Fifteen years ago, massive cracks appeared in the sky, as if someone had torn open the very fabric of space. From within poured creatures never before seen—beasts, colossal and merciless.
Humanity was on the brink of annihilation… until the first gifted humans awakened powers.
They became known as Ability Users.
They could control the elements, split the wind, unleash lightning, bend the earth… and stand against the monsters.
From then on, society was split into two clear tiers:
Ability Users: respected, living in the safest zones, with access to advanced medical care and rare resources.
Ordinary people: stuck in mundane jobs, low income, almost no chance to change their fate.
---
In a cramped 15-square-meter apartment in Thanh Xuân District, Thọ carefully folded his new training uniform. Beside him was an old wooden desk, a half-empty bottle of cough medicine, and several unpaid hospital bills.
His mother was in the hospital with chronic lung disease. The medicine she needed could only be obtained from Ability-tier medical centers—places ordinary people weren't allowed to enter.
To save her, Thọ needed a scholarship from the National Ability Academy.
Not only would it grant free training, but also top-tier health insurance and access to medical facilities for Ability Users. For him, this was the one and only chance.
---
Arrival at the Academy
The National Ability Academy's training grounds were packed. Senior-year students gathered, clad in gleaming armor, weapons strapped to their sides.
Not everyone radiated a strong presence. Among the hundreds of uniforms were ordinary faces—hesitant eyes, awkward stances. These were the students who hadn't awakened any ability.
The natural awakening rate before the age of 18 was only around 7%. The rest, if they wanted to become Ability Users, had to go through training, experiments, and… luck.
Thọ was one of them. His protective gear was old, no emblem, no special weapon. A few glances passed over him, indifferent. Still, he wasn't alone—far off, a small cluster of other ordinary students huddled together.
A hand clapped firmly on his shoulder.
"Hey, focus up. Maybe today's your lucky day."
He turned to see Hùng—his friend since elementary school. Hùng was an E-rank Wind-type Ability User. Not strong, but fast and fearless.
"Yeah." Thọ replied simply. Hùng grinned and patted his shoulder harder.
---
The Blue Gate
Team 3 stepped into the teleportation zone. The spatial gate spun with a swirling blue light, winds pulling at their bodies, making many instinctively grip their weapons tighter.
One step through… and the scenery changed.
Dense forest stretched in every direction, fog hanging thick in the air. The damp scent of moss and earth filled their lungs, accompanied by distant, unsettling cries.
"Stay in formation, keep your spacing!" the instructor barked.
The group moved deeper into the mission zone.
A Lightning-type boy swung his arm, blue-violet sparks crackling as he dropped an E-class beast in a single strike. Beside him, an Earth-type girl raised a wall to block the monster's retreat, allowing a Fire-type teammate to land a finishing blow.
Thọ joined in when he could—slipping to the side to finish off a heavily injured beast with a basic short sword. Sweat dripped from his temples, heart racing—not from fear, but from the knowledge that he was only cleaning up after others' attacks.
"Not bad, you're still quick on your feet," Hùng called out after cutting down another beast.
Thọ only nodded, knowing full well his presence in this team was negligible.
---
The Incident
A low boom echoed, as though the air itself had torn apart.
In the sky, a swirling red-black fissure appeared—a new rift. It wasn't on the mission map.
Immediately, crushing pressure swept over them. The trees trembled violently, birds scattered in a frenzy, and the stench of blood thickened in the air.
"This isn't in the plan! Fall back to the rally point!" the instructor roared.
But before they could move far, a massive shadow burst from the rift, slamming into the ground with enough force to crack the earth. Trees splintered and collapsed, blocking the escape route. The fog thickened unnaturally, swallowing their vision.
The formation broke apart in the chaos. Shouts, the clash of weapons, and the sound of bones snapping echoed in the haze.
Thọ and Hùng were trapped with three others in a narrow pass.
The darkness ahead shifted.