Thirteen years ago, the world changed forever. It started with a single anomaly—a crimson tear in reality that materialized in the frozen wilderness of Siberia, Russia. The phenomenon defied all known laws of physics, appearing as a swirling portal of deep red energy that pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm.
Dr. Mikhail Volkov, a leading physicist from Moscow State University, was among the first scientists to arrive at the site. Standing before the mysterious gate, he felt an inexplicable chill that had nothing to do with the Siberian cold.
"Remarkable," he whispered, his breath forming clouds in the frigid air. "The electromagnetic readings are off the charts, yet there's no detectable radiation. It's as if this... thing exists partially outside our dimensional space."
The Russian government quickly cordoned off the area, establishing a research facility around what would later be known as the First Gate. Military personnel stood guard while scientists worked around the clock to understand this unprecedented phenomenon.
Within hours, news crews from around the world descended upon the remote location. The story dominated every news channel on the planet.
*Standing before the research facility, veteran news reporter Anya Petrovskaya addressed the camera with practiced composure, though her eyes betrayed a hint of unease.*
"This is Anya Petrovskaya reporting live from Siberia, where a strange red portal-like gate has suddenly appeared. This is the very first phenomenon of its kind ever documented on Earth. Government officials and leading scientists have assured the public that this is merely a natural occurrence—possibly related to unusual atmospheric conditions or magnetic field fluctuations. But one has to wonder..."
*She paused, glancing at the ominous crimson glow visible beyond the military barricades.*
"What could possibly go wrong?"
The official statement released by the Russian Ministry of Science was carefully crafted to maintain public calm: *"The anomalous formation currently under investigation poses no immediate threat to civilian populations. Our preliminary analysis suggests this is a previously unknown but entirely natural phenomenon. We urge citizens to remain calm while our experts continue their research."*
But behind closed doors, the truth was far more troubling. The portal's energy signatures were unlike anything in recorded science, and strange, otherworldly sounds could occasionally be heard emanating from within its crimson depths.
For three weeks, the portal remained stable. Scientists conducted dozens of tests, sending probes and instruments through the gate, though few returned. Those that did brought back data that made no sense—readings of atmospheric compositions that shouldn't exist, gravitational anomalies, and traces of organic compounds from no known Earth-based life forms.
Dr. Volkov's research journal, later recovered from the ruins, contained increasingly frantic entries:
*Day 15: The probe returned with biological samples. The DNA structure is unlike anything in Earth's evolutionary tree. Where are these samples coming from?*
*Day 18: Sleep has become impossible. The portal's humming has changed frequency. The military sensors are picking up movement on the other side.*
*Day 21: I've made a terrible discovery. The energy readings aren't random—they're organized, almost like a countdown. Something is coming.*
On a cold Tuesday morning, exactly twenty-three days after the portal's appearance, the unthinkable happened. The crimson gate began to pulse violently, its energy output spiking to dangerous levels. Alarms blared throughout the research facility as emergency protocols were activated.
Dr. Volkov's final transmission was cut short: "All personnel evacuate immediately! The portal is destabilizing! I repeat, the portal is—"
The dungeon break began with a sound like reality itself tearing apart. A massive shockwave erupted from the gate, shattering windows for miles around and sending research equipment flying. But the destruction was nothing compared to what emerged from the portal.
Creatures of nightmare poured forth—beings that defied natural law and challenged human understanding. They came in waves: twisted humanoid figures with too many limbs, massive beasts with scales that gleamed like black metal, and flying horrors whose screeches could be heard across the entire region.
Within hours, what had been a controlled research site became ground zero for the greatest disaster in human history. The monsters spread outward from the portal like a plague, destroying everything in their path. The nearby research town of Norilsk, home to twelve thousand people, was overrun within the first day.
The Russian military responded with everything they had. Fighter jets screamed overhead, unleashing missiles and cannon fire that seemed to barely scratch these otherworldly invaders. Tank divisions rolled across the frozen landscape, their shells exploding harmlessly against creatures that shrugged off modern weaponry like raindrops.
