The portals didn't just appear—they tore through the fabric of reality itself. Oval gates, shimmering and unnatural, opened across the world. The first appeared in Korea, and through it, monsters of unimaginable size and power poured into the world.
The military was the first to respond. Tanks rolled out. Soldiers in armored vehicles aimed high-powered rifles at the creatures emerging from the portals. But none of it worked.
Tanks were crushed beneath massive claws. Bullets bounced off thick hides. Missiles exploded harmlessly. The armies of the world stood no chance.
Cities were devastated. People fled, desperate, but it seemed humanity was helpless in the face of these monsters. Then came the first awakened hunter.
Some individuals began to manifest powers far beyond human limits. Strength, speed, magic—skills that could rival the beasts. As the world descended into chaos, these hunters began to fight back. Some sought peace, while others turned to crime. Robberies, murders, and chaos spread as hunters abused their power.
The world was teetering on the edge of destruction.
But then a few of the strongest hunters stepped forward. The first S-Rank hunters. They formed the Global Hunter Alliance—a group dedicated to restoring order. These hunters fought back, closing the portals, protecting humanity. They were the ones who held the world together.
The world had no idea where the prison was. The Frost Bastion—the place designed to house the most dangerous hunters—was kept a secret. Only the First S-Ranks knew its location. It was a prison meant to hold the most volatile and powerful hunters, those who loved bloodshed or were a threat to the world.
It was in a desolate, frozen land where no one would dare search, and the Alliance kept its existence hidden to protect humanity. Each country in the Global Hunter Alliance contributed two S-Rank hunters to guard it, but many sent those who were uncontrollable, those who loved the thrill of battle. As a result, the prison became even more dangerous than intended.
The group split with practiced ease.
Cain and Ethan took the central path, heading deeper into the blood-red stone of the dungeon. To the left, Holt moved with Freya, Vic, and Kara—a solid group with power and speed. The right path saw Milo, Daren, Lune, and Jin moving with quiet urgency, their footsteps fading into the eerie silence of the golden village.
Ethan walked just behind Cain, trying not to drag his feet on the glimmering path. The structures around them gleamed like gold but pulsed faintly, almost like they were alive. Each house was carved with strange symbols, walls edged in that same red stone, like dried blood soaked into marble.
Too quiet. Too clean.
Too easy.
He glanced back once, then forward again.
They're too kind.
Freya's hand on his shoulder.
Vic's awkward warning.
The way Kara smiled at him before turning down the hallway like they'd known each other for years.
Why?
He knew people. Watched them. Read them. And the one thing he learned early in life was that kindness wasn't always kindness. Not really. It was a tool. A mask. A cover.
People are kind when they want something.
Or when they feel guilty.
Or when they know something you don't.
Ethan's gaze flicked to Cain's back—broad, calm, unreadable.
Or maybe they're kind when they've already decided you won't be walking out.
He clenched his jaw.
It made sense. Give the weak one comfort. Make them feel safe. Then when things go sideways, no one feels bad. "We were nice to him," they'll say. "He just wasn't ready."
A slow breath.
I don't need nice. I need truth. And none of them are giving it to me.
His fingers curled tighter around the hilt of his weapon.
If they were plotting something, he'd find out.
As they walked, Ethan's voice cut through the quiet. "Why are you all treating me like I'm... glass?"
Cain didn't stop. His steps echoed against the gold-red stone beneath them. "Because we had to fill a slot."
Ethan blinked. "What?"
Cain turned his head just slightly, enough for Ethan to catch the gleam of his steel-gray eyes. "To clear this dungeon, we needed ten. Our E-Rank guy's in the hospital. You were the warm body available."
"That's it?" Ethan asked, not surprised—just... sure now.
Cain gave a dry laugh. "What, you thought it was fate? Some heroic calling? This is business."
Ethan stepped faster, keeping pace. "You could've picked someone stronger. A D-rank. Even a C."
"Sure," Cain said, waving a hand like he was brushing away smoke. "But stronger means hungrier. Means more to split. E-Ranks don't ask questions. They take their five percent and stay alive—if they're lucky."
Cain glanced back. "Tell me, Cross. How many beasts have you killed?"
Ethan didn't answer.
"Exactly. Any magic stones collected?"
Still silence.
Cain smirked. "See, you're a burden. Which means your cut goes to us. All clean. All fair. You eat, you breathe, you survive under our wing—and we keep the profits flowing."
Ethan's gaze was level. "You done?"
Cain's smile vanished. "Just one more thing. If you breathe a word of this to anyone—if you even think about telling the Alliance or some wannabe do-gooder—you'll vanish in a dungeon and no one will ask why. You'll serve us 'til our guy gets better, and then you'll disappear. Understand?"
"I'm not scared of you," Ethan said calmly.
Cain stared at him. "You should be."
Then he turned and kept walking.
The path widened as they entered the heart of the strange village. Milo's group was already waiting near the edge of a large archway, weapons drawn but lowered.
Cain's tone shifted as they approached. "All good?"
Milo nodded. "Ran into a few red hounds. Fast. Aggressive. We handled it."
Behind him, a structure loomed.
It wasn't like the others. The castle shimmered with deeper gold, like molten metal still cooling. Red streaks ran down its walls like veins, pulsing with faint light. Jagged spires rose like teeth, and the entrance yawned like a mouth waiting to swallow.
Freya stepped out of the shadows. "We scouted the outside. No movement yet."
Cain took one long look at the castle, then exhaled through his nose. "Then we go in."
One by one, they crossed the threshold.
The real hunt had begun.