CHAPTER 1 - PART 1

A century ago, Earth was devastated by a cataclysm, unleashing portals from which terrifying creatures emerged. These monsters sowed terror, plunging the world into the shadow of desolation after annihilating nearly half of the global population.

But over time, a glimmer of hope emerged from these darknesses. The ether emanating from the mysterious dungeons had merged with the ambient air, thus offering humans the chance to transcend their limits, becoming what we call today, the Etherials.

Unfortunately, only 30% of the population was struck by this change and was granted an enhancement of their physique as well as an extraordinary skill.

These dungeons, once destructive portals, became sources of power for those who learned to master the ether. Although the majority were destroyed, new dungeons continuously emerged, unpredictably and of random power, constantly testing the life and bravery of the Etherials.

Thus, guilds appeared and played a crucial role in controlling and mobilizing their Etherials to face the emerging dungeons.

Over the years, a hierarchy was established among the guilds, some becoming dominant forces while others struggled to maintain their influence. The Etherials, with their skills, became key players in preserving civilization against the relentless assaults of the dungeons, creating a constant tension for the survival of humanity in a world where each of them bore on their shoulders the responsibility for the future.

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In front of me played a historical clip recounting the birth of the new era, that of the ether. I had been made to listen to it over a hundred times at the academy after I was one of the lucky ones to transcend. I was watching Mytube while waiting for the rest of the team for a briefing on the dungeon we were going to face. The members of the expedition arrived at the same time, three men and two women. They saw me and headed towards me.

"Hey! Bwouad, I hope you haven't been waiting too long," asked Thomas, the team leader and my best friend, as he shook my shoulders.

My head, moving back and forth, started to make me feel nauseous.

Thomas stopped when he saw my face, which was even whiter than usual, and apologized for getting carried away like that. Ignoring his apologies, I greeted the rest of the team as they pulled chairs so we could all sit together.

The small café where we were located was half full, which meant that our small meeting did not disturb anyone. Thomas pulled out a map from his spatial ring, an extremely expensive accessory, and revealed what we were all eagerly waiting for:

"Our next dungeon will be the Golden Goblin!"

Wow, I was surprised, the entry to this dungeon was usually sold at auction, so our leader must have paid a lot for this opportunity. The reaction of the others was similar to mine, Ethan, Marcus, Liana, and Émilie all had their mouths agape. Liana was the first, after me, to regain her composure.

"But why..?" she asked, still in shock.

We all turned to Thomas to listen to his explanation.

"After all, even if he was rich beyond measure, spending a few million dollars just like that was a bit crazy," I thought.

"You deserve it.." he began before being cut off.

"No, no, no," Marcus intervened. "Don't start with your nonsense, and tell us the truth, clearly you have an idea in mind." Ethan and Émilie nodded in agreement with Marcus's words.

Seeing that everyone was against him, he explained that he wanted to reward us for our efforts and that in this particular dungeon, we had a better chance of getting good items and equipment. Still, we all raised an eyebrow, not convinced at all. He cleared his throat and confessed, looking at us with pity:

"I wanted to raid this dungeon because of you Bwouad, since in this particular dungeon, we have a better chance of finding a skill enhancement crystal."

"Oh," I heard myself say, truly surprised this time. It was really quite a gift on his part.

While I didn't know what to say, the other team members smiled at me before wishing me a happy birthday!

The waiter suddenly arrived at that moment with a cake, and all my friends as well as the staff of the bistro sang me happy birthday.

Their surprise touched me right in the heart since it had been almost two years since I had lost my family in a car accident on my birthday and had not celebrated it since. But seeing these five people, I thought that despite the fact that I had lost one family, I had gained another.

Liana urged me to blow out my candles before they all melted, so without wasting a moment, I blew them out.

Applause and good wishes sounded. I thanked everyone and cut the cake…