A human world with advanced industry was visited by a colossal crystalline shard, home to various magical beings. In a state of panic, the humans used all their arsenal to fight the forces that used their magic, which was contrary to the humans' own technological weaponry.

  In a desperate attempt to erase the "attacker," the humans created a Void-class bomb, a weapon supposedly designed to tear apart and vaporize the colossal crystalline shard. The initial impact wiped out all existence, living or not, within a 1,000-mile radius. Even worse, the bomb tore a hole in the fabric of the planet's core and triggered a cataclysm.

  The world they knew was combined with the countless fragments of lost worlds that made up the colossal crystalline shard, bringing dense mana into the air. The human body could not tolerate this mana without their lungs crystallizing, leading to an agonizing death. Billions of lives vanished and were wiped out due to the cataclysm. The massive industrial and advanced cities collapsed, and several 'mana' beings and civilizations began making their own territories.

  For 500 years, humanity struggled to survive. Over the next 500 years, they managed to adapt and created several human bastions, or cities, protected by a dome that filters the air of mana. This filtered air is then processed into low-grade mana cores that fuel their new mana-technology (manatech). Humans are now able to use the same mana, albeit in a technological way, since their bodies were unable to evolve to use mana directly

  The Cataclysm

  A human world with advanced industry was visited by a colossal crystalline shard, home to various magical beings. The forces inhabiting the shard used magic, a power fundamentally contrary to human technology. In a state of panic, the humans used all their arsenal to fight the invaders.

  In a desperate attempt to erase the "attacker," the humans created a Void-class bomb, a weapon supposedly designed to tear apart and vaporize the colossal crystalline shard. The initial impact was devastating, wiping out all existence within a 1,000-mile radius. Even worse, the bomb tore a hole in the fabric of the planet's core, triggering a world-ending cataclysm.

  The world they knew was forever changed. It was combined with the countless fragments of the lost worlds that made up the colossal crystalline shard, increasing the planet's size fivefold and bringing dense mana into the atmosphere. The human body could not tolerate this raw mana; their lungs crystallized, leading to agonizing death. Billions of lives were wiped out. The massive industrial and advanced cities collapsed, and the various 'mana' beings began establishing their own territories across the newly expanded world.

  Adaptation and the Rise of Manatech

  Over the next 500 years, humanity struggled to survive. But they managed to adapt and created several human cities. These settlements are protected by a dome that filters the air of harmful ambient mana.

  This filtered air is then processed into low-grade mana cores that fuel their new mana-technology (manatech). Humans are now able to use mana, albeit in a technological way, since their bodies were unable to evolve to use it directly.

  The peak of this manatech is the mana battlesuit: a body-tight suit with a specialized core in the chest designed to channel power recovered from high-level mana beings.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The Crusade

  The vital component for human survival and warfare is the heart of a mana being, which turns into a crystalline shard upon death. These shards are refined into high-quality mana cores, empowering the mana battlesuits, weapons, and every other technology the humans now possess. The stronger the mana being, the higher the quality of the mana core that can be obtained.

  The human leaders—kings and corporate CEOs who rule the domed cities—have launched a lifelong crusade to purge the invaders. Their war is against all races fueled by mana: elves, orcs, mermaids, harpies, goblins, and the different monsters that inhabit the dangerous jungles separating human settlements.

  The mana beings, who no longer saw themselves as mere visitors, decided to fight back and engage the humans in an all-out war for existence. While this may not have been their initial plan, they had already lost their homeworld to an alien invasion. Now, with the last fragment of their world integrated into the new one and peace no longer an option, they vowed to claim the new world for themselves.

  ***

  The air inside the recruitment office of Bastion Gamma was scrubbed so clean it tasted of nothing but ozone and sterile plastic. Outside the reinforced viewing ports, the great dome shimmered with a pale, iridescent light, holding back the swirling green mists of the mana-choked jungle that had long ago reclaimed the industrial ruins of the old world.

  Commander Elena Blightsorrow sighed, her fingers tracing the edge of a high-tech data pad. On the screen, a profile glowed in a sharp, aggressive crimson.

  NAME: Azazel "Zel" Nightgaze

  RANK: Recruit (MBS Hunter Class)

  AFFINITY: RED (Chaos/Passion/Lightning)

  STATUS: Active – Post-Synchronization

  Elena flicked her eyes toward the observation glass. In the chamber below, a man stood amidst the discarded remnants of three combat drones. He was tall, his athletic build defined by the body-tight, black synthetic-latex of his Mana Battle Suit. The suit clung to him like a second skin, the internal mana-veins glowing with a faint, restless red light where they pressed against his skin to interface with his nervous system.

  At the center of his chest, the Mana Reactor hummed. Within it sat a high-grade Red Core, thrumming like a trapped heart.

  "He’s flippant, Commander," her assistant noted, leaning over her shoulder. "Passed the tuning with the highest scores in the quarter, but he spent the entire orientation trying to get the head of logistics to give him her private comms frequency. He’s... a handful."

  Elena watched as Zel sheathed a blackened alloy sword across his back. He reached up, running a hand through his swept-back black hair, his obsidian eyes catching the light as he looked directly at the observation window. He winked, a slow, arrogant smirk spreading across his face.

  "He’s a loose cannon," Elena murmured, reading the 'infamous' tags on his social conduct report. "But look at the combat data."

  She swiped the pad, playing back the recorded footage.

  In the video, Zel moved with a blur of kinetic violence. He didn't just fight; he exploded. Red mana arced from the suit’s projectors, turning his kicks into thunderclaps and his sword strikes into searing lines of lightning. He moved with a speed that defied human biology, his body-tight suit turning him into a living conductor for the volatile energy of the core.

  To protect the vital reactor—his literal life support in the wastes—Zel had customized his MBS with additional matte-black plate armor over the chest and shoulders. It gave him the silhouette of a dark knight from a forgotten era, a lethal blend of ancient martial arts and futuristic manatech.

  "The Crusade needs more than just disciplined soldiers," Elena said, closing the file. "The Elves are reclaiming their 'Ancestral Hearts' with more ferocity every day. We need someone who isn't afraid to be as chaotic as the mana itself."

  Below, Zel unclipped his manatech sidearm, spinning it on his finger before holstering it with a practiced, carefree motion. He began to head toward the airlock, his walk a relaxed, rhythmic strut.

  "Azazel Nightgaze," Elena whispered. "Let’s see if that Red Core burns you out, or if you’re the one who finally burns down the Spires."

  The airlock hissed open, the first step of a long, bloody journey into the green hell outside. The Crusade had a new spark.