Yo, Mid-D-Man here (that's me, the author, in case you're wondering).
So I figured I should probably shed some light on the world this story takes place in, because jumping straight into underground murder tournaments without context might leave some of you confused about how we got here. Let me break down what Earth looks like in 2079, and trust me—it's messy.
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THE GREAT STALEMATE (OR: HOW THE WORLD STOPPED FIGHTING BUT NEVER MADE PEACE)
Alright, so here's the deal: World War III has been going on since 1983. Yeah, you read that right. Ninety-six years of war.
Except it's not really "going on" anymore. It's more like... paused? Stalled?
Around 40-50 years ago (so sometime in the 2020s-2030s), the war hit a wall. Resources ran out, economies collapsed, everyone was exhausted, and the major powers basically looked at each other and went "yeah, maybe we should stop before there's literally nothing left."
But here's the thing: nobody officially ended it. No peace treaties. No accords. No handshakes and "let's be friends again." Everyone just kinda... stopped actively trying to kill each other on a massive scale and retreated behind their borders.
So technically? World War III is still happening. It's just in the world's longest timeout.
Countries keep to themselves now, paranoid about outside influence, terrified that one wrong move will reignite everything. Some nations still have smaller conflicts going on—proxy wars, border disputes, that "you do you, I do me" kind of violence that doesn't escalate into global catastrophe but still keeps people dying.
International travel exists, but it's rare, expensive, and heavily monitored. Most people will never leave their country of birth. The world's basically become a bunch of isolated islands that occasionally trade with each other while glaring suspiciously across the water.
Fun times.
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GLOBAL POPULATION: WE'RE DOWN TO 3-4 BILLION
Yeah, you read that right. The global population is somewhere between 3 to 4 billion people. Give or take.
For context, back in the early 21st century, we were pushing 8 billion.
The war took a LOT of lives. And I mean a LOT. During its peak—those first couple decades when everyone was going absolutely insane—the death toll was catastrophic. Entire cities wiped out. Regions depopulated. Famines, plagues, the whole apocalypse starter pack.
Humanity survived, obviously (you're reading this, so we made it), but we're working with half the population we used to have. Maybe less, depending on which demographic reports you trust, and let me tell you—accurate census data is NOT a priority for nations barely holding themselves together.
So yeah. Smaller world. Fewer people. Everyone a little more precious and a little more paranoid.
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THE NEW POWER STRUCTURE (SPOILER: IT'S ALL ABOUT NOVABREEDS)
Okay, so who's in charge now? Who are the big players?
Simple answer: whoever has the most NovaBreeds.
That's the new measuring stick for power. Not nuclear weapons (those vanished in 1983, we'll get to that). Not conventional militaries (too expensive to maintain during a resource-depleted stalemate). Not even economic power, really.
It's NovaBreeds. Living, breathing people with superpowers who can be controlled, weaponized, and deployed.
Current global rankings by NovaBreed military assets:
1. CHINA - Number one with a bullet. Massive population base, aggressive conscription programs, and zero hesitation about doing whatever it takes to capture and control NovaBreeds. They're ruthlessly efficient, and it shows.
2. RUSSIA - Second place through sheer brutality. Their NovaBreed programs make Cold War-era experiments look tame. They don't care about ethics. They care about results.
3. UNITED STATES - Still a superpower, but fading. Internal conflicts about NovaBreed rights versus security have slowed them down compared to countries with fewer moral qualms. Still dangerous, just not dominant anymore.
4. NIGERIA - The surprise entry. Africa's most populous nation capitalized on a high natural NovaBreed manifestation rate and smart recruitment strategies. Their rise shocked everyone and reshuffled the entire global hierarchy.
5. JAPAN - Smaller numbers, but extremely efficient. High-tech containment, advanced training programs, and strategic deployment make them punch above their weight.
6. SAUDI ARABIA / MIDDLE EAST COALITION - Oil money redirected into NovaBreed programs. Strategic location and resources keep them relevant.
7. OTHERS - Everyone else is scrambling to keep up. European remnants, South American powers, smaller nations forming coalitions—all trying not to get left behind in this new paradigm.
The uncomfortable truth? NovaBreeds are the nukes of 2079. Except you can't build them in a lab. You can only find them, capture them, and force them to work for you.
