Many soldiers were fighting to the death against various creatures, but one of them hurled massive boulders that crushed dozens of fighters instantly.
One of those boulders fell on a hill.
On that hill, a heavy rain poured relentlessly. Beneath it, hidden among the earth and vegetation, was a bunker that protected a secret laboratory.
Immediately, a protocol was activated. A capsule slowly opened, and from it emerged a battered young man, his body emaciated and his gaze empty.
—"What...? Umm… Where am I? Who am I?"—he muttered, confused.
As he tried to stand up, he stumbled and accidentally pressed a button. A tape activated and began to play on an old television.
—TV ON—
—"Hello, hello… umm, if you're watching this recording, it's to inform you. You, K-2, are one of the ten superhumans I created. Each of you possesses a unique gift.
Your mission is to save humanity, which stands on the brink of extinction. To do so, you must find the Divine Rings. They will grant you the power necessary to fulfill your goal. Beside you are weapons and food.
Go out into the world… and good luck. Oh, and I must also tell you that—"
—Recording interrupted—
K-2 understood what his mission was, but he couldn't stop wondering what that important piece of information was that he hadn't heard.
With determination, he prepared with the nearby weapons and supplies. Just as he was about to leave, he felt something watching him and…
—BOOM!!!
A tremor shook the bunker. A horrible creature burst in with force. K-2 reacted instinctively, jumping and dodging the attack with inhuman agility.
—"Wow… incredible,"—he whispered, surprised by his own skill.
—BOOM!!!
The creature charged again. In an instant, it let out a shriek so sharp it left K-2 stunned. Taking advantage of his weakness, the monster lunged to finish him off.
But just then, K-2 saw a nearby weapon. He grabbed it and fired a powerful laser beam that tore off the enemy's arm.
—BZZT!
The monster writhed in pain, and with one final shot to the head, it exploded into pieces.
Panting, K-2 realized the world he was in was far from normal. Even so, he felt a strange excitement about the adventure that awaited him.
Upon exiting the bunker, he found a ruined world… but full of wild life. The landscape was as beautiful as it was desolate. After taking it in for a few minutes, he checked his map and headed toward Bunker #2, hoping to find shelter.
However, something didn't add up. The place didn't match the map.
—"My God… I don't understand anything. I'm lost…"
Wandering aimlessly, he came upon some ancient ruins. They weren't modern but primitive. Intrigued, he decided to explore them.
After hours of walking, he found a chamber with ten glowing, mysterious rings at its center.
But before he could grab them, some golems activated and blocked the way. K-2 drew his weapons and fired several times, but his attacks had no effect.
Then he understood: the golems were guardians created by humans to protect the divine rings.
One of them struck K-2 with brutal force. Severely wounded, he fell to the ground, nearly lifeless… but something extraordinary happened.
The rings began to shine intensely. Hundreds of souls flowed into his inert body, reviving him. K-2 woke up, dazed but alive. Wasting no time, he unleashed a massive attack powered by the rings and destroyed the golems.
—"That was incredible… even though I still don't know how they work…
…But at least I'm still alive."
—Hours later—
He continued his journey until he reached a city inhabited by horned and terrifying figures.
One of those beings watched him from afar. It was a demoness. And she was hunting him.
K-2 dodged her attack and, when confronting her, she introduced herself:
—"My name is Licia. I'm here to kill you, hahaha."
K-2 fired, but his weapons had no effect. When his end seemed inevitable, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand, as if by magic. With it, he blocked the attack.
Licia was surprised.
—"What… how did you do that?"
—"This ends now."
—SLASH!
The strike was clean. Licia vanished… but reappeared again, now in the form of a teenage girl.
She didn't give up. She continued attacking, but K-2 dodged every blow. He noticed her gaze held not hatred, but fear.
He stepped closer and, in a swift motion, gently stroked her head to calm her—but she quickly resumed her attack.
In the middle of the fight, he asked:
—"Tell me… why do you look younger now?"
—"Umm… I… I don't know…"—she replied with a lost tone.
—"You're probably faking it…"—he murmured with suspicion.
He knew she was the same demon, and although he didn't fully trust this trick, he could see her memories fading. Seeing her confusion put him somewhat at ease. At least, for now, she wouldn't try to kill him.
He tried talking to her again, but she wouldn't respond—so he came up with a plan.
Taking advantage of the moment, he proposed:
—"Let's make a deal: you help me on my journey, and in return, I'll protect you."
—"I don't know… you don't seem trustworthy…"
—"Well, then go back to those demons from before."
—"What demons?"—she asked, scared.
—"Ahhh, okay, okay… you win. Just get me out of here."
—"Hahaha, easier than taking candy from a baby."
Night fell.
Along the way, they talked briefly about their lives, but it was getting late, so they agreed to continue the conversation in the morning.
They decided to rest, but soon the sound of footsteps alerted them. Licia went to investigate. The creatures had returned, launching attacks. K-2 appeared with his sword, blocking the blows, and together they began a fierce battle.
—"Licia, you stay back! I'll handle the front!"
—"Okay!"
Slash! Thud! Boom!
In the chaos, a colossal beast threw them into the air. They fell off a cliff and were dragged by a river.
Both were knocked unconscious for a while.
At dawn, K-2 and Licia found each other again, relieved to be alive.
—"Well… I guess everything turned out fine."
—"Yeah, although I lost my weapons. But with these rings, I doubt anything can stop