******
Ten years ago, strange dimensional portals began to appear on the human continent. After examining the strange portals, it was discovered that they were dimensional distortions containing many dangerous monsters within them. In general, the public did not know what these portals were exactly, which spread terror and chaos on the human continent. But some of the few major powers knew that these portals were the dungeons mentioned in the legends, and they also knew what it meant for these dungeons to appear on the human continent, because of that, a lot of the human superpowers decided to put together an international team strong enough to tackle the threats of dungeons and the unknown dangers outside the barrier. The team that would later be called the Shield Union.
The Idea of this team was simply to gather the best geniuses and talented young people in the continent and train them in the International Academy using the best resources available in the continent for three years. After they graduate, they will gain huge authority and power and their main objective will be to protect the human continent with the support of the Four Empires and One Kingdom with the hope that they will become the second *Shield team*.
Thus, after several years of preparation, a new elite class was finally announced at the International Academy and its objectives were clarified. After this news spread, everyone realized the significance of this class and the impact that the shield team would have in the future on the human continent. Thus, a test was conducted to select the candidates who will enter the shield class with one condition, the age of the participant must not exceed twenty years. But despite this condition hundreds of thousands of applicants took this test, even members of the ancient and royal families took this test. But out of hundreds of thousands of applicants, only Thirty-three were selected as students. One of these students is Lucas Morningstar.
Of the Thirty-three students who joined the class, only twenty remained. The other Thirteen left for various personal reasons
******
Iskar City
Under the Morningstar family knights' headquarters
Ron is one of these students who didn't graduate. After leaving the academy he established one of the most powerful pirate groups on the continent, but one day after entering the waters of Iskar city, he was attacked by the troops of the Morningstar family, and all his forces were eliminated and he was imprisoned.
(That bastard, I'll surely kill him when I get out of here.) Ron thought angrily, sitting on a simple wooden chair in a dark, windowless cell. He already knows who is responsible for what happened to him and he is determined to take revenge as soon as he gets the chance
Suddenly Ron heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and his expression became careful. It didn't take long before he could see a young man with red hair and a silly smile heading toward his cell.
"Hello! My name is Casper and I have orders to bring you to the palace," said the young man with a soft voice.
(Finally, This is a good chance to escape) Ron thought after hearing Casper's words optimistically, that it seems that Casper is a young guy perhaps in his twenties as well. He wouldn't be very strong at most in the Sixth-tier, it wouldn't be difficult to escape from him. He just has to wait for the right opportunity.
"Okay. Let's go" Ron
"Oh! You seem to be very obedient against expectation, okay," said Casper, as he opened the cell's door. After opening the door Casper continued his words. "Since the master sent me personally, you must be very strong but I have to warn you. It is impossible for you to escape."
(Send him personally? Is this someone important!?) Ron thought with a serious expression. Still, he did not take Casper's words seriously, as he would not miss this opportunity to escape, even if he sacrificed his life
"Okay, let's go…" Casper said as he opened the way for Ron to walk in front of him
(What? Is he going to let me walk in front of him, without handcuffs…is he crazy or is it just self-confidence?) Ron thought with a surprised expression, and then took the opportunity and advanced in front of Casper.
Thus, Ron and Casper climbed the stairs. This jail is dedicated to imprisoning the strongest and most dangerous warriors, and to reduce the chances of prisoners escaping, it was built underground with strong materials. And because the prison is directly under the Knights Headquarters, it is guarded by many guard knights, and elite knights, even a warrior from the seventh-tier cannot escape from this prison.
After a few minutes of walking, Ron and Casper left the Knights' Headquarters and began to head towards Morningstar Palace. So far, Casper hasn't taken any precautions to prevent Ron from escaping. He was just walking by his side as if they were going for a normal walk, which made Ron doubt Casper's intentions, but nevertheless, after some time of thinking, he decided to take this opportunity to escape. He is a warrior in the Sixth-tier if he decides to escape even a warrior from the Seventh-tier will find it difficult to stop him. Hence, Ron rushed with all his might to get away from Casper.
(Why isn't he trying to chase me?) Ron thought after turning around and seeing that Casper hadn't followed him, he was just standing there and looking at him with a twisted smile on his face. Suddenly…
Without a warning, Ron forcefully fell to the ground on his face, then suddenly he felt a strong pain coming from his legs, after he looked at his legs, he opened his eyes with shook after finding that both of his legs were amputated, but no matter how he thought, he couldn't understand how this happened, how his legs were cut off without him noticing…
"Ahhhhh" Ron cried out loud after feeling the pain getting stronger and stronger to the point that his thoughts became blurry because of the pain.
