Tom sprang to his feet and pulled his phone from his trouser pocket. His expression changed the moment he read the message displayed on the screen—an official warning from the government. At the same time, Jack's phone vibrated. The same message appeared.
Without hesitation, Tom turned and called out to his workers.
"Pack everything up. We're heading back now. This is an emergency alert," Tom ordered, his voice firm.
The site descended into immediate chaos. The workers began gathering their tools and equipment.
Tom then looked at Jack.
"Jack, head home first. I'll contact you once things settle down."
"I can help pack—" Jack tried to offer.
"No need," Tom cut in quickly. "Just go home."
Jack hesitated. It weighed heavily on him to leave the site just like that, but he knew he had no choice. Without another word, he took his bicycle and left the construction site behind.
He pushed the bike along the road, his thoughts tangled as he replayed the warning message in his mind.
Suddenly—
A deafening roar of engines thundered from the sky.
Jack flinched and instinctively ducked.
A fighter jet streaked past directly overhead.
But it wasn't just one.
One after another, several fighter jets flew low across the sky, tearing through the air at terrifying speed. The sound of their engines echoed throughout the area, as if heralding something immense—and dangerous—unfolding.
Jack stopped walking.
Without looking right or left, he pushed his bicycle forward to cross the road.
"HONK!"
A sharp blast of a horn split the air.
Jack turned—but it was already too late.
A truck barreled toward him.
BOOM!
Jack's body was hurled into the air, slammed onto the roadside, then rolled several times before crashing into hard stone. The world spun. His vision blurred, then faded to black, swallowed by the warm blood flowing from his head.
"JACK NICHOLSON!"
"Yes… that's me."
Jack answered on instinct.
He opened his eyes and stood up.
The surroundings were empty. Pure white, with no walls, no clearly defined floor. Jack stared in confusion, his hands reaching up to touch his head, then his own body.
"Didn't I just die after getting hit…" he whispered, hardly believing it.
"Jack Nicholson!"
"Yes, me!" Jack answered more loudly this time, scrambling to his feet.
"Hurry over here!"
Jack ran toward the voice. His breathing grew heavy, his protruding belly rising and falling with every step.
A massive table appeared before him. Behind it sat a tall, imposing man, yet his attire made no sense at all—garish, clown-like clothes, his face thickly painted with a stiff, artificial smile.
"I am the Administrator."
"What's that?" Jack asked, confused.
"You don't need to know," the man replied coldly.
He stood up. His body was so tall that Jack had to crane his neck to meet his gaze.
"Congratulations," the man said. "You have been chosen to become an Awakened."
Jack stood there, dumbfounded. The words carried no meaning for him at all.
"Didn't you hear me?" the man asked impatiently.
"I don't understand," Jack answered honestly. "What is that?"
The Administrator snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I truly don't understand how a fat human like you could be chosen."
Jack scratched his head, looking utterly bewildered.
"If that's the case… you can choose someone else," he said innocently.
"What?!" the man's voice rose, echoing through the white expanse.
Jack lowered his head in fear. He was not a brave man by nature. His body trembled faintly, yet strangely, not a single drop of sweat formed.
"Once you've been chosen, I can't choose someone else," the Administrator said in a cold voice. "Do you understand?"
Jack nodded repeatedly.
"Come. Follow me."
Jack obeyed at once, his head slightly bowed as he followed behind the Administrator. They walked through the white space until the Administrator finally stopped.
"Take a look."
Jack slowly lifted his gaze.
Before him stretched a gigantic screen. Within it played a scene like a war film—humans locked in battle against horrifying creatures. Blood, fire, collapsing ruins… everything looked far too real. Jack's eyes widened, fixed on the display without blinking.
"These movie special effects are amazing," Jack said in awe. "They look real."
The Administrator shook his head, looking Jack up and down.
"That's not special effects," he said sharply. "That is actually happening in your world, moron."
Jack flinched. "My world doesn't have monsters."
"Oh, my face!" The Administrator rubbed his face repeatedly, clearly losing his patience.
"I don't want to waste words on you. Right now, you must choose a job before I kick you out."
"Job?" Jack frowned.
"Yes. A job. Just pick whatever you want. I'll grant it."
Jack fell silent for a moment, his eyes shifting between the Administrator and the giant screen.
"If I choose to be a king… is that possible?"
The atmosphere suddenly went still.
Jack and the Administrator locked eyes. No one moved. The white space seemed to freeze along with Jack's heartbeat, which was now pounding faster and faster.
