It's been a long time that The Chaotic Era has ended. Countless years have passed.
It's a story of a boy who is hungry. Hungrier than anyone. It's not food that he wants. He is hungry for knowledge. He born in a middle-class family.
His father was a part-time lecturer in the archeology department. His mother runs a coffee-shop under their house. You can say he is common child, that you can find anywhere.
His house was filled with books. His father also liked to gather knowledge in his younger days. But because of family income his study didn't go far, but still he somehow got a degree.
The boy already finished reading all the books in his father's study. Although he didn't fully understand all those knowledge but he still memorized many of them. For his age, his memory is pretty good.
They were a happy family. But like other stories, his happy life ended. His mother got a weird disease and passed away suddenly. He was a 9th grader then. His father worked too hard in day. Tried to teach some students.
In evening, the boy and his father worked in his late mother's run-down coffee-shop. Somehow that boy still abled to pass his 9th grade exam. But due to lack of time his grades decreased and his scholarships stopped.
In that messy situation he also ended up in quarrel with his home-room teacher in a test result. He wrote a significantly good answer but that teacher didn't appreciate that because his own student(who came from a noble family) got that answer correct too in a lousy way that the teacher taught. And the teacher got him expelled from the school.
His father heard the situation.
" Do you think your answer is correct?"
"Yes Father"
"Are you sure, you didn't make any mistake"
"Absolutely not, Father, I found that in a paragraph of your book in your study. Although I didn't understand everything, but I believe that that much is enough to make a good answer."
"I understand. Don't worry. Father believes in you"
The boy almost cried. He knew how much his mother and father worked hard for him to go school. He went out from home and stayed beside a river for a long time.
He didn't came home that night. His father knew his mood, didn't disturb him. When he will calm down he will come back.
It's been two years. His father became very week. Anytime he can die. Too much work pressured his frail body to this state.
That boy didn't have a grudge for this to anyone. After all working too hard was his father's own decision. Before any thing goes wrong, his father called him.
" Son, my boy, I don't think I will live too long. So what I am going to tell you, please listen closely"
" I understand father"
" Our family is not a simple family. We have a legacy that passed on to descendants from our ancestors. It's a book"
"A Book?"
"Does it hold a super-power or something?"
"Nope"
"A map to an Ancient Ruin?"
"Nope"
"So, what the hell is that book for? will it help you to recover?"
His father moved his head side-to-side.
"Not Either?"
"It's kind of historical book, but I can't read it. I only know that it holds a secret."
"A secret?"
"I don't know that either."
" Father I don't want that, Is there anyhow I can improve your health? If there is, tell me, is that a herb you want? You are an archeologist. You always wondered around ancient ruins, You must know something like that right?"
"Son, I won't live long. Don't worry about me. I just want you to see the outside world."
"Outside world?"
"Yes Son, Listen closely. Our Town is only a small, very small piece of land in this vast world."
"Only a piece of world?"
" I know it is hard to believe. At first I didn't either. But few months ago I went to visit an ancient ruin. I thought it was a tomb and wandered around. And lost the paths to return. And somehow ended up in a different path. It was a exit but I don't know that place. On the wall of the exit, there was a text. I read it there that this world is very tiny, We only live in the outskirts of the wall. The world outside is much more advanced in civilization."
"Much more advanced"
" Yes. Much more. Not only that there was other species beside us. Humans are only a population in the vast universe. Other than that there are more. Cough. Cough…"
He drank some water. He continued…
"But I was too week to explore, and didn't have enough food so I tried to return but lost in the path again. I walked for 5 days and then I got out."
" So, that's the cause of your this state."
" Son, I can't live long, and I don't want to either. I want you to go there and visit the outside world. If you think it is hard, I won't force you. But if you endure that, a completely new world is waiting for you. This town is rotten. We don't have any relatives either. After I die you can visit there. What do you think? Cough. Cough.."
" A new and vast world…"
His son murmured that phrase. His eyes glared. He knew that his son will definitely go there. It's risky but it worth it. This rotten town will not be his life's deathbed.
The boy shocked with excitement. A new world. He will definitely go there. New world, new knowledge. But suddenly a thought came in his mind and saddened him. Then there's no way to make father's health better...
His father saw that face. He knew what son was thinking. It's not like that that he can't be better. But it will take too long. Even after getting better he can't live a healthy life like before anymore.
He didn't want to make his own life a hindrance for his son's future. And maybe, that book came from outside world. No, it's definitely from there. It will be better if he can figured out his ancestral legacy's true purpose…
Few months passed quickly. It's a rainy day. The old man already handed over the book to his son. The boy worked hard in the coffee-shop alone. Today he is in a better mood. His father started recovering and today he stood up on his own. But he still feels an uneasiness deep in his heart.
At afternoon he went to home. His father is sitting in the balcony on a chair.
"Is he still sleeping?"
He walked slowly and tried to wake his father up.
"Father wake up! It's already afternoon, let's eat. Fa-"
The sound of rain suddenly increased ten folds. The boy smiled a little. A strand of water just flowed through his left cheek.
"And in the end, you left with a smile on your face..."
His father left a letter for him on the table. There's only three lines-
"I am going to meet your mother, she is lonely for a long time. Best of luck for your upcoming journey. We will be watching you, always."
"Don't worry father, I will discover every secrets of this world on behalf of you. I will not disappoint you."
He made his father's funeral. After 4 days he sold almost everything out. He gathered as much food as possible. Almost everything is dried food.
He only took 4 sets of clothes, 2 water bottles. His father's best archaeology bag pack and The Strange Legacy Book his father left behind. He also took that letter.
His father wrote the directions of the ruins and a hardly usable self-made map inside of the ruins. He didn't left behind anything.
He sold everything, even the houses. He is an intelligent boy he didn't take any currency. He exchange everything for gold and silver chunks. He thought this through. The currency definitely won't usable but those gold and silver maybe.
And he set off to a whole different world…..