The Inevitable Decision

Amidst the ruins, a squad of Aether Corps stood, surveying the aftermath of the battle. The high-tier Metavore that had attacked the city had been neutralized, their mission accomplished. But something felt off.

The number of Metavores they had fought was far greater than expected. More troubling, dozens of low- and mid-tier Metavore corpses that should have contained Core Etherion were completely empty.

Not a single trace of Core remained in their bodies—even in some monsters that hadn't directly engaged with Aether Corps.

The commanding officer, Captain Reinhardt Vael, narrowed his eyes as he examined the scattered remains of the fallen monsters.

Some high-tier Metavores they had taken down were still intact, their Cores untouched. But strangely enough, others—which should have remained whole—were already stripped of their Cores before any real combat took place.

He stepped closer to one of the carcasses, extending his hand to sense any residual energy.

Nothing.

It was as if the Core had been removed with a technique far more precise than conventional extraction methods.

"Did someone else extract the Cores before we got here?" Reinhardt's deep, authoritative voice cut through the air.

A lower-ranking Aether Corps officer, Lieutenant Kaiden, crouched to inspect one of the slain Metavores more closely. "No unusual wounds... but the Core is gone. Normally, we'd see residual energy traces from a forced extraction. But this... it's like the Core just vanished."

Another squad member, Sergeant Mira, folded her arms, suspicion evident on her face. "So someone got here before us? But who could take down this many Metavores without giving them a chance to fight back?"

Kaiden pointed to several low-tier Metavore bodies, their flesh marked with precise, razor-sharp cuts.

"Look at this. These aren't random wounds. The slashes are so precise—it's the work of a swordmaster."

Mira shifted her attention to mid-tier Metavores, their bodies riddled with charred, carbonized holes.

"And these... look like high-tech gunshot wounds. Whatever weapon was used had insane penetration power. Whoever did this was ridiculously efficient."

Reinhardt exhaled slowly, scanning the battlefield with a calculated gaze.

"The underworld might be involved. They have their own methods for secretly extracting Cores. But if they have someone strong enough to wipe out this many Metavores before we even arrived... that means we're dealing with an unknown threat."

Kaiden hesitated before speaking. "Or... could it be the work of another Metavore? If a new species has developed the ability to consume Cores from its own kind, they could be evolving even faster than we anticipated. If that's the case, we're facing a much bigger problem."

Mira shook her head. "If this was done by another Metavore, there should be signs of a struggle. This is different. These monsters weren't given the chance to fight back. They were... eliminated outright."

Reinhardt didn't respond immediately, but his expression turned thoughtful.

If someone—or something—had been strong enough to eliminate these monsters before they even arrived, then they were dealing with an entity they did not yet understand.

He glanced toward another corpse at the edge of the street, its body torn apart with speed and precision surpassing standard military techniques.

Finally, Reinhardt spoke. "We can't draw conclusions without more evidence."

His tone was firm. "Report this to central command. I want a full analysis of all missing Cores in this area. If this pattern appears elsewhere, we need to know immediately."

Mira nodded. "What if we find traces of someone in the vicinity? Should we track them?"

Kaiden added, "If the underworld is responsible, they'll try to sell these Cores soon. But if it's not them... we could be dealing with a new threat—or someone operating outside the system."

Reinhardt took one last look at the ruins before answering.

"We're not chasing shadows. But whoever did this... they're strong enough to make us wary. Underworld or not, we need to stay alert."

Aether Corps fell into silence, each contemplating the unsettling mystery before them.

Meanwhile, hidden among the rubble, Deren—disguised as an ordinary civilian—watched from a distance.

A faint smile formed beneath his mask.

He listened carefully to their conversation, noting every reaction, every uncertainty.

"They're starting to get suspicious... but that only makes this game more interesting," he mused.

Without haste, he quietly merged into the crowd of evacuees, disappearing into the chaos—unnoticed.

Night had fallen over Eltania City, now filled with rubble and the remnants of battle. The flashing blue lights of evacuation vehicles illuminated the streets, casting their glow over the exhausted faces of the survivors.

Medics hurriedly provided first aid, while Aether Corps soldiers secured the area, ensuring that no remaining threats lurked in the shadows.

The air was thick with the sounds of weeping, pained groans, and sighs of relief, mixing with the clanking of metal and hushed discussions between soldiers.

Amidst the chaotic evacuation, Deren finally spotted his two friends—Ryn and Kael.

They looked exhausted but otherwise alive and intact.

As soon as Kael saw Deren, he sprinted toward him dramatically, nearly tripping over the debris before throwing himself onto Deren in an exaggerated embrace.

