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2022-02-20 22:57:06“Phew,” A month since he woke up, Rael noticed some changes in his body. He wasn’t yet able to feel it properly, but realised that the Maurta heart in him had finished adapting.
Once he was released from the hospital berth, the nurse helped him with rehabilitation. Performing some basic exercises, Rael exhaled a long breath, feeling that he was actually healthier than before.
During the past month, he got a better understanding of a soldier’s standing, and the Federation, as a whole, in the interstellar era.
The scale of measurement was based on the Garracks.
The Garracks were a massive, overbearing race in the universe, having control over an estimated 557 planets. And, all these planets were capable of sustaining life.
And, there existed various species among the Garracks, products of evolution originating from the various worlds that they have devoured. There were too many to name or even keep an account of, but the strongest 1000 were kept a tally of, for they were powerful enough to be worried about.
Type!
They numbered from one to thousand, addressed as ‘Type-1, Type-2…Type-1000.’
Type-1000 was the weakest among the named Garracks and the lower the number got, the stronger the Garracks became. The Garracks that had invaded Earth in the past were all in the late 900s.
So, even though they proved troublesome, they could be dealt with. And, this was how the power scale of various races was determined in the universe.
The sentient races incapable of even killing a Type-1000 Garrack was deemed a Fourth-Tier Race, and generally not even concerned with. They were typically captured by other races and used as slaves.
The races that were capable of killing a Garrack in the three digits were termed as a Third-Tier Race. It was as simple as that. And, the lower the number of the Garrack in the three digits that they killed, the higher their ranking among the Third-Tier Races.
The Maurta Race was barely able to kill a Garrack in the late 300s. Even though they were a strong race, they were nothing in the interstellar era.
The races that manage to kill a Garrack in the double digits would be termed a Second-Tier Race. The Federation was among the lowest of the Second-Tier Races, barely managing to kill a Type-98 Garrack.
They were still struggling to exceed their limits. But, this was still spectacular growth in the eyes of the other races. After all, around four hundred years ago, humanity struggled against Garracks in the late 900s.
This was a tremendous level of growth in a mere four centuries.
Finally, there was the top of the universe, the First-Tier Races that managed to kill a Garrack in the single digits. This was a spectacular feat, since to achieve this, their power level should reach the planetary scale.
A single-digit Garrack was capable of destroying a planet on its own. They had extraordinary might.
Above the First-Tier Races were the Garracks, the overlord of the universe, one every strong race had united to go against.
Galactic Union, a force created when all the First-Tier Races joined hands to resist the Garracks. Those that were part of the Union were given protection by the Union when invaded by the Garracks.
It was primarily meant for the First-Tier Races to protect themselves. After all, only they were capable of resisting Type-1 to Type-9 Garracks, the peak of the universe.
The rest of the races were only baggage to them. But, if a Second-Tier Race served them enough strategic benefit, they too were accepted into the Union.
The Federation had been trying to become part of the Union all along but were denied entry. Humanity wasn’t respected much in the interstellar waters because it hadn’t been long since their appearance.
So from time to time, foreign races other than Garracks too would invade them to plunder their resources or enslave humans.
Rael listened to the nurse give a recount of various incidents from history that the Federation had to endure. To prevent the regular populace from worrying too much, details related to this weren’t divulged.
But now that he was a soldier, he obtained the qualifications to understand them.
“Plasma is incredibly powerful. Power-wise, it is at the top of the universe and at present, is something exclusive to humanity. So, many races are vying for us in the dark to find the means to steal our power.” She spoke.
“But, we’re still learning about Plasma and have yet to unlock its full potential.” She sighed.
“What makes you think that?” Rael asked, “Shouldn’t those at the top of the Federation be capable of God-like feats?”
“Well, they can do that indeed. But, those arising from planets other than Strombus Nebula have a real-life reference for the peak of what Plasma can become.
“What’s that?” Rael asked in surprise.
“The Sun.” She said, “A giant mass of plasma in the vastness of the space, capable of melting and swallowing any asteroid that slams into it.”