"I was just asking," Jack said quietly.
"HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA!"
The Administrator suddenly burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. The sound echoed endlessly, forcing Jack to clamp his hands over his ears.
"You want to be a king?" the Administrator cut in between fits of laughter. "Your world is on the brink of destruction, and you choose to be a king! Hahaha!"
"I was just asking. If it's not possible, that's fine," Jack replied honestly, his voice nearly drowned out.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
The Administrator's expression turned serious. Without a word, he raised his index finger and rotated it through the air. The giant screen shifted.
Now it displayed a horrifying image—a skull wearing a black crown.
"If you want to be a king," the Administrator said coldly, "you must choose this."
"So… a skeleton king?" Jack frowned. "I'm not interested."
"Not a skeleton king, idiot," he snapped.
"You will gain the power to raise the dead—even if all that remains of their bodies are bones. They will all submit to you, like to a true king."
The Administrator took a step forward.
"Now answer. Yes or no."
"And if I say no?" Jack asked cautiously.
"I'll turn you into Cerberus's food."
Jack's brow furrowed. "What's that?"
"YES. OR. NO."
Jack swallowed.
"Yes… yes."
"A perfect answer, Jack Nicholson," the Administrator said, his thin smile impossible to read.
"And now, you will be placed into a world."
He stepped aside, his voice echoing through the white space.
"Raise as many dead beings there as you can. Just one piece of advice from me—if possible, don't die."
"What world?" Jack protested immediately. "Just send me back to Earth."
The Administrator slowly shook his head, his index finger swaying left and right.
"Once your level reaches fifty, I'll return you to your original world."
Jack fell silent, then asked in a hesitant voice.
"So… I just need to raise dead monsters, right?"
"No."
Once again, the Administrator twirled his index finger. The giant screen before them shifted.
Now it showed a ruined world—dark crimson skies, cracked earth, collapsed cities littered with bones, and horrific creatures roaming without mercy.
"This is the world you will inhabit."
"What?!" Jack screamed in panic. "I don't want to! I don't want to!"
But the Administrator merely smiled, a smile far too calm for someone who had just passed a sentence of life and death.
"Goodbye, Jack Nicholson," he said with a wave.
"Let's hope we never meet again. Bye… bye."
"Wait! Wait!" Jack shouted, reaching out.
Black light enveloped his body.
And in the blink of an eye—
Jack vanished from the white space, cast into a world where death was not an ending…
but the beginning of his dominion.
***
Three years had passed.
The world was no longer safe as it once was. If before, wars were confined to a few countries, conflicts between humans, now everything had changed. Humanity faced a threat far more terrifying.
Monsters.
Strange creatures emerged from mysterious portals that opened across the globe, bringing destruction without warning. Cities collapsed, lives were lost, and fear became a constant companion.
Once, humans prided themselves on their weapons. Whoever had the most fighter jets, the mightiest warships, the strongest tanks, even nuclear weapons capable of annihilating the world, held the power. But now, none of that mattered.
Modern weaponry proved useless against portal monsters.
Humanity's hope now rested on a select few, superhuman individuals known as Hunters. These were people who had gained extraordinary power through the Awakening process.
Hunters could fight monsters directly, wielding abilities beyond ordinary human comprehension. Over time, they began forming their own factions, uniting for their own interests.
These factions no longer answered entirely to governments. They moved according to their own will and principles, building power, influence, and territory.
They were known as—
Guilds.
Meanwhile, governments worldwide had taken drastic measures. They established National Hunter Departments, official bodies to oversee and regulate Hunters in each country.
Every Hunter was required to undergo evaluation tests to determine their Rank before being issued a Hunter license. This system existed not merely for recognition, but as a measure of safety control.
The National Hunter Departments were responsible for controlling a Hunter's entry into portals according to their ability. Choosing the wrong portal level often ended in death—and governments could no longer allow lives to be lost without oversight.
After three years, the United States now had five of the largest guilds, each led by Rank S Hunters—the highest rank officially recognized. They were not only the country's main shield but also symbols of human strength against the monster threat.
Yet, the United States was not the only nation to have Rank S Hunters.
Across the world, other countries had also produced Hunters of the same caliber—extraordinary individuals standing at the pinnacle of human power.
The balance of global power had shifted.
And in a world now dominated by Hunters and monsters, one burning question lingered:
Who would truly become the king of this new world?