anwhile, on the outside...
The sky over cities, deserts, and forests worldwide was filled with ominous, swirling energy as hundreds—no, thousands—of S-Grade portals appeared.
The portals were massive, dark, and crackling with unknown energy, sending waves of fear rippling through the global population. News channels flashed urgent bulletins, social dia was awash with panic, and the streets were filled with people looking up at the sky in dread.
In New York City, a portal hovered over Central Park. Crowds of people gathered, their faces pale with fear. Even the mighty hunters were no exception as the portals grew wider each day.
"Is this the end?" a woman whispered, clutching her child’s hand tightly.
Across the world in Tokyo, a similar scene played out. People watched in horror as a portal opened above the skyline, its dark energy casting an eerie glow over the city. Sirens wailed, and all everyone could hear were the ergency broadcasts.
Captain Reynolds surveyed the chaos on the screens in front of him in the DRA command centre. Each screen showed a different part of the world, each with its own portal and its own terrified populace.
He slamd his fist on the table, frustrated with their helplessness in the face of global destruction.
"We don’t have enough hunters to handle this," he said, his voice tense with anger and worry. "Not even close. As things stand, we’ll be lucky to clear one or two dungeons. Forget about clearing them all."
"That seems to be the case... We’ve got a handful of S-rank hunters globally. Even if we mobilise every single one of them, it’s not enough," Lieutenant Hayes, standing beside him, nodded grimly.
"These portals are S-Grade. The monsters that co out of them will be stronger than anything we’ve ever faced and we don’t have any ans to stop them."
Reynolds turned to the maps and charts spread out before him, showing the distribution of hunters worldwide.
"We need thousands of capable hunters to clear these dungeons... FUCK!" Reynolds lost his cool montarily before returning to the situation at hand. "What about the newly awakened hunters?"
"The number of awakened humans is at an all-ti high, but they need training," Hayes sighed, shaking his head. "Without proper training, even an S-rank hunter is just cannon fodder. And we don’t have ti to train them."
"This is it then..."
***
In Washington, D.C., the president addressed the nation from the Oval Office, his face ashen with worry.
"My fellow Aricans and people of the world, we are facing an unprecedented crisis. S-Grade portals have appeared across the globe.
He continued, "Our best hunters are mobilising as I speak, but we must acknowledge the severity of the situation. We urge everyone to remain calm and follow the instructions of local authorities. Together, we will overco this challenge like we have hundreds of tis before!"
The president’s words were ant to ease everyone’s worry. However, despite the fake confidence in his voice, he failed to do anything. The citizens wanted a plan of action, not words of moral support.
Unfortunately, that was all anyone could offer at that mont.
Pri Minister Clarke held an ergency eting in London with top military and intelligence officials.
"We need to coordinate with other nations," she said, her voice steady despite the panic around her. "This isn’t just a national crisis; it’s a global one. We need a unified response to deal with this ss. What is the DRA saying?"
But none of them had any response.
***
Back in the DRA command centre, Reynolds and Hayes were joined by Maria and Vernian via video conference. As much as the groups disliked each other, people tended to forget about hostility and focus on survival in tis like this.
Despite their differences, there was no denying Maria’s resourcefulness and Vernian’s strength. If they joined hands with the DRA, they could surely figure out a plan to save at least so part of the world.
"I didn’t think you’d need my help this soon," Maria comnted with a wry smile.
Reynolds glared at her but didn’t engage her. Instead, he asked them what he wanted to know. "We need every capable fighter we can get. We’ll... need your ghost soldiers, en mass. If you could tell us what you need-"
"Human, living and breathing humans," Maria interrupted. "It would be even better if they are awakened, regardless of rank."
Reynolds clutched his fists because the following words he was about to say would certainly land him in hell. However, it was the decision of the DRA and the UN that he couldn’t go against. If they were to co out of it alive, they needed to side with the devil, and the god had abandoned them.
"The White Tiger clan... do you have any insights to share?"