Colonel Viktor Kozlov, commanding the 58th Combined Arms Army, watched in horror as his forces were systematically destroyed. "It's like fighting demons," he radioed to Moscow command. "Our weapons are useless. Whatever these things are, they're not from our world."
The creatures were beyond human comprehension. The largest among them stood thirty feet tall, with multiple heads that seemed to shift and change, each sporting a single, massive eye that glowed with malevolent intelligence. Their roars shook the earth, and their claws could tear through military-grade armor like paper.
News reports from the scene painted a picture of absolute chaos:
*"The death toll continues to rise as these... these monsters spread across the region. Military forces appear helpless against creatures that seem immune to conventional weapons. The Russian government has declared a state of emergency and is evacuating all civilians within a 200-kilometer radius of what they're now calling the 'Breach Zone.'"*
Just when all seemed lost, when military commanders were seriously discussing nuclear options, something extraordinary happened. Three individuals stepped forward—people who claimed they could fight these monsters on equal terms.
They called themselves the "Awakened."
The first was Dmitri Volkov (no relation to the physicist), a man in his late twenties with wild, spiky black hair and eyes that seemed to burn with inner fire. He carried no weapons, yet his bare hands could tear through monster hide as easily as paper.
"These beasts think they can invade our world?" he growled, cracking his knuckles as he surveyed the battlefield. "Let me show them what happens when they mess with humanity."
The second was Tess Morrison, an American aid worker who had been visiting the research facility. Her gentle appearance—soft brown hair and kind eyes—belied the incredible power she possessed. With just a touch, she could heal wounds that should have been fatal and restore strength to those on the brink of collapse.
"I don't understand what's happening to me," she whispered, staring at her hands as they glowed with soft, golden light. "But if I can help save people, then I'll use whatever this power is."
The third was Lane Nakamura, a Japanese graduate student who had been part of the international research team. His mastery over fire was absolute—he could conjure flames that burned hotter than any earthly fire, hot enough to actually harm the invading creatures.
"The monsters' weakness," he announced, his calm demeanor unchanged even as flames danced around his fingers, "appears to be supernatural fire. My flames can burn them because they exist partially outside normal physical laws, just like the creatures themselves."
The three Awakened entered the battlefield like avenging angels. For the first time since the break began, the monsters faced opponents who could actually hurt them.
CLASH! SLASH! CLANG!
Dmitri moved with superhuman speed and strength, his fists leaving craters in the frozen ground as he battled the multi-headed giants. But even with his enhanced abilities, the creatures' power was overwhelming.
"Ugh!" he grunted, stumbling backward as massive claws raked across his chest, leaving deep gashes that would have killed a normal human instantly. "These monsters are incredibly strong! Tess, I need healing!"
The creatures they faced were unlike anything from Earth's evolutionary history. The largest—what survivors would later classify as the "Twin-Eyed Cyclops"—stood nearly forty feet tall. Its most disturbing feature was its dual heads, each sporting a single enormous eye that tracked enemies independently. The creature's intelligence was evident in how it coordinated attacks, using one head to distract while the other struck from an unexpected angle.
"O-Okay!" Tess replied, her voice shaking with exhaustion. She had been healing continuously for hours, her power pushed to its absolute limits. Golden energy flowed from her hands, knitting Dmitri's wounds closed and restoring his strength. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"
Lane positioned himself strategically, his flames forming a barrier between the civilians being evacuated and the advancing monsters. "Dragon's Breath!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of supernatural fire that engulfed the Twin-Eyed Cyclops.
The creature's screams were unlike anything heard on Earth—a sound that seemed to bypass the ears and strike directly at the human soul.
"GGGHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
The flames that surrounded the monster burned with colors that shouldn't exist—deep purples and sickly greens mixed with the traditional orange and red. This wasn't ordinary fire; it was flame that could burn entities from another dimension.
The battle raged for ten grueling days and nights. The three Awakened fought without rest, sustained only by Tess's healing and their determination to protect humanity. They learned to coordinate their abilities—Dmitri would engage the creatures in close combat, Lane would provide devastating ranged attacks, and Tess would keep them both fighting despite wounds that would have felled armies.