*****
"Ugh." A faint voice came out of Ron's mouth as he opened his eyes slowly, as soon as his consciousness became clear he remembered something and quickly looked toward his legs, he found that his legs were still there and he was now lying on the ground of an unfamiliar room.
"Don't be nervous, it was just a hallucination." Don suddenly heard a voice coming from his right side and turned around to see Casper standing near table
(An hallucination? I felt it, how could that terrible pain be an illusion?) Ron thought with a complex expression. But he decided to ignore these thoughts and instead he asked Casper, "Where's Lucas?"
"He's got some work to take care of, but he'll be here soon," Casper replied lightly
And as Casper said, it didn't take long for the two of them to hear the sound of footsteps approaching, then the door opened and a tall, muscular figure entered with a cold expression on his face and some papers in his hands.
"Hello Ron," said Lucas, sitting on a chair, while Casper stood behind him with a respectful expression.
"Lucas, why are you doing this? We've been classmates for more than a year," Ron shouted angrily after seeing Lucas.
Ron couldn't comprehend how Lucas could be so brutal. After all, they were classmates in the Shield class and had gone through a lot of crises together even though their relationship wasn't that good but he still thinks that Lucas went too far.
"You already know why I'm doing this," Lucas said in a low voice, reading the papers in his hands without paying much attention to Ron's anger.
"Is it because we entered Iskar City without permission? You could just ask for compensation. It wasn't necessary to wipe out all my comrades," Ron said with the same angry expression.
"Why do I have sympathy for wanted criminal" Lucas asked
"Why did you killed my men so brutally, we made a promise to support each other and protect humanity in shield union," Ron asked
In fact, Ron understands that he is a wanted pirate and that any city he will enter without permission will attack him immediately. But he still cannot accept that his men were killed so brutally by one of his classmates. Who made a promise to support each other and protect humanity.
"What are you talking about, as a pirate you are saying you never killed human or something bullshit? And I don't like to talk too much, you already know so I will tell you why you are here," said Lucas then raised his head from the papers he was reading and looked at Ron with a serious expression "First of all, I have reliable information that you entered Iskar under the orders of the Vice-Captain of the shield union, Henry Moonlight, to tame sea monsters by using your skill to use it to attack the city in the future."
"..." Ron opened his eyes with a shocked expression after hearing Lucas's words. His alliance with Henry is very confidential information despite the two of them no one knows about this. After getting many disturbing letters from Lucas's sister Erma, and because of their previous experience with Lucas, Henry felt that Lucas might pose a threat in the future to the innocents and perhaps even to the Shield Organization, so as a backup plan Ron was sent to Iskar city with the objective of bringing sea monsters near the city under his control to use them as weapons in the case of emergency.
Without caring about Ron's shock, Lucas continued his words in a cold voice, "Secondly, I have strong evidence to suspect that you were one of the people who killed my knights five years ago."
"..." After hearing this, Casper's smile suddenly disappeared and turned into an angry expression filled with killing intent
(What? Just how the hell did he get this information?) Ron thought, shocked at what Lucas had said, but he maintained his neutral expression and said, "Do you have any proof for your accusation?"
"Do you really think I need evidence ?" Lucas said in a cold voice
"How did you know all this?" Ron asked while letting out a helpless sigh
"Do you admit your crimes?" asked Lucas with a cold expression mingled with a slight hint of anger
"You know very well that we are not mistaken, you are a dangerous person we must take precautions to stop you if needed, and five years ago your Knights killed many innocent people we had to get rid of them," Ron said in a firm voice.
"And who gives you the right to judge the Morningstar family members and also knows the penalty for killing members of the Morningstar family?" Lucas asked
"..." Ron suddenly felt a cold tremor running through his body
"Casper, torture him to death, until he begged to killed and gets everything he knows about Morningstar family or Shield Organization," Lucas said
"..." Ron heard Lucas word fear begin to show on his face.
"Alright sir, but why we need to about the Morningstar family information from him?" said Casper
"Ple-Please just…." Before Ron Could say something he was unconscious on the ground because throw paper at Ron.
"Because knowing what your enemies knows about you is also benefit us, prepare to counter attack back," Lucas said
"Alright sir," Casper