 |
|
|---|---|
| Title | Rebuild World Volume 2 Part One – Users of the Old Domain |
| Author | Nahuse |
| Publisher | JP: ASCII Media Works EN: J-Novel Club |
| Original Release Dates | JP: Nov 16, 2019 EN: Mar 3, 2023 |
| 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 follows the story of Akira, a slum orphan turned relic hunter. Civilization continues its recovery from its most recent collapse, and is wholly dependent on the remnant technological marvels of the Old World. Although corporations have the means to recover large-scale and industrial technological relics, all pieces from bygone eras are considered valuable. As such, hunters willing to delve into the deadly ruins of the Old World to recover these relics can make a name and fortune for themselves. Akira sought this as his means of escaping his poverty-stricken existence. And so, he ignorantly dived into an Old World ruin close to the slums; woefully underprepared for the extreme dangers that lie within. Miraculously, he met Alpha, an AR AI who promises to keep Akira alive and train him to become the great relic hunter he dreams to be… for a yet untold price.
In Volume 1 Parts One and Two, Akira accepts Alpha’s offer and establishes his relationship with her. He begins to learn how to handle weapons and himself in combat, soon realizing how deficient and underprepared he truly is for his new life. He is thrown into situations of extreme combat against unreal mechanical behemoths, biological perils, and the immorally powerful who prey on others. So frequent are these kinds of encounters that they’re nearly becoming common occurrences for Akira, as do the equally extreme bouts of adrenalin. Only surviving through Alpha’s support, Akira has pulled off one superhuman feat after another, garnering praise from Kugamayama City, as well as animosity from a new rival named Katsuya. Yet not all is dangerous or chaotic, as he meets and befriends Shizuka, a weapons store owner, and Elena and Sara, a relic hunting duo, who all offer advice and show genuine care for him. They provide glimmers of peace and light in a lifestyle that demands constant doubt and readiness.
Rebuild World Volume 2 Part One – Users of the Old Domain begins with Akira taking a training excursion, prompted by his understanding of how vastly underpowered he is without direct support from Alpha. He heads to an Old World suburb where he runs into Elena and Sara, who are there to train a trio of young hunters. Those hunters are none other than Katsuya, who is developing a one-sided rivalry with Akira, and his companions Yumina and Airi. Akira leaves the group to it, and all soon run into their own sets of troubles.
After returning from this excursion, Akira is then contacted by Kugamayama City for a job request. The city is attempting to set up a permanent installation in a nearby ruin, to serve as a launch point for future missions further away from the city. Given Akira’s record and recognition of his successes, he is requested to sign a week-long contract. With urging from Alpha, Akira reluctantly accepts and is first tasked with checking out buildings in the vicinity, which devolves into a rescue mission. On the second day, he takes on a security role with hopes of a quiet, boring workday that becomes anything but. His final task this volume is to join a recon team, which includes his friends Elena and Sara, whose job is to map an unexplored underground section of ruins potentially housing a monster horde.
Users of the Old Domain provides solid world building, plenty of action, and satisfactory character development, as it dives into Akira’s next story arc, one framed around the city’s new base project. This volume begins with Akira practicing in an abandoned Old World neighborhood, serving as the means to reiterate to us readers Akira’s need to grow stronger and become more capable without Alpha’s support. It also serves to recap specifics of this rebuilding world and the harshness of life within. Throughout the rest of the volume, new details are shared about the world, for example, how the Old World actually refers to every era before the present and not just the most recent collapsed civilization. Or that older relics hold more value, suggesting that newer rebuilds never quite achieved previous heights. I find it intriguing, these implications that this isn’t the first time civilization has collapsed and rebuilt from past remnants. Another example, the wealth discrepancy theme also receives significant attention. Poverty is what initially drives Akira, and this time, we see through an additional side-story that Airi, one of Katsuya’s companions, has a similar backstory. The whole event is a poignant episode highlighting how lack fosters desperation, discrimination, and a myriad of emotions like apathy, sorrow, frustration, and fear. This side-story in particular provides a stark addition to the world-building, as well as offering new character development, which I’ll get into later.
Aside from new background specifics, we’re also provided more emphasis regarding the Old Domain and Old Domain users; those capable of naturally interacting with the vast digital networks that remain online. For one, Akira’s uniqueness to connect and interact with an entity like Alpha so easily are expounded upon. We also witness the development of a new user through Katsuya, however his degree of connectivity is left purposely vague. We do get hints of how Katsuya benefits from the connection, such as improved accuracy when stressed and a tacit ability to sense when someone is in danger. I appreciate the contrast developing between Akira’s high level versus Katsuya’s limits, and I’m also enjoying how we readers are being shown, rather than simply told, what it means to be a user. And despite what is offered, the Old Domain and its users remain some of the larger mysteries of the story, leaving me wanting more.
Users of the Old Domain also features a number of entertaining action scenes which deliver pure energy to the story. Each is thrilling and imparts palpable feelings, such as stress and frustration when characters are in the thick of things, as well as excitement when succeeding and sheer relief when the dangers have been neutralized. They also continue to serve as a convenient means of depicting technological advancement, hunter ability, and the severity of each and every threat present. This time around, these scenes aren’t as grandiose nor are Akira’s actions as fantastical as in Volume 1 Part Two, and I actually appreciate this. They help to reestablish Akira’s limits and bring him back to a plausible level of capability. Nonetheless, the feelings of stress and fear during battle and the relief and decompression when finished are all just as palpable, nurturing similar immersion throughout my read.
There are some issues I have regarding this volume’s story, however, the first of which is the episodic nature of how it reads. Once Akira’s contract starts, the story begins to read almost like a series of video game stages, one after another with breaks in between, and only loosely connected by the story’s central plot points. Also, because of this style, I feel the story became predictable, especially since every mission or task had that twist where things would go awry and the danger would spike. Yes, these twists from what Akira expects allow for more conflict, action, and excitement, however when you know they’re ultimately coming and can see their buildup before they trigger, it makes the read feel almost routine, and thus less remarkable. Other issues I have regard how details are often unloaded through exposition rather than shown. For example, much attention is spent on describing equipment, weapons, ammunition and the likes. Although this wealth of detail helps color Akira’s needs and what it takes to survive in this dystopia, the amount of detail delivered at a time can feel exorbitant. Similarly, stretches of backstory and explanations of characters’ feelings become excessive as the exposition drones on. Especially with emotions, I would have preferred reactions and dialogue over long monologues and flat explanations. These issues combined resulted in my immersion and reading pace being affected at times, though I am pleased to say that none were enough to truly distract or dissuade from my read.
Read on for more thoughts on this new volume on page 2 ->
