Throne of Magical Arcana - Chapter 30: Ghost in the Shadow

There was a woman. Born as an illegitimate child and raised under the strict control of the queen, her world was as small as a well.

There was a man. He was forced to marry a woman who was his brother’s political marriage partner. His world, which was infinitely wide, became smaller.

The woman’s original sin, and the man’s resentment. “I should have just died instead…”

“If God loved you so much, he wouldn’t have put you against me.”…In the present of this age’s fantasy, what the world needs is not a hero but a priest working part time as a Necromancer.Healing by the day, hunting dark mages by the night, presenting you, Elios, the guy who will solve all your problems by any means as long as you pay him the right.A demon is haunting you? Call Elios. The guards aren’t accepting bribes? Call Elios. Your toilet ain’t getting flushed? Call Elios. There are no limitations to what you can ask.As long as there is a right price, everything is possible. Our dependable priest is capable of any and everything.Ah! Though there is one thing you can never ask him to do.Children.You can’t ask him to hurt them.And perhaps you should never mention anything related to that as well.Or else…Even death would be mercy.…In the World of Zarraf, there lives Gods, not all goods are good and certainly none are without motives.They rule the world’s 7 nations:The Nation of Light and SunThe Nation of WaterThe Nation of FireThe Nation of LifeThe Nation of EarthThe Nation of MoonThe Nation of WindEach ruled by a Goddess that has their own stance in their ruling.But that is only the first page of this world.The second page colors the Ancient Gods of Corruption, Rage, Curse, Death and Hate.The third belongs the Seven Sins’ Incarnations that are ready to succeed the Ancient Gods.The Fourth is of the Witches who stand against all Gods equally.And the Final Page colors the [Immortals] or otherwise known as [Players] that will be summoned to bring Chaos to this world.A World that was meant to be destroyed, such is the fate of the world of Zarraf as powers beyond the realm of mortals threaten the dynamic equilibrium of their existence.In the end, the world was prophesied to be destroyed by one cause or another. Nothing could prevent looming destruction…Or so it was supposed to happen..

Derek Carter never asked for a System, an apocalypse, or the pressure of being humanity’s so-called “last hope.”He was just trying to survive the daily struggles of being an orphan in Paleview City—dodging bullies, scraping together meals, and lying his way into school. Life was already hard enough.Then, one day, a blue screen pops into his vision:[Warning: The world is doomed. Try not to die.]Yeah, great. Just what he needed—cryptic doomsday messages and no instruction manual.Now, monsters are creeping into the city, reality is unraveling, and Damien’s “legendary” starting stats are barely above zero. The System promises him power, but there's just one tiny problem—he’s never won a fight in his life.Armed with sarcasm, questionable decision-making skills, and the sheer refusal to die, Damien is about to embark on the worst (and possibly last) adventure of his life. Because if the world really is ending… he’s at least going to make it someone else’s problem first.After all, heroes are overrated—survivors get to tell the story.

Manchester United, once a dominant force in world football, finds itself struggling under Erik ten Hag despite having the financial power to rebuild.Big-money transfers fail to restore the club’s glory, forcing Ten Hag to shift his focus to homegrown talent.Among the overlooked prospects in the U18 squad is Leo Calderon, a 17-year-old central midfielder buried deep in the pecking order.Lacking physicality and dismissed by teammates as weak, Leo endures constant ridicule from those who dominate with strength and athleticism.But during one ordinary training session, everything changes—Leo suddenly sees passing lanes no one else can, angles of play invisible to even the most talented prospects.Yet, there’s a problem. His vision surpasses his ability. The passes he attempts don’t connect, his technique unable to match his newfound awareness.Coaches dismiss his efforts as sloppy, and his struggles continue. But one unexpected observer—a visiting League One assistant coach—notices something different.He watches Leo’s movements, seeing potential where others see failure.As Leo fights to prove himself in an unforgiving system, the question lingers—can he refine his raw talent before the club moves on without him?