3 years ago…
—Nansiga Province, Lanima Region
In a province that's in the middle of Dotun City, Nansiga Province is now the Center of Dotun City after the founders of Dotun City didn't notice that a province lies within the area that the city covers and they found out about the province of Nansiga 5 years after they built the city, they left the middle of the city empty because they thought of building the city hall there after they're done building the other parts of the city.
Ignorant founders… anyway, 3 years before Alex's death and revival, the Nansiga Province held an Amateur Tech Convention for aspiring inventors that will shape the future of the Lanima Region.
Conventions for Technology like these are always supported by the Lanima Region's leaders including the head of the Scope Enterprise, Mr. Scope because, after the Lanima War that took place 18 years ago, almost all of Lanima Region's technology was destroyed.
Though they've already recovered all of them now and have become more advanced than before, the Lanima Region's leaders want more.
One of those aspiring inventors is from Nansiga Province. He is able to create two transportation portals that allow for two-way travel, that's why his technology was funded more than the other aspiring inventors that have lackluster technologies, building techs that have already been invented before.
So it's not a surprise that his invention was the core of the Amateur Tech Convention in Nansiga Province.
But when it was time for the presentation, a small error happened… that led to one of Dotun City's biggest events.
One of the operators of the two-way portal in the authorized room is dealing with issues so the aspiring inventor checked him.
"What's happening?"
"We have a bit of error in the portal's programs and software, it's easily fixable but we need to stop the presentation to check for more errors pertaining to this,"
"What seems to be the problem here, kid?" One of the Lanima Region's Leaders entered the authorized room.
"Um… nothing, just a typo that doesn't matter." The aspiring inventor gave the operator a glare, telling him to fix the issue as fast as possible.
Now that the aspiring inventor got the attention he wants, he wants everything to be perfect. His arrogance and ego rose after he's being seen by the people he aspires to be.
Though at the same time, his idol, Mr. Scope, ignored him, that's probably why his arrogance and ego are this high now.
After one of the Lanima Region's Leaders is in the authorized room, they're ready to start the two-way portals.
"Start the ignition!" The aspiring inventor shouts.
But just the ignition of the two-way portals showed disruption to the energies that are traveling the pipes of the technology...
"Is that supposed to happen, kid?" The Lanima leader asked.
"Can those pipes handle raw energies?"
Though the energies are able to go through the pipes that lead to the portals, igniting the portal, it's just a fluke in the system to be able to activate the portal.
The people around watching are astounded so they gave a round of applause… but it was short-lived.
When all the energies were sucked dry by the portals, even though the frames of the portals can withstand the energies within, because the programs and software of one of the circuit boards of the portals have slight errors, those slight errors are enough to mess with the other programs and software of the other circuit boards that are connected to that malfunctioning circuit board.
The portals malfunctioned. The energies contained within their frames are starting to rupture and are ready to burst.
"Everyone evacuate!"
"I knew that he'd fail," the Lanima leader in the authorized room thought, he and his bodyguards left the room and the convention.
"I can salvage this!" The aspiring inventor thought.
He then heads to the main computer of the portals after the other operators and scientists evacuate, even though the others told him to evacuate as well.
Despite wasting time trying to save the portals, it's not enough to save them after the errors and malfunctions have all affected the other circuitries.
"No…" he dreaded.
And so, the energies contained in the portals' frames and the energy source they used blew up after opening a part of space that contains a lot of Cosmic Energy, creating a Cosmic Surge after a grain of Cosmic Energy collided with Oxygen Particles, and because the Tech Convention is in the Nansiga Province, right in the middle of the Dotun City, the Cosmic Surge spread across the Dotun City as well.
Nansiga Province was affected by this Cosmic Energy more, creating a massacre, luckily, most of the citizens of the Nansiga Province were able to evacuate away after many warnings. But a few aren't so much.
The damage to the Nansiga Province didn't spread throughout Dotun City because the aspiring inventor's body absorbed most of the Cosmic Surge.
"He was arrogant, he wasn't a perfectionist before but I didn't think perfectionism would get you to this situation,"
"Now nobody and nothing can enter the province, he gave birth to a monster, and one of the Dotun City's biggest events,"
In just a few months, the Cosmic Surge that spread across affected several people, fusing their nervous system with the minuscule particles of Oxygen that collided with a grain of Cosmic Energy called "Reign" from the native language of Nansiga Province.
"Reign" is derived from a person named Reygon, the person who first discovered Cosmic Energy many years ago, where just a small particle of Cosmic Energy can change any element regardless of the amount, and it can even potentially expand on its own without any external assistance.
Several of the Dotun City's citizens started basically using magic, there are some that can summon fire and explosions, their appearances vary, and some are able to control many things like woods, steel, earth, and more, the most common is that they're able to control smaller things, only a few can control bigger things. The others are able to enhance things they either touch or see, depending on who the person is. There are even dozens or so that have unique abilities.
This occurrence was easily controlled but in just a few months, rebels started fighting back because they accused the Dotun City's scientists to torture people affected by Reign, and this caused a massive uproar.
Lanima Region has never seen this much chaos in a long time, the Dotun City is closed off from entry and exit, basically quarantining the city after the rebels increased and caused a lot of damage throughout 75% of Dotun City's infrastructures.
The 25% of those remain strong because that's where Mr. Scope is, every day, rebels are trying to enter, destroy, and take over Mr. Scope's domain, so it's the most dangerous area of Dotun City.