Vernian shrugged, a smile hidden behind his mask. "These portals aren’t apearing randomly. Soone or sothing is orchestrating this. Sothing a few of the awakened might know about."
Reynolds waited for Verninan to explain. But he didn’t say a word, confusing Reynolds. However, quite a few people around them reacted like they knew everything about what Vernian had ntioned.
"You... might want to sit down for this," Hayes comnted, informing Reynolds about the entities.
***
A couple of days later...
In Paris, people watched in terror as creatures began erging from the portal above the Eiffel Tower. Giant, grotesque monsters with claws and massive teeth descended upon the city, causing chaos and destruction.
French hunters, both seasoned and newly awakened, rushed to defend their city alongside the sacrificial pawns who had been turned into ghost soldiers, but despite the fierce battle, Paris was erased from the globe within half an hour.
In Beijing, the Chinese governnt mobilised its military alongside its hunters. Tanks and soldiers lined the streets, ready to fight the monsters pouring out of the portal.
But even with their combined might, they struggled to contain the threat. They put up quite a fight, but in the end, half of China turned into a wasteland for the monsters to feed and run rampant on.
The world was in chaos. Smaller countries had to abandon their cities and, in so cases, their entire countries, as no one could help them.
Ergency shelters were set up around the globe, but even they did little to control the situation. Hospitals were overwheld, and resources were stretched thin causing even more chaos.
Amid the panic, a broadcast from the United Nations was aired globally. The Secretary-General, a woman with a calm yet determined deanour, addressed the world.
"We are facing an unprecedented threat, but we must stand together. Governnts, organisations, and individuals must unite. We have the strength and resilience to overco this. Together, we will find a way."
However, her words fell on deaf ears. Leaders like her were hiding in secured vaults, living their lives in luxury, while ordinary citizens were the ones who had to lose their lives or their loved ones in the fight.
The imposition of the Ghost Protocol was the final straw, driving the people to the brink of rebellion. Thousands were ripped from their families and transford into mindless soldiers. Yet, curiously, the children and relatives of the elite were always spared from these grim procedures.
As if monsters weren’t enough, now the governnts had to deploy forces to deal with the rebels.
As the days turned into nights filled with battles and desperate defences, humanity’s spirit was tested. In so places, the people ca together in small towns and big cities to support one another.
Volunteers helped evacuate civilians, dical professionals worked tirelessly, and hunters fought bravely. While in other places, hunters were being killed by the people they swore to protect.
***
In New York, a young, newly awakened hunter nad Emily found herself at the forefront of the battle. She had only discovered her powers a few weeks ago and had little training.
But she stood her ground against the monsters, driven by a fierce determination to protect her ho—only to get severely injured and turned into a mindless Ghost Soldier with augnted monster organs and cybernetic implants.
Emily beca the first of many in the second enhancent project on which the DRA scientists had worked alongside Maria. Many hunters faced the sa fate.
Even if they lost an arm, they were turned into Gen-2 Ghost Soldiers or test subjects to test the Gen-3 project. Within a month... the world had turned into a dystopian place where everyone was ready to stab each other in the back for the sake of surviving another day.
However, it was just the beginning.
The uncleared dungeons across the globe began to show peculiar behaviour, which imdiately garnered the DRA’s attention.
In the DRA command centre, Reynolds received a transmission from a scientist nad Dr Chen, who had been studying the portals.
"Captain, we’ve found sothing. There’s a pattern to the portals’ energy signatures," Chen inford. "It seems so of the dungeons are carrying sothing within themselves, sothing other than monsters."
Reynolds’s curiosity was piqued. After all, from their perspective, things couldn’t possibly get any worse. However, before Chen could explain further, the DRA witnessed the bizarre phenonon firsthand.
Massive towers suddenly erupted from the dungeons, which remained open, yet the monsters within had mysteriously vanished. It seed like the towers were attracting the monsters within itself, leaving the rest of the area fairly safe for the humans.
However, for Adrian and his group, only a few days had passed since they entered the dungeon. They had just slain the boss and were making their way back, when they were t by a host of hunters, weapons trained on them.
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