"DEREN! YOU'RE ALIVE! I ALREADY PREPARED A FAREWELL SPEECH FOR YOU!"

Deren, nearly losing his balance, simply let out a tired sigh, while Ryn gave Kael a deadpan slap on the back.

"You ran faster than anyone, Kael. If anyone should have died first, it was you."

"HEY! That's called survival strategy!" Kael protested, trying to defend himself.

Deren shook his head with a small smirk. "I was just looking for a safe way out of the city. You really think I'd die so easily?"

Ryn gave him a suspicious look. "Where did you go? We searched for you in the bunker, but there was no sign of you."

Deren paused for a moment before casually shrugging. "I tried running toward the bunker, but a building collapsed, blocking my path. I had to find another way and ended up hiding until things settled down."

Kael let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "At least you made it out alive. I'm serious, I almost cried, you know?!"

Deren glanced at him skeptically. "Kael, if you cried, it wouldn't be for me. It would be because you were afraid of losing your chance at popularity in Nova Academy."

Kael clutched his chest, pretending to be wounded, while Ryn chuckled. "Forget that. Did you notice something strange? The Aether Corps handled the Metavores a little too easily."

Deren raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ryn crossed his arms, thinking. "The number of Metavores they fought seemed lower than expected. It's like... someone already cleaned up most of them before they got here."

Kael nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Not that I care too much, but I overheard some soldiers talking about how some Metavore bodies were missing their Cores. Who do you think did it?"

Deren shrugged nonchalantly, his expression unreadable. "Who knows? Maybe someone else was hunting for Cores too."

Ryn narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly unsatisfied with that answer.

But before he could press further, a loud voice echoed through the city from a speaker system.

"All survivors, please gather at the main square. There is an important announcement from the Aether Corps."

Kael gulped audibly. "Uh-oh... This doesn't sound good."

Deren let out a long sigh, his expression as lazy as ever. "Alright... let's see what they want this time."

As they walked toward the main square, Kael tried to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Ryn, you know what? When the Metavores attacked earlier, I actually saved a girl. She was terrified, so I helped her up, looked into her eyes with confidence, and said, 'Don't worry, I'm here.'"

Ryn rolled his eyes. "And?"

"She slapped me because she thought I was trying to steal her necklace in the middle of the chaos!" Kael exclaimed dramatically.

Deren chuckled. "Honestly? That doesn't surprise me."

"I was framed! I'm a hero!" Kael insisted.

Ryn sighed. "You look more like a pickpocket than a savior."

Kael puffed out his chest in mock pride. "One day, I'll prove to everyone that I'm a true man!"

Deren patted his shoulder sarcastically. "That day may never come."

Finally, they arrived at the main square, where hundreds of survivors had gathered.

A line of Aether Corps soldiers stood tall, their expressions serious and authoritative.

The tense atmosphere made Kael, who had been joking moments ago, straighten up instinctively.

"What do they want from us?" Ryn whispered, his tone growing more serious.

Deren observed the Aether Corps carefully.

Something about this felt like more than just a routine announcement.

Tonight wasn't over yet.

A Few Hours Before the Announcement

At a makeshift command post on the outskirts of Eltania City, a squad of Aether Corps officers stood on high alert.

Inside the semi-permanent command room, illuminated by the glow of monitoring screens and direct communication lines to central command, several senior officers discussed the escalating crisis with grim expressions.

"This is beyond expectations," said Colonel Vance Eldric, a battle-hardened man with a face covered in scars, as he projected a holographic display filled with data from the latest Metavore attacks.

"In the past two months, the number of Tier 5 and higher Metavores has more than doubled. We've lost too many officers on the front lines, and we still don't know where they're coming from."

Beside him, Captain Reinhardt Vael, who had just led the battle in Eltania, nodded tensely.

"And now we have a new problem—missing Cores. If this continues, we're not just losing soldiers and civilians, but also a critical resource that could determine the course of this war."

A woman with short blonde hair, Major Seraphine Valen, folded her arms, analyzing the data before her.

"We can't ignore the possibility of a third party at play. Whether it's the underworld or something worse, this is dangerous. If someone—or something—is powerful enough to take down this many Metavores unnoticed, then we're facing an unknown threat far greater than we imagined."

A tactical analyst, Lieutenant Darius Kael, adjusted his digital glasses, tapping on his datapad.

"Furthermore, our investigations in other regions show a similar pattern. High-tier Metavores are appearing more frequently, but many of them seem to have already been defeated before Aether Corps arrived. And in every case, their Cores were missing."

Vance let out a heavy sigh, his eyes scanning the ever-updating reports on the holographic display.

