Emir furiously scoured the network, searching for any shred of evidence that the world he now found himself in was similar to the one he had read about in 'Born in Ruins.'

It became increasingly clear that while there were similarities, there were also many stark differences that the novel had failed to mention.

He also searched around for his father's name, hoping to find any mention of him but failing to do so.

Recalling the novel, he remembered that it began by recounting a great calamity that had befallen the world.

This event had been given various names, such as The Great Calamity, Doomsday, and Armageddon.

However, the official name for this cataclysmic event was World War III.

Emir wouldn't really call it a war though, as it seemed to be just a bunch of brainless fools pressing buttons and devastating the entire world as a consequence.

A damn nuclear war that almost wiped out the entirety of the human race due to its own leaders.

However, he had a feeling that there was more to the story than what meets the eye.

The public portrayed their previous government rulers as highly incompetent, but Emir found it hard to believe that they were that incompetent.

'There must be a bigger agenda at play.' He thought.

The aftermath of the nuclear war was devastating, the old world became heavily contaminated with nuclear fallout.

And it had caused widespread destruction, resulting in the deaths of many people.

As they say, a nuclear bomb a day kept the doctors away.

However, in this case, it kept the majority of the population at bay... tens of feet underground.

Only a small percentage of the human population, around twenty, managed to survive by taking refuge in underground shelters.

The world transformed into an icy wasteland, causing the deaths of countless individuals due to the scarcity of food and drinkable water.

People were dying of starvation and dehydration, but that was not the only consequence.

The climate became colder, the nights longer, and death seemed to loom over humanity.

It took humans a considerable amount of time to recover, a very, very long and unspecified amount of time, lasting millennia upon millennia.

But when almost all hope was lost, a miracle occurred.

So-called heroes, people from outside the bunkers, mysteriously gained access to old-world technology and smuggled it into the remaining government's hands.

No news from the heroes was given after that fact as if they had disappeared from existence.

And now, armed with this new technology, people had finally emerged from their bunkers and began to venture out to the surface.

It was a momentous occasion, marking the return of humanity to the land they once called home.

The Old World per-se.

As the explorers ventured into the old world, they encountered unexpected dangers in the form of mutated animals, whose bodies were assumed to be altered due to the nuclear fallout.

These creatures had rapidly adapted, turning into vicious beasts that posed a serious threat.

There were alligators as big as houses, spiders the size of trucks, and packs of ravenous dogs that could tear a person apart before they could even think of fighting back.

The terrifying encounters with mutated animals in the old world prompted the remaining functioning governments to initiate the process of unification.

They aimed to recover the scattered technology of the past and fight for their survival in this new world.

The formation of the UEF led to the creation of the Hunter Association, which offered civilians the opportunity to register and become hunters.

As members of the association, they were tasked with exploring ruins to recover old-world relics, safeguarding outposts, and many other job requests.

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The old-world ruins were once magnificent buildings that existed before the calamity.

Unfortunately, most of them now lay buried underground due to the destruction caused by the nukes.

Creating a dystopian world overrun by cybernetics, where hunters were forced to rely on cutting-edge weapons, augmented suits, and futuristic vehicles to survive or so commonly believed.

All to reach the promise of wealth, as they would do whatever it took to come out on top, even if it meant betraying those closest to them.

A perfect world to be living in for a potential battle junkie like Emir.

Emir lived in a location that was covered by a huge dome, which warded off all the radioactive particles that were in the air.

Protected under the UEF's banner.

The UEF, also known as the United Earth Federation, was created after much negotiation after the war.

The remaining leaders of the world agreed to form this new global government to centralize the remaining people.

The leading country of the UEF was the United States of America, with other influential countries such as China, Russia, Japan, Germany, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom as members of the governing body.

Emir's home was in Sector 2-A, which was formerly known as Alberta, Canada.

Canada was now referred to as Sector 2-A within the UEF's range of 1-A to 10-F.

The numerical value signified the area's location, while the letter indicated the standard of living.

With A-B being for the elite, C-D for the middle class, and E-F for the working and impoverished.

