Fire blazed across the battleground. I could hear my own heart reverberate inside my ears as thousands of mortars and heavy artillery peppered the ground into nothing. My fellow countrymen screamed as the damnable beasts tore them asunder before dragging them together into the grave with a magnificent explosion. My breath stuttered against the respirator as the sulfuric smell of the damnable acid-spitters cut through the smoke. The bastards were most likely going to start spitting on my squad in about twenty seconds. Standard frag grenades wouldn't be enough to deal with those bastard-tough shells. Grabbing a red canister on my hip, a blue UI appeared over my vision.
FEAR-FG Mk.I
Fire-Emulsion Adherent Resin — Fire Grenade
Type: Thermal Ordnance, Incendiary, Grenade
Weight: 0.6 | Use: Single-use | Fuse: 1.1 s
Effect: Generates a 5 m radius incendiary dome centered on impact. Targets inside are coated in adherent thermogel and immediately ignited. The coating is difficult to remove; standard movement is hindered. Leaves burning residue on terrain, creating a short-lived hazard zone.
Arming it, I chucked it with all my might at the small swarm of spitters encroaching on our position, and in a second those bastards were bathed in holy fire. Their horrid cries were muffled by the sounds of artillery, gunfire, bestial screeches, and human screams. I checked my rifle and began nailing monster after monster, peppering them with bullets as I tried to take out as many of the small ones with my team as I could. With a quick signal, we pushed forward across the battlefield and switched to a wide-bodied magazine, built for heavier rounds.
HEDP-R Mk.III
High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Rounds
Type: Armor-Piercing / Explosive, Ammunition
Effect: On armored impact, a micro-shaped charge detonates to drive a focused pierce through plating, then bursts behind the armor to inflict internal damage. Against unarmored targets, it behaves as standard AP with reduced or no explosive effect. Performance drops at steep impact angles; glancing hits may ricochet.
It didn't take us long to reach one of the biggest brood-mothers I had seen in my entire twenty-one years of life and seven years of service. It easily topped our now-ruined walls, standing close to twenty meters tall. In this horde, however, this bastard was just one of many monsters that reared their heads out of the woodworks and breached our home.
"FIRE!" I shouted to my fellow soldiers as pain exploded in my shoulder and we unloaded twenty-something rounds into the fucker. Radioactive-green viscera slammed into my once-pristine white ceramic armor, drenching it in the ichor of the beasts that breached our walls. The behemoth fell under the combined fire of our rifles and what remained of our artillery. Fatigue and wariness began to set in my bones, but I couldn't stop. Looking back, I saw my subordinates even more haggard than I was. Their lack of training and greenness was plain, but after the catastrophe of the first wave, there was nothing I could do. I shuddered in pain and nearly succumbed to emotion as their deaths replayed in my head.
—Flashback: A Day Before—
"HOLD THE LIN—" A massive claw ripped the commanding officer's head off his body like it was nothing. The Stalker was promptly dealt with by the combined force of our artillery and soldiers, but not without taking out another five. There were at least a dozen deaths by the minute as more and more elite monsters left the woodworks and charged us like they had no concept of death. The leader of the expedition, the so-called King Insect, stood in the back. Its massive body—easily forty meters tall—seemed to struggle with its own girth as it slowly advanced. Our arms fire, even with my AP rounds, did little more than tickle the bastard. Only my engineered Aldea State Cannon could nail the fuck and cause real damage, but it was a slow process, and we might not manage to kill him in time.
—Current Period—
I couldn't afford another second reminiscing as another small contingent of monsters came upon our position. With a single flick, the soldiers changed magazines, switching to standard ammo. I knew this struggle didn't really matter now. We had lost everything. Aldea was nothing but ruins beneath our feet, its citizens now numbering less than ten percent of what they were. However, we would at least annihilate this last wave in Aldea's history—our nation's final struggle against this fucked place. We had annihilated the King Insect, so we would annihilate the remnants of its army until nothing was left.
We charged forward with abandon. I saw many of the less experienced get swallowed by the horde. We stepped over their corpses and the corpses of civilians, their deaths not stopping our final stand. I had to conserve my rifle's ammo; I drew my handgun for the weaker ones, preserving rounds for the remnants of the Stalkers, Brood Mothers, Behemoths, and Dread Flyers. The second day of the battle soon came to a close.
The nearly five century old war came to a close.
The Aldean State had finally eliminated its greatest enemy.
The Aldean State was no more.
—Current Time: 1 Week After Aldean Victory—
I stuffed my backpack with whatever I could salvage from my personal armory in the ruins of my home. Among the things I refused to leave behind was my ceremonial outfit—the one I wore when I was promoted to Corporal of the 13th Military Division and later appointed Senior Engineer of the 14th. It had been an impressive achievement for a twenty-one-year-old with seven years of active duty, but now it felt painfully small against the weight of all that had been lost.
The uniform was simple: a white tunic with a high collar and crimson stripes running down the shoulders. My rank and name were stitched in red thread on the right side of the chest. Khaki trousers tucked neatly into armored boots that rose to my shins, while light plating covered the shoulders and forearms. A red-and-white cape flowed from my back. The helmet—plain white, the traditional Senior Engineer's make—bore a black visor, a small respirator, and red lenses to cut the glare of our work. Heavy to carry, maybe, but it was a memento of home, of comrades, of every moment of joy before the war stripped them all away.
