On a dark and cold night, after waking up, Leon and the others could not escape the need for answers. The chaos and destruction that surrounded them was a mystery that demanded to be solved. Rosario, aware of the urgency of their questions, led them to a place where they could speak freely. They were walking through the halls of what was once a vibrant and light-filled high school, now turned into a gloomy, desolate, and almost destroyed place. Classrooms that were once sanctuaries of youthful knowledge and laughter, now served as training grounds, filled with weapons and developing skills. And for those who were unlucky or neglected, there was a medical ward, where former colleagues and friends lay injured, slowly dying, or in an even worse state. Sasha and Julian couldn't hide their pain or their anger; their fists were clenching tightly, and their faces were distorted with the guilt of not having been there when they needed them the most.

They went up to the second floor, where the situation worsened. The first room was an emergency room, but not for ordinary humans. There were beings of mutated races: lycanthropes, demons, elves, dwarves, ghouls, and others. This place served as a voluntary experimentation center, where humans were subjected to mutagens that altered their DNA. Without stopping any longer, they continued towards the meeting room, where they sat in an awkward silence, broken only by Benjamin.

Benjamin: - And everyone's families? Benjamin asked, his voice full of uncertainty. As far as I remember, I didn't see anyone's family here. But that day... they were. What happened?

Rosario was silent for a long moment, something that deeply irritated Leon. He got up, his eyes were blazing with anger as he shouted violently:

Leon: - Stop being quiet and answer! What happened? Where are my parents and siblings?

Rosario's silence only intensified Leon's fury. He took her by the collar of her blouse, repeating his demand, but Rosario looked at him coldly and painfully, stroking his head with a mixture of pity and guilt.

Rosario: -When the apocalypse broke out, your parents were the first to receive a god's blessing -Rosario said gently. Your father, from the god Apollo; your mother, from the goddess Lilith. Protecting everyone was his priority. They bravely fought monsters and beasts until the one-eyed giant appeared. That hole in the great hall was made by your father, with his most powerful attack, the Heavenly Spear. But the monster resisted, catching your father. In a last desperate attempt, your mother attacked with all her power, and so did all the adults and relatives, using the maximum power lent by their gods. They fought heroically while we fled, wandering through the city until returning in search of shelter. We eliminated some monsters, but... we didn't find their bodies. But the amount of blood in the place... it was too much. I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything...

Leon let go of her slowly, his hands falling inert at his sides. He didn't say anything, he didn't move; his gaze was lost in emptiness. He wanted to cry, scream, curse, blame someone, but he could only blame himself. Sasha, Benjamin, Jamal and Pato looked away, they had already suspected and accepted it, but Leon never contemplated that possibility. He had looked for his family while they were walking, but now that he heard the truth, he couldn't take it anymore. His inner power burst out, and with a heart-rending scream, he fell to his knees, crying and screaming in pain and grief.

Leon: - HAAAAAAA... IT'S A NIGHTMARE...! -Leon's scream echoed throughout the neighborhood, and a purple wake flooded the atmosphere, releasing a hellish killer instinct, so intense that some almost vomited. Human mutants could only feel pity, they knew what it was. But the others didn't; what was emanating from Leon was a massive power that his god was trying to contain, to prevent its bearer from dying in this way. Gradually, the aura faded, and everyone came closer to him, encouraging him to keep going.

Benjamin: - Hey, look at me, okay? said Benjamin, firmly. We are here, don't be afraid. We're not even sure they died.

Jamal: -Anyway, do you think they would like to see you in this pathetic way, there being so many injured and people who need help? - Jamal added, sternly.

Sasha: - Get up and be strong, not for them, do it for you. Make sure you don't die so that no one has to mourn you like you do — Sasha said, harshly but also with compassion.

In the background, Leon was still deep in his grief, but a voice called him. It was similar to Shadow's, but it wasn't him, nor was it his god. It was something else, something that spoke to him and called him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a place full of flowers, but with a dark sky and a red moon. He got up and walked to the top of a small hill, not understanding anything, until something or someone touched his shoulder. Leon couldn't move or look back, just listen to what that voice was saying.

??? - Look for them, protect people. Don't be a hero, don't be a villain. Be a leader, one of many who will bring this world into balance. This was your home, but it was invaded by monsters. You're back, now it's your turn to take what belongs to you and your friends.

With those words, Leon came to himself. He got up slowly, looking at everyone firmly. He wiped his tears and adjusted his shirt, turning his gaze back to Rosario.

Leon: -Give me the information you have collected since we left until now. Tell me what systems exist, what are the monsters and classify them by danger. Show me a map of the whole neighborhood. Tomorrow morning, we will begin with the recovery of our world.

Rosario smiled, pleased to see the determination in Leon's eyes. With renewed encouragement, they began to organize the information accumulated during the last years. Within a few hours, all the papers were meticulously arranged on the table. Rosario began the story, explaining that, at the beginning of everything, the systems arose when the gods found a crack in the universal law of life. This anomaly allowed them to intervene in human existence, albeit in a limited way. They could not allow beings from a twilight zone to invade and destroy the human world, so they created a system that would help humans survive, learn to defend themselves and resist against these foreign forces.

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

Benjamin— "We understand that—" Benjamin interrupted, his expression thoughtful, "but if the system exists and the gods are helping humans, why can't they just stop those beings themselves?"

Rosario shook her head, preparing to answer.

Rosario: - As you know, you can communicate with your respective god. My goddess, for example, is a kitsune, the only one of her kind who ascended to divinity.

The revelation left some surprised, although others hardly flinched, already accustomed to the unusual situation in which the world found itself. Rosario continued:

Rosario: -She explained to me that creating the system consumes divine power, and that the gods cannot repair the damage caused by the twilight zone because it is not the fault of a god, but of a being of that dimension. This makes it a deadly matter, and it goes against the imposed divine rules.

