Year 1980. The First Cataclysm.
The disaster that changed the course of human history.
One day, without warning, the sky shattered like broken glass, bleeding a strange crimson light that infected everything it touched.
The reason?
No one knew.
All anyone understood was that they were witnessing the birth of a catastrophe.
Animals across the world began to mutate, evolving into monstrous beings capable of tearing apart tanks with their claws.
Their hides became tougher than steel, resistant even to the most powerful missiles.
Soon, people began calling this infection "the Corruption."
But the beasts were not the only ones affected.
Humans changed, too.
Unlike animals, not all of them succumbed to the Corruption. A few resisted, and those who did awakened a power unlike any seen before.
They called it Mana.
No one knew what it truly was, only that it granted strength and miracles. A single human could lift boulders, move faster than bullets, or conjure fire from thin air.
It was hope. A gift. A miracle.
And yet, humanity was losing.
As the Corruption spread, cracks began to form in the very fabric of reality, and from those cracks came the creatures of the Void.
Beings beyond comprehension, intelligent, merciless, and endless in number.
The first gate appeared in Japan, releasing over a million of them.
Then thousands more opened across the world.
Humanity fought bravely. They united like never before.
But it wasn't enough.
The Earth was dying.
******
Year 2025, Western Dead Zone.
An area completely lost to the creatures of the Void and declared as the dead zone.
Something no one should ever approach.
[Crystalis is a formidable A-rank creature composed of jagged, translucent crystals that shimmer with an ethereal glow.]
A young man with pale skin, with blood running down his head, was sitting beneath a crystal rock.
His black hair was clinging to his scalp, totally soaked in his blood.
He was trying to patch the wound on his leg while listening to the description of the monster that was hunting him.
[Crystalis are often found in areas rich in mana, such as ancient ruins, enchanted forests, or deep within crystalline caverns.
They are solitary creatures, guarding their territories fiercely and using their abilities to deter intruders.]
Despite the urgency of the situation, his movements were smooth as he wrapped a bandage around his leg.
But the trembling in his black eyes couldn't hide his internal turmoil.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'
[Its abilities include,
Crystal Lure: The Crystalis can create illusions to deceive its prey, drawing them into traps or ambushes.
Crystal manipulation: It can manipulate crystals and shoot them at a speed faster than that of normal bullets.
Mana Drain: The creature can siphon mana from its surroundings, weakening spellcasters and disrupting defense spells.]
I was reading this article on my broken phone, which contained a monster journal.
[Its weaknesses are-ar-ar-ar]
Then came the sound of my death sentence.
My face darkened,
'Damn it! Damn it! Robert, you bastard! If we somehow survive this hell, I will skin you alive myself.'
I cursed my friend who had dragged me on this raid.
'I'll strip you naked and make you dance like a dog in front of your favorite idol.'
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Startling me out of my thoughts was the high-pitched scream coming from the distance, not too far.
'Who was it now? Robert? or Leo?'
My pale face became even more pale after thinking about the death of another one of my comrades.
'We need to regroup.'
I looked around to find a safe place to hide.
The Mountains of Crystals rose high. Their peaks were covered in shining crystals that sparkled in the sunlight.
Sharp transparent crystal shards jutted from the ground everywhere, making it hard to walk.
Pools of clear water reflected the glittering mountains.
Many believed creatures powerful than SS rank monsters lived deep within the dead zone.
And I believed that's exactly where the sudden rift had thrown them.
I pushed myself up, leaning on a crystal rock, and groaned in pain because of my leg, which landed straight on a sharp crystal after we were thrown from the rift.
'I know I am unlucky, but this is just next level.'
I surveyed the area carefully, finding no immediate danger, and relaxed a bit.
I took a golden compass out of my subspace,
Looking at the compass, I remembered its description,
-------------------
[Seeker's compass]
Rank: C
Category: tool
Enchantment: [Fifth direction]
Cooldown: 1 day
Description: This compass points toward the thing that you desire, but do you even know what you are looking for?
-------------------
The system descriptions were always a bit confusing, but an experienced person could interpret them.
In this compass's case, it meant that the compass could point toward the thing someone desired, provided they knew exactly what it looked like.
If the wielder hadn't seen the object or the place himself, the compass won't function at all.
I channeled my mana through the compass and started to picture my teammates' stupid faces.
'I want to find my teammates. I want to find my....'
I continued to repeat that in my mind, soon the needle started to rotate and then stopped, pointing toward the South.
Right toward the depths of the mountains.
I gulped, looking at the mountains that were screaming of danger.
After a moment, I took a deep breath and started to limp carefully in the direction the compass was pointing.
'Here goes nothing.'
Moving through the mountains was not an easy task for me.
I was being careful not to step on any of the sharp crystal shards on the way.
Not just because they were sharp enough to pierce the tough skin of an expert like me, but also because they might be some alarm for a monster to detect intruders.
'This might explain how they are finding us so fast.'
I wasn't sure, as far as I knew, the whole dead zone was a graveyard from where few ever came back alive.
_Whossh!
Suddenly, a sharp sound of a Crystalis's roar split the silence.
I quickly hid beneath a sloped rock and activated my skill,
[stealth]
My form turned transparent, but in these mountains, [stealth] might not work so well because of the light of crystals.
With a tired sigh, I slid further down the sloped rock, sinking deeper into its cold surface.
And after a few minutes, all the crystals in the vicinity glowed like coming to life.
Whenever that sound rang out, the crystals began to glow, reflecting the light.
A group of triangular-shaped green crystal head creatures came, hovering just above the ground, consuming the glowing crystals beneath them.
Strange runes were etched across their crystalline heads.
Their bodies were formed of jagged green crystals with their tentacles extended like blades.
It was identical to seeing a swarm of jellyfish drifting in water; the only difference was that these were the deadly A-rank monsters capable of ripping apart any seasoned veteran in seconds.