MAGNUS DEI SYSTEM: CRIMSON RESOLVE

Today was the day of undertaking the recruitment order. 

After the mass death in the failed attempt to take over the Frontier Region, the government had commanded all sixteen-year-olds to enlist in the army.

Ella stared at the running tap, refusing to face her son, “I am sorry for not being enough, and yes, I think about your dad every day, praying that he comes back to us. I hope that God keeps him alive, and then you don’t have to go there.”

Alex remained silent as he hugged his mom. 

Praying to God felt far-fetched to him, especially when he allowed the world to fall this far. He never wanted his mom to apologize again, since it was never her fault. “He’ll be okay.”

The world was in disarray, but as always, humans were able to adapt to major changes and still find happiness in the little things.

Due to the invasion of the SYN Virus, the world order was upended, more than half of the earth's population was lost, and the earth was split into five major Regions: the Detached Region, the Outer Region, the Frontier Region, the Yellow Zone, and the Safe Haven. 

The Safe Haven held most outbreak survivors, but everyone lived in fear because anything could happen at any moment.

The feeling of anger still lay deep within Alex; he knew the government had placed his father in the worst place because they were too poor to secure their rights. The Outer Region was the region closest to hell.

As evening drew closer, Ella paced around the house, fiddling with her fingers. If the day passed without the arrival of the recruiters, it meant Ray was still alive.

Alex came down the stairs, “Mom? What’s wrong?” 

But before she could answer, the front door exploded, and heavily armed men walked in, holding energy guns as they marched into a formation. 

Ella turned to her son with urgency in her eyes.

Run. 

At once, his legs moved in the next thought, and he bolted upwards.

“Get the boy at once!”

Ella moved to the front of the charging man. “Please don’t do this. My husband is still alive. You must have got it wrong.” In a swift moment, she was shoved aside and held by one of the soldiers. 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but we have been notified that your son is liable to get transferred as he has reached the age requirement.” A man stepped forward. His uniform had red stripes, but the aura he commanded made the air grow stiff.

Ella tried to struggle. “No! This was never the deal!” She cried, wrestling against the soldier’s hold. “You said if he fought in the Outer Region, my son wouldn’t have to go. Please—”

Another man stepped forward. From the aura he carried, he was the commander.

Ella instantly recognised him, “Please do something, Sir. Help us–” She tried to say.

But the hand of the commander moved, landing a back-handed slap on her face, “Promises expire.” He frowned, shaking off the ache in his hand. “You have no say in this matter. Scums should be grateful, not defiant.” 

“How dare you touch her?!” Alex’s yell erupted from the top of the stairs.

Alex moved his head, hitting the nose of the soldier holding him, and he charged forward.

The sight of his mother’s unconscious state sent rage to his blood. 

He didn’t care if this man was a Reaper or if he was stronger. He harmed his mother, and he would pay.

The commander scoffed. He hated being sent to the slums; the people here never knew their place, so he would give this boy the right beating before sending him to that forsaken death zone. 

“Should we, Sir? This boy doesn’t know his place.” One of his men whispered to him, but with a raise of the commander’s hand, he kept silent.

“You think you are some big shot, kid? I’d teach you respect.” The commander smirked when he saw Alex was within his reach, but in a split second, he received a heavy blow to his nose.

“What?” 

The attack was faster than he expected, and his head flew back, blood spilling from his nose.

Unable to collect himself, he raised his gun, “You little scum!” 

"Sir, we need him." A soldier tried to restrain him, but it was too late.

Due to his background, Alex got bullied, and this honed his fight skills, although he never learnt how to avoid bullets. The energy bullet pierced through his chest, tearing a hole through his heart and his body.

Strangely, there was no pain, but the feeling of emptiness was cold and silent. 

He turned to his mother, and realization hit him, no one would protect her once he was gone.

Maybe it was time to believe in her God. “Please keep her,” and darkness swallowed him.

A soldier stepped forward, looking at the body on the floor. “He’s dead, Commander Alwert. The colonel wouldn’t be happy and—” 

Before he could complete his sentence, a bullet pierced through his skull, and he collapsed.

“Anyone else want to speak?” The commander stepped forward, his hand holding his nose, and no one said a word.

“Just as I thought. We moved the boy to the Frontier Region as he wanted more money to help his mother. We tried to discourage him, but he was resilient, and we didn’t know he would die quickly. That’s the story.” The commander frowned, hitting the fallen body with his boots, and his eyes turned to the mother, who stared at the fallen body of her son.

“I should kill you, but then I’d have to explain your death. He’s dead. Mourn if you want…” Alwert glanced at her, his lips twisting in disgust, “But understand that the world doesn’t care. The boy made his choice. We honored it.”

Ella held her head low, ignoring the noises of her dead son being carried out of the house and fading footsteps. Her shoulders trembled, and a wail escaped her lips.

Alex was right after all; there was no such being as God. 

In the thick silence and decaying scent, the rotors of a helicopter sliced through the midnight air, ignoring the low and hungry sounds in the area.

“Drop it.” At the command, a body was dropped on the floor, and as quickly as it came, the helicopter took off.

Along the clearing, something crawled closer to the body, its joints cracking like dry twigs as saliva ran down its mouth.

It ran fingers over the body. Why was this scent different?

The zombie-looking being snarled in disgust, turned its head away, and hobbled to another distraction. 

In the next minute, darkened air moved into the nostrils before reaching the lungs. It wasn’t long before the virus invaded the corpse, turning it a dark blue hue.

However, a bright light shone over the body, and the discoloration disappeared.

The hole around the chest slowly started to close up, and with a deep inhalation, Alex opened his eyes.

[All requirements completed. Congratulations, Alex Ray. Welcome to the Magnus Dei System.]

[Host Revival Completed.]

[Name: Alexander Ray.]

[Classification: Human Lv 1(Infected)]

[Rank: Empty]

[Active Skill: Dominator.]

[Passive Skill: Touch of God.]

[New Objective: Survive 48 hours in the Outer Region]