A century ago,a Raymond scientist had discovered a peculiar element that was buried deep into the soil of the dark sea. This strange element was rumored to be from another world and was delivered to the earth in storms of fire and stardust.
The element,given the name Brazallium turned out to be not just an ordinary glowing object but an ingredient that can be used to craft life and chaos itself.
Not only were indestructible suits crafted from this element,the brazallium once bonded to a living host evolves into something far more than a battle suit. It grants its host abilities,ranging from cybernetic powers to elemental abilities.
Once the world realized that the brazallium was a weapon of mass destruction,many began to struggle to lay their hands on it in order to crave its absolute power.
However,not everyone was entitled to survive the bonding process. To ordinary people,the brazallium was a poison that gradually saps life from its host,as some were not able to generate enough mutant cells for a successive bonding while many had turned to dust for not being able to bear its destructive powers.
Only those chosen by the brazallium called Rayans were able to successfully synchronize with it and
claim its powers. Moreover,the type of ability one obtains depended on the class of brazallium one has. A good example were the Mundane Rayans whom were chosen by the basic brazallium, this category of Rayans only have enhanced stats and weapon summoning abilities.
The Evolving Rayans however have elemental abilities in addition to what the latter has,this class of Rayans were usually those with the enhanced brazallium.
And then finally the Omega Rayans whom were chosen by the zenith brazallium,they were told to have evolved so powerful enough that they enslaved the element and now possessed abilities capable of wiping out all life on earth.
Due to the scarcity of such element,the king had seized control over its distribution and gave only the elites the privilege of possessing the more powerful brazallium cores. The general public however were left with the measly basic brazallium and this also were sold for a ridiculously expensive price.
With the brazallium now in existence, humanity was certain it was moving towards another angle of evolution and invincibility. But when the zombie apocalypse began and humanity turned on the Rayans as their only hope for survival,the evolving and omega Rayans - whom have greater chances against the threat, suddenly vanished and were never heard of again.
Unfortunately the mundane Rayans weren't as strong as the evoling or the omega,and so that was why humanity was still fighting for life even after so many years.
When compared to the mundane Rayans, the predators were on another level,as the mundane Rayans suit to them was just a piece of metal they could easily trample upon and crush.
***
Omar was profoundly in a state of confusion but was also in a thriller. What he couldn't really point out was how his father was able to aquire a mineral that's capable of provoking war.
Of course, right after the stronger Rayans disappeared, brazallium cores were never found again. The little left in preservation was the basic brazallium cores and were now sold for hundreds of millions in the black market. Omar swore,his father would never be able to raise such an amount even if he was to spend every second of his life working.
"Then do you know anything about my father?" Omar enquired hoping the strange alien tech would provide him any usefull information about his father.
[Negative]
[I can currently only tell information about the host]
"Thought so." He mumbled trying hard not to disclose the disappointment in his voice.
It then hit him. He quickly reasoned that since he now has a brazallium,he will possibly have being granted an ability.
His eyes shimmered at the prospect of him having powerful abilities that he can use to fight off the Maronos and free his people. Though he still didn't know what category of Rayans he falls under,but all what he hoped was that his brazallium wouldn't turn out to be basic.
[Unfortunately you haven't unlocked any ability yet and your rank is unknown. But once after bonding,you will start to experience evolvement]
Omar silently growled,this time feeling more disappointment. He then looked at his hand with an expectancy to see the wound healed up. However the wound was still fresh and was sending stings of pain through his nerves.
The bad news was that he doesn't have any ability yet,even a healing type for that matter. But the good news was that he now has hope for freeing himself from his misery. Omar was feeling so fortunate that he was soon close to jumping up and down like three year old.
He decided to explore the little the system had to offer at the moment.
Focusing his mind on the screen,Omar noticed multiple tabs in it but to his dismay he seemed to have no access to them at all,well except for the quests tab. He then concentrated just as he read in popular webtoons and as soon as he did,the tab automatically opened.
[Quest Tab]
[ Main quest:attain a noble rank in the Rayan hierarchy]
[You will be rewarded with X.Ps and other rewards once you've completed any given quest]
[Once you've accumulated the required amount of X.Ps,you will level up]
[Daily quest: currently unavailable]
Finding everything the system had to offer to be insignificant,Omar finally decided to go to bed and call it a day.
As he lay on the couch with his eyes shut,a million thouhts crazily danced in his mind and he felt like everything that happened today was a dream. He still panicked about waking up from that dream and finding the system gone.
Another smile lit up his face again,this time more vibrant than the first. Now that he's a Rayan, Omar promised to grow strong. Strong enough to protect himself and Anna and strong enough to free his clan from servitude.
***
To Omar's greatest delight, morning came quite quicker than it should have. Omar woke up at the break of day light,eager to narrate everything that happened the previous night to Anna.
Usually, Anna's snores would have being echoing from her room,but there was none today and he guessed she was already awake.
