Chapter 1 — United Earth
Four thousand years ago.
That was how long it had been since the sky burned.
Humanity had watched helplessly when a colossal asteroid shattered Mercury into fragments—red-hot chunks of planetary corpse cascading toward Earth like divine punishment. Cities crumbled. Seas boiled. Nations died.
Yet somehow… humanity didn't.
And when they rebuilt the world, they rebuilt themselves.
No borders.
No nations.
No division of gender, skin, language, or faith.
Just one race surviving together.
By the year 2110, the name had become official:
United Earth.
Over time, humanity pushed even further.
The year 3666 marked another revolution—scientists discovered that human genes could evolve when exposed to a mysterious phenomenon buried in cosmic anomalies. These anomalies later became known as Nexus Gates—teleportation portals leading to other planets floating within Earth's neighboring space cluster.
That cluster received a name:
Genesis Nexus.
Inside the Nexus worlds roamed strange lifeforms, their bodies containing crystallized essence called Nexus Shards, or Beast Shards. These shards contained power—pure evolution materialized.
Absorb one, and your genes change.
Absorb many, and you evolve beyond human limits.
In this world, adulthood came at seventeen, but anyone younger could be recognized as a temporary adult by obtaining a Maturity Card—a permit granted only to those capable of proving intelligence, composure, and mental stability. Hold one, and you could enter Nexus Gates, train, fight, earn, evolve.
The path to power was now within reach of anyone.
But some roads were not walked by everyone.
Some roads belonged to legends.
In the year 6651.
A family was born.
Not by blood.
But by bonds.
A household. No banners. No clan emblem. No sigil. Just voices—young, driven, fiery—swearing themselves to one another.
A vow forged in simplicity:
"We are family."
The world did not know their names.
Not yet.
Then.
In year 6652.
The world did know.
Four silhouettes emerged over the years—two girls, two boys. They rose like comets, piercing through the ranks of humanity's strongest over the years.
People called them:
"The Four Prodigies."
"The Unreachable."
But one title overshadowed them all:
Family.
The strongest people weren't scattered across clans or hidden in noble bloodlines of earth.
They were family of bond—raised together, fighting together, unstoppable together.
And among them, one name began to dominate every conversation:
Lin Xuan.
A man who didn't chase power—power chased him.
Some whispered he was a monster.
Others whispered he was a god.
But those who truly knew him simply called him:
Family.
At the present — Year 6666 — K High University
The afternoon sun hung lazily above the massive campus of K High University — a place that blended the chaos of high school with the pressure of university life. Students crowded the courtyard with graduation energy, laughter echoing against tall glass buildings.
But not everyone was celebrating.
Near the old fountain, a small commotion had formed.
A boy—sixteen, lean but athletic, dark-haired—stood surrounded by seniors. His uniform was crumpled, his bag tossed aside. His expression remained calm, almost bored, even though six boys towered over him.
Vaibhav.
The perfect target, or so they believed.
The leader stepped forward—
Tall. Arrogant. Smirking like he owned the air he breathed.
Riken Takahashi.
Beside him stood Kael Draven, and five other seniors who formed Riken's little kingdom.
"Well, well," Riken said, fake sympathy dripping from his voice. "Last day of school, and look who's alone. No Shinosuke. No protectors."
His smile twisted. "Tell me, Vaibhav… who's going to save you today?"
The others laughed.
Vaibhav lowered his gaze.
Not out of fear.
But restraint.
These idiots… calling me weak. If Big Brother and Master didn't tell me not to fight, I'd fold these clowns in half.
Kael stepped forward and flicked Vaibhav's arm.
"So quiet today? Come on, say something, loser."
His friends snickered.
The word "loser" didn't bother Vaibhav.
He'd been called worse.
But the moment Alicia entered the scene, everything changed.
A light, soft voice cut through the courtyard.
"Stop bullying Vaibhav!"
Heads turned.
Alicia walked in—warm silver hair, innocent face, eyes burning with anger. She wasn't intimidating, but every senior stiffened involuntarily. Something about her presence always carried quiet strength.
Riken's expression shifted instantly—from aggression to something far worse.
Lust.
He stepped closer to her, smirking.
"Alicia… you rejected my proposal yesterday, remember?"
He leaned forward. "Was it because of him?"
Kael snickered. The others whistled mockingly.
Alicia clenched her fist. "Back off."
Riken ignored her and reached out a hand—fingers aiming for her cheek.
He never touched her.
Vaibhav blurred.
One step.
One motion.
His fist collided with Riken's jaw before anyone blinked.
THWACK!
Riken flew back three meters, crashing into the ground.
Everyone froze.
Vaibhav straightened slowly, eyes darkening—
Black pupils ringed with a faint white glow.
Kael trembled.
"What the hell—?"
Vaibhav turned toward him.
Kael didn't finish the sentence.
A spinning kick struck his ribs.
A palm strike hit his chest.
A quick sweep took out his legs.
He hit the ground with a grunt.
The remaining seniors lunged.
And Vaibhav stopped holding back.
A shoulder ram sent one crashing into a bench.
A backfist broke another's nose.
A knee strike dropped the third.
One more fell to a flurry of precise hits that came too fast to follow.
Six seniors.
Six bodies on the ground.
And Vaibhav didn't even look tired.
His eyes slowly dimmed back to normal.
Alicia stared—not afraid, but amazed.
"You… you really held back all this time?"
Vaibhav shrugged. "They were annoying."
Alicia sighed, half exasperated, half proud.
The courtyard around them had gone silent.
No one approached.
No one even breathed too loudly.
Everyone understood:
Vaibhav was not someone to provoke.
By noon, the campus buzzed with parents arriving to pick up their children. Hundreds of students crowded the exit gates, laughter mixing with goodbyes.
A deep, polished-black car glided through the entrance—sleek edges, raven insignia on the front.
A luxury vehicle.
Heads turned instantly.
The car door opened with a soft hiss.
First to step out was a tall man in his early twenties—broad-shouldered, sharp-featured, dressed in a dark coat. His black hair fell neatly to his neck, eyes warm but fierce. A second figure stepped beside him—a beautiful raven-haired woman in elegant black, her presence calm yet strangely intimidating.
Prabhat and Anika.
The moment Prabhat's gaze landed on Vaibhav, his expression shattered.
He rushed forward.
"Vaibhi… what happened to you?"
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with a fury barely restrained.
Vaibhav looked away, embarrassed.
"Leave it, Big Brother. Let's just… go home."
Prabhat wasn't satisfied.
"Tell me who—"
A voice cut through the air from inside the car.
Deep. Calm. Cold enough to freeze the courtyard.
"Prabhat. Get in. We're leaving."
Students nearby felt their hearts stop.
A figure sat in the back seat—only half-visible from the angle.
Black sclera. White pupils.
Eyes that didn't look human.
A presence that pressed on the lungs, as if the world itself bowed around him.
Even without stepping out, the atmosphere changed.
Everyone around the gate went silent, as if instinct screamed:
Do not look into his eyes.
Prabhat exhaled sharply, obeying instantly.
"…Yes."
He turned away from Vaibhav's injuries, swallowed his anger, and walked back to the car.
Prabhat guided Anika back toward the open door, and beside her sat that terrifying silhouette with those unnatural eyes.
Vaibhav whispered, stunned,
"Huh…? Master and Big Sister Anika are here…? But… weren't they busy for months? They're free now?"
Alicia nodded slowly, still uneasy from the pressure she felt.
And that's where the moment froze—
Vaibhav staring in shock,
Anika smiling faintly at him,
and the man inside the car watching everything with unreadable, godlike calm.