such an opportunity?
And so, I cast aside my mortal life and stepped into the unknown.
That was thousands of years ago.
When Evelyn placed me here, she did not do so without challenge. She gave me a flaw, a deliberate handicap. I cannot use either Neba or Zeten. A cruel restriction in a world that revolves around them.
And yet, she also granted me something else. A single ability, one that aligns perfectly with me. A power I have come to wield with purpose. After all, her goal is to make this as difficult as possible.
This is my seventh world. I have conquered six before it, and I do not intend to fail now. Failure, after coming this far, is not an option.
I have walked through ages, mastered arts long lost, wielded powers beyond mortal reach. Each world has left its mark upon me, gifting me knowledge, abilities, and relics of unfathomable value. And when my task is complete, I will take it all with me into divinity.
I do not know the true purpose of the Outer Gods. I do not claim to understand their will. But I will succeed. I will stand among them and even go beyond that.
I am Damion Asus Murderthrone.
And I have long since discovered the best path to victory.
The first thing I did upon arriving in this world was, of course, to seek information.
Knowledge is the foundation of survival, and this world held many curiosities. Some discoveries were expected, others surprising.
For instance, all six continents spoke the same language, a rare phenomenon across civilizations. Even the gods above followed this tongue.
Then, there was the matter of the surrounding worlds. Seven in total, though many remained unexplored by humanity. Their existence alone implied something greater at play.
As for power, this world functioned on two complex power systems: Neba and Zeten. both beyond my use.
This world teemed with diversity, as if someone had gathered countless races, creatures, and cultures into a single place, forcing them to compete, to struggle, to evolve. A grand experiment, though orchestrated by whom, I could not yet say.
The Pantheon's Game.
Servants helped me dress and i made my way up to greet the king.
One of the most striking aspects of this world was its history, specifically, a war that ended 1,725 years ago.
A war so vast in scale, so cataclysmic, that it reshaped not just the continents but the very balance of civilization itself. The result? Each continent now advanced at different rates, seemingly trapped in separate eras, as if frozen in time.
Hours passed, and I soon found myself seated beside King Aramir and the Magma Monarch himself. That, too, was surprising. How had Magma crossed the continent? I had believed such travel to be impossible. Clearly, there was still much to learn.
The test was enlightening.
Dune, Atlas, and Ned, all displayed exceptional talent.
As did Azrael Rodeny.
He, in particular, caught my attention. I would make use of him.
Later that evening, I walked through the long halls beneath the castle and found my brother, James, waiting there.
He stood still, anger radiating from him.
And why wouldn't he be?
His all-time record had been shattered today. Not by one person, but by three.
James is 19, an adult by the standards of this world, but still a child in the grander scheme.
He makes decisions quickly, recklessly, caught in his own illusion of heroism. In his mind, he is strong, acknowledged, untouchable. And to some extent, that is true.
But he has never seen the real world. And when he does, when he finally understands the truth, he will fall.
But what makes this situation even more perfect is James himself.
Because James is the Zeten. The one hidden and protected by the King. A secret of immense value. And what better way to use it than to turn it against them?
With this knowledge, I hold a dagger at the King's throat without him even realizing it. This is my opportunity, an edge that could grant me control over the entire continent.
And I will take advantage of it.
If I am to save this world from the apocalypse that looms ahead, an apocalypse I know nothing about. I must first own this world. Every piece of it. Every power that breathes within its lands.
Conquest is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
And that begins with eliminating every single person who holds the potential to rival me.
It doesn't matter who they are. It doesn't matter how kind they may be, what dreams they chase, or what lives they lead. I will not take risks. Anyone with the capacity to grow into a threat must be removed before they can ever become one.
The gods are the real enemy here. The greatest obstacle in my path.
But soon, just like this world, they too will kneel before me.
On their knees.
Where they belong.