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> "Meteor strikes across the globe…"
"Massive craters forming in every major continent…"
"Military forces sealing off all impact zones…"
"Are we witnessing the end of the world?"
Those were the headlines that flooded every screen, every radio, every frightened conversation in the days that followed.
But it wasn't the end.
It was the beginning of something entirely new.
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Small meteors fell across every country, some landing in remote mountains, others deep in the sea, and some just beyond city outskirts.
They weren't ordinary space rocks. They glowed with an eerie purple hue, pulsing like giant alien hearts. In some places, the meteors appeared red, in others blue, and a few even shone with a cold, metallic silver light.
Though they avoided direct city hits, the fall zones became instant death traps. Entire forests turned to glass, rivers boiled away, and anyone caught in their path vanished without a trace — as if erased from existence.
And then… the changes began.
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People started awakening strange, impossible abilities.
A girl in Japan shattered a mountain with a scream.
A boy in Brazil learned to control rainstorms.
An old man in Russia lifted a battleship with one hand.
Supernatural strength.
Elemental manipulation.
Telepathy.
Flight.
No one understood why — until scientists discovered that the meteor fragments, now called Null Stones, emitted a unique energy that rewrote human biology at the genetic level.
About 20% of the global population changed forever.
They were no longer fully human.
They became something new. Something powerful.
The world called them:
> New Age People.
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Governments panicked. Borders shut down. Entire cities were evacuated.
The military tried to contain the meteor sites by building towering steel walls, guarded day and night.
But from the craters… new horrors emerged.
Monsters, twisted by Null Stone radiation. Horrific beasts covered in crystalline armor, with burning eyes and claws that could rip tanks apart.
Only licensed officials — Hunters — could enter these zones.
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To handle the chaos, society created a new system:
Hero Academies to train young protectors, shaping them into public idols.
Hunter Guilds to clear dangerous zones, eliminate monsters, and gather Null Stone fragments.
Power Laws to regulate those with abilities and execute those who misused them.
Meanwhile, the remaining 80% — powerless humans — adapted to serve as medics, engineers, media specialists, or logistical support.
A new order was born.
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Two years passed.
The world adapted, if not fully healed.
Some heroes became global celebrities, adored and worshipped. Their faces plastered on billboards and cereal boxes, their every move broadcasted to millions.
Hunters became legends, earning fame and riches clearing high-risk Null Zones.
The media called it a "new golden age of evolution."
But beneath the glittering surface… something ancient, something dark, was waiting.
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📍 Crater Site 09 — Eurasian Null Zone
Deep inside a massive crater, a cavern twisted downward into the earth. Black crystal trees sprouted from the walls, their surfaces shimmering like polished obsidian. Pulsing veins of violet light snaked across the stone, making the cave feel alive, as if it were breathing.
A squad of three rookie Hunters moved carefully into the shadows.
Ira — a sharpshooter with golden, cat-like eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.
Dray — a hot-tempered fire-user, his fists constantly steaming as if a furnace lived beneath his skin.
Kael — a brute strength-type, every step cracking the ground slightly beneath his boots.
> "First assignment," Dray muttered, cracking his knuckles.
"Don't get cocky," Ira hissed, scanning every crevice with her glowing eyes.
"Let's get this over with," Kael grumbled, flexing his massive arms impatiently.
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Inside, the ground pulsed like a heartbeat beneath their feet. A low hum filled the air, vibrating through their bones.
Suddenly—
> "Movement at twelve o'clock!" Kael roared, his voice echoing.
A monstrous shape lunged from the shadows. It looked like a bear — but its fur had been replaced with sharp, black crystal plates. Its eyes glowed a savage red, and every breath released a hiss of violet mist.
Dray charged first, fists igniting in roaring orange flame. He slammed a fiery uppercut into the creature's jaw, shards of crystal spraying like glass shards.
Ira crouched low, her rifle humming with electric energy. She fired a series of precise shots at the creature's joints, cracking its armor and slowing it down.
Kael let out a guttural yell and smashed into its side, the impact causing a mini shockwave that rattled the entire cave.
The monster shrieked, claws tearing into the floor, trying to find balance.
Beneath them, a smaller meteor shard — a glowing core — cracked open. Energy spilled out, swirling around like tiny fireflies.
None of them noticed.
Except Ira.
She paused mid-reload, her golden eyes widening.
> "...Wait. I saw something," she whispered.
Dray snorted, wiping sweat from his brow.
> "Probably just heat shimmer. We're done here."
Kael stomped over, breathing heavily.
> "Stop staring. Let's report before more show up."
Reluctantly, Ira lowered her rifle and turned away.
The three vanished into the tunnel's darkness, their footfalls echoing faintly before fading entirely.
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Inside the ruined stone…
A heart began to beat.
Slow at first — then faster, stronger.
Flesh regrew over bone, pale skin forming where nothing had existed seconds ago. Black veins pulsed under the surface, carrying the strange energy from the meteor core.
Eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then sharpening with each breath.
Riyan Solas gasped violently, his chest heaving as if he'd been drowning for years.
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He was naked, skin marked with faint glowing lines that faded slowly.
Breathing hard, he grabbed a piece of discarded cloth — a Hunter's cloak left behind. He wrapped it around himself, shivering from the cold cave air.
His muscles felt weak, every joint aching, but… he was alive.
His mind struggled to focus, fragments of memories stabbing at him.
> The train.
The boy and his robot.
Lena's face.
The burning sky.
Grandpa's voice — "Live, Riyan."
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He forced himself upright, each movement shaky and unsure. His eyes darted around the cave, catching glimpses of violet light dancing along the walls like ghostly flames.
Then he looked up — and saw the opening above.
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He climbed slowly, his fingers bleeding as they scraped against jagged crystal edges. When he finally pulled himself out, he collapsed on the soft mossy ground above.
He rolled onto his back, panting heavily.
Above him stretched a sky he did not recognize.
Massive floating drones hummed silently across the horizon. Distant towers rose like spears piercing the clouds, lined with neon lights.
The air shimmered faintly, as if charged with electricity.
Riyan pushed himself to his feet, wrapping the cloak tighter around his body.
> "Where… am I?" he croaked, voice hoarse.
"What happened to the world?"
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His journey…
Was just beginning.
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Next: The boy from the past steps into a future he doesn't understand — and a storm awaits.
→ Tap "Next" to read Chapter 4
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