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| Title | Rebuild World Volume 1 Part One – The Alluring Specter |
| Author | Nahuse |
| Publisher | JP: ASCII Media Works EN: J-Novel Club |
| Original Release Dates | JP: May 17, 2019 EN: August 22, 2022 |
| Genre | Sci-fi, Post-apocalyptic, Cyberpunk |
Author’s Note: I discuss plot points and details of storylines and character arcs which could be considered minor spoilers. No major spoilers will be revealed.
Rebuild World is a sci-fi light novel series depicting life in a post-apocalyptic civilization through the eyes of a teenaged orphan named Akira. In this series, mankind had previously reached its pinnacle, achieving unimaginable breakthroughs in biotechnology and engineering. Hubris resulted in the loss of control over their bioengineered marvels, leading to the swift and bloody collapse of modern society.
Post-tragedy, humanity is slowly rebuilding itself, using technology from what society now refers to as the Old World. These fragments from that bygone era, or relics, are mostly recovered or purchased by wealthy corporate entities who now control most of what makes up the present civilization. Although industrial, military-grade, and large-scale relics are directly recovered by corporations, relics of all kinds are considered valuable. As such, smaller-scale relics are gathered by individual hunters and hunter guilds who are willing to explore and delve into Old World city ruins. Untold riches await, yet they must fight against remnant rogue mechanical menaces and evolved bioweapon beast offspring that continue to preside over this Old World.
In Rebuild World – The Alluring Specter, Akira is a young, and oftentimes unlucky, orphan from the slums of Kugamayama City. Whether unwillingly caught up in slum turf wars or harassed by bandits, Akira struggles with challenges beyond homelessness and poverty. Utterly desperate to ascend from his hellish life, one day he makes a feeble attempt at becoming a relic hunter by recklessly entering the closest ruins to him. Woefully underequipped with just a pistol, he soon finds himself fighting for his life against a lurking bioweapon beast. After this near-death encounter at point-blank range, Akira hesitates to press forward. As he wrestles over his next move, he spots a glint of light, then others, floating past him. He follows their path and heads towards a brighter glow. In the middle of a derelict side street, he watches the lights transform into a beautiful woman, seemingly floating in midair. So completely out of place in these ruins of broken buildings and ever-lurking death, it’s as if she was trying to grab the attention of anyone who could see her.
Evidently, Akira is one of the rarest individuals of the New World; one born with the ability to interact with some Old World technologies. This woman, named Alpha, briefly explains that she is an artificial intelligence projected though a link between Old World tech and Akira as an augmented reality hologram. An Old World AR AI, one few others could see, even with cyber enhancements, yet it’s as natural as breathing for Akira. Of course, he fails to understand her explanation and the considerable implications, given his lack of understanding, as well as his perilous predicament. Seeing Akira as an opportunity of her own, she promises to get Akira out of his deadly situation alive, and so he begins following her instructions, though, with trepidation.
Akira’s doubts get the better of him, and soon slips up, requiring Alpha’s help in escaping death incarnate. True to her word, she manages to help Akira barely survive a heart-poundingly lethal encounter and make it back to Kugamayama. Although he survives, Akira remains skeptical and full of questions. Alpha, clearly with an agenda of her own, offers to partner with Akira and even promises to train him as a relic hunter. A new life full of danger, rewards, and growth await Akira, but in return for what, hinging on his future cooperation, remains as much a mystery as Alpha herself.
For a first volume of a series, Rebuild World – The Alluring Specter does not hold back, packing its pages with action, attitudes, and plenty of world building. We’re introduced to Akira and his struggles quickly, setting both the foundation for our main character and appropriate tones of desperation, destitution, and pure danger. We see through his eyes how current society functions, with its near complete dependency on finding, and utilizing, any and all fragments of the Old World. Also, we’re introduced to more of the world’s past and present as it’s unveiled to Akira throughout his progression from desperate slum orphan, to a doubtful participant of Alpha’s, to someone who can finally be called a proper rookie relic hunter.
Given its science-fiction fueled action and conflicts, The Alluring Specter‘s story is an intriguing one. Akira’s first chapters in his new life are full of chaos, as he must navigate threats born of necessity, his own inexperience, and others’ selfishness. Action, again, is the star, as most major scenes in this volume are combat-oriented, set upon its dystopian, cyberpunk backdrop. Each possesses plenty of energy and strife, as Akira becomes accustomed to physical extremes and deadly resolutions. Every time, these major scenes of The Alluring Specter never fail to provide a rush. And as much as I appreciate these scenes of hostility and firefight, I also praise the depth of these scenes, especially when it comes to their depictions of the emotions running through their participants together with the mental discourses during. They offer so much more than just action, they provide fantastic personal perspectives. It makes these scenes more visceral, and as such, more immersive.
Outside of these mainstay action scenes, The Alluring Specter features a number of slice-of-life moments and interactions, many between Akira and Alpha, along with scenes that introduce the series’ supporting cast. These can vary from drier exposition in which both Akira and we readers are informed about the world around them, to more engaging interactions that build character depth and relationships. Regarding exposition and world building, I will say not all is dry. In fact, many a time there are hints and implications that a surface hiding immense depth has only just been scratched. That aspect alone kept me from becoming too detached during my read. As for the character-focused scenes, I enjoyed these various interactions between Akira and what will most likely become his core group of acquaintances. I feel these interactions are just as engaging as the combat, bringing striking contrasts to the major tones of the story. Feelings of care, concern, and even lighthearted humor demonstrate that the world, as dark, deadly, and miserable as it is, has glimmers of light. They are certainly highlights and, along with what the world building achieves, make for a noteworthy complement to this volume’s action.
More on this first step into this dystopian world on page 2 ->
