1 Baptism by Fire

"Package delivery, sir!" Ethan proclaimed, swaggering up to the front door, parcel in hand. His voice carried an air of wearied pride, more akin to a grizzled combat veteran than a humble delivery driver.

"You're a gem, young man! Take care now," wheezed the elderly customer. He leaned on his cane, retreating gingerly into the dim-lit interior of his ancient house.

'God, this gig blows. But hey, got bills to pay, right?' Ethan brooded, retracing his steps back to his hulking, diesel-belching vehicle.

"Son! Can you lend an old man a hand? My arthritis isn't taking kindly to this stubborn box," the voice crackled from the doorstep.

'Oh, for the love of... This crusty relic is gonna set my whole day back,' Ethan groused internally, his brows knitting together. "Yeah, gimme a sec, gramps."

'Shit, wait. That's the ex-mayor. Damn, they let this fossil govern the city before?' Ethan's mind wandered while fishing out a battered pocket knife from the recesses of his jeans.

"Bless your soul, lad," the elder croaked, the package shaking slightly in his gnarled hands.

"Yeah, sure thing, pops. Just remember, I'm counting on a big tip for this," Ethan quipped, smirking as he slit through the packing tape.

The old man blinked in surprise but acquiesced, his trembling hands pulling two crisp twenties from a worn-out wallet.

'Holy hell! He actually bought that? Well, I ain't complaining,' Ethan contemplated, a devilish grin stretching across his face. And then, without a shred of warning, reality shattered around him.

The package didn't just open; it erupted. A monstrous, insatiable flame roared forth from the confined space, uncoiling like a ferocious beast awoken from hibernation. The explosion rippled outwards, a fiery maelstrom that devoured everything it touched with an all-consuming hunger.

Every molecule of air transformed into searing, hellish heat, twisting and writhing in a dance of destruction. Ethan's triumphant grin was wiped away, replaced by a look of abject horror as the shockwave propelled him backward. His hair singed, skin blistering and peeling away under the assault of the savage blaze.

The venerable old man, his fragile body betraying decades of accumulated wisdom and experience, didn't stand a chance. The consuming flames snuffed out his life in an instant, leaving nothing but charred remnants that echoed a faint testament to a life once lived.

As the booming roar of the explosion receded, replaced by an eerie silence, the quaint neighborhood was transformed into an unrecognizable landscape of scorched earth and crumbling ruins. A dark pyroclasm, stark against the bright midday sun, marked the epicenter of the explosion, a grim memorial to the lethal power of a package delivered too soon.

Ethan's mind felt heavy and distorted, ensnared in an oppressive fog of confusion. 'Got a million and one things to do... I can't afford to snooze now,' he willed himself, channeling every ounce of mental strength into a single command: Wake up! With an effort that felt like lifting a mountain, his eyelids pried open to an unfathomable spectacle.

"I'm so confused. Where am I?" Ethan's voice bounced off stone walls, his emergence from unconsciousness met with a score of curious eyes.

His makeshift bed, a slab of cold, hard stone adorned with mystifying, arcane symbols, felt more suited to a sacrificial lamb than a delivery driver. Onlookers, around twenty in total, stood encircling him. Their attire screamed medieval extravagance, a stark contrast to his standard-issue driver's uniform. A rich tapestry of velvets and satins, brocades and furs, they looked as if they'd just stepped out of a Renaissance painting.

As his vision sharpened, his gaze fell on a particular figure standing slightly apart from the rest. She was a woman, likely in her twenties, who looked like she'd stepped out of a siren's dream. Her luscious, dark hair fell in gentle waves around her shoulders, her emerald eyes gleaming with a mix of frustration and worry. Her curves were accentuated by a tight bodice, her bosom heaving slightly with each exasperated breath. The alluring slit of her velvety dress revealed a tantalizing hint of her long, shapely legs, and she moved with an intoxicating grace.

"I can't believe it... We've ensnared the wrong soul. This is a catastrophe," she lamented, her voice as mesmerizing as her form. Ethan, despite his confusion, couldn't help but be entranced by her exotic charm.

A revelation sparked in Ethan's mind, an icy clarity slicing through the fog of confusion. 'Ah, I get it now. They were aiming for the old codger's soul, and got me instead. Bet he's adrift in some nebulous void right now. My bad,' he deduced, his fingers lightly massaging his temples as he surveyed his new form.

A pompous voice shattered his introspection. A man, clothed in finery that screamed wealth and arrogance, addressed the gathering with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I' have enough funds to sponsor another round of this circus. Too bad there are only two empty shells left. Kill this one like the others and give it another go."

