Castle Of Black Iron Fanficted

It was said that human society owned rich materials before the Catastrophe. Many precious articles like cigarettes, wine, meat, and as well as various rare and eccentric goods could be easily bought from a place called the supermarket. At that time, an ordinary man could afford 40-70kgs of rice or wheat through a day of labor, which was enough for him to live for half to one month, or perhaps even longer. It was also said that a mysterious energy called "electricity" was made; human beings could use it to do many unimaginable things. Additionally, people also invented many great weapons which made them the only ruler on the celestial body. They were so arrogant that they held everything else in contempt. Unfortunately, what waited for the heyday was the Catastrophe.

The gods could not stand the unending greed of humans; therefore, it launched the Catastrophe and created the Star of God. As punishment, the gods beat human beings back from their peak into a simpler age. As a result, human beings lost all the magical powers brought by science and technology. They had neither electricity, nuclear power, explosives, nor those amazing weapons. According to the most accepted saying, there was some particle in the unknown rays carried by the Star of God that greatly changed all micro components of the substances on the celestial body. Take the original star as a pot of plain water. Once the almighty god or any celestial beings found human beings uncomfortable, they could spray a hand of salt or pepper powder onto it casually, and as a result, the plain water was no longer plain. Likewise, the star was not the very same either.

After the catastrophe, what people felt was fortunate might be that steel and iron were still as hard as before; they could be used to cast into cutleries, swords, and armors for the army. Black coal was still combustible; they could still bring light, heat, and energy to human beings. In other words, everything made from the above two such as cutleries, swords, armor, thermal energy, and steam engines would be the last dependence of human beings in this age

Blackhot City, the name of Blackhot City originated from the Blackhot Mountain next to the city. It was said that Blackhot Mountain was one of the longest mountain ranges on Kun'ang Continent before the Catastrophe. Back then, people created an aircraft that could fly faster than sound; however, it still took the aircraft several months to fly across the range from one end to the other. Take Blackhot City for an instance. It was actually a fine branch south of the Blackhot Mountain Range. It stretched over 20,000km, a length that many people would not traverse in their whole lives.

When the Catastrophe arrived, the Kun'ang Continent, which covered hundreds of millions of square miles, was divided into pieces due to the tremendous geological and plate movements, akin to a loaf of bread being split by kids. Numerous parts formed, while the others directly disappeared. Through vicissitudes, people today could not imagine the magnificence of Blackhot Mountain and the grandeur of this vast continent. Even now, the world was still too large for everyone. The location 800km west and north of Blackhot City has yet to be explored; it was still an unknown. However, the area where Blackhot City was located, south of the Blackhot Mountain Range, covered more than 400 million square km. More than 9 billion lived here. It was a gathering of numerous countries, city-states, and clan forces; however, it was merely a slim and narrow belt on the map of the whole continent. With lofty mountains on the northernmost and westernmost regions and vast oceans on the southernmost and easternmost regions, it was the area with high population density. On the map, it was named the Blackson Human Race Corridor.

After the Catastrophe, it took human beings about 100 years to find out what happened to the planet when the Catastrophe fell. It then took the remaining people almost 100 years to recover slightly. Unexpectedly, they found that human beings were no longer the only ruler of the planet. Those eccentric demons and dark clans from underground took human beings as delicious dim sum and slaves. They made the planet dangerous and posed several challenges to the survival of human beings.

Today marked the 889th year on the Black Iron Calendar after the Catastrophe. Human survivors continued to multiply and now stood firm on the Kun'ang Continent once again. Furthermore, driven by countless steel, iron, and steaming machines, they became ambitious to further explore the planet and convince the world that they were the rightful rulers once more.

Blackhot City was younger than 40 years; it was the symbol of humankind's rejuvenation and re-ignition of ambition. It was young compared to the numerous human countries and city-states in the southern area of the Blackhot Mountain Range. Blackhot City was founded by businessmen and mill owners. As an industrial city, it occupied a seat in the Andaman City-State Alliance Parliament. Same as most emerging cities in this age, the city relied on rich resources, which included rich coal and mineral resources.

The entire city and its 3 million inhabitants were depending on the rich resources from underground the city. It was ruled by the Coal, Steel, and Iron Federation of Blackhot City (CSIF). Numerous steam locomotives would carry coal, steel, iron, cutleries, swords, and armors, as well as other weapons and equipment, out of this city from factories. Meanwhile, they also transported in goods from outside the city.

