Three months ago—the day the Rift opened.
In Southeast Asia.
Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Rift—a spatial gate.
Dozens of cracks tore open the sky, opening like colossal eyes looking down upon the mortal world. From them, thousands of monstrous, grotesque creatures poured out like a flood, sowing terror and destruction throughout Hanoi. The savage roars and the thunderous footsteps of the Unknowns mingled with the shrill screams of humanity, echoing everywhere and creating a symphony of death.
The creatures from the Rift slaughtered without mercy. Their sharp claws tore through flesh, their fangs ripped apart motionless bodies. The streets turned into rivers of fresh blood, staining the high-rise buildings that were once symbols of prosperity. Thick smoke billowed from the ruins, and the sky was shrouded in a terrifying gray.
Vehicles were overturned, burning, abandoned in the middle of the road like forgotten toys. People ran in hopeless desperation, trying to escape the hideous shadows chasing them. But it seemed there was nowhere safe. Everywhere was chaos, desperate cries for help, and the thick stench of death—a terrifying scene, beyond all imagination of the apocalypse. Hanoi, a bustling city, had become a living hell in an instant.
Trần Đại Nghĩa, 19, and his younger sister, Trần Thị Ái Hoa, 16, were hiding in a shelter basement. Just moments before, their parents had rushed to tell the children to hide well before they left, never to return.
No home. No family. No future.
In a world rotting with fear, the two siblings were all that remained, walking hand in hand in despair…
The Age of Blood and Fists.
In makeshift shelters, where survivors huddled in abandoned basements, people learned to trade their humanity for another day of life. Robbery, deceit, murder for a share of food, murder for a bottle of clean water—jungle law reigned supreme.
Nghĩa, despite his slender frame, used blood and fists to hold onto every loaf of bread, every bottle of water for his sister. He didn't cry. He wasn't afraid. But every time he was startled in the middle of the night by strange footsteps, he would tighten his grip on the rusty iron bar under his pillow, standing in front of Hoa's sleeping spot, his back the only wall shielding his sister.
He wasn't skilled or special. But he had one thing—a willingness to sacrifice for his sister, regardless of life or death.
A Fateful Day.
In a crumbling old apartment complex on the outskirts of Hanoi—where they were staying the night—someone had left the door open. A Level 1 Unknown suddenly appeared. It had a human-like form, but was pitch-black like a shadow, with no face—just a mass of dark movement with two short claws that left deep marks on the walls with a terrifying screech every time it scraped past.
The first person to scream and run was instantly caught. With just one sweep, the victim's body was torn apart like blotting paper. Blood splattered on the old brick wall, imprinting the shape of the claws—a horrific sight that made anyone who witnessed it lose all will to fight.
Nghĩa trembled all over. He couldn't run—Ái Hoa was right behind him, her hand clutching his shirt, her eyes wide and full of tears.
"Brother…" Hoa whispered, her voice trembling.
No time to think. No way to run.
Nghĩa shoved Hoa hard behind him, screaming in desperation:
"Go, hide!"
Then, he lunged straight toward the Unknown, still screaming manically:
"I'm here! Look at me!!"
He had no weapon. No skill. Nghĩa only had a rusty iron bar and the instinct of a big brother trying to protect his sister. The monster lunged, a black shadow slicing through the air.
Nghĩa roared, his legs numb with fear, his hand gripping the bar so hard it bled. He squeezed his eyes shut, swinging the iron bar wildly like a madman, hoping to create just a sliver of hope.
"CLANG!"
The Unknown's claw swiped the bar away—knocking it from his hand, sending it clanging against the wall. Nghĩa was thrown back, his back hitting the wall with a sickening thud. His vision blurred, and blood from his head trickled into his eyes. He struggled to get up, looking toward the Unknown that was now advancing on his sister.
Nghĩa moaned, gasping for breath from his severe injuries:
"No… You can't… No…!"
The monster roared, pouncing on Hoa. In that moment of life and death, Nghĩa clenched his teeth, all fear completely gone. He threw himself at the monster, using all his strength to pull it back, holding it tight, struggling wildly while screaming non-stop:
"I'M HERE!! WHO DO YOU WANT TO KILL?"
Its sharp claw plunged into his shoulder—piercing his flesh, burning like a brand. The pain tore at his nerves, but just then—his hand touched a core as soft as mud in its chest.
Without a moment's hesitation. With pure survival instinct, Nghĩa ripped the Mana Core out.
The Beginning of the System.