In a heartbeat, Ethan sprang from the table, the thin towel draped around his waist giving way to gravity and revealing him in all his unabashed glory. "Hold your horses! You plucked me from my world, so at least let me take a stab at whatever mumbo jumbo you're planning!" he retorted, his voice ringing out defiantly in the stone chamber.

The sultry woman from before shielded her eyes but snuck a quick, bashful peek from between her fingers. The rest of the room, meanwhile, veered their gaze in a collective display of chaste embarrassment.

Ethan, his mind a whirling storm of adrenalin and curiosity, addressed the woman. "You're the one who yanked me here, right? Stop this pompous ass from axing me without reason!"

"Fine, fine! But only on one condition - cover yourself up this instant!" She commanded, her cheeks flush with a blush that rivaled the hue of a ripe cherry.

Ethan's gaze followed hers downward, only to find himself stark naked in the midst of a room full of strangers. A wry grin twisted his lips as he hastily snatched the towel from the floor, preserving a shred of his modesty.

"Hey, this skin-show's on you guys! Why in god's name would you summon me into a naked bloke!" he grumbled.

"I don't know! That's just how it works here!" She retorted, her embarrassment simmering into indignation.

"Interesting. This one amuses me. He's got more spark than the last few we pulled in. I'll permit him to stay, Seraphina, as long as you agree to guide him," the well-dressed man conceded, his lips curling into a smug smirk.

"Huh?" The identical reaction from both Ethan and Seraphina echoed in the stone chamber, the air thick with a cocktail of surprise, curiosity, and a hint of shared intrigue.

Once the initial turmoil in the arcane summoning chamber simmered down, Seraphina guided Ethan through a labyrinth of stone corridors to a private chamber. A room filled with an assortment of exquisite garments awaited him, and after a moment of picking and choosing, Ethan emerged adorned in clothes that matched the era's opulence.

Stepping out with renewed confidence, he extended a hand toward Seraphina. "The name's Ethan. And I should thank you for agreeing to guide me through this...unexpected transition. Life has always been an adventure I relish, but I can't say I've ever been summoned before. Care to explain why I was pulled into your world?"

Seraphina examined Ethan with a blend of curiosity and pity, her emerald eyes shimmering with unspoken thoughts. "Ethan," she mused, "an unusual name here, but there's a charm to it. You've been thrust into the heart of a great conflict. This world is under the shadow of a sprawling war, and you're expected to quench the raging fires by eliminating the enemy - a force that numbers six trillion strong."

Ethan's jaw tightened as he absorbed this news, his mind racing to comprehend the enormity of the task set before him. "Hold on a second," he interjected, his voice laced with a potent mixture of disbelief and grim humor, "I'm supposed to single-handedly wipe out six billion soldiers?"

Seraphina offered a slight correction, "Six trillion, Ethan. The task is as monumental as it sounds, but we believe in your potential."

Ethan scoffed, the weight of the situation fueling his sarcasm. "No kidding?" He paused, his gaze growing serious, "So, why were you attempting to summon the old man's soul instead of mine? Would he have been a more promising candidate?"

Seraphina appeared genuinely puzzled at Ethan's question. "Old man?" she echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "We were attempting to summon a seasoned warrior, one who had tasted the fury of countless battles. But soul magic is unpredictable and often ensnares souls from unexpected quarters. It seems you are a...fortunate accident."

With a wry smile, Ethan nodded. "That's somewhat comforting, I suppose. But it makes me wonder, am I here purely by chance? After all, I just left my previous life a few hours ago."

Seraphina, overwhelmed by Ethan's barrage of questions, halted the conversation abruptly. "Enough with the queries, Ethan. We'll have time to clarify your doubts later. For now, let's focus on unlocking your powers," she said, her hand moving in an intricate gesture. Magical sparks flew from her fingertips, landing on Ethan with a gentle caress, his body glowing momentarily under their influence.

Ethan watched in awe, a grin spreading across his face. "Nice light show, Seraphina."

With a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes, Seraphina slowly closed the distance between them. Their gazes locked, an electrifying tension pulsed in the space between their bodies. With a hush to his lips, Seraphina's fingers traced a path to his cheek, and she pressed her lips against his in a kiss brimming with raw intensity.

Suddenly, a rush of information flooded Ethan's mind:

System activation in progress:

Level 1

Distributing initial stats:

Strength: 35

Magic: 50

Mana: 50

Resistances: 4

Select your class:

Choose your primary skill:

The intimacy of their contact faded, but the newfound power within Ethan remained, a spark waiting to be ignited. "I can tell your powers have activated," Seraphina whispered, a satisfied smile dancing on her lips.