The coming of a new era

The rain that had poured all night had just stopped, and the suffocating coal dust in the air was completely washed away. Breathing in the rare fresh air, Zhang Tie walked alone on his way to school. If not for the towering chimneys from the distant factory district spewing thick black smoke, the sky would be even bluer, he thought idly, carefully avoiding the black puddles on the concrete road. Due to the nearby factories, the puddles after the rain were always murky and smelled of coal. This city, while providing people with safety, also brought them confinement and a sense of crowding.

Zhang Tie glanced at the distant horizon, where the massive chimneys stood in stark contrast against the washed-blue sky.

The teacher had once said those chimneys were symbols of human civilization, guarantees of humanity's survival and reproduction. But Zhang Tie wasn't thinking about that now as he stared at them. His mood was terrible. What happened last night had been the third time this week. With the continuous rain over the past few days, his first two pairs of underwear hadn't dried. In these times, where supplies were extremely scarce, Zhang Tie owned only four pairs of underwear: two were made from his father's old vests, and the other two were handed down from his older brother. This morning, Zhang Tie had no choice but to wear a half-wet pair to school.

Rough fabric felt particularly stiff when it was half-damp, making it unbearably uncomfortable as it chafed against his skin. A gust of wind blew, and Zhang Tie shivered involuntarily, feeling a chill deep inside. His young body shrank, and the sensation was nothing short of miserable.

It was said that before the Cataclysm, human society had been overwhelmingly prosperous. Back then, underwear was sold in bulk, and it wasn't just underwear. Many things—luxuries like cigarettes, alcohol, meat, and other strange items—could be easily purchased from stores or enormous places called supermarkets, where goods piled up like mountains. The average day's wage for a man could be exchanged for 40 to 70 kilograms of food, such as rice or wheat—enough for one person to eat for half a month or more. It was also said that in those times, humans had mastered a mysterious energy called "electricity," which allowed them to do things beyond comprehension, and that they had powerful weapons. Armed with these, humanity became the undisputed ruler of the planet, arrogant and reckless. Those truly were the last happy days of mankind!

Zhang Tie often wondered if humanity's insatiable greed during those endless happy years had angered the heavens, leading to the Cataclysm and the fall of the Star of God. In a single night, humanity was struck down from its peak and forced back to the Stone Age, losing all the magic of technology. No more electricity, no more nuclear power, no more explosives, no more miraculous weapons. According to the most accepted theory today, mysterious rays emitted from the Star of God altered matter at a microscopic level. The world was like a pot of boiling water, and one day, the heavens—or perhaps a bored god—tossed in some salt or chili powder, and the water was no longer just water. This planet was no longer the same.

Perhaps the only fortunate thing was that after the Cataclysm, although everything had changed, steel was still as strong as ever, and it could still be forged into swords and armor to equip human armies. Black coal could still burn, providing light, heat, and energy. These two elements—steel and coal—became the pillars on which human survival depended in this new era.

It took Zhang Tie over forty minutes to walk from his home to school, crossing the slums of the western part of Blackflame City and skirting the factory district. The name Blackflame City came from the nearby Blackflame Mountains. Before the Cataclysm, the Blackflame Mountains had been one of the longest mountain ranges on the continent of Kun'an. In those days, humans had flying machines that moved faster than sound, and even then, it would take months to traverse the Blackflame Mountains. Blackflame City was situated near a small offshoot on the southern end of the range. This offshoot, though small, still stretched over 20,000 kilometers. For most people living in these times, such a distance was unimaginable and unreachable.

During the Cataclysm, geological upheavals tore the vast Kun'an Continent into several pieces, some of which vanished entirely. The remaining landmasses now seemed like fragments of a broken loaf of bread. Even today, 800 kilometers beyond the western and northern borders of Blackflame City, the map still showed black, unexplored territory. No one knew what lay beyond. The human settlement near the southern tip of the Blackflame Mountains, where Blackflame City was located, covered over four million square kilometers and was home to more than nine billion people. This narrow region, hemmed in by mountains to the north and west and by an endless ocean to the south and east, was known as the Blackson Corridor.

