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Chapter Text

Fire blazed across the battleground. I could hear my own heart reverberate inside my ears as thousands of mortars and heavy artillery peppered the ground into nothing. My fellow countrymen screamed as the damnable beasts tore them asunder before dragging them together into the grave with a magnificent explosion. My breath stuttered against the respirator as the sulfuric smell of the damnable acid-spitters cut through the smoke. The bastards were most likely going to start spitting on my squad in about twenty seconds. Standard frag grenades wouldn’t be enough to deal with those bastard-tough shells. Grabbing a red canister on my hip, a blue UI appeared over my vision.

FEAR-FG Mk.I
Fire-Emulsion Adherent Resin — Fire Grenade

Type: Thermal Ordnance, Incendiary, Grenade
Weight: 0.6 | Use: Single-use | Fuse: 1.1 s
Effect: Generates a 5 m radius incendiary dome centered on impact. Targets inside are coated in adherent thermogel and immediately ignited. The coating is difficult to remove; standard movement is hindered. Leaves burning residue on terrain, creating a short-lived hazard zone.

Arming it, I chucked it with all my might at the small swarm of spitters encroaching on our position, and in a second those bastards were bathed in holy fire. Their horrid cries were muffled by the sounds of artillery, gunfire, bestial screeches, and human screams. I checked my rifle and began nailing monster after monster, peppering them with bullets as I tried to take out as many of the small ones with my team as I could. With a quick signal, we pushed forward across the battlefield and switched to a wide-bodied magazine, built for heavier rounds.

HEDP-R Mk.III
High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Rounds

Type: Armor-Piercing / Explosive, Ammunition
Effect: On armored impact, a micro-shaped charge detonates to drive a focused pierce through plating, then bursts behind the armor to inflict internal damage. Against unarmored targets, it behaves as standard AP with reduced or no explosive effect. Performance drops at steep impact angles; glancing hits may ricochet.

It didn’t take us long to reach one of the biggest brood-mothers I had seen in my entire twenty-one years of life and seven years of service. It easily topped our now-ruined walls, standing close to twenty meters tall. In this horde, however, this bastard was just one of many monsters that reared their heads out of the woodworks and breached our home.

“FIRE!” I shouted to my fellow soldiers as pain exploded in my shoulder and we unloaded twenty-something rounds into the fucker. Radioactive-green viscera slammed into my once-pristine white ceramic armor, drenching it in the ichor of the beasts that breached our walls. The behemoth fell under the combined fire of our rifles and what remained of our artillery. Fatigue and wariness began to set in my bones, but I couldn’t stop. Looking back, I saw my subordinates even more haggard than I was. Their lack of training and greenness was plain, but after the catastrophe of the first wave, there was nothing I could do. I shuddered in pain and nearly succumbed to emotion as their deaths replayed in my head.

— Flashback:  A Day Before —

“HOLD THE LIN—” A massive claw ripped the commanding officer’s head off his body like it was nothing. The Stalker was promptly dealt with by the combined force of our artillery and soldiers, but not without taking out another five. There were at least a dozen deaths by the minute as more and more elite monsters left the woodworks and charged us like they had no concept of death. The leader of the expedition, the so-called King Insect, stood in the back. Its massive body—easily forty meters tall—seemed to struggle with its own girth as it slowly advanced. Our arms fire, even with my AP rounds, did little more than tickle the bastard. Only my engineered Eldea State Cannon could nail the fuck and cause real damage, but it was a slow process, and we might not manage to kill him in time.

— Current Period —

I couldn’t afford another second reminiscing as another small contingent of monsters came upon our position. With a single flick, the soldiers changed magazines, switching to standard ammo. I knew this struggle didn’t really matter now. We had lost everything. Eldea was nothing but ruins beneath our feet, its citizens now numbering less than ten percent of what they were. However, we would at least annihilate this last wave in Eldea’s history—our nation’s final struggle against this fucked place. We had annihilated the King Insect, so we would annihilate the remnants of its army until nothing was left.

We charged forward with abandon. I saw many of the less experienced get swallowed by the horde. We stepped over their corpses and the corpses of civilians, their deaths not stopping our final stand. I had to conserve my rifle’s ammo; I drew my handgun for the weaker ones, preserving rounds for the remnants of the Stalkers, Brood Mothers, Behemoths, and Dread Flyers. The second day of the battle soon came to a close.