“The Sun… I see,” Rael nodded, “That is indeed the best example of what the peak application of Plasma could reach.”
“Indeed, and we haven’t reached that stage yet. Humanity would become a First-Tier Race if we are capable of that.” The nurse nodded, sighing.
“The Sun…” Rael muttered, “I want to see one.”
It was because, he hadn’t seen a Sun in real life, only gazing at its pictures to date. The Federation had eight planets under its control, other than the various outposts.
And among them, Strombus Nebula was special in that it didn’t exist in any system like the solar system.
It was an individual planet, having no sun to revolve around, and no moon. For mysterious reasons, it drifted about in an orbit of its own, the cause puzzling scientists to this day.
The planet’s luminescence alone was enough to brighten the surface equal to Earth. Moreover, its internal volcanic cycles changed in such a manner that the luminescence altered in set intervals, creating day and night cycles.
Of course, the time duration for a day and night was vastly different from Earth. But, the people of Strombus Nebula had adapted to this, despite being humans.
This was why they used two different calendars. One was the local one, followed by the residents of Strombus Nebula. The second was the military one, following the cycles based on Earth, used by the military throughout the Federation.
As Strombus Nebula was a special planet. Rael hadn’t ever seen a moon and a sun other than in pictures and videos. So, he was of course curious about them.
“You can see them now.” The nurse said, clicking a button on a device that she carried, soon causing a robot to enter the rehab facility. It was basically a sofa, attached to four wheels that allowed it to move.
Following her instructions, Rael took a seat while she sat beside him, clicking a button as the robot sofa moved through a corridor before arriving at a massive room. Once she informed the personnel within a room, they nodded and flashed her a thumbs up. Immediately after, the walls of the room began to move up.
A glass panel was revealed behind the moving wall, allowing the darkness of the space to come into view. And there, shining grandly, tiny in size but majestic in appearance was a Sun, a ball of fire floating in space.
“Dusk Entropa has a radius of 35,000 kilometres and is the second-largest planet under the Federation. It has two suns around its poles that are actually satellites orbiting it.” She spoke, watching Rael’s eyes unblinking, fixated on the scene.
She laughed, saying, “The two Suns of Dusk Entropa are the smallest Suns within the Federation. If you see Earth’s Sun, you’ll get an entirely different feeling. There would even be a sense of longingness when gazing at it since that’s our origin energy that humans have basked for millions of years.”
“They are…the smallest?” Rael spoke slowly after some time had passed, “When I looked at their radius in pictures, it paled in comparison to the other Suns. But, looking at them now, they are…massive.”
“Yep, at times, numbers make things seem smaller than they actually are. In truth, we humans are just the size of dust in comparison to such celestial objects.” The nurse said, beginning to make the robot return after Rael had gazed at the scene for a couple of hours.
He actually didn’t wish to return so soon, but under compulsion that he had to complete his rehabilitation soon, she brought him back.
For the next week, Rael focused all his energy on rehabilitation, noticing that he was recovering quickly. Moreover, he observed that the wounds he had sustained while fighting the Arhkars had vanished by now.
“Your natural recovery process is amplified as the quantity of Plasma within you continues to increase.” The nurse said, scanning his vitals before nodding in response, “Alright, rehabilitation is no longer necessary since your body has begun to produce Plasma.”
“It has begun?” Rael asked, excited, looking at himself to see that nothing changed. He made a comical pose that he had seen on TV, intending to summon his power, but nothing happened.
Seeing his actions, the nurse chuckled, “It’s not that easy you know. Unleashing Plasma for the first time takes time.”
She then brought him a small suitcase, “Within it are the items that you had brought with you. Check it to see if everything is there.”
‘Thank goodness!’ He sighed in relief, quickly looking through the suitcase before fishing out the choker with the System, wearing it immediately.
He then changed into a set of clothes, gazing at the nearby mirror before thinking, ‘Appraise.’
[Name: Rael Rukh]
[Origin: Wrister City (Planet: Strombus Nebula)]
[Age: 15 Union Years]
[Race: Human]
[Might: 7]
[Toughness: 5]
[Mobility: 7]
[Endurance: 5]
[Plasma: 2]
[Rank: F]
His Might had increased by one unit while his endurance had increased by two units, surprising him, ‘So, that’s the reason I’m feeling healthier.’