The remaining functioning bunkers acted as the slums where people in poverty lived, and where black-market dealings thrived.

Over time, humans also developed mutations that aided in their adaptation, including increased cold resistance, improved night vision, and a particularly important mutation that could only occur during the first few years of a child's life.

However, since this mutation was only mentioned in the novel, the details of it remained unknown to most, making Emir guess that it was likely due to another government conspiracy.

The government's manufacture of Nanobots, which were effective in fighting off radiation, led to their rapid rise to power in the Western region of the world.

The injection of nanobots was a rare privilege, reserved for the wealthy middle class and up, especially those with government or corporate affiliations.

The same nanobots were also given to the hunters under the Hunter Association, but they had to pay for them or work under a signed contract.

Emir had only gotten the nanobot injection due to being affiliated with a high-ranking hunter, his father Oliver.

It's a powerful advantage, as these nanobots enhanced an individual's healing abilities, provided protection against radiation, increased their life span, and simply advanced their growth rate along with their mental capabilities to a high degree.

But it's also a reminder of the stark class divide that still existed in their society and the unfair advantages that came with it.

The lawyer that visited long ago passed whatever his father left behind, and with it, they could live as a high-class family for one generation due to the government.

…

Funnily enough, every time his mother came by, she saw Emir using the terminal, so it seemed that she thought that he was playing around...

It's understandable though, given his age.

At least it was a good cover, he didn't mind her thinking that he was a genius of sorts, but what he was researching was too abnormal for a child.

Even after considering the brain enhancement caused by the Nano-bots injection.

And although Emir called it a terminal, it was basically a thin piece of glass that was connected to the network.

The technology in this thing was beyond him as it could also display high-tech interactable holograms, which he used to play games on with his sister.

It was quite fun for him, to look at her reactions of losing to a child two years younger than her.

Discarding those wandering thoughts, Emir eyed his mother, whose looks hadn't aged a bit, and said:

"Hey Mom, good morning."

Laura smiled at him.

"Good morning, dear... How did you sleep?"

He gave a small shrug, not wanting to reveal that he stayed up very late last night, searching things up on his terminal, like usual.

"I slept okay, I guess. I was up a little late... reading."

Laura nodded and glanced over at the terminal.

"You're using that thing quite a bit... What are you doing on it?"

He hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should tell her the truth.

'I guess I'll tell her some of what I've been doing...'

'I can't do what I did with my last family, and she also deserves to know.'

"I've been searching for some info, trying to learn more about the world and tech."

Laura's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Wow, that's impressive for someone your age! Are you sure you're only five years old, or did someone hijack your brain?"

She let out a snort, still surprised by her son's technological prowess.

Emir let out a small laugh at her words.

"How did you know Mom? Someone actually hijacked my brain you know, he's from another world too!"

They both eyed each other funny for a few seconds and then shared a laugh.

Each was for a different reason though, as Laura didn't know that Emir was actually telling the truth.

'Too close... too damn close, but I guess she knows me alright, touché.' He mused to himself.

"Sure, what have you been learning?" She asked with a teasing smile.

After taking a deep breath he looked her right in the eyes and began to explain what he'd been studying.

'Only the basic stuff though, I don't want her to question my existence.' He added in his mind.

Laura listened intently, clearly impressed.

'Hmmm... maybe she could help me out.'

His mother could be a valuable source of information, after all, she once was the wife of a hunter.

'I'll ask her when I grow older though, it would be more appropriate.'

He made a mental note of that thought, as he looked at Laura who still appeared to be surprised.

"Well, I'm glad you're finding it useful. Just make sure to take breaks and not strain your eyes too much, okay?"

"...Though I guess with the nanobots, it wouldn't be harmful, but you understand what I mean, right?"

Emir nodded in agreement.

'There is no need to argue anyway since I know Laura is always looking out for me, and well...'

'I'm almost done using it.'

He needed to start his next step soon.

"I will, Mom. Don't worry." He said in between laughs.

Laura smiled and headed off to the kitchen to begin making breakfast, leaving him alone with his thoughts and trusty terminal.