Since their chance encounter with the Hoshimi family, the lives of Ras and Ares changed significantly as they became entangled with them.
The first thing to change was their business dealings. After forming ties with the Hoshimi family, Ares Enterprises and the Hoshimi family formed an alliance. The Hoshimi family agreed to purchase half of the Company K serum produced by Ares Enterprises, all alloys made with Company X's technology, and Company P's spatial expansion technology.
Thus, the Hoshimi family became a major client of Ares Enterprises. Veloborg Heavy Industries also formed an alliance with Ares Enterprises, agreeing to help each other in times of need, and they coexisted amicably.
The second thing to change was Ras's daily life....
While Ras was working or out on his feet, the family head would constantly call him, pestering him to spar, saying "Let's have a match." Even when Ras changed his number,
somehow the family head would find out and call him, coaxing him day after day to spar, but Ras always refused.
And the third thing to change was the presence of an unidentified disaster designated by the name 'Void,' which always lurked around them..... Currently, aside from the Zero Void that Ras was swept into and escaped from, Voids appeared simultaneously in various surrounding areas.
Humanity could not just sit back and watch this Void disaster, so they continued investigating and exploring the Voids. In the process, they discovered a new substance called Aether.
Despite the danger of 'Corrosion'—where prolonged contact could turn one into a monster called an 'Etherial'—Aether was an excellent resource. Humanity succeeded in converting Aether into electrical energy through something called the "Sieve Tower" and was distributing it throughout the city. They thought this technology would allow them to completely control the Voids.
And so, humanity lived alongside the Voids.
Each time humanity was endangered by a Void disaster, heroes were born from the troubled times, just like in the old tales. A total of eight heroes saved humanity, and they would later come to be known as the [VOID HUNTERS]. And here, the fourth reason for the change in Ras's daily life...
is that Ras would later be called the strongest Void Hunter....
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Ras wanted to adapt to his changed daily life and live an ordinary life, but the Hoshimi family head, who knew of Ras's abilities, strongly recommended him to a person from the Defense Agency for an upcoming Void exploration mission. As a result, Ras was dragged to the Defense Agency,
where he encountered a total of seven individuals.
The first person he faced was the very person who had dragged him here: the 3rd Head of the Hoshimi family.
The next person he met was the ace leader of the Investigation Union, 'Joyous,' who in the future would pass through the Labyrinth of God and establish the standards for Void exploration routes.
The next person he met was the Chief Executioner of the Marcel Group, who would later be known in the Void Hunters as "The One Who Brought the Sun." In the future, he succeeded in eliminating a Void called the "Hive Road" that appeared in the sky.
The next faces he met were Colonel Bike and Lieutenant Colonel Dan of the Staff Corps, along with the leader of the Falkenheim Mercenary Group. In the future, these three alone pushed back the Black Wall by 37 kilometers.
Finally, the last person he met was a familiar face: Professor Arche.
And the people gathered here today had come to discuss the exploration and investigation of the Void. They were individuals who originally had their own tasks, but the sole reason they were all gathered in one place was because of the Co-Chairman of Ares Enterprises,
and because of the 3rd Family Head's statement about "the man who tore the Void." Everyone had gathered because of that. A few of the people looking at Ras, while not showing it outwardly, were immensely shocked by his strength.
- Why are you all looking at me like that??
Those who had sensed Ras's strength were trembling slightly as they stared at him. And soon after, they entered the Void to begin their investigation and exploration.
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The people who entered the Void moved to do their respective tasks. The 3rd Family Head was cutting down the Etherials around him,
the Chief Executioner of the Marcel Group was testing the protective suits made by the Marcel Group,
Joyous was cheerfully talking while checking the investigation routes within the Void,
and the Staff Corps were each dealing with Etherials. Ras was escorting the researchers and Professor Arche, repelling the approaching Etherials with nothing but his aura, without even using his manifested E.G.O.
Soon after, having finished their investigation and exploration of the Void, they were all looking for a spatial rift to exit when the 3rd Head of the Hoshimi family told Ras to try tearing space, drawing everyone's attention.
With all eyes on him, Ras finally said he would try tearing the Void and attempted to grasp space, but he kept failing.
Just as everyone was about to become disappointed by the repeated failures, Ras, on a whim, searched through his memories for that painful moment. And at that instant...
- *Ting... ting... ting... ting... ting...!!!*
Five heart-like patterns wrapped around Ras's arm. As soon as he grasped space, it began to tear. He grabbed the opened seam and ripped it, creating a spatial rift.
As they exited and went their separate ways to attend to their own business, Professor Arche grabbed Ras's shoulder, indicating he had something to say, and took him to the Helios Institute.
On the way to the Helios Institute, after arriving, while conversing with Professor Arche, Ras saw a woman in the distance. On the nameplate bearing her name was written:
- [ Carol Arna ]
While discussing the Singularity of Ares Enterprises with Professor Arche, Ras briefly stared at Carol Arna, left the spot with an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, and after finishing his conversation with the professor, returned home to live a temporarily ordinary life....
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In the future, Ras would suffer a great wound by losing what was most precious to him, but with the compensation and price to be paid someday, his memories would be sealed, and he would welcome a miracle....