At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary world. But in truth, it was a world drenched in blood. Since the Stone Age, mysterious portals called dungeons—gateways to unknown and otherworldly realms—had begun to appear on Earth. From them emerged monstrous creatures, and humans had to fight for their survival.
The word dungeon became synonymous with sorrow and evil, especially in Europe where the worst tortures took place in such places. The creatures that emerged from these dungeons were just as horrifying and brutal. That's why, People with no magical powers were strictly warned to never set foot inside.
In 9756 BC, the first dungeons opened. At that time, humanity had no idea what they were or what purpose they served. But ten days later, dungeon breaks began. Monsters started pouring out, seemingly with only one purpose: to kill humans. They were magical beings, powered by mana, and regular stone weapons had no effect on them. The Earth was soaked in blood. It was as if rivers and oceans flowed with crimson. Only a small fraction of humanity remained.
when the humanity was on the brink of collapse, the Creator granted humans magical abilities to fight back. They began to battle for survival. Gradually, human consciousness evolved. They formed groups and large-scale guilds to fight the monsters in the dungeons. They extracted strange items from the dungeons and delivered them to various people. By studying the monsters' anatomy and characteristics, they began crafting weapons from their teeth, bones, and other body parts, making battles more manageable.
However, they still didn't understand the purpose of the mana stones on the monsters skin or the crystals in the dungeons—at least, not until the Middle Ages. A zoologist named Adam Johnson discovered through his experiments that these stones housed the monsters' magical powers. He confirmed that if the stone was removed while the creature was alive, it would become no different from a powerless human. But it was impossible to remove the stone from a living monster. This raised a series of questions: Why don't humans have mana stones? Why can't they be removed while the monster is alive?
By the mid-15th century, hunting societies began to create by countries/kingdoms. Hunters—humans with magical powers—were tasked with protecting ordinary people. Over time, the number of magically gifted individuals increased—until the year 1873.
From that point on, 4 out of every 10 newborns could possess magical powers. This was a gift from nature. People abandoned their regular jobs to fight with monsters, as monster bodies and mana stones were highly valuable. Even today, hunters live far better lives than ordinary people.
The second great scientist in the hunter industry was Nikola Tesla. He figured out how to generate electricity using mana stones and dungeon crystals, revolutionizing the hunter job. Eventually, a third resource emerged, further boosting the hunter economy. What once caused mass death had now become a fountain of wealth. Hunters could earn enough money to support seven generations. But not all hunters couldn't do like this. the reason is Magical power was not distributed equally to everyone. That's why a ranking system from "E" to "S" was introduced, based on one's mana levels, measured by a device known as the mana meter.
There were also unconventional ranks: National and Legendary class hunters.
National-level hunters were those who cleared an S-rank dungeon alone or with their team.
Legendary hunters cleared cataclysmic, world-shaking dungeons.
It's believed that only seven such dungeons have ever appeared. The last one emerged in Canada three years ago, and only four hunters survived the raid.
But this story is not about them.
It is about a boy—one whose existence seems insignificant.
No one imagines he will play a crucial role in the future.
He is not a hunter.
His name is Uhyon.
He grew up in an orphanage.
Typically, a hunter's powers awaken around the age of 12. Their strength is directly tied to their mana. Hunters are usually divided into two categories: close-combat fighters and mages, with further subcategories. But, as mentioned, Uhyon is not a hunter. He is 16 years old and attends school.
However, this school is different. Both hunters and non-mana users study together. It may seem strange or illogical, but hunter children are placed under strict surveillance and are sworn to never harm others. In reality, this is nothing but a farce. While the school is tightly monitored, outside of it there are no checks. It's like releasing a wolf into a flock of sheep. Uhyon is one of the victims. Despite always trying to be kind and gentle, he was breaking down emotionally.
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*
It was just another ordinary day. The sun had just begun to rise. It was 6 a.m. Alarm clocks rang. Uhyon got out of bed and washed up. But something felt odd. It was too early for breakfast, and since he had already done most of his tasks, he chose to lie in bed, lost in thought. He always pondered one question:
"Why am I live in that life?"
He tried to answer this question every day but never found a satisfying answer.
Eventually, he had a quiet breakfast, dressed in his school uniform, and left home. The spring breeze and blooming cherry blossoms offered him a moment of peace, a brief escape from his troubles. As usual, he took the bus to school—but had to walk about a kilometer to reach the bus stop.
Halfway there, he encountered Kang Jin-sung—his classmate, the worst academic performer, yet the strongest hunter among students. Kang often failed his exams, while Uhyon was one of the top students. Kang wanted Uhyon to take his exams for him.
First, he tried to intimidate Uhyon.
But when that didn't work, he turned violent.
Still, it didn't affect Uhyon—who valued hard work and refused to let others exploit his efforts.
This angered Kang. At a crossroad, he planned to scare Uhyon by grabbing and shoving him. Kang thought to himself:
"I can't afford to fail this exam. This is my last chance—if I mess up, my father won't spare me. No matter what, I have to force him to help me."
He had always slacked off, relying on his strength and friends.
As cars sped down the road nearby, Kang, in a fit of rage, accidentally shoved Uhyon into the middle of the street.
Realizing what he had done, panic struck Kang:
"If I get caught, I'll never regain my hunter license. Worse, if my father finds out—he'll destroy me. I need to run!"
And so, he fled the scene.
Uhyon hadn't expected such cruelty.
Accepting his fate, he lay motionless.
The car was just two seconds away.
His head was bleeding.
He looked up and saw the vehicle trying to brake.
He knew it was too late.
His leg was broken. Even if he tried to move, it would be useless.
He surrendered to destiny.
"So… a meaningless life ends in a meaningless death,"
he thought.
And at that moment...