My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 118

”You might be wondering what the class is about, right? Well, it is a confirmed and authentic history of Alcatraz and how humanity came to be behind these walls.”

.....

The class was more than focused, vibrating with a collective readiness to learn the truth of their lineage.

In this brutal world, shooting fireballs and pouncing across battlefields in an attempt to slaughter Aberrants was vital, but knowledge about the enemy and the world they were trying to reclaim was equally paramount.

As the old adage goes: ”Knowledge is Power,” and Ray was more than ready to acquire a different kind of strength for himself.

”Well; as we all know, fifty years ago, showers of meteors rained down from the heavens, wiping out ten percent of humanity in an instant.

Along with those meteors came strange, ethereal mists. Humanity theorized that these vapors were the catalyst that granted humans the supernatural abilities we wield today.”

Sony paused, ensuring every student was hanging on his words.

No one dared to look away.

”It was ten years after that the Aberrants struck. They almost systematically wiped out our species, and they would have succeeded if it wasn’t for the meta-humans who finally stepped out from the shadows to do battle.

These pioneers shared their abilities with the world, while others chose to hoard their power, giving rise to the term ’Legacies.’ Now, can someone tell me exactly who or what a legacy is?”

A student in the middle row raised their hand and, after a quick nod of confirmation from Sony, began speaking.

— Legacies are meta-humans who not only kept their specific abilities exclusive to their bloodlines, but are also said to wield immensely powerful traits. Most common abilities used by the public today actually originated from them.

”Correct, but I still need one more crucial point added to that definition,” Sony prompted, scanning the room.

Another hand shot up, followed by a confident voice.

— Legacies are also people with abilities not common to the general population—original powers that nobody else can replicate or copy.

That’s why they are called Legacies; the entire world doesn’t have access to their specific skill sets.

They only belong to those they choose to share them with, whether it be their families, specific factions, or military forces. For example, the Big Four families and the major global factions.

Clap—! Clap—! Clap—!

Sony struck his palms together, nodding continuously at the Aspirant who had just contributed.

”Wonderful. I like that explanation a lot.”

Ray remained quiet, his pen flying across the paper as he filled his notebook rapidly.

He understood that this training wasn’t just about physical conditioning and raw might; they needed to expand their minds.

He had heard a rumor—a theory whispered in the hallways—that part of the final assessment at the end of the year would be a comprehensive written exam.

Before they could choose which elite group to join, they had to prove they had listened in their homeroom classes and acquired the tactical knowledge required for the field.

”What you all don’t know,” Sony continued, taking a deliberate step toward the front row.

”... Is that humanity didn’t always live on Alcatraz. We once occupied another world... another galaxy of sorts.”

”What?!” The Aspirants muttered in a wave of shocked disbelief at the instructor’s revelation.

”Yes,” Sony nodded, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.

”Humanity originally lived on a planet called Earth. It was composed of different countries, continents, and kingdoms.

But after the meteor strikes wiped out ten percent of the population, several nations were erased from the map entirely.

Then the Aberrants arrived, further accelerating the destruction. Back then, humanity wielded world-ending weapons like nukes, bombs, and firearms. But unfortunately, none of those conventional weapons worked on the Aberrants—except for the nukes.”

— Then what happened?

”Well, the battle raged on for about six or seven years... I believe. Eventually, the nuclear stockpiles were exhausted, and in the chaos of the launches, dozens of countries collapsed.

The Aberrants also contributed to this devastation with their own advanced technologies. That was when the very first meta-human stepped forth.”

Sony made a dramatic pause, his eyes locking onto the eager, wide-eyed faces of the Aspirants.

Then he continued:

”The first special-grade meta-human to appear possessed power exceeding anything we could measure.

He gathered the remnants of humanity and teleported them all to this strange super-continent, thousands of miles away from our original homeland. The transport took a devastating toll on him, and he lost his life in the process. It was no easy feat.”

’So that’s how they found themselves in Alcatraz, eh? Interesting.’ Ray mused, his pen hovering over his notebook.

”The humans sought to gather themselves, rebuilding from scratch on this new world. But alas, it was a dangerous land filled with beasts—creatures we couldn’t defeat easily. A brutal battle for survival ensued for a year.

And then, the Aberrants found us again. That was when more meta-humans began stepping forward. They fought back with everything they had, finally pushing the monsters back in the First Great War.”

’Wow. That means the history books I read were slightly altered,’ Ray realized.

’In those, we were told it was only a year after the Aberrants arrived that meta-humans pushed them back. In reality, it took years of struggle and tons of sacrifices.’

”... Countless people lost their lives,” Sony said, his voice dropping an octave.

”That was when the then-head of the Blade family, the first Legacy to wield the Earth ability, stepped forward.

He selflessly laid down his life to construct a massive, two-hundred-meter-tall wall that spanned for thousands of kilometers.

In fact, that wall enclosed about forty percent of this entire super-continent, shielding humanity away from the horrors that hid beneath the surface. This took a toll on him, too, and he perished due to total meta-force depletion.”

”....”

”The remaining Blade family took it upon themselves to build smaller walls at strategic points to serve as retreat options should the main line fall.

Finally, the other Big Four families rose up and constructed domes—massive barriers over the walls—to shield against any aerial attacks from the Aberrants.”

’Yet, it failed. The dome didn’t hold at all when the Aberrants struck,’ Ray thought, squeezing his hands in a silent fury as he remembered the breach.

”... And so, it took years for humans to settle in this new world, locked away from exploring further.

The military was eventually organized into three distinct branches: the Vanguard Order, the Iron Corps, and finally, the Aspirant Corps. All established in the desperate hope of surviving this eternal war.”

Kai, who usually slept through these lectures, was actually wide awake.

He absorbed the information without batting an eyelid or showing any outward emotion, looking as if none of this surprised him in the least.

”Hm. Now I wonder why they decided to reveal this information to them all now. What is brewing? Is there a danger approaching that we aren’t aware of?” Kai muttered under his breath.

Ray, with his heightened senses, heard him clearly.

Before he could ask the blonde-haired teen what he meant, Sony continued, his expression darkening.

”The reason for telling you all this is simple,” he started, pausing to scan the anxious faces of the Aspirants.

His hands squeezed the edges of the podium so tightly his knuckles turned white, and he visibly gritted his teeth.

Taking a series of deep, stabilizing breaths, he finally spoke the words that turned the room to ice:

”The Second War is coming—and it’s approaching much faster than any of us can imagine.”