Prologue: The Five Years of Destruction

The earth became hell.

Ashes of fire fell from the once blue skies. Terror and awe fused in everyone’s eyes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime sight. And for the ones who saw the marvel up close, a simple conclusion drowned them. They’re dead.

Massive destruction laid waste to all of the Earth’s civilization.

The whole earth shook, burying nations and kingdoms. The once-great world powers were like ants before the calamities. Their weaponry was like toothpicks before the great beasts.

Soon, the mighty nations fell after the appearance of the void gates.

The first year was a disaster. It was the first strike. A year where I saw the worst of humanity. The concept of survival of the fittest was its theme. I watched lives snuffed by greed. My father passed away during the first year of chaos.

The second-year realized a great change of order. Special people with gifts rose to power, toppling, and challenging the rotten order. At that moment, I thought that we were saved. Then, a random group took my mom due to her magic. She never returned. Only my sister and I remained.

The third-year was the Great War. The battle was far worse than the calamities itself. I saw missiles, bullets, towers of fire, floods, lightning chains, and many unbelievable things flashing before my eyes. It was World War 3, a battle between the old order and the new.

The fourth-year was like redemption. The old dirty system was crushed by the new. A new group rose to power. People called them the Rankers. It was called the “Association of Gifts.” They were the fresh voice of reason. Soon, the powerful wielders established new small cities. They called it City-states, nations approved under the approval of the Association. As an avid lover of history books, I discovered that we were back to a Renaissance-like system. I did my best and thrive, earning my wage through hard work. The world was recovering from its wounds.

The fifth-year came, flashing before my eyes. When everything was falling into the right places, my last kin. My sister fell sick. I had no money nor resources to get her healed. I tried everything except for stealing. The fifth-year felt like a cycle of eternity playing before my eyes. Even in my dreams, it continued to pass.

In my hands, I saw my sister breathing her last.

Too devastated by the loss, I went to the hills and cried it all. The last vestiges of reason in me devoured by grief. I don’t remember much until now. How I got there was still a mystery to me.

All I knew was… I fell asleep.

I woke up in the hospital. I then remembered everything. When the pain was about to grip me once again…

Letters and characters filled my eyes…

The skipping characters lighted up my blurry eyes.

“Welcome Host! The System is here to let you grasp your fate.”

Then, everything changed.