Long ago, in an age now buried beneath dust and betrayal, there lived a man named Rein. A noble soul, beloved by the people, he ruled over a prosperous city with fairness and unwavering strength. He was their shield, a leader who stood firm against enemy nations in times of war.
But war brings weakness, and weakness invites treachery.
One of his own followers, blinded by ambition, devised a cruel scheme. In Rein's most vulnerable moment, the traitor summoned a geneticist—renowned for his mastery of gene manipulation. This scientist, swayed by bribes and greed, crafted a miraculous serum that promised to enhance human genetics to impossible strengths.
Yet, instead of aiding the noble king, the scientist forged a second serum—one designed not to empower, but to destroy.
Rein drank the poison, unknowingly sealing his fate. His flesh withered, leaving only bones behind. The traitor seized the throne and ordered Rein's remains to be cast into a hidden land deep within the forest, never to be buried.
That was the beginning of the first outcast in Oustaria.
Some even whispered his name not with reverence, but as a myth—The Earth Itself.
The new ruler, now uncontested, commanded the scientist to inject the city's people with the serum. The results were chaotic. Some responded positively and gained incredible abilities. Others twisted into grotesque forms, their bodies reduced to malformed husks or mere bones. A few showed no signs at all—only to have the serum's effects passed silently into their descendants, sometimes generations later.
This—this terrible tale—was detailed in the archive papers I now held in my trembling hands.
I was stunned, frozen by the weight of history.
Then, my eyes caught another folder labeled "Rare". But before I could open it, Jif's hand gestured in alarm.
"Run," he signaled in sharp motions. "They know someone is here."
"Who whispered?!" he asked in desperation before the words even formed. But it was too late.
She had whispered—just one soft sound.
"There's no time!" I said, grabbing Lin's hand. "Let's go!"
We sprinted.
The trees ahead blurred. Behind us, the ground thundered with the pounding of inhuman footsteps.
They were coming.
The Barefoot Ones—men with superhuman leg strength—were chasing us at terrifying speed. Their soles struck the earth like hammerfalls.
I didn't think—I acted.
Without hesitation, I lifted Lin in my arms and ran, faster than I had ever moved before. My breath vanished in the rush, my legs moved as if possessed. It was as if something deep within me had awakened.
We crossed the woods like lightning.
Suddenly, I found myself standing at the familiar edge of our camp.
Lin looked up at me, breathless and wide-eyed.
"You're… you're fast. So fast."
I didn't respond.
I was still holding her.
And for the first time, the truth of what lay beneath Oustaria began to settle in my bones.