The Essence Realm
15 years ago.
When the world was still running normally as usual. On one bright morning, the world was struck by panic. Many humans suddenly vanished without a trace.
No one knew where they had gone. Some people theorized that it was kidnapping. However, it happened to many people in different parts of the world.
While humanity was still searching for their whereabouts, the world was suddenly struck by a disaster. Monsters that once existed only in fictional stories appeared out of nowhere.
Hearing this, national militaries immediately attempted to exterminate the monsters. At first, things went smoothly. Although the monsters caused chaos everywhere, they were quickly suppressed.
But when they rested, believing everything was over, humanity discovered that the monsters were emerging from a portal that looked like a tear in space itself. It was quickly secured by the government.
While guarding the portal, a second wave of monsters emerged—monsters far stronger than before. The national militaries were overwhelmed, and many types of weapons were no longer effective against them.
Just as humanity believed they would be annihilated, a human appeared and slaughtered the monsters. Not using modern weapons, but weapons long abandoned by time.
Using a power called Essence, they quickly helped stabilize the situation. After things had calmed down, they explained that they had obtained that great power through a trial.
The Essence Trial.
And from there, the era of the Awakened began.
15 years later.
A 15-year-old boy, Kayen, lay in a park, beaten by debt collectors demanding his parents’ unpaid debts.
After being carried away by his emotions for a moment, Kayen tried to return home.
However, once at home, he heard a voice declaring that he had been chosen to undergo the Essence Trial.
Kayen did not believe what he heard, hoping it was nothing more than a hallucination. But when he saw a golden light enveloping him, he realized he truly had been chosen.
“Shit.”
