The sky of Bornika stretched wide, a bright blue canvas dotted with soft, white clouds. Beneath it lay a continent of stark contrasts, a fusion of advanced technology and ancient magic.
The smoky volcanoes of Yamashiro, the whispering bamboo forests, the fertile valleys with silver rivers—Bornika was a tapestry of breathtaking landscapes. To the east, the vast plains of Xiangdu displayed the grandeur of ancient dynasties, with high-walled cities and magnificent palaces.
To the west, the rich mountains of Baranesta held the shimmering Mythril and Mythrilblood, invaluable sources of energy and power. To the south, the Thousand Flower Archipelago spread like emeralds across the blue ocean, volcanic islands covered in lush rainforests.
Yet, Bornika's beauty was marred by a gaping wound, a six-hundred-year-old scar. Six hundred years ago, a conflict began, escalating into an endless war.
The scramble for resources, ideological differences, and ambitions for power transformed this continent into a battlefield. Magnificent palaces crumbled, villages burned, and tears flowed like rivers.
Queen Yukihiko Regania, formerly the ruler of Baranesta, now crowned sovereign of the Jindara Kingdom, witnessed this devastation with profound sorrow, determined to end the suffering that plagued the land.
In a silent valley, amidst the ruins of an ancient city, the leaders gathered. They were Duke Takeshi Hiroshi of Yamashiro, a wise samurai; Duke Hector Valerius, who assumed leadership of Baranesta after Yukihiko's departure, a brilliant engineer; and Duke Herman Syailendra, leader of the Thousand Flower Archipelago from the city of Mandaraka.
They vowed to end the war, to rebuild Bornika from the ashes. They established the Jindara Kingdom, an alliance upholding peace and justice.
However, the shadow of Xiangdu threatened their hopes. Duke Lin Mei, an ambitious woman with cold eyes, refused to join Jindara.
She saw this alliance as a threat to Xiangdu. With a sharp voice, she declared war, and Xiangdu's armies marched.
In the Jindara palace, the drums of war thundered. Soldiers marched, armor gleaming, faces filled with resolve. Advanced technology and ancient war strategies combined, creating a formidable force. Jade Garudeya, a young man from Baranesta, stood with burning determination in his eyes, hoping to end this war.
Arun Village and a Young Man's Ambition
"Jade, are you daydreaming again?" Jade's mother's voice broke the morning silence in Arun village. Jade, a young man with sharp eyes and jet-black hair, turned from the window, gazing at the vast wheat fields.
"Just thinking about the war, Mom," Jade replied, sighing. "Will it ever end?"
Jade's father, a sturdy farmer with a face etched by hard work, put down his hoe. "Six centuries of war, son. It's become a part of our lives in Bornika."
"But I don't want to live like this," Jade said, his voice filled with determination. "I want to do something, change something."
"Change what, Jade?" asked his younger sister, Rina, brushing her hair. "You're just a village farmer."
"I want to join the royal army," Jade replied, looking straight into Rina's eyes. "I want to use my strength to end the war."
"What strength?" Rina chuckled. "You can't even lift a heavy sack of wheat."
"I'll get 'Muscle Force'," Jade said, his voice trembling with conviction. "I'll become a hero like General Lance Garudeya!"
Jade's mother, who had been glancing at her son, turned her gaze away.
"A hero?" Jade's father shook his head. "That's just a legend, son. That serum is dangerous, many have died from it."
"I'm not afraid," Jade said, his eyes flashing. "I'll prove I'm worthy."
"Rina, if I succeed, I'll buy you hairpins and new clothes to make you even more beautiful. I promise." Jade ruffled his younger sister's hair.
"That's not necessary. All I want is for you to come home safe." Rina's eyes reddened, she was touched. But also afraid of losing her only brother.
"Isn't that right, Mom?" Rina continued, her mother's face filled with worry.
"Are you sure, Jade? I don't really agree. War only brings suffering. You'll kill someone's family, be it a brother, father, sister, or even someone's mother."
