A man with silver-white hair, eyes that shimmered like constellations—eyes with multiple cores within their irises, something that should have been impossible for an ordinary person—had an immaculate face, a stoic, masculine countenance. He was tall, well-built, his muscles honed for combat. He easily surpassed two meters in height. He wore a simple white tunic adorned with blue and black details, along with pieces of armor that were not immediately visible. He exuded a supernatural aura that made everyone around him bow, whether out of fear or sheer desire.
He sat upon a majestic throne, embellished with gold and precious stones that sparkled in a rhythm that seemed to resonate with the man's very heartbeat. The hall he occupied appeared to be an ancient, powerful castle, its floor polished white, the ceiling also white.
But the giant walls were not merely white; they held various colorful doors that were not made for humans, but for giants. These doors pulsed in different rhythms, emanating a glorious aura with an untamed power.
The man looked down at a figure below, as a god would observe the universes he created, waiting for a response. The figure seemed insignificant compared to anything in that place—and, indeed, it was insignificant, at least for now.
"You must be joking with me," the young Arthur replied.
Arthur had lived a normal life until just moments ago. He had a loving family, a girlfriend he loved and who loved him back, a decent job he'd landed after graduating from college, friends, and many acquaintances.
He was an intelligent guy, but in a situation like this, he couldn't think straight about what the hell was going on. Just a little while ago, he had been leaving his girlfriend's house, so how had he ended up in a place that looked like something straight out of the fantasy realms he loved reading about?
How the hell did I end up in this? Arthur thought.
And from that moment on, the man began explaining things—things that at first made no sense, but gradually gained coherence.
After seeing the man for the first time, Arthur's body became a reference point, and he nearly died. However, the man made him blush with a simple gaze, created a barrier around him, and somehow his intelligence was beyond comprehension, as he followed everything that was being said and understood it.
It wasn't that he was stupid before, but the amount of information being dumped on him was too much for any human brain to handle. The man spent hours just listing Arthur's life, and then several more days talking about the end of the world, power scales, higher worlds, and so on, without any interruption. It was an overwhelming amount of information.
Arthur didn't detect any malice from the man. All he found was honesty. But with the man's power, Arthur felt helpless because there was nothing he could do if the man decided to toy with him or even destroy Earth.
After reflecting on the situation for a while, Arthur decided to seek more information and began questioning the man about aspects that left him in doubt, looking for the most urgent answers:
"When is this apocalypse supposed to happen?" he asked.
"It's not exactly an apocalypse," the man replied. "We're talking about a world awakening, where mana will become part of your world, unlocking the core of the planet. But that won't happen until one year after the hand-touch."
"But of course, if humanity doesn't receive help, at least 70% of the population will perish, due to the evolution of animals and plants, the transformation of geography, as the planet will increase its mass because of the mana in the globe."
"In this first year, the creatures of the planet will adapt or perish. And after the core awakens, things may get even more complicated."
"And all of this could happen in about a month," the man concluded, leaving Arthur even more terrified.
"So what do you want from me? Shouldn't I be telling the government or something?" Arthur asked, trying to dismiss it all as a nightmare, though he already had an inkling of its truth.
"What I want is simple," the man said, raising his hand and listing:
Receive all my power, experience, combat skills, physical abilities, knowledge, and so on;
Establish a connection with the Earth's core and become the god of this planet, dictating everything that happens—how mana interacts with beings, etc.—but only after the first year;
After becoming the god/ruler of the world, become a world conqueror, because your world will become prey to other worlds if you don't become the predator;
Kill some races for me, you'll understand when you absorb all my power and memories;
Protect this world, the people who are important to you, and protect my mother.
The man concluded by listing things that were simply impossible to fulfill, as though it were a shopping list.
"Let me make sure I understood," Arthur said. "You want me to take all your power, which will make me ridiculously overpowered, connect me to the Earth's core, make me the ruler of the world, dictate the apocalypse, prevent humanity's destruction, help your mother, and also get revenge. Is that right?"
After confirming with the man, Arthur continued, "But why Earth? Why me? Why is your mother here? If you have all this power that makes me tremble even with this barrier you created, why don't you rule Earth yourself?"
"You'll have all those answers once you absorb my power," the man replied. "I can't continue, as I have very little time left."
"So, Arthur Silva," he said in a monotone and drawling tone and continued, with great anticipation even though he already guessed the answer.
"What do you say?"
"Well..."