[Illustration: A crimson sky split open above a ruined metropolis, gates glowing like cracks in reality as monsters crawl through.]
The dawn of the new millennium was supposed to mark a celebration of progress, unity, and human triumph.
Instead, it marked the beginning of the end.
On January 1st, 2000, humanity heard a sound that did not belong to this world.
A deep, resonant chime—like the heartbeat of the planet itself—echoed across every corner of Earth.
Then the skies split open.
Thousands of crimson rifts appeared in the air, stretching from horizon to horizon. People called them miracles, omens, signs of divine judgment. But the truth was far worse. From those tears in the fabric of reality, creatures emerged—beasts of shadow and bone, wings of flame, scales that shimmered with malice.
In the first seventy-two hours, one-fourth of humanity was gone. Entire nations fell, cities were reduced to cinders, and the screams of billions filled the air. The old weapons of man—bullets, missiles, nukes—barely scratched the monsters' hides.
Hope died on the third day.
Then… something changed.
From the ashes, humanity awakened. Ordinary people began to manifest mana—a mysterious energy that surged through their bodies, allowing them to fight back. The first Hunters were born.
It took fifteen years, millions of deaths, and countless sacrifices, but mankind adapted. They formed guilds, reclaimed cities, and established Hunter Associations in every nation. The new world was no longer governed by governments or armies—it was ruled by power.
By 2045, Earth had transformed. Cities were rebuilt with mana-infused technology—crystal cores powering transport, medicine, even artificial weather. The once-terrifying monsters were now contained in Gates and Dungeons, managed and cleared by Hunters.
Peace returned—or at least, the illusion of it.
But peace never lasts. In the shadows of the new world, a secret organization grew—a hand that sought to control everything.
They called themselves The Shadow Hand.
And among the countless hunters who rose and fell in this new era, one man's story would soon shake the very foundation of humanity again.