Yet his bitterness quickly gave way to cold, practical reasoning. "The silver lining... the Williams family is one of the four great houses of the Vissos Empire. Influence, wealth, power, private armies. If I can survive this predicament, I will not be starting my life as a destitute peasant or a slave who owns nothing. I will begin at the top-where the dreams of others come to an end." He looked out at the dark forest surrounding him, which had ceased in his mind to be merely a frightening tangle of trees and had transformed into a strategic map. "This world is brutal and savage, and the events to come will be bloody and catastrophic. But I possess a weapon that no one else holds: knowledge. I know the future. I know the secrets, the locations of hidden treasures, the weaknesses of enemies, and the conspiracies that have yet to unfold."
Dex sat and began recalling the geography of "Ekarthas" as he had read it. The world of Ekarthas is composed of two principal continents: the human continent of "Baladus" in the north, and the demi-human continent of "Kayrot" in the south.
The human continent of Baladus is inhabited predominantly by humans and governed by three great empires locked in perpetual conflict. In the frozen north stands the Holy Empire of Ikanor, ruled by hardline theocrats who worship the God of Light. To the east lies the Empire of Surath, renowned for its magical advancement and maritime trade. And to the west-where he now found himself-the Empire of Vissos: the mightiest military power on the continent.
The Empire of Vissos, alongside its ruling imperial family, derives its strength from four great aristocratic houses-the pillars of the throne. In the north: House Calvin, masters of sorcery, celebrated for their mages and their mastery of the five elemental arts, heirs to an ancient and storied lineage. In the east: House Morgot, the shield of the Empire, famed for their armoured knights and formidable soldiers; most of the imperial army's generals hail from their ranks, and the current Empress herself carries their blood, making them the second power in all but name. In the south: House Carlson, the golden vaults, reputed as the wealthiest family in the Empire, commanding the Mana crystal mines and the trade routes that span the Empire. And to the west... House Williams. His family now. Known as "the Hunters"-wardens of the Gate of Hell, and the Empire's defenders against the horrors of the great Falus Forest that divides the two continents.
The second continent, Kayrot, unlike Baladus, is not governed by centralised states but by powerful clans. The mightiest of these is the Dragon Clan of the north-near-mythical beings of terrifying strength-followed by the ferocious Wolf Warriors Clan. Alongside them, various demi-human clans occupy the continent's heartland. The southern reaches are ruled by the ancient and reclusive Fae Kingdom. And at the very southern extremity, deep within the towering "Mountains of the End," dwell the Dwarves: a race of extreme isolation who rarely engaged with other peoples, yet supreme masters of industry and the forge.
Separating the two continents is a forest of immense scale-so vast and so perilous that many regard it as a third continent in its own right: the Falus Forest. The very place where Dex now believed he stood, or at least somewhere along its edges.
The young man looked around him. Darkness pressed in from every side, yet his mind blazed with information. "At least I know where I am, and what powers govern this world." He rose and returned to the cave, his body crying out for rest. "I must sleep-whatever nightmares await me. Tomorrow will be a full day... and perhaps the first real day of my life."
After a few hours of fitful sleep filled with confused dreams of his past and present lives, the sun rose and cast its golden rays hesitantly into the damp cave. The young man woke with stiff muscles. His eyes wandered around the space for a moment, like those of someone who cannot believe what they are seeing, then he murmured in a hoarse voice: "Well... I'm still here. It's not a nightmare that will simply end." He stepped out of the cave and stood for a while, lost in thought, watching droplets of dew cling to the leaves. At last he let out a long, deep sigh, his breath rising as vapour in the cold air. "At present, I have two options-the two most logical paths available to me."
"Option one: distance myself from all of this-flee somewhere remote, a quiet rural village, and live my life in peace, far from the conflicts and pressures of this world, without meddling in the novel's events or its politics." The young man paused as though weighing the advantages and drawbacks of this choice, then sighed with a touch of sorrow. "Tempting as the idea may be for someone who has suffered as I have, the problem is that I know, as a reader of the novel, that this world is hurtling toward ruin. The great catastrophe.' In five years' time, the Great War will ignite. And so wherever I go, wherever I hide, whatever fate befalls this world will befall me too. There is no safe refuge for the weak."
"Therefore, option one is unrealistic-nothing but an illusion. Which leaves me with option two, the only logical and rational path: to live as Dex Williams, the young lord of House Williams. With my foreknowledge of future events and the advantage of having read the novel, it would be utter folly not to exploit my position within a family as powerful and wealthy as the Williams. The resources, the training, the protection-all are within my reach. At the very least, I can save myself from what awaits this world... and perhaps change my own destiny entirely."
The young man closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself, then opened them with a new light in his gaze-a light that had existed in neither the original Dex nor the prisoner he once was. It was as though his decision had been made, irreversibly and completely. He drew a deep breath, filling his lungs with the air of the new world, then cried out in a sharp, powerful voice that echoed through the forest:
"From this day forward, I am Dex Williams-heir to House Williams, and son of Lord Marcus, Master of the West!"
In that instant, Dex felt as though an ancient, rusted lock had snapped open somewhere deep within him. An inaudible "click" rang through his soul. A torrent of immense energy flooded his body-like parched, barren land that had endured years of drought, suddenly struck by a deluge of life-giving rain. He felt every cell in his body vibrate, every nerve ignite with power. He looked down at himself in astonishment, turning his palms before his face. Once, he had felt like nothing more than an ordinary man-weak and fragile. Now, he felt as though he were something beyond human, energy coursing through his veins in place of blood.
Amid the bewilderment, the awe, and the astonishment crashing over him-alongside the sensation of power erupting from within-Dex spoke a single word, the key to his new world:
"Status."
The air before him rippled like the surface of a lake struck by a stone, and then the glowing blue panel materialised, floating in the space before him. For the first time, every entry on the screen appeared before him clear, radiant, and utterly without distortion-heralding the arrival of a new player on the cosmic chessboard.
--- STATUS ---
Name: Dex Williams
Lineage: Human
Rank: E
Strength: E
Endurance: E-
Intelligence: C
Mana Capacity: E
Luck: F
Magic: F
Elements: [Water] [Earth]
? Profession: [Swordsman - Level 1]
-------------------
Dex stared at the contents of the screen in astonishment. He read the numbers and ratings that might, at first glance, appear pitifully weak-yet he, with the mindset of a prisoner who builds a fortress from gravel, saw in them something else entirely: potential. A wide smile spread across his face-faintly savage. "Rank E... a humble beginning. But it's better than nothing."