Alongside the uniform, I carried my rifle—Bastion. Over the years I had tuned it for reliability in all conditions, quick reloads, and reduced recoil. Beneath its barrel I mounted my own creation, the Stinger, a launcher I designed to crack through the hardened core of the King Insect when the Aldea State Cannon gave me an opening. My sidearm was a standard handgun, but I stocked every kind of ammunition I could find for both weapons, along with special-purpose rounds and the grenades I had crafted during my service.
Finally, there were my greatest treasures: a gold necklace set with a pink gem and a black brass ring that now slipped easily onto my middle finger. They were the only belongings left to me from my parents—at least, that's what my mentor said, since he found me with them as a baby. Whenever I felt lost or in danger, those two keepsakes always seemed to bring me luck.
I adjusted my combat uniform—the reinforced version of my ceremonial one, built for insulation and protection in battle. I wiped the visor of my helmet clean of dust and debris, then looked out over what remained of the Aldean State. Most of the survivors had already packed their belongings and left with the merchant caravans, heading for safer lands under military escort. I was one of the few who stayed behind. Why? I couldn't say. I had already buried every corpse I could find, laying them to rest with proper military honors. Was it guilt that kept me here—guilt for surviving when so many others had fallen? Was it an attempt to atone for the young souls who gave their lives to defend the Aldean State, to defend me, when it should have been me in their place? I didn't know. All I knew was that I stood alone in the ruins, watching as the broken world was slowly bathed in light.
As I stood among the ruins, I felt a sudden presence behind me. I didn't understand how I knew—it just struck me. Instinct took over. I jumped, swung around, and aimed my rifle at the intruder.
A Stalker, I thought. A remnant that had managed to escape.
If so, I would kill it. No matter the cost. Even if it took my final breath.
However, I was shocked as I came upon an odd figure unknown to my Aldean knowledge: a seemingly humanoid bunny that lacked eyes, its only defining feature being its mouth. It was dressed in a strange attire—a deep purple, full-body outfit with buttons down the front and strange gems embedded in its arms and legs. Another odd thing was the yellow stick it carried, with two green balls at each end.
"Why, what an aggressive stance you take—against such an innocent rabbit as myself?"
Its voice made me shudder once. My light brown eyes narrowed as my skin prickled with fear. For some reason, I knew my rifle would do little against this monster. It gave me a more fearsome feeling than the King Insect, despite its size being so diminutive compared to that goliath. If it wanted to, it could have killed me already.
Sighing, I dropped my rifle. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, and the creature gave me a wide smile that further disturbed me.
"Now isn't that better?"
The rabbit god spoke mockingly, but I forced myself to turn the other cheek. There would be no point to my death, as this creature had done me no ill will—despite treating me like a child. Before I could respond to its question, it asked me:
"What do you desire? Honor and pride? Power and influence? Money and riches? Revenge? Or To transcend all such things?"
I had thought to interrupt it, but the question struck me. I didn't know what I wanted now. All of my life, the only thought in my head was to rid Aldea of the oncoming Insect hordes and pave the way for my homeland to shine. But now, the hordes are dead with their king, and Aldea lies in rubble.
Honor and pride? I prided myself in my inventions, sure, but I was not overly arrogant, and I was always willing to step over my pride just to learn.
Power and influence? My blessing, the Crafting System, already granted me plenty of room for power. So long as I could foresee an item and create it with the right skills, there was no need for more power. Influence didn't matter to me unless I was in Aldea to improve it.
Money and riches? Perhaps. My inventions were expensive, and I frequently ended up broke when researching new things with my Crafting System. But right now, wealth has no relevance for me. Furthermore I could always use my skills and weapons to make money.
Revenge? My enemies are dead. There is nobody left to avenge my comrades, teachers, students, and subordinates against. I could beat up a corpse, but that would be it.
To transcend all things? What did that even mean? Why was it speaking in riddles I could not understand? Perhaps beings such as these truly lay outside my comprehension.
I looked down and noticed the beautiful pink gemstone, its shade lighter than my own hair. Nowhere in Aldea had I ever seen someone with the same hue.
It had caused me trouble back in the heyday, many in the military assumed I had dyed my hair and wasted resources. Because of that, I wore my helmet daily, removing it only for sleep or bathing.
Yet the question always lingered: where did I come from? If my parents had lived in Aldea, my station would have uncovered records of them. But no matter how far I searched, I found none who shared my features.
"Would it allow me to find out who my parents were? I don't mind if they are dead, but I just want to know who they were."
The rabbit sneered before clapping once and beginning to levitate as its stick began spinning in front of him.
"All of your answers are inside the Tower, young man. I, Headon, welcome you with open arms"
As it said so, materializing out of nowhere, a massive gate appeared out of nowhere, as Headon bowed from his elevated position and indicated for me to step forward. Looking back to the ruined city state, I turned around and walked forward intent to search for answers regarding my birth inside the Tower.