It was like any other day. Zeras was on his way back from school, the only one the slums possessed. And beside Zeras was none other than Khain, Zeras' younger brother.
"Hey Zeras, are we going to get bread today?" Khain asked.
Zeras had a smile on his face as he caressed the head of his younger brother. "Yeah, we should be able to get some loaves of bread. I've been saving for quite some time, after all, today is our special day."
Zeras stared into the distance..."Today is our birthday."
He further added after a light sigh.
Though this didn't mean they were of the same age. Khain is actually 13 years old, whereas Zeras is 15...
"Yeah!" Khain jumped up in jubilation as they rapidly traversed through the ragged street filled with various waste and toxic substances.
A bad smell continuously assaulted their nose.
But from their facial expression. It didn't seem as though they were bothered about the awful smell that could cause even a rat to puke out its intestines.
Or...it would be more appropriate to say that they are already used to it.
Not that they had any other choice anyways...
The poor don't have the right to complain...and the social hierarchy has to be respected.
Zeras shook his head, removing this daily thoughts from ruining their special day.
Appearing before the baker, the middle-aged man easily plastered a light smile on his face.
"Hey young fellas, what can I do for you?"
"Can I get a loaf of bread?" Zeras asked as he reached for his pocket, bringing out a squeezed and wrinkled 100 Naira note.
The middle-aged man had a drastic change in his expression.
"Ur joking right."
"Hmm."
With a raised brow, obviously confused.
Zeras questioned.
"I don't get you."
"Well...I won't be able to sell you a loaf of bread."
Zeras eyes got narrowed as he questioned.
"And why is that?"
"Ur still asking me why. Are you really stupid or you are just playing dumb. The exchange rate affected even the price of fruits...talkless of breadival bread that's made from foreign exchanged materials."
While Zeras mind is currently in turmoils.
"So what's the current price.
Fuck this economy!!
Where's this world even going.
Sigh..."
Upon analyzing Zeras. The middle aged man realized that he seems to be sincere and wasn't actually playing dumb.
He wasn't to be blamed for being cautious anyways.
Within the slums...even kids were adept swindlers.
And who could say this two also wouldn't be one.
Though this wouldn't be the first time he would be seeing them, nor had they committed any previous atrocities.
But as the saying goes...there's always a first time for everything.
"Anyways...you can come back when you have two hundred naira...only."
The man forced a smile on his face before returning to the kneading of the flour.
Zeras narrowed his brows as he realized that the price of a loaf of bread had increased by 100 Naira after a month. He should have already expected and put this in mind in the first place.
He knew there was nothing they could actually do again.
But they had already come this far...not to even talk of the stress and inhuman pain he had gone through to get this hundred naira.
He isn't willing to back down so easily...at least not without a battle.
He could only result to the general price accepted by the prideful ones.
Being begged by lower beings...
"Please... Can you please take this 100 Naira for one loaf of bread? May the gods bless you in abundance."
The middle-aged man shook his head.
"I would be running on a loss by doing that. And give me a valid reason to do that."
The man continued with his work, seemingly having made up his mind to not sell the bread...at least not on a loss.
"Pl-"
Zeras wasn't even allowed to finish that sentence when an annoyed expression suddenly surfaced upon the face of the baker.
He stared at Zeras with a cold daggered etes.
Before moving to a side of the counter.
He brought out a stick just right beside the counter.
"I can see that you don't heed to words. Why should I run at a loss simply because you wanna eat bread. You think I haven't got families to feed or you really think as a graduate I would have choosen this route to live my life.
Before I unleash my fury on you. It had be best for you and your younger brother to leave my sight!"
The man's grip on the stick only grew tighter by the passing moment.
Zeras hands were tightly clenched together.
He would really hate himself if he couldn't even do this for his younger brother.
Especially on a day that's so special to him...
Khain witnessed all this with a sad look on his face. He really wanted that bread so badly, and it seems his brother has been saving for it for quite a long time.
Although unwilling, he loved his brother far more than some petty bread can ever amount to. He couldn't bear to see his brother get beaten or go through another injustice because of him.
"Zeras, it's okay, I don't want the loaf of bread anymore," he said while tugging Zeras' clothes with a forced smile on his face.
Zeras knew that his brother only said this because of him.
"You sure."
"Yeah, definitely." Khain nod his head vigorously.
"Thanks for attending to us."
Zeras gave a slight bow. Grabbing a hold of Khain's hand.
"Khain, we should get going."
Khain nod his head, a light smile on his face as he took his brother's hand while humming a song...
As they slowly dissapeared from the sight of the baker...
"Want to infest me with their poverty-stricken life. Tsk."
He spat out a mouthful of saliva...perhaps in disgust or perhaps contemptment.
Meanwhile...
Zeras and Khain rapidly made their way through the alleyways, heading for their home.
Arriving at a dilapidated building, barely considered good enough to even sleep in. "WHEEW !!!
We are finally home... just how better can today get?"
Khain had a wide smile on his face as he made way to dash into the dilapated building.
And indeed...today just did get better, in a sense of it all...
The entire world suddenly witnessed a super earthquake.
Everything seems to have come to a stand-still.
Space...time...everything seems to have temporary stopped when that super earthquake occured. Yet it wasn't actually an earthquake.
