Countless universes exist within the infinite void. Some of these universes give rise to technological civilizations, while others create biological or unimaginably strange civilizations.
In some of these universes, peculiar places and structures also form. These strange formations can determine both the lives and evolutionary paths of the creatures living within them.
The structure of one of these universes in this void is quite peculiar. A dense, dark fog cloud forms the majority of this universe. This fog cloud continues to expand along with the universe.
Its structure is very complex, containing dozens of extraordinary energy types. This energy complexity is the primary factor influencing the structure of the living beings it harbors."
In this universe, the dark mist cloud is so dense that it affects the visibility of starlight from galaxies within it, even on the nearest planets. Therefore, planets within this structure experience almost perpetual night.
The creatures living in this structure are largely adapted to nocturnal life. However, this nighttime does not last forever.
The mist cloud is not static and interacts with the galaxies within it. Consequently, the mist layer thins in certain areas at specific times, allowing some light to reach the planet's surface. This light, though rarely illuminating the planet fully, creates a rare daytime period. However, these dimly lit daytime periods are very short and constitute only a small fraction of time compared to the night.
In the planets within this dark cloud, there exist countless species of creatures adapted to the darkness. Furthermore, these creatures take on various forms. Some of these creatures can enhance their living standards by utilizing the free energies in the dark system. By absorbing and using these energies, they can acquire various abilities. They can pass these abilities on to future generations, enabling them to have better survival capabilities. With the abilities they gain, these creatures can rise to the top of the food chain and occupy better environments for themselves.
Plant-type creatures, on the other hand, can bear fruits with various effects through these energies. They can benefit not only themselves but also the creatures around them. However, some plants can mimic these beneficial plants, attracting creatures to them and providing themselves with extra nutrients. There are also creatures that look beautiful but are poisonous, like mushroom-type creatures; in other words, life always finds a way.
In all these challenging conditions, there must always be some creatures at the bottom of the food chain. In this environment, that species is unfortunately the human species.
In an unknown galaxy within the dark cloud of this universe, there exists a planet inhabited by the human race. This planet is a super-Earth named Tun, nearly fifty times the size of our blue planet. Around its star, there are at least twenty other similar planets, but Tun is the only one in this star system where humans live. On Tun, humans can only survive in a barren region near its poles, which is extremely cold.
Agriculture is scarce, and life is very challenging. In this region, people live in city-states, but these cities are few. There are eight major cities, each surrounded by dozens of villages. The most populous city has a population of around one hundred thousand.
The protection of these cities depends on a central fire, which is no ordinary fire but an extraordinary one. This fire is enclosed by tower-like structures, and by burning it at the top of the tower, its light illuminates the entire city. The fuel that powers this extraordinary fire and keeps it burning is energy crystals, stones formed by the solidification of concentrated energy, mined from the earth. These crystals are used in various ways, not just for the fire, and are considered one of the most vital resources for the people living here.
The extraordinary fire at the city's center also acts as a natural barrier. Wherever its light shines, it separates the city from the dark mist outside, protecting it from external threats, isolating the air, and helping ordinary people survive more comfortably.
This light also partially enables agriculture, which is indispensable for survival. In the villages, smaller fires connected to the main fire illuminate smaller areas but are still crucial for survival. These fires are the top priority for survival. However, fire alone is not enough for protection, so almost all cities and villages are built into cave-like mountains or canyons. The cities are almost entirely enclosed, with only a few exits.
Despite these harsh conditions, people do not spend their entire lives in cities and villages. However, there are strict rules for going outside. The most important rule is never to leave the city in the dark. The only time to leave is during the solstice, which lasts for two months of the year. The year is similar to ours, with twelve months, but ten months are spent in complete darkness, and only two months receive some light.
When people leave the city, they engage in various activities such as mining, logging, hunting, and exploration, all vital for the cities and villages. These activities are assigned based on people's abilities.
The second rule is that ordinary people cannot go outside for exploration and hunting. They handle almost everything else, like mining, logging, and crafting. Exploration and hunting involve unpredictable encounters with unknown creatures, making it too dangerous for ordinary people. Even when ordinary people work outside the city, they are protected by extraordinary individuals. This is not arbitrary but necessary, as ordinary people have almost no chance of defending themselves against the monsters outside.
Exploration and hunting are indispensable for the people. Extraordinary people need to find herbs and fruits to enhance their abilities, mine for weapons, discover new energy crystal mines to keep the fire burning, and secure other resources. Hunting the monsters around the city regularly reduces threats and provides food for extraordinary people. However, there are creatures around the cities that are too powerful for humans to handle.
