Author Note :

When I reread this chapter, I feel there is something that less baiting the readers and I realized my immaturity as a writer. So I decided to add a prolog before the chapter and changing some part of the stories.

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The world has changed.

All we know, all knowledge that we get all along, are not useful anymore.

Because history has been rewritten.

The content of story in history books that you guys read since childhood are no longer the same.

All started from the end of First World War.

That night, the logic that has been there all this time replaced with the new ones.

A change has occurred yet everyone at that time not yet aware of it.

Until everyone was forced to gather in concentration camp for fourteen days.

Every night, people lined up waiting for their turn.

They were injected with a serum alternately.

In the serum contained millions nano-robots called Mantra that can bring real identity of an individual to the surface.

Slowly but surely they are no longer Homo sapiens.

They have evolved from the limits of reasonableness to be demi-human that they now refer to as Bhaureksa.

But all that changes don’t stop there alone.

Countries that are not able to feel pleasure of the Mantra felt threatened over their presence.

They were secretly trying to assassinate the Bhaureksa.

But alas, it ended with failure.

All the weapons can you guys imagine could kill millions of people did not leave any scratches on their body.

What’s more, in the hands of the Bhaureksa there is a weapon too advanced in age which they refer as Astra.

After all that they realize if they can’t defeat them as opponent, the thought why not to try make friends with them.

The first to take the big step is United States.

They then sent them a secret Envoy.

That afternoon on board a ship that sails over Atlantic Ocean, the Envoy requested the approval of the cooperation to the representative of the two countries.

They instantly agreed upon terms, US government is willing to fund the development of the Astra which they plan to build.

With the agreement of thus three countries, Astra workmanship which had delayed finally implemented a week later.

However, when all good things seemed to walk towards them, the bad news ever heard.

NAZI declared war to the world.

The continent fucked.

Turmoil happened all across the land.

And became worse when Italy and Japan joining.

It changed from war of the continent became a World War.

With shared technology of brand new Mantra Soldier that was still in the process of development they shook the world.

The Allied Forces completely unable to keep up with their resistance.

That was before they completed their two giant projects, The Flying Fortress and The Barbarian.

Up to 1945, April, they successfully forced NAZI forces to withdraw and made Her Fuhrer had to take refuge in the bunker.

Shoot….

Kaboom…

Bunker that sheltered Hitler bombed and generated a huge hole in the place he was last located.

The entire Allied Forces was cheering for joy.

But it didn’t last long….

From inside thick smoke, appeared a silhouette of human figure.

Their breath bated.

Adolf Hitler came out intact without any injuries.

He grinned.

Mantra that developed only for him has been completed.

It all felt not real.

Every time a bullet pierced his flesh, until the bones were broken and his entrails spilled out, every time it happened and he fell to the ground, immediately he rose again as if there is not any kind of ensued.

He looked like a character of Hindu mythology which by no coincidence was the name of the serum that injected to him.

[RAHVANA]

Like its story, he will not die as long as his feet still on the ground.

He became so invulnerable.

That’s why this Second World War can’t be ended and came into Stalemate on August 1945.

And began the Cold War era.

Until 20 years, the Great War broken out.

But that’s another story.

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This room again...

I am so sure that I am sleeping right now, but how can I end up in this white room again?

Even when I try to analyze and reanalyzing it, I can’t comprehend it at all.

How frustrating it is…

I think it began 5 weeks ago. That time, as usual, I have that nightmare…

It was the night when I lost everything.

My house…

My faculty…

My town…

My brethren…

My love one, My Wife, Anisa…

The Great War 30 years ago have been planting seed of despair deep in my heart. If not because my lovely one, my beloved daughter, Raisa, I’m sure I’ll live locked in the filthy small room without ventilation due to my despondent.

That life absolutely will be lesser fascinating than what I did right now.

Yeah, I am a Grandmaster now.

He is the one and only Grandmaster of Blacksmith that lived through that purgatory.

Let’s talk how can I became one!

I am an orphan from desolate village in the top of Mt. Lawu.

When I was six, as decree of president due to chaos on the continent, all six years children will be undergoing thorough examination in the Capital City to determine their talent and their interest.

After 2 days of medical check up, 3 days of physical exam, 4 days of paper test, then come 5 days of hell face-to-face interview with old long whitebeard psychologist with camphor aroma in his worn out white coat.

So tiring and blood sucking experience…

Do you think that the worst?

No…

There is more…

In the seventh days of waiting the result, we are escorted from our room to our respective hall, they are Art hall, Farm hall, Sailor hall, Warrior hall, Thinker Hall and last but not least, the Artisan hall where I belong to.

In that hall I learn the basic of artisan in the next six month and then get another test to choose our specialization.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

By the way, that’s another 14 days of hell.

To short long story, I got conclusion of my test.

I have affinity becoming blacksmith.

You know what happen next. I’ve been dragging to rode a box car through rough road in full speed for thirteen hours without knew our destination was.

It’s so dark here.

The cushion is very much tough, makes my buttock numb.

Making it worse, suspension of the car is not well made.

Perhaps it made in haste.

Well, it is just a hunch though.

Actually I don’t really know what really happen though.

My eyes wander around when they’re accustomed with darkness.

There’re thirty two children beside myself, 16 boys and 17 girls.

I wonder how many persons who will become blacksmith.

Even though it’s just me, I am also not going to feel sad.

