It was raining.
Once, this city had been called the Sun Capital, because even in winter the sun shone brightly and warmly. But now the kingdom had been destroyed, and only one city of humanity remained. The Sun City had turned into the Gloomy City, since the sun no longer appeared at all. Dark clouds always blocked its rays. The planet's climate had become unpredictable—rain, snow, or just overcast skies could come at any moment.
Once, people here had been kind, beautiful, and generous. There were no orphans, no hunger. So how did this place turn into… this?
The truth is, it was a gradual process.
First came the monsters.
Then cities began to fall.
And finally, the remaining humans united and isolated the last surviving city.
It took just a few decades.
At first, the monsters were numerous but weak. Then they became rarer—but their strength surged. Many people died. Some from the monsters, some from diseases, as the number of infections increased and brought forth deadly viruses. Others, like this nameless child, died from hunger or cold—take your pick.
Rain gloomily pondered the future of humanity.
Right now, he was heading to a large palace in the city's center, with that same child.
Today, he had to attend an important meeting of heroes.
They didn't have to walk far—the palace was already in sight.
Once, this place had been great, beautiful, and strong...
But now, it looked abandoned.
Surprisingly, the palace didn't seem inhabited. There were no guards at the gate—they were all busy, no one idle.
As Rain passed through the gates, he felt pressure—the presence of sword masters and… the king.
The king had once been the strongest man alive, a hero who fought hideous monsters.
His presence wasn't a joke—even an ordinary person would feel his power just walking past.
Not long ago, he had personally slain a massive giant, suffering serious wounds in the process.
— Why is it so cold?
Rain thought for a moment and explained:
— That's called "presence." It comes from powerful people. If you feel it from an enemy—don't think, just run.
The nameless child was wet, shivering, and weak—but he still nodded.
"I need to make him stronger as soon as possible," Rain thought to himself.
Inside, the palace looked a bit better.
From the outside, it seemed abandoned, but within, it was at least somewhat fitting for a royal residence.
There were many rooms, and in the corridors, people walked from time to time—exhausted, seemingly under pressure.
Each of them was doing something, fulfilling their duties like robots used to the same routines.
Despite their exhaustion, some greeted Rain. Others didn't even acknowledge him.
Rain finally reached the room he needed.
He could feel it—there were people inside. And powerful ones.
He called over a maid and gave her an order.
Despite her busyness, she didn't protest.
— Take care of this child.
The maid looked at the child standing behind Rain.
Though she didn't show it, it was clear she was a bit surprised.
She nodded and led the child away, asking him something along the way:
— So, what's your name?
Rain didn't hear the answer. He entered the room—after knocking, of course. Not loudly.
Inside, the room was very plain.
There were two windows, but no curtains. No furniture either.
This room had once been the king's bedroom, but now it served as a war room.
At the center stood a single large table, with no chairs.
Several people with grim expressions were discussing something important.
A map lay in the middle of the table.
— These places here, here, and here. I checked them thoroughly yesterday. That filth wasn't there. I assume he fled somewhere.
A short young man, about seventeen years old, was reporting to the king.
The king looked up, turned, and saw his former knight... and teacher.
Rain met his gaze.
He felt a little... awkward.
The last time they met had been years ago—and they hadn't parted on good terms.
Still, the survival of humanity was at stake, so he had to set aside his pride and offer his help.
— Look who it is. The great Rain himself, sword master who lived in seclusion outside the city.
— Your Majesty, — Rain replied simply.
The king looked… tired.
His hair, once black and shiny, had turned gray.
His face was lined with wrinkles.
Only his black eyes remained the same.
He thought for a moment and introduced Rain to the others around the table.
— This is Rain, my former loyal knight. He once taught me swordsmanship. He's very strong.
Rain, this is the elite of humanity—the current generation of heroes.
He pointed at a young golden-haired girl.
— This is Elissa, my daughter. She's a healer.
Then he pointed at the one who had just reported in:
— This is Lenar, our scout. That grim knight over there came from a destroyed city—his name is Ed. And that white-haired youth came with Ed—his name is Kai. Each of them is very strong, so you'll fit right in.
Rain nodded and, after a pause, asked:
— So, now that we're all here, are you going to tell us what's going on?
The king smirked, noticing Rain had abandoned formalities.
— Of course. The dragon has awakened and flown south. We don't know when it'll return to these outskirts, but if it does—it will definitely destroy this city. I called you here so you'd be informed and to aid the young heroes.
If I hadn't been wounded in that battle, I would've gone myself.
Rain thought for a moment and asked:
— Did you even think about me? I'm much older than you! My body's not suited for battle anymore. At best, I could buy you some time with my death... if I'm lucky.
The grim knight with black hair smirked:
— You don't need to worry.
King, I think we can handle the dragon ourselves. After all, the Story wouldn't send us on an impossible mission.
Rain was surprised. Story? Send?
What was this guy even talking about?
The king came up to Rain and whispered:
— Don't mind their weird talk. I've got no clue what they're on about either. The strangest thing is—they're all like this. Even my daughter started acting strange at some point.
Elissa frowned and looked at Ed, the dark knight.
— Didn't we agree?
There was a threatening tone in her voice.
Ed smirked.
— Doesn't matter.
King, look—we'll handle this ourselves. Just give us food, shelter, and time to prepare.
The king was about to say something but forced himself to nod.
He turned and walked to the window.
After a pause, he said:
— Arrogance breeds weakness. No matter how strong you are—never underestimate your enemy. That dragon destroyed several cities. Many heroes, far stronger than you, have already fallen.
Rain might not be in his prime, but when it comes to swordsmanship—there's no one better.
If he trains you, your chances will rise.
This time Elissa smirked:
— King, we don't need a teacher. We'll manage on our own.
The king turned and looked at his daughter.
— You've changed, Elissa. You used to always listen to my advice.
Elissa said nothing.
Silence fell over the room.
Rain broke it:
— Maybe you forgot, Glorious, but I don't take just anyone as a student.
And yeah—if you can stall for a few years, there'll be one capable fighter added to your ranks.
— Oh? You finally took a student? — the king asked in surprise.
— Yeah, — Rain simply replied.
— Excellent. That's one more person on our side—and one more chance for survival.
You all heard him.
If the dragon tries to come back—just stall for time. I'll be doing the same.
Hearing the king's command, everyone nodded.
— So, how strong is he? When did you find him?
Rain scratched the back of his head and answered awkwardly:
— Not very strong... but he will be! And I found him… today.