A year, a year had passed since Cain won the tournament, and much happened in that time.

Cain, Luna, Alex, and the rest have long since graduated. 

The students who did not reach Grade 2 started clinics across Netherane. After all, though they are of a higher class, many were not the heirs to their families or had any real power, they were just kids. 

For society, such children would be better off filling the quota instead of trying to become anything.

It was a long-standing tradition. It was honorable for Plague Doctors to be humble doctors. Even higher-ups will spend time at clinics from time to time, helping out and updating information to keep the cogs of science turning.

Cain has had a good year since the tournament. As his master warned, Luna's family did indeed push for marriage, and Cain was quite happy about it and obliged.

As of now, the two were engaged and planned to marry in the spring. Their wedding was a month or two away.

With such a big event coming closer, it was a surprise Cain hadn't stopped improving his knowledge. He was still been researching augmentation.

Recently, he even got John in on it, they didn't leave the lab for a week.

Making rapid progress, with the help of his master, the research, and now having access to more information inside the Union, he was close to Grade 3.

All of this came with becoming a part of the inner circle of the Union and gaining a semi-high status, 

Even though John was close to Grade 4, he should reach it sometime after Cain's wedding.

But everything was so much easier now, Cain had a plethora of information at his disposal now all because he was fully part of the Union. It was amazing how much information they had hidden away.

After graduating, Cain and Luna started work at the Union headquarters and are even being funded on their projects thanks to the help of their masters.

Speaking of masters, Darius broke through to grade 4, which caused an uproar. Since his grandfather, one of the elders still has a few years left, he was now focusing on being able to take over as an Elder when the time comes.

Yet not all news was good, outside the city, war was brewing; the Empire had finished quelling its rebellions and stabilized, while the Prince of the Kingdom was at long last crowned. 

This troubling news didn't matter to Cain though, he has been focusing on his personal life and his research.

Cain and Luna planned for a child, though augmenters like themselves struggled with fertility. Their love had grown beyond reason this past year together.

Nevertheless, they try, and other than that, they spend lots of time with one another when away from work and always have dinner and spend time around the city.

Luna was the love of Cain's life, and he couldn't be happier.

For the past year, they spent most of their time together; they knew each other more than the other. Many friends say they're soulmates, and they laugh knowing it to be true. 

But this is truer than they could know, the precedence of their meeting and how their relationship advanced as it did; it was almost like divine intervention.

On that note, Cain has been focusing a lot in recent times; he's close to his breakthrough. The Cravis virus can be infused with the brain, but he's still figuring out how to help himself survive the process.

As of now, he would die due to the immense pain. No matter how many angles he tries to come from to solve the problem, he can't find a way, but he knows the key is the Animum virus. Call it a gut feeling. 

How to use this key was the tricky part, Cain's current thoughts were on using it to restrict the augmenting virus from infecting the brain cells and certain parts.

This either needs extreme luck or fine control of diseases. Both of which Cain can't use as he's not skilled enough, and luck can't be controlled.

...

Currently, Cain was gobbling down a fresh homemade dinner made for him by his fiancée.

"Any progress on your research?"

A beautiful woman placed down a plate of meatloaf, sitting across from Cain and resting her head on her hand, interested in his response.

Cain made sure to swallow his food before answering. "Nothing so far, I hit a wall and I don't know how to overcome it."

"You'll figure something out; just rest a bit before going back to work. You don't have to overwork yourself, okay?" She grinned.

Cain couldn't help was feel his facial muscles contrast upwards "Okay"

They laughed and had fun as they talked about different projects going on in the union; they planned to visit Darius to congratulate him on his birthday in a few weeks.

Helping Luna with the dishes, Cain scrubbed as he got lost in his mind.

After that, the lovers went out for a walk, taking in the view in a park. 

...

In a bar in the outer ring, two guards headed to their shift. Their job was patrolling the outer gates and the areas outside the walls.

"Bob, you lost a lot at cards. Isn't your wife not going to be too happy?" The guard on the left had never seen his partner lose so much money.

"Na, I got a 'bonus' for helping that noble keep that one thing under wraps." Bob moved his hips in a vulgar motion while laughing.

His friend's face flushed with disgust. "Bob...what am I gonna do with you? Just come with me to guard the gate, you degenerate bastard."

The guard was truly sulking over his partner. Bob was human trash who had his hand in human trafficking for nobles, getting lots of money on the side.

Even with his constant concerns, Bob continued to do such horrid business, the real problem was that he couldn't report him, Bob was on the good side of the Nobles. He also suspected his boss to be a 'customer' too.

'They're all disgusting bastards! They all deserve to die, the sickening lot!'

The guard was astonished the person before him existed and sometimes even wanted to kill him, when Bob would gloat about doing such horrid things like it was normal. 

He himself had a sister around the same age as the people Bob trafficked. Scum like this just couldn't be saved. 

All he could do was swallow the bile that continued to rise in his throat.

The partners made their way out of the gate, they started their patrol around the road. They headed to the golden fields and even to the edge of the swamp.

"Ugh, why do they always make us patrol the outskirts? We've had to do it every other day on rotation with other guards, why do they make us go so far?! It's gonna be sunrise when we get back. Damn higher-ups." Bob sneered.

His companion sighed. "They must have a good reason; remember, it's the elders who gave the order. They're hundreds to thousands of years old; they're gods!"

Bob swept his hand. "Bah, if they were gods then shouldn't they give me a chest of gold and a young beautiful wife, but they don't, don't they?'

'They're gods because they haven't allowed you any of that.' The guard remarked in his mind. He scoffed as veins protruded around his neck; he really couldn't stand such people but he had to work to get paid and feed his family.

But before he could lecture Bob, noises from the swamp chilled the hairs on his arms. It was the sound of vines rustling, the snapping of a stick, and squelching footsteps.

Bob was the first to say something and moved toward the trees.

"What was that? Hey, come here; I think there's a rabbit or something, we can have a snack before going back, hehe."

He rubbed his chubby belly and stepped closer, moving some drooping tree vines out of the way to get a good look.

As soon as he moved the vines, a disgusting face, half of it fine, while the other half rotting, stared at him. Bob froze in horror; he pissed himself.

Crunch!

Before Bob's companion could react, the zombie latched his jaw to Bob's throat. It began to rip the chubby man's flesh and helped itself to the fattening meal.

Bob's companion fell to the floor. Watching in horror as more vines moved aside to show an endless horde of monsters walking through the swamp like a wave of death.

He didn't have any time to react to such a scene, he didn't have time to do anything. Fear had overtaken his body, he was already being eaten by the time his mind processed everything.

The dead continued, and the two dead guards rose and filed in with their brethren.

The endless waves continued their way forward.

Their target? The vast city in the distance, a treasure trove of their favorite food.