In the year of 2050, a hyper-realistic MMORPG game was created and became famous throughout the world in a matter of weeks due to it's good graphic quality and settings. People throughout the world, whether they are young or old, healthy or crippled, they play the game, Funtaxy, to escape the harsh reality they were living in and have fun in another world full of fantasy and epic journey. However, there were also those who could not afford to buy the game. It was a hundred dollar per copy at least. Not included the gaming device. So, they could only dream about it. But unbeknown to them, about a disaster that will occur onto the world they were living in soon after.
Five years later, some gigantic portals appeared over every seven continents on earth. Armies of flying dinosaur-like monsters began to coming out of it and began to eat any living being and destroying things on their paths. People were all running around and hiding in terror. Afraid of getting caught and eaten by the monsters.
At the same time, those who played the game, Funtaxy, saw a floating panel with a notice that only they can see appeared before their eyes. "The real game has begun. All of the player's attributes and skills from the game will be transfered to the player's body." That is what was written on the notice. Soon after, all the players were covered in white light that soon gone after some seconds as a status window appeared for each of them. Their attributes including magic power were all transfered to the players. With their special abilities, they help the other civilians by killing all the monsters that came out and save the day. Once all were dead, all of the the portals closed.
When everyone thought that everything is over, a great earthquake was occuring everywhere on earth. In that moment, things from medieval era, such as kingdoms, castles, villages, began to came out from the ground. There were also weird and unfamiliar forests that came out. It as if the world itself was growing bigger with weirder settings.
Along with it, people with old clothing appeared from light that came out from nowhere. There were also weird people with pointy ears and also short people with thick beards. These people that came out, were referred as NPCs by the players. Weird animals began to appearing from the forests though not so endangering other species like humans.
The world is now a collaboration of the modern era and medieval-like era with magic and wild beasts from Funtaxy. Many new types of unknown animals appeared in the world whether they are savage or gentle. The normal modern world is no more. The world is now semi-modern and semi-medieval era with magic. Dungeon portlas frequently appear at some random locations around the world that need to be cleared. If not, dungeon outbreak will occur. Monsters from within the dungeons will come out and rampaging in the world.
As time goes by, the NPCs from Funtaxy, and humans from the modern earth began to accept each others and live a harmonious life together. Human even sent some representatives to dwarven kingdom to create a good relationship and have a strong bond between humans and the dwarves. They accepted humans as their friend. However, it was not the same for the elves. Whenever human sent their representatives to their territories, they either returned heavily injured, or didn't return at all. Magical forests are their territories. Because of human's activities on harming the trees– the natures, they refused to be in touch with human at all. Moreover to let humans step into their territories. They will kill those who enter. Without hesitation.
After some years had passed by, humans found out that not only players can use magic, but non-players too. Because of the strong mana currents that were emitted by the dungeon portals, some people were awakened with mana and be able to use magic. Because of this, some high-ranked players decided to create guilds to recruit awakeners from all over the world that aged over twenty to help them clear the dungeons. For the underage awakeners, awakeners created academies to nurture the younglings properly before letting them go to fight monsters and raid dungeons.
Awakeners are not much different from players. The only thing that make them different is the "Game System Panel" that were given to the players. "Normal Awakener" is the title given to those who awakened without playing the game. Whilst "Players" are the title given to those who owned a game system panel. All of the awakeners that have registered themselves and became a legal one, they were called as "Raider". These awakeners were divided by ranks according to their mana power level from the lowest to the highest. Starting from E which is the lowest, continue with D, C, B, A, and S for "Super". But there are also some rare cases where an awakener is too strong to be measured. They were ranked U as the "Ultra". Ultra-ranked awakeners, they are people who are powerful enough to destroy a nation all by themselves. And for those who have never get their power tested, they were labeled as "N" for "Neutral". Neutral awakeners are illegal awakeners that can be punished with high fine.
. . .
A loud sound of kettle whistling was filling an entire house. The water in it was boiling and releasing vapors through the narrow nozzle at the end of it.
"Rai-kun, can you move the kettle please?" A middle-aged lady told her son as she was putting clothes into the washing machine.
"Hai." A teenage boy answered her call. He turned off the fire on the stove and moved the kettle to the dining table.
The lady comes into the kitchen while putting on a red apron and tying up her hair. "You're going to school already? It's still 7.30." Her voice slightly surprised as she spoke to her son, Raiken, who was already in his school uniform.
"It's better to areive early than late. At least, I won't get any punishment." He said as he walks out from the kitchen and grabs his backpack on the couch in the living rooom. Then he exits the house and reaches for his bicycle. His butt was laid on the seat as he started to riding it and heading to his school.
It took him around twenty minutes to arrive at his school. Once arrived, he was greeted by the school guard that was on duty for the night before. Then he headed to the parking lot and parked his bicycle nicely at where it suppose to be. As he expected, there was no one around at the time except the guard and a disciplinary teacher who had just arrived before him. Politely, he greeted the teacher by bowing slightly.
