Year 4450.
Earth has known nothing but war for a thousand years.
Modern technological warfare has consumed the world. Nations rise, nations fall — only to be replaced by stronger tyrants.
"Supreme Commander Leinard, our left flank has fallen. The right is barely holding… It's only a matter of time before the enemy reaches us."
Leinard remained silent.
I am the Supreme Commander of this empire… no, of an empire already dying.
Years of corruption and internal strife had led them here.
Ah… My empire will fall.
What of His Excellency? I have failed you. I was meant to be your sword.
Leinard turned to his remaining soldiers.
"My soldiers… I will not lie to you. This is our last stand. We will fall today — with our nation, our beliefs, and our pride. If any of you wish to live… leave now. Discard this empire. I will not blame you."
Silence.
No one moved.
The battle resumed.
Men fell one by one. Some dragged enemies down with them. Some stood pierced by bullets and blades, shielding their comrades until their last breath. Life was extinguished every second.
Leinard fought like a man already dead. For every soldier that fell, he claimed another life.
Hours passed in a blink.
Now riddled with wounds, he stared at the endless sea of enemies before him.
This is the end.
As his eyelids grew heavy, he smiled.
Hmm?
What is that sound?
A faint sound echoed in the darkness.
Stone shifting. Water dripping.
Leinard's eyes snapped open.
Cold glass surrounded him.
"…A capsule?"
He pushed himself upright. The liquid inside drained away with a mechanical hiss. The hatch slowly opened above him.
How did I get here?
He stepped out, boots touching solid ground. The chamber was familiar, way more familiar.
The infirmary inside the imperial castle.
But something was wrong. Something doesn't add up.
Dust coated the walls. Vines crept through cracks in the stone. Sections of the ceiling had collapsed, allowing roots to snake downward like skeletal fingers.
The air smelled old.
Abandoned.
"Nano," Leinard said calmly. "Report the current year."
Static answered him.
"…Err—dkt—error… Multiple system malfunctions detected…"
Leinard frowned slightly.
So even you are damaged.
The faint blue glow of his nano-suit illuminated the darkness. Though weakened, it still functioned. Tactical visor. Environmental scan. Basic combat support.
Good. That is enough.
He walked through the ruined corridors, relying on memory to navigate the castle's layout.
When he reached the main exit—
He stopped.
There was no sky.
Only darkness.
Stone walls curved overhead.
"…We're underground."
The entire castle had sunk—or been buried.
A low growl echoed from the shadows.
Leinard's hand moved instantly.
A high-frequency blade extended from his arm with a sharp hum.
From the darkness, a massive reptilian shape emerged.
Wings.
Horns.
Burning eyes.
"A dragon…?"
Flames erupted toward him.
An energy shield flared to life just in time.
The impact pushed him back several meters, boots grinding against stone.
Nano's voice crackled.
"Lifeform matches archived data from Belbon Federacy bio-weapon experiments… but size and biological readings exceed known parameters."
So they succeeded after all… That accursed nation and their inhumane experiment.
The dragon lunged.
Steel met scale.
The blade struck—but only left a shallow cut.
Hard.
Far harder than the prototypes we fought.
The battle dragged on.
Claws tore into stone. Fire scorched the chamber. Leinard moved with calculated precision—dodge, analyze, counter.
Thirty minutes later, the dragon collapsed.
Silence returned.
Leinard exhaled slowly.
"Slight armor damage detected," Nano reported. "Auto-repair initiated."
He stared at the corpse.
"What happened? This is way too different to what I fought, Is it a variant?" He muttered.
Without further delay, he followed a tunnel sloping upward.
For days he climbed.
Sustaining himself on monster flesh—something he never imagined doing in his previous life.
"I would trade this for artificial rations," he muttered.
"Correction," Nano replied. "You previously described artificial rations as 'tasting like medicine.'"
"…Silence."
At last—
Light.
Blinding sunlight poured in from above.
Leinard stepped out of the cave.
And froze.
Before him stretched—
A vast sea of green.
Grass swayed under an endless blue sky.
Trees stood tall in the distance, their leaves dancing in natural wind.
No domes.
No artificial climate barriers.
No smog.
No war.
Just open earth beneath an open sky.
"Air quality: 98% purity," Nano reported quietly.
"Radiation levels: negligible.
Oxygen concentration: optimal."
Impossible.
In his era, vegetation survived only within controlled bio-domes the size of cities.Humans have to wear mask that purify air.
But here—
Nature ruled freely.
Leinard slowly knelt, removing his glove.
His fingers touched real soil.
Warm.
Alive.
"…The world healed?"
The wind passed through the grass like a whisper.
For the first time since waking—
He felt small.
Very small.
This is all unfamiliar to him.
No wasteland, no advance or any signs of civilization nearby.
"This is all unbelievable"