In a two-story building in the capital city of Nondicci, within the Empire of Castiria, a lone man stood in a room lined with humming computers. His eyes, weary and bloodshot, gazed out the window at a sky turned a violent red—like blood had been spilled across the heavens.
"This isn't some fantasy world… it's an apocalypse."
The man was Liam Passart, a reincarnator. Born seventy years ago into the Rosalia Coven, a powerful matriarchal family of witches, Liam's early life had been one of passive neglect. His mother, Kayla Matthews—the Head of the coven—never once held him. To her, Liam was little more than an afterthought, named after the knight who had fathered him and disappeared.
As a child, Liam was captivated by magic. He spent countless hours hidden in the coven's ancient library, pouring over tomes and grimoires penned by generations of witches. His passion was boundless—but his aptitude was average at best. The witches, following his mother's example of indifference, treated him accordingly. He was free to pursue magic, but never encouraged.
Frustrated by his limited potential, Liam turned to the forbidden Ritual Arts in hopes of enhancing his mana sensitivity—the mystical force that empowered the world's greatest beings. But the ritual failed. Instead of gaining power, Liam was struck by a revelation: the memories of his past life came flooding back, along with a mysterious gift he had carried into this world from another universe.
At fifteen, he was cast out of the coven and sent to a distant academy, accompanied by a generous sum of money—his first and final act of support from his mother.
There, he entered the alchemy department and quickly rose through its ranks. By leveraging his past-life knowledge and the enigmatic gift, Liam ascended to the peak of the alchemical world. But the road to greatness was far from easy. The laws of this universe were different—complex, mystically charged, and intertwined with divine forces. Bridging the gap between the two realities required years of meticulous research and dangerous experimentation.
Cough
Blood splattered the white cloth of Liam's handkerchief as he leaned against his lab table, trembling.
"The world is ending... and I'm dying too. Poetic."
He stood, slowly, and moved deeper into his home—a sleek, high-tech sanctuary he had purchased at thirty and painstakingly transformed into a modulated research hub. Every surface gleamed. At the heart of it all was AISAR ( Adaptive Intelligence for Strategic Analysis and Response) , his artificial intelligence system, managing everything from daily routines to advanced experiments.
"Sir," AISAR's voice echoed softly, "the mana has become toxic due to sustained high-energy divine attacks. Your aging body cannot withstand the concentration."
"I can feel it," Liam muttered. "Funny, isn't it? I used to curse my average magical talent. But now, I see it was a blessing in disguise."
He paused before a sealed chamber, his hand hovering over a glowing console.
"AISAR," he said with quiet finality, "initiate the Soul Transfer Procedure."