"You're as early as ever, Yoshimura-kun." She said with impressed tone. It was clearly that she was impressed by Raiken attendance as he was the only student who has always arrived at school as early as her who comes to school early just to punish those who late. "If you're keeping this kind of attitude, I'll never get the chance to punish you." She added with light laughs.
'That's the exact reason why I don't want to come late to school...' He sighed in his mind.
"Well, just trying to not get a punishment." His tone cheerful. "I'll be heading to my class. Doing some clean ups. Please excuse me, sensei." Raiken bowed againbefore continuing his way to his class. The teacher nodded and also continue her way to the teachers office.
Upon arriving at his class, the first he saw were trashes everywhere in the class. 'This must be those guys again...' He released a sigh. 'They should stop loitering here every single night.' Without complaining any further, he put down his backpacm on his seat. Then a broom was grabbed and he starts to sweep the floor with it. He began to cleaning up the class. All the trashes were thrown into a plastic bag. The tables and chairs were arranged neatly. After he done cleaning up the classroom, he laid his butt on his seat and put down his arms along with his head on the table, intending to get a short nap while waiting for others.
As time goes by, more students had arrived. The silent environment from before had slowly turned loud with the sounds of other students talking lively. Raiken woke up due to the loud surrounding. He yawned widely as he was stretching his body.
"Oh, you woke up already. Morning, Rai." Touya greeted him from his seat in front of Raiken. "You seems tired than usual. Why is that?" His voice curious.
"Am I?" Raiken was gently rubbing his sleepy eyes. "I'm just being my usual self though..."
"Hmm... I guess so... Anyway fo you know that the government will send some people here, to this school, to look for those who have potential to be an awakener?" Touya said with eyes glittery in excitement. His voice full of enthusiasm.
Those particular sentences had woken Raiken up completely. He smacked his table in surprise. "Seriously?!" His eyes were wide open and a slight smirk was carved on his face.
"I'm telling the truth. If I'm not wrong, they will fo the assessment on next Wednesday. I mean next week, not tomorrow."
"Now, that's a great chance. We might become an awakener."
"Nah I don't think so." Touya denied his statement while shaking his head. "You need talent to be an awakener. And I don't think we have it." He sighed. Raiken could not do anything but agreed with the fact that Touya had just spout.
But that didn't discourage Raiken as he still has high hope that he will be an awakener. He had trained his physical so much so that his chance on becoming an awakener raised.
The school bell has rung the first time for the day, telling all that the classes have started. Soon after, an old man entered their classroom sith books in his hand. All the students quickly returned to their seats as the teacher entered the classroom. The lesson started soon after the class representative greeted the teacher.
. . .
The pedals on the bicycle were paddled with strong pushing force by Raiken's legs as he was riding up a steep hill in the forest , following the dirt tracks. Sweats were running down his face even though the weather was cold. It was very tiring for him to ride up the hill but that did not stopping him from climbing it until he reaches the top. It has been this way for him for a long time already. Climbing the hill with his bicycle was a part of his daily routine to train himself, increasing his stamina. He had set in his mind to go through it everytime he was on the way home from school.
'A little bit more...!' He screamed the sentence in his mind to encourage himself. His grip on the handle had became slippery because of all the sweats. But he determined to reach the top. All of this for the sake of training.
At the age of ten, Raiken and his family got involved in a hit-and-run car accident. His father and his older sister was killed in the accident, leaving him along with his mother and younger sister who was eight at the time. After that, his mother worked extra jobs to bear their life together. He had just realized how hard it was for his mother to work five years later, when his young brain became matured. Therefore, he decided to get a wealthy job in the future so that he can help the rest of his family. But when the world announced that even non-players could also be awakeners, he found a shortcut to be rich. That is to be a "Raider". Raider is the term used to call the registered and legal adult awakeners. An E-rank raider could even get ten thousand dollars as a monthly salary. Not included the bonuses of clearing a dungeon. Due to this, he was training hard everyday to become fit and stronger. All of this so that could become an awakener and become a raider.
That was what he thought...
After paddling like crazy for some times, he reached the top of the cliff and sat on the ground just beside his bicycle. His breathes were unstable as he was mostly panting due to him being exhausted. Heart was beating like crazy. After some moment, his heart finally slowing down a little. A deep breath was taken and released it slowly. He repeated it three times until his breath became stable again. Then he took in another deep breath again "I will absolutely become a raider!" He released his pent up wish. "AAAAAHH!" Now he just screaming randomly.
Eight days had passed since then. It was the next Wednesday. The day that government will assess the students at his school whether some of them have the potential and talent to become an awakener or not. It was an exciting moment for the most of the students in the school. And it was also the day when Raiken met with a great disappoinment that leaves him in shock...
"Student, Yoshimura Raiken. Not eligible." A man in black suit with sunglasses, an agent of the government, stated straight to Raiken's face as the glasses ball that was used to test the potential in the contestants did not emitting a light even a little. Raiken was petrified by the shock. His eyes wide opened but no expression or sort.
Touya could only felt sorry for Raiken from behind. After all, his friend who had always wanted to be an awakener, actually not eligible on becoming an awakener but he who doesn't really care about it, is.