February 22, 2222, Outside Forbidden Zone No. 22, Normandy Kingdom District.

"How long has it been? And you're already worn out again," a girl's disdainful voice rang out.

"It's been nearly an hour; my legs are giving out," the boy complained.

"I know it's tough, little brother Anthony, just hang in there a bit longer."

"No way!"

"Just one more time, the last time."

"You said that last time too."

"I swear, after this, you can ride on my shoulders, okay?"

"Sis, the main thing is that my back can't take it anymore."

"Useless! I told you to exercise more."

"Ouch, ouch, it hurts..."

In the corner of a wall in an abandoned town, Angela was forcefully pulling Anthony's ear.

Angela was eighteen years old, tall, with healthy tanned skin and bright, lively eyes. Her high ponytail swung back and forth, radiating youthful energy. If you ignored her tattered clothes smeared with monster dung and her rough actions at the moment, she would definitely be the goddess in many boys' hearts, especially with her impressive figure that made many girls feel inferior.

In comparison, Anthony was much less physically robust. Although he wasn't short at 176 cm, his frame was slightly thin, and his skin had a pale, almost sickly hue due to a lack of sunlight.

At this moment, Anthony was grimacing as his ear was being tugged. His short black hair was messy, and his padded coat was also smeared with monster dung and in tatters.

"Get up, get up, hurry up already!" Feeling like his ear was about to be torn off, Anthony finally gave in to the oppressive force.

Angela rolled her beautiful eyes at Anthony before finally letting go of his ear. "If you listened to me when I spoke nicely, I wouldn't have to get rough. Hurry up."

As they spoke, terrifying explosions and the roars of monsters echoed again from the other side of the wall.

The battle was clearly reaching its final stage.

Anthony wasted no more time. He crouched down, placing his hands on the cold wall.

With a slight effort, Angela climbed onto his shoulders.

Anthony carefully supported Angela's thighs as he slowly stood up. Even though he was dressed warmly, he could still feel the warmth of her body against his.

Though Anthony had protested earlier, his careful demeanor now showed just how important the girl on his shoulders was to him.

Soon, Angela's small head reappeared above the wall.

Looking up, in the ruins ahead, several people wielding various weapons were battling a monster that resembled a large yellow ox, but its body was covered in scales, and it was as large as a fully grown elephant.

The people battling the monster possessed extraordinary abilities. Although winter had not yet passed and the temperature was well below freezing, these people wore clothing that was not thick at all.

Directly in front of the large ox, a scar-faced man was swinging an exaggerated battle axe, clashing with the beast. Each collision shook the ground like an earthquake.

Nearby, a small, lightning-fast figure wielded a dagger that flashed silver as they danced around the ox, leaving deep cuts on its hind legs.

The most extreme of all was a figure covered in gray-black fur, who had transformed into a werewolf.

At this moment, they were clinging to the yellow ox, furiously biting it. The scales on the ox's back had fallen off in large patches, and its body was drenched in blood.

"Anthony, there's a beast-type power user in that demon hunter team; he looks just like a werewolf..." Below, Anthony listened as Angela excitedly explained, instinctively turning his head to look toward the west, where Forbidden Zone No. 22 lay.

Even from several kilometers away, Anthony couldn't see the full extent of the White Mist Zone.

Zone 22 resembled a giant hemisphere of white mist, with a radius of over 300 kilometers, blocking out the sky and the sun.

Back in 2022, the first White Mist Zone on Blue Star had suddenly appeared, engulfing hundreds of square kilometers.

Of the millions of people trapped within the mist, fewer than ten made it out alive.

Not long after, the creatures around the White Mist Zone began to mutate—or awaken.

The powers Espers were remarkably similar to the Devil Fruits—strange and varied.

Humans who Espers powers were called espers, and creatures that Espers powers were called Monsters.

Just like the people currently fighting in front of them.

Angela watched the battle ahead, her excitement evident as she described it. Growing up, she had fantasized countless times about battling monsters herself.

However, for an ordinary person like Angela, becoming an espers was an impossible dream.

Aside from the people around the White Mist Zones who had a higher chance of awakening powers when the zones first appeared, the number of people who naturally Espers each year in the Normandy Kingdom was fewer than 200—a probability not much higher than surviving the White Mist.

Below, Anthony listened quietly as Angela rambled on, occasionally responding with a few words.

However, all he could see was a solid concrete wall, nothing more.

Bored, Anthony's body suddenly trembled slightly.

At that moment, his eyes suddenly lost their light, and everything around him turned black.

But Anthony didn't panic. He waited quietly, and after a few seconds, his vision returned.

This intermittent blindness had happened many times before, so Anthony was no longer surprised.

"Moo!"

The battle ahead had reached its climax. The large yellow ox, covered in blood, could no longer hold on.

With a furious roar, it charged forward, tossing the scar-faced man in front of it into the air with its horn, then ran toward the White Mist Zone.

"Stop it!"

"Damn it."

"Chase it! We must kill it before it enters the zone!"

...

The espers shouted as they instantly pursued the monster.

Watching them leave, Angela's beautiful eyes flashed with a strange light. Then she patted Anthony on the head.

Anthony crouched down again, letting Angela off his shoulders, and the two of them quietly crept forward.

They hadn't hidden out in this freezing weather for an hour just to watch the show.

A few abandoned buildings had already collapsed, leaving rubble and debris scattered everywhere, along with the blood left by the giant yellow ox.

The two carefully searched, not missing any corner. After a moment, Anthony spotted something near a collapsed wall, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

"Found it!"

...