Death

[Welcome to the Aether of Worlds.]

[The karma of a whole world has been detected.]

[Please wait one moment while a reward is calculated…]

A vast white expanse of nothingness spread out toward infinity in every direction. Ethan stood in this vast expanse expressionlessly. He felt as if he were in a dream. Looking down at his body, he saw nothing but a hazy visage.

He pressed his hands together but they just passed through one another. Finding it a bit amusing, he kept putting his hands through various parts of his body. 

[Calculation complete.]

[Detected a passion for Roguelike games. You will be granted a Roguelike-themed system and the ability to retain your memories.]

Ethan started to slightly regain mental clarity as he listened to the droning mechanical voice in his head.

[Please choose one of the three following starting constitutions.]

A window popped in front of Ethan's face showing him the constitutions. Each option was framed in card form, with an illustration on the top and a description on the bottom. An orange glow radiated from each card. 

Ethan looked over his options. The first card depicted a raging bull with steam pouring out of its nose.

[Constitution of The Bull. +6 strength, +6 endurance]

He didn't know what the stats meant, but it was obvious to him that the first option resembled a physical fighter's build. Continuing on he looked at the next card which depicted a roaring western-styled dragon with golden scales.

[Constitution of The Dragon. +6 mana pool size, +6 intelligence]

This constitution looked much more appealing to him. Mana and intelligence generally imply the existence of magic. Who wouldn't be dazzled by the prospect of being able to use magic? Not to mention dragons have always been seen as symbols of power.

Regardless he still needed to look at all his options. The last card depicted a vast stary night sky. 

[Constitution of The Stars. +6 luck]

Ethan stared at the last option for a long time. While it gave the least overall stats out of the three options, he was already sure of what he was going to pick. 

For the first time since entering the Aether, Ethan's expression changed. A small smile appeared on his hazy figure. 

"Luck builds are always the most fun." He muttered to himself as he pressed his finger against the third card.

[Constitution of The Stars has been chosen.]

[Prepare for reincarnation.]

Ethan's body began to feel lighter, and his figure slowly started to disappear. As his vision went blank and his consciousness faded, he heard one last message.

[Please remember to have fun, good luck! Hehe.]

He didn't have time to ponder why this message didn't sound mechanical like the others. Everything faded to black.

-

~CA CAAAAAW~

The sun emitted a scorching heat which mixed with the dry humidity. Stretching as far as the eye could see was a flat plane with sandy soil. The only life that could be spotted would be the occasional small lizard darting across the ground, or a bird screeching in the sky. 

Standing in the middle of this sandy plane was a massive military facility. Soldiers were posted at every nook and cranny, and lookout towers kept watch 24/7 on the surrounding area.

A massive airplane resembling a flying fortress landed at the facility's airstrip. A stern-faced old soldier walked up to the plane. The medals decorating his uniform indicated he was a major.

"Move the stairs in place! Don't keep the president waiting!" He shouted to the soldiers on standby.

 A group of soldiers quickly brought over a staircase and secured it to the plane.

A giant man rippling with muscles, standing at 6'7", stepped out of the plane. He was wearing loose black cargo pants adorned with a pistol and a knife holstered on opposite sides. With the bulletproof vest and the black earpiece added on he looked prepared for a fight at any moment.

The man scanned the area with his eyes for a minute before deciding everything was satisfactory.

"All clear." He said as he tapped his earpiece.

When the coast was deemed clear, two more men stepped out of the plane. 

At the back was a man dressed similarly to the first who stepped out. He had a smaller but still sizeable build and a height of 6'2. He had sharp hazel eyes and slicked-back light-brown hair. He was guarding the president from behind as they made their way down the stairs.

In the middle of the two scary soldiers was a decrepit-looking old man wearing a spotless suit and tie. He looked as if he could keel over any moment, hardly the condition one would want in a leader.

The old major had cold sweats running down his back as the two guards made their way down the stairs. He felt like if his eyes wandered away from the two soldiers for but a moment he could lose his life.

'I've seen my fair share of war, and countless soldiers, but those two are different. Their presence radiates death. Especially the one in the back, I can feel his bloodlust leaking out from here…'

Nonetheless, he was experienced and managed to salute without showing any signs of fear.

"Major Miller reporting for duty Mr. President! General Sarn has been awaiting your arrival and has tasked me to escort you to the command room."

The president wore a constant frown on his wrinkled face ever since he stepped off the plane into the sweltering heat. 

"At ease Major, quickly lead me to the general, it's too damn hot out here." The president said while tugging at the collar of his suit.

"Yes sir!"

The four made their way inside and through a series of heavily guarded corridors. On their way, every soldier saluted the president while quaking in their boots at the presence of the two guards.

They eventually arrived at the command room. Numerous personnel were stationed all over the room, tasked with monitoring and communicating with various military posts. The four walked over to the main command screen where General Sarn was waiting.

