Some unknown pure white space.
An invisible figure stood there, silently staring at a sphere resting in his palm. He did not speak for a long time, nor did he move.
He was an existence humans had given countless names throughout history. God. Allah. Truth. Creator.
Yet compared to these titles, He preferred a name closer to reality.
Planetary Consciousness.
Gaia.
After an immeasurable period of observation, Gaia finally made a decision and prepared to send the sphere down to the planet below.
The planet was dying.
Gaia had already noticed long ago that something abnormal had been born within it. A phenomenon similar to a virus had appeared, spreading quietly across the land. These "viruses" hid deep within the planet's interior, gnawing endlessly at its life force.
They were not living beings in the normal sense, nor were they natural disasters. They were distortions, anomalies that twisted the natural flow of the world itself.
Gaia had attempted to erase them countless times.
But every attempt failed.
The viruses could not be located precisely. They evaded detection, blended into the laws of the world, and even used intelligent life as camouflage.
Now, the only variable left was the sphere that had appeared at the same moment these viruses were first detected.
At first, Gaia believed it was nothing more than an ordinary object.
However, its sudden appearance, perfectly synchronized with the birth of the anomaly, made Gaia take notice. He kept it close and began to observe it.
After extended analysis, Gaia realized the truth.
This sphere was not ordinary.
It possessed the ability to imitate all forms and adapt to all phenomena. It could copy structures, concepts, and even abstract systems that governed existence.
It was capable of becoming anything.
Only then did Gaia finally decide to place it onto the planet and observe the outcome. Perhaps this sphere would become the turning point for this dying world. Or perhaps it would accelerate its destruction.
As Gaia loosened his fingers, the sphere began to fall.
Gravity took effect.
Yet just before it reached the surface, the sphere brushed against a small stone.
At that instant, the surrounding space twisted unnaturally. The air warped as if crushed by invisible pressure, and the sphere was suddenly pulled into the distortion.
Gaia's expression shifted.
For the first time, a trace of human-like astonishment appeared on his face.
In the next moment, He arrived at the exact location where the distortion had occurred.
The ground was empty.
Nothing remained.
Gaia stared in silence.
Meteor City.
A lawless land whose area was roughly equivalent to the Republic of Padokea. Over fifteen hundred years ago, it had already become the world's largest dumping ground.
Officially, it was classified as a no-man's-land.
No citizenship. No registration. No identity numbers. Even if a child was abandoned here, the world would not record their existence.
Anything discarded by the outside world was accepted here.
Garbage. Weapons. Corpses. Children.
Meteor City accepted everything.
This environment naturally bred monsters.
The residents survived by collecting and recycling waste. Underground organizations supplied them with weapons, rare metals, and tools, while also recruiting from among the city's naturally violent and hardened inhabitants.
A single rule governed the land.
"We accept everything, but don't think about taking anything from us."
In Meteor City, blood and death were the most common currencies. This applied to both insiders and outsiders.
At this moment, another conflict was unfolding atop a massive garbage heap.
"You Fanobi bastards! Are you trying to start a war with our Nostrade family?"
A man wearing a standard underworld suit clutched his right shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. He glared at the opposing group with hatred.
Across from him, a man dressed in a similar black suit wore a mocking smile.
"Hahaha. Just a newly formed trash family like yours thinks it can start a war with the Fabino family?"
The man leading the Fabino family laughed loudly.
"A little family that's only existed for a year or two dares sneak into Meteor City to buy manpower? Do you think that threatens our position?"
He waved his hand.
"Gambi Town only needs one voice. Kill them."
The men behind him immediately opened fire.
"Damn it!"
The members of the Nostrade family could only cry out in despair as overwhelming gunfire rained down upon them.
In terms of numbers, weapons, and preparation, they were completely outmatched. The ambush left them no chance to escape.
After the smoke cleared, the outcome was obvious.
The Nostrade family had been wiped out.
Pooh.
Before leaving, the Fabino leader spat on the corpse at his feet.
Their family had ruled Gambi Town for over sixty years. They were the undisputed kings of the local underworld. Any power operating in the region had to bow their heads.
The Nostrade family's attempt to secretly acquire fighters from Meteor City was an open provocation.
In the underworld, strength alone was not the most important thing.
Face was.
Power existed only to protect face.
Moments after the Fabino family departed, space above one of the corpses suddenly distorted.
The body belonged to a handsome young man with pure white hair.
An illusory sphere appeared above his chest, flickering briefly before sinking into his body.
He was one of the people the Nostrade family had purchased from the Three Elders of Meteor City.
"Ah… it hurts…"
Rimo felt pain spread through his entire body, as if he had been stuffed into a sack and beaten without mercy.
"And it smells…"
That was the second sensation he perceived.
The stench was unbearable. Like rotten rats thrown into a vat, mixed with sewage and left to ferment. It assaulted his nose without reason.
He wanted to cover his nose.
He couldn't.
In fact, he couldn't move at all.
His consciousness was clear, but his body was completely unresponsive. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't move a finger.
It felt like sleep paralysis.
"What's going on? Wasn't I in a hotel?"
His last memory was standing on a hotel balcony, smoking after arguing with one of his patients.
Rimo was a psychiatrist. With his good looks and deep understanding of human psychology, his private life was anything but clean.
"Did that girl have a boyfriend…?"
He doubted it.
Suddenly, a massive flood of memories crashed into his mind.
Foreign scenes. Blood. Guns. Meteor City.
The shock overwhelmed his consciousness.
Rimo fainted again.
At the same time, his bullet-riddled body began to move on its own.
As if driven by instinct.
Muscles twisted. Flesh regenerated. Bullets were forced out one by one.
In an instant, every wound healed completely.