In the year 2026, Earth underwent a cataclysmic transformation. A celestial body known as the Blue Star collided and merged with the planet, causing Earth to expand. The event brought more than just geographical changes, it tore open the boundaries between worlds.
From this fusion came magic, dungeons, and non-human races like elves, goblins, and beings once thought only to exist in legends. Some humans mutated, gaining extraordinary powers. These individuals became known as Hunters,the few capable of diving into the endless dungeons that had begun sprouting across the planet.
Now, thirty years have passed since the Merge. Earth and the Blue Star have completely fused, creating a new magical ecosystem. The thousands of Trial Dungeons now serve as endless resource generators for humanity. Hunters, regardless of race. are the brave (or reckless) ones who enter them, risking their lives for riches, power, and progress.
But not everyone can become a Hunter. It begins with evaluation, a process that filters out the weak, the talentless, and the unworthy.
"Even silver-haired, golden-eyed freaks can pass," the teacher said with a smug smile, directing her words at a single student in the back of the classroom.
Kai Lesa.
He sat quietly, his silver hair and golden eyes unmistakable. An orphan with no known lineage. Most assumed he was a goblin, one of the weakest races. The assumption was based purely on appearance, not truth. Goblins were often mocked and bullied, especially by humans, who now made up 80% of Earth's population. Though the world was "at peace," discrimination still ran deep ,especially against the weaker races.
"Now everyone, it's time to begin the evaluation," the teacher announced, stepping on Kai's foot as she passed.
"For halflings like you, maybe you'll awaken your bloodline and turn even uglier," she sneered.
The human students laughed. The other races stayed quiet. They didn't care about bullying, they only cared about beating humans in the tests. After all, humans were now the second weakest race in the known magical hierarchy. Bullying goblins made them feel stronger.
Phase 1: Bloodline Registration
Each student began with registration, where small blood samples were taken. These samples would later reveal each student's true race, some for the first time. The results would be unveiled during the third and final phase of evaluation.
Phase 2: Attribute Testing
Next came attribute classification, a magical affinity test.
Students were split into three primary classes:
Class One: Combat Mages – Could use magic without tools, including healers, elementalists, and sword saints.
Class Two: Tool Mages – Needed magic-enhancing equipment or relics to cast spells.
Class Three: Non-Magic Users – Relied on physical skills, weapons, and cultivation.
Note: Cultivation was universal ,it applied to all three classes. Having high magic affinity didn't necessarily mean you were strong, but it did open doors.
Inside the glowing test room stood a massive mana crystal orb. Students were called up one by one to place their hands on the orb and activate their potential.
Some shouted dramatic spells. Some wept as their potential was declared "average." Then came Kai's turn.
He walked up silently, placed his hand on the orb and it glowed dark blue.
The instructor, a middle-aged woman in a lab coat, raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations," she said. "You have an affinity for World Mana."
Murmurs echoed. World Mana? That was an ancient classification rare, powerful, and untamed.
"Now, take this crystal and shout a random spell," she said, handing him a test core.
Kai hesitated. "Um… Flames Inferno?"
Before the instructor could stop him, a massive flame storm erupted. Heat blasted the room. Students screamed and ducked. The walls blackened. The instructors froze.
"I said cast a spell, not destroy the room!" she shouted, barely shielding herself.
"I-I'm sorry! I just copied what someone else yelled earlier!" Kai stammered.
The woman groaned. "Whatever. You're responsible for the damage. Leave your name, address, and student ID before you go."
Kai nodded and left the room as whispered rumors began to swirl around him.
Phase 3: Fitness Testing
The final and most feared phase.
Fitness Testing evaluated the body's raw potential ,something no magic tool or technique could fake. It was broken into five categories:
Instinct Reaction – Measuring threat detection and response time.
Strength – Measuring destructive force.
Speed – Measuring sprint and reflex velocity.
Agility – Testing movement control and balance.
Vitality – Measuring endurance, resistance to damage, and recovery rate.
The testing equipment was designed by the Hunter Evaluation Authority, known for precision. The systems could detect even minute differences between S-Class and A-Class candidates.
When Kai entered the room, the tension shifted. Students whispered. Instructors stood straighter. A "goblin" with World Mana affinity?
They expected a fluke.
Instinct Reaction was first. A floating orb launched light beams and energy darts, randomly. Students were supposed to dodge or block them after they fired.
Kai moved before they launched.
The orb glitched.
Next, Strength. A mana-forged tower stood before him. Most barely scratched it.
Kai punched.
The tower shattered.
Technicians screamed. It wasn't just broken it was annihilated.
Speed came next. A 100-meter enchanted track. Kai didn't run he blurred.
He reached the finish line before the system could track movement.
"Is that teleportation?" one engineer asked. "No… there's no mana trace. It's just… speed."
In Agility, Kai walked through collapsing platforms, laser fields, and magical traps like it was nothing. His body bent and moved like liquid flame.
Finally, Vitality.
Kai drank a diluted venom enough to cause hallucinations in most.
He didn't flinch. His heart rate stayed perfectly calm.
The screen blinked:
ERROR – Vitality: Immeasurable.
The silence was deafening. Then…
A door opened.
Two men in black suits entered. They wore badges labeled S.R.I.D. (Special Races Investigation Division.)
One held a scroll and looked at Kai.
"Are you Kai Lesa?"
Kai nodded.
"You are hereby placed under surveillance for being a member of an extinct race," the man declared.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The teacher's face paled. "That's… that's not possible. He's a goblin. We've always thought—"
The man interrupted, coldly. "A goblin? Goblins don't move faster than mana. Goblins don't break S-Class equipment. Goblins don't survive pure dungeon venom."
He looked Kai directly in the eyes.
"You're not a goblin, Kai. You're a dragon a race that hasn't existed outside dungeons in over 30 years."
Dungeons are mysterious magical spaces. They hold monsters, treasures, and sometimes remnants of long-extinct races. A few races like slimes, goblins, or skeletons can be tamed or summoned. But some, like dragons, have never left the dungeons.
Until now.