what a terrifying world

What is fate?

It is something that will happen sooner or later, and it cannot be changed no matter what.

It is also something a person can never truly know—a mysterious force that cannot be prepared for.

Yet, perhaps this is what keeps the world standing—the uncertainty of what the future holds.

If people knew their destiny, they would immediately surrender to anything that opposed it.

They might not believe it, but just the idea of knowing their fate could either make them despair and give up or make them happy and indifferent to everything else.

Fate must remain a secret from everyone, for this is what prevents disasters.

But...

"I wish I had at least been able to prepare a little before being thrown into this terrifying world."

---

In the vast park, greenery stretched as far as the eye could see. Soft grassy meadows spread across the land, dotted with vibrant flowers in an array of bright colors. Paved pathways made of natural stone wound through the landscape, shaded by lush trees whose leaves danced with the gentle breeze. People strolled through the park with their friends or children, who played together with cheerful laughter.

At the heart of the park stood a grand fountain, its waters dancing through the air. Surrounding it were wooden benches, offering a place for rest and relaxation. The melody of birdsong filled the air, mingling with the fragrance of blooming flowers, creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity—an ideal retreat for contemplation and leisure.

Odd Verity sat on one of the wooden benches, staring at the dancing waters of the fountain with empty eyes.

He let out a slow sigh, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind.

"Odd, are you going to sit there all day, or are you coming with me to school? The first class is about to start."

A voice, carrying a hint of impatience, reached Odd's ears from nearby.

Turning his head, Odd looked toward the speaker.

It was a boy, seemingly around 17 or 18 years old, about the same height as Odd. He wore a gray school uniform with golden-yellow buttons. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, like the morning sky of this world. However, the most striking feature about him was his hair—a thick wave of dark black, as if a storm cloud hovered over his head.

David Garcia. A person Odd had met on his first day of high school. Over the past three years, they had grown to be close friends.

Odd rose from the wooden bench. He was a young man of average height, standing at 177 cm and weighing approximately 83 kg. His dark brown hair was neatly combed to the left, and his black eyes—like the depths of a moonless night—settled on David, who looked slightly irritated.

"Alright, alright. I was just lost in thought for a moment. Let's go."

With that, Odd set off toward the school with David beside him.

As they walked, something in the sky caught their attention.

There, floating in the air, were numerous ships of various shapes and designs. They looked highly advanced—something Odd was still not used to seeing.

However, their focus wasn't on these ships in general, but rather on a massive one with sharp edges at the rear, soaring high in the sky. At the front of the ship, a red cross was emblazoned, accompanied by two red nine-pointed stars—one positioned at the upper right corner of the cross, the other at the upper left.

"Huh? Look, Odd! That's Lazarus' emblem. I wonder what the Lazarus Army is doing in this city," David said, his voice tinged with surprise and curiosity.

"…Well, that's none of our business, is it?" Odd replied, stepping forward without much thought.

"Maybe not for you, but I want to join the Lazarus Army one day, so this is important to me," David said as he followed.

'Unbelievable... I still can't get used to this madness. Floating ships, emperors, the Synchro System? Am I really not dreaming?'

Odd felt as though he might throw up—he still hadn't fully adjusted to the strange world he had found himself in.

Odd Verity was originally a traveler from another world.

He came from a world incredibly similar to this one. In fact, his life circumstances remained nearly identical—he still had the same body, the same name, and his friends and family were all present, just as they had been before.

If he had to explain this world in more detail, he would say it was like a parallel universe.

Everything began after a solar eclipse appeared in his original world. The eclipse lasted only a minute before disappearing, and nothing happened afterward—or so he thought…

When Odd tried to talk to someone about the solar eclipse he had witnessed, he noticed people looking at him in confusion. It was as if no one else had seen it at all.

It seemed that Odd was the only one who had witnessed the eclipse.

But his shock didn't end there. Immediately after, he began noticing changes in the world around him.

Ships floating in the sky, massive buildings with bizarre shapes, and people talking about something called "The Nine Emperors" and similar concepts.

And the surprises didn't stop. He later discovered that, in this world, he had seemingly jumped a thousand years into the future.

Specifically, to February 27, 3022, at exactly 23:59…

In other words, the only apparent difference between his previous world and this one was the massive leap through time.

