Nobody remembers how it began, nor does anyone know how it started.
Some people say the sky cracked. Others said the world simply blinked and came back wrong.
But history remembers it as "The Great Catastrophe Event."
On that day, gates appeared across the planet: Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, New York.
It didn't matter. These gates appeared without warning.
They were luminous.
And from that luminous light, monsters came.
Monsters that moved faster, that could turn cities into ruins without a second thought.
Modern weapons failed.
Nations panicked all over the world.
And then, humanity changed.
Three weeks after the first gate appeared, ordinary people began to manifest abilities.
They were called Awakened at first.
Then later, the world called them Hunters.
Each Hunter possessed mana, the energy, if you can call it that.
Each Hunter possessed power beyond human limits. Some could reshape the elements, strength could be enhanced, and wounds could be healed in seconds.
Others could manipulate gravity. And a few could summon beings beyond the world.
Then, the world reorganized itself, and the world government established the "HUNTER ASSOCIATION."
A rank system was created, from lowest to highest, based on power.
E-Rank
D-Rank
C-Rank
B-Rank
A-Rank
S-Rank
Ranks determined everything.
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THE GATES
Each gate connected Earth to another dimension, and inside the dimensions, dungeons existed that were filled with monsters.
Destroy the boss monster, and the gate would vanish.
The appearance of the gate is called "Dungeon Break."
In early breaks, many people lost their lives. Many cities and towns were destroyed.
After the S-Rank Disaster in Seoul, the system became strict. Gates were monitored by the guilds that were licensed.
Hunters became celebrities and saviors of the world.
But the mystery remained. Where did the gates truly come from?
And why now?
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THE SKILLS
Most of the Hunters developed skills.
There were three common archetypes:
1. Fighter - specialists in close combat with enhanced strength.
2. Caster - specialists in long-range and manipulators of elements.
3. Supporter - healers and porters who carry equipment for the party.
And the main question is skill.
Skills were also typically categorized.
1. Active Skill - Consciously activating abilities.
2. Passive Skill - Constant enhancement.
3. Unique Skill - Rare or individual-specific power.
However, among the researchers of the gates, there was a forbidden theory that states some Hunters can go beyond skills, abilities, and mana.
They are called "Monarchs."
Monarchs do not function like learning magic or skills. It feels like something supreme.
The user doesn't need to borrow power or skill; the user reclaims the power of the god himself.
Only one man in the entire history has ever recorded such a trait.
Many of us think this is fake or just a conspiracy, and when they appeared, the balance of the world shifted.