《The Avarice》 Conflicting sides Chapter 1: conflicting sides Empty, dark, lonely, the street was unlike any other. no sound could be heard as the woes of the unfortunate were represented through the tears of mothers who lost their newborns; none could afford to cry; water already ran short. Life expectancy was around adolescence, far below the realm of ¡°normal humans." No child had a dream as they were not given time to fulfil it. The slums taught these kids one thing: if you want to survive, earn your right to survive. Mind-forged manacles tide from man to man, freedom a finite resource in these parts, every step, every breath, and every blink was counted. A lonesome boy was running across the hollow streets, his heart and steps perfectly illustrating a harmony that reached the ears of his chasers. This was risky; the food the boy stole could not really be worth it, a bread; his life is at stake yet conviction with the fortitude of steel coursed through his hamstrings, quads, and calves, helping him run more and more. Raggedy brown and beige clothes lay on the boys shoulders, tattered and ripped, making them seem like spider webs about to fly with the wind, his feet bare in the wind, no resistance or problem with the sewage water traversing the soles of his feet. this is his home, he can¡¯t possibly be disgusted with his home; he found comfort in the water that left mangled flesh trails behind, his foot akin to warriors who walk for miles. Thick Jet black hair tangled in many patterns; some areas of the black hair blemished with green and brown, marking the struggles of his wretched past. Golden eyes darkened by sorrow made them appear a brownish tint, matching his shirt. His eyes perfectly reflected the mountains of garbage that he was running through, as if he''d walked here a thousand times before, frail arms grasping the bread as it is life, for the reaper has come to collect what is his, yet the boy refuses. Anger resonated from the man''s heart; everyone was struggling, being oppressed and hunted. Grunts and sighs were heard in the background. Many onlookers stared at the man and boy; they struggled to get food, so what made this kid think he has the right to steal food? The boy shivered, his hand stretching ready to give back the stolen goods. In a moment of flashing thoughts, it made him remember the core rule of this place: you want to survive? Earn it. In one fluid motion, the boy resumed the cat and mouse chase, hiding behind buildings, climbing fences, and mountains of pre-installed trash in an attempt to shake off the old man from his tail. It was a maze, and he was the designer: every step, every bird, every mouse, all were accounted for in his full-proof plan. After carefully losing the chaser, the boy looked down from the top of a building, his huffs and puffs being shrouded by the intense noise being released from a place radiating fluorescent light. He saw the object his heart most desired; he has been here many times nowadays looking upon the fine line separating the two lands, the opposite side, the place where they lived. Full, ethereal, and loud, the streets were unlike any other; no sound could be made out as the joys of the youngsters who lack responsibility kept morphing together in a lucid cacophony that triumphed every other noise. All could afford to splash liquor from floor to ceiling; another botte was always within arms reach. The life expectancy in the late 100s, reaching far beyond the realm of ¡°normal humans," no child had a dream as their family''s income made a dream and aspirations the last of their worries. The opulent land taught these young men and women one thing: if you want to do anything, pay others to do it. Freedom roaming from man to man, food, water, and breaths running of unlimited fuel. Every liquor splashed and every food trashed ran uncountable, numbers that would shock any ¡°normal human.¡±. A popular boy was running across the crystal streets, his heart and steps perfectly illustrating a harmony that reached the ears of all the dancers around him. This was exciting; the food the boy asked for could fill the hungrest of man, a meal ungraded by stars as it reaches far beyond; his life was in easy mode, yet today everything will be changing due to a big announcement by the landowner in the massive banquet hall. A delicate hand picked up the golden fork that was littered with gems, DING DING DING. Silence echoed in the hall, the previously bombastic room dead; the maniacal dancing and partying silenced by the elegant ringing of the refined man, an announcement came to life. ¡°Please, give it up too, my eldest child, the successor of the business,¡± the elderly man motioned his hand to the young big standing behind him, a boy no older than 11, his golden hair flowing with the wind that was let through by the massive golden gates at the front of the banquet hall. CLAP CLAP CLAP Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. An applause loud enough that the vibrations shook the vast estate. Such big news: the Gold family is announcing their heir. who could possibly know what to do with their trillions at such a young age; a natural human instinct, envy. ¡°Did you hear that the perfect child is becoming the heir?