*pitter patter*
The solemn rain pours its crying heart out, drenching all things underneath it.
Water drops fall onto vines and verdant green leaves of myrtle trees that dwell on the Eternal Mountain Range, spanning 1,000 kilometers from the coast near the Evergreen Ocean to the Desert of Carnage.
At its center lies a valley full of vitality, housing thousands of towering trees that almost blot out the sun, ferocious beasts, and creatures, as the sun's rays fall onto the old wooden hut made of green bamboos and grass.
"Haaaaaa," a man yawns while lying on a hammock made of green-violet vines, hanging from two trees.
His hair is black, like his eyes that have a tinge of blue, sharp brows, and a youthful countenance. The sunlight covers his face, waking him up from his long slumber.
"Uhmm, what time is it?" he mutters with confusion to himself.
He slowly raises his hand, shielding his face from the blinding light, while slowly rising up from the hammock. He looks up to the grass roof of the hut nearby, then at the aged pendulum clock near the door, where the small hand is pointing at the Roman numeral XI.
"I'm getting used to this bad habit, sigh."
"I think I've explored enough about the things here."
The man slowly stands up, with a tall height of 1.8 meters, an athletic but lean build, wearing a baggy blue shirt and gray shorts.
"It's time to go back home" he says as he sloppily walks towards the green hut.
The door is made of bamboos that still have fresh leaves. He gets inside and packs his things: two gold coins, a notebook, a pen, a tattered map, a serrated knife made from the bones of an unknown beast, and a water bag. He picks up a brown leather coat and black pants on the table and carefully dusts them and wears them.
He gazes at the inside of the hut. It's a simple hut that has a wooden bed and a wooden table with a wooden chair. Then he turns back and goes out, carrying the backpack that holds his things, and gives one last look at the green hut and the hammock.
"Bye," he says while walking away from his house and outside the Eternal Mountain Range.
---
Days and nights pass, and the green hut remains, but the man is nowhere to be seen. He is sitting on a log far away from the valley he once stayed at and at the outskirts of the Eternal Mountain Range.
The Eternal Mountain Range is the largest mountain range on the Aerith planet. It is an uninhabitable place because of the fearsome beasts that reside in it: gigantic dinosaurs that have lived there for hundreds of years, poisonous plants and insects, and savage, murderous beasts that can massacre thousands of people in one breath.
Although it is one of the 11 most dangerous places on the Aerith planet, it is also the most resource-rich. That is why cities surround it — for its produce, meat from beasts, edible plants, and medical herbs. There are also many tribes living on its outermost parts.
A skewer with mushrooms and wild vegetables on it is on top of a small burning campfire.
*Sizzling*
*Gulp*, gulping sounds come from the saliva-dripping mouth of the man.
His name is Evan. Evan is a traveler, a wanderer, and after visiting the heart of the Eternal Mountain Range, he wanted to explore the remaining 10 Wonders of Aerith.
"Woah, it's still as delicious and tasty like before," he says while munching on the mushroom skewer.
"I wish I have meat to it," he says disappointingly.
While he is still in his stupor, a group of five people is approaching him. Three men and two women, wielding all kinds of weapons — guns, knives, and swords — wearing the same green coat uniform with an insignia of three diamond leaves.
They look like battle-hardened soldiers on a battlefield with the bloodlust they are emitting. They are led by a robust man, with a muscular build and a height of 2 meters. He has a long scar on the side of his face, near his eyes, that goes down to his chin. He is talking to a beautiful lady and a skinny man at both of his sides.
"Captain, I think we will have enough merits to go up the ranks after slaying the Blazing Black Tiger this time," says the beautiful lady with long brown hair, smiling while thinking about the rewards they'll get from hunting a ferocious beast.
"Yeah, I hope everything goes well and no mishaps should happen," says the muscular man.
"Cap, don't worry, I know we can do it. With you here, that tiger will just be a pup," says the skinny man while laughing and showing off his two curved daggers on his side.
The muscular man, the captain, nods at their opinions, knowing too well that he has trustworthy and strong teammates with him.
"But let's still be careful and wary. These kinds of beasts still possess some sort of intelligence."
"Yes, captain," say the remaining four.
The two at the back are carrying bags. One is an ordinary-looking man that has a leather bag taller than him, and next to him is a young fair lady that looks like a medic with the outfit she's wearing — a green coat with white linings and a big white cross at the back. She's also carrying a bag, but a lot smaller than the man on her side.
As they tread the grassy, meandering forest, the man in the lead halts his step and raises his hand for the others to stop in their tracks.
"What is it, Cap?" asks the skinny man.
"There's a man."
"Oh yeah, he's just an explorer," the skinny man says dismissively while raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah, that's what I also think, Captain," says the lady with long brown hair, agreeing with the skinny man.
"Let's talk to him first."
