Year 2075, The world as we know it has changed within a single day, earthquakes and destruction caused by the rising towers
The government and It's people around the world did their best to restore their lives from the disaster caused by the rising towers. people evacuated. areas around the tower observed and restricted.
Before they can fully recover another tragedy occurred. The world quaked again, countless portals with varying colors snapped near the towers along with monsters pouring out of the portals. starting from fantasy monsters such as goblins and slimes to wyvern and dragons emerging from the middle of the towers. It varied from every part of the world. different towers. different themes.
Some towers had full beast themes, magic based entities, undead, futuristic robots even another a new type of sentient humanoid species ruling the towers leading those monsters out. Liches. Elves. Dwarves. Orcs and "High Humans". everyone unwilling to compromise with earthlings for some reasons we can't understand.
The weapon of humanity guns, tanks, jet fighters and missiles worked well against the monsters outside the tower and portals.
It took a whole month of resistance from the armies to push back or eliminate the threat that the towers and portals spewed out with monsters gone. the portals beats again, transforming the surroundings into similar environment to caves and forests, materials, minerals that we have never seen before started appearing like a reward for closing the portals.
Corporations and Governments soon tried to the towers with explosive weapons only to see lone towers standing across the wastelands they caused. from there they started to take another approach which is to send people into the tower to investigate or conquer, only to find out that the weapons of humanity can't function inside them. but the people who successfully survived from entering the towers found a new source of strength.
The system given to them by the tower allowed them to gain numerical stats, traits and skills granted by the tower itself. some even got "sponsored" by the so called "constellations" as they progressed more or showed achievements from the tower.
The apocalypse which caused millions of death soon turned into blessings given to the people, The government allowed entrance to the towers along with their soldier keeping the lead defending the humanity against the invaders from the tower with the help of the system and constellations.
Year 2200, Since the emergence of the towers thousands of S class hunters has formed companies and families conquering the towers for themselves and monopolized them with their corporation or families since then. Towers are no longer accessible by the common people unrelated to hunters or corporations. Original occupants of the towers are now enslaved by the hunters, now called conquerors.
First people wasn't looking at their new rulers too badly until they realized that portals no longer open due to daily culling of the monsters inside the tower making them unable to gain experience from hunting spare monsters that spill out of the tower.
The apocalyptic world from hundreds of years ago has now turned into a dystopia ran by conquerors, The former government has been overpowered and overtaken by those families and corporations.
It's now year 2440. Orion Lichfield has been slaving his entire life away for Arcanum Corporation after being caught for trying to enter tower of mana to change his life from the dark depths of the undercity, He now involuntarily works as a manastone miner for Arcanum Corporation, He works 24/7 to mine for them whenever the company hunters finish cleaning up a monster breakout.
An armored vehicle soon stopped nearby before soldiers got out from the vehicle.
"Hey Rats!!" A voice called out, The mining sounds from the surrounding soon stopped as they focused on the voice.
Orion exhaustedly stopped his hands from mining and turned his head to the voice, Is it his turn to be experimented on again? despite not causing any damages just being caught for trespassing into the tower area He has been buried in debt and has been used as a labrat for the products of the Arcanum Corporation.
"Today is your lucky day, The higher ups has started a new project and you'll be involved in it."
Orion frowned at the man wearing a set of heavy armor, He stared down at the helmet of the Arcanum Guard with no fear, He soon found with his face on the ground as two more guards took him down
"You sure have the audacity to look at our captain with those rat eyes of yours!"
"This rat has fierce gaze!" The heavily armored soldier laughed as he stomps down on Orion's head
Arcanum Guards were private soldiers of the Arcanum Corporation, They wear a variety of body suits and armor, protective gloves, boots and carry rifles with them, Their equipment getting more and more protective and advanced as their ranks go higher.
"...." Orion grits his teeth as he kept his gaze on the ground with his grip tightening around his pickaxe. not now. someday he'll shove a pickaxe through those helmet of theirs.
"You should be happy that you'll now have a greater purpose!" the heavily armored guard signaled his subordinates to get Orion up from the ground.
"Yes sir!" The guards pushing him down quickly dragged Orion up from the ground and pushed him forward, urging him to follow the captain.
"Keep those eyes of yours to the ground before I shove a gun into them."
"Do you understand rat?"
Orion nods silently.
"You. You. You-" The captain started pointing at random miners and ordered them to get in the truck until It's full
"Get in the truck. We can't have your limbs broken and make you entirely useless." The Arcanum Armored Vehicle soon took them into to a research facility just right beside the Tower of Mana where he almost got in years ago, unlike before They now built high walls around the entrance, The buildings around the tower also now had more Security, Turrets, Guards, Cameras everywhere.
"Keep your heads on the ground and don't make any noises, final warning. Don't look around if you want to keep your head in your shoulders."
Every miners obeyed including Orion with a hard resistance to scout around.
After a series of heavy metal doors they soon arrived in front of a room with a seemingly unstable portal in front of them, It was surrounded with wires, various equipment, scientists and armed guards.
A man with swept back hair wearing a lab coat approached as he look at Orion and the miners up and down
"Are those all of the rats?, If yes then we can start the experiment soo-" before finishing his talk the guard captain interrupted him.
"Head Researcher, Chairman is about to enter the facility!"
The man with swept back hair frowned and started ordering everyone around
"Right now? Everyone! Pick up the pace! Hurry! Tidy up!"
"You rats, Kneel down the floor, Guards! Get them kneeling!"
The guards started kicking the miners legs from the back if they were late to kneel, It didn't matter if they were old or weak.