He then noticed the number next to Plasma, grinning like an idiot immediately, ‘I attained Plasma! I’m also an F Rank Soldier now!’
He was pretty happy with the development, glad that he had taken the risk to join the military and undergo that terrifying screening test, ‘But, the enemies I’ll face in the future would be so terrifying that an Arhkar would seem like a joke. I shouldn’t slack off.’
Wearing a casual set of clothes that had been provided for him by the nurse, Rael exited the room, gazing at the nurse as he thought, ‘Appraise.’
[Name: Echlika Lael]
[Origin: Wrister City (Planet: Strombus Nebula)]
[Age: 23 Union Years]
[Race: Human]
[Might: 52]
[Toughness: 54]
[Mobility: 60]
[Endurance: 61]
[Plasma: 698]
[Body Tempering: 5341 Newton]
[Temperature Index: 531]
[Rank: E]
Upon seeing the vast difference in their stats and the arrival of new data, Rael was stumped for words, gazing at the nurse in shock. He didn’t understand the implications of the various stats yet, hoping to understand them eventually.
As if she had read his mind, the nurse smiled, “You’ll understand the various means to use Plasma in your academy. For starters, let me show you something fun.”
Saying so, she raised her palm, condensing blue flames atop that turned crystalline for an instant before resembling liquid, morphing into the shape of a bird.
It flapped its wings and took flight, revolving around Rael before perching on his head. For an instant, Rael shuddered, fearing his head would melt.
But, he then realised that nothing of the sort happened. Rather, the bird was warm to the touch.
Laughing at his confusion, the nurse replied, “I controlled its temperature to be at forty degrees Celsius. So, you won’t be harmed by it. The greater part of our power lies in our ability to control our Plasma’s shape and temperature.”
She then accompanied him to a room where he was seated, “This shuttle would leave for Dusk Entropa now. All the best in your endeavour, Soldier Rael.”
She saluted him as the doors closed.
Rael had barely raised his hand to wave at her when there was a mild jerk throughout the shuttle, causing him to hold his seat firmly. He then observe through the windows that revealed the outside, noticing that they were approaching a massive planet that was wholly blue towards the poles, sporting a ring of landmass along the equator.
Soon, a vapour cone formed around the shuttle as it entered the planet’s atmosphere.
‘An entire planet that has been turned into a place exclusive for academies…’ Rael thought as his mind soon turned blank, watching the mystical scene of the space shuttle entering the planet.
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Man Of Systems Chapter 13: Calca Duta
“This is your identity card, Soldier Rael.” A soldier handed him an item when the space shuttle reached the surface. “Everything related to you has been coded into it, so don’t lose it.” “Thank you,” Rael nodded in response as he noticed that there were three others in the space shuttle that had arrived with him. It seemed they had begun to produce Plasma in their bodies at the same time as him, making him wonder, ‘Is it fine to make a re-entry trip just for four people? Isn’t that just a waste of resources?’ But, the soldier didn’t have an amicable expression, so Rael didn’t have anyone to clarify his doubt with. Based on the soldier’s instructions, he was asked to proceed straight and enter a gigantic building that was situated more than twenty kilometres away. ‘I have to walk for that long?’ He groaned mentally. But upon looking around, he understood the cause. Space shuttles continued to land and take off one a
Man Of Systems Chapter 14: Blue Agate Academy
Nothing special was required to apply to the Blue Agate Academy. As long as his score was above the required Cut-Off, he could join it with the tap of a button. Once he applied, he was accepted automatically, gaining him the status as a student of the Blue Agate Academy. All the relevant data was already downloaded into his identity card. A row of instructions then appeared on the screen when he pocketed his identity card. Rael read it aloud, “Terminal 796; board the train there to head towards the Blue Agate Academy.” A map then flashed on the screen, pointing out the floor plan of the building while displaying the route that he had to take to reach Terminal 796. Suddenly, his identity card began to blink as he took it out, noticing that the same map was now displayed on it too, acting as a GPS, “That’s pretty cool.” He left the booth and began to follow the map, moving through the crowded p
Man Of Systems Chapter 15: Flux and Plasma