"I guess he got lost and is finding his way out," says the medic lady at the back.
They steadily walk towards a black-haired man that is eating a skewer near the campfire. Anyone can see the bliss on his face while enjoying his skewer. The captain stares at him while assessing his face and clothing.
"Hey, who are you?" the captain asks Evan.
Evan looks up and finds five people looking at him and is surprised by their outfit.
"Uhmm, I'm Evan. Are you cosplaying?"
"Cosplaying? What is that?"
"Cosplaying is cosplaying," Evan says while rolling his eyes at them.
"Well, whatever, kid. This is a dangerous place. Why are you here?" the captain asks.
"I think I'm lost, hehe. I can't find the way out," he says, embarrassed by his poor map reading.
"Well, you're lucky that you didn't encounter any beasts here, or else you'd die a horrible death," the captain replies to him.
"Beasts? Like lions? I can handle them," Evan calmly says.
"No, ferocious beasts. There are many ferocious beasts here, kid. They can tear houses and buildings."
Evan is confused about the things he hears. Before exploring the mountain range, he only encountered snakes, lions, tigers, and animals. He can handle them, that's why he made it to the rumored valley.
"May I ask, what is the date today? I lost my watch on the way here," he asks, remembering that he had taken months traveling to the center of the Eternal Mountain Range and coming out of it.
"It's March 07, 3045," the medic lady at the back says while looking at her wristwatch.
'Whatttttt? 3045? But when I went inside it was only February 2025. That's a 1,020-year difference.' Evan is shocked. He can't believe what he just heard.
"O-Ok, thanks," he says after getting out of his daze.
"Kid, just go straight here and you'll find the nearest city. Don't wander in this place," the captain says while pointing at the way they came from.
They walk past him, going on their way.
"Thank you," says Evan while getting up and picking his bag.
He walks toward the direction the man pointed to him, still wondering what is happening.
After walking for quite some time, Evan finally gets out of the woods. The forest looks like a monster ready to maw those who venture into it. After taking a glance, he starts walking to the city.
"Is that the city?" he questions himself about what he just saw.
This is the city of Alexandria. It has 20-meter-tall walls made of an unknown black material. There are many large scratches on it that are visible from afar. There are also people who look like soldiers at the top of the walls, and there is a long line of people outside trying to get inside the city. A big entrance for vehicles and a smaller entrance for people to enter. Evan gets into the line, waiting for his turn.
"ID?" asks one of the soldiers guarding the entrance.
"Uhmm, I think I may have lost it in the woods," Evan says while scratching his head. He doesn't know what ID the soldier wants.
"You lost your ID?" the man raises his brows while scrutinizing Evan's face.
"Yeah."
"Ok, get inside, and we'll issue you a new ID," the man says while pointing at the door near the entrance where two soldiers are standing outside.
Evan gets inside and finds a man with glasses sitting on a chair. In front of him is a desk with stacks of papers on it and something that looks like a monitor.
"What's your name?" the man with glasses asks.
"I'm Evan, Evan Gray."
"Hmmm, Evan Gray, ok," the man says while typing on a keyboard.
"Are you from here?" asks the man with the glasses.
"I'm not. I was lost in the woods and I met five people wearing diamond emblems. They said that I should go this way to find the city."
"Hmmm, diamond emblems... so it's the Diamond Blades, huh."
"Ok, just pay 1,000 liras and I'll issue a new ID for you," the man says while looking at him.
Evan pulls out one gold coin from his bag and puts it on the table. The man is surprised at what he sees.
"Is this gold?"
"Yeah," Evan says.
"Ok, a gold of this size is equivalent to 30,000 liras, and also we take 10% for any gold exchange," the man says after scanning the gold on a small device. The man looks at him, still wondering what kind of background he has.
Gold is a rare commodity. After the presence of an unknown energy called "Nu" energy, it started lingering in the air. That's when the world finally changed. Beasts have become enormous and more powerful. Humans also became more powerful — lifting boulders, running on water, and so on. Minerals have also changed, and gold is one of the best conductors of this unknown energy.
"By the way, what is the date today, sir?" Evan asked.
"March 07, 3045," the man said.
"Thanks," Evan said while waiting for the printing of his new ID.
After some processing, the man handed him a white-colored ID with his name, face, and birthdate on it — which he lied about. It had green linings and a simplistic design. On the back, there was the word Alexandria and a circle that looked like a QR code, made up of different colors and strange, overlapping lines.
After looking at it, Evan grabbed his things and started walking toward the door.
'I think I traveled into the future... but why is it like this? Shouldn't there be flying cars, spaceships, lightsabers, and high-tech devices?' Evan contemplated silently, trying to process the information he had just received.
"I have to uncover what is really happening here," he muttered to himself while slowly opening the door leading into the city.
'Here I come, new world.'