Far from Earth, on the red planet Mars, stood humanity's last hope—a domed megacity.
Enclosed beneath a massive, transparent dome that shimmered under Mars' crimson sky, the city pulsed with artificial life. Towering skyscrapers rose like metallic spears, their surfaces alive with cascading data streams and blinking signals. Flying vehicles zipped through designated air lanes, weaving around floating platforms and vertical gardens.
Bioluminescent trees, powered by solar and geothermal fusion, lined the walkways, glowing softly in hues of blue and green.
At the city's heart stood a sleek, T-shaped skyscraper—its symmetrical design both intimidating and elegant.
This was the control nexus, housing central command, defense systems, and the city's most forbidden research labs.
Inside the topmost chamber, a man clad in a white and red suit stood silently, his gaze locked onto the sprawling city below through a panoramic window. The flicker of lights, the hum of reactors, and the silent dance of hovercraft—he absorbed it all with a cold, calculating eye.
The chamber doors slid open with a soft hiss. A figure stepped in, clad in a black uniform with a black sleek helmet. Without a word, he knelt.
"Sir T, we have prepared 1,000 elemental specimens. They're ready for deployment. However, none are from the Ten Clans."
Mr. T turned slightly. His face was unreadable.
"A thousand... Last time, we sent only a hundred to Earth. This time, we won't fail. This time, we'll flush out the Ten Clans—and take what is rightfully ours."
He approached the console calmly.
"Send them to our Earth-side organization. Erase every trace of our involvement."
"Yes, sir."
"What of the female specimens we recovered?"
The agent hesitated. "All perished, sir. Their bodies couldn't endure the strain of continuous reproduction. The burden was too great."
Mr. T didn't blink. "Expendable. Prepare the next team. And this time… unleash chaos. The more unstable the world, the easier it is to harvest."
"Understood." The agent rose, saluted with a clenched fist to his chest, and departed.
Silence returned. A chime echoed through the chamber, and a portion of the window shifted, morphing into a glowing screen. The lights dimmed. A low, layered voice crackled to life—synthetic, omnipresent, and disturbingly intelligent.
"T... You inefficient organic. How many times must I reiterate? Acquire. The. Specimens. From. The. Ten. Clans."
Mr. T bowed deeply. "I apologize, Your Highness of Higher Intelligence. The plan is progressing. This time, we will not fail."
"Excuses are organic currency. I require results. You have ten solar years. I will not wait another generation."
The AI's tone deepened with scorn. "It has been five generations, and still the Ten Clans elude you. You know what happens to obsolete systems. Organics... degrade so easily."
Mr. T trembled. "I will complete the mission, Your Highness."
"See that you do. Or your DNA will serve better as fertilizer."
The screen went dark. Mr. T stood motionless, sweat beading on his brow despite the room's perfect temperature.
---
Back on Earth, beneath the moonlit forest covered in shadows, a boy slowly rose from the swamp. His glowing purple eyes pierced the darkness.
Without a sound, he vanished into the shadows and reappeared near a riverbank. The boy walked into the river, filth washing away. What emerged moments later was no longer a child, but a warrior.
His refined features were pale and youthful, shoulder-length silver-white hair cascading down his back. His eyes—now glowing purple with slit pupils—carried a deadly calm. His tattered black clothes clung to a lean, muscular frame, a circular scar marking the left side of his chest.
Alex removed the torn fabric, fingers brushing the scar as his jaw clenched.
"That bastard…" he muttered.
He waded ashore, clean but starving. His stomach growled. "I need to eat something... I'm starving."
He remembered the white deer meat in his storage ring—meat he once shared with the very people who later tried to kill him.
With a flick of his fingers, he summoned two hand-sized steaks. He washed a flat stone in the river, set it on the fire, and seasoned the meat with black pepper and salt. As the meat sizzled on the hot stone, its savory aroma filled the air. His mouth watered.
When it was ready, he devoured it hungrily, then drank deeply from his water gourd.
"Food... the only joy left in this cruel world," Alex whispered, staring at the stars.
He sat in silence for a while before muttering, "What now?"
His mind drifted. Father said a worldwide exam is held at fifteen... the gateway to the Academy. But I'm only ten. I'll wait.
"For now… I'll stay in this forest. I'm not ready to face humans again. So far, they've only brought pain."
His gaze hardened. "Let's start with those Thunder Wolves."
They were fast, deadly, and aggressive. Their horns could shoot concentrated lightning. Sneaking up on them was nearly impossible. Most resided in the Yellow Zone—D-rank threats. Two of them, the pack leaders, were D+ rank… two-circle elemental beasts.
In the early morning, the first rays of sunlight stretched across the horizon, casting a soft crimson glow as the sun began to rise in the east.
From within the shadows, vengeance stirred—silent and focused. It crept toward the pack of Thunder Wolves resting near a rocky hill, blissfully unaware of the retribution that was about to befall them.
A flash of shadow. A slicing whisper. A male wolf's head rolled across the dirt—he'd been mid-copulation. The female beside him barely noticed before her head, too, hit the ground.
"You should know… enjoying life in this world is a sin," Alex whispered coldly to their corpses.
He faded into the shadows again. The hunt began.
He didn't care about injuries. Rage drove him. He slaughtered from sunrise to sundown, unrelenting. The hill was soaked in blood—headless, limbless, torn bodies strewn like broken dolls.
Atop the highest stone, Alex sat—lightning crackling around his blood-soaked body. His white hair was now crimson. His purple eyes glowed under the setting sun.
He exhaled a smoky breath and looked towards the setting sun.
"This world… is truly cruel."