Chapter 1: Love, Travel and Awakening

Far away in the universe, outside the Milky Way galaxy…

On a planet called Zoratian, the two suns in the sky were slowly swallowed by a massive, bloody moon.

The world dimmed, covered by a layer of mist and crimson light.

The broken, twisted and inhuman screams and roars of thousands of creatures continued to ring out amidst the dreadful misty surroundings.

Dozens of links tore open across the sky and the land, and from within them poured endless hordes of monsters.

Their writhing and malformed bodies dripping with a black and red fluid, the stench spreading quickly.

In front of it was just a single domain, where the lord stood while holding a heavy sword, in front of his large army.

There were hundreds of humans, all equipped with weapons and armors, possessing different abilities.

“Lord, we failed to relay the information about this new species from the Phantom planet, you should escape.” One of the subjects shouted, his voice cracking as he watched the monstrous abominations surge forward like a living tide.

The lord laughed bitterly.

“There is no point, escaping is meaningless. This, this new species… it will end everything, no wonder the lords near the boundary were disappearing.” The lord sighed.

Then he straightened his back and roared, his voice cutting through the chaos: “Let’s fight till our last breath, even if we die, we will bring them all down with us!!”

All the men let out a loud cry, and in the next moment the two sides collided. But the more the creatures fell, the higher their numbers became.

It was like their numbers kept multiplying and there was no end to them.

Blood exploded into the air forming a pool. Bodies were torn apart like paper.

The domain was destroyed…

Another lord has fallen…

***

Earth, year 7026.

The excited and nervous chatter of thousands of teenagers rang across the large auditorium. This was a very special day for all of them and their families.

This was the day all those who had reached the age of 18 would be leaving for the Zoratian Planet and awakening their paths of evolution.

Several millennia ago, humans found various sorts of life forms and expanded into space; the technology advanced extremely quickly.

They found countless opportunities and extinction-level dangers, but as always, humans adapted.

With their advanced technology and help from the other species, in the year 3504, the Earth was barely saved from being overtaken and destroyed.

The Earth now mostly housed those with unqualified talent or kids under the age of eighteen, with more than 80% of the population present outside.

Zoratian Planet wasn’t suitable for the growth of children, so most parents would send their newborns to Earth until they had grown up.

Some richer ones would come along, while the richest would just keep their children there with expensive tech.

Currently, more than twenty thousand teenagers were seated in front of the stage; most looked nervous while very few seemed excited.

“Very soon, I am going to be a lord!! Have my personal domain and subjects, which territory class are you going to choose?” one of the boys in the crowd asked, chewing his fingernails.

“I will decide after the awakening, but maybe Silver class. Gold seems far too dangerous.” the other boy replied.

Such conversations were happening all over the auditorium.

Many parents were also present there; some would also be heading to the Zoratian Planet along with their kids while few would be left behind.

Whether it be the teenagers or the men managing the whole process of shifting, they were all wearing bodysuits with advanced tech.

The bodysuits were created in a way that they wouldn’t limit body movement but also wouldn’t be embarrassing for women to wear, no matter how small or large their proportions might be.

A man who appeared to be in his forties stepped forward on the stage and cleared his throat.

With short black hair and a fit body, in his battle suit, he looked like a disciplined soldier.

“Hello kids, I am Michael, 3rd Origin class lord and a Team Leader of the Earth Care Organization.” After a slight pause, he continued:

“I don’t think I need to remind you all of the importance of this day. Only after you have awakened will your true worth be known.”

The thousands of 18-year-olds listened to Michael carefully. E.C.O was a governmental organisation, responsible for managing law and order among all the lords.

All teenagers looked at him with shiny eyes. That was a real lord, and they don’t get to see one so high-ranked normally.

“I won’t take too much of your time. Rise and fight, become stronger, grow until rules could no longer shackle you, until you become the representation of humanity.

I will wait for the day you surpass me!” In a thundering voice, he finished his speech, his gaze focused on a few certain teenagers.

Neil Yates was one of them. Even wearing the same bodysuit as all others, he stood out in the crowd of thousands.

His handsome face was definitely one of the reasons, but mainly because of his parents’ identity—they were quite powerful and famous lords.

Neil had turned eighteen just a month ago, and it had been many years since he last saw them.

His silver-blue hair matched with marble-like icy blue eyes were too attractive; along with a well-built frame and a charming face, he could easily be a top-class model.

Beside him sat Jane Aven, tall and slim yet with just the perfect curves, a beauty with an innocent face but an explosive body.

Her ash-blonde hair cascaded down beautifully, her grey pupils reflecting Neil’s face as she gazed at him.

Her milky white skin and silent nature truly made her appear like an ice princess, only lacking the white hair to match—the crush of most of the boys.

The two were holding hands, their fingers intertwined in an intimate gesture, even wearing couple rings that Neil got on their one-year anniversary.