It took humanity nearly a hundred years after the Cataclysm to understand what had happened, and another century to begin recovering. But by the time humanity had regained its footing, they were horrified to discover that they were no longer the planet's sole masters. Beasts that had emerged after the Cataclysm and dark races from beneath the earth now hunted and enslaved humans, turning the world into a place of unprecedented danger.

Today, it was the 889th year of the Black Iron Era, and humanity had once again established a foothold on the continent of Kun'an. With the help of steel and steam engines, humans reignited their ambition to conquer and explore the planet.

Blackflame City had been built less than 40 years ago, one of many new industrial cities emerging across the southern Blackflame Mountains. This young city, established by merchants and factory owners, held a seat in the Andaman City-State Alliance. Like most new cities of this era, Blackflame City was built on rich deposits of coal and minerals. The city's population of over three million depended on the resources beneath the ground. The Blackflame Coal and Steel Union controlled the city, transporting coal, steel, and factory-made weapons to the outside world while bringing in goods from afar.

Under the largest of those towering chimneys was the factory where Zhang Tie's father worked. It was a steel mill that operated 24 hours a day, spewing black smoke from its chimneys without pause since the day Zhang Tie was born. The steadfast rise of humanity in this era was symbolized by the smoke that constantly billowed from those towering stacks.

As usual, when Zhang Tie arrived at school, Captain Colin, the school's military representative and disciplinary officer, stood at the gate, his massive frame like a tower. His lone eye, as big as a bell, glared sternly at each student entering the Seventh National School of Blackflame City. A half-meter-long iron rod, heavy and intimidating, slapped rhythmically against his large palm. Every student entering the gate avoided his scarred, one-eyed face, hurrying past with lowered heads.

"Stop!" came Captain Colin's thunderous voice, causing everyone nearby to flinch. The unfortunate student walking ahead of Zhang Tie was stopped. Relieved that it wasn't them, the other students quickly scurried past the gate, heads down, silently praying for the poor soul.

The boy's face turned pale with fear, his legs trembling as Captain Colin approached. "Cap... Captain Colin..." he stammered.

Everyone knew that the scariest man in the school, perhaps in all of Blackflame City, preferred to be addressed as "Captain Colin" rather than "Mr. Colin." This was a hard-learned lesson, passed down by many unfortunate students who had suffered under his discipline. In front of this man, known for fighting fearsome beasts, any form of rebellion was futile. Such resistance only seemed to provide him with greater amusement.

Without a word, Captain Colin pointed his iron rod at the boy's school pants, which were splattered with a few spots of mud—likely from the rain. To Captain Colin, even such a small infraction was a crime.

"I... I'll go clean it right away?" the boy asked nervously.

Captain Colin raised his wrist, slowly glancing at the shiny watch peeking out from his sleeve, striking a dramatic pose. He held his silence for ten long seconds before slapping the iron rod against his hand once more.

Zhang Tie suspected that the watch-checking was just an excuse for the captain to show off his expensive timepiece. But the rod-slapping made Zhang Tie think of a wolf wagging its tail.

"If I see you like this again after school, you know the punishment!" Captain Colin growled.

"Yes... yes..." The boy fled into the school as if granted a reprieve. Zhang Tie couldn't help but wonder why the captain was being so lenient today. But before he could think too much, the one-eyed man turned his gaze toward Zhang Tie and quickly straightened his posture. He even adjusted his wild mane of hair, puffed out his chest, and struck a powerful pose, his broad shoulders and muscles bulging. Then, to Zhang Tie's shock, the captain's face softened into a smile—an unfamiliar expression on his usually terrifying face.

"Good morning, Miss Daina!" Captain Colin greeted warmly.

A fragrant breeze passed by Zhang Tie as a mature, beautiful figure walked past him. Without looking, Zhang Tie knew who it was. His dream from last night suddenly became vivid again, making his heart race and his breath catch. Surrounded by the admiring gazes of all the male students at the school gate,