### **Chapter 1: The Second Catastrophe**
In a world destroyed by the Emperor of Destruction 20 years ago, only a handful of survivors remained, fighting daily against hordes of zombies and mutated monsters. The hero, **Ethan Crown**, a B-rank reconnaissance team leader with the ability to blast, was leading a group of C-rank explorers on a resource-hunting mission in the ruins of the ancient kingdom.
While resting, Ethan sat with the team around a small fire. One of the members, **Leo**, looked at him and asked, "Don't you have any family to worry about while we're on such a dangerous mission?" Ethan sighed and replied, "His parents disappeared three days before the catastrophe, and he has a sister named Iris."
"Ethan, why don't you ask your sister for help? Isn't Iris a deputy in the 'Steps Towards the Future' organization?" Ethan paused for a moment, then answered in a calm voice, "Iris... I lost her a long time ago. At the beginning of the Catastrophe, the Organization kidnapped her because of her powers. They washed her memory, and now she doesn't recognize me." A heavy silence fell over the audience. Ethan stared into the fire, as if reliving painful memories. "But now we're here, and we have a mission to complete." After hours of searching through the ruined tombs, Ethan discovered a mysterious black gem buried in an ancient shrine. As he held it, he felt a strange power surging through his body. But before he could examine it, one of the trapped members shouted, "We've been stunned! A massive wave of zombies attacked them. They weren't hundreds or thousands... they were 20 million!" The fight began, and the team's cooperation was excellent. Ethan used his ability to blast the zombies, while Sarah, the healer, treated the wounded. But suddenly, a giant A-rank zombie appeared. "Watch out! This zombie isn't ordinary!" one of the members shouted. Ethan leaped toward the zombie and detonated a portion of its body. The zombie regenerated rapidly. Seol, a member of the squad, controlled the rock, restricting the zombie's movement. Ethan then detonated it again, but the attack wasn't enough. Sara quickly intervened, temporarily isolating Ethan's ability to prevent him from overusing his energy. "Use the mini-explosion!" Sara shouted. Ethan obeyed, detonating the zombie from the inside and breaking its core, finally defeating it.
But the victory was short-lived. Amid the chaos, one of the "12 Disasters," **Kartha, the Lord of Hunger**, appeared. He was a humanoid monster with a decaying body, but possessed unparalleled consciousness and strength.
"Scum... That jewel belongs to my master. Give it to me, and I'll grant you a swift death." Ethan, realizing that abandoning the Jewel would mean his doom, made a crazy decision. **He shattered the Jewel**! The moment it shattered, space tore apart around him, and an interdimensional rift opened that swallowed him whole, leaving Cartha and the team in utter chaos.