¡± ¡°Is it not expected? He doesn''t bear a single fault that can be seen.¡± ¡°What positions will his 2 siblings have?¡± Mysterious voices rang out, shock and expectedness in a perfect concoction into their tone; they knew who would be the heir and knew it was going to be announced, but to hear it in the first person was shocking. The perfect boy made his way outside the heart of the party; he didn¡¯t like the dagger-like gazes from the elderly who wanted his family''s wealth, hostility was expected from others when you gain wealth. He stepped onwards towards the outskirts of the estate. There was a boy he always saw staring at the estate, a boy with greed moulded into his eyes. He wanted it; he wanted it all. ¡°Here you are,¡± the perfect boy muttered. Thousands of metres opposite him stood a boy with long black hair holding bread that was ripped and moulding. They stared into each other¡¯s eyes. No words exchanged, yet they perfectly understood each other. In the eerie silence that seemed to last aeons, the perfect boy spoke out, ¡°O¡¯ you who stares at my wealth with greedy eyes, why do you wish to have it all?¡± A simple question that would answer all that he wanted to know: what could have occurred that you wish to have all the belongings of others? Eyes that burned with malice and envy were directed at the perfect child. Fire sparked in the dark-haired boy''s eyes; he had never wanted anything more than a regular life since he was born, but recently that changed. Why should those people live lavishly while he struggles? He wanted it; he wanted it all. Even though the two boys had a vast distance between each other, they both understood that they were trying to communicate. Due to the predicament of his land, the dark-haired boy couldn¡¯t communicate back even if he could hear the words of the other; the lack of moisture in the boy''s mouth made speaking impossible. ¡°What is your name?¡± Interest was caught¡ªa boy born perfect with everything, a boy born imperfect with nothing. Yet his question fell on deaf ears. The dark-haired boy was mesmerised by the endless array of lights coming from the estate behind the blonde boy. ¡°Well then, I, Alastair Ambrose III, will bestow upon you a name.¡± This proclamation was met with silence, just the same piercing look with tonnes of conviction behind it. sympathy; actually, no, it was more like pity, the only emotion that Alastair could feel towards the boy. Roars and screams were suddenly heard from the trenches that the dark-haired boy was from, screeching loud enough to get Alastair to hear. The dark-haired boy quickly, with a face filled with horror, ran away, hoping to hide in time from the incoming group. Sorrow filled Alstair¡¯s eyes; he had no need to worry about the attack as his estate was guarded by the strongest of all. He looked towards the place the dark-haired boy was before saying, ¡°I hope you can hide in time, for I wish to meet you again in the near future. Midas.¡± A smile, words being imprinted on his heart, soul, and mind, Midas He will remember that boy, an individual that interested the boy who has it all¡ªa feeling he hadn¡¯t discovered yet. But The perfect boy viewed it as charity; he gave this poor boy a name he can use now; he should cherish it for millennia to come, a privilege that he never thought he would give out at such a young age. A smile crept onto Alastair¡¯s face as he walked back into his golden estate. He was the lord of all, a king amongst parasites that wanted to transfer to the newest host, their previous host being his father. Alastair walked forward, ready to meet the 10 biggest contributors to his wealth, including him. He wanted to make sure they were onboard with his father¡¯s newest plan, they rarely exchanged words, just work papers that made money grow quicker than usual. Alastair began walking to meet with his biggest contributor. a contributor adept in oil and weapon exportations. ____ Midas returned to his region of trenches, frightened. He needed to hide fast. He wanted to meet up with his regular companions , a group of 10 including him, to make sure they were safe, but either way he wouldn''t know if they were safe or not; no words were ever shared between the 10, just solemn moments that made the days pass quicker than usual. Midas met up with his closest companion; the first one he saw was a brown-haired boy with a permanent pseudo smile spanning across his face; the result of stitches from scars of knife attacks which were prevalent in these parts. He was a little taller than