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STEM: The Underground City

~When dust turns to gold~ Following an invasion by a reptile-like species called Khalgora in the year 2043, humanity is forced to take a final stance in a gruesome confrontation that threatened it's existence into an apocalyptic demise. After decades of tactical execution of all its skills and resources man triumphs over beast. But only barely. With stenches of death and wails of suffering, the earth is left desolate, infertile with an atmosphere deteriorating at an alarming speed. The only habitat lies below. Year 2311. Welcome to STEM city. STEM (an abbreviation for ' Safe Territorially Erected Megalopolis'), is an underground Empire and home to the surviving earth inhabitants, sheltering them from the harsh conditions of the rubbled earth's surface. But even in this city where intellectual geniuses wheeled a minor underground refuge operation to a major megalopolis, slums existed. These slums like any other, are regions with insufficient supply of amenities from the Megalopolis' authority leading to hunger, suffocation and high rate of death by major lung diseases. Diana and her brother Axel are twin siblings who were born and brought up in these slums, lose everything but even in this great abyss of darkness, find a ray of hope, Polaris. Polaris academy is an institution erected by the collaboration of the major pillaring powers of STEM to raise potential superhumans in skills such as martial arts, elemental abilities, advanced sciences and much more, all to help in the exploration of the earth surface now being roamed by foreign beasts who pose a threat to the underground empire. In a world where the weak were preyed on and only the strong thrived, two poor kids with no background find themselves in this academy among astoundingly skilled minds from powerful families fighting for the same spot as them. Can they survive the competition and level up or will they return to the hell they came from? **** ~Excerpt ~ " Attention all factions, report to the portal station in an hour. A live Khalgora is loose in Flouresce, we need to contain it before any damage is done to civilians. Go!" The message set all students of Polaris in an uproar. **** What happens when humanity's mortal enemy is able to infiltrate this fortified empire? ---------------- A/N: cover obtained from the internet. All credits to the creator(s).

MarcyGold · Romance
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22 Chs

Knocked unconscious

A day ago.

Diana stood before the brown and creme painted hanok.

The building, although a common thing centuries ago, now looked out of place beside the Young mansion.

This hanok was also owned by the Youngs.

It contained many of the artifacts and ancestral antiques which they kept for safe keeping to secure it for the future generations just like the last generation had done. And although they had moved to live in the mansion, they still kept this hanok in great shape to prevent damage to its content.

Mr Young was well rooted in his culture and although times had changed and humanity was moving into a monotonous cultural era, he stuck to what he believed and what his ancestors had passed down to him.

Which was why he was pushing his son to the extreme in working hard to be the best fighter that he could be.

Diana guessed he must have gone through the same at a young age as it seemed like a family tradition for the children to be the best in whatever they endeavors they chose. Competitiveness ran in the Young blood.

She had served food for them at the table one time when a few relatives had come to visit the family and she got to understand that the entire family was power obsessed.

Mr Young's brother owned a major business company that had it's Headquarters in the nation's capital and also had branches in many districts in the nation. He was very successful just like his brother.

While serving them, she also overheard the discussion between the cousins who chatted like they were rivals.

They talked with specks of rivalry underneath their friendly smiles. The competitiveness in their blood prevented them from being on the same page or speaking on the same level.

" Well what are you waiting for. Let's get in. " A black haired girl spoke behind her, breaking her reverie.

"Wait Qingqing wait for me. You know I don't know my way around " She rushed her words out as she followed the girl who was now a few feet ahead of her in the building.

They had been sent to obtain some special tea bags from this building by the head maid.

She didn't mind the chore but working with someone as pompous as this girl was driving her mad.

Qingqing had been neutral to her initially. Not too nice and not mean either but a few weeks ago, her attitude changed drastically.

Obviously the girl disliked her presence in the mansion for some reason but after the head maid had asked Diana to request Qingqing to follow her to hanok, Qingqing had no other option but to agree.

" Try to keep up" She said with her head held high and her hands tightened into fists hanging by her side, as she treated on the wooden floor.

It was a bright day so the light from the sky filtered through the glass windows of the building giving an aesthetic feeling to those in the building.

Taking a turn in the hallway, past the multiple doors, they found the kitchen.

The kitchen just like other parts of this house was a cream and brown theme.

They kitchen which was formerly used by the Youngs , was a large space that looked almost empty except just a few ceramic utensils placed in the cupboard which was half open and also on the kitchen counter.

"They're in that box" Qingqing pointed at a box which looked like a cupboard placed by the second wall off the kitchen.

Diana walked to the box and got on her knees and tried to pry open the box but she couldn't figure out how to open the box.

The box was made of brown hardwood that didn't seem to have and opening window not to talk of a key hole.

"How do I open this?" She asked confused and looked up at QingQing.

" I don't know..." She lost her voice when she saw Qingqing holding unto a heavy a metal rod, having a malicious smile on her face.

Before she could escape the compromising position she was in, Qingqing swung the metal and hit Diana hard On her head.

Diana felt like the bones in her skull was crushed as she fell onto the wooden floor.

The last thing she saw as her eyes were dizzy were Qingqing's shoes after that, she blacked out.

The next time she felt her own body was when she felt her body being dragged on the floor like a rag doll.

She opened her eyes and tried to understand her surroundings and what was happening to her but her head was still spinning.

She tried to remember why her skull hurt so much but nothing came through.

The she looked at the person pulling into her leg and then everything came to her.

This seemingly nice girl with an angelic face had hit her on the head when she least expected it.

Why would this girl want to hurt her?

She tried to make as little movement as possible so as not to alarm the girl while she tried to think of the best escape route possible.

Lucky for her the psychopath let go of her leg and then went into the room opposite where she lay in the broad hallway.

The room had a translucent sliding door instead of the usual hinged door she knew of.

She could see the silhouette of the girl move in the room which was lit by the electric power from the ceiling.

She saw QingQing's form take off her clothes, after which her bare body lost it's structure like clay and then took the structure of a man with a bigger build than her initial feminine build.

The scene made Diana's eyes bulge.She averted Her eyes from the door as her head throbbed with pain and fear with doubt in her heart.

Were her eyes deceiving her? This had to be a misunderstanding.

She couldn't clearly see what was going on in the room, as half the door was left open and Qingqing was in a section in the room where only her silhouette could be seen through the door.

Either way she had to run or this girl was going to kill her. Or was it a man?

Pushing all her thoughts aside, she tried to gather all the strength left in her body and got on her feet.

She clutched onto her head as she stumbled away as quiet as she could.

" Oh you're awake!" The high pitched voice of the girl who wanted to harm her filled the hallway.

She turned back to see someone who wasn't the owner of the voice she heard.

'How did she....'