The nearly five century old war came to a close.

The Eldean State had finally eliminated its greatest enemy.

The Eldean State was no more.

— Current Time: 1 Week After Eldean Victory —

I stuffed my backpack with whatever I could salvage from my personal armory in the ruins of my home. Among the things I refused to leave behind was my ceremonial outfit—the one I wore when I was promoted to Lieutenant of the 13th Military Division and later appointed Senior Engineer of the 14th Engineering Divisions. It had been an impressive achievement for a twenty-one-year-old with seven years of active duty, but now it felt painfully small against the weight of all that had been lost.
The uniform was simple: a white tunic with a high collar and crimson stripes running down the shoulders. My rank and name were stitched in red thread on the right side of the chest. Khaki trousers tucked neatly into armored boots that rose to my shins, while light plating covered the shoulders and forearms. A red-and-white cape flowed from my back. The helmet—plain white, the traditional Senior Engineer’s make—bore a black visor, a small respirator, and red lenses to cut the glare of our work. Heavy to carry, maybe, but it was a memento of home, of comrades, of every moment of joy before the war stripped them all away.
Alongside the uniform, I carried my rifle—Bastion. Over the years I had tuned it for reliability in all conditions, quick reloads, and reduced recoil. Beneath its barrel I mounted my own creation, the Stinger, a launcher I designed to crack through the hardened core of the King Insect when the Eldea State Cannon gave me an opening. My sidearm was a standard handgun, but I stocked every kind of ammunition I could find for both weapons, along with special-purpose rounds and the grenades I had crafted during my service.
Finally, there were my greatest treasures: a gold necklace set with a pink gem and a black brass ring that now slipped easily onto my middle finger. They were the only belongings left to me from my parents—at least, that’s what my mentor said, since he found me with them as a baby. Whenever I felt lost or in danger, those two keepsakes always seemed to bring me luck.
I adjusted my combat uniform—the reinforced version of my ceremonial one, built for insulation and protection in battle. I wiped the visor of my helmet clean of dust and debris, then looked out over what remained of the Eldean State. Most of the survivors had already packed their belongings and left with the merchant caravans, heading for safer lands under military escort. I was one of the few who stayed behind. Why? I couldn’t say. I had already buried every corpse I could find, laying them to rest with proper military honors. Was it guilt that kept me here—guilt for surviving when so many others had fallen? Was it an attempt to atone for the young souls who gave their lives to defend the Eldean State, to defend me, when it should have been me in their place? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I stood alone in the ruins, watching as the broken world was slowly bathed in light.

As I stood among the ruins, I felt a sudden presence behind me. I didn’t understand how I knew—it just struck me. Instinct took over. I jumped, swung around, and aimed my rifle at the intruder.

A Stalker, I thought. A remnant that had managed to escape.

If so, I would kill it. No matter the cost. Even if it took my final breath.

However, I was shocked as I came upon an odd figure unknown to my Eldean knowledge: a seemingly humanoid bunny that lacked eyes, its only defining feature being its mouth. It was dressed in a strange attire—a deep purple, full-body outfit with buttons down the front and strange gems embedded in its arms and legs. Another odd thing was the yellow stick it carried, with two green balls at each end.

“ Why, what an aggressive stance you take—against such an innocent rabbit as myself? ”

Its voice made me shudder once. My light brown eyes narrowed as my skin prickled with fear. For some reason, I knew my rifle would do little against this monster. It gave me a more fearsome feeling than the King Insect, despite its size being so diminutive compared to that goliath. If it wanted to, it could have killed me already.

Sighing, I dropped my rifle. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, and the creature gave me a wide smile that further disturbed me.

“Now isn’t that better?” 

The rabbit god spoke mockingly, but I forced myself to turn the other cheek. There would be no point to my death, as this creature had done me no ill will—despite treating me like a child. Before I could respond to its question, it asked me:

“What do you desire? Honor and pride? Power and influence? Money and riches? Revenge? Or To transcend all such things?”