“Are you nervous?” Neil asked, taking a deep breath; he could hear the whispers of the boys around him.

“Not really.” Jane replied, her face as emotionless as ever.

Hearing her response, Neil just smiled. She was normally a cold and silent type, but whenever the two were alone, she turned quite expressive and clingy.

She was also from a famous and powerful family, and one of the top students—the second most voted person to receive the strongest ability, first being Neil.

“Sigh, I wish I could have a girl even a quarter as beautiful as her…” a boy muttered, gazing at Jane from a distance.

“Don’t even think about it, and don’t look at her. See how her father and grandfather are glaring at everyone.” His friend advised.

“Hmm…” the first boy lowered his head in fear.

Although Neil’s parents were stronger as compared to Jane’s family, the two were nowhere to be seen, almost as if they had abandoned him.

The only person who was here for him was the old maid who had taken care of him since he was an infant.

The only things his parents provided him with were a little money and a lot of enemies. They had one hell of a lot of enemies, but with E.C.O here, they couldn’t hurt him.

“Which ship did you get?” Jane asked, pulling out an identity card, with the ship number 2.

“Seven. Tch, looks like we will be meeting on the other side.” Neil shook his head. Although the Warp Ships would be stopping once in the middle to refill fuel, they would only meet once reaching the Zoratian Planet.

“Mhm…” disappointment flashed across her eyes.

“Now, everyone bid your farewells to anyone you are leaving behind, and get to the entrance of your Warp Ships in thirty minutes.

If you are left behind, then you will have to wait another year.” From the stage, Michael made one last announcement before walking away.

The teenagers scattered and the place soon turned noisy. Parents rushed over to meet their children; for some, it might be the last time they were meeting.

“I will say goodbye to aunty.” Neil spoke as he stood up. Jane nodded as the two separated; she went to meet with her father and grandfather.

After walking towards the outer seat, Neil soon spotted May at the seat he had left her at; she had already turned seventy.

This was probably the last time they would be seeing each other, so the two were feeling sad.

They shared a mother-son-like bond. Neil could barely remember the faces of his parents; it had always been May.

“Aunty, I… am leaving.” Neil helped her stand. Recently, she had been having problems with her back.

“Oh dear, don’t forget with great powers comes great responsibilities.” May spoke, hiding her sadness behind a smile.

Neil rolled his eyes before chuckling. She was a jolly woman; one would never be bored with her around.

“Yes, yes, Aunt May, I know.” While talking, the two headed towards the exit of the auditorium. It was mostly May giving him all sorts of advice.

“And make sure you don’t miss your meals. Are there washing machines? Huff, if only I could go there to take care of you…” May spoke as the two finally walked out of the building.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I will take care of myself.” Neil said with a faint smile, giving her shaky hand a gentle squeeze.

’Nemo.’ He called out in his mind.

Nemo was the name of his personal AI assistant. Everyone could get a personal assistant after the age of ten.

“Yes, master. How can I help you?” her voice rang in his mind.

’How long before aunt’s taxi arrives?’ Neil questioned.

The high-tech bodysuits have lots of functionalities, but Neil’s one was just basic, since it had been years since he got any money from his parents.

“It will be here in four… three, two, one. And your ride is here!” Just as the mature feminine voice of Nemo sounded, two doors opened on the ground, revealing stairs leading into an underground vehicle.

“Here, take some money. I tried to save more, but this is all I have for now…” Seeing that it was time to leave, May took out a stashed bundle of folded notes.

“You should use them and get your back treated. They won’t work on the Zoratian Planet anyway. And it’s not like we are separating for a lifetime.

Don’t worry, I will definitely return to eat your cooking.” Neil spoke as he hugged her and watched May climb down the stairs.

Only when the door closed did he turn around and head back, his expression a little sad, already feeling a little homesick.

’Nemo, how much time is left?’ he asked upon entering the large auditorium, walking towards the second warship. He tried to find Jane.

“There are still nine minutes left.” came the answer in her melodic voice.

He looked around, but in so much crowd, finding her seemed difficult.

Nearly twenty warships would be headed to the Zoratian Planet, and there were other centers like this on Earth.

The number of teenagers heading there was easily over a hundred thousand at least.

Just as he was about to walk in a different direction, someone pulled Neil’s arm and dragged him to a rather quiet corner.

Smelling her rich fragrance and sweet scent, Neil immediately knew it was her.

The two had met in their academy, and because of a series of events, they got closer, though no one believed that someone like Jane—cold, silent, and emotionless—could ever love someone.

“I was jus—mmph!”

Before Neil could speak, Jane’s body pressed against his as she stood on her tiptoes, her arms circling around his neck.

And then she pressed her soft, moist lips against his, a burning sensation spreading through the bodies of the two.

❖❖❖

Thanks for reading…

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