"Damn, this is boring. What the hell is going on?" Alex muttered, lazily tapping at his controller as the glow of the screen flickered across his face. Empty snack wrappers and half-finished drinks littered the area around him, forming a messy halo of boredom and frustration.
It had been a month since the government suddenly declared martial law and enforced a strict, city-wide curfew. No warning. No explanation. One day, everything was normal—the next, it wasn't.
The internet had gone dark almost immediately. No news. No social media. No messages. Even television had been reduced to occasional emergency broadcasts and static-filled silence. It felt like the entire world had been cut off in an instant.
Rumors spread fast, though—especially when people had nothing else. According to his neighbors, there was a war going on. Or maybe one about to start. Nobody knew for sure.
"Things are way too strange…" Alex mumbled to himself, pausing his game. His eyes drifted toward the window, where faint shadows moved in the distance. "Even the military… they don't look normal anymore. It's like they're wearing heavy metal armor—like knights or something. And I barely see any guns now…"
He leaned back into his chair, unease settling into his chest.
Alex didn't have many friends. Just a couple of online ones—and even they had gone silent since the blackout. He'd never really felt like he fit in anywhere anyway. But one thing he did have was awareness. He noticed things most people didn't. Small details. Patterns. Changes.
And everything about this felt wrong.
Suddenly—
The lights flickered.
A sharp surge of electricity ran through the house, followed by complete darkness.
"What the—?"
Before he could even stand, a faint glow appeared in front of him.
A translucent, holographic screen materialized in midair, hovering just inches from his face. Numbers flickered across it in shifting hues of blue and red.
"132… CP?" Alex said slowly, squinting at the display. "What does that even mean…? And where the hell did this come from?"
He reached out instinctively, trying to touch it—but his hand passed straight through, like it wasn't really there.
Then—
His TV exploded back to life with a loud crackle of static.
Alex flinched, turning toward it as the screen filled with distortion before stabilizing into a grainy broadcast.
"If you have a screen in front of you," a distorted voice announced, its tone urgent and mechanical, "please proceed to the nearest hospital. Military personnel are on-site to brief you on current circumstances."
The image flickered again.
"If you possess combat power, you are to report to the main library in your district immediately. You are granted permission to leave your home only if you have a screen. All others must remain inside."
The message repeated.
Over and over.
Alex stared at the TV, his grip tightening slightly on the edge of his desk.
"Combat power…? Library?" he muttered.
None of this made sense—but at the same time, it felt too real to ignore.
The military wouldn't go this far for something fake.
After a moment of hesitation, Alex stood up.
"Guess I don't have much of a choice."
He quickly got dressed—nothing special, just something comfortable—and grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out.
The moment he stepped outside, the tension in the air hit him like a wall.
Doors were opening all around the neighborhood. People poured out of their homes, murmuring nervously, some panicked, others confused. Most were heading toward the hospital, walking in groups or sticking close to family.
Only a handful—far fewer—were heading in the direction of the library.
Alex was one of them.
The walk felt longer than usual.
Military vehicles lined parts of the streets, their presence heavy and oppressive. Soldiers stood guard at intersections—but they weren't dressed like any soldiers Alex had ever seen before.
They looked like knights.
Full-body metallic armor, dark and polished, covering them from head to toe. Their faces were completely hidden behind visored helmets. Some carried weapons—but many didn't. And somehow, that made them even more unsettling.
"...Yeah. This isn't normal at all," Alex muttered under his breath.
Eventually, the library came into view.
The area around it had been completely secured. Armored vehicles surrounded the building, and more of those knight-like soldiers stood guard at every entrance.
Alex approached cautiously, along with the others who had been called there.
They were allowed inside without much resistance, guided silently by the soldiers. Inside, rows of chairs had been set up, filling the main hall.
"Sit."
The command was simple—and everyone obeyed.
Alex took a seat near the middle, his eyes constantly moving, observing everything.
After a few minutes, once everyone had settled, a figure appeared above them.
A woman stepped onto an upper-level ledge overlooking the hall.
She was dressed entirely in black—tight, sleek, almost tactical. Her face was hidden behind a smooth, featureless black mask.
When she spoke, her voice was distorted, filtered into something cold and commanding.
"Now that all of you are here… I will introduce myself."
A pause.
"You may refer to me as Commander K."
The room fell silent.
"This world has changed," she continued. "Whether you accept it or not is irrelevant."
She raised a hand slightly.
"What you are experiencing is real. Something beyond your previous understanding has begun. Much like the systems you may have seen in anime or novels… those of you with a system now have access to power."
Murmurs immediately spread through the crowd.
"That's impossible—"
"This has to be fake—"
"Is this some kind of experiment?!"
Alex didn't join in.
Because deep down… he already knew.
This wasn't fake.
There was no way the military would orchestrate something like this on such a massive scale just for a lie.
Commander K didn't respond verbally.
Instead, she waved her hand.
A wave of blue fire erupted into existence above the crowd—silent, weightless, yet overwhelming. It spread like a ripple across the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over everyone below.
Instant silence.
"Good," she said calmly.
"On your system screens, you will see a number. That number is not important—yet."
Her gaze swept across the room.
"Shortly, each of you will be escorted into separate rooms. You will interact with a designated machine and select one of two classes compatible with you."
She paused briefly.
"But don't get arrogant."
A faint pressure filled the air.
"I am an A-Rank. Level 82."
Even without seeing her face, the threat was unmistakable.
"I can overpower every single one of you here. No matter what abilities you gain."
A chill ran through the room.
"Now," she continued, "follow the soldiers. Awakening will begin immediately. For your own safety, understand this—those soldiers are, on average, Level 40."
A slight shift in tone.
"So don't try anything stupid."
She gestured toward different sections.
"Those with a CP of 40 or below—left."
"41 to 59—right."
"60 to 99—center. Stay below me."
The crowd began to move, people nervously sorting themselves into lines.
All except Alex.
He remained where he stood.
A soldier noticed immediately and walked toward him.
"What are you doing?" the armored figure demanded, voice sharp. "Get in line."
Alex hesitated.
"Sorry… but my CP is 132," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to go."
The soldier froze.
"...What?"
There was a brief, tense pause.
"Show me your ID."
Alex quickly handed it over.
The soldier glanced at it—then stiffened.
"Commander K!" he called out suddenly. "We have a potential over here!"
Before Alex could react—
She moved.
Commander K dropped from the second-floor ledge, landing effortlessly in front of them. No impact. No sound. Like gravity barely affected her.
She took the ID from the soldier.
And then… she paused.
Longer than necessary.
When she finally spoke, her voice had shifted—just slightly.
"You're above 100 CP…"
A quiet exhale.
"I didn't expect to find one here."
A beat.
"And it's you."
Alex blinked.
"...What?"
She handed the ID back without another word.
"You'll go to the center," she said. "Then come find me immediately after."
Without waiting for a response, she turned—and walked away.
Leaving Alex standing there, more confused than ever.
[Author: This is my first completely original Story. Please read the warnings in the Axilary Chapter. Hope you enjoy]