In the year 2171, the world no longer ran on politics or corporations. No more were the stock markets the most influential powers or technology firms the gods of progress. That changed the day the sky ripped open above the metropolis of Varcian in the Republic of Nimana.
It was the first dungeon , a tear in space, a swirling vortex that shimmered like shattered glass suspended in the air ... that changed everything.
From it emerged creatures not of this world, beings with claws, fangs, magic, and malice. Entire military units were lost in early attempts to contain it. But humanity adapted. They always did.
From the ruins of the old world, new professions rose. Leading among them was the "Hunter." Armed with courage, strategy, and raw power, Hunters ventured into these unpredictable dungeons to eliminate monsters and retrieve mana stones, magical resources of immeasurable value. They became rich, powerful, and revered.
But fame had a price. Not all who entered returned.
And now, in the steel-and-glass city of Elgrad, capital of Nimana, stood a teenage boy on the edge of a rooftop, his eyes locked on the sprawling horizon , a world brimming with dungeons and death.
Akito Akumo, a seventeen year old boy in his last semester of high school. who was also an orphan, debtor and alone.
A gust of wind tousled his dark hair as he stood, schoolbag slung over his shoulder, his eyes trailing the crimson sun as it dipped behind Elgrad's jagged skyline.
He reached into his bag, pulling out a folded sheet.
"Career Path Submission Form." Blank until today.
His homeroom teacher, Ms. Erina Shiraishi, had reminded him three times this week to submit it. She didn't say it out loud, but her eyes pleaded with him.
"Don't choose it. Please."
But Akito had already made up his mind.
The ink soaked into the paper as he scribbled it:
> Desired Career: Hunter
"Are you joking?" Ms. Shiraishi had asked the next morning, her voice sharp but her hands trembling.
She stood behind her desk, gripping the paper like it might explode.
Akito remained calm, sliding his hands into his blazer pockets. "I'm not."
She looked at him, her gaze searching for hesitation. There was none.
"Do you understand what this means? The death rate for new hunters is nearly fifty percent. This isn't some video game, Akito!"
"I know."
"You have no one to stop you. That's what scares me the most," she whispered.
Silence lingered in the classroom, long after the bell rang.
In the end, Ms. Shiraishi sighed. Her hands folded the form carefully, like she was sending her own son to war.
"…I'll send it in. But I'll never like it."
Graduation Day came like the wind. It was swift and bittersweet for Akito.
Akito wore the same uniform he'd worn for three years, but today it felt heavier. His classmates cheered, tossed their hats and enjoyed. Families gathered with flowers and hugs.
He stood alone under the sakura tree behind the school building, a place where he used to nap between classes.
Ms. Shiraishi approached quietly, heels crunching on the gravel. She held out a small envelope.
"Your letter has arrived from the association."
Akito took it, feeling the weight of his future within.
She hesitated before speaking again.
"Good luck, Akito."
He smiled.
"That's the first time you said that without scolding me."
"I'm trying something new." Her voice cracked.
" Don't die, please."
Two weeks later, Akito stood inside the grand marble lobby of the Nimana Hunter Association Headquarters. The towering glass dome above reflected a mural of heroes, the original ten hunters who first conquered the Varcian Dungeon.
He wore a plain black tracksuit, surrounded by others his age and older. Some looked hopeful, some were nervous.
The theory test was simple. Monster categories, dungeon threat levels, mana stone properties, hunter ranks from E to SSS. Akito breezed through it. Years of quiet reading in the library paid off.
But then came the practical.
The test arena was a simulated city block , reinforced concrete, obstacle zones, scattered cover. Examinees were handed standard-issue steel rods. No system. No skills. Just raw body and brain.
As artificial monsters spawned across the arena, many examinees panicked, swinging wildly or running.
Akito's eyes narrowed. His breathing slowed.
And then, he moved.
He dashed under a simulated ogre's wide swing, rolled beneath a collapsing pillar, and slammed his rod directly into the skull of a robotic goblin. His athletic grace and sharp reflexes shocked even the examiners watching from behind tinted glass.
Each movement was deliberate. Each swing precise.
In twenty minutes, Akito had eliminated more threats than most did in sixty.
When the final buzzer sounded, silence followed. No cheers. Just awe.
He expected an E rank. Maybe D if luck was on his side.
But when the letter came two days later, his hands shook.
"Congratulations, Akito Akumo.
You have qualified as a Rank C Hunter.
You have broken the record for highest initial rank in six years.
Please report to the Elgrad Registration Sector for system activation."
Registration was no less intense.
An agent in a blue and silver uniform guided Akito through biometric scans, blood tests, neural responses, and personality checks.
He was then escorted into a clean room , sterile white, humming with arcane machinery. In the center stood a human-sized capsule filled with translucent gel.
"This is where you'll receive your mana stone infusion,"
said the lab technician, a woman with silver eyes and a bored tone.
"Once the C-rank stone merges, your system will activate. It'll feel like sleeping. Don't fight it."
Akito nodded, stepping into the capsule. As it sealed shut, a cold sensation crawled over his skin. The world blurred.
Darkness.
Then light.
When his eyes opened, the capsule hissed open. He gasped, coughing, wiping the gel from his eyes.
"You're awake," said the technician.
"Check your system window."
Akito blinked. And then, there it was , a glowing translucent screen hovering in front of him, unseen by others.
> [SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
> Name: Akito Akumo
> Rank: C
> Level: 1
> HP: 2000 | MP: 550
> Attack: 126 | Defense: 78 | Speed: 178
> EXP: 0 / 3000
His mouth parted slightly. So this was it.
Magic. Stats. A personal system.
He clenched his fists. Power pulsed beneath his skin.
Outside, as he received his official hunter license, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a glass panel.
The same boy , same tired eyes.
But now, something different burned behind them.
Possibility.
Responsibility.
Hope.
A hunter was born that day — not just of necessity or revenge, but of resolve.
Akito Akumo stepped out of the Association building into the streets of Elgrad.
Not as a student. Not as a debtor.
But as a hunter.
And his story , his real story , was just beginning.