Over sixty years ago, dimensional rifts abruptly tore open across the planet, linking Earth to an unknown world beyond comprehension.
These tears in space were later named "Gates" by scientists — unstable doorways leading to realms infested with terrifying entities known as Mana Beasts.
The emergence of the Gates marked the end of humanity's old era.
Cities fell overnight. Armies were annihilated.
Conventional weapons — bullets, missiles, even nuclear fire — proved useless against the hideous resilience of these otherworldly beings.
The balance of existence itself tilted, and humankind stood on the brink of extinction.
Then came the turning point.
Inside the bodies of slain Mana Beasts, researchers discovered a strange, luminous liquid — a mutagenic substance later called the Genetic Serum.
Through analysis, they learned it contained the genetic essence of the Mana Beasts themselves — a volatile fusion of organic code and condensed mana energy.
When introduced into the human body, this serum could rewrite DNA, merging human genes with those of the beasts.
But the miracle was never without a price.
Only a small fraction of people possessed compatible gene structures capable of enduring the transformation.
Those who succeeded transcended their humanity — their bodies reforged, their mana awakened.
They became known as Hybrids, half-human, half-beast beings capable of wielding extraordinary power.
Those who failed met a gruesome fate — the unstable mana within the serum devoured them from within, reducing their bodies to nothing but ash and twisted residue.
From the ashes of despair rose a new generation — Awakeners — the final shield of humankind.
Each Awakener possessed unique abilities drawn from the beast whose genes they had fused with. Their power, speed, and mana capacity elevated them beyond the limits of mortal men, giving rise to a new hierarchy of strength.
They were ranked from E-Rank, the weakest who could barely subdue minor beasts, up to the S-Rank, whose very presence could flatten cities and alter the tides of war.
These elites became living legends, names etched in history as symbols of defiance against extinction.
As Awakeners grew stronger, a Mana Core would gradually crystallize within their bodies — a radiant heart of energy that served as both fuel and foundation for their power.
The more they fought and survived, the more their cores refined, expanding their control over mana and evolving their abilities.
True ascension, however, came through the consumption of Essence Stones — crystalized remnants of fallen Mana Beasts.
Each Essence Stone contained concentrated mana and fragments of bestial genes.
By absorbing these stones, Awakeners could enhance their Mana Cores, evolve their bodies, and awaken new powers.
But the path was perilous — overabsorption or incompatibility could shatter one's Core, mutating them into horrific Mana Aberrations, neither beast nor human.
Thus, humanity adapted to a world ruled by chaos and mana.
Awakeners ventured into the Gates not for glory, but for survival — to hunt, to evolve, and to reclaim what was once theirs.
Within those twisted realms, life and death danced upon a knife's edge, and only the strong could walk back through the Gate alive.
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Skipping to the present day
A young man named Lu Shu stood beneath the morning sun, his footsteps echoing along the cracked pavement leading toward the Awakeners' Hall.
An orphan since childhood, he had known little but solitude and hardship — yet within his veins now flowed something new, something not entirely human.
"I sacrificed every coin I had for this," Lu Shu thought bitterly, clutching the faint mark glowing beneath his wrist. "Just let me be classified… at least as a D-Rank Awakener."
All the savings he'd scraped together over the years had gone into a single purchase — the Genetic Serum of the Lesser Dark Spirit.
He had injected it into himself weeks ago.
At first, the pain had been unbearable, as if his blood were molten metal coursing through fragile veins.
But slowly, agonizingly, his body began to change.
Deep within him, a faint Mana Core had taken shape — small, unstable, but undeniably alive.
By the time the transformation stabilized, Lu Shu was no longer merely human.
The shadows seemed to breathe with him; faint wisps of dark mist curled from his fingertips.
He had become something in between — a man fused with the spirit of darkness.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at the towering marble structure of the Awakeners' Hall. Its banners fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with the sigil of mankind's last hope.
Inside, the hall buzzed with voices — Awakeners of all ranks conversing, comparing scores, and awaiting their turn for assessment.
A receptionist noticed him first.
"How can I help you, sir?" she asked politely.
Lu Shu exhaled slowly, suppressing the unease in his chest.
"I'm here to register," he said quietly. "To register as an Awakener."