"TRIPLE KILL!"
Axel Kaiser leaned back in his chair, the neon glow from his monitor reflecting in his brown eyes. His fingers danced over the keyboard with godlike precision. The digital announcer's voice boomed again.
"ULTRA COMBO!"
"Easy," Axel muttered, grinning. "Come on, give me a real challenge."
His teammates in the online arena shouted through the voice chat.
"Bro, what the hell was that reaction speed?"
"You cheating again, Kaiser?"
He laughed. "Talent isn't cheating, fellas. Get good."
When the victory screen popped up, he stretched, joints cracking. The game world faded away, leaving him with the faint hum of the city beyond his window. Los Angeles — rebuilt, glowing, alive with mana-powered tech and hovercrafts that hummed like dragonflies.
Axel stood and glanced at the wall-sized poster beside his desk — "World Hunter Association: Protect Humanity, Slay the Unknown."
"Guess it's my turn," he murmured.
Thirty years ago, the world went to hell. One day, pillars of light tore through the sky — shimmering cracks between reality and something else. From them came creatures that defied science: beasts of fire, shadows, and bones that roared magic into existence. Humanity called it The Mana Apocalypse.
But humans adapted. Some awakened — people with mana flowing through their veins, able to fight back. They became Hunters.
Now, Los Angeles wasn't just a city — it was a fortress, surrounded by shimmering barriers that kept dungeons in check. Guilds competed for fame, politicians fought over awakened licenses, and every kid dreamed of one thing: becoming a hero.
Axel wasn't any different.
He grabbed his cracked phone, opened the Hunter Association App, and tapped "Register New Awakening."
A robotic voice greeted him. "Please proceed to your nearest Testing Center."
"Right now?" he said, checking the time. It was 10:42 p.m.
Then he grinned. "Perfect."
By midnight, he stood before the Los Angeles Awakening Center — a skyscraper of mirrored glass and glowing mana lines crawling up its walls like veins. Hunters of all ranks passed him, their weapons glinting under streetlights.
Axel wore a hoodie, jeans, and that smug smirk that said I'm gonna be great someday.
Inside, a bored clerk scanned him from head to toe. "Name?"
"Axel Kaiser."
"Age?"
"Nineteen."
"First awakening?"
"Yeah."
She nodded and handed him a wristband etched with glowing runes. "Put this on. Enter Room 12. If you explode, please try not to hit the ceiling."
Axel blinked. "...What?"
She didn't even look up from her tablet. "Next."
Room 12 smelled like ozone and burnt wires. In the center stood a crystalline orb humming softly. Axel touched it.
Mana surged into him like fire through his veins. He gasped, knees buckling as blue light flared around him. His heart thundered, his vision spun — and then came the system's voice.
[Awakening Detected.]
[Rank: E]
[Status: Approved.]
Axel opened one eye. "E… rank? You've gotta be kidding me."
The light faded. His stats blinked across the orb.
Strength: 8
Agility: 9
Magic: 6
Endurance: 7
The clerk from earlier poked her head in. "Congratulations, Mr. E-Rank. The vending machine's that way if you wanna cry."
Axel groaned. "I'm not crying. Just… recalculating my life."
Two days later, he found himself standing before a dungeon gate — a swirling blue vortex hovering in the ruins of downtown LA. Around him, five other Hunters prepped their weapons.
A tall man with a scar and a C-rank badge barked orders. "Listen up, rookies! Stay behind me and don't touch anything shiny. We clear this quick, we get paid, and we go home. Got it?"
Axel nodded along. The guy's name was Markus. A C-rank tank, built like a fridge. The others were D and E ranks — healers, a scout, and some mage who looked like he hadn't slept in a week.
"E-Rank dungeon," Markus said, checking his scanner. "Easy money. Let's move."
The portal pulsed. They stepped through.
The air changed instantly — cold, damp, thick with mana. The ground beneath them was dark stone, slick with glowing moss. Stalactites hung above, dripping blue liquid into shallow pools.
Axel whistled. "Creepy."
"Focus," Markus said. "Form up."
They moved deeper, torches casting long shadows. Low growls echoed through the tunnels. Then, from the dark, small reptilian shapes crawled out — goblin-like creatures with scales and curved fangs.
"Targets confirmed," Markus said. "D-rank lizards. Easy."
The team charged.
Axel swung his blade — a cheap steel sword borrowed from the Association. The blade cut through the first monster's neck cleanly.
[+30 EXP]
The glowing message startled him for a moment, but he kept fighting. Another lizard lunged, claws flashing. He ducked, slashed upward, and drove his sword through its chest.
[Level Up: 2 → 3]
He blinked. "That's… fast."
The fight ended in minutes. Piles of fading monster dust littered the floor.
"Nice work, newbies," Markus said. "Let's keep it moving. Core chamber should be up ahead."
As they walked, Axel felt something — a strange hum beneath his skin. Mana pulsed stronger the deeper they went. He frowned. "Hey, boss, doesn't it feel… off?"
Markus shrugged. "Just dungeon energy. Don't overthink it."
But Axel wasn't convinced. The mana was too thick, almost suffocating. Even the walls seemed to pulse like they were alive.
And then, halfway through the corridor, his vision flickered — just for a second. A flash of red, then blue.
[Warning: Irregular Mana Signature Detected.]
He stopped dead. "What the hell was that?"
"What's wrong, rookie?" Markus asked.
"Didn't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Before Axel could respond, the dungeon trembled.
The floor split open. Blue flames erupted, swallowing the path behind them.
The healer screamed. "The exit— it's gone!"
Markus turned pale. "What…? That's impossible!"
The dungeon roared.
[Dungeon Core Distortion Detected.]
[Warning: Dungeon Rank — Unknown.]
Axel's heart pounded. "Unknown? What does that mean?"
Markus gritted his teeth. "It means run"