Under the shine of moonlight and the pouring rain, you can see a a boy running toward the housing district near the slum. Ragtag clothing, face covered with mud and dirt. holding a black plastic bag trying to cover it with his body so the thing inside it will not get wet by the rain. After a while the boy can be seen arriving in front of inconspicious house. A small house that doesn't attract attention. Even though it was a small house in a remote area, it still look just fine without any kind of damage on it.

Click...

"Big bro... is that you...?" The moment the sound of the lock opening came a voice from inside the house. A kid voice, judging by the tone it looks like a kid no older than 10.

"Yes Nunally i'm home" Said the boy with a kind voice.

"And look what i get, Miss daina give it to us. And some other thing here" The boy start unpacking the thing inside the black plastic bag for the little girl to see. There is a little bit rice enough for the two to eat for at last a week, not only that there is also some green looking thing that look like a leftover vegetable. Eventhough it look like it will make the eater sick, but after the catastrophe eating at least this much is already something to be grateful. Other than the food inside there is also several book that look like to be handwritten. On the book cover there is a title that can be read as "Elementary Reading Book","Basic Survival Guide", "Animal and Plant Encyclopedia", and "How to deal with common diseases".

"Wahhh So much food, and also a book to learn language!!! Yeay!!" said the little gir while jumping happily while holding the reading book she got.

"But is it okay for sister daina to give this much to us brother??"

"It's okay. The food and two of the books is something i paid, while the other two books is a present for your birthday and mine said Miss Daina"

While the two is busy talking suddenly someone knock at the door of their house

Knock Knock Knock!!

"Nunally!! Hang in there for a while ok?? I'll find that stupid brother of yours in a minute!! How dare he lock you inside the house!!!"

When the boy hear that voice, he unconsciously gulped. And when he tried to tell her sister to answer properly, it's already too late. The little girl already run to the door and open it.

"Ah?? Sister Lila?? It's fine sister. Brother is home already. Look he even brought us some food and book"

The girl at the door froze for a while, and suddenly her eyes look at the boy menacingly. She is glaring at the boy looking like a mommy kitten seeing someone that hurt her kitten. The boy being glared at avoid her eyes while having a cold sweat on his back.

"KLAUST!!!! You!! You!!! How dare you lock Nunally inside the house!!!" said the girl while stomping her way toward him. The boy klaust know that it was his fault and tried to explain properly while trying to cool down the girl that came toward him.

"Lila.. Calm down. I know i'm at fault, but it really can't be helped you know. I just can't leave nunnaly alone unprotected right?"

"Ughhh!! You should look for me first. You... Arghhhh!!"

"Ummm I'm in a hurry you know. I don't have the time to look for you first or i'll be late. You know Miss Daina is kind enough to pay me with these thing. While i only need to take care of his brother for a while right??"

"Ughh!! Give me the key!"

The boy obediently give the key to the girl while sighing in his mind that he manage to brush past the calamity.

"Next time get Nunally to my house before you go to your work"

"But i-"

"No but!! My mom and me can take care of Nunally just fine and you don't need to be sorry about that. When your dad is alive he is always taking care of us, and now it's our turn to take care of you two. You already refuse to live with us but you absolutely cannot refuse this. You already know the reason"

"Hahh.. Thank you"

"Ok then i will be taking her with me. You still need to go to other work right??"

"Um. Well I'll be leaving Nunally in your care"

While the two finished talking. Lila caressed Nunally head while urging her to bring the thing she want to bring along with her. The little girl start packing the book to bring with her.

"Come Nunally. Let's go to my house. Bring along the thing you need"

"Um Sister Lila. Be careful along the way brother..."

"Of course Nunally. Be a good girl there okay?"

"You... be good with that job. Come on Nunally"

The boy keep standing on the door while his eyes followed the two until he can't see them. After a while the boy wash his face inside the house while changing his clothe to a uniform. After checking his look the boy got out of his house and lock it.

"This time. I'll need to ask the store owner if he knows a thing or two to strenghten myself. I need to learn to grow stronger so i can protect Nunally and Lila Family too"

The boy started walking away from his home toward the inner area with determined eyes. Along the way the boy look at a big writing over the city wall

-WELCOME TO THE AGE OF BLACK IRON-