Then, his tone darkened.

"And this is the most alarming part... The latest reports from the western zone indicate signs of a Tier 10 Metavore emerging. In the last decade, only one has ever appeared, and we lost over 30,000 lives trying to stop it. If another one emerges... this will be a catastrophe beyond anything we've seen."

Seraphine straightened her posture.

"Tier 10... We call them Colossal Class—beings that surpass all others. If this report is accurate, we must immediately escalate our defense protocols."

Reinhardt added, "And worse, with the increasing number of Tier 7 and higher Metavores, it's only a matter of time before they evolve into something far worse. We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario—the emergence of an Ancient Class (Tier 11)."

The room fell silent.

Darius clenched his jaw.

"If we don't get ahead of this now, we won't just be facing an external threat, but also an internal one. If this information reaches the civilians without a mitigation plan, public trust in Aether Corps could collapse."

Vance drummed his fingers on the table, then made his decision.

"We cannot allow this to spread panic among the people. For now, we focus on two priorities—

Evacuating all survivors to the central cityInvestigating the missing Cores before this information spreads further."

Seraphine nodded. "That's why we must act fast. The central city is more secure, and we can conduct thorough inspections there."

Reinhardt agreed. "Every survivor will be screened one by one. This isn't just about their safety—it's to ensure no one is carrying an illegally obtained Core."

Darius added, "We also need to make sure there are no infiltrators among them. The underworld could be using this chaos to smuggle Cores or even plant spies."

Vance stood tall, his sharp eyes locking onto each of his officers.

"Alright, let's execute this immediately. Relay the orders to the field units. We begin evacuation at once."

A few minutes later, the directives spread among Aether Corps troops stationed across Eltania City.

Every unit mobilized, working to gather survivors for immediate relocation.

But before they were transported to the central city, each survivor would undergo extensive health and security screenings.

No one would leave without being checked.

And if anyone had a stolen Core...

Aether Corps would find out.

That night, amidst the ruins still bearing the scars of battle, the fate of the survivors was about to change. And for Deren, this meant more challenges to navigate—without drawing suspicion.

Deren, Ryn, and Kael stood among the restless crowd. The blinding spotlights from military vehicles and hovering patrol drones heightened the tension. Murmurs spread among the survivors, whispers of uncertainty and fear filling the air.

But Deren remained expressionless, already sensing that this was no ordinary evacuation.

A high-ranking Aether Corps officer in black combat attire, a silver emblem on his chest, stepped onto the makeshift podium at the center of the main square.

Tall and imposing, his piercing gaze swept over the crowd before he finally spoke, his voice amplified through the speaker system.

"Good evening. I am Captain Ardent Valerius of Aether Corps. To all survivors of today's attack, I offer my condolences for the losses you have endured."

Silence fell over the square. Some bowed their heads in mourning, remembering those who hadn't made it.

"As part of our efforts to ensure your safety and prevent future disasters, the government has made a decision. All survivors of this incident will be evacuated to Etheria City—the safest remaining stronghold. However, there is one more thing you all need to know."

Deren focused intently, while Ryn and Kael exchanged glances.

"Under a newly enacted emergency decree, all males aged 17 and above are now required to undergo training at Nova Academy. This is a direct order from the Etherion Council."

The crowd erupted in chaos.

Shouts of shock and outrage echoed across the square.

"We're just civilians! Why are we being forced into military training?!"

"I have a family! I can't just leave them behind!"

"We never asked for this!"

Despite the growing uproar, Captain Ardent remained composed.

He raised his hand, and the Aether Corps soldiers surrounding the square straightened their stances, subtly reminding the civilians of their authority.

"We understand your concerns," Ardent continued. "But the world has changed. The Metavores are evolving, their threat is growing. No one can guarantee your survival unless you learn how to defend yourselves.

"That is why every male survivor aged 17 and above will be given the chance to train at Nova Academy—so you can survive in this new, dangerous world."

Deren exhaled a long sigh.

"So this is the end of my freedom?" he thought.

He had always known the world was merciless, but he hadn't expected to get dragged into the frontlines like this.

Beside him, Ryn looked thrilled.

"This is amazing! I always wanted to join Aether Corps—this is my chance!"

Kael, on the other hand, puffed out his chest with pride.

"Finally, I'll gain status and fame! Imagine how many women will admire me!"

Deren shot them a tired look.

"I just want to sleep for a hundred years."

Meanwhile, from a distance, several Aether Corps officers observed the crowd closely.

The mystery of the missing Cores still loomed over them. The Metavores slain before the Aether Corps arrived—it all pointed to someone acting in the shadows.

