The sky stretched endlessly, a vast expanse of unfamiliar stars. Asher walked through a barren wasteland, his boots sinking into the cracked ground. The air was thick with the scent of burning metal, and the only sound was the occasional gust of wind howling through the lifeless terrain.
Beside him, Darius, the drunken old man who had taken him under his wing, took a long gulp from his flask, wiped his mouth, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Kid, you got that serious look again. Relax a little, will ya?"
Asher didn't reply. His mind was elsewhere.
Liora.
His sister was out there, somewhere, trapped in the hands of those bastards. And he wasn't strong enough to save her yet.
"Where are we heading?" Asher finally asked.
Darius grinned. "A little town up ahead. Got some people there who owe me a drink. Maybe a few old flames, too." He winked.
Asher sighed. This guy was completely useless. How the hell was he supposed to train under a drunk pervert?
They walked for hours until they reached a small settlement—Korvak's End, a town built on the remains of an ancient battlefield. The moment they stepped in, every eye turned toward them.
The place was crawling with bounty hunters, mercenaries, and warriors from different planets. It smelled of blood, sweat, and desperation.
"Well, well, look what we got here," a voice sneered.
A group of rough-looking men approached. The leader, a tall man with scars covering his face, smirked.
"A drunk and a kid. You lost, boy?"
Darius chuckled. "Oh, look. A group of nobodies trying to act tough."
The men twitched. "You got a big mouth, old man."
Before they could react, Darius moved.
No one saw what happened. One second, he was standing there. The next, the leader was on the ground, unconscious.
The rest of the gang backed away, terror in their eyes.
Asher narrowed his eyes. This old man… He wasn't just strong. He was on a completely different level.
Darius laughed and patted Asher on the back. "See? Lesson one: Don't waste your time with weaklings."
They arrived at Blackgate, a floating city where no law existed. Everything was for sale—weapons, technology, even entire planets.
Asher's eyes widened as he overheard a merchant boasting,
"This planet right here? Small civilization, weak species. Buy it now for 20 billion xen!"
Planets were being traded like currency.
Asher clenched his fists. If Earth was discovered, it would be sold to the highest bidder and wiped out.
"You're thinking too much again," Darius muttered, tossing a flask at him. "Drink. Relax."
Before Asher could respond, someone blocked their path.
A man with silver hair, a long black coat, and piercing golden eyes stood before them. He radiated power.
"You. Boy." His voice was calm, but it commanded attention.
Asher felt his body tense. "Who are you?"
"Someone who doesn't like outsiders."
Darius grinned. "Well, too bad, pretty boy. We ain't going anywhere."
The silver-haired man smirked. "Good. Then we'll settle this in the arena.
The Blackgate Arena was a massive coliseum filled with warriors from across the stars. The air stank of blood.
"Whoever wins," the announcer roared, "gets one free wish!"
Asher stood in the center. Across from him, the silver-haired man cracked his knuckles.
"Don't die too quickly, kid," he taunted.
Asher's lips curled into a smirk. Finally. A real fight.
BOOM!
The battle erupted. The man vanished, appearing behind Asher in an instant. A fist came flying toward his head.
Asher dodged by a hair.
The ground cracked beneath them. Their battle was so intense that the entire arena shook.
Then, suddenly—
A massive explosion rocked the city.
Screams filled the air. An army was invading.
Darius cursed. "Shit. We got company."
Asher turned toward the chaos. This was no ordinary battle. This was something bigger, something that would change everything.
He cracked his knuckles.
"Looks like we're just getting started."