Ray's life was on the right track.

He was born in a rich household. Maybe rich is an understatement since his father was the owner of one of the biggest venture capital firms on all of Terra. And his mother was a member of the Cluster Association, one of the most politically powerful women of their time.

And even under the weight of those huge expectations, he didn't disappoint. Currently, at the soft age of 20, he was a Star Graduate. Star Graduates were the best graduates of every academic year, given to the top 10 in the entirety of Terra.

Also, when he was still studying, he won the title of Martial Rising Star, given to the best martial artist out of all the universities in the world. And all of that happened while he was under a huge load, finishing his diploma in 2 years instead of 4.

And so, he found himself as the newest recruit in the most promising rising company, part of the exclusive club of Griffins. As the fastest-growing companies, Griffins attracted plenty of promising employees.

And Ray was shining there. He was supposed to work there for a year or two, and then he would go on to open up his own company, with a little help from his dad. But even then, he was never arrogant and did his job to the best of his abilities.

But, all of this ended today. All because of that stupid announcement. But things didn't go to shit immediately, because of course they wouldn't. There should be some time for panic in order to generate the best effect.

｢Buffer period: 23:47:13｣

Ray was already on his way back home, and he was talking to his mother:

"Mom, don't worry. You know I can handle myself. You, dad, and Nina should get to the shelter, I will catch up to you later."

"Are you going to see her?" His mother's voice was calm, but Ray couldn't help shivering. He knew that this was behind the serene voice was a mountain of anger.

"Yes. I have to go." But Ray didn't back down.

"Sigh. She left, Ray. You can't help her forever. Right now, the government has no idea what is coming our way."

"I know." Ray didn't continue. He didn't want to involve them in all of this just yet.

'Even they didn't know about this... What exactly is coming? And how does the Random Pull System knows about this?'

｢Warning! Host, please prepare yourself for the integration of Terra into the ｣

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Ever since he got this warning yesterday, he was taking his training seriously again. Especially the [Energy Absorption Technique] that he got when he turned 20. Unfortunately, he didn't even have time to check out what this Energy was exactly:

｢Name: Ray Growenner

--Attributes--

Strength - 10

Agility - 10

Endurance - 10

Perception - 8

Intelligence - 5

Charm - 2

Spirit - 4

--Techniques--

[Stellar Body] - Tier 0/★★★★★★

[Interstellar Shift] - Tier 0/★★★★★

[Mind Calming Technique] - Tier 0/★★★★★★★★★★

[Energy Absorption Technique] - Tier 1/

--Energy--

Energy Factor - Tier 0/★★★

Energy Value - 0.05｣

"Now, I only need to get Leyla..." Ray was lost in his thoughts when he drove on the familiar road. He knew she would wait for him because this is what she promised him on that day.

But before he could reach her, a huge crash happened. The last thing he saw is a huge track heading his way, with a rather determined driver...

----------

"How can you think like this???" This was the first time he saw her cry. Even when they got in trouble, she would be the one that would help him stand up again.

"I'm sorry, but I never wanted to become one of you. I can't drop my whole life just for you..." Ray's voice was serene, almost too peaceful for the situation. A trait he himself would never recognize he had inherited from his mother.

"Then why did you start any of this from the beginning? Why would you go searching for us? Why didn't you tell me???" Leyla was screaming at him hysterically, on the verge of breaking down.

But he had no answer to tell her. Not then, and not now...

----------

Pain.

Ray never felt so much pain in his life. It felt like his body was torn apart to pieces, barely holding on. Instinctively, he started using the [Energy Absorption Technique]. And this was what saved him.

After what felt like hours of nonstop pain, he finally regained enough clarity of mind to notice what was happening in his surroundings. And he was surprised to find out that he was still in his car.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, but when he looked at his profile in the Random Pull System, he knew that a couple of hours passed:

｢--Energy--

Energy Factor: Tier 0/★★★★

Energy Value: 0.1｣

Considering he spent 5 hours before increasing his Energy Value to 0.05, it means that another 5 hours passed. But what he was more surprised about was the fact that his body felt much better, especially considering that his car was all banged up.

But fortunately, he could still open his door. Well, he might have used a little bit of strength, but even then it was still a miracle. Ray slowly limped out of his car while doing damage control.

'My rib cage is almost shattered, and I think I have some holes in my lungs... My right arm is crushed, but my legs and left arm only suffered surface injuries. The [Stellar Body] really saved me this time.'

But this wasn't the end of his trouble. Just as he thought about limping his way to find help, he turned his senses to the outside.

*Crash, boom, wee woo wee woo

Shouts and screams filled the streets. The sounds of flesh being torn and ripped apart resonated with the cries for help and the crying to create a horribly beautiful symphony.

And in the alleys, the backdrop of the sobs of men and women, the torn pieces of clothes, the glazed gazes, and the cries of the children who lost their families were sending a shiver down the spines of those that passed by.

And the burning, broken city only amplified everything, dying them all with shades of orange and red, making people look like the demons they have become.

And creating an even stronger contrast with the white corpses littering the ground.