The Monarch Of The End Chapter 2: 002 : Novaris

Read chapter 2 of The Monarch Of The End by TheBlackPenguin on NovelPedia.

Novaris was humanity's last stronghold. After centuries of disasters, mankind had been pushed to the brink of extinction. One continent after another... one nation after another... one city after another fell. Humanity's rule collapsed, and the planet was overtaken by Monsters. Yet even in the face of such a grim end... Humans had always been quick to adapt. In a dim corner of one of the underground shelters, Zeroxsus sat with his back against the wall. He looked exhausted, though every one of his wounds had completely healed. His fatigue wasn't merely physical. It ran far deeper than that. Zeroxsus let out a quiet sigh as memories resurfaced. "Three months... It feels like an eternity. Ever since the old man disappeared—or 'Grandpa,' as I always called him, even though we weren't related by blood. I never saw him die. I never found his body... He simply vanished after that night, leaving behind a void that can never be filled." The old man had been the one who raised him ever since he was little. After his disappearance, Zeroxsus found himself struggling just to find shelter or enough food to survive. "In the end, I'm neither as capable nor as strong as he was. Everyone was too afraid of him to bother me. The moment he disappeared, they all started bullying me... Just wait until I get my revenge—or whatever it is I'll end up doing!" The two of them had lived in the slums. There, food, water, and shelter were never enough for everyone. The strong preyed on the weak. It was the law of the jungle. “…” Returning to the present, Zeroxsus looked around. The shelter was hardly worthy of being called one. It was more like a giant rat hole. The air reeked of filth, and dirt covered every surface. That was simply how shelters in the slums were. The people weren't much better off. Most of the children looked like walking skeletons from starvation. As for the adults... Well, few of them ever grew old. People here died young—from hunger, thirst, theft, or murder. In Zeroxsus's eyes, these slums were the very heart of despair. Well... on the bright side, the government doesn't spare any expense during a Monster Tide. They provide treatment... and even free meals. Eventually, the exhausted Zeroxsus pushed those thoughts aside. He ate the meal distributed by the shelter staff and decided to sleep. He desperately needed both. No one knew when this nightmare would end. The smartest choice was to stay in the best condition possible while he still could. "Tomorrow... we'll see what happens." As he prepared to fall asleep, he remembered the mysterious soldier who had saved him. I never thought those people were capable of pity. I guess I should thank him next time... if there is a next time. The old man had taught him many things about Novaris's defenders. Contrary to the heroic image many people held of them, a large number of Hunters leaned toward madness. And that was something Zeroxsus had always hated. ... Far from the suffering of the slums, beneath the pale moonlight, a towering figure stood atop the city's colossal wall. He wore a uniform similar to the young soldier Zeroxsus had met, with one important difference. Five golden stars rested upon his shoulders. With calm eyes, he watched the fierce battle raging between humans and Monsters. There wasn't a trace of worry on his face. Beside him stood another soldier, delivering the latest battlefield report. "So far, we've lost sixty men. Fifty-two were first-rank, seven were second-rank..." The soldier's expression darkened as he spoke the final line. "...and one third-rank Hunter. The Guardian of the Southern Wall ." The senior commander sighed. It was a devastating loss. The Hunters —or at least that was what they called themselves—served as both soldiers and guardians of ordinary humanity. Every single one of them was an invaluable resource. A third-level Hunter was especially precious, given how few of them remained. Just as the report ended, Kyle—the soldier Zeroxsus had encountered ea