A soldier leaned toward Captain Ardent, whispering,

"Captain, do you think someone among them is responsible for the missing Cores?"

Ardent didn't answer immediately.

His sharp eyes roamed over the crowd, studying their reactions—every expression, every flicker of unease.

Then, his voice dropped to a quiet certainty.

"We'll find out soon enough."

The transport vehicle rumbled along the shattered roads, leaving Eltania City behind—a place now reduced to ruins and bitter memories.

Inside the massive carrier, Deren sat between Ryn and Kael, surrounded by dozens of other young men, all silent or speaking in hushed voices. No one was truly at ease, not after what they had just endured.

Some of them still trembled from shock.

A few hunched over, clutching their knees, their faces pale as the events of a few hours ago replayed in their minds.

Others whispered among themselves, wondering what awaited them beyond this journey.

The vehicle moved at a steady pace, occasionally jolting as it ran over debris-covered roads.

Kael, who had been fidgeting anxiously, finally spoke up.

"That inspection before we got on... didn't it feel suspicious?"

Ryn nodded, his gaze shifting toward Deren, who still seemed completely unfazed.

"Yeah. They said it was just a medical check, but they were clearly looking for something."

Deren simply leaned his head against the vehicle wall, closing his eyes for a moment.

Of course they were looking for something.

They were hunting for the missing Cores.

It was only natural for them to be this cautious.

But unfortunately for them... they weren't fast enough to catch me.

Kael narrowed his eyes at Deren.

"You're way too calm, Deren."

His tone turned suspicious.

"It's almost like... you knew this was coming."

Deren shrugged, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Maybe I just don't care that much. They obviously had their reasons for checking us."

Ryn let out a long sigh.

"I caught a glimpse of the equipment they were using."

His voice dropped.

"It looked like an Etherion energy scanner. If anyone was trying to smuggle a Core, they would've been caught immediately."

Deren smirked internally.

Too bad for them—I was already a step ahead.

Before the inspection began, he had already stashed away all the Cores he had collected.

They were now hidden in a secure dimensional storage pouch, concealed within the ruins of a collapsed building.

That way, when the scanner passed over him, his body contained not even a trace of Core energy.

Kael crossed his arms.

"But seriously, why were they so strict? I get the medical check, but it felt like they were hunting someone."

Ryn pondered for a moment before responding.

"Most likely... they suspect someone eliminated some of the Metavores before Aether Corps arrived."

He glanced at Deren.

"Remember how we mentioned that there were fewer monsters than expected?"

Kael froze, realization dawning.

"Wait... don't tell me... they think we did it?"

Deren gave a small, knowing smile.

But he didn't say anything.

If Kael knew the truth—that Deren really was the one responsible—his expression would definitely be different.

The vehicle continued moving until it came to a stop at a temporary checkpoint.

A heavily armored Aether Corps soldier stepped inside, his sharp gaze scanning the passengers.

"Fifteen-minute break. You may use the restrooms or stretch your legs."

Deren immediately saw this as an opportunity.

"I'm going to the restroom," he said lazily, stepping out of the vehicle.

The moment he was out of sight, he moved swiftly, slipping into the shadows of the ruins.

Navigating the wreckage with precision, he reached the collapsed building where he had hidden his storage pouch.

With quick, fluid movements, he retrieved it from the gap in a crumbling wall, then tucked it securely into his jacket.

Now it's safe.

No scanner would detect it.

Returning to the vehicle unnoticed, Deren found some of the other passengers still chatting quietly or resting.

Ryn glanced at him as he sat back down.

"You took a while."

Deren gave a nonchalant shrug.

"You know how those portable toilets are. Not exactly pleasant."

Kael snickered, leaning back.

"Well, at least I'm still alive to use a portable toilet."

The journey resumed, the night sky growing darker.

Then, in the distance, a bright glow appeared on the horizon.

Slowly, a massive cityscape came into view.

Ryn's eyes widened as he stared out the window.

"That's..."

Etherion City.

A colossal metal gate stood tall, its towering walls separating the city from the dangerous world outside.

Blue Etherion energy pillars pulsed throughout the perimeter, illuminating the surroundings with an almost otherworldly glow.

Beyond the walls, skyscrapers rose high into the night, untouched by war, standing in stark contrast to the ruins they had left behind.

A voice echoed through the vehicle's speakers.

"Welcome to Etherion City."

All eyes turned toward the grand city before them, filled with awe and apprehension.

Kael swallowed hard.

"I... I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified."

Deren simply let out a long sigh.

Because he knew...

This was only the beginning.