Being a Nobody
When Tang first opened a book as a child, he was mesmerized by a world teeming with billions of people. But amidst the crowd, there was always that one extraordinary individual who defied the odds, embraced adventure, and lived a life filled with excitement and purpose. Determined to script his own thrilling narrative, Tang made a solemn vow. He delved into countless projects, honing his skills and talents to perfection. Yet, he couldn't escape the realization that there were others who far surpassed his abilities. As he grew older, Tang became a daring helicopter pilot and found love with his high school sweetheart, who now carries their first child. It seemed that Tang had finally discovered the exhilaration he had always craved, but little did he know, this was just the beginning. During a routine client escort, tragedy struck as Tang faced a fatal helicopter crash. Just as he was about to succumb to his fate, a mysterious voice echoed in his ears. And when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar room. Tang soon discovered that he had been transported to a magical realm, where he yearned to reclaim his role as the protagonist. But it quickly became apparent that this new world wouldn't make it easy for him to seize the spotlight once again.
The end of a dream
"Those motherfuckers, I didn't even get to collect all the other bodies," the undead growled through gritted teeth as he sat atop a jagged rock.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling shiver raced down his spine, causing him to instinctively shift into a defensive stance. His eyes widened in alarm as he caught sight of the same child emerging from the dense forest. The child's hair, once a pristine white, now hung in disarray, partially covering his hauntingly empty eyes. He also noticed the fact that the child's hair was drenched, dripping with water, and had transformed back to its original mossy hue.
A surge of unease washed over the undead as he realized that he couldn't sense any trace of magic emanating from the child. This could only mean one thing: he wasn't alone.
With a sinister smirk spreading across his lips, the undead conjured his whip once more, the sound of its crackling echoing through the air as it struck the ground. The tension in the scene thickened as the undead prepared himself for the unknown danger lurking in the shadows.
"I didn't even want to do this, but using you all for training can be a good idea," the undead sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. With a snap of his bony fingers, a colossal magical circle materialized beneath him, its ethereal glow intensifying with each passing moment.
As the light faded, an army of skeletal warriors emerged, their hollow eye sockets fixed on their master. A chilling silence enveloped the scene as the realization dawned: there were thousands of them, at least five thousand, standing in eerie formation.
"Behold the results of my decades of work," the undead proclaimed, a twisted sense of pride lacing his words. But before he could revel in his macabre achievement, Sebastian's voice sliced through the air, his tone hoarse with anger and disgust.
"So you killed them to turn them into your mindless army?" His accusation hung heavy in the air, shattering any semblance of tranquility. The tension in the scene escalated to an unbearable level as the weight of the undead's actions and the horrifying sight of the skeletal army loomed over them all.
"What does it matter? Their worthless lives served a purpose now," the undead sneered, his finger pointed accusingly at Sebastian. In an instant, a horde of skeletons lunged towards Sebastian, their swords descending upon him with brutal force. With a sickening thud, they severed his left arm, yet not a single sound escaped Sebastian's lips. He stood there, an eerie stillness enveloping him.
"You thought you could steal out the light of my town, but now, I shall become the all-consuming darkness that engulfs not only you but every single one of your kind," Sebastian declared, his voice laced with an unyielding determination.
As if in response to his words, a tempestuous wind materialized around him, slashing through the encroaching skeletons. In a breathtaking display of resilience, Sebastian's left arm regenerated in an instant, defying the limits of mortal flesh.
The undead's eyes widened in sheer terror as his wings sprouted from his back, a desperate plan to escape forming in his mind. But before he could take flight, both of his wings were mercilessly severed, causing him to let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Die," Sebastian muttered, his voice a venomous whisper. A malevolent magical circle materialized beneath them, radiating a sinister red glow. Its size matched that of their town, "I-impossible yo-you don't have any mag-"
"My nether wasn't simply broken into thousands of pieces," Sebastian snapped his fingers, and without warning, a cataclysmic explosion erupted, its devastating impact visible for miles around as the last thing the undead heard was:
"It's because I have a thousand nether..."
Wynne saw a massive explosion in the distance as his eyes widened. "Wynne, that could be the enemy," Arx stated as Wynne nodded his head. "Let's go!" he ordered as the four of them hurriedly went towards the explosion.
As Wynne and the others hurried towards the massive explosion in the distance, their hearts pounded with a mix of anticipation and anger towards the undead. The sight of such a powerful blast could only mean one thing: he's planning on doing something, and considering the reputation of the undead, Wynne is sure it wasn't something nice.
As they approached the source of the explosion, their eyes widened in disbelief. Instead of finding the undead, all they saw was a cliff.
"What in the world..." Wynne muttered, his voice filled with confusion. He exchanged puzzled glances with Arx and the others, trying to make sense of the situation. The only thing they noticed was that the ground around it was scorched and littered with debris, indicating the sheer magnitude of the explosion. Wynne couldn't help but wonder what had transpired here, and the fact that the undead is nowhere to be seen is making him more anxious.
"The undead must have been here," Guion speculated, his voice tinged with concern. Wynne and the others exchanged worried glances, realizing that they were missing crucial information.
"We need to find out what happened," Wynne said, determination filling his voice.
"Sorry to cut off your boys' talk, but you need to see this," Aeisha informed as she was standing on the edge of the cliff. Wynne walked towards her, and when he looked down to where Aeisha is looking, his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat.
"This isn't a cliff," Aeisha stated as they glanced down on the edge of the cliff, where thousands of nether were glowing in shades of red, indicating that the owner of the nether was monsters.
"Impossible, even with that explosion from earlier, this damage is too much and--"
"Calculated, whoever casted that explosion spell has great control over their magic," Guion cut off.
As the group stared down at the sea of glowing red nether, their minds raced with questions. How could a person possess such immense power? And why would someone unleash such destruction? And where did the monsters come from?
Wynne's heart sank as he realized the implications of this discovery. If the undead had indeed caused this devastation, it meant that they were dealing with an enemy of unimaginable strength. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but he knew they couldn't afford to back down.
"We need to find out who did this," Wynne said, his voice filled with determination. "We can't let them get away with causing this much chaos."
Arx nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the nether below. "We have to be careful, though. Whoever did this is clearly not someone to be taken lightly."
As they stood on the edge of the cliff, contemplating their next move, Guion's analytical mind kicked into gear. "Based on the intensity of the explosion and the control exhibited, I'd say the caster is highly skilled and experienced. We need to be prepared for anything."
Aeisha, ever the observant one, pointed out, "Look at the nether below, there's not a single sight of a purple one. There's a chance we have two enemies," An undead possessed a purple nether, and since there's no purple nether in the sea of red below, that means the undead is obviously still alive.
Wynne's mind raced with possibilities. If there were two enemies, it meant they were facing an even greater threat than they had anticipated. The undead and this mysterious caster possessed immense power, and they needed to be stopped before they caused any more destruction.
"We can't waste any more time," Wynne declared, his voice filled with urgency. "We have to gather more information and come up with a plan to defeat both of them. But let's return to the town first."