Midas, his frame a bit more petite. His ears had a trail of dried blood, ruptured eardrums. Both had to hide, fast. At irregular intervals, a pack of human traffickers burst upon the slums where Midas resides, they take anyone they can find before selling them off to people with wealth. Midas and his companion didn¡¯t know what happened to those who were dragged, but they saw what happened to those who resisted. A sight unwanted, a sight unfitting of children. All the people who weren¡¯t members of the golden estate wished for a chance to rise, a new chance. Midas being the one who wishes the most. ¡ª- Alastair¡¯s footsteps held more force than usual, his teeth and hands clenched beyond imagination. He did not like the fact that he had to hear out those contributors; Why couldn¡¯t his father just do what those contributors did but better? ¡®I wish to be independent, not reliant on some weak contributors who leech off me and my wealth!¡± For the first time, all members on earth shared a single feeling. Dissatisfaction. All wanted a new chance where they were better off. Those who were born at the top were not satisfied with all that they had, while those at the bottom were not satisfied with all that they didn¡¯t have. [due to the whole of humanity having a shared thought, a new chance will be given to all.] Was a message that appeared in front of everyone, different expressions were shared: confusion, fear, shock yet the most interesting of all¡­ excitement . [3¡­] [2¡­] [1¡­] New place, same people A bright luminescence was casted on the world, the previously displayed countdown was not there anymore. Yet¡­ no change occurred? Was the new chance a lie? If so, then who had the capabilities to display a screen on such an international level? Quickly, the internet went wild. ¡®Lmaooo billionaires be really gettin wild these days!¡¯ ¡®Yo did anyone else see that countdown? It aint even new years yet lol¡¯ ¡®Broooo i was excited and all i thought this 9-5 job was gonna disappear or smth!¡¯ Words that mocked the countdown were numerous. Those who read novels and books thought this was their time to shine as main characters with harems spanning in the thousands. Before anyone else could mock the countdown, another message appeared to the world, its contents able to be understood by all, no matter the language or disability. A simple poll: do you not like earth? yes/no Many who doubted the screen as a trick by massive holograms to advertise new advancements were quickly surprised to see it was a touch screen. After 5 seconds of shared shock that the world experienced, another thing appeared on the same message. Do you not like earth? yes(1)/no(1) Everyone understood what this meant, 2 people had answered this already. Two young boys, their lives at complete other ends of the scale, immediately clicked the opposite buttons. One wanted everything; one had everything. As soon as the population of people saw the first two votes, many began voting rapidly. Do you not like earth? yes(1,003,739)/no(5,037,826) The votes showed that a lot seemed to like earth, votes from those high up, or those with families, stable jobs or a partner, but truly deep in their hearts¡­ no one cared for this planet. You don''t like the planet, you like what''s on the planet. If another planet that was identical to earth was available, every creature would go to it if they had the opportunity to. Humans by their nature are selfish. This isn''t a bad trait, prioritising yourself is important, but to what extent? Feed myself before feeding others, but I need to eat tomorrow too, and the day after that, and the day after that.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Eventually you feed no one, only thinking about yourself. Your belly is filled today, everyone is starved and the food has molded due to you waiting for those days that will arrive that you will need food in. The votes were specifically that, no one wanted to vote together, no one chose to debate. The votes were shown to be an anonymous thing, pushing people to show their fangs. Do you not like earth? yes(1,037,816,829)/no(826,826,957) Eventually comments online began springing up, either calling the voters who voted against them stupid or uneducated. Those who voted ¡®yes¡¯ were called ungrateful and greedy. Those who voted ¡®No¡¯ were called trust fund brats and silver spoon kids. Many didn¡¯t care for the votes, thinking it was just another scheme for advertisement, many even actively avoided voting. Eventually the numbers switched to percentages of the population. Do you not like earth? yes(51%)/no(33%) This meant that 16 % hadn¡¯t voted, not like their vote mattered. Over half the population had picked that they did not like earth. This information was later redirected through the announcements. 51.34% of the human population did not prefer earth, as a part of the new chance, a new homeworld will be provided for the human race. Planet similarity to earth: 97.2% Initiating transfer. 