After filling his belly with food, Rael returned to his room, sporting a pensive expression. After all, a single meal consisted of 1 Credit. As for water and electricity, they were charged whenever the consumption reached a Credit’s worth. “Are they planning to wring us dry completely?” He groaned, for based on his estimation, he would be spending through all 100 Credits by the end of the month. And, this was in the case if he only spent them on basic necessities. “To learn special abilities, I need to use Credits.” Sighing at the thought, he browsed through the instructions left on the wall poster, getting a general gist of things. He then switched on the TV, browsing through the basic courses that he had to do, selecting the first one. “Basics of Plasma, a reward of 10 Credits for a perfect score.” He read through the first one, signing up for it immediately. Basic courses didn’t cost any Credit to sign up for, a
Man Of Systems Chapter 16: Flame Bull and Frost Queen
The class spanned for four hours, at the end of which the professor dismissed them. Rael returned to his room, left with nothing else to do, carrying a batch of tonics with him while returning. The professor had given each student ten bottles to continue practicing for the night, asking them to assemble first thing in the morning the next day. Based on the progress, it seemed he needed almost a month to complete the course. But, that would mean he would run out of Credits. So, Rael wished to apply for other courses as well. Unfortunately, they were all part of the next step after the basics. So, unless he completed the basics, he would just be wasting his time there. So, he didn’t take any impulsive choices, returning to his room before sitting on his bed, ‘I should continue training my Flux.’ The Flux was how a soldier varied the Plasma’s temperature, moved it around their bodies, condensed
Man Of Systems Chapter 17: Temperature Index
Right on time, the professor entered the class, casually expanding his Flux to sense the Flux of others, surprised when he noticed Rael’s, ‘His Flux has become a lot stronger overnight.’ He then noticed the mental states of all students, noticing that they had worked hard, but had gotten ample sleep too. He then observed Rael, exhausted, looking on the verge of falling asleep, ‘I see, that makes a bit of sense too. He’s hardworking and also has talent.’ He then began to talk, “Everyone, show me the results of your training.” Hearing the professor’s voice, Rael closed his eyes, using his Flux to move his Plasma from his abdomen to the palm on his right, bringing it back to the abdomen as he next moved it to the palm on his left. In this manner, he moved it to every corner of his body. The professor noticed that Rael was able to move his Plasma a tad faster than the rest,
Man Of Systems Chapter 18: Pulse Refinement
“The techniques we use to increase our Plasma reserves and strengthen our body are known as Refinement Techniques.” The professor said, “The concept is simple. It’s similar to accumulating fat in our bodies by overeating. But in this process, what we are accumulating is Plasma instead.” “And, the strengthening of our body is even simpler to understand.” He smiled casually, continuing, “If your Plasma increases or decreases in temperature, your body is unable to endure beyond a certain point. But, as long as you don’t go overboard and continue to supply enough nutrients to your body, it would gradually adapt to the Plasma’s temperature extremities.” “Your body cells would evolve to withstand that temperature, automatically strengthening your body.” He said, “And, based on the type of Refinement Technique you practice, the stats growth of your body varies.” “Sir, I’ve heard many students mention stats all the time. W
Man Of Systems Chapter 19: Plasma Skills
102 Plasma; after reaching this point, Rael was automatically considered an E-Rank soldier. Though, this was only by the System. Officially, he was still an F-Rank soldier. He would have to head towards the Center for Observation and Regulation that was situated in one corner of the Blue Agate Academy and find out his Stats there. Once it was confirmed that his Plasma reserved had crossed 100, he would naturally be given the status as an E-Rank soldier. ‘But, I have yet to unlock the full potential of an F-Rank soldier.’ Thought Rael, observing his Temperature Index of 48. The limit capable of an F-Rank soldier was a Temperature Index of 108. So, he had a long way to go about that. It was not to mention his Stats were below 11 for all four primary attributes. So, he hadn’t attained the peak of the F-Rank. Also, he had yet to learn how to use his Plasma. So, he couldn’t be called a proper soldier yet.
