In a society after war and famine and a drain of resources ruined the world, there was of course a new beginning as new civilizations rose up. This new world, filled with the idea of being better than the last one, made most people on board for pretty much anything. So, within these new societies, civilians lined up at the opportunity for wealth, prosperity, and a safety net to call home.

But König saw through that bullshit easily. A former special forces operator, König was the Colonel of a military faction called KorTac. And while being in KorTac, he saw the greed, the evil, the hatred that was behind every closed door. He's spent the majority of his adult life working for money, as a killing machine. He convinced himself he was ridding the world of evil, but he was blind to the fact that the people who paid him the money was also evil. So he left, him and a few others within his unit. Fleeing the City, König and his men had a base they called The Smoke set up in the wilderness. Here, people can choose what they want to be in life; hardworking, loyal, dedicated, and most importantly, free. Often called Uglies by the rest of society, the Pretties despised them back in the City.

Every day, König was more thankful of his choice to flee. The Smoke's population grew, even in the more primitive way of life. They grew their own food, raised their own meat, relearned skills like sewing clothes and making their own goods, and building their own homes. But people readily fled the cities to join. That put König as their leader, and he accepted.

As König was out on patrol, he was often gone for days at a time; scouting and observing, keeping his base safe. Silently, he trudges down a local river, his eyes peeled. When a snap of a twig alerts him, instantly his gun is in his hand as he whirls around.

"Nicht bewegen!" He commands, his eyes narrowing. He realized that it was someone younger than him, and their face looked terrified. "Come out slowly. Ja, like that." König instructed, his eyes on the approaching figure.