These creatures create a significant burden for humans. Some of these creatures live in groups, while others live alone and have very large territories. Therefore, explorations progress very slowly. Explorations far from the city are even more difficult because it is not even clear where the danger will come from. Beyond the discovered areas outside the city, it evokes complete unknown and fear for humans. However, these explorations never end.
During the two-month solstice, the starlight does not shine like midday light on the planet. The entire planet is not exposed to daylight either. The light is dim. Although people have been accustomed and even adapted to this light for years, it is still one of the things that makes explorations difficult.
One of these eight cities is Artun, and it is a medium-sized city. The population is around 50,000 and it has several small villages around it. The villages surround the city in a rather scattered manner. Some of these villages are built on mining areas and the villagers live by mining. They work in the mines at all times of the year. Some are used for agriculture. They cover the food shortage of the city and other villages.
In this city and villages, ordinary people form the lowest class. They spend all their lives working in various jobs. The reward for their labor is often very little. They barely make a living. People who have mastered some crafts live a little better, but the difference is limited. Extraordinary people who surpass ordinariness form the noble class in the city and villages. This status difference is quite evident and is felt quite intensely in every moment of life.
This status difference is also what determines the city administration. All of the city lords in these eight cities are the most powerful people in the city.
On this planet, people can enhance themselves with the extraordinary energy in the atmosphere, and they give different names to these levels of development. However, fundamentally, these describe the path people use to increase their living standards.
City lords are essentially level 3 beings, the maximum level humans have reached on this planet.
Level 2 beings are few in each city, and because of their scarcity, they represent the peak combat power of the city. Level 1 beings form the backbone of the city, handling almost all the dirty work such as exploration, hunting, and protection.
The governance in the eight cities is determined almost entirely by a few level 2 beings under the city lord. Level 1 beings are high-level employees who meet the city's needs and work in these jobs. However, these people lived quite well compared to ordinary people.
All work done in the city and under the city lord is paid with contribution points determined by the city lords. These contribution points can be exchanged for information and resources from the city treasury. This contribution point system is the only opportunity for ordinary people to change their fate.
Ordinary people use copper, silver, and gold coins in their trade among themselves. In addition, the barter system never completely disappears. However, the sale of any plants, items, information, etc., related to the extraordinary path is prohibited. The only source for this information and items is the city lord's mansion. If the city lord learns of the trade of these items, the punishment is up to death. Therefore, people have to live by the city lord's rules right under his nose.
In agriculture, the most cultivated item is ordinary mushrooms. Very few wheat-like plants are grown. The survival rate of these types of plants is quite low, so mushroom cultivation is the mainstream. Apart from these, there are no vegetables or fruits in the villages. Even when found outside, they are sold at exorbitant prices. The most ordinary fruits and vegetables are quite luxurious products in this world. Mushrooms are the staple food of ordinary people.
The things ordinary people see are mostly ordinary. Things that exceed ordinariness circulate within the circle of extraordinary people and are consumed among themselves. Even if an ordinary person finds such a material by chance, they have to sell it to the city lord or other extraordinary people due to the risks of not being able to use it or exploding and dying if they do.
The information needed to enter the extraordinary path is the most restricted thing here. Even for ordinary people to access the most basic extraordinary information, they have to pay a huge amount of contribution points. This information restriction limits the number of extraordinary people. Therefore, contribution points always maintain their value.
Cities are divided into regions within themselves. The region closest to the fire in the center is the core region, and it is the city lord's living area. The city lord manages the entire city from this region. The structures in this region are mostly official buildings.
Other extraordinary people are mostly distributed in the next layer, the inner layer. In this region, there are structures dedicated to the work and lives of extraordinary people. Ordinary craftsmen who make items and potions for extraordinary people can also be found in these layers.
The next layer is where ordinary people and craftsmen who have mastered ordinary jobs live. This layer also includes various places such as markets, tea houses, coffee shops, and entertainment venues used by ordinary people.
The area after the outer layer is the surrounding layer, which is the widest layer. The fields where ordinary people farm are in this layer. Most of these fields do not belong to ordinary people. They belong to the city lord, and ordinary people rent these fields from the city lord. The city lord takes half of the crop grown in this field as rent. The farmer can either use the remaining half themselves or sell it to the city lord as contribution points. Some farmers accumulate contribution points in these fields for years and buy the field from the city lord. That field becomes theirs and can be left to their children as inheritance. The goal of most farmers working in these fields is to buy the field they work in.
Farmers can harvest mushrooms twice a year, once every 5 months. The fields are rested for the remaining two months. This period coincides with the solstice, and ordinary people can have time to earn extra money in jobs like logging outside the city.
The entire life of ordinary people almost passes in this cycle. The only things ordinary people see in their lives are these. However, being extraordinary is the only way to break out of this cycle. Being extraordinary is not easy in these difficult conditions.