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Upon hearing this population split in half, some screamed and wailed in panic, believing the unique screen. The other people laughed, expecting it to be a fake just like the previous countdown that amounted to nothing. After then countdown finalized, another eruption of light decended on humanity. When the light finally dissipated many began looking around, but the fierce gaze of the sun blinded all once more. Even those who were indoors or below ground were experiencing the sun, confusing many. Once their pupils adjusted many began frantically looking around. Grass as far as the eyes can see, trees so tall you would almost think they are clouds. Sudden eruptions of screams and cries echoed, they were transferred to this region at their state when voting. Those dressed in formal attire remained in it, those with no attire remained that way. Many tried running away from the crowd of the entire human population but a mysterious force field appeared, blocking all deserters. Dear humanity, we have listened to your pleas and cries, we granted you a new world. restarting was the main wish upon your desire of a new chance. The majority of you did not favour your planet, therefore we granted you a new one. Many were shocked to see the same screen that they witnessed on earth appear again, the one they called a liar, a fake mirage, turned out to be a power beyond imagination. A bunch of emotions resonated, excitement, shock, confusion, and the most prevalent of all, fear. Many began thinking about their great ancestors, they were made to hunt, made to discover and create with their bare hands. The Current population which was too used to the comfortable life of cozy houses and provided food could not survive the same way. They needed strength. Due to the whole of humanity acknowledging their need for strength to survive, strength will be provided to those who kill one living being, proving their worthiness. Everyone was confused, was this a joke? While some read the words, others contemplated if they should attempt it. *BAM A strong fist landed upon an old lady''s head Her body collapsed to the ground before the bulky man who hit her got on top of her and began slamming his knuckles into her temple again, and again, and again. His knuckles darkened, being stained with the crimson. ¡°yeah bitch, This is what you get for kicking me out my apartment!¡± He laughed, licking his teeth as he smiled. As the old lady stopped moving, embracing the icy grip of death, a miraculous screen appeared in front of the man who killed her. ¡°Hahahaha! It seems that the weird screen wasn¡¯t lying to us, this looks similar to a game,¡± he mused, clicking away at the screen in front of him. The first ascender has been chosen by humanity. realization struck the first ascender. ¡°If killing one old lady gave me this power, and increased my level to level two, that must mean I am the strongest one in humanity right now!¡± A demonic smirk smeared his face, he looked around before launching at the closest woman, punching her, but unlike the old woman this man who had garnered the strength of the system was in the realms of superhuman, exploding her head on impact. The difference in strength between those who were ascended and those who Weren¡¯t was akin to the distance between the heavens and the earth. While the differences between a level one and a level two was akin to an ant and a slightly stronger ant. But due to no one in humanity being ascended aside from the blood thirsty man, he was a god amongst men. Everyone dispersed, running as fast as they could, the previous barrier that didn¡¯t allow anyone to pass suddenly disappearing. Many ran, many failed, some even grew greed wanting their own power. The easiest targets were taken out first the disabled, the old, the young, those who weren¡¯t privileged were at the other end of countless punches from a multitude of people, the one who delivered the killing blow was the one who ascended and received the system, they began quickly killing those who attempted to steal their kill. The population split into 4 groups. The world was vastly new, the day length was different, the oxygen in the atmosphere was different, and the land to water mass was different, causing most people needing to adjust, unable to perform at their best physically. No matter how different the land was, one thing didn¡¯t change- the people- those who hid their true selves behind masks of money or friendships had their masks stripper, their true nature showing itself. Those who once prayed for peace were now the bringers of chaos. Those who donated to help the less fortunate were now slaughtering them. Those who cried for orphans were now covered in the blood of parents. How truly disgusting humanity is