Man Of Systems Chapter 20: Entering the Arena
[Range: 1-45 Metres] [Plasma Consumption: 5-25 Plasma/Second] [Temperature Range: (-87)-600 Degrees Celsius] [Force: 5956 Newton] Needle Swirl; that was the name of this Plasma Skill. Upon seeing it, Rael was first confused before becoming excited, eventually ending up in a dilemma as he looked through its stats. The limit of the Temperature Index for an E-Rank soldier was 540. But, this Plasma Skill had a working range of 687 Temperature Index, not to mention its Force exceeding the limit of E-Rank which was only at 5400 Newton. But at the end of the day, this was still an E-Rank Plasma Skill for a variety of reasons. Needle Swirl shaped the Plasma into a needle and unleashed it in the form of a long, spinning tube. And, depending on his desire, he could alter the Flux within it, allowing him to curve the needle-shaped tube as he pleased. This c
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Chapter 43: Selection
“Chief, a Titan Zombie had arrived!”A scout ran into the settlement, shouting the moment he appeared before Rael’s house.“A Titan Zombie? Where?” Rael exited the house, asking in a hurry.“Follow me, Chief!” The scout said and took off into the air using Pulsor.Rael followed suit as upon seeing him, Xahn too followed them.…“A Titan Zombie…” Derisher flew into the air, heading towards the Titan Zombie as he noticed its eyes widen in surprise upon seeing him.“Freaking royal that had abandoned us…” Derisher grunted in anger and unsheathed his Agate Blade, holding it using his Needle Swirl as he slammed it into his opponent, surprised when it didn’t even scrape the opponent.A faint Plasma Barrier flickered on the skin of th
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Chapter 42: End of the Screening Test
“Chief, a Titan Zombie had arrived!” A scout ran into the settlement, shouting the moment he appeared before Rael’s house. “A Titan Zombie? Where?” Rael exited the house, asking in a hurry. “Follow me, Chief!” The scout said and took off into the air using Pulsor. Rael followed suit as upon seeing him, Xahn too followed them. … “A Titan Zombie…” Derisher flew into the air, heading towards the Titan Zombie as he noticed its eyes widen in surprise upon seeing him. “Freaking royal that had abandoned us…” Derisher grunted in anger and unsheathed his Agate Blade, holding it using his Needle Swirl as he slammed it into his opponent, surprised when it didn’t even scrape the opponent. A faint Plasma Barrier flickered on the skin of the Titan Zombie, protecting itself against the attack as it gazed at the figur
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Chapter 41: Against the Titan Zombie
The scouts continued to grow stronger as they battled more and more zombies. Moreover, they didn’t clash head on, for that would be suicide. It also wasn’t efficient. Humanity’s strongest suit was their innate intelligence. And hence, Rael had proposed to set up traps on the surface. First of them was a massive pit that was fifteen metres in height. Once the pit was created, it would be covered by a layer of rock pillars that they had forged through their Plasma. It would be neatly layered to prevent it from collapsing. And all of them would hinge on one unassuming pillar that actually bore all the stress of the trap floor. And, when the zombies moved over the trap, a scout would use the Needle Swirl to break this linchpin, causing the artificial floor to collapse. Once the zombies fell into the pit, the scouts would drop boulders upon them, killing the zombies safe and sound. There was no re
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Chapter 40: Human Invasion
“Everyone!” It was the evening of the next day as Rael stood on a platform, addressing the fifty recruit scouts that had received their Agate Child Stars, “You’ve just received the power of Plasma. In the following days, Captain Xahn would be drilling into you everything you need to learn as a scout.” “It might seem like we’re hurrying through things, and that is true.” Rael nodded, causing them to gaze at him in surprise, “And that’s because the concentration of the zombie radiation is visibly increasing with the passage of every day. Now that you’ve obtained the Agate Star, you too would be able to perceive the changes.” Standing at the side, Deriri listened to Rael’s words, feeling her heart thump in response, her mood heavy. Obviously, she too had noticed the difference. It was easy considering the rate of her Plasma replenishment was steadily increasing. She had timed it on the first day, wondering how much ti
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Chapter 39: Increasing Forces