Because it’s somehow, solitude was my best friend.

The Lord seems not dear to me.

He’s always taking anything anyone that I care about.

Mother, grandmother, grandfather, and aunt all had returned to his cradle.

Remember that all makes my heart feel like they sliced by a blunt dagger.

It really hurts and somehow my tears always flowed even I’ve vowed to no longer cry.

Because the story starts to veer toward the tragedy, let’s change the topic for a while.

Maybe a lot of you are asking why we weren’t using plane or something similar, right?

Well…

That’s because of the constant war that surrounded us.

Although de facto we are independent country, de jure said that we still belong to the Queendom of Yuliana.

So literally part of our land, sea that surrounded our island, and the sky are property of another country.

Perhaps, that answers your question.

We can not fly in the sky above our birthplace.

It’s so suffocating.

But we still try our best to change that predicament.

That’s why we’re come to this place…

To Baraduaja, The City of Artisan.

One of thirty three along with the Capital City that belong to the Republic according to the pact of mutual agreement with the Queendom that signed in 1945 because World War II ended up with stalemate.

Backdoor of box car slightly open and someone from Examination Hall’s head came to view.

We all look at her with furrowed eyes.

She said, “I will keep this door open as minimum as possible until your eyes adapted with light. So hang on.”

It doesn’t need five minutes for me to see normally.

And then…

There’s voice that calling my name…

“Nala…”

That source of that sound is rather familiar. But I don’t think that’s from thirty years ago.

“Grandmaster Nala! Wake up!”

I know that bossy voice belongs to.

I open my eyes slowly.

The familiar room is greeting me, my old plain wood decorated bedroom.

Yeah, I wake up fully.

Then I’m calling my virtual assistant, “Maria, was Mr. President call me?”

“Yes, Sir, he’s keep calling from 41 minutes 33 seconds ago.”

“Connect me with him.”

While I am waiting Maria to connect me with Mr. President, I get up from bed and straight to toilet due to natural call. You know what I meant, right?

After finishing it, then I go to pantry for a glass of water.

Then I ask my other assistant, “Sebastian?”

“Yes, Master, anything can I help?”

“How’s the result of my sleeping test?”

“Are you really sure want to hear it, Sir?”

“Go on.”

“As you wish, Sir.”

Huge monitor in the living room turns on automatically and showing up my brainwave when I slept.

“When you laid yourself in bed yesterday, Sunday, September 27th, 09:47 PM, you need 27 minutes 13 seconds to reached alpha wave, then needed 12 minutes reaching theta wave.”

I hear it diligently.

“You stayed in that state for 3 hours 21 minutes 19 seconds before went to delta state for 1 hour 36 minutes 38 seconds, and came back theta in another 34 minutes. Then you wake up due to loud voice mail of the president.”

So I just sleep for six hours, huh.

And It’s just still 3 in the morning.

Ah, just don’t complicate a trivial matter.

“Is there any rapid eyes movement (REM)?”

“According my data….”

There is loud voice that disturbing it, “Yo, old man, you still alive?”

The way he’s speak it doesn’t suit how supposed to be president of a country behave.

“I think that expensive public manner education school doesn’t a good investment for you, Mada.”

“That’s a bull’s eye, old man,” He’s laughing, “But, how can I do? The Secretary of Cabinet forced me to do it.”

He sighed, “When I say that I’m a warrior not a politician, do you know what she said?”

Nala guess it, “That’s a year ago, before you won the election. Warrior is your past, now you’re a politician. Even your status change you still can become a patriot. You’re doing it with your behavior, your ways to speak, and how you negotiate with another party.”

Mada feel dumbfounded, “How did you know?”

“Hahahaha, Tribhuwana was my student 20 years ago, so….”

“You did teach her, huh.”

“Flexing bamboo let it from bamboo shoot.”

“You tell me to give in?”

“I’m who said that, but you….”

Awkward silent occurred…

“So, why did you call me? Don’t you know sleeping is necessity for someone in my age?”

“You’re still 49, old man, you’re still young. Bft.”

“Yeah, whatever. Is there a problem with the factory? I hope not.”

“Mn, there isn’t. It’s just…  You know?”

“Certainly, there’s something that frightening that worrisome secretary of defense, isn’t it?”

“Ya, there are several problem at the borders.”

“Borders?”

“Sultanate in North is preparing their Flying Fortress fleet in Malacca. According to informant the fleet admiral himself takes the command.”

“Hooo…”

“The south federation is readying his Barbarian. The purpose is still unknown.”

“Barbarian? Ya, definitely it’s potentially problematic.”

The Barbarian is the first and strongest gigantic humanoid machinery for destruction created by the Federation with help from United Kingdom and United States.

Its power can change the course of the battle and can devastated 120 jetfighters alone.

After long thought, Nala then said, “I will notify Adityawarman to accelerate the manufacturing process of the remaining Pashupatastra. Perhaps everything will get ready before midnight.”

“Thanks, Master, then I….”

Looks like Mada remember something suddenly.

“Old man, do you still keep contact with Raisa?”

“Hm, why? Is it wrong to call my own daughter?”

“No, no, no, that doesn’t wrong. It’s just…  I want repost her to another place, is that not good?”

“Isn’t there anyone better than her? I just want her to relax at mine when she come home from battlefield next Saturday.”

“Well… you see…  we still can talk about that matter another time. See ya.”

He ends the call.