Four weeks after the disappearance of Africa and Australia, humanity was on the brink of extinction. Almost 80% of the world's population had either perished or vanished, leaving the remaining survivors scattered across the globe, struggling to endure. Civilization had collapsed, and those who remained found themselves in an unrecognizable world, where survival was a daily battle.
The great cities that once stood as symbols of human achievement were now reduced to ruins, overrun by monstrous creatures and supernatural horrors. Governments had crumbled, military forces had been decimated, and communication networks had ceased functioning. Without any form of leadership or organization, people were left to fend for themselves. Food and clean water became scarce, and desperation drove many to madness. Some survivors tried to band together, forming small communities in the hopes of defending themselves, while others resorted to savagery, preying on the weak to ensure their survival.
The survivors clung to life with everything they had, but it seemed as though there was nothing they could do to change their fate. That was until the final day of the fourth week.
Somewhere in the deserts near what used to be Las Vegas, a group of survivors led by Luke Jade set out on a desperate mission to kill one of the giant sand snakes. Their supplies were running dangerously low, and with starvation looming over them, they saw this as their only hope. Even if the meat was poisoned, it was still better than starving to death.
For three grueling days, they used carefully placed traps and well-planned strategic attacks to bring the beast down. The sand snake, a monstrous creature with scales as tough as steel, had terrorized the land for weeks, devouring anything unfortunate enough to cross its path. But on that fateful day, the first monster to ever be slain by human hands lay motionless in the scorching desert sands.
As the dust settled, the group stood silently, exhausted yet victorious. The battle had cost them dearly several were wounded, and five of the original twenty-five had been killed. Their weapons were nearly depleted, but for the first time since the world had fallen into chaos, they had proven that humanity was not powerless. Luke Jade, bloodied and bruised, stared down at the colossal corpse, gripping his blade tightly. This was more than just a hunt for survival. This was proof that the monsters could be killed.
The remainder of the party took the monster's flesh back to their bunker, where they began cutting it up and distributing it. To their surprise, the once-impenetrable flesh, which had been as tough as steel during the battle, had softened after death, now possessing a texture almost as tender as beef.
As Luke Jade helped carve up the snake's head, something caught his eye, embedded deep within the creature's brain was a small red crystal, no larger than a five-cent coin. He didn't know why, but something about it called to him. It was almost instinctual, an irresistible pull. Without thinking, he reached out and grasped it in his palm.
The moment he touched it, the crystal vanished before his eyes.
Startled, he looked around, searching frantically for any sign of it. But before he could even begin to process what had happened, an unbearable, splitting headache overtook him. He staggered, clutching his head in agony as strange symbols and words unlike anything he had ever seen began to materialize before him.
– Choose a Path –SwordShieldProtect
The longer he stared at the glowing words, the more intense the pain became. Something deep inside him warned that if he didn't choose soon, he would die. Desperate and overwhelmed, he looked at the ethereal text and screamed, "PROTECT!"
At that moment, everything changed.
This was the first recorded instance of a human coming into contact with a Path Crystal.