A crimson sun hung low on the horizon, its dim glow struggling to pierce through the dense, smog-ridden clouds that eternally loomed over Base City 17. The remnants of the old world lay beneath its light—broken roads lined with steel barricades, holographic billboards flickering with distorted images, and towering walls covered in scorch marks, reminders of past battles. The air carried the scent of metal and damp earth, a constant reminder that peace was only an illusion.
Rehan pulled his backpack straps tighter as he made his way to school, his boots crunching over the cracked pavement. The distant hum of drones patrolling the skies was the usual morning melody, blending with the muffled voices of vendors setting up their stalls in the marketplace. Life in the base city had settled into a fragile rhythm, but even a high schooler like Rehan knew that danger was always lurking beyond the walls.
Then, the sirens wailed.
A deafening, pulsating alarm tore through the air, sending an instant chill down his spine. It was a sound no one ever wanted to hear—the sound of impending doom. People around him froze, their faces draining of color before erupting into chaos.
"Monster attack! A Level 5 Beast has breached the perimeter!" The broadcast echoed through the city's speakers, and a collective wave of panic surged through the streets.
Rehan's breath hitched. A Level 5? That wasn't just some mutated hound or a low-tier threat. A Level 5 monster could reduce the entire city to rubble. He turned his gaze towards the city walls, his heart pounding so hard it drowned out the screams around him.
Then, he saw it.
The beast emerged like a nightmare from the abyss—a massive, reptilian creature, its body covered in obsidian-like scales that reflected the morning sun with an eerie sheen. Its crimson eyes burned with primal fury, and each step it took sent tremors through the ground. Clawed hands as large as vehicles crushed buildings effortlessly, sending debris flying in all directions.
People ran, desperate to escape the inevitable carnage. The military was already mobilizing, soldiers scrambling to set up energy barriers while others aimed plasma cannons at the beast. But Rehan could see it in their eyes—fear. Hopelessness. They knew their weapons wouldn't be enough.
"Contact the Warrior Alliance immediately!" A voice crackled through the city's comms. "We need reinforcements—any available warriors above Level 3, respond!"
Minutes later, the sky split open as warriors descended like shooting stars, their auras radiating immense power. Rehan watched in awe as a dozen figures landed on the battlefield—elite fighters clad in reinforced armor, some wielding glowing swords while others charged their fists with raw energy.
A Level 5 Warrior, a man clad in dark battle robes, stepped forward. He exuded an aura of overwhelming strength, his muscles coiling like compressed steel.
"I'll hold it off! Stay behind me!" he roared, leaping toward the monster.
The battle began with a thunderous clash. The Level 5 warrior's strikes landed with enough force to shatter mountains, but the beast barely flinched. Instead, it retaliated with a tail sweep that sent the warrior crashing through a row of buildings. Blood splattered the streets as the other warriors attacked in unison—blades sliced, energy blasts rained down, but the creature roared and released a devastating shockwave, scattering them like ragdolls.
Despair thickened the air.
Then, a new presence arrived.
A ripple of energy surged through the battlefield, heavy yet controlled, suffocating yet mesmerizing. The temperature seemed to drop as an unseen force swept through the area. Rehan's eyes widened as a lone figure stepped onto the scene, his long black robe fluttering despite the lack of wind.
The man's presence was ethereal, his silver hair flowing as if untouched by time. But it was his eyes that commanded attention—deep, cold, and brimming with immeasurable power. He raised a single hand, and without warning, dozens of metallic blades lifted from the debris, hovering in the air like a silent storm.
"A Spirit Master…" someone whispered in awe.
Rehan shivered. He had heard stories—warriors who wielded their spirit power to control objects, bending the laws of reality itself. But he had never seen one in action.
The Spirit Master's voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of absolute authority. "Retreat. I will handle this."
With a flick of his wrist, the floating blades shot forward like meteors, cutting through the air with deadly precision. The beast roared, trying to swipe them away, but the blades danced around its attacks, slashing into its flesh with a speed the eye could barely follow.
The monster howled in fury, charging toward him, but the Spirit Master didn't move. Instead, he extended his fingers slightly, and the very earth trembled. Massive chunks of debris levitated, then shot forward, hammering into the beast with crushing force. Blood splattered across the battlefield as the creature screeched in agony.
The Spirit Master remained unmoved, his hand tightening into a fist. The blades rotated mid-air, spiraling around the creature, forming a deadly whirlwind. Then, in one fluid motion, he clenched his fist fully—
—And the blades struck all at once.
A symphony of steel and flesh filled the air as the monster's massive body convulsed. The light in its crimson eyes flickered. Then, with a final, ear-splitting wail, its colossal form collapsed, shaking the entire city.
Silence.
Then, a deafening cheer erupted. Warriors, soldiers, and civilians alike roared in celebration, their fear melting into uncontainable relief. The Spirit Master lowered his hand, the floating blades gently clattering to the ground before vanishing into the void.
Rehan, still rooted in place, could barely breathe. His hands trembled, his heartbeat erratic. He had never seen such overwhelming power before—an existence so high above anything he had ever known. For the first time in his life, he truly understood what it meant to be weak.
His fists clenched.
One day… I will stand there too.
As the city rejoiced, Rehan remained silent, his mind igniting with newfound purpose. Today, he was just another powerless student. But tomorrow… tomorrow, he would begin his journey.
And one day, he would be the one standing before a monster, unshaken.