He trudged to her room and stood by the door to detect any sounding movement,still there was not even the faintest sound coming from the room.
He knocked and called. There was no response and it began to make him panick in anticipation. Ignoring his scruples,he then barges in only to find the room littered and deserted.
Omar reacted in a wild flash,he storms out of the house hoping to spot Anna anywhere,yet she was no where to be seen.
A large crowd had formed just outside his house,men and women talking in muffled whispers. And just as he approached them,he was able to grab a little of their conversation.
"...she was among them."
"Does her brother know?"
"Well of course no! Poor girl,I pity her."
"Pity? I don't. It serves the girl right."
One of the women finally noticed Omar heading their way, she alarms the others and immediately the crowd began to deform.
Just then,a Marono broad cast crackled to life, echoing through the outskirts speakers.
"All Vulnerables are to report to the penalty zone in ten minutes. Any Vulnerable caught lagging behind will receive severe punishment."
His breath seized and his heart hammered. Omar knew,his worst nightmare was just about to begin.
***
The penalty zone;a historic open field suited in the middle of the outskirts was a place where the law breakers were given draconian punishment amidst public.
In this open field, countless unfortunate souls have been rewarded with death through various means; some were burned at the stake,others stoned and many more hanged to their death. Those whom committed not so serious offenses had their limbs cut off while many more had been made gladiators. The penalty zone was yet another hell which each and every Vulnerable dreaded.
Amid the assembling crowd, Omar barged his way to the front line with his heart racing as he feared the prospect of finding Anna amongst the law breakers.
The area was circled by dozens of soldiers,each clad in basic brazallium suits that pulsed silky black under the sun rays.
Omar scanned the stage for any sign of Anna,and he was a little bit relieved to find it void of his sister.
A little while later,Wanda Karaw whom was the chief soldier of the Marono patrol team walked onto the stage. Unlike the other soldiers,Wanda was not dressed in any form of brazallium suit. She only had a leather armor on, my with a rapier strapped to her side.
She then stood to address the awaiting crowd with her through the speakers.
"You Vulnerables are here to witness the punishment for breaking the duke's law. As it is,this punishment is meant to serve as a warning to all of you and to show you that the outskirts is forever under the sole dominion of the great Duke Harris."
She then waved her hand in signal. One of the soldiers standing by her side then tapped a key on his arm,and the very next moment,the large thick curtain behind was automatically drawn apart, revealing what was concealed behind them.
Three blood stained Vulnerables came on display,each was badly beaten up and was now crouching down with their heads low and their hands trapped in some sort of advanced handcuffs.
Omar's heart nearly skipped a beat as he saw his nightmare became a reality. Anna was crouching among the other law breakers with her head hung in shame and her face badly swollen.
"Anna!" He screamed,not at all daring what the consequences of doing so will be. However,Anna refused to meet his gaze.
After letting the reaction gather on their faces,Wanda finally resumed.
"Last night,these two girls and the man attempted to escape through a secret passage.Anna Khan stood as watch guard for James Douvoo and Mariana Ryees while they murdered a soldier and tried to hack into our systems. As punishment,James and Mariana will be executed and Anna will be sentenced to the arena."
Just then,two Maronos went ahead to grab James and Mariana and then thruts them to the front of the stage. Mariana began to cry and beg for mercy while James sarted to look around the place as though hoping anyone amongst the Vulnerables will save them. However,all if the Vulnerables avoided his gaze. There's nothing they can do to help.
While the two Maronos waited for the command, their arms shifted, morphing into sharp blades. The signal came shortly after,and without hesitation both soldiers brought down their bladed arms and had effortlessly slain the two Vulnerables neck, drenching a few spectators with blood. Seconds later,the two Vulnerables bodies dropped to the floor with their heads rolling on the stage.
And just then, another Marono came up and clasped Anna by the arm, forcing her up.
For the first time Anna's sullen eyes darted to Omar.
"Please don't let them take me away Omar!" She cried Just as she was starting to get frogmarched off the stage.
Omar suddenly had a feeling of unreality,as if this was all a nightmare he would soon wake up from. However he was well aware it wasn't a dream,it was a reality that he was about to loose Anna too.
After their parents death,he had promised to look after Anna well and protect her from all danger. He now somehow felt he had failed in keeping that promise. If he had being a very good brother,will Anna have chosen to leave him?
All Omar could think of at the moment was his beloved sister being killed In the arena and his parents shaking their heads at him in disappointment. He was in a quandary, save his sister now or let her killed just like the way he had let that chronic illness kill his mother. It was an agonizing decision that he had to make in a split second.
On the spur of the he moment,Omar yanked himself out of the spectating crowd onto the stage. Almost immediately,a Marono came after him,still Omar was relentless in his pace. He managed to maneuver his way around the soldier and fall on his hands and knees right before Wanda.
"I beseech you to let my sister to and take me instead!"