Chapter 6: Aether Essence Realms

The video game was set 2,000 years into the future, a time when Earth had undergone extreme and turbulent changes—so overwhelming that the planet became unrecognizable. The final world war, one that shaped the next millennium, left behind more than just a wasteland. Nearly all life was obliterated.

Earth's technology had advanced so rapidly that scientists discovered a way to harness scalar energy for advanced weaponry. The creation of the scalar bomb—a devastating weapon capable of releasing energy at an unfathomable speed of 100,000 per hour—altered the world in ways no one could have foreseen. What wasn't expected, however, was that the energy from these bombs would mutate into radiation. Those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, instead of perishing, mutated in an unforeseen way. Their IQs skyrocketed to 250 overnight. In the past, such intelligence would have been considered profoundly gifted.

After the war ended, these newly super-intelligent humans sought ways to heal the planet. With only 3.5 billion survivors left, they needed long-lasting solutions. During their search, they discovered that the scalar energy from the bombs had ruptured a hole in space itself, unlocking a portal to another dimension. On the other side, they found a plane of existence brimming with an energy so awesomely vibrant and saturated with dimensional mana that they named it the Dimensional Aether Realm.

Even a mere fragment of this Aether Essence—energy from a distinct plane of existence—was enough to restore Earth, returning it to a state beyond its former prime.

That was the good news.

The bad news?

The dimension was inhabited by hordes of monstrously powerful entities. Called Aether beasts and Umbralfiends The moment they discovered the portal, they descended upon Earth like an unending waterfall of destruction. For the first time in history, humanity—long divided by war, envy, and petty grievances—was forced to unite against a common enemy.

But even with their combined efforts, the technology they once deemed sophisticated proved utterly useless. The creatures of the Umbral Abyss were beings of pure, unadulterated darkness and magic. No conventional weaponry, no matter how advanced, could so much as scratch the weakest among them.

Then, something happened that no one could have anticipated.

The vast dimensional energy—now known as Aether Essence—seeped into our world, drowning it in newfound power. What was once merely called origin essence evolved into a force of existence itself.

As humans absorbed this Aether Essence, they unlocked extraordinary, supernatural abilities—awakened by the very energy that now defined the new world.

The Aether Cards 

Since every human soul is special that means so is each aether card because of the powers given to the wielders . By wielding these abilities the people in humanity with powers started a reciprocal war with the Aetherfiends and Umbral Beasts. People who chose to combat these atrocious monster were named Umbral Hunters 

Now, 2000 years later, the Earth is relatively peaceful. 

A small fragment of humanity has control and possesses their superman power through the use of their Aether Cards. 

Despite all of the benefits Aether Essence gave there were also major problems that it brought 

The vast otherworldly energy both a miracle and curse for humanity, deeply weakened the shroud barriers of the world guarding humanity causing the Aether Realm to gradually merge into our Aetherial Plane.

Presently in today's current age hundreds of Aetherial dimensions appear around the Earth daily sometimes every few days if not on a daily basis each one connecting to the Aether realm.

Even now though we have the means to retaliate and defend ourselves, the planet wasn't in immediate danger.

… For the time being.

"In truth, everything was on the brink of transformation in just a few years. No, in fact, it seems the shifts had already begun, but the Luminarchs had kept it hidden from everyone." 

The game's central narrative unfolds at Zenith Academy, where Michael Godswill, the protagonist, earns a spot after achieving the highest score on the entrance exam. 

At the academy, he finds rivals, forges alliances, and bonds with individuals who will become loyal lasting companions. However, by the game's conclusion, most of these relationships end in tragedy, with many either perishing or betraying humanity altogether.

The real problem with this game isn't just how challenging it is, but that even the main characters aren't shielded by any form of plot armor. In some storylines, the protagonist himself actually dies. How does that even happen?!The video game has absolutely zero room for happy endings—precisely above all, for a villain like me. sigh. from this The problem with this game isn't that it's merely tough, but it's that even the main characters don't have any plot armor. 

The Bloodbath during the Field Trip, the Summoning of Abaddon's Card, the murder of the royal twins, and the invasion of the Ascendant Isles—these are just a few of the many catastrophes that lie ahead.

And that's just in the academy arc!

From there, the awakening of the Red Queen of Decay, the Seed of Everlasting Decay, the Fall of Heaven, the corruption of the Northern Stronghold, the rise of the 10 Luminarchs, and a host of other unimaginable disasters unfold.

The game culminates with the return of the Umbral Monarch in all his grotesque grandeur, marking the dark end of the game's story.

Here's the revised version incorporating your addition:

As a minor antagonist in the first act, my existence had a singular purpose—I was nothing more than an early-game obstacle, a temporary foe destined to be crushed and forgotten.

Then, in the second act, I was meant to return, now wielding the Summoning Card of Abaddon, driven by vengeance against the protagonist for my humiliation. But in the end, no matter how desperately I struggled, my fate remained the same—I would die.

That was the destiny of Valerian in nearly every possible route. In the few exceptions where he managed to survive, his fate was hardly any kinder.

"Dammit!" I wanted to scream, but I gritted my teeth instead. Panicking wouldn't help—I needed a plan.

Surviving the academy arc was my first priority.

Completely avoiding the main cast? Impossible. The story's threads were woven too tightly, pulling everyone toward inevitable conflict. Trying to escape them would be like dodging shadows under the midday sun.

More than that, I needed Nathaniel Brightmore. His strength. His abilities. If there was any hope of standing against the Umbral Monarch, it rested with him.

He was the protagonist for a reason. Without him, surviving this nightmare—let alone beating the game—would be next to impossible.

And worst of all? My system still hadn't unlocked any of my powers or weapons. I was just as weak as before.

hat meant I had to do more than just coexist with the main cast—I needed to manipulate the story itself, twisting its course in my favor before my eventual rise as a full-fledged Hunter.

My objectives were straightforward, at least in theory.

Prevent the Red Queen of Decay from awakening, eradicate the Abyssal Root of Unending Decay, stop the War of Annihilation before it ignited, cripple the Umbral Monarch's forces before his inevitable return, and, in the end, kill him once and for all!

Sounds simple, right? Yeah. Simple. But nowhere near easy.

"Just kill me now," I groaned, the sheer weight of it all making my head spin.

Truthfully, every instinct screamed at me to abandon this death trap—to flee and vanish until the whole nightmare played out on its own. But doing that meant entrusting my fate to the protagonist.

And that was the real problem.

In every possible outcome, the Umbral Monarch never suffered a true defeat. He was either sealed away in the Void or slain after decades of brutal warfare—but not before reducing most of the world to ashes.

Running wasn't an option. There was nowhere safe.

If I wanted to survive, I had to take fate into my own hands.

 I understood I had to…

"Fight."

And that's precisely what I intended to do.

I had lived with countless regrets in my previous life. The things I failed to do, the opportunities I let slip by—it was overwhelming. One of my deepest regrets was never pushing myself hard enough.

But now, that was going to change. I wasn't going to falter anymore. I would not allow myself to fall into the same pathetic end as Caelum in the game. No more giving up.

"...I won't let myself regret this."