General Sarn was a man with an imposing stature, his ramrod-straight back looking as if nothing short of a hurricane could bend it. He had numerous scars across his face indicating that he did not get his position through pushing paper in the safety. The numerous decorations on his uniform further prove that fact. 

"Mr. President, I'm glad that you arrived safely." He said with a smile that wasn't a smile.

There was a tense atmosphere building. All the personnel that should be focusing on their tasks were nervously looking over at the president and general. 

The president's expression darkened as he began to realize the situation.

"General, I presume the reason you called me here is to inform me of the actions of the other countries, correct?"

The tension in the room reached its peak as the general hesitated to respond. He knew what would happen when he informed the president of the truth. Nonetheless, it was his duty. He clenched his fists and firmed his resolve.

"Yes… The Northern Alliance has denounced your threat of nuclear war and will not stop their aid of Utesh. They have even stated that they want to add Utesh into their alliance…"

The general cleared his throat as he watched the president's scowl grow deeper and deeper. He knew he couldn't stop.

"With the current state of affairs, we have little chance of succeeding in our invasion. You need to make a choice. Do we pull out and cut our losses, or follow through with our threats?"

All eyes and ears were fixed on the president's response. Their lives will be forever changed by this moment.

"Those BASTARDS!" The president exploded in rage and slammed his fist on the table beside him. Papers and pens were sent flying off the table.

"They are looking down on our country! Just because we haven't barred our fangs openly in a while they forget what it means to be bitten!" He growled while his sweaty wrinkled face flaped around like a rabid dog.

He regained his calm after his outburst, but his eyes remained piercingly cold.

"With my authority as Commander in Chief. I order a nuclear strike on the three Northern Alliance countries bordering Utesh. Make them regret their actions dearly."

The tension in the air quickly turned into despair. Everyone knew of the potential consequences, but no one was brave enough to speak up about them. During times of war, ignoring an order by the Commander in Chief is equal to treason.

Surprisingly the person who was the most shaken by the order was none other than the president's smaller guard, Ethan. 

Ethan's hands were shaking, and his teeth were grinding together. He looked around the room in desperation, hoping anyone would stand up to the president. Sadly his prayers were not answered.

The general shook his head and let out a small sigh. He had already predicted this outcome, but a good soldier has to follow orders. He began ordering the reluctant personnel to begin preparations.

Ethan gripped his hands onto the waistband of his pants as hard as he could and did his best to stabilize his breathing. After a couple of seconds, he managed to regain his calm and steel his resolve.

'That old bastard knows he won't be the one affected by his actions. He doesn't care even a bit about the consequences. He will be in the ground well before he has to deal with the aftermath of a nuclear war. I have to act.'

Ethan discreetly took out his knife and focused as hard as he could. He threw the knife with as little motion as possible. The knife cut through the air and landed at its intended target: a soldier's leg on the other end of the room. 

As everyone was distracted by the sudden screaming of the guard on the other end of the room Ethan swiftly launched forward putting the president in a chokehold with a pistol cocked against his head.

"NOBODY MOVE A MUSCLE OR A BULLET WILL GO THROUGH THE PRESIDENT'S BRAIN!" Ethan's shout struck like lightning throughout the room, paralyzing everyone. The soldiers surrounding the room held their guns aimed at Ethan, but none of them were sure whether or not to shoot. The risk was too great for any of them to handle.

The President was shocked, angry, and terrified. The concentrated bloodlust mixed with the cold barrel pressed against his head froze him in place. He struggled to even let out a single breath.

"Mr. President, I will only say this once. Order them to cancel the nuclear strikes or I will kill you. You will get no second chances, and I will not negotiate." 

The fear faded from the president as he saw a way out. A slight smile appeared on the president's face that Ethan couldn't see. 

'That idiot, what does he expect will happen after I call off the strike? He will be arrested and executed for treason. After that, I can just order the strike again. Do you want me to follow your tune? Fine!'

"As Commander in Chief, I rescind my previous order. I order you to cease any nuclear strikes on the Northern Alliance."

Ethan sighed in relief. He had gotten what he wanted.

 Unlike what the president was expecting, the chokehold Ethan held him in only got tighter rather than letting him go.

"I'm sorry Rita…Sam…" Ethan called out in a voice that was barely a whisper as he closed his eyes and did what had to be done. Ethan pulled the trigger.

*BANG* *BANG*

A startled soldier shot at Ethan as they heard the gunshot ring out hitting Ethan straight through the heart. Both Ethan and the president collapsed to the floor.

A large amount of noise was buzzing in Ethan's ears, but he couldn't make out any of it. His eyes began to lose focus, and his body temperature plummeted.

'So this is how dying feels, it fucking sucks…'

April 15th, 2024, Ethan Moore died saving the world.