Though there were other changes, they were due to the advancements made over the past thousand years—or rather, the many, many changes.

The Fall and Rebirth of Civilization

In 2039, humanity faced the most severe energy crisis in history. At the same time, due to excessive development, Earth's climate became dangerously harsh. The lunar colony was unable to support the migration of over 8 billion people. As a result, a plan to save the world was set into motion. Humanity decided to create a small artificial black hole within the Earth-Moon system to serve as an eternal energy source. Additionally, this was expected to help improve Earth's environment.

In 2042, the black hole was successfully created. However, its consequences were far beyond humanity's expectations. It caused high-dimensional interference with Earth, leading to a spatial energy phenomenon that drastically altered the planet. Spatial cracks appeared, along with special abilities and mutant creatures, plunging the world into chaos.

Traditional weapons proved ineffective against these monsters. When even nuclear weapons failed, Earth's population dropped from billions to just 100 million within a year. Civilization was nearly wiped out, and humanity faced the brink of extinction.

But in this time of crisis, an unexpected light of salvation appeared—"The Supreme Ones."

In 2043, mysterious beings emerged, unlike anything humanity had seen before. They had no clear form—more like human-shaped shadows. They had no hair, no clothing, and their faces were simply two oval eyes and a mouth, resembling crude drawings by a child.

These beings granted humanity something unprecedented and unexplainable—Synchro.

"The synchronization of celestial forces with the human soul."

That was Synchro.

The Supreme Ones never gave a reason for bestowing this power upon humanity. But at that time, people weren't concerned with reasons—amidst the catastrophe, they were willing to make a pact with the devil just to survive. The Supreme Ones took residence on Earth, existing everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time.

Around the same period, the great scientist Claudio GR discovered a scientific method to harness the newfound energy. This force became known as Claudio Energy, and the technology developed from it was called GR Technology.

Through countless sacrifices, humanity finally managed to control this new energy and escape the fate of extinction.

After centuries of struggle, humans reestablished a firm foothold on Earth. By combining traditional technology with the new combat system, cities were built and continued expanding. The New Humans, who had synchronized their souls with celestial forces, became the main protectors of these cities—they were known as Synchro Soldiers.

The most crucial institution in every city was the Synchro Academy, the training ground for these warriors. With the collapse of the old world order and the rebirth of human civilization, two dominant powers emerged:

1. The Royal Empire

A continuation of the old-world system, led by remnants of the ruling elite from the past.

The Parliament holds supreme power, with control resting in the hands of noble families and financial conglomerates.

They inherited most of the old world's resources and technology but reject peaceful relations with non-human races and strictly forbid interspecies marriage.

2. The Freedom Alliance

Formed by nations that inherited fewer old-world resources and were abandoned during the Age of Darkness.

Through war and bloodshed, they grew and expanded, forming a coalition of nations.

They operate under a strict hierarchical system and welcome both humans and other species, following the principle of "survival of the fittest."

At first, the two factions constantly clashed over resources. However, faced with greater common enemies, they ultimately signed a peace agreement. This led to the greatest era of development in the new century. In just a hundred years, the human population recovered to around one billion.

One undeniable truth remained—humanity, with its intelligence and rapid reproduction, had once again become a dominant force on Earth.

However, what was lost could never be reclaimed.

Currently, aside from humans, four major Forbidden Zones have formed, home to creatures hostile to humanity—powerful beings that humans have yet to overcome.

Additionally, a quarter of the world has become completely uninhabitable, a place now known as The Corrupted Zone.

Moreover, the effects of high-dimensional interference made it clear—humanity was not alone in the universe.

---

Odd Verity learned all of this within just two days of arriving here.

Who knows what other secrets still lay hidden?

"This is so frustrating… Isn't there a way to go back?" Odd groaned, overwhelmed by his thoughts. He had never asked to be sent to this world. He had been perfectly happy with his normal life in his original world.

"Go back where?" David asked curiously, looking at Odd.

"…To summer." Realizing he had spoken out loud, Odd quickly tried to change the topic with a joke.

"You're really lazy. Come on, graduation isn't far off. Soon, we'll officially be Synchro Soldiers." David lightly patted Odd's back and kept walking.

Odd watched David's back for a moment before continuing to walk as well.

"Life is only going to get harder from here on out."