I had thought to interrupt it, but the question struck me. I didn’t know what I wanted now. All of my life, the only thought in my head was to rid Eldea of the oncoming Insect hordes and pave the way for my homeland to shine. But now, the hordes are dead with their king, and Eldea lies in rubble.

Honor and pride? I prided myself in my inventions, sure, but I was not overly arrogant, and I was always willing to step over my pride just to learn.

Power and influence? My blessing, the Crafting System, already granted me plenty of room for power. So long as I could foresee an item and create it with the right skills, there was no need for more power. Influence didn’t matter to me unless I was in Eldea to improve it.

Money and riches? Perhaps. My inventions were expensive, and I frequently ended up broke when researching new things with my Crafting System. But right now, wealth has no relevance for me. Furthermore I could always use my skills and weapons to make money.

Revenge? My enemies are dead. There is nobody left to avenge my comrades, teachers, students, and subordinates against. I could beat up a corpse, but that would be it.

To transcend all things? What did that even mean? Why was it speaking in riddles I could not understand? Perhaps beings such as these truly lay outside my comprehension.

I looked down and noticed the beautiful pink gemstone, its shade lighter than my own hair. Nowhere in Eldea had I ever seen someone with the same hue.

It had caused me trouble back in the heyday, many in the military assumed I had dyed my hair and wasted resources. Because of that, I wore my helmet daily, removing it only for sleep or bathing.

Yet the question always lingered: where did I come from? If my parents had lived in Eldea, my station would have uncovered records of them. But no matter how far I searched, I found none who shared my features.

“Would it allow me to find out who my parents were? I don’t mind if they are dead, but I just want to know who they were.”

The rabbit sneered before clapping once and beginning to levitate as its stick began spinning in front of him.
“All of your answers are inside the Tower, young man. I, Headon, welcome you with open arms”

As it said so, materializing out of nowhere, a massive gate appeared out of nowhere, as Headon bowed from his elevated position and indicated for me to step forward. Looking back to the ruined city state, I turned around and walked forward intent to search for answers regarding my birth inside the Tower.

Chapter Text

All-encompassing darkness surrounded me as I stepped through the gate. The cold felt like ice crawling inside me, and I gripped the rifle tighter against my chest. My heartbeat hammered in my ears like a drum, offering no reassurance. Desperate, I reached for my last resort—the small pink gem necklace around my neck. It was a simple thing, yet it steadied my racing pulse. The oppressive weight faded, replaced by a soothing warmth, like sinking into a hot bath after a long day of marching and training.

Sweat gathered on my brow for a moment, but I dismissed the discomfort as the darkness broke apart. I opened my eyes wider, confused, before I realized I stood atop a rocky hill overlooking a field of golden-brown grass. Similar outcrops dotted the field, close enough that someone like me could cross between them quickly. I scanned the other vantage points and clutched the rifle closer. Figures crowded them—most armed with melee weapons, a few with bows and rifles.

I glanced behind me and saw my “neighbors”: a red-skinned man who thought it was a good idea to appear on this obvious battlefield with only his private parts covered and a spear in hand. He clearly lacked brains, as the only method of combat available to him was the spear. He could have lacked the financial means to procure better equipment; however, he was either even more lacking in the gray matter region or he had some ace in the hole. I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that the humanoid had some form of strength amplification or extra-durable skin; a Stalker had taught me these lessons early in my career. Stalkers were specialized insectoids—diminutive but fast, with sickle-like blade hands—that cost my first squad heavy casualties. I would have to aim for soft tissue, the eyes first to blind or kill him, or the joints to destabilize him. I didn’t want to use my FEAR grenades, but I had to be ready.

The most pressing issue was the large alien creature. It had multiple eyes across its spherical skull, making any sneak attack—especially while dealing with the red-skinned fighter—quite difficult. Smoke bombs or a flashbang would disorient both quickly. Nevertheless, its sheer bulk worried me. A well-placed shot with Stinger might send enough pellets to blow a sizable hole into that bastard, but that was contingent on whether standard small-arms fire could penetrate its hide.

