Investigative Report: An Engineer's Dream

  Year: 10.387 A.D.T.

  Event: Siege of Solmara

  It has been over 300 years since my resurrection for archival documentation. I had nearly forgotten the primal and often violent nature of humanity. My initial assignment spanned the first 100 years, during which I was tasked with observing the development of a small town called Solmara. Specifically, my role was to analyze the psychological evolution of its residents to fill a critical gap in our records regarding human collective intelligence and herd mentality.

  During this period, the inhabitants engaged in frequent conflicts, leading to factional divisions, internal strife, and cycles of destruction. Nevertheless, my role remained purely observational. Per my directive, I was bound by oath to record events without interference.

  Several centuries later, I received direct orders advising the emergence of a Nexus event, necessitating a shift in my focus toward an individual of particular significance: a young engineer named Dameon. Data from this event was deemed crucial to the archives. The sequence of events was outlined as follows: The Solmara Empire would come under siege by the technologically advanced Aetherian Legion. Amidst this siege, Dameon would develop a groundbreaking technological innovation that would alter the trajectory of Adalant's history.

  Dameon was born into a lower-middle-class family in Blandford, the capital of Solmara. His early life was marked by hardship and labor directly due to the rigid class structure embedded within the region. Unlike other inefficient economic systems, Blandford had successfully woven class-based discrimination into its religious doctrine—precisely, worshiping a goddess known as Alura.

  His misfortunes began at birth: his mother died due to inadequate medical resources, and his father was forcibly conscripted into the Enhanced Military Division. This unit required proficiency in IO particles for combat effectiveness. Lacking such an affinity, his father perished almost immediately upon deployment, an outcome that was widely expected.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  By age ten, Dameon was placed in the Blandford Community Orphanage, where he continued to endure labor-intensive work to earn his keep. The class hierarchy remained unyielding—even among orphans, socioeconomic status dictated one's treatment and opportunities.

  Dameon developed a keen interest in machinery through his work in the mines and robotic recycling depots. He taught himself how various mechanisms functioned, eventually learning to harness IO particles to operate essential industrial equipment. This period marked a pivotal turning point in his life, igniting his aspiration to join the Emperor's Engineering Corps—a prestigious institution responsible for developing advanced weaponry for the empire.

  At age twenty, Dameon applied for entry into the Emperor's Engineering Corps, only to be denied due to his social class. Unmotivated, he withdrew from public life, sustaining himself through lowly jobs while secretly refining his mechanical designs.

  A limitation in his work was his inability to fully master IO particle configuration enchantments—a critical component of high-tier engineering. While most elite engineers could configure up to fifteen enchantment levels, Dameon could only manage the first three. He spent a decade designing and perfecting an amulet to access and manipulate IO particles without verbal commands to compensate for this insufficiency. Though unrecognized, this invention would later become important in defending Blandford.

  By 10.387 A.D.T., the Aetherian Legion, a force of 1,000 elite soldiers, launched an assault on Blandford. The royal elites, considering the lower-middle class and impoverished citizens expendable, made no efforts to reinforce the outer walls, leading to the wall's collapse within two weeks. The surviving population, including Dameon, attempted to retreat into the inner sanctum of the city, only to be denied entry—resulting in a massacre at the gates.

  From my observations, the strategic failure of abandoning the outer walls proved the city's greatest mistake. It allowed the Aetherian forces to establish a fortified position, prolonging the siege for several months.

  Having survived the initial slaughter, Dameon presented his prototype amulet to the Major General, who led the city's defense. Recognizing its potential immediately, the General deployed the technology, which turned the tide of the siege within days.

  While total destruction of the city was avoided, Dameon himself perished due to a stray mortar round, precisely 3,000 meters west of his last recorded position. His death was instantaneous, caused by a perfect puncture wound to the lower abdomen, leading to complete systemic failure within 30.6 seconds.

  The city survived, but my role in this event ended abruptly. Upon Dameon's death, I was immediately recalled and reassigned to document another human of historical significance—one poised to influence the next Nexus point.

  His name is Midnight of the Crimson Empire.

  End of Report.