The hunters advanced, closing in on the monsters from every direction, yet the beasts pushed forward with each attempt, as if they were unstoppable.
Then, out of nowhere, a single figure appeared—immensely powerful. The moment people laid eyes on him, their voices rose in a chorus of cheers. Hope flickered anew in their eyes.
He cut through the dragon beasts with blinding speed, his movements fluid and ghostlike. Suddenly, an enormous dragon loomed before him, letting out a thunderous roar that shook the ground itself. The hunter stopped, standing firm, and spoke in a low, steady voice:
— "This is the end of my story… I've reached the highest level… yet I still remember every moment of my past."
…
My name is Iyad… or perhaps I should say my new name: Zokaro.
A young man in my mid-twenties—24 years old. I grew up in an orphanage after my parents died in an accident. Since I was a child, my dream was to design a game that would become famous, a game that would change my life and be my source of livelihood.
But in this world, the strong devour the weak. With every proposal I sent to companies to present my game's system—"RATIO"—I faced rejection again and again. Yet I refused to give up. I kept going, endlessly. But debts piled up on me; I couldn't even pay my room's rent anymore. I'd hide from the landlord just so he wouldn't see me. After countless attempts without results…
One day, I was walking along the sidewalk. The sky was clear, the morning sun spilling its warm rays across the street at exactly 9:40 AM.
Everything seemed beautiful—until I saw an elderly woman trying to cross at the pedestrian lane. Suddenly, a speeding car appeared in the distance, barreling toward her without a care. Her movements were far too slow.
I don't know why I dashed forward, why I ran at all. All I know is that I shoved her away from the car so it wouldn't hit her.
— "Get back!" I shouted, reaching out my hand.
But in the end… I was the one who met my death.
In a world where I'd never been given even a single chance to prove myself, I'd always seemed useless—just a burden to this life. And I asked myself: Was this fate something I chose… or something written for me?
The stares of the people as I lay on the ground were full of pity—and disgust all at once. I never imagined I'd end up here.
— "Damn it… why am I the only one who has to meet this fate?"
I decided to drift into eternal sleep, never to wake again. The darkness was endless, suffocating. All I could do was curl into myself, suppressing the rage, the deep sorrow, and the contempt I had endured.
Moments later, a blinding light appeared, dispelling the darkness around me.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a hospital. A nurse stood by my side, and the moment she saw me awake, her eyes widened in shock. She bolted out of the room with all her strength, shouting:
"Patient in room 256 has awakened!"
The words struck me like a thunderclap. I glanced around and noticed a machine pumping liquid through a thin tube connected to my arm. Inside it flowed a glowing blue fluid. I had no idea what was happening, but one thought surfaced in my mind: perhaps I had survived.
I sat up on the bed and yanked the tube out of my arm. Slowly, I walked toward the window, gazing at the clear sky. But then, something massive caught my eye—a radiant sphere, glowing with a bluish light, enormous and otherworldly. I had never seen anything like it before.
Looking around, the world seemed eerily similar to my own. Yet one detail stood out: a sign on a nearby building attached to the hospital. It read: "White Horizon Hospital – Newseal."
I had never heard of such a place. And yet, the hospital itself was vast, filled with advanced equipment, orderly rooms, and floors adorned with intricate designs. Lights shimmered across the ground, sending waves of vitality surging through my body.
Minutes later, two nurses entered alongside a doctor. The nurses rushed toward me in a panic, trying to force me back onto the bed. The doctor, however, approached calmly, a gentle smile on his face.
"Welcome back," he said. "You've finally awakened after two months in a coma."
His words stunned me. I was certain I had died, yet it turned out to be nothing more than a coma. Still, I wondered: Why was I trapped in such endless darkness? And why had I seen no paradise, no eternal light, as people often claim?
Suddenly, the door opened, and a beautiful middle-aged woman entered. She looked to be in her late forties or early fifties, with silky brown hair, small blue eyes, and fair skin close to pale ivory. Her delicate features were softened by tears streaming down her face. Stepping closer, she turned to the doctor and asked in a trembling voice:
"How is my son…? Is he alright?"
I froze where I stood. My mind couldn't process her words. A storm of questions raged inside me: Since when did I ever have a mother?
Without realizing it, I blurted out:
"Wait… since when did I ever have a mother… as beautiful as you?"
The room fell silent. Shock painted the faces of everyone present. The woman's eyes glistened with sorrow as she whispered:
"Do you truly… not remember me, my son? I am your mother. My name is Daliana."
An unfamiliar warmth washed over me—an overwhelming sense of love and tenderness flowing from her presence. My heart pounded faster, yet I couldn't bring myself to believe her. With a trembling voice, I muttered:
"I'm sorry… but I think you've mistaken me for someone else. My parents died long ago in an accident. I grew up in an orphanage."
After a few moments, she collapsed in tears. I didn't understand what was happening. Minutes later, two more people entered the room:
The first was an older man, between 50 and 55 years old. His build was massive and strong, with sharp eyes, tall stature, a short beard under his chin, a black mustache, and smooth hair with strands neatly falling on his forehead.
The second was a young man, probably between 23 and 28 years old, handsome, fair-skinned, with small blue eyes and brown hair, a medium build, and features resembling the woman beside me.
The woman who claimed to be my mother ran toward the older man, leaning against his chest, crying. Shock was written all over his face. She said to the doctor with a trembling voice:
— "Tell me… what's happening here, doctor?"