Which brings us to...
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LIFE AS A NOVABREED IN 2079 (OR: IT REALLY DEPENDS WHERE YOU ARE)
Here's where things get complicated, because there's no universal "NovaBreed experience." It depends HEAVILY on where you live and who's in charge.
IN SOME PLACES? Life is pretty damn normal.
Take New Kong, for example. The city's got that whole superhero/supervillain dynamic going on—heroes with public identities, rankings, sponsorships, the whole nine yards. There's even a global hero ranking system where these people compete for clout and endorsement deals while claiming they're "working to end the war" and "bring peace to the world."
(Spoiler: Most of them work for the exact same organizations and governments perpetuating the conflict. It's all PR and profit, but hey, it looks good on camera.)
In places like that, being a NovaBreed is relatively normal. You've got powers? Cool. Register, get licensed, maybe become a hero or just live your life. You'll face some discrimination here and there—people are still scared of what you can do—but it's pretty minimal. Practically non-existent in some neighborhoods.
You just gotta know where NOT to go. Wrong part of town, wrong city, wrong country? That's when things get bad.
IN OTHER PLACES? Life can go from zero to catastrophic FAST.
Some nations treat NovaBreeds as military assets from birth. Mandatory conscription. Detention centers. Experimentation. You manifest powers? Congratulations, you're government property now.
Other places just straight-up hunt them. Capture on sight. Sell to the highest bidder.
And it's not just governments and big organizations like the Big Boys doing the trafficking. Small gangs, criminal enterprises, opportunistic assholes—they're all in on it. NovaBreeds are valuable, and where there's value, there's someone willing to kidnap, sell, or exploit you for it.
So yeah, whether your life as a NovaBreed is "pretty chill" or "constant nightmare" depends entirely on geography, luck, and how well you can hide your abilities.
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THE SUPERHERO SITUATION (BECAUSE OF COURSE THAT'S A THING)
Let's talk about heroes, because they're a whole thing in certain parts of the world.
Not everywhere, mind you. Some nations don't bother with the "hero" concept at all—they just militarize their NovaBreeds and call it a day. But in places like New Kong and a few other major cities? Heroes are big business.
We're talking costumes, code names, public rankings, sponsorship deals, fan clubs, merchandise—the whole corporate superhero package. There's a global ranking system that tracks these people, and they're constantly competing for higher spots, better endorsements, more fame.
They sell this image of being noble protectors working to "end the war" and "bring lasting peace." They do charity events, public appearances, save people from disasters (some of which are suspiciously convenient for their PR schedules), and generally act like they're humanity's saviors.
Here's the thing though: most of these "heroes" are funded by, employed by, or directly working for the same governments, corporations, and organizations that keep the war machine running. The Big Boys sponsor heroes. Governments employ them. The whole system is interconnected.
They're not ending the war. They're not bringing peace. They're maintaining the status quo while looking good doing it.
But hey, people need hope, right? And heroes sell hope better than anyone.
Meanwhile, you've got villains—NovaBreeds who either reject the system, go independent, or just want to cause chaos. Some are genuinely evil. Some are just people pushed too far by a world that hates them. Some are freedom fighters labeled as terrorists.
It's complicated. That's the theme of 2079: everything is complicated, and nothing is what it seems.
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NEW KONG: THE FRANKENSTEIN CITY
Since this story's largely set in and around New Kong, let me explain what the hell that place is.
New Kong used to be Hong Kong. Then it got completely destroyed during the final active phases of WWIII—sometime before the stalemate solidified. The specifics are classified or lost to wartime chaos, but the city was reduced to rubble.
The rebuilding was... chaotic.
Refugees from across Asia, displaced people from war zones, opportunists from around the globe—they all flooded in. The reconstruction happened organically, without central planning, creating this weird fusion city.
What emerged was New Kong: one of the safest places in the world (possibly second only to a few heavily fortified neutral zones), technically under Chinese jurisdiction but functionally independent. This ambiguity keeps it stable—nobody wants to be the one who destabilizes New Kong and triggers a cascade of conflicts.
The city has a distinctly American feel despite being in Asia. English is as common as Cantonese or Mandarin. The architecture is this chaotic mix of Eastern and Western styles. The culture is aggressively multicultural because it has to be.