My lack of information made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t consider a peaceful option at present, given how frightening and dangerous the mocking rabbit god was. Such a creature wouldn’t be the guardian of a leisurely walk in the park. I tightened my grip on the rifle and sank into a crouch, ready to back out of the spear’s range and thumb a flashbang the second those new threats moved. I hoped my instincts and fears were wrong, but Eldea had taught me that even your friends could stab you in the back just to escape.

It seemed that my neighbors had noticed my aggressive stance, but before any of us could spring into action, we heard it.

“MIKE TEST! ONE! TWO! THREE!”

I almost threw a flashbang, then caught myself. It had to be a public-address system. Where was the infrastructure, though? The field stretched at least a kilometer across—too wide for a single speaker. Maybe they were relaying through hidden nodes in the valleys. Then I looked up and saw the source: a sizable yellow cube floating in the air, and—beyond it—the fortress.

“How was that possible? The only idea I had was that it floated due to some kind of material similar to a Dread Flyer’s inner gelatinous lining, which allows it to float like a hot-air balloon. Maybe this strange place had a similar beast, and its parts were easier to use than that fragile thing—or perhaps it was metal. Yes, metal or mineral seemed the most likely explanation, given the large structure in the distance.”

“HELLO EVERYONE! ‘REGULAR MEMBERS’ WHO HAVE ENTERED THE TOWER!! THIS IS THE SECOND FLOOR AND I SINCERELY WELCOME YOU TO EVANKHELL’S FLOOR. THIS EVANKHELL’S FLOOR IS ALSO CALLED THE ‘FLOOR OF TEST’! BECAUSE THIS IS THE LEVEL WHERE YOU ARE DEEMED WORTHY OF CLIMBING THIS TOWER!”

Tests? I could handle myself pretty well in any physical contest; all of the Eldean children were forced to participate in rigorous physical activity around the age of 10 to prepare against the incoming red tides. However, my knowledge regarding this land was certainly spotty. Whatever merchants did appear spoke little, and even my best attempts couldn’t squirrel any info from them about the larger world. Now that I had a moment to think about—

“—THE FIRST TEST IS VERY SIMPLE! I WILL BEGIN ANNOUNCING THE RULES, SO LISTEN CAREFULLY! THE FOLLOWING ARE THE RULES FOR THE FIRST TEST! THE NUMBER OF REGULAR MEMBERS IN THIS FLOOR TOTALS ‘400’! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO MAKE THAT 400 GO DOWN TO 200! METHOD? BY ANY MEANS!! THE MOMENT THE NUMBER OF REGULAR MEMBERS GO DOWN TO 200, THIS TEST WILL END. THEN EVERYONE TRY YOUR BEST.”

I didn’t waste time. The flashbang arced toward them. The red-skinned man flinched, too slow to shield his eyes. The giant only stared at it like he had never seen a grenade before. Then it went off—blinding them instantly, since they weren’t wearing specialized helmets.

While they staggered, I fired at whatever soft tissues I imagined wouldn’t be so tough: eyes, joints, throat. My rounds punched through, surprising me for a second. I had expected greater resistance, but all it took were well-placed bullets that tore into their weak spots. It looked like it killed the red man on the spot, the rounds cleanly exiting out of the back of his skull.

The many-eyed colossus struggled, clawing at his eyes and throat, surviving the initial volley for a moment before I ended his pitiful fight with a shot to the center of his skull. I put another round into the red-skinned humanoid as well, to assure myself of his death. I couldn't exactly say for certain that none of them possessed some form of post-mortem ability or means to stay alive with a bullet going through their brain.

I felt my brain buzz with adrenaline as I crouched lower to the ground. Assessing with greater detail my surroundings, I saw the endless expanse of wheat-colored grass once more. There was a greater hill a bit further away, which should be crossable in a few mere moments. It would offer me a better vantage spot where I could easily pick off any stragglers or pursuers coming upon my position. But the worrisome thing was the distinct glare of a scope, beaming every time the fellow there moved from one target to another with his weapon.

“I could maybe charge their position. However, it would be too risky. I would face relentless fire from that side, as even a rat would know when a cat is moving to it with no abandon.”

“Tsk.” I checked my rifle thoroughly for any damage and looked down at the field once again. I should move to a better position so that the hill’s peak covered me from the sniper. It was at that moment that I saw it.

