NOVPUBFrom this chapter onwards, I embark on a new side story, primarily detailing how the director of the Global Supernatural Phenomenon Investigation Bureau, Martin, painstakingly established the GSPIB.
Daniel will return in the upcoming narrative!
July 20, 2002.
Riverland was still being pelted with relentless rain.
Clad in a raincoat, Martin hurried through the streets where puddles had formed, under the shroud of night.
Beneath the streetlights, his face appeared somewhat pallid.
The neon lights from the streets, radiating a spectrum of colors, diffused through the rain.
The inclement weather could not deter the city’s fashionable men and women from reveling in their nocturnal escapades.
With umbrellas in hand, they celebrated their youth amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.
In stark contrast, Martin seemed like an isolated spirit, almost ghost-like in his inconspicuousness.
It was past eleven at night, and having completed his last delivery, he aimed to return home before midnight to spend his solitary 22nd birthday.
Ever since he was a child, Martin had been frail.
Even after graduating from university, no company dared to hire him.
Presently, he worked on outsourced programming projects and delivered food part-time.
It was just enough to sustain him.
He made his way back to an old residential building, ascended the stairs, and entered his apartment.
The compact living room was infused with a faint scent of perfume.
Rents in the city were exorbitant.
Even though it was an old residential complex, Martin couldn’t afford it on his own.
Thus, he shared the apartment with others.
The other tenant was a stunning young woman named Vivian.
For most, this might have presented an enticing opportunity.
But Martin, fully aware of his own circumstances, had never intruded upon her.
The two coexisted peacefully, each keeping to their own.
He entered his bedroom.
The room’s walls were plastered with various documents and photographs related to hospitals, as well as those connected to religious myths and supernatural entities.
Over the years, Martin had been desperately trying to cure himself.
Despite consulting numerous hospitals, no solution had emerged.
His condition was invariably deemed unique.
One candid doctor had once confided in him that, given the rate at which his body’s functions were declining, he might not live beyond 25.
Thus, he turned to the arcane and mysterious, collecting all pertinent information, only to eventually discern that behind these phenomena were either natural explanations or outright charlatans feigning the supernatural.
This world, it seemed, was truly just a mundane material realm. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Martin took out a palm-sized cake, placing it on his desk piled with books, and then inserted a candle.
On the wall he faced, there was a large yet simplistic emblem:
An outline of a shield, with a full circle in its center.
This symbol was from Martin’s favorite novel, "Light Knight."
An extremely niche and obscure book, it was authored by a 9th-century Byzantine nobleman, Matthew de Dubois.
The story narrates the adventures of a nobleman traveling the East, only to encounter malevolent forces.
He was saved by an organization named "Divine Shield" and gradually earned their trust and joined them.
Members of this organization hailed from various regions, operated in the shadows, and were content with anonymity.
They adhered to noble virtues, repelled wicked entities, and protected the common folk.
Though Martin’s journey through life had been fraught with challenges, he still yearned for the light.
The spirit of the Divine Shield as depicted in the book deeply resonated with him.
Thus, he prominently displayed the emblem of the Divine Shield on his wall.
Amidst his tumultuous thoughts, midnight arrived.
Martin turned off the lights and lit the candle. Its glow immediately cast a forlorn, solitary silhouette on the wall.
A smile appeared on his pallid face, "I hope tomorrow will be better."
Having said that, he blew out the candle and turned on the lights.
Just then—
A monotonous voice echoed in his mind: "Energy absorption complete, duration 22 years, Savior Organization System activated."
Martin froze. Was he hallucinating?
Yet, a second later, an image materialized in his mind:
Within a twisted and chaotic void of darkness, two indescribable colossal entities gradually approached one another.
Sandwiched between them were myriad creatures, each distinct—some ablaze, others shrouded in shadows, all seemingly trapped and immobilized by the encroaching entities.
Only a sparse few managed to break through an unseen barrier, entering one of the massive beings.
Aghast, Martin murmured, "What is this?"
The image abruptly vanished, replaced by the previous voice: "Worlds are colliding, monsters are invading, humanity faces an unprecedented catastrophe. Please prepare, host."
Then, something resembling a character status panel from a video game appeared in his vision:
[Host: Martin
Savior Organization: None
Initial Task 1: Establish a Savior Organization. Reward: Random.]
Staring at this exceedingly rudimentary panel, Martin forced himself to remain calm.
As a young man, he’d read his fair share of online novels and was familiar with the concept of a system granting unique abilities.
However, he’d never imagined such a thing would manifest in his otherwise ordinary life.
Moreover, the information the system conveyed was utterly staggering.
Worlds merging? Monsters invading? A disaster for humanity?
Exhaling deeply, Martin began to gather his thoughts.
The Earth was on the brink of cataclysmic change, and as an ordinary individual, his sole reliance for survival in the coming future might just be this system.
However, this task... to create a Savior Organization?
"System," Martin ventured to ask, "How exactly do I create a Savior Organization?"
The system promptly responded, "Determine the organization’s name and its purpose."
A wave of relief washed over Martin.
Thankfully, it didn’t require physically establishing an organization with members, a headquarters, and the like.
But what kind of Savior Organization should he create?
Lost in thought, his gaze inadvertently settled on the Divine Shield emblem on the wall.
Divine Shield?
Rolling the name over in his mind, a spark lit up in his eyes.
Perhaps, he could bring the Divine Shield, an originally fictitious ancient Savior Organization, to tangible existence in this world!
With that thought, Martin solemnly declared, "The organization’s name shall be: Divine Shield."
"Purpose: Uphold justice, Conquer pain, Embrace obscurity!"
The system’s voice immediately chimed in: "No such organization exists on Earth; establishment is possible."
"Divine Shield Savior Organization successfully created. Reward: Power of Meteorology (Spirit Power Level 3)."
...