All of the people who are affected by Reign have taken over 75% of Dotun City with their newfound powers.
But, of course, these people wanted more power so they fought for territories, fighting for whoever was in charge, who was the boss, and who was the most powerful, causing the Reign Users' Civil War—though was changed to Reigners' Civil War in the future.
This occurred for 3 years.
—————
I'm Stacia Thiwang, it's been 3 years since Alex was taken to the SMC, the Scope Medical Center, Scope Enterprise's successful hospital business, it's amazing that a business that's focused on technology has the resources and time to invest in hospitals, they could've just focused it all in their technological advancement. Mr. Scope is a very peculiar man.
Anyway, that's not the reason why I'm talking, it's been 3 years since Alex has been gone, and so many things happened, I don't know if I'm glad that he was not here when all of these happened or if I wished that he's here when everything went down.
Because he has what we have, right after that explosion occurred, it's why I'm alive now…
Everything literally went down, the Dotun City fell into chaos, and the entirety of the land was inhabited by Reign users.
Reign users are the ones that were affected by the Cosmic Surge event that happened 3 years ago, Reign users are able to use powers that are supernatural, people that can create explosions, blasts, and other variations of it. There are Reign users that can control things like some sort of telekinetic powers that can only be seen in movies, or probably now using a lot of technology.
We call the power of Reign users Reign since it's easier to speak than the original name Reygon.
There are dozens of people that have a very unique Reign that they are regarded as the top of all other Reign users, basically, if they're in a group, they're instantly at the top.
And… I'm one of them, I can create shields and blast them out after using them, I can also enhance my body's defense to the point that I'm invincible, nothing can pierce through me, I just called it Thiwang Shield.
The names of our Reigns are tagged with our last name, at least, for us Unique Reign Users. It's easier to identify both the Reigns' names and the names of the Reign Users.
Right now, I'm part of a group called The Masters of Reigns. We are currently the most powerful Reign group in Dotun City. Why am I here? To survive, of course, almost all of the rouge Reigners died because they tried to be a loner, there are even rumors that one Unique Reign User died trying to go rogue.
To be safe, I had to join one of the Reign groups, I was lucky we became the most powerful one. We don't have the most Reign Users since that goes to the group called Half Thousand Reigns—their name changes by how many Reign Users they have and they're even reaching a thousand now.
Though no matter how many Reign Users they have, they won't be powerful enough to fight against us since we also recruit Reign users, and we typically recruit powerful ones even though it's less than the Half Thousand's Reign User recruitment rate.
That's a mouthful. Anyway, I'm with the Second Forces of our group right now because not only humans were affected by the Cosmic Surge Event, but also others since Humans only make up 0.01% of the World, we're not just fighting over territories in Dotun City to survive, we're also bonafide exterminators.
Rats, roaches, spiders, and other insects. There are snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and other reptiles. All of them grew 10 times their previous size there are some that are far bigger, and with their size increase, their arrogance increased too because they're very violent.
At the beginning of the Cosmic Surge event, only Scope Forces were the only ones that could handle them, but after we learned about our powers and mastered them, we quickly overpowered not just the Scope Forces that were technically arresting us for our Reigns, but also the giant animals that started popping up.
This giant spider is bigger than my old house.
I know I have phobias of spiders but it started to dumb down after learning about my Reign. I'm technically invincible every time I use it.
"Commander Stacia, the group's in position," one of the Reign users told me after a few minutes of waiting.
We're currently surrounding a giant spider on all four sides, a common combat strategy that works on giant animals like this like 80% of the time, though I'm not counting on that 20% to just stay still, that's why I'm always going all out on exterminations like this—even though it's just a common giant insect.
I wonder why he sent me here, it's such a common task. So annoying…
"Okay, stick to the plan. Let's go!" I told them, we then charged at the giant spider.
After the others heard me shout let's go, the others went at the giant spider.
We have 10 Reign Users including me, the other 8 will break the giant spider's 8 legs, while I and my right-hand officer will charge its head and body to kill it. I just relentlessly smash their heads all the time.
But something unheard of happened, the other Reign Users are having a hard time breaking its 8 legs and it's still standing strong, we're helping them take it down before jumping on its head and body since we're just sitting ducks if we aren't.
It's like this giant spider is learning our strategy and became very fast, which made my phobia slowly return.
"No!!!"
One of the Reign users was killed.
This is not good…
"Retreat! It's exploiting our openings so don't overexert! It's learning our strategy!" I shouted, instructing the remaining others after another one was killed.
Two down and 3 injured?! Is that why he brought me here?! I might need to combat it with all of my might, I can't chicken now, I can feel my phobia slipping back in!
But after attempting to slow it down while the others were retreating with the other 3 injured, the giant spider managed to take down my balance, I slipped up.
I saw its leg ready to stab me, even though I am invincible with my Reign on, I could feel my life flash before my eyes.
Has it been 3 years ever since I overcome my phobia of these things? Has it been 3 years ever since all of this mess started? Will everything I've worked hard on will just be in vain?
When its leg started moving towards me, someone jumped in slashing its leg with a blade reign, a blade I'm very familiar with.
Is that Leader!?
I was expecting the leader of our Reign group, but his clothing was different, he was wearing a hoodie. Our leader is wearing a coat since he said it's cool.
When I looked at the man who jumped in to slash the giant spider's leg, my old self somehow quickly rushed back into me… I thought I changed already but seeing him again turned me 3 years younger.
"Alex?!" I called him in surprise.