'Ha...'

'It's cold...'

Beneath the deep blue ocean, I felt the sunlight slipping away, as the cold, dark water dragged me deeper into the abyss.

The water embraced me with its icy touch, but somehow, it felt warm. Breathing became difficult, but who cared? I was tired. I wanted to sink to the depths of the ocean, where no one could find me.

My vision blurred as I closed my eyes. My body grew heavier, and the coldness seeped in as my consciousness began to fade.

'Ah... Finally...'

'I can finally end this misery...'

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My eyes fluttered open, as I woke up from a long dream. Although I had already awakened, I still felt a strange sensation of being submerged in water.

As I partially opened my eyes, a blinding light greeted me, causing me in closing my eyes.

'Is it morning already?' I thought to myself, half awake.

My eyes were heavy, and my body felt reluctant to move. I drifted back to sleep, sinking deeper into the embrace of my bed.

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of my room, spilling softly across the floor before creeping up the edge of my bed.

It soon reached my face, and its warmth gently woke me from my slumber.

Slowly opening my eyes once more, I stared at the direction of the sun as it filtered through the window, feeling dazed.

I finally mustered the strength to pull myself up, stood, and walked over to the sliding glass door.

I gently pushed the half-opened curtain aside, letting the sunlight stream into the room.

Standing there, I gazed out at the city unfolding before me. The streets below were alive with a restless sea of movement and sound.

Cars wove through traffic like threads in a grand tapestry, while people hurried along the sidewalks, their voices merging into a continuous murmur.

"This place really had significantly change, It's hard to believe that this city is the same as it was twenty years ago when the disaster struck." I muttered to myself.

I might have been just three years old at the time, but I still vividly remember what happened.

Twenty years ago, a mysterious crack appeared on the surface, seemingly insignificant yet strangely unsettling.

Many experts studied the crack, but no one succeeded in discovering its origin or purpose. For days, it remained just a crack on the surface, causing no harm and posing no threat.

But on the seventh day, the crack began to widen, and people started to grow wary and fearful. As the crack expanded, the peace they had enjoyed for so long began to crumble.

Monsters poured out relentlessly from the crack, invading the earth and destroying everything in their path.

Panic-stricken, people fled in terror, trying to escape the onslaught.

Buildings and structures crumbled and exploded amidst the chaos, destroyed mercilessly. An earthquake shook the ground violently, while water surged and rose rapidly. At the same time, volcanoes erupted with fury, spewing ash and molten lava.

All these disasters striking simultaneously, engulfing, and ravaging everything in their path, tearing the world apart.

The earth was doomed, leaving nothing but destruction and chaos everywhere.

It was really a nightmare...

A great number of people perished. Their families, friends, and their loved ones died. Many lost hope, consumed by despair, and resigned themselves to awaiting their inevitable death.

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, a group of hunters emerged, possessing abilities far beyond human capability and able to combat the monsters.

Humanity began to fight back. The hunters, now facing the creatures they named “Graveloth,” fought and harvested their cores to create powerful, advanced techno-weapons to use against them.

Decades had passed since the world was turned upside down by the Graveloths.

Now, a new era had dawned, and hope was on the horizon. The once-devastated cities had been rebuilt with advanced, towering structures, and sustainable technology, almost as if the disaster had never happened.

The memories of the chaos were still fresh, and the world wasn’t completely safe.

Graveloths were still out there, lurking and causing trouble.

But the hunters were always on the lookout, ready to protect and fight back.

Life was gradually returning to normal, with people adjusting to their advanced, tech-filled lives, but they remained wary of the lingering threat.

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[GRAVELOTH] Monsters that invaded Earth 20 years ago.

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The morning light streamed into Ariselle's apartment as she stretched and pulled open all the curtains and windows. Fresh air filled the room, invigorating her senses. Afterward, she made her way to the kitchen and started cooking breakfast.

Once the meal was ready, she set it on the table, preparing to enjoy it. Just as she was about to sit down, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen—it was Mara, a friend from the Association where she worked.

“Hello,” Ariselle answered.

“Hey... Ariselle, where are you?” Mara’s voice carried a sense of urgency.

“At home.”

“What are you still doing there?! Didn't you check your hunter's watch?”

“No... Why? What happened?”

“For goodness sake, you didn’t see it?! A Graveloth appeared in the R3X Region, wreaking havoc! The situation is bad, so get here, now!”

Mara’s voice crackled through the phone and her frustration was obvious.

“It's my day off today. You guys can handle it,” Ariselle replied, unbothered.

“Day off? What?! We're short on helpers here! So all Medic Hunters are required to report immediately!”

“You might not be the best Medic Hunter, but we need every available hand, whether it's a day off, vacation, or even if they're shitting!” Mara added as she yelled, making Ariselle’s ear hurt.

“Alright, I'm coming... And please, mind your language, Mara.”

She ended the call, sighing as she rose swiftly, leaving her breakfast untouched. Changing into her gear, she grabbed her coat and medical kit, then rushed out the door, driven by the gravity of the situation.

When Ariselle arrived at the scene, the destruction was clear. Buildings were in ruins, and injured hunters lay scattered across the ground.

It's evident that the Graveloth they had encountered must have been a powerful one.

The other medics were already tending to the wounded, but there weren’t enough to help everyone. Without hesitation, Ariselle set up her equipment and joined them.

They prioritized those with severe injuries, moving them to safety along with hunters suffering from minor wounds for further treatment.

The battle raged on, with Pro Hunters teaming up to try and take down the Graveloth. The creature was like a humanoid lizard, its scales nearly impenetrable.

Although it was roughly the size of a human, its strength was immense.

‘No wonder the hunters were struggling.’ Ariselle though to herself.

For a moment, Ariselle stood, watching the fight in amazement. Her blood seemed to boil with excitement.

Medics were hunters too, but they were different. Their Vúilq abilities weren’t for combat; they were for healing.

She shook herself out of her trance and returned to the medical camp to continue treating the injured.

The battle had been going on for hours, and more and more hunters arrived at the camp with minor injuries. It was concerning cause almost nearly a hundred were already there.

The hunters fought hard to keep the Graveloth away from the medical camp.

Yet, debris and boulders continued to crash down around them, leading to more injuries among the medics.

“When will this battle end?” Ariselle muttered, exhausted.

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[GRAVELOTH] Monsters that invaded Earth 20 years ago.

[VÚIQL] Ability possessed by humans that awakened.

R3X Region: This zone is home to middle-class families and workers.