The doctor remained silent for a moment, tense, then said:
— "I don't know how to explain this… According to medical tests, there's no sign of head injury, but it seems he doesn't recognize anyone from his family… not even his mother."
The young man stepped forward and said:
— "Brother… do you know who we are? We are your family. I am your older brother, Kyron. This man is your father, Zarko. And this is your mother, Dalliana… do you remember any of us?"
I turned my face away from them. Really… if I had a family, could I have forgotten them? Of course not, especially a loving and gentle mother like her. I won't let her see any tears.
Silence fell in the room. The doctor said:
— "Zokzaro, I will conduct a test to measure your memory retention."
But I was certain of one thing: this name wasn't mine. I sat upright and said:
— "My name is Iyad, not Zokzaro… You've mistaken the patient."
The doctor froze, stunned, and said:
— "I think your case will be very difficult… but we'll see."
I tried to explain that my name was Iyad, but he didn't understand. A nurse then approached, carrying a clipboard and pen for the doctor. He said:
— "Tell me: your full name, your age, what you do in life, your dream, your parents' and sibling's occupations, your address, and why you're in the hospital."
I focused and said:
— "My name is Iyad. I have no last name. I grew up in an orphanage and I'm 24 years old. What I do… nothing, except I want to design a game—not as a hobby, not as a skill. My dream is to become a famous game designer. I have no family. I was born in Morocco, in Casablanca, and I live in a rented room in a poor neighborhood. The reason I'm in the hospital: I saved an old woman from being hit by a car, and I got injured instead."
The doctor sighed.
— "Give me the names of countries."
I said:
— "Qatar, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Japan, Egypt, USA, Canada, UAE, Spain, Germany…"
He interrupted me:
— "Stop. Say no more. I thought it was memory loss, but it's more than that."
I didn't know what was happening, so I remained silent.
Then the doctor held the file and said:
— "Your name is Zokzaro Edari. Age 21. Country: Ishkalia. City: Newsel. District: Kalisfor. Advanced area, Building 10, Room 38. University: Core Weapons Engineering. Your dream was to become a hunter.
Your family:
Mother: Dalliana Sirna, 48, Hunter rank A, ability: healing and boosting hunters' energy.
Father: Zarko Edari, 52, elite hunter, one of the strongest in the country, ability: Gravity Fist.
Older brother: Kyron Edari, elite hunter, specializes in Green Flame.
The accident happened because you were near the Black Dome Cell, which contains monsters. It was glowing with black sparks, and no ordinary human should approach it—otherwise, death would follow upon touching its sparks. This is why you were injured: the sparks shocked you like electricity and almost killed you."
The information was overwhelming. But what caught my attention: monsters, hunters… was this real? Or just imagination becoming reality? Who were these people?
Everyone left, leaving me alone. It felt like a prison. The story of this world… was it a hallucination before death?
I closed my eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. Suddenly, the ground shook. I opened my eyes and sat up quickly. I looked toward the window. The nurse beside me was terrified.
A glowing blue light shone from the distant sky. I asked:
— "Tell me… what's happening here?"
The nurse said:
— "The hunters failed to suppress the Dome Cell. After 24 hours, the dome explodes and releases the monsters inside."
It was surreal. I heard screams outside, saw the explosion and the intense light. It was terrifying. What is happening in this world? What is its story? I don't understand anything.
The nurse approached the window to observe. Moments later, a monster smashed through the glass, attacking the nurse, tearing her apart repeatedly.
I panicked, trying to escape, but I fell from the bed. I couldn't stand. The sight and smell of blood were horrifying. My chest tightened, sweat poured down. Suddenly, the monster leapt at me.
Its skin was green, ears long, eyes wide, nose long and thick, sharp fangs, like a demon. It held a dagger in its hand and jumped at me. I wanted to stand, but I felt paralyzed. It stabbed my left thigh. The pain was unbearable. What kind of nightmare is this?
I struggled, yanked the dagger from my leg with pain, but it stabbed me in the abdomen. I grabbed its hands to stop it from killing me, but it was too strong.
I surrendered. This is death… twice.
Then, I heard footsteps. A woman entered. She hit the monster on the head with a fire extinguisher, pushing it away.
I turned and saw the woman claiming to be my mother, Dalliana. She held me in her arms. The monster wasn't harmed, but its eyes glowed red. A green light burst from it, and it lunged at us. Before reaching us, she unleashed scorching green flames. The monster was incinerated completely. Nothing remained.
I began losing consciousness. I saw Dalliana's hand glow with green light, reaching toward my wound. It felt different… no pain, no fear.
I closed my eyes. Darkness enveloped me until a virtual screen appeared:
"RATIO: LEVEL UP"
The system has chosen you to become a warrior.
Say YES to increase your level and become stronger.
I didn't understand. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the hospital room. Dalliana was sitting next to me, asleep.
I was looking at a woman I didn't know, yet she did all this for me. I realized I was no longer in my world, but in another, with different laws.
Dalliana woke up, looking at me with gentle, loving eyes. That feeling… it was the tenderness of a mother toward her son. Happiness filled me. I said:
— "Good morning… Mom."
What made me cry was when she hugged me tightly, tears streaming, repeatedly apologizing. I hugged her back. She smelled like a heavenly breeze, a life full of serenity. Life smiled at me.