Jade's mother, Tania, wiped away her tears, starting to cry. Jade and Rina came and hugged her.
A few days later, the call to arms arrived in Arun village. A royal messenger arrived on a weary horse, announcing that the Jindara army needed more soldiers.
"This is my chance," Jade said, looking at his family. "I'm going."
"Jade, don't!" Jade's mother cried, hugging her son tightly. "It's too dangerous."
"I have to go, Mom," Jade said, breaking free from his mother's embrace. "I have to do this."
"Jade, listen to your mother. You could get hurt, son. I beg you..."
Jade said goodbye to his family, promising to return as a hero. He mounted a horse borrowed from the village and headed to the army recruitment center, leaving the peaceful Arun village behind.
"Be careful, Jade," his father said, his voice trembling. "Come back safe." Jade's father gave Jade a box wrapped in white cloth.
"What's this, Dad? If this is..." Jade opened the box, he saw a spearhead.
"What is this?" Jade looked confused.
"Give it to the royal blacksmith. Even though you're not strong and good at swordsmanship, you still remember everything I taught you about using a spear, right?"
Jade nodded, "Yes, Dad. Thank you. Where's Rina?" Jade looked around and didn't see his younger sister.
"She's crying over your departure in your room, Jade." Jade's father explained, hugging Jade's mother, Tania.
Jade looked worried about his younger sister. However, his resolve was firm. Moreover, he was the only young man left in his generation, as the others had already left to serve the kingdom.
"Mom, don't cry. Last year Henry left first, and so did Thomas. Now it's my turn."
"I'll be back, Dad... Mom," Jade replied, tightening the reins of his horse. "I promise. And tell Rina, I'll come home after all this is over."
Jade spurred his horse on. While hugging Tania, Jade's mother. His father said, "Tania, my wife. The boy isn't good at swordsmanship like Tania Geraldine, the Flower of Alden..."
"But you know, he has talent like his uncle." Jade's father continued, watching his son's back as he moved away.
"You didn't give our son any ease, Albert Garudeya. Why didn't you tell our son that Lance is his uncle?" Tania's tears flowed even more.
"There's no easy path for the Garudeya family from Mandaraka city, how could his spear make the dragon king Bahamut kneel if we pampered him? At least that's the path of Garudeya, the Dragon Conqueror."
Jade's parents watched their son's back until he disappeared from sight. Then Albert spoke again.
"Tania, can you still see Jade?" Tania, wiping her tears, said, "Yes, very clearly." Albert smiled, "The Muscle Force special on your ciliary muscles hasn't even diminished with age."
"Let's go home, we have to comfort Rina and go to the fields soon."
Albert continued. They went back home.
On the way, Jade met an old merchant who gave him advice. "The world outside our village is harsh, son," said the merchant. "Don't trust anyone easily."
"I'll remember that," Jade said, nodding.
"And about 'Muscle Force'," the merchant continued, "it's not a toy. That power can change you, not just your body, but it can also take your life if you fail."
"I'm ready to face the risks," Jade said, his eyes filled with determination. "I'll get that power, and I'll use it for good."
Jade continued his journey, leaving the old merchant behind. He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to reach his goal. He would become the hero Bornika needed.
The city's army recruitment center looked so busy, full of hustle and bustle. Tents lined up neatly, soldiers trained with enthusiasm, and the sound of commands echoed through the air.
Jade, with a simple backpack on his back, entered the main barracks, a large wooden building filled with aspiring soldiers from all over Bornika.
There, he met Gala Limbersius Constantine, a tall and sturdy young man with sharp blue eyes. Gala, with his arrogant demeanor and confident bearing, immediately caught Jade's attention.
He was a nobleman from Alden, a region known for its strong and valiant warriors. Gala had two large white wolves, Fionn and Gale, who were always by his side, adding to his intimidating presence.
Not far from Gala, Jade saw Luna Aganta, a quiet girl with deep brown eyes. Luna had a mysterious aura, as if she held deep secrets.
