Inside the infirmary of Mystic High School, a boy lay unconscious on one of the beds, surrounded by worried students and a doctor.
The boy was
Evan
, who had suddenly collapsed while helping Rey and James carry a stack of folded sheets.
âSir, is Evan alright? Why did he suddenly pass out?â James asked with clear concern in his voice, glancing anxiously at his fallen friend.
âThereâs no need to worry. He seems to be suffering from mild exhaustionâlikely due to lack of proper sleep or nutrition,â the doctor replied, examining Evanâs eyes with a small flashlight. âNow, Iâd like you both to step outside so he can rest properly.â
âOkay, sir. But please call us the moment he wakes up,â James said before turning to Rey. âLetâs go. Weâve still got work to finish, and Iâd rather not get in trouble.â
Rey nodded silently, and the two left the infirmary.
{Evanâs POV}
âWait⊠whatâs going on?â Evan thought, finding himself floating in a white void. âWasnât I just helping Rey and James with the sheets? Why am I hereâŠ?â
Before him stood ten faint, glowing silhouettesâethereal beings cloaked in white light.
âIs this the one?â one of them asked in a distant, echoing voice.
âYes. I see traces in his soul. Heâs definitely the one,â another replied.
âWho⊠whoâs there? Why am I here?!â Evan called out, spinning in place as he tried to make sense of the surreal surroundings.
âLook ahead,â said a voice. A tall figure stepped forward. âHello, Râoh, wait. Looks like we canât say
that
yet, huh? Evan. Yeah, Evan... not much different this time around either. But we donât care about all that. We only care about
the plan
.â
The figureâs voice echoed with strange familiarity as he began to explain thingsâtruths that shouldâve been impossible to know. Secrets buried in the depths of Evanâs soul began to unravel.
{A/N: Curious about Evanâs real story? Be patient. Once the first major battle concludes, Iâll reveal everything. The new novel title says it all â
THE THIRD RETURN OF THE NECROTIC MAGIC SWORDSMAN
. Stick around! Big reveals are coming.}
By the time the explanation ended, Evan stood silently, absorbing it all.
A soft hum resonated in the void as a glowing sigil appeared in front of him.
âWe canât do much... but take this gift. Youâll need it,â the lead figure said as ten glowing orbs drifted forward, each entering Evanâs chest.
A system message briefly flickered in front of his eyesâ
but not one from this world
.
Then, the white void crumbled into darkness.
With a sharp inhale, Evan sat upright on the infirmary bed, drenched in sweat.
âWhere am I? The... Ten Thrones? No, waitâwas that all just a dream?â he murmured to himself.
Just then, the doctor returned, pushing open the door.
âWell, someone was deep in dreamland,â he said with a chuckle. âLet me guessâwere you dreaming about a boss fight with the
Ten Thrones
, or something like that?â
âN-No, sir! Sorry, I mustâve been talking in my sleep. I probably just dreamt about one of my games,â Evan quickly replied, waving his hands defensively.
âWhew⊠close call. One slip of the tongue and heâd think Iâm some anime-obsessed weirdo who thinks heâs been reincarnated,â
Evan sighed inwardly.
âLetâs run a quick check-up. Your friends are waiting outside.â
The doctor examined Evanâs eyes and checked his pulse.
âYouâre fine. But rememberâless gaming, more sleeping. You need rest,â he said with a stern nod.
âYes, sir. Iâll be more careful from now on,â Evan replied with a sheepish grin as he stood up. âBy the way, how long was I out?â
âAbout 35 to 40 minutes,â the doctor said after checking his watch.
âOnly 40 minutes⊠and todayâs the 16th. That means the accident is on the 18th. Just two days left... I need to prepare. Escaping wonât be easy,â
Evan thought grimly as he walked to the door.
âThank you for looking after me,â he said before stepping out.
âNo problem. Itâs my job,â the doctor replied, settling back into his chair.
âStrange kid⊠I thought heâd be out for hours. But he woke up after just 37 minutes. Hah⊠maybe Iâm getting too old for this,â
the doctor thought, leaning back with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Rey stood frozen in the hallway, staring into thin airâhis eyes locked on a translucent blue screen that only he could see.
[Eternal Omniverse System Notification]
<A New User Has Connected to the System>
<Mana Invasion Has Accelerated>
<Mana Cracks Forming Around Your World: 9>
<Infection Progress: 0.4%>
<Mutation Threshold: 5% â Mutation of Small Lifeforms Will Begin>
âWhat the hell? Mana cracks? Another user? HeyâAiden, what the hellâs going on? And am I the only one seeing these notifications orââ
Aiden appeared beside him in a flicker of golden light.
âWanna hear the good news or the bad news first?â he asked casually.
Rey narrowed his eyes. âBad news.â
Aiden sighed. âWeâre officially screwed.â
[Author's Note]
Hello everyone! I'm thrilled to announce that my new novel
THE THIRD RETURN OF THE NECROMANTIC MAGIC SWORDSMAN
is on the way! It dives deep into Evanâs true storyâfull of action, mystery, and powerful revelations.
Stay with me after the first major fight, and youâll get to experience Evanâs journey in full. Please add the novel to your library and support it when it launches. Your encouragement means everything!
â Author