Chapter1 : After a long dream
Episode4 : I Promise You
The winter forest was nothing less than a chilling hell, a frigid purgatory cursed by the gods. Both fauna and flora struggled desperately to adapt to the harsh conditions, while those who could not… were gradually swallowed by nature.
And yes—Viper, the unfortunate man, was running breathlessly through the blizzard once again.
"Not again…"
Arm muttered. He was dreaming the exact same scene for the second time. This round, he decided to attempt to 'control' Viper—and it worked.
He forced Viper to seize the knife concealed in his boot and plunge it straight into his own heart. The body immediately buckled, and black blood gushed out, saturating the snow until it turned a dreary gray.
Before long, a group of people arrived at the corpse.
The young woman knelt beside Viper. A warm, bright magical light shot from her hands, enveloping the body, but two minutes passed with no reaction. She signaled the hulking man behind her.
The man's face instantly twisted into an expression of intense boredom.
"Viper… dying over something this idiotic, huh," he spat, before turning on his heel and walking away.
Everything slowly distorted, eventually giving way to the sight of a rickety wooden ceiling right above Arm.
"Hm... Awake, are you?"
A deep, husky voice drifted over. The grizzled old man was cleaning the barrel of a shotgun, treating it like a daily chore.
Arm flinched violently. This was the first time he had seen a real firearm. Fear shot through him, and he tried to push himself up to flee, but the intense pain made movement nearly impossible.
The old man simply snorted a laugh.
"Ha! Your reaction is truly hilarious."
He set the gun down, lit a cigarette, and the thick smoke wafted through the room, making Arm cough lightly.
Ding-Dong…
A bell rang. The old man exited the room, leaving Arm alone in the silence. He scanned his surroundings: worn objects, old photographs, and the calendar beside the bed were all thick with dust.
When he picked up the calendar, dust erupted, forcing him to cough. But when he looked at the numbers—he froze.
Year I.M. 1850, August.
He didn't know what the I.M. era was, but he knew one thing for certain…
This was no longer his world.
Before he could process his thoughts, the old man returned, sighing heavily when he saw Arm's strained expression.
"Thinking so much won't solve anything, kid," he said, his voice firm yet carrying a hint of fondness, before pulling back the curtains.
The late afternoon sunlight streamed in, bathing the entire room in a soft orange glow.
Towering mountains peaked and dipped like waves on the land.
The sky was saturated with orange and gold clouds.
Great trees stood in formation like a natural symphony.
Arm involuntarily gasped, his mouth agape.
The old man clapped him on the shoulder.
"Go see the real world sometime. Maybe then you'll stop thinking you're lost."
The atmosphere was warming up… until a clear, sweet voice cut in.
"Excuse me… Can I come in yet?"
"Come in, come in," the old man called out.
The young woman entered. She gave Arm a quick glance before stating directly.
"The healing fee is approximately ten silver coins."
Arm was dumbfounded.
The old man nearly swore.
"What? No discount? Your father knows me—"
The woman shook her head.
"No. Techno-Sorcery is expensive to source."
Techno-Sorcery…?
Eventually, the old man paid up. Arm couldn't help but ask.
"Why did you help me…?"
The old man fell silent for a moment.
"Atonement… That's all."
Before Arm could ask what he meant, the young woman was already placing a magical device on his chest. A brilliant light enveloped his body—warm, like the magic in Viper's dream.
Within seconds, all his pain completely faded away.
Arm shot upright.
"This is incredible!"
The old man moved his lips as if to scold him.
"Good. Now that you're fixed, go home. Give me your address."
Arm stammered.
"I'm from… Växjö."
"Where is that?" The woman raised an eyebrow.
"A city in Sweden."
Both of them fell into a stunned silence.
The old man spoke flatly.
"There is no Sweden here."
Arm's body went cold.
Another world… it's true.
Finally, he asked quietly.
"I have nowhere to go right now. Can I stay with you?"
Both looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Aren't you afraid of being sold?" The woman asked point-blank.
Arm inhaled sharply.
"I've made my decision."
The old man stared for a long time before letting out a gusty sigh.
"Fine, fine. You can stay, then."
The woman smiled.
"I'm Alma Ingrid Novak. You can just call me Alma."
"And this one is Joseph."
Arm blushed.
"I'm… Michael Chawakorn—you can call me Arm…"
Joseph remarked.
"Ask whatever you want to know. Consider us family now."
Arm immediately seized the chance.
"What exactly is Techno-Sorcery?"
Both scratched their heads simultaneously.
Alma said.
"I can teach you, but frankly, it's extremely complex."
Joseph chimed in.
"True. Even with the knowledge, it's not easy to pass on."
Arm's face dropped instantly.
But Joseph continued.
"But there are places that teach it—the Academy of Sorcery. The Techno-Sorcery faction is the right fit for you."
"Can I enroll!?"
"Of course… but the problem is, there are no academies around here. Not even a proper village."
"Then… where are we right now?"
Alma answered.
"In the middle of the forest. But I'm heading back to the city. If you want to go to that type of school, you can ride with me."
Arm looked at Joseph.
The old man nodded.
"Go on."
Alma prepared her belongings while Joseph handed Arm an object.
A pair of perfectly black chimes, covered in ancient runes, with finely barbed edges.
Arm's eyes widened.
"Why are you giving this to me…?"
Joseph didn't answer, simply turning his back.
"Boy! Are you coming? You'll miss the ride!" Alma shouted.
Joseph shoved a thick coat into Arm's hands.
"Go, go. I told you."
Stepping out of the house, the cold wind felt like a blade slicing his skin. Arm forced himself toward the red vehicle, which resembled a sleek, modernized car from the 80s or 90s. He couldn't open the door.
"Press the button," Alma instructed.
He pressed a gray button, and the door slid underneath the car in a surprisingly advanced manner.
The interior was beautiful, designed like a night sky, decorated with several model trees.
"You look quite thrilled," Alma chuckled softly.
The car began to move.
Arm was completely stunned.
There was no steering wheel.
"How is it running…?"
"Techno-Sorcery."
"…This is magic, too!?"
"Yes. Almost everything around us uses Techno-Sorcery."
Arm leaned back into the seat. The warmth from the blanket and the light inside the car made him feel like he was about to fall asleep for the first time since arriving in this world.
He slowly closed his eyes…
Sinking into slumber.
He only became aware again when a commotion erupted.
"GET OUT OF THE CAR! NOW!!!"
A roar thundered next to the vehicle, so harsh that Arm flinched violently. Then, the door was savagely ripped open.
A rough hand grabbed his collar and violently yanked him out.
His body slammed onto the hard, snowy ground with a painful Oof!
He looked up.
A line of people in black outfits and metal masks stood over him.
Techno-Sorcery guns were pointed at him like a sinister bouquet.
Arm opened his mouth to speak.
"Wait, I'm only—"
One man stomped hard on his face.
"Who told you to speak?"
The barrel of a glowing gun was pressed against his head, ready to assassinate him at any second.
Alma was gone—
And in that very instant, Arm thought:
Is this seriously the worst fucking day of my life!?