She spoke little, but when she did, her words were sharp and precise. Jade soon realized that Luna had extraordinary eyesight, as if she could see things that others couldn't.
Their first meeting didn't go smoothly. Gala, with his arrogant attitude, looked down on Jade and Luna, considering them inexperienced villagers.
"Look at them," Gala sneered, looking at Jade and Luna with disgust. "Two lost villagers. What are you doing here? You won't last long."
Luna returned Gala's gaze with an equally sharp look. "We're here for the same reason as you," she said, her voice cold and calm. "To end the war."
Jade, unaccustomed to conflict, tried to ease the tension. "We're all here for the same goal," he said, trying to sound friendly. "We have to work together."
Gala laughed cynically. "Work together? With you? Don't be ridiculous. I'll be the best here, and I'll get Muscle Force."
Amidst the tension, a high-ranking officer entered the barracks. He announced that they would soon begin intensive training, and that only the strongest and most chosen would receive the Muscle Force injection.
The announcement changed the atmosphere of the barracks. The soldiers looked at each other, assessing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Competition and tension filled the air.
Over the next few days, Jade, Gala, and Luna were forced to work together in grueling training. They learned about war strategies, battle tactics, and weapon usage.
They also learned about Bornika's history, about the six-century war between Jindara and Xiangdu, and about the legend of "Muscle Force".
In the midst of that training, they began to get to know each other better.
Jade, with his sincere spirit and strong determination, began to earn Gala's respect.
Luna, with her sharp intelligence and extraordinary eyesight, proved herself a valuable asset to the team.
However, the competition between them remained. Gala, with his great ambition, wanted to prove himself the best.
Luna, with her deep secrets, wanted to prove that she couldn't be underestimated.
Jade, with his desire to end the war, wanted to prove that he deserved the "Muscle Force" power.
One night, as they rested from training, a serious conversation took place.
"Why do you both want 'Muscle Force' so much?" Jade asked, looking at Gala and Luna.
Gala sneered. "I want to be the strongest, to prove that I deserve to be a nobleman of Alden. I want to end this war, and I want to do it with my own hands."
Luna stared into the campfire, her eyes flashing. "I have my own reasons," she said, her voice soft. "I want to protect something precious to me, something threatened by this war."
Jade nodded, understanding. "I have my own reasons too," he said. "I want to end this war, to bring peace to Bornika. I want to use my strength to protect the weak, to stop the suffering."
"Gala, Luna... aren't you afraid of death?" Jade asked, his eyes fixed on the campfire, staring blankly.
No one answered. "I had a friend named Hendry, he fell in this endless war." Jade began to tell his story in a daze and in his memories.
"His body was split by a Naginata's slash, and another named Thomas, he didn't even make it to the battlefield. He died shortly after being injected with the Muscle Force serum..."
"Jade, our squad has ten people right now. Everyone must be worried too." Gala replied. Jade looked around, his squad members, who had been pretending to be asleep, had risen and sat around the campfire.
"But, we came this far because of determination. Not just ordinary people like you, even a nobleman like me has lost two brothers in this war." Gala continued, trying to encourage them that there was no difference between them.
"That's right, Jade, fear is inevitable. But, here we are, and hundreds of thousands of other recruits are too." Said one from the squad.
"We squad 19 will successfully pass the serum injection phase." Gala looked confident with burning enthusiasm.
That night, squad 19 became closer and more intimate. These ten people promised to protect each other later on the battlefield.
In this round of recruits who passed the selection, there are more than 347,000 aspiring soldiers who will be injected with the Muscle Force serum. The rest who fail the selection process can try again next year to train their bodies and skills.
And with so many recruits gathered, they will be divided into small squads of 10 people. This is done to facilitate the chain of command.
The next day.
Squad 19 stood in front of the laboratory door, where they would receive the serum injection. They looked at each other, realizing that their lives would change forever, or end here.