Chapter 2 - Ch 2: The Beastmasters

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Yohan found a secluded spot around the corner, observing the movements of everyone around him. The guards had all entered the main hall of the building, some positioning themselves to stand watch.The massive beasts that had surrounded them earlier were nowhere to be seen; perhaps they were patrolling outside now.Meanwhile, the figure who seemed to be the leader was engaged in a serious discussion with his subordinates. Yohan strained to listen in on their conversation."Sir, something's amiss. There shouldn't be any presence of beasts along this route, yet we encountered a whole pack of bronze-level gale wolves," one of the subordinates reported."I'm aware, but this is the only route we can take without arousing suspicion. With the breakout imminent, they might have strayed from their habitat," the leader responded."What about the casualties?" the leader inquired."Four dead on our side, and six goods destroyed," came the grim reply.Yohan's curiosity was piqued. What goods were they referring to? Were they smuggling something amidst them?"Overheard anything interesting?" Brian asked from behind, his tone sly.Yohan was startled when Brian approached him with his usual cunning expression.Yohan hesitated, he replied,"Nothing".Brian chuckled."Come on now, spill the beans, and maybe I'll answer some of your doubts."Yohan met Brian's gaze, unable to discern his intentions. What game was Brian playing?"They were saying that they shouldn't have run into these wolves along this route,"Yohan whispered to Brian."And they mentioned something about goods being destroyed."Brian's eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the revelation.Interesting, he mused."That explains a lot.""Now can I ask you something", I askedYes Yes fire away, Brian chuckled."Can you tell me what are these beasts, and why are these cities in ruins?" I asked"You really don't know about your history, huh?"Brian's voice cut through the tense silence."I guess not," I admitted.Brian let out a sigh, shaking his head."Then let me start from the beginning," he said."The Arkas Star, that's the name of our planet.I heard it used to be a beautiful place.We had long moved past the concept of different countries,Everything was under a single government, the Federation.Under the banner of the Federation, we thrived as a united civilization.But then the problem came," Brian continued."We discovered that our sun was dying.We gathered every capable mind on our planet, but despite our best efforts, we couldn't find a solution.People considered leaving the solar system to find a new home, but the increased gravitational pull and solar storms caused by the dying sun made that impossible.Cities crumbled, and riots erupted everywhere.As a final resort, massive underground cities were constructed, and the entire population was relocated below the surface. It was a desperate measure to ensure our survival in the face of impending doom.Just when everyone thought all hope was lost, a miraculous discovery was made.One day, we realized that Arkas was moving—drifting away from the dying sun. Nobody knew what caused this sudden shift, but it filled everyone with hope and renewed determination.Arkas traversed the immense distance of 3 million light-years in just a matter of months, almost as if it had teleported through the cosmos. After 8 months of travel, we arrived in this new galaxy.Initially, everything seemed normal. People began emerging from the shelters, reclaiming the once-familiar cities. We even discovered the presence of a new type of energy within this galaxy, propelling our technologies to unprecedented breakthroughs.But then, disaster struck again. Two massive rifts, accompanied by numerous smaller space cracks, manifested across the entirety of Arkas.These beasts you've seen, they're not native to our world," Brian began, his voice low and conspiratorial.They're creatures that came out from those rifts.They began ravaging cities and slaughtering innocent people. Once again, humanity was forced to retreat to the safety of underground shelters. In less than two years, more than half of Arkas had fallen to their onslaught.After a grueling 20-year battle, we managed to reclaim our lost territories. We hunted down every beast we could find, but new rifts continued to appear, threatening our existence.However, amidst the chaos, we discovered that the region near one of the two colossal rifts remained stable. No new breaches emerged there, except for a few high-level ones in its vicinity. Taking advantage of this stability, a fortified ring of walls was constructed around the area, creating a new living space for our people.This endeavor became the largest project in human history, spanning 80 years until its completion.During that period, a significant milestone was achieved: we successfully traversed to the other side of the rift. What lay beyond was nothing short of a vast, unexplored frontier, brimming with new resources but dangers also.There in the depths of a forgotten ruin, we unearthed the ancient technique to form contracts with beasts, granting us the power to ascend and become stronger.It granted us a means to enhance our capabilities, to grow stronger.However, conventional weapons proved ineffective in this unfamiliar territory. We had to adapt. Thus, we began forming bonds with the indigenous creatures, tapping into their innate powers to fortify our own.This marked the genesis of the first generation of beastmasters. Through these contracts, we gained access to the beasts' abilities, enabling us to cultivate and refine our own strengths.It's now the year 2230, nearly a century since the first batch of beastmasters ventured beyond the rift to explore the unknown.In that time, we've amassed a wealth of new resources and nurtured countless formidable individuals.This era is undeniably the age of the beastmasters," Brian said with a smile on his face.As Yohan absorbed this revelation, an unmistakable excitement lit up his face."I believe my new life is going to be really fascinating."