The Heart of a Smith - Chapter 12 - Waking Up

The “S-rank Hero Factory” that raised 1,000 S-rank heroes.

The graduates’ manufacturing machine.

The strongest support.

These are all words that refer to me. But could this actually be the world of that game?

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

In the 30th century, Tyler Rustel is an eccentric and visionary genius, renowned as a brilliant inventor. His life, however, comes to an abrupt end when a small experimental nuclear reactor explodes in a series of unforeseen events. Yet, death is not the end for Tyler. He awakens in a body that feels both familiar and foreign—a parallel version of himself in a completely different universe.This is not a world of technological progress or orderly civilization. Here, twisted gods roam the cosmos, shaping realities according to their cruel whims. The moral laws that governed his previous world do not exist. This is a magical universe, one marked by brutal betrayals, interdimensional wars, and endless massacres. The balance between the forces that rule this cosmos is fragile, and Tyler finds himself at the center of schemes involving powerful entities and boundless ambitions.However, Tyler is no longer an ordinary man. Upon awakening in this new world, he discovers that a fragment of his technology has survived with him: an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of analyzing, adapting, and enhancing anything, provided it has the necessary data. From magical weapons and arcane spells to alchemical techniques and enchanted jewelry, everything can be optimized under his supervision.Armed with this technological advantage in a universe dominated by magic, Tyler quickly realizes the potential of his unique position. While others struggle to survive, he schemes to conquer. Driven by his sharp intellect and a questionable sense of morality, Tyler embarks on a ruthless campaign to achieve magical supremacy and subjugate all worlds around him. He seeks neither redemption nor alliances. His ambition is clear: to rule everything and everyone as a tyrant, to amass an immense harem of women, and to father one million children to establish his legacy across all realms.

Until the time of him becoming the master of the lowest rank in the order of rankings, the lonely side of his life without luck was changed.