The nightmares began a few years back.

At that time, I dismissed those dreams as nothing more than harmless imagination. Still, those visions traumatized me to the point that I never wanted to be anywhere near my home, especially as the date grew close to when the disaster happened.

‘Rather than superstition, it was more of a PTSD.’

I managed to convince my family to have a vacation in the South before that time came. After the time was up, we returned to our home only to find the whole area sealed off.

‘We were not told as to why the place was closed off. But when I asked whether it was the miasma, the guard’s face turned sour, thus confirming my suspicions.’

The crisis was averted, but the area was sealed off permanently. The climate was unrecognizable as it had shifted from temperate to tundra.

The initial announcement was stated as ‘Sudden environmental changes leading to large-scale mutated monster outbreak’.

However, the contents of later reports into the incident were eerily similar to what I had seen. The incident was officially known as…

‘Northumbria Miasma Outbreak’

Though it began as an abnormally large number of monsters, the cave systems in the area released miasma and contaminated the surrounding areas.

Civilians in the area became the victims of mind corruption, turning them into mindless puppets. The beautiful grassland grew into a thick, lush forest, albeit with hostile, demonic flora.

As the corrupted mana and entities started to spread into other regions, the highest-ranking magicians and mystics masters sacrificed their lives to cast containment spells.

Their sorcery will miracles into existence using their life forces as a fuel. That scene which symbolizes salvation for both the living and the dead was a once-in-a-century spectacle, even if witnessed from faraway.

The power, which served to stop the apocalypse, also served as an inspiration for the next generation.

[Absolute Zero], a mana-type spell, to freeze all atomic molecules in place. 

The magician expended their entire lifespans to conjure a sorcery so grand that etched into the mind of their juniors and successors alike. 

[Frost Dominion], a spirit-type spell, to prevent the further contamination

The mystics master burned their own spirit to oblivion for a successful creation of this spell. Just the scale of the casting circle was enough to spark a light forward in the development of magic.

Along with many other types of spells with various attributes that would be called the pinnacle of magical arts, but the things they have in common is that the casters of the spells traded their lives for the rest. 

The rampage of miasma was stopped at the cost of those brave magicians and mystics masters.

In the end, the outbreak was sealed, but at a great cost.

The once-thriving region was now frozen beyond repair, its mana inert, lifeless, and unusable, unresponsive to any command. The cold reached near-theoretical limits. The land was uninhabitable and inaccessible. Northumbria was dead.

As a result, millions, including me, lost their homes, and the country split in half. Casualties were in the thousands, and economic loss crippled whatever was left.

“Determination to stop his nightmare once and for all”

That was the resolve I got. That was the goal I set for myself.

“To not repeat the same mistake.”

So that no one has to endure the same pain I did.

The pain of losing something precious

The pain of knowing you could have helped

And so begins my journey…

One that I, Baston, cannot afford to fail…