Generations have passed.
Technology, civilization, and law have evolved far beyond the era of kings and mages. The once-great Mountain of Wu Ling, where the emperor was sealed 500 years ago, has long changed—its sacred lake evaporated, and in its place stands a massive mining zone, pulsing with industrial magic.
The year is 2169.
At the heart of the operation is a powerful corporation called ECO, known worldwide for controlling one of the most valuable resources in existence—crystallized energy ore.
These ores glow with shifting colors like broken prisms. Each piece is no bigger than a finger, yet they vibrate with immense power. Despite their beauty, they are dangerous—pulverizing on contact without protective gloves. When properly harvested, the dust they leave behind becomes a miracle drug, capable of healing nearly any disease or injury when consumed.
The mining teams wear full-body suits embedded with anti-radiation enchantments, magic gloves, mana-infused backpacks, and enchanted pickaxes. All movements are monitored by hovering drones equipped with gesture and magic-scan systems. The site runs like a well-oiled machine—until it doesn't.
One of the team leads, a bald, broad-shouldered man in his early 30s named Draven, walked the rocky path of the mining area. With years of experience etched into his sharp gaze and a reputation for keeping his crew alive in dangerous conditions, he was respected—and sometimes feared—across the site. But everything changed the day he met someone unexpected.
Draven found himself walking alongside a new recruit—a silver-haired man with tired eyes and a blank expression. Though the recruit was clearly an adult, he carried himself like someone who had lived through one burden too many.
Draven glanced at him and broke the silence."Hey. You got a name?"
The man flinched, caught off guard by Draven's low, gravelly voice."O-oh... uh, yeah. I'm Kael," he said, gripping his pickaxe a little tighter.
Draven raised a brow."Relax, Kael. I've got your back out here."He gave him a quick pat on the head—not in a condescending way, but in a steady, reassuring one.
Kael, age 21, lived alone in a cramped apartment just outside the city's industrial district. His silver hair and sharp blue eyes made him stand out, but his past left a weight on his shoulders few could see.
His childhood was rough. His parents divorced early and left him in the care of his aunt, a woman in her mid-fifties who raised him with love and patience. But fate was cruel. At age 20, just one year ago, his aunt was killed in a car accident—an incident involving a high-ranking official from the ECO corporation.
The media covered the story for a week before it was buried.
To avoid a lawsuit, ECO gave Kael a compensation deal: free tuition until graduation, a monthly allowance of ₲4,000, and a company credit card. Kael, grieving and lost, took the deal. He didn't have the energy to fight. He just… moved on.
But the peace didn't last.
On the morning of April 1st, at 7:13 AM, Kael stood in front of an ATM, ready to withdraw his usual allowance.
Instead, the screen showed:
Account Balance: ₲0.00
"…What?" he muttered, tapping the glass.
Was the machine broken? Was this an April Fools' joke?
Then the screen flashed a message:
"Your monthly allowances have ended. If you wish to earn money, apply to our company. Thank you."
Kael stared, expression blank.
"This… has to be a glitch. Or a sick prank," he whispered to himself.
He slapped both sides of the ATM and stood still, staring intensely."They never told me the deal had an expiration date…"
Before he could finish the thought, a hand tapped his shoulder.
"Yo, dude. You done? You've been standing here forever."
Kael turned to see a long line of people behind him, all visibly annoyed.
"A-ah, sorry about that!" he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he stepped away.
As he walked off, he muttered to himself, "Well, that was embarrassing…"
Kael returned home, slammed the door behind him, and dropped onto the floor.
He opened his drawer, pulled out a dusty piggy bank, and smashed it open.
"₲2,613... Not even enough for rent and food," he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
He stared at the ceiling."I guess I have no choice. I'll apply for the job. Even if it's ECO."
Dragging his body over to the desk, Kael opened his old laptop, typed up the application with half-closed eyes, and hit submit.
He collapsed onto his bed and passed out.
A few hours later, a new message buzzed on his screen:
Congratulations, Kael. You have been accepted as a mining member of ECO Corp.
Report to the Great Mountain of Wu Ling on April 3rd, at 6:00 AM.
We look forward to working with you.
Kael stared at the screen in silence.
Far beneath the mountain's stone crust, something ancient stirred.A sealed book… pulsed with energy for the first time in five centuries.