Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

(A/N: I wrote this because a few readers were asking to explain the events. And I really seem to have not given enough info. So, this will serve as an info dump. It's your choice whether to read or not.)

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The Ruins Awakening - Act I. [Short Version]

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The Mastermind has encouraged the Kalin Cult, the people with strange abilities and symbols on their foreheads to start their Grand Unity Plan earlier than they were planning.

The Kalin Cult members were the enigmatic followers of an ancient and obscure dark entity called Kalin.

Kalin, a being of primordial darkness, promised its followers power beyond mortal comprehension, but at a grave cost: the total subjugation of the natural world.

The cult's goal was more than just dominance; they sought a twisted form of unity, where all living things would either bow to Kalin's will or be annihilated. To achieve this, they needed to accelerate the awakening of all the ruins that dotted the region—ruins that held unimaginable power and sealed away powerful monsters to protect the world from their destructive potential.

At the center of this plot was the Red Dragons Guild, a mercenary organization that had once been respected but has been teetering on the brink of collapse. Financial ruin, internal disputes, and failed contracts had driven the guild into a desperate situation, making them the perfect pawns for the Kalin Cult.

Under the cover of rebuilding their reputation, the Red Dragons Guild had secretly sold their loyalty to the cult long ago. In return, they received wealth, resources, and access to survive in their Grand Plan, turning them into the cult's most valuable asset in this region.

The Red Dragons Guild was tasked with a seemingly noble mission: to clear the ruins surrounding the city of Eldoria and its neighboring regions, making the lands safer for travelers and the academy students who frequently visited these sites for training and research.

But the truth was far darker.

Rather than clearing the ruins, the guild worked in secret to awaken them, infusing them with Kalin Cult's darkness energy with the help of the Mastermind and the Kalin Cult's emissary, the local branch leader overseeing the operation.

This emissary, a shadowy figure known only as De-Solar Artisan, had coordinated with the guild, using rituals passed down from the cult to manipulate the magical seals on the ruins.

Where the Red Dragons Guild was supposed to stabilize the ruins, they instead destabilized them, quickening the process of releasing the vicious monsters within.

Their plan was to unleash the ruin monsters en masse in a coordinated attack on Eldoria and the Celestial Arcane Academy, the heart of magical power and knowledge in the region.

The timing was perfect.

With the academy's final exams and graduation week approaching, the city would be distracted, and the authorities would be overwhelmed.

The guild's plan was simple yet insidious: continue the ruin-clearing mission while discreetly using the Kalin Cult's dark magic to awaken them. To further cloak their intentions, they invited students from the academy to join in on the explorations, successfully diverting suspicion by occasionally clearing a few minor ruins for real.

This also helped the Red Dragons Guild regain some credibility among the city's populace and officials, making it less likely for anyone to notice the true nature of their activities.

Behind the scenes, the Kalin Cult's preparations were meticulous. The monsters locked within these ruins were unlike anything the region had faced in centuries—creatures twisted by their magic and imbued with the essence of Kalin's dark influence. When they were unleashed, they wouldn't simply ravage the countryside; they would follow the cult's commands, a terrifying army bent on destruction.

For the cult, the city of Eldoria was a symbolic target.

As a bastion of magical knowledge, it represented the greatest obstacle to their plans. The academy, with its scholars, mages, and future Awakeners, posed a direct threat to their vision of a world unified under Kalin's dominion. By destroying Eldoria and its academy, they would send a message to the entire continent: resistance was futile, and the age of Kalin was upon them.

The final phase of the Grand Unity Plan was set to unfold in a single day.

The Red Dragons Guild would activate all the ruins simultaneously, sending waves of ruin-born monsters hurtling toward the city. The cult's forces, led by De-Solar Artisan, would emerge from the shadows, controlling the chaos while ensuring that the city and the academy were caught completely off guard. Eldoria would burn, and the academy's defenses would crumble under the weight of the attack.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The plan was foolproof, a flawless web of deception and destruction, all orchestrated under the watchful eye of the Mastermind and De-Solar Artisan.

But even as the pieces fell into place, there was something none of them considered.

A group of students exploring one of the target ruins and discovered their plan.

The students, having stumbled upon the twisted truth during their exploration, made their way back to the Celestial Arcane Academy with haste. Their discovery was both a revelation and a warning, exposing the true nature of the Red Dragons Guild and their involvement with the Kalin Cult. By the time the academy and the officials learned of the impending disaster, it was already too late.

The Kalin Cult had moved swiftly, faster than anyone could have anticipated. The awakening of the ruins had already begun, starting with three of the most dangerous: The Ruin of the Molten Wyverns Tribe, The Ruin of the Red Moon, and the infamous Ruin of Kamalin.

These were not just ordinary ruins; they were Platinum Ruins, currently the second most dangerous Tiered ruins after the rare Galactic Tier Ruins.

The Ruin of the Molten Wyverns Tribe was the first to awaken and start their way to the city.

Next was the Ruin of the Red Moon, a place inhabited by four Werebeast Tribes and the cunning, cautious, and cruel Weremonkey Guardian.

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But the true crown of the Kalin Cult's plan was the Ruin of Kamalin, the most dangerous and the most troublesome of the three. The Guardian of Kamalin, a powerful entity sworn to protect the ruin, had long stood as an impenetrable force, keeping the destructive magic within sealed.

However, under the cult's influence, De-Solar Artisan had forged a pact with this Guardian, bending its will to the Cult's purposes. This ruin was a keystone of the Kalin Cult's Grand Unity Plan—its awakening would send shockwaves throughout the entire region.

The monsters sealed within Kamalin were far more dangerous than those of the other ruins, and controlling them required a perfect balance of dark energy and aetheric manipulation, both of which De-Solar Artisan had mastered.

The Ruin of Kamalin was not only the hardest to breach, but also the hardest to defend. The Guardian, now in cooperation with the cult, became an implacable force that would fight tooth and nail against anyone attempting to prevent the ruin's full awakening.

And, with this, they would stop the city's main power and force - the Principal of the academy, Arwen. The other members would destroy the city and the academy with the help of the other two Platinum Ruins and lower-tier ruins.

This was the true plan.