"Is the portal functional now?" A man in suit casually walked in front of portal not sparing a look on the miners.
"Salute!" The surrounding scientists and guards stood up and gave a salute to the man and gave way as he walked to the portal.
"We're just about to enter the testing phase, we brought lab rats from the mines to send through." A scientist explained to the main in suit
"Good! I can't wait! Just get a tracking device around their necks and just send them through right away!"
The man in the suit said with a smile as he take a seat prepared to observe the rats
"Yes sir!"
The guards started putting tracking collars into them one by one.
Orion started to realize that they were here to be sent to the portal. Maybe It's his chance to gain experience and level up! maybe even get sponsored by a constellation! His hopes were high up but..
"We still don't know where this artificial portal leads to, but that's what you rats are here for, Just hope that it leads into an instance of the tower so you have a chance of survival" The chairman lets out a laugh as he orders the guards to pick up the pace.
Orion's initial hope for leveling up has been shattered. Artificial portals were not a thing. atleast It's never been a case after all those years
"Go! get moving!"
The guards soon pulled them up and pushed them to the portal one by one
"no- no! NO! I don't wanna go through!!"
A man started resisting the guards and successfully got away from their grasp.
Soon the others also started to resist and the guards started to panic a bit since they needed everyone to be conscious as they pass through the portal, or the tracking device wouldn't work.
Then, A pressure came down to everyone in the room.
BANG!
"Silence rats!"
Those in the area felt their body get heavier, the miners who resisted the guards and tried to escape splattered to the floor until only their blood remained.
The guards are barely standing from the pressure while the miners are now down on the floor.
Orion has never felt this kind of pressure before
it was like the atmosphere itself is trying to crush them into pieces
"C-chairman.. the....equipments-" They could hear a gasping voice, As the voice went out the pressure doubled before disappearing completely.
"You- Bah! fine!"
Everyone including the researchers, guards and miners were struggling to catch their breath.
"Get this project moving now or I'll have you all crushed." The man in the suit glared at the head researcher before looking at his wrist watch
The guards soon recovered their composure and started guiding the miners and Orion to the portal
Everyone after that obediently walked through the portal or thrown into it since they couldn't due to fear.
As Orion gets closer to the portal his heartbeat beats wildly.
This can't be it.
Is there where my life will end?
"Move!"
He felt a kick on his back then everything blacked out.
"What does the tracker say?" The man in the suit quickly asked as he sees the last person get kicked in the portal
"It's... scattered sir, It seems that this portal is a failure, It didn't lead into a tower but the rats are being sent through random places in the world and space it seems."
"Failure?" He looked at the machine and it suddenly crumbled into a ball, destroying the portal
.....
Next Orion finds himself without any ground to step to, slowly falling down.
Orion could feel a sense of doom throughout his mind and body
He couldn't breath and he could feel his blood boil, He could feel his insides bloating up. He recovered his vision for a few seconds and discovered the reason why. He was in the moon.
What a beautiful planet those bastards has conquered...
Orion kept his gaze at earth as his last moments start to come.
He started hearing a robotic voice inside his head but he couldn't understand it anymore, Oxygen was running out afterall.
[Sentient Being Detected]
[Registering as User 001.]
[Binding..]
[Failed, Lifeforce of user 001 is not enough for binding]
[Contacting administrators.]
[Failed.. Administrators not found.]
[Contacting Constellations.... Success]
[[ Oh dear? This is new! ]] - Seer of Fate
[[ Is it actually a new user? unrelated to those trash?]] - Garbage Scavenger
[[ Oi Oi! This brat is dying! ]] - Garbage Scavenger
[[ I HEARD THERES A NEW USER??!]] - Loud Conqueror
[[ Old man! The new user is dying already! ]] - Garbage Scavenger
[[ WHAT ARE YOU SAYING YOU RACCOO- OH NO! OUR NEW ENTERTAINMENT!]] - Loud Conqueror
[[ Lunar Brat someone entered your domain! Help us! It's a new user! ]] - Garbage Scavenger
[[ LUNAR PRINCESS! ]] - Loud Conqueror and Seer of Fate
[[ It seems that he's on my domain... This is a fated encounter, I'll give him a blessing ]] - Lunar Princess
[ You have received the blessing of the moon goddess ]
[ First title gained, auto equipping. ]
[ Blessed by the moon title equipped. ]
[ Active and Passive Skill: Lunar Breathing obtained ]
[ Active and Passive Skill: Lunar Sight Obtained ]
[ Passive Skill : Lunar Insight obtained ]
[ Passive Skill: Lunar Recovery obtained.]
[ Race Conversion started. ]
[ Binding Successful.]
[ Updating Identity. ]
[User Name: Orion Lichfield]
[Main Title : Blessed by the Moon] + Blessed by the moon
[User ID: 001 ] + User Registered
[Race : 95% Human 5% Lunar Human] -5 Human + 5 Lunar Human
[Health 0.1/48] CRITICAL CONDITION + verified original stat - 52
[Mana 0/100] + 100 maximum mana + verified original stat
[Energy -10/100] CRITICAL CONDITION
[ Traits : 0 ] + Now Available, please open it later, + 1
[ Skills : 4 ] + Now Available, please open it later, 2 passives + 2 skills
[ Proficiency : 2 ] + Now available, please open it later. + Verified 2 skills.
[ Stats : 5 ] + Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Vitality, Luck has been registered as stats. please open it later.
[ Sub Titles : 0 ] + Now Available, please open it later
[ Sponsors : 1 ] + Lunar Goddess
[ Spectators : 5 ] - Unavailable, Can't be viewed.