Chapter Zero

(Read at your own risk.)

Hello readers, and welcome to "The Horatius Era." It is a project directed solely by me about a man who has regressed to the past during an apocalypse affecting the entire planet. I will not delve into the details, however, as those are present within the abstract.

As of writing this auxiliary chapter, I have finished the first volume of my novel and am working on the second, which will be released daily precisely one week after the conclusion of the former.

Remember that this chapter is subject to change in the near future.

Many have been wondering about the complexity of the prologue and if it was intentional. One of the questions was about Theodore being related to Alex. Mind that Theodore is not related to Alex in any way and is solely the person who was sent to assassinate the latter.

Another one of the questions was if the novel was of the "harem" category. I apologize for not being able to add the "non-harem" tag, as the slots are full. However, note that The Horatius Era does not contain a harem and is only mildly influenced by romance.

Now, let's move on to the power system utilized by the various characters present in the novel.

[Power System]

There exist various ways through which one could gain strength, but a prerequisite for becoming a supernatural existence is to possess mana.

There exist various elements of mana aside from pure mana, all of which sustain the entire universe by flowing in all directions. Mana is akin to space in the real world since, without it, the universe would not be capable of maintaining itself.

Mana: It is the energy of everything that exists and is present in all things. It is a liquid-like energy utilized and manipulated by many life forms in order to battle each other. Some can sense it immediately after birth, while some have to absorb a stone that holds much of it, also known as the Stone of Magikos.

Divinity - It is a superior form of mana and is the energy possessed and manipulated by the deities, who maintain their status as absolute beings through it.

Skills - Skills can either be inherent or acquired. They are the innate abilities one possesses and is capable of using. Most skills require mana to activate, while some can be activated without it. The process of awakening one's skill is usually incredibly gruesome and requires a steep fluctuation in one's emotions.

Stones - They are, as the name suggests, stones that boost the power of one's physique, the quantity of one's mana, and the strength of one's soul and mental capabilities.

Stone of Soma: They are the stones that contain energy capable of developing one's physique and physical power.

Stone of Magikos: They are the stones that contain condensed mana capable of awakening and increasing the quantity of one's mana.

Stone of Psychi: They are the stones that contain essence capable of strengthening one's soul and comprehension capabilities to new heights.

Artifacts - They are items that contain a unique or special power and are usually weapons or other tangible objects capable of immense destruction. Their value goes in ascending order from F-Grade until A-Grade, while some are ranked even higher.

(There are exceptions in everything.)

That marks the end of Chapter 0, and I hope you all enjoy reading the novel as much as I do writing it. It truly brings me joy as I view the ever-growing statistics of my novel, and what adds to my elation is the comments and feedback I receive, even if they are critical.