Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Ch 2: Emrys Starfall

The recruitment center was located in what used to be the City of Xiye's central square. Everything else had been demolished to make way for it. In this world, after the invasion of myriad races, more than 70% of the land had already been destroyed. The nation no longer existed. If there was anything, then only the battlefield that remained. The remaining people from all around the world gathered and formed an alliance and named it the Broken Star Alliance. Across the entire Broken Star Alliance, every city now had a recruitment center just like this one.

There were no longer police or politicians in the Broken Star Alliance, only the army!

The army is divided into several divisions and every division has several squads.

The Public Division served the people, just like how the police and government used to. They handled things like solving small conflicts, protecting citizens, and maintaining order in cities. People often saw them on the streets, helping with problems.

Then there are the Combat Division, Exploration Division, Logistic Division, Medical Division, Special Division, Espers Unit, Honor Guards, Reserve Forces, and more.

In the Broken Star Alliance, everyone now depended on the army. There was no more government, only these divisions working together to keep the alliance safe.

All the people moved forward, and every young adult over 18 was ready to enlist. Many concealed their illnesses, wounds, and other weaknesses, refusing to give up the chance to join the frontlines.

Talking about the frontlines, it has moved to the Sixth Line of Defense.

After the Broken Star Alliance was formed, they set up a total of ten lines of defense. Several human cities are built between every line of defense. Three lines of defense along with several cities have already been destroyed. Now, the battle was being fought at the Sixth Line of Defense.

The City of Xiye was positioned between the Fifth and Fourth Lines of Defense.

The Sixth Line of Defense was already on the verge of collapse. The battle of myriad races is likely to move to the Fifth Line of Defense very soon. The situation is very urgent and perilous. Every single head, every living person, even the weakest one, counts.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are filling out the forms to enlist in the Combat Division and move to the frontline. They wanted to fight for their home and family and for themselves.

So what if they die?

If their sacrifices can give a moment of peace to their loved ones, they are willing to die fighting. They are willing to die with the highest honor and pride.

Among the crowd of people, an average-looking person, Emrys Starfall, stood at the forefront. His face was pale and his eyes were filled with sadness. But in the depth of those eyes, fury could be easily perceived by anyone. This is because his parents were among the dead people who sacrificed themselves to protect the Sixth Line of Defense.

Emrys was holding a short dagger. This dagger was left behind by his father, Noman Starfall who sacrificed himself by exploding in order to kill a group of Shadow Wraiths.

The recruitment officer glanced at Emrys and the dagger he was holding. He took the enlistment form from Emrys and sighed before saying, "You will receive your first order two days later. Go and prepare yourselves."

Emrys nodded and left.

The recruitment process in the Broken Star Alliance is heavily influenced by the demands of the ongoing war. With the casualty rates soaring and the constant threat of invasion, the enlistment procedures have been significantly simplified. The goal is to allocate manpower quickly and efficiently, ensuring that every individual is placed in a role where they can contribute most effectively to the war effort.

All one had to do was fill out the form truthfully. Senior officers would then decide which division of the army a person was best suited for. This decision would be based on the individual's physical and mental capabilities, as well as their Esper abilities. To enter the Combat Division, a person had to be an Esper. Those who had not awakened their abilities and were not Espers would be assigned to the Logistics Division or other divisions.

Emrys was also an Esper. But his ability was very different from others. It seemed almost useless.

While many Espers could control fire, lightning, or even earth, Emrys's power didn’t seem to have much effect in battle. His ability was called "Echo Sense". It let him feel vibrations in the air and ground, sensing movement and sounds far away. He could know when something was approaching, even if it was hidden.

But "Echo Sense" didn't let him attack or defend. He couldn't hurt the enemies or protect his allies. Because of this, most people thought his power was weak and not useful for the frontline.

Even Emrys himself didn't know if his power would help in the war. But he still wanted to fight. He didn't care if his ability was strange or not strong enough. He wanted to honor his parents' memory and protect others just like they did.

He looked at the short dagger in his hand, the last thing left by his father. Holding it tightly, he muttered to himself, "Dad, mom, I will find my own way to protect our home and our city. Even if my power is useless, I will find a way to make it work."

With determination in eyes, Emrys went back home. He had two days to prepare for his first order, and he was ready to face whatever came next, even if it meant using his ability in ways no one had thought of before.

Yes, Emrys already had an idea how to use this ability in war.

Although there are drones, radars, and other techonological devices that can easily detect the arrival of enemies, which are also what made Emrys's ability almost useless, Emrys could still rely on his ability to avoid death in perilous moments. Emrys was certain of at least this fact.

He was not powerful right now, not even a First Star Esper, but he once dreamed of becoming the strongest of all. Now that his parents were no longer around, the last bit of worry in his heart had died. He was now ready to be reckless and act like a madman if it meant he could become powerful.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter