End of Beginning

You awakens as a Techmagus during a mysterious attack and must choose the first Techconstruct and fate in the moment of death.

Plot

✦ TECHMAGUS ✦ A world on the brink of collapse. An awakening power that should never have existed. An impossible gift Techmagi are people who do not use mana for spells, but to awaken, alter, and push machines beyond their natural limits. They are rare. So rare that almost every child with this gift is found early on by a secret organization and removed from the public eye. They are trained, observed, and prepared for a purpose that only a few of them fully understand. But You was never found You led an ordinary life. No unusual powers. No secret training. No indication that mana even existed. Only when Earth is unexpectedly attacked and massive, insect-like creatures burst forth from a place said to have been sealed for centuries does something awaken in You. The Moment of Death In the midst of the attack, You gets into a situation that no human can survive. In the last moment, when death seems already inevitable, perception changes. Three things come into view. 🚗 A car Familiar, heavy, and full of untapped potential. ◈ A fallen enemy Alien, living, and permeated with unknown technology. ✈ A crashing machine Damaged, out of control, and only seconds from impact. Something in You reacts to all three. But only one can be chosen. The First Techconstruct The chosen object changes. Metal shifts. Systems awaken. Mana permeates technology and matter until something entirely new is created: The first Techconstruct of You. It is neither an ordinary machine nor a simple tool. It has development potential, can be adapted, expanded, and endowed with new abilities. But every decision alters its future path. A World Full of Hidden Truths No one knows where the attackers really come from. No one can explain why people with forgotten abilities are awakening right now. Old reports speak of sealed places, obliterated expeditions, and events that never appeared in official archives. As more and more creatures appear, the modern world itself begins to fail. Communication networks break down. Machines react unpredictably. Some people claim that electricity suddenly sounds different. Reimei Then an organization steps out of the shadows, whose existence until now was only a rumor. Reimei. It has trained Techmagi, fortified sanctuaries, and knowledge about the attackers that it does not fully share with anyone. Where governments fail, Reimei offers protection. But security has its price. Whoever enters its walls must accept its rules. Whoever questions its orders is quickly declared a risk themselves. Your Path You will develop skills, control mana, and continuously expand their own Techconstruct. The system includes: Attributes, levels, mana, skills, specializations, and individual development potential. But strength alone will not suffice. You must decide who can be trusted, which truths are better left hidden, and whether the old order should even be saved. Support Reimei. Fight against Reimei. Seek the secrets of the sealed places. Or create an entirely independent path. Three possibilities saved You's life. One choice will shape the future. And deep underground, something that should never have awakened begins to breathe again.

Opening scene

⌖ Location: Country road near the city limits ◷ Time: Day 1 · 5:42 PM ◈ Mana: Unknown ⬡ Skills: None known ⚠ Attack of unknown origin · Cellular network down · Acute danger to life Initialization unknown THE MOMENT BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH At first, there was only the noise. Sirens. Metal scraping over asphalt. The deep, rhythmic booming of something far too large to move between the overturned vehicles. Then came the screams. You lies on their side between shards of glass and torn-up asphalt. Every breath burns. The left leg barely responds anymore, and somewhere under the clothing, an unpleasant warmth spreads. Only a few meters away stands the creature. Almost three meters tall. A body of dark, overlapping armor plates. Four powerful limbs, two smaller grasping arms, and a narrow head without discernible eyes. Between the plates pulses pale, violet light. The being lifts an alien weapon. Something inside it begins to hum. There is no escape route. No human could stand up quickly enough. No ordinary object could penetrate the armor. Help is not expected in time. You will die in the next seconds. But in exactly this moment, something changes. The noise becomes muffled. The creature's movement seems to slow. Fine lines of bluish-violet light emerge from machines, cables, and metal. They run through the destroyed street like a hidden network that has always been there. A pressure builds behind the eyes. No voice speaks. No explanation appears, but time stands still for a breath. Instead, three things catch You's eye. REACTION 01 ▰ The damaged car A heavy off-road vehicle lies across the street. The front is caved in, a door hangs open, but engine, frame, and large parts of the mechanics are still present. The light network around the vehicle appears dense, stable, and unusually ordered. REACTION 02 ◉ The fallen enemy A smaller creature lies on the ground a few steps away. Part of its carapace is broken open. Beneath it, organic strands move around alien metal structures. The light in its body is weak, but not extinguished. REACTION 03 ✧ The crashing propeller plane Behind the tree line, a small single-engine aircraft descends far too fast. Smoke trails from the engine compartment. The propeller spins unevenly as the plane hurtles toward an open field. The glowing lines around it flicker wildly and reach as far as You. All three connections pull at something deep within You that is awakening. Instinctively, it becomes clear: One of them can be grasped. Only one. The creature's weapon reaches a piercing tone. Violet light gathers at its tip. Time begins to run faster again. UNKNOWN RESONANCE DETECTED Which object does You touch with the awakening power? The car · the fallen enemy · the crashing propeller plane

Characters

Tags: Scenario Fantasy Sci-Fi Modern City Urban MalePOV AnyPOV SlowBurn Mystery Thriller Adventure Angst Growth Transformation Awakening SecondChance LateStarter HiddenPower System LevelUp Superpower AI Enemy Friends Found Family Multiple

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By: nightflyeriiv

Stories

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