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Chapter Three: The True Resource
What do you think was the most valuable resource in the world during the Dark Age? Was it gold? Money? Rare minerals? Firearms? Human life?
No. It was translators, authors, and well-versed readers.
When the Record Stories (RSS) infected a quarter of the population, leaving many in comatose states, traditional resources quickly lost their value. Money was no longer a means of survival. Governments collapsed. Armies fell apart. What mattered was knowledge—specifically, the knowledge of stories. Those who had once seemed insignificant—translators, authors, and avid readers—became the pillars of human survival.
Translators were in constant demand. They bridged gaps between cultures and ensured that no valuable information was lost due to language barriers. Fictional stories, folklore, and myths each became as important as military strategies. Without translators to render them comprehensible, these narratives would have been worthless.
Authors and experienced readers followed closely. They knew the structure of stories intimately—the tropes, clichés, and hidden tricks that writers use. They could predict what would happen next in a Record Story, giving them an edge. This knowledge was more than entertainment; it became a framework for survival. In the Record Stories, the rules of fiction applied, and those who understood the rules stood a better chance of making it out alive.
By the fourth year, reading was no longer just a skill—it was mandatory for survival. Even in orphanages, nuns and caretakers made it their mission to teach every child to read and write. Slums and the lower rungs of society were no exception. In this new world order, those who couldn't read were practically dead. It wasn't just a matter of education; it was a matter of life and death. Reading had once been a hobby for some, but now it was the foundation of human survival.
Fighting? That came second.
Without the ability to understand stories, without the context of how narratives worked, humanity would have already fallen. Those who failed the trials often did so not because they lacked strength, but because they couldn't grasp the rules of the stories they had been thrown into. Genres had rules, patterns, and tropes—and only those who knew how to navigate them could hope to survive. Online novels and physical books had become mainstream since the first Dark Age.
The RSS was like a sickness, where one would experience a story and have to act accordingly. If they didn't, they would lose themselves, and once they lost themselves, corruption would soon follow.
From a young age, Jamie was forced to learn the different types of tropes and genres, along with knowledge from the first generation of Awakeners about how the Record Trials would work.
But that was all he knew. How could an ex-orphan, now a street rat, truly understand the truth behind the trials of the first Awakeners?
Most of the information and history regarding the Record came from the female doctor, Grace Greenwood, whose name badge bore her title.
Jamie stared up at the ceiling. It had been a long time since he'd had a roof over his head, and even longer since he had felt truly alive.
Dr. Greenwood held Jamie's hand.
"The first signs of infection are black veins in the eyes, along with pale skin. Once this occurs, if the infected person falls asleep, they will enter the trial," she explained.
Jamie hadn't entered it yet.
Was it fear of death? No, Jamie didn't fear death, as much as he wished he did.
Was it anxiety? Maybe. No matter if they were human or any other life form, who wouldn't feel anxious in this situation?
But the main reason Jamie couldn't fall asleep was simple: he wanted a reason to at least try during the trials. A reason to strive, a reason to live, a purpose.
Right now, Jamie hadn't found it. Even at this moment, even in the early stages of his life, he hadn't found his resolve.
Would he find it during the trial?
Would he find it after he awakened?
Or would he never find it because he didn't make it through?
He knew the doctor didn't care for him, just as the people at the orphanage hadn't. The doctor was only doing her job, and the nuns had also been doing theirs.
The more questions Jamie considered, the more tired he felt. His eyes grew heavier with each passing moment.
Would he choose the easy path, avoid trying in the trial, and take the simple way out of life?
Or would he choose the hard path, trying to live—but for whom and for what?
At that moment, his eyes shut in the real world.
Maybe for the last time, or maybe he would open them again.
[Welcome to the Record Trials, the book's last arc, and the reader's first arc. Do you wish to read and proceed?]
[Yes…]
[No…]