Reincarnation of the Last Magus Emperor

1500 years after the final battle that shattered the world, the memory of Myrddin Wyllt, the Last Magus Emperor, was preserved in myth and legend. His sacrifice and the loss of the southern continent had shaped the lives of his descendants, scattered across the world. One such descendant was Merlin Wylde, a young man with the same melanin-rich skin and dreadlocked mane that had defined his ancestors. The blood of the Dreadlocked Southerners ran deep in his veins, though the world he was born into was far different from the one his forefathers knew.

Merlin grew up in a small village near the southern border of the Last Empire, a place of relative peace where his people had found refuge after the horrors of the past. The Empire itself had prospered since the Last Magus Emperor's death, and magic had evolved into something new. The once-great power of mages had been tempered by the rise of body cultivation and the Augmenters, who infused their physical forms with mana to fight the demons and maintain order in the world. However, despite the empire's strength and the magic of its people, demons still roamed the northern continent, their hatred for the southern descendants never fading.

Merlin's family, though far from the center of power, had carved out a life in the peaceful borderlands, away from the empire's politics and intrigue. His parents, both strong and skilled, had once been part of the southern diaspora, part of the great exodus that had fled the demons' wrath 30 years ago. They had rebuilt their lives as simple farmers and artisans, living quietly among a small community of survivors. They taught Merlin the old ways, the stories of their ancestors and the battle that had shaped their destiny. But the scars of the past were never far from their minds.

Merlin, like his forebears, possessed a natural talent for magic, especially the ancient elemental forces that his ancestors had once wielded. His affinity was for Lightning, a gift passed down from Myrddin himself. However, even with this talent, the world had changed. Magic was no longer the supreme force it once had been. Body refinement had become the new path to power, and demons, though scattered, still posed a threat. Despite the peace they had enjoyed, Merlin's family lived in constant fear of the past catching up with them.

One fateful night, their fears were realized.

The village was attacked by a group of demons, led by a powerful demon who reveled in the suffering of the southern people. The demons had never forgiven the Southerners for their survival, and Merlin's family and village were now targets. The night was filled with screams and the sound of clashing steel as the demons descended on the small community, their blood-red eyes glinting with malice. The demons enjoyed the hunt, finding sick satisfaction in slaughtering those they considered the descendants of the Last Magus Emperor.

Merlin's parents fought bravely, but the odds were against them. His father, a skilled warrior, took up his sword to defend the village, while his mother, a mage, summoned powerful spells of protection and offense. But the demons were relentless, and the blood of the Southerners was a prized trophy to them.

Amidst the chaos, Merlin's home was burned to the ground, and his family was slaughtered. His mother's last act was to cast a powerful protective spell, ensuring Merlin's escape. The young man fled into the night, his heart heavy with the weight of his people's suffering and his own grief. He watched as his village burned, the faces of his friends and family fading into the flames. The demons reveled in their destruction, unaware that the true legacy of the Last Magus Emperor had not yet been extinguished.

Merlin's escape was the beginning of a new chapter in his life—a journey that would take him beyond the borders of the Last Empire, into the heart of the conflict that had torn his ancestors' world apart. With the blood of Myrddin flowing through his veins and the power of the Lightning element coursing through his body, Merlin would face the demons once more. But this time, he would fight not only for survival but for the legacy of his people—the Dreadlocked Southerners, the descendants of the Last Magus Emperor.

The world may have changed in the 1500 years since the battle that split the continents, but the flames of vengeance and the quest for justice burned just as fiercely within Merlin as they had in his ancestor Myrddin. The demons had forgotten the power of the Southerners, but Merlin would remind them.