A green chitinous monstrosity bearing a shrimp’s head munching upon a child’s head. It let out what I assumed were gleeful chirps and content sounds as it mercilessly tore the poor boy. The child, barely 13 or so, spasmed in his final death throes. Clearly the lad’s last moments were not painless. At that moment, I felt my eyes turn red as I remembered.

“Archibald, mauled in the final war. Albert, eaten alive on our first expedition. Norman, dissolved inside a Dread Flyer. Alice, crushed beneath a Brood Mother. All of them—family, friends, companions, lovers—dead. All because of the insectoids. Because I couldn’t move in time. Because I wasn’t good enough. Because I was foolish. Because I thought myself great. And now another is dead to these monsters. All… because I couldn’t kill them all.”

I charged without a care in the world. A guttural roar of fury exploded from me as I jumped down, ignoring how my knees rattled a bit from the fall. I unloaded the rest of my magazine into that beast’s torso and head, crossing the distance like an arrow across the field.

The beast seemed frightened by the sudden disruption of its attack upon the child’s brain, and its exoskeleton was soon punctured, its innards turned to mush from my heavy fire from my Bastion rifle. I didn’t stop, however. Once I arrived at whatever remained of that bastard, I struck it with my rifle stock. I kept bashing its skull with my fist and rifle stock until its head was turned into paste.

SCULRCH, SCULRCH, SCULRCH, Scurlch, sculrch.

“I knew it was foolish to charge, but the thought never entered my mind. There was no plan, no strategy — only rage. Only the memory of all the faces I had lost.”

My breath turned ragged from beating the monster mercilessly as the adrenaline drained away. I was left with two corpses. Taking out a small knife, I stabbed the shaking child into the skull, ending his final death throes. I could only do so much; even my meager medical skills told me an exposed brain and missing parts of it were final. I hoped the boy was resting in whatever afterlife welcomed him. I breathed deeply, easing myself back into the mindset as I took out two of my incendiary grenades and threw them on both corpses after priming them.

I-G Mk.III
Incendiary Grenade

Type: Thermal Ordnance, Grenade
Weight: 0.4 kg
Durability: Single-use
Fuse Time: 1.4 s
Effect: Detonates with an incendiary burst in a 1 m radius, igniting all flammable materials within range. Creates sustained fire that lasts 12 seconds, independent of external fuel. Effective for area denial and forcing targets from cover.

It was a waste, as I could have piled them on top of one another and destroyed any chances of that creature having some grotesque means of reproduction. But I couldn’t allow the child to lie close to its killer. I couldn’t allow it, despite Eldean code telling me I must not waste resources on sentimentality.

It was foolish of me to charge so carelessly upon the enemy, but glancing at the smoldering corpses I remembered everybody who died in Eldea and understood that it had some meaning to me and whatever remnants of a normal man stayed behind with me.

I reloaded my rifle and ignored the spreading fire behind me, as it would serve as good enough cover from the sniper. The dried grass would spread the fire far and create enough chaos for sneak attacks from medium distance. As I prepared to charge forward, I saw a figure approach me.

He was younger and shorter than I, looked to be around 15 or so. He had chin-length light blue hair with a dark blue bandana covering one side of his bangs. He had pallid skin with dark blue eyes that I always saw among many of the politicians of Eldea. He even dressed sharply as them, but at least he didn’t wear those disgusting robes that dragged behind them like a load of garbage.

As he approached me, I pointed Bastion in his direction, indicating for him to stop. While he was of age, he was still too young to be considered old enough to realize the mistake of stepping in a warzone. Therefore, I would give him this courtesy at the very least…

Albert smiled mischievously after managing to pull another prank on me. His pale blue hair and dark blue eyes shined brightly against his pale skin as he rolled on the floor laughing at my plight…

Albert, my best friend from childhood, stood before me, at the same age he died and now sitting before my eyes. I didn’t manage to see him clearly due to the intensity of the moment and the fire partially covering his features, but that was Albert. My first instinct was to rush and hug him, but I steeled my heart. Eldea had plenty of stories of doppelgangers and shapeshifters—I couldn’t afford to let my past send me to an early grave. The young man smiled in the same way Albert would when he had a plan afoot.

“Hello there, friend… How about we make a deal?”