It's been a week since I entered this world.
Earth… it's still Earth. But it's hanging on by a thread.
There are only 70 major cities left across the globe. Most of them are in Asia and Europe—the rest of the world has been completely destroyed.
Here, people still have access to the basics. Food, water, entertainment—even games still exist. But none of it changes the fact that this world is doomed unless humanity evolves.
I read the details in a physical newspaper. Twelve years ago, the world was hit by a wave of destruction—part nuclear, part… something else. Something from beyond Earth. The radiation changed everything. Animals mutated into beasts. Some humans too. But a rare few—those who survived the initial exposure—developed powers. Abilities that reflected their past lives. Their habits. Their essence.
But that's if you survive.
Now, the outside world—everything beyond the cities—is flooded with that same radiation. The walls I saw earlier? They're massive barriers meant to keep it out. The only ones allowed beyond them are the people who have adapted to the radiation.
They call them Radiars.
The blue screen that makes quest for me here… it hasn't returned since that first day. No quests. No HUD. Nothing. It's like I've been abandoned by the very thing that dragged me into this world.
So here I am. A jobless man with three years of teaching experience—a history teacher, now stuck in a dying future that doesn't even know what it's fighting.
No money. No clue what I'm doing.
And still wearing the same gray hat.
"Maybe I should be a teacher again…"
Yeah! Maybe I should!
20 school applications later…
"Huff… I need to get a job."
In the end, the South was rejected by every school. His lack of registered data and his status as a newcomer made him suspicious to most institutions.They thought he was an outsider—maybe from Europe or Western Asia.
But he was in East Asia now.
As he walked, he saw the building
South stepped through the towering glass doors of Highbach Tower, the heart of the military company that safeguarded this part of East Asia. The air inside was cold, sterile. Everything gleamed—floors, walls, even the eyes of the security drones patrolling the ceiling.
A receptionist sat behind a sleek desk, her uniform crisp, her visor hiding any trace of emotion. South cleared his throat.
"Uh… I'm here to apply as a Radiar."
She barely looked up. "You don't look like much."
"I've been told," he replied with a weak smile.
With a sigh, she tapped a few keys. "Follow me."
She led him through a series of steel corridors, the hum of electricity in the walls like a distant whisper. They stopped at a heavy door. It hissed open to reveal a chamber bathed in pale blue light, humming with quiet energy. Scientists stood behind reinforced glass, watching.
"Sit," the receptionist instructed, nodding toward the scanning chair.
He hesitated but obeyed. The moment he sat, mechanical arms moved, locking him in place gently but firmly. Lights flickered, and a beam of radiant energy swept over his body.
A holographic display blinked to life in front of him.
ADAPTABILITY LEVEL: 8.0
OUTER ZONE SURVIVABILITY: 5 HOURS
Murmurs broke out behind the glass.
"Level eight? Without enhancements?"
"That's rare for an unregistered…"
South blinked, stunned. "Wait—does that mean I passed?"
The receptionist nodded slowly. For the first time, there was something in her voice other than indifference.
"Certainly, but you don't have any power right now... normally your power unlocks when your adaptability is unlocked."
"Uh, so?"
"You are not gonna be recruited before you knows your power"
FUCK, he scream in his inner voice
"So, do you know how I can get it?" South asked, his voice steady, but the weight behind the words was clear.
The receptionist stared at her tablet for a moment, scrolling through data before responding.
"Certainly," she said at last. "You just need to go outside the wall."
South blinked. "Outside?"
She nodded. "The radiation levels beyond the wall are significantly higher than here. Since your adaptability is a solid 8, your body can endure exposure—but that alone won't awaken your power."
He tilted his head, confused. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"It's not uncommon," she explained. "Some people with adaptability levels between 8 and 10 don't immediately gain powers. Your body likely didn't absorb enough concentrated radiation. It changed your adaptability... but not enough to trigger brain interaction. That's where power is born—from the radiation reaching your neural core and unlocking it."
South squinted. "Could you repeat that again?"
She let out a sigh. "The radiation entered your body, yes—but only shallowly. It reached your limbs, but not your bloodstream deeply enough to reach the brain. To unlock your potential, the radiation has to seep into your central nervous system."
She tapped a few keys, then turned the tablet around. A digital scan of his body flickered on the screen.
"See here?" she pointed. "Your radiation saturation is only up to your legs and arms. It hasn't reached your head. Based on this rate, I estimate you'd need approximately two hours of exposure in the outer zone to push it further."
South paled. "Two hours!? I could die out there."
"It's the only way to be recruited as a true Radiar," she said calmly, setting the tablet down. "The system won't awaken your ability until your body truly conquers the radiation."
He looked down at his hands, then out the window, where the barrier walls stood tall in the distance. The thought of stepping into the chaos beyond them… it sent a chill down his spine.
But something in him was stirring. A chain is shaking loose.
"Could you give me some clothes? A suit, if possible," South asked, scratching the back of his neck.
The receptionist tapped her tablet and glanced at him. "We have plenty of clothing stored. You can pick anything from there… but it's not free."
"Of course it's not," South muttered under his breath.
"You'll need to complete a task—go outside the wall, collect specific items, and cleanse them of radiation using this." She handed him a device that looked like a scanner.
"This button," she said, pointing, "will scan and remove radiation from an object. But be quick—radiation comes back within a minute."
South nodded, exhaling through his nose. "Fine. But can I get the clothes first? I'm walking around in a T-shirt and shorts."
"You may pick one outfit," she replied. "But remember, the cost will be three items cleansed."
He stood up, adjusting his gray hat. "Alright then… a gray suit, matching trousers, white collared shirt, and a tie."
She paused and looked at him. "Stylish. That'll be three items."
"I don't mind," he said, turning away.
After equipping his clothing, the receptionist handed him a scanner before shoving him into a hole.
"Here's the scanner. Have a safe looting!"
"What... AHH!"
As he plummeted down the hole, a drone with a glowing eye-shaped screen suddenly flew alongside him. The screen lit up and displayed:
LOG IN: South Lim
Objectives:
-Sword of Kaelis (200 meters west)
-Hyper Drone (1 km north)
-Highbach Heavy Drone Package (3 km south)
Time Limit: 5 hours
"I'm not gonna die from this fall, right?"
"Nope," a robotic voice replied from the drone.
"Ey! You can talk?"
"I can. My name is KV-45."
"Kliment Voroshilov?"
"No. Key Vest-45. And my job is to serve as your armor."
The drone suddenly began dismantling itself, attaching its parts to South. The eye-screen settled on his chest while the rest of the components formed a nano-skeleton around his body. Its engine activated, releasing a smaller drone — shaped like a bee, but twice the size.
"Whoa, my hat's still on even while I'm falling!"
"I added some tech to it. It's magnetically locked to your head now."
"Oh."
Authorized: South LimDimensional Gate Opened
South's fall began to slow as a glowing gate materialized beneath him, pulling him through and tossing him outside the wall.
"Ouch."
A mechanical voice echoed in his earpiece."Head west for the first item."
South blinked and looked around."Oh shit—I think I dropped the scanner!"
Before he could search for it, the scanner flew out of the gate and smacked him in the forehead.
"AH! SHIT!"
"Minor impact detected. No healing required."
"Agh! Damn…" he muttered, rubbing his head.
He picked up the scanner."Where's west?"
The drone buzzed to life, and a smaller bee-like drone flew out, pointing in a direction.
"Right," he sighed and started walking.