The Hive: We Are One - Chapter 20: Deeper

Long ago a great calamity struck the earth, destroying much of it and merging what remained with pieces of other worlds.

With these worlds came Aether, a new form of energy that can allow one to transcend the bounds of normal mortality and human limitations.

In a world where humans absorb the essence of aether beasts to gain power, Aiden Hawke joins the class of humans known as arcanists, people who defeat aether beasts and absorb their essence into cores they forge within themselves, and who infuse themselves with the aether that permeates the world around them to increase the power of their body and mind.

However, unlike most, Aiden will find that he holds a unique gift and that his journey as an arcanist will not be so simple.

Number 23 had it all.A warrior of unmatched power, a Transcendent capable of annihilating armies single-handedly, he was revered as a god among men. He seemed to have everything with wealth, fame, and influence at his fingertips. Yet beneath his cold, ruthless exterior lay an unfulfilled yearning—an elusive desire he couldn’t quite grasp...He wanted to be a hero.Despite his monumental achievements, Number 23’s quest for heroism remained unfulfilled. His life took an unexpected turn when he discovered a book titled [Bright]—a bestselling epic depicting a true hero's journey. Enchanted by its tale, Number 23 became obsessed, devouring every word in search of the heroism he craved. But his journey was cut short when he fell victim to a deadly ambush orchestrated by rival Transcendents, leading to his untimely execution.In his final moments, a single regret lingered in his mind.“I never got to see the ending of [Bright]...”As if answering his unspoken wish, Number 23 was reborn into the world of Bright—not as its celebrated protagonist or a key figure, but as an insignificant extra. Stripped of his former identity, he now inhabited the role of Amon Solaris, a character barely noticed in the grand tapestry of the story.Undeterred by his diminished status, Amon Solaris is determined to learn what it truly means to be a hero. But in this new world, he’s about to encounter a revelation that will change everything he thought he knew…Four chapters a week. New chapters every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

After thousands of years of silence, the world of cultivation once again welcomed the golden age.

This was a fragmented and disorganized world, this was a place that had been forgotten.