But is actually bacuse of a voice resonating and breaking instantly into the consciousness of every single living entity within the World of Earth.
[Hello, Earthlings. The Malivoire Descent has descended upon your world. You all shall be given a chance to awaken your latent potential.
It's now up to you to determine your fate, whether you will be at the bottom of the food chain or at the top while constantly trying to survive. The choices are in your hands, and the power yours to wield.]
"Brother... What the hell was that just now?" Khain asked in shock.
Zeras had a look of shock on his face as he replied to his brother.
'Could it be those rumoured apocalypse...end of the world stuff.'
"I have no idea. But I guess we just have to wait to find out."
And almost immediately afterwards...
A new essence invaded the entire world. The world was filled with a crazy level of origin essence as origin particles pervaded the entirety of Earth.
[Try to absorb the origin particles in the atmosphere. And if you're fated with the path of a Malivoire combatant, you will be able to...]
"Let's try it out, Zeras," Khain said, as he immediately closed his eyes, listening to the words that directly rang into his ears...mind.
While trying to absorb the origin particles present in the atmosphere.
Zeras had a light smile on his face as he is quite impressed with the level of bravery of his brother. 'He has always been like that, anyways.'
Although he's still filled with some level of cautiousness. And felt that something is wrong.
But from what he could easily analyze after witnessing the ability...or perhaps a voice that has the ability to reverberate with such intensity.
Almost as though...almost as though it's being heard by everyone.
No matter where they are or could be.
As long as they are on Earth...it seems they will all be victims to this strange voice.
It doesn't matter anyways. It's not like I could loose anything anyways. Try it out...if it works good.
And if it doesn't...then that's for the best."
He also closed his eyes, attempting to absorb the particles present in the atmosphere.
And immediately after both brothers closed their eyes, a large influx of origin energy within the slum suddenly started gathering towards them at an astronomical rate.
Every breath of theirs gulped in a large amount of the origin particles present in the atmosphere.
Slowly, they both levitated into the midair, as the distance through which origin energy traveled towards them gradually increased continuously.
And at various parts of the world, golden beams of light would suddenly shoot towards the sky from the bodies of some humans. And a kind of rune would slowly appear on their hands.
[You have awakened your origin ability: Strategic-Tactician.
An unknown force has interfered with your awakening.
You have awakened an origin ability: Infinite Level Up.
You have awakened an origin name: World Simulator.
An unknown force has interfered with your origin name awakening.
You have awakened an origin name: Nameless.
Void Aspect has been awakened.
An unknown force has interfered with your Aspect Awakening. You have awakened the Chaos Aspect.]
The voice resounded within Zeras's mind as his heartbeat increased continuously. He didn't know whether he should be happy or sad.
What does it mean by an unknown force.
Is it just him or does it happen to everyone.
He felt inclined to choose the former...but he just had this nagging feeling that it's definitely the latter.
His eyes slowly got opened as he caught sight of his brother. He had a shocked look on his face as his brother was now more handsome.
Blue pupils, long snow-white hair, and a well-defined build compared to his former malnourished self.
And so had he...though he failed to notice it at first.
"Brother, what did you awaken?" Khain asked with a bright smile on his face.
Seemingly ecstatic and happy about such an incident.
What a weird fellow...
Zeras was about to reply when a loud voice suddenly tore through the air.
[Now for those who have successfully become World Evolvers. Let me give you a brief overview of how your future life will be like.
For every Malivoire Descent your world overcomes, your world and its World Evolvers will be granted some rewards depending on your level of participation in the slaying of the Malivoire being and some other factors will be included.
Your job as World Evolvers is to make sure that you overcome every single Malivoire Descent headed for your world, and one of such is about to descend upon this world as I speak.
And for every Malivoire Descent surpassed, your world gets a chance to evolve and leave the bottom of the food chain.
That would be the end of me... For now anyways. All right World Evolvers Of Earth, show me what you have got!]
The voice boomed into the ears of every world evolver as a terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon their entire world.
A gate slowly appeared in mid-air, seen by all throughout the world as it radiated an intense level of energy, one that nerfed one a lot.
As though the worst of all evil was contained within.
And slowly the dark abysmal looking gate opened, as a Nightmare Weaver suddenly appeared in sight.
A creature with dark abysmal pupil, short wings and very a very large body towering over three meters in height.
Every World evolver's hand suddenly glowed a bright golden as some set of words suddenly appeared before them.
[A Fallen Malivoire being has been detected.
The Realm transversal point has been chosen: The Dream Realm!
Realm Transversal shall now take place...]
And immediately after the end of the word from the runes. All the world evolver's suddenly vanished from existence and so did the malivoire being.
Although confused by the sudden turn of events.
Yet a fact couldn't be denied.
And that's the fact that a cataclysmic descent...a doomsday an apocalypse, the end of the world...anything whatnot that has to do with a catastrophic aftermath would occur in the near future.
This...is written in every single one of those books.
Hence...
The rest of the humans...knew they could only pray for the safety of their loved ones.
That's provided prayers could even be of help...
While the world leaders immediately ordered and organized a meeting to discuss on the sudden changes and talk more on the prophesy...
Zeras suddenly found himself in a different place entirely.
A world...
A world of Nightmare...