The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

Date: 14th Everdusk, 2103

Today could be the day this body's owner becomes a hero… or remains just another pedestrian, struggling to survive while others, gifted by fate with higher-class awakenings, alter the course of their destinies forever.

The legendary awakening is upon us—the day when individuals are assigned their class and thrust into the unforgiving truth of this cursed world.

Peace? A comforting lie. The only reality is war. A war for supremacy.

"My mind's starting to sound like a villain’s," Evan muttered, stepping out of the bathroom and sitting on the edge of his bed, his thoughts spiraling as inherited memories surged to the forefront.

‘Still… maybe this is the start I needed,’ he mused, quietly evaluating the strange abilities this new body granted him.

{Evan’s POV}

The world of Ceruleth—eerily familiar, like a twisted echo of past creations—was forever changed eighty-three years ago, in the year 2020. It began with the arrival of mana, an unnatural force that rewrote the very laws of existence.

Spatial anomalies erupted across the globe, birthing monsters and chaos. The first dungeon appeared shortly after, and what followed was a rapid, violent expansion of the world—so vast that only ten percent of the land remained intact. And even that ‘ten percent’ was half the size of the old world’s total surface. The world had grown… monstrously.

With civilization shattered, the rise of hunters—or raiders—marked a turning point. Those who could wield mana began the long, bloody mission to reclaim what was lost. But monsters, beasts, and even beings from beyond ensured that humanity could only secure what it could defend.

Territories claimed by the awakened were protected by the system itself, shielding them from fresh rift outbreaks. Those gifted lands became the foundations of new nations. Yet, not all wanted power. Many exchanged their hard-won territories for luxury, offered by the emerging centralized government.

This compromise birthed the Ceruleth Global Association (CGA)—an alliance formed from the remnants of old-world governments. In contrast, those who resisted, craving sovereignty over obedience, were crushed or vanished from history.

Years passed. Technology and mana evolved hand in hand. The world embraced spatial teleportation, a dream made real by a new breed of talents. Two primary types of rifts were discovered:

Dungeons—small, isolated spaces.

World Portals—gateways to entire worlds, some far larger than Ceruleth itself.

Eventually, a breakthrough allowed these portals to be stabilized using designated territories. From this, humanity discovered Nexus—a layered world filled with opportunities, danger… and untold power. It fueled a new era of exploration.

But even now, barely fifteen percent of Ceruleth has been reclaimed.

So begins the story of Evan Ravencall—an orphan since age ten, after his parents died defending Block Three’s gate.

That was the official story, anyway.

Left alone in a brutal world, Evan was granted shelter by the very guild his parents once served. They gave him an apartment, survival funds, and education at a decent enough school. The only catch? He was bound to a contract.

If Evan reached C-rank or unlocked a rare or unique ability, he had to join them.

A reasonable deal… for a boy with no other options.

But Evan had plans of his own. The guild's reputation wasn't as clean as they claimed. Whispers of exploitation, extortion, and worse trailed behind their name—whispers Evan never forgot.

So he bided his time.

Solitude became his armor. He excelled at it, distancing himself from others with such precision it rivaled a monarch’s scheming. Friends? Liabilities. Attachments? Weaknesses. If he died, better there be no one left to cry.

“I walk alone because I must,” he told himself. “No one mourns a shadow.”

That was his creed. No sentimental catchphrases about ‘power of family’ or ‘bonds of destiny.’ His only bond was to survival—and eventually, supremacy.

But there was one problem.

“Wait a second… where’s my gear?”

He blinked, confused. He distinctly remembered equipping himself last night.

“Hello? System? You there? Don’t tell me I’ve been scammed already…” he muttered, lightly panicking.

No response.

“…Okay, maybe it only shows up after I awaken.”

Just as he reclined and began calming himself, a knock shattered the silence.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Each knock was heavier than the last.

To be continued…

A/N:
Hey everyone! Thanks again for your amazing support. I’d love to hear your thoughts—do you enjoy how the world lore is unfolding? Let me know what caught your attention and what you're looking forward to. Your comments keep the story alive!