News reports during the siege painted a picture of humanity's first supernatural war:
*"Day 4 of what military officials are calling the 'Siberian Siege.' The three individuals known as 'Awakened' continue their impossible battle against creatures that our weapons cannot even scratch. Casualty reports are still coming in, but early estimates suggest over fifty thousand dead or missing."*
*"Day 7: The Awakened show no signs of stopping, but the cost is becoming clear. Entire military divisions have been wiped out, and the economic damage is beyond calculation. The world watches and waits as three people fight for the survival of our species."*
The creatures seemed endless, pouring forth from the portal in waves. For every monster the Awakened killed, two more took its place. The landscape around the portal became a hellscape of twisted metal, frozen blood, and the remnants of both human technology and otherworldly biology.
Finally, after ten days of continuous warfare, the last creature fell. The Twin-Eyed Cyclops collapsed with a thunderous impact that was felt for miles around. The portal, seemingly linked to the life force of the creatures, began to flicker and fade.
The three Awakened stood victorious but broken.
"HAA... HAAA... HAAA..." All three gasped for breath as the otherworldly light finally died, leaving only the cold Siberian wilderness and the devastating aftermath of humanity's first encounter with the supernatural.
Dmitri fell to his knees, his body covered in scars that would never fully heal. Tess collapsed from exhaustion, having poured every ounce of her life force into keeping her companions alive. Lane stood swaying, the supernatural flames around him finally extinguishing as his power reached its limits.
But their victory came at an unimaginable cost. The final casualty reports made for grim reading:
- Military personnel: 15,000 dead, 8,000 missing
- Civilian casualties: 42,000 confirmed dead, 23,000 missing
- Infrastructure damage: Estimated at 500 billion rubles
- Environmental impact: A 50-kilometer radius around the portal remained uninhabitable
The Siberian Breach, as historians would later call it, became the deadliest single event in recorded human history. Entire families were wiped out, military units ceased to exist, and the psychological trauma affected millions worldwide who watched the horror unfold on live television.
As the world mourned the devastating losses in Siberia, a new and even more terrifying reality began to emerge. The Russian portal had been just the beginning.
Reports flooded in from around the globe:
- Tokyo: A blue portal appeared in Shibuya District
- New York: A green gate materialized in Central Park
- London: A purple rift opened near the Thames
- São Paulo: A golden portal emerged in the city center
Within weeks, over two hundred similar gates had appeared across every continent. The age of dungeons had begun, and humanity found itself facing an unprecedented threat to its very existence.
In the aftermath of the Siberian catastrophe, something remarkable happened. People around the world began to manifest abilities similar to the original three Awakened. These individuals, who would come to be known as "Hunters," possessed supernatural powers that allowed them to fight the creatures emerging from the portals.
Scientists theorized that exposure to the dimensional energy from the gates was causing latent abilities to awaken in certain individuals. The process seemed random—age, gender, nationality, and background appeared to have no bearing on who would develop these powers.
Dr. Sarah Chen, leading researcher at the newly formed International Dungeon Research Institute, published the first comprehensive study on Hunter abilities:
"The awakening process appears to be triggered by proximity to dimensional rifts or exposure to creatures from other realms. Approximately 0.01% of the human population shows potential for awakening, with manifestation typically occurring during high-stress situations involving supernatural threats."
As more Hunters emerged, the need for a standardized ranking system became apparent. The International Hunter Association, formed by representatives from every nation affected by dungeon appearances, established the following classification:
E-Rank (The Weakest): The most common rank among new Hunters. These individuals possess minor supernatural abilities that are often considered nearly useless in actual combat. They can sense dungeons and survive brief exposure to dimensional energy, but their offensive capabilities are minimal. Examples include enhanced intuition, minor precognitive flashes, or the ability to see through simple illusions.
D-Rank (The Hopeful): Above-average Hunters who have developed their abilities beyond the basic level. They can handle weak monsters and serve in support roles during dungeon expeditions. Their abilities might include enhanced physical strength, basic elemental manipulation, or rudimentary healing powers.