"SWOOSH!" A flash of purple light erupted and then enveloped Nghĩa. In the void, a floating status window suddenly appeared:
[Survival System initiating…]
[Condition confirmed: Eliminated 1 Unknown – complete]
[You have unlocked Level 1. Starting skill: Adaptive Injury Resistance]
[Level 1 Starter Gift Box]
* Dagger [C]
* Bread x2
* Water x2
* Small Healing Potion x2
* Mana Potion x2
Special Notice – Displayed only to Nghĩa:
[You have been chosen as a Breakthrough Challenger.]
Devour: "Seize enemy attributes"
Absorb the Mana Core after eliminating an Unknown, restoring a portion of HP and MP, and seizing a portion of its stats.
Absorbed Level 1 Unknown: Restore 30 HP, 10 MP. Permanently increase Agility by +1.
A small purple light, like smoke, seeped into his chest, dissolving like mist. A portion of the monster's energy was absorbed by him, nourishing his exhausted body.
Nghĩa didn't have time to pay attention to the status window. He collapsed, his body aching and broken, blood still gushing from the wounds on his shoulder and head. His whole body trembled, his breathing ragged from exhaustion and pain—but something was healing from within. The pain slowly subsided, the bleeding gradually stopped, and a cool sensation spread through him. His strength returned little by little, like a miracle.
There was no time to rest or recover. A new danger was upon them.
From the ruined hallway, two Level 2 Unknowns suddenly appeared and lunged. They were the same species as the Unknown Nghĩa had just defeated, but faster and much stronger. Their claws were longer, sharper, and the energy cores in their chests flickered brightly like fiery embers.
Ái Hoa screamed hysterically:
"Brother! Behind you!"
No time. No strategy.
Nghĩa retreated, his hand moving like lightning to grab the novice dagger he had just received from the system gift box. He clenched the hilt, blood from his shoulder wound still soaking his shirt, and thrust it forward as the first monster attacked.
"CLANG!"
The Unknown parried with its claw, but he twisted his wrist, thrusting hard at its Core again—in just a quarter of a second.
A scream rang out, and the monster dropped to its knees.
Ting!
[Devour activated – restore 25 HP. +1 Defense.]
Nghĩa gasped, his hand shaking from exhaustion, with no time to switch to a defensive stance.
The second one lunged—faster, more aggressive. Nghĩa instinctively raised his elbow to block—the monster's claws embedding themselves in his left arm, fresh blood gushing out.
He cried out in pain but managed to roll to the right, get up, and kick straight at its glowing core.
"Crack!"
The kick wasn't strong enough to destroy the core, but it was enough to make it hesitate for a fleeting moment, staggering.
Just then, Ái Hoa—her face pale, her whole body trembling with fear—threw a brick she had picked up from the floor at the back of its head. The monster snarled, turning angrily toward Ái Hoa, completely exposing its core.
That was all the opening Nghĩa needed. He lunged, driving the dagger hard into the core, piercing it deep and lodging it firmly in the unknown's chest.
Ting!
[Devour activated – restore 25 HP. Increase Spirit by +1.]
Ting!
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 3.]
The three Unknown corpses dissolved—three streams of purple light merged into Nghĩa. He collapsed, drenched in sweat and blood, but his eyes were open, shining with hope and resilience.
"I'm alive… I protected her…" he whispered.
Ái Hoa rushed to him and hugged him. She didn't say a word, only held her brother tightly—the man who had just risked everything, just for her.
Status Update – Trần Đại Nghĩa
* Level: 3
* Title: Breakthrough Challenger
* Occupation: N/A
* Overall Rating: Rank D
* Growth Potential: Undetermined
Current Stats:
* Attack: 15
* Defense: 11
* Agility: 11
* Spirit: 12
* Mana: 10
* HP: 78 / 100
Skills:
* Adaptive Injury Resistance: Reduces physical damage over time as you take hits.
* Devour: Absorb mana cores from Unknowns to recover and permanently increase stats.
In the years that followed, Nghĩa trained relentlessly. Along with his sister Ái Hoa, he embarked on a path of hunting Unknowns, roaming across the ruins of Vietnam and the rest of the world. Each hunt was a lesson in survival, and each battle a forge for their will and skill. They faced countless dangers, from ruined cities to desolate forests, from mist-covered mountains to deadly islands.
On that arduous journey, they were not alone. The two siblings met new companions, people who also carried their own stories, goals, and secret pains. They fought together, shared every loaf of bread and every drop of water, and faced the brutality of the post-apocalyptic world together. Every time an Unknown was eliminated, the System would register it: a small percentage would quietly be added to a mysterious progress bar, marking their continuous growth…