“Let’s return,” Rael spoke after a minute. “But that…zombie…” One of the scouts in his team hesitated. “That’s not an opponent we can think of defeating.” Rael said, “Let’s not waste our time and deal with the rest of the zombies in this region.” “But, will it be possible to ever defeat it?” One of the scouts asked, gritting his teeth as he was still reeling from shock and fear of seeing the hill-sized zombie. “Yes,” Rael nodded confidently, “The size of the Agate Stars can be increased. I’ll need to manually refine more Agates into them. But it’s possible.” “So, once everyone in our settlement has the power, we’ll work on strengthening ourselves.” Rael nodded, “Over time, as we defeat more and more zombies, we would eventually be able to take on that zombie, given we save it as the last zombie that we face on the surface.” “Alright, hope we get t
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Chapter 38: Zombie Monarch
Five days had passed since Rael had arrived at the settlement, the underground city of Lereal. Currently, a group of seven were inside a house, gazing at the underground map that they had made in the past year through their numerous scouting. As it was a mining city, there were detailed maps about most of the tunnels in the region. But, the mining city had existed for more than a few centuries. So, a lot of routes were forgotten with time. And even if they had been recorded, they weren’t updated once they no longer served any purpose. The routes could have changed due to the intervention by the zombies. After the apocalypse struck, the scouts had been mapping out the routes constantly in the sample copies of maps they had and once they returned, they updated the main map. “The Red Gecko Brigand would proceed towards the waterfalls on the east while the Green Gecko Briga
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Chapter 37: Second Coming of Danger
Pulsor! Rael unleashed the Plasma Skill and leapt, continuously activating it as he flew through the air like an aircraft, making convoluted aerobics as he used the ability to its limit. Suddenly, he unleashed Needle Swirl, piercing its tip through a building wall as the tube part stretched taut, pulling him towards the wall. Rael unleashed Pulsor through his legs, accelerating as he arrived before the wall, but just when it seemed like he would slam into it, his other hand shot out a Needle Swirl on the opposite side, causing it to pierce through a large boulder as it shrunk in length instantly, pulling him accordingly. Dissipating the first Needle Swirl, Rael used the free palm to unleash Pulsor, preventing himself from slamming into the wall as he diverted his linear momentum into radial, making an arc in the air as the Needle Swirl remained firm, attached to the boulder.
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Chapter 36: Rael's Actions as Chief
“637 people…that’s our death count…” Derisher said with a heavy tone, watching the pile of bodies before them. Not every corpse was there, just the ones they could find. The rest of them were in the bellies of the zombies that had already been melted by the previous Chief. The atmosphere was heavy, the air of sadness, anger, and despair coagulating around them as Rael stood in the centre, gazing at the rows upon rows of corpses with darkened eyes. “Derisher…” He muttered, watching the people pile the bodies after the identities of the corpses had been tallied, “How many people lived on the surface before?” “Around thirty to forty million in our Empire at the very least. If you count the rest of the Empires, the number would become huge. So, I can’t give an accurate estimate.” Derisher said, watching Rael slowly walk towards the pile of corpses. “I see,” Rael muttered, g
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Chapter 35: Anger, Sorrow, and Indignation
“Hmm, the candidates are faring worse than I had expected.” A young boy that seemed around fifteen years old commented, standing on an elevated platform that was situated within the centre of a massive dome. And, embedded on the inner walls of the dome were TVs, each spanning 100 inches in size. There were thousands of such screens in the dome. And each screen showed the POV of the candidate in the screening trial. It displayed everything they were going through within their trials, also displaying the number of Agates they had accumulated. “It’s just the start, so that’s to be expected. Most would take time to adapt to the situation before showing their actual capabilities.” A girl nearby said calmly, “Personally, I’m quite curious about a few candidates myself. I’ve been watching them for the past couple of weeks.” “To think the picky Tina Vink has already picked a few of her members.” The