C-Rank (The Competent): Strong Hunters capable of leading small teams into low-level dungeons. They possess significant supernatural abilities and can handle most common monster types. C-rank Hunters often specialize in specific areas such as combat, support, or reconnaissance.
B-Rank (The Formidable): Elite Hunters who can single-handedly clear C-rank dungeons. They possess powerful abilities that make them valuable assets to any guild or military organization. B-rank Hunters are rare enough that they're often celebrities in their respective countries.
A-Rank (The Exceptional): Among the strongest Hunters in existence. A-rank individuals can clear most dungeons solo and are capable of protecting entire cities during dungeon breaks. There are fewer than a thousand A-rank Hunters worldwide.
S-Rank (The Legendary): The highest rank ever achieved by humankind. S-rank Hunters possess god-like abilities and are considered national treasures. Only seven individuals have ever been confirmed to reach this rank, including the original three Awakened from the Siberian Breach.
Beyond rankings, Hunters also manifest different types of abilities that determine their class:
Warriors: Physical combat specialists with enhanced strength, speed, and durability. They excel in close-quarters combat and often serve as the front line in dungeon expeditions.
Mages: Masters of elemental or arcane magic. They can manipulate fire, ice, lightning, earth, and other supernatural forces. High-level mages can alter reality itself within limited parameters.
Healers: Rare individuals who can accelerate healing, cure diseases, and even resurrect the recently deceased. They are the most valued members of any team and are heavily protected by their guilds.
Assassins: Stealth specialists who excel at reconnaissance and eliminating high-priority targets. They often possess abilities related to invisibility, shadow manipulation, or enhanced speed.
Summoners: Extremely rare Hunters who can call forth creatures from other dimensions to fight alongside them. The entities they summon range from elemental spirits to otherworldly beasts.
Support: Hunters whose abilities focus on enhancing others rather than direct combat. They might provide barriers, enhance weapons, or offer tactical advantages through information gathering.
As dungeon expeditions became increasingly common and dangerous, Hunters began organizing into guilds for mutual protection and resource sharing. These organizations quickly evolved into powerful entities that rivaled governments in their influence and resources.
The largest guilds became international corporations:
The Crimson Blade Guild (Russia): Founded by Dmitri Volkov, this guild specializes in high-risk dungeon clearing and monster suppression. Their members are known for their aggressive tactics and incredible survival rates.
Healing Light International (USA): Established by Tess Morrison, this guild focuses on support operations and maintaining Hunter health during dangerous expeditions. They also operate the world's largest Hunter hospital network.
Dragon's Flame Consortium (Japan): Led by Lane Nakamura, this guild combines traditional Japanese discipline with cutting-edge magical research. They're responsible for many breakthrough discoveries in elemental magic.
The Iron Lions (Germany): Europe's largest guild, known for their military precision and advanced equipment development.
*Southern Cross Hunters (Australia): Specialists in dealing with the unique, highly aggressive creatures that emerge from Australian dungeons.
Each country established their own guild registration systems, and competition between organizations became fierce. The most successful guilds could command resources equivalent to small nations, while their top Hunters became international celebrities.
## A Changed World
Thirteen years after the first portal appeared in Siberia, humanity had adapted to its new reality, though not without tremendous cost. Cities were now designed with dungeon proximity in mind, emergency evacuation procedures were as common as fire drills, and children grew up learning about monster classifications alongside traditional subjects.
The world economy had been fundamentally transformed. Traditional military forces, while still important for conventional conflicts, were largely ineffective against supernatural threats. Hunter equipment manufacturing became one of the most profitable industries on Earth, while insurance companies struggled to calculate policies for a world where dimensional monsters could appear without warning.
But perhaps most significantly, humanity had been forced to confront the reality that Earth was no longer the sole domain of human beings. Somewhere beyond those crimson portals lay other worlds, other civilizations, and other threats that humanity was only beginning to understand.
The age of Hunters had begun, and with it, a new chapter in human history—one written in blood, supernatural fire, and the unwavering determination of those brave enough to step through the gates and face the unknown.