It's also one of the few places where international travel is still relatively feasible, making it a hub for what limited global trade and communication still exists.
For criminals, dissidents, refugees, and anyone operating outside national control, New Kong is a rare cosmopolitan city in a world of closed borders.
It's also got that whole superhero scene going strong, with heroes and villains clashing in the streets while civilians go about their day like it's normal. Because in New Kong, it kind of is.
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THE 1983 VANISHING (OR: WHY EVERYONE HATES NOVABREEDS)
Alright, we need to talk about why NovaBreeds are so universally feared and hated.
In 1983, every nuclear weapon on Earth vanished overnight.
All of them. Every nuke. Every warhead. Every bomb. Gone. No explanation. No warning. No trace of where they went or how it happened.
Humanity freaked the hell out.
And when humanity freaks out, it needs someone to blame.
Enter: NovaBreeds.
The logic was simple: unexplainable phenomenon + people with unexplainable powers = obviously they did it.
Didn't matter that there was zero evidence connecting NovaBreeds to the vanishing. Didn't matter that no known NovaBreed ability could explain a global event like that. Didn't matter that most NovaBreeds were as confused and terrified as everyone else.
Fear needed an answer. Hatred provided one.
World War III erupted within months. Not just between traditional enemies, but within nations. NovaBreed persecution became official policy in most places. Families turned on their own children when powers manifested. Detention centers became death camps.
When the stalemate finally settled in decades later, the hatred didn't go away. It just... evolved. Became systematic. Became profitable.
Now, in 2079, that blame is so deeply embedded in the cultural consciousness that most people don't even question it. "NovaBreeds caused the vanishing" is treated as historical fact, even though nobody's ever proven it.
And that collective blame is why trafficking exists, why persecution continues, and why being a NovaBreed means living with a target on your back.
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DAILY LIFE IN 2079
For regular people—those without powers—life is weird.
Technology has kept advancing in some areas (surveillance, security, military applications, communication networks) but infrastructure is crumbling in a lot of places. Resources are scarce. Economies are fragile.
People live smaller lives now. They stay in their communities. They don't travel. They watch the news nervously, waiting for signs the stalemate might collapse.
Entertainment exists as escape: sports, music, digital media, anything to distract from the underlying tension of a world that never quite achieved peace.
For the wealthy and powerful? Life goes on as always—in fortified compounds and protected zones where resources are plentiful and danger is distant.
For everyone else? Survival is the daily reality.
And for NovaBreeds? Every day is a gamble between staying hidden and being found.
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THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY
In a world of restrictions and surveillance, black markets thrive.
Organizations like the Big Boys—the ones running that underground tournament—exist in the gaps between jurisdictions. They operate in gray zones, neutral territories, places where law is negotiable and power is the only currency that matters.
NovaBreed trafficking is the most profitable illegal trade in the world. More than drugs, more than weapons, more than anything, because NovaBreeds combine the utility of weapons with the control of property.
These organizations traffic NovaBreeds to militaries, private security firms, wealthy individuals who want protection or entertainment. They run tournaments where NovaBreeds fight for profit and recruitment.
And everyone knows about it. Governments know. Law enforcement knows. But they don't stop it, because many of them are customers.
In 2079, the law is whatever the powerful say it is.
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SO THAT'S THE WORLD
To summarize:
- WWIII started in 1983, hit a stalemate 40-50 years ago, technically never ended
- Global population down to 3-4 billion from war casualties
- Power is measured by NovaBreed populations
- Life as a NovaBreed ranges from "pretty normal" to "absolute nightmare" depending on location
- Some places have that whole superhero/villain dynamic (mostly PR and profit)
- New Kong is a rebuilt, cosmopolitan safe haven (relatively speaking)
- Everyone blames NovaBreeds for the 1983 nuclear vanishing (no actual proof)
- Black market trafficking is huge business
- The world is paranoid, exhausted, and waiting for the next catastrophe
That's the sandbox we're playing in. It's messy, morally gray, and nobody's hands are clean.
Welcome to 2079. Try not to die.
— Mid-D-Man (your friendly neighborhood author)
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Let me know if there's anything u wish to know, I'll mkstlikely answer so long as it dosent involve spoilers...