Earth : Beneath the Ash
Author: Michel RowdyStatus: Best-selling book for three consecutive yearsTheme: World War III
In 2058, the Third World War erupted—the most devastating conflict in human history. AI-powered weapons, autonomous combat vehicles, and advanced nuclear arms erased one-tenth of the global population. Humanity's progress regressed overnight as countless scientists, engineers, and visionaries perished.
Ten years of relentless bloodshed followed. Millions of lives were lost in moments, and the weight of devastation was felt by every surviving human being on Earth.
By then, traditional nuclear weapons had become nearly obsolete. Developed nations had implemented systems capable of intercepting and neutralizing nuclear attacks. At first, this seemed like good news. It was not.
Instead, anti-humanity weapons emerged—technologies capable of exterminating every living person in a city without damaging a single building. These terrifying innovations became the true instruments of war.
City after city was massacred. Entire regions vanished from maps. Some small nations were wiped out completely. Humanity began to witness what seemed like its own approaching extinction.
But every story has an ending.Every life meets its death.
So how did that war end?
Who was the hero who stopped it?Or who was the villain who started it?
"I do not know the villains who began the war.But I know the heroes who ended it."
War never brings anything good.
Believing in that truth, during the final phase of the conflict, ordinary people emerged from underground bunkers and shelters. They flooded the streets, protesting against their own governments—demanding an end to the war, demanding an end to the killing.
The same scenes unfolded even within enemy nations. Across allied and hostile states alike, people stood together.
Initially, governments attempted to suppress the protests through force. But the movements only grew stronger, rising day by day.
"Why do you think ordinary people protested so fiercely?"Because in this modern world, no common citizen wanted war.Only the power-hungry upper echelons desired it.
By 2068, the world rebelled.
Citizens, soldiers, and scientists united, overthrowing governments across the globe. Many lives were lost—but with them, the old world died as well.
From the ashes, a single authority emerged.
World Providence.
One world.One law.One leader—elected anonymously by the global majority.
Humanity survived through unity.
Thus, the current world governing system was formed, divided into thirty sectors, each led by its own sector president.
"Hey, bastard. What are you doing?"
The hoarse voice came from behind, fixed on a fourteen-year-old street child with ordinary black hair and black eyes.
"…."
There was no response. Startled, he snapped the book shut in his hands.
"Hey, bastard—what's in your hand? Come here."
The order came from a shabby-looking man, a gang leader, his gaze sharp and predatory.
Without answering, the black-haired youth ignored him and bolted in the opposite direction, disappearing into the dark alley with the book clutched tightly against his chest.
"Catch that bastard!" the man shouted. "He needs to be taught a lesson."
*
Does motivation truly exist?
If it does, then why does it vanish in failure and blaze in success?
Some say discipline replaces motivation. Others admit they do not know the answer at all.
Perhaps perseverance is the truth.
I was an orphan.
No education. No dreams. No ambition. No money.
I survived through odd jobs—whatever paid, whatever fed me. I grew up on the streets, fighting for food, for shelter, for existence itself. In a world too busy to care, I searched for something people spend their entire lives chasing.
A dream.
Yet I did not even understand what a dream was, or how one was obtained.
I believed time would grant me an answer.It never did.
By the age of fourteen, I had nothing. No family. No past. No future.
I lived in an orphanage until I was nine, then fled. Not because I was mistreated—but because I refused to remain small. I wanted to become something greater. I wanted to live as a proud, self-reliant man, not as a nameless orphan forgotten by the world.
That was the beginning of my journey.
I had seen movies on roadside televisions—heroes who chased dreams, endured hardship, and emerged great. I did not know if those stories were lies.
But I wanted to believe.
Did I have resolve? Did I have conviction?
I would find out.
I would surpass myself. I would move forward. I would update myself every day.I would evolve—until I became the greatest version of myself.
From that day onward, a spark ignited within the mind of a child who had nothing.
I had to.
He ran for nearly thirty minutes through the back alleys on the outskirts of Seoul. His breathing was heavy as he finally stopped, glancing behind him to see if anyone was still chasing.
He carefully hid the book in a concealed spot and waited, his expression turned grim.
The atmosphere around him changed instantly. Moments ago, he looked like a frightened chick—someone without the courage to even speak. Now, a hardened, veteran gaze emanated from his eyes.
He clenched his fists and stared forward, emotionless, as his pursuers arrived one by one.
"H-hey… hey, you. Now you've got nowhere to run," an adult said, panting but grinning.
"Boys, get ready to catch today's meal," ordered the man—the leader of the black-alley gang.
Four others, aged between sixteen and twenty, rushed toward the boy. They believed he was hiding something valuable, and they spared no effort in trying to seize him.
The boy did not blink. His eyes remained cold, devoid of fear, a striking contrast to his gaze, unlike before.
As they closed in, a swift kick cut through the air—followed by the sound of bone cracking. One of the underlings collapsed, clutching his leg and screaming in agony.
"…Impossible," the others muttered. Surprised at the sudden violence.
Before they could process what was happening, the black-haired youth launched forward. His punches were precise and relentless. One by one, they fell.
Only the adult remained.
"…How? You—who are you?" he stammered, sitting on the ground, terror flooding his face as he stared at the boy's fighting skills.
There was no response.
The black-haired youth approached slowly, his gaze cold and unreadable.
The man jumped to his feet and bowed desperately.
"Please… forgive me."
***
[Year 2078 — Seoul, United Korea Republic, Sector 13, World Providence]
Adrian stood before a massive public screen in the center of the city. His small frame was lost among towering structures of steel and glass—buildings modern in design, yet scarred by the remnants of war.
His black eyes glittered with curiosity.
By day, Adrian worked in a small street business, performing labor too insignificant for most to notice. By night, he returned to this place, where dramas were projected onto the outer walls of a colossal building—miniature films for a broken society still healing.
Technology had advanced, yet the world had not recovered.
War had taken too much.
One night, fate shifted.
Adrian met someone he had only ever seen on the screen.
She was a famous actress—Na-Dyhun—a model who starred in a popular drama. In the series, she portrayed a woman who balanced corporate life with the identity of a secret agent. Strong. Capable. Unbreakable.
To Adrian, she was unreal.
She was everything he was not.
As she prepared to enter her car, Adrian approached and knocked on the window.
The glass lowered.
"Yes?" she asked, surprised.
"Miss… no—Madam Alphea," Adrian said, using her character's name.
She paused, then smiled.
"Oh? Are you my fan?"
"Yes," he replied softly, excitement trembling in his voice.
Her manager interrupted urgently, warning of a tight schedule. Yet Na-Dyhun noticed the boy's condition—the worn clothes, the hunger hidden behind discipline.
She understood immediately.
"Thank you for being my fan," she said gently, handing him money. "Buy yourself food. Clothes."
Adrian hesitated.
"Miss… may I ask one question?"
She nodded.
"How do you do it?" he asked."How do you rise from nothing and handle everything? How can someone be ordinary and exceptional at the same time?"
The question silenced her.
After a moment, she smiled.
"That's a difficult question."
"Then… can you answer it simply?"
She laughed softly.
"All right. Simply?"
"Yes."
"You act."
"Act?" Adrian repeated.
"Yes. You act—until the role becomes real."
That single word carved itself into the boy's soul.
No one could have imagined how far that answer would carry him.