These words generated a wave of frustration in the room. Soon an argument broke out in which the gods were accused of being selfish, or even of enjoying watching humans suffer. However, Leon, with his usual mettle, raised his voice asking for silence, and managed to impose order.

Leon: -They created us, they gave us power and they came to save us. If they wanted to see us dead, they would have left us to our fate. We should be grateful for their help. You, who do not have a god, should not talk about what you do not know.

Leon's words fell like a hammer, filling everyone in the room with guilt and sadness. They knew I was right. After a while of awkward silence, the conversation resumed its course, focusing on the systems used to counter demons and monsters. Rosario explained that the systems were divided into several branches: support, attack, defense, help and healing. The stronger the connection with your respective god, the more powerful your abilities would be and the more skills you could acquire. It was also possible to have a contract with several gods, with a registered maximum of three per human, allowing multiple combinations according to what each god could offer. This was especially useful, for example, for a healer who needed defensive and combat skills.

After discussing the systems, the talk turned to a more complex and sinister topic: the classification of monsters. Rosario explained that these were divided into three types: passive, destructive and divine. Passives were generally peaceful creatures, of human-like races, who did not attack unless provoked. The destructives, on the other hand, were monstrous beasts, lacking intelligence but with a certain perception of their surroundings. They did not attack unless they considered the optimal situation, and they used to do it in groups. Some of these monsters, the so-called "party bosses", were exceptionally large and powerful, capable of annihilating teams of up to thirty people depending on their type.

Finally, Rosario talked about the god-level monsters, the most dangerous of all. They were not found in urban areas like his, but in big cities, where they operated as lower-ranking foreign gods. They were as powerful as a human with a divine contract, or even more. These beings could wipe out thousands of hired humans, due to their control over other creatures and their mastery of hundreds of mutated abilities. They were enemies that, at that time, young people could not face.

After the intense discussion, Rosario unfolded a map in the center of the table. In it, several zones were defined by their danger level, with the entrance of the neighborhood marking the location of the final room, where the boss of the zone waited: the one-Eyed King, known as the Mutated Cyclops. This colossal creature, a distorted version of a cyclops, had evolved to the maximum level after its confrontation during the first day of the invasion, becoming too powerful a threat to face at that time.

Faced with this challenge, they decided to divide up and approach the different zones strategically. Benjamin, with his gift for diplomacy, was appointed to the area of the dark elves, beings who, although little hostile, could be convinced by him to join the resistance against the invasion of monsters. Sasha and Jamal were assigned to the Yellow Zone, known to be infested with low-ranking mutated monsters, the Bloody Ghouls. These humanoid creatures were muscular, cunning in combat, and capable of using weapons and magic, as well as being extremely savage and bloodthirsty. Pato, meanwhile, was tasked with heading to the dwarves' area, where it was rumored that they were building an armored vehicle to take on the monsters. With their assigned tasks, everyone began to prepare, leaving Leon alone with Rosario.

Rosario: - And you, what are you planning to do? Rosario asked, breaking the silence. Wait for them to come back?

Leon, with his gaze fixed on the map, answered without hesitation:

Leon: - Where is the weakest zone boss?

Rosario looked at him with a mixture of confusion and concern, before pointing to the back exit of the neighborhood, an area dominated by the Lord of the Flies, the Fly King. Her eyes met Leon's, reflecting his uneasiness, before asking him directly:

Rosario: -Leon, it's not your fault you weren't here. That doesn't mean you should punish yourself. We can go together and it helps you...

Leon interrupted her, his smile calm, but determined.

León: -Confío en mis capacidades, así como en las de mis compañeros. Benjamín es un gran orador; Podrá hablar con los elfos oscuros y aprender magia de ellos. Sasha y Jamal son excelentes luchadores: Sasha sobresale en el combate cuerpo a cuerpo, y Jamal es un estratega nato en la lucha a distancia. Pato tiene una imaginación increíble para construir cualquier tipo de herramienta o vehículo. Y yo... Solo sé luchar. Si quiero llegar a su nivel, tengo que mejorar. Y esta será mi primera prueba.

Rosario lo miraba con un brillo de orgullo en sus ojos, aunque su preocupación no desapareció por completo. Sabía que Leon estaba decidido a enfrentarse a sus propios demonios, tanto internos como externos. Y aunque temía por él, también sabía que tenía que confiar en su decisión.

Leon se dio la vuelta, caminando hacia la salida trasera, preparado para enfrentarse al Rey Volador. La prueba que se había impuesto a sí mismo no era solo una batalla física; Fue una batalla para demostrar que no solo era un líder por su poder, sino por su capacidad para superar cualquier obstáculo, sin importar cuán aterrador pudiera ser.

El viento soplaba a su alrededor, llevándose consigo cualquier rastro de duda que pudiera quedar en su corazón. Esta era su misión, su reto, y no tenía intención de fracasar.

Y a pesar de toda su determinación, había una parte de su mente que no le pertenecía por completo

Y a pesar de toda su determinación, había una parte de su mente que no le pertenecía por completo. Sin que Leon se diera cuenta, la presencia de Shadow se estaba haciendo sentir por dentro. Sus ojos, ahora intensamente rojos, reflejaban la influencia de esa entidad. A medida que avanzaba hacia su destino, sus pensamientos se volvían hacia esa presencia que compartía su ser.

Leon: -Sombra, tal vez ahora seamos uno... - murmuró para sí mismo, notando el ligero escalofrío que recorría su espalda, — pero sé que en algún momento necesitaré de ti. Espero que estés listo para irte cuando llegue ese momento.

En lo profundo de su mente, la sombra de Shadow se agitaba, esperando pacientemente.