Chapter 1: Sinister Plans

Chapter 1: Nefarious PlansPoint of View: Magnus Bridge"I have become the most powerful mage in this world; reality itself bends before my absolute power. Even the Gods fear me, and my power is immeasurable..." I was reflecting on my own existence when I was interrupted."M-master, everything is ready... the ritual."I looked at the boy, who appeared to be around sixteen, with light brown hair and eyes. I did not like being interrupted. I glared at him, and he shrank before my presence. Today, I would not punish him."Boy, do you know what immortality is?" I saw his confused gaze. His lips moved soundlessly. He had been my assistant for years, and yet he still feared me."It is what you and I will achieve today in this ritual." I put a warm smile on my face to try to ease the confused feelings that coursed through the boy."Do you know that even the gods are not immortal? Unable to escape the flow of time. They age, change names, but they continue to exist. Their essence is renewed only because people believe in them, in an eternal cycle of rebirth that depends on the faith of the people of this continent."The boy seemed calmer."M-master, I don't understand..."I approached him slowly. I did not intend to be forgotten, nor did I intend to forget. I will remain in memory and essence. The idea of disappearing completely, becoming a blur in an uncertain future, brings a sense of emptiness that spreads like a suffocating shadow within me."You see, boy, I have made many sacrifices to get here: elves, dwarves, nobles, slaves, humans. Even the commoners who cried out for protection, swearing loyalty for me to save them from disease and monsters, were touched by my existence."I said this to him, thinking of each face that vanished under my hand. A silent presence still lingers in my memory, one that never abandons me.But it was necessary — or at least, that's what I tell myself to justify the unbearable.On my 284th birthday, after countless research conducted in this strange dungeon, I finally discovered the solution. I created an artifact capable of storing my soul and transferring it into an adequate vessel. I based it on the technique of demonic possession to develop a form of magical possession.This technique allows me to take control of the latent mana in a human body, using it as if it were mine. From there, I manipulate the mana to control the rest of the body like a true master."Gods and mortals... They are still stuck in archaic methods, as if something meaningful could be achieved with those obsolete formulas. My creation, ah, this is refined magic! Simple, potent, unbeatable!"I moved around the circle, checking for any flaws. My assistant almost never let any mistakes slip by."One day, will you teach me your magic?" The boy interrupted me again, but I wasn't angry. I felt sad. A loneliness took hold of my core. The truth is, he wouldn't live long enough for me to teach him anything.Changing the subject to avoid my thoughts, I muttered: "Why does a dungeon full of decaying bodies have to smell so bad? It should be a glorious reminder of progress, but all I can think of is the damn stench. Well, nothing that a little extra mana can't fix."I continued organizing the crystals on the table, which would serve as a battery to keep my existence alive. I looked at my assistant and asked:"Only the strongest should reach me. How are the traps, golems, gargoyles...?""T-the traps are all ready, master. Once I leave this dungeon and the ritual is complete, the dungeon will begin to function. Any trace of mana will activate it."I couldn't help but smile as I exclaimed energetically: "Let the most worthy come!"These measures would not only prevent insignificant individuals from advancing but also encourage the truly powerful to face the challenges, believing they had found a treasure of immense value.And indeed, they would. However, the real treasure would be mine: a body worthy of carrying my immortal soul.The walls of the dungeon, covered in moss and dark stains, seemed to pulse with the magical energy that infused the place. The torchlight flickered, casting dancing shadows that took on grotesque, almost lifelike forms. The silence was broken only by the occasional sound of drops falling into small puddles on the floor, each drop echoing as a reminder of time passing.As the echo of the drops dripped from the ceiling or ran down the walls, I couldn't help but wonder if all that I had done and was doing was just. It was a thought that returned like a constant hammer, striking my already fragmented conscience. Was there no other alternative but to use people as instruments? No, I was sure there was no other alternative, not one that would benefit me at least. It was this or oblivion… and the idea of disappearing forever was a prison far crueler than any dungeon.I placed the orb on the pedestal in the center of the room. The stand, made of stone in the shape of two skeletal hands, held it firmly in place. The ethereal glow of the orb cast a pale and cold light across the room, illuminating the runes on the floor. They pulsed softly with an unsettling energy, as if they were breathing. I stepped back to the outer limit of the magic circle, whose runes would ensure a constant flow of mana in and out of the orb to maintain the energy. Additionally, extra crystals were scattered across the table, enriching the atmosphere with abundant mana, as if the entire room were alive.The energy here should last several centuries before it fades. It's a damn shot in the dark, but it's the only sensible option — that or become some damn lich. Although I have no problem with killing in the name of magic, I feel that taking lives to extend my own would be an unbearable moral burden. This method, however, ensures that only a single sacrifice is needed."Come here, boy. Stand in this spot. I'll need you to help me with this ritual."I called, indicating that he should stand at the outer edge of the magic circle. With the boy facing away from me, I drew my dagger and apologized:"I'm sorry..."Blood gushed from his throat and filled the magic circle.I began the ritual. My consciousness faded, and I watched my body fall as it was drawn into the orb on the pedestal. The sensation was like being torn from the fabric of existence, an abrupt rip that left a cold emptiness in my being. My memories paraded before me like images projected onto a blank screen. Each face, each moment of glory and regret, a succession of intense flashes.Then, I was there. I could see and feel everything in the room through the mana, I could communicate through my mind. But there was no one else. The world was now a dense twilight of black shapes. For a moment, I saw something that seemed to crawl on the floor, but I ignored it.And time continued to pass...