Episode 1
On July 13, 2045, the world changed.
The singularity began in the heart of Seoul.
The Gate Phenomenon.
Unknown portals formed in the air.
At first, everyone panicked, not knowing what they were, but after several days passed without incident, they didn't think much of it.
However, after a week, the situation took a drastic turn.
The first Gate Break incident.
From a Gate that had been open for a week, bizarre, unknown lifeforms emerged.
Clack, clack.
Skeletons that made a distinct sound each time their bones ground together.
Goblins with emaciated bodies but potbellies protruding grotesquely.
The monsters that appeared in the city attacked citizens indiscriminately.
The world became a living hell.
The government mobilized the military, but Gates appeared everywhere as if committing acts of terror, making it impossible to defend every region.
"Commander, monsters have appeared in Gangwon-do this time. You are ordered to deploy within the hour."
"What, when are we supposed to get there! There are monsters appearing in Ulsan right now too—!!"
"Damn it! The Gates won't even close!! And monsters keep pouring out every week...."
"How do we close the Gates?"
"Why can't we enter the Gates?!"
The Gates did not disappear and continued to multiply, vomiting out monsters on a weekly cycle.
Because of this, humanity's losses accumulated.
They tried to enter to investigate the cause from within, but entering a Gate was impossible.
In the midst of a situation spiraling toward the worst, another singularity appeared.
That was the Awakened.
With the emergence of Gates, mana formed in the atmosphere. Influenced by this, humans who absorbed mana into their bodies were born.
It was the mana sensitivity phenomenon.
However, the bodies of the Awakened had not changed dramatically.
Their strength had only increased slightly.
Instead, they became able to enter the Gates.
And when they destroyed the core inside a Gate, it closed for the first time.
People let out cheers.
It was the moment that proved the Awakened were the only beings capable of closing Gates.
However, compared to the number of Gates, the Awakened were far too few, and watching them sacrificed without end, the number of volunteers willing to enter Gates continued to dwindle.
To resolve this, the government aired public service announcements on television frequently.
"The Awakened must be conscripted as National Hunters for three years by the Hunter Bureau, an agency under the Ministry of National Defense, to close the Gates."
"Increased pay for National Hunters. Starting monthly salary of 10 million won—!!"
And mixed in with this was a terrifying line.
"If an Awakened refuses conscription, armed military troops will be deployed."
Since the Awakened had only slightly greater strength than ordinary civilians, they stood no chance against firearms. Therefore, the state's conscription was absolute.
"Take the lead in defending the nation!"
"It's a chance to earn money and protect your homeland."
A tiger character in the PSA gave a thumbs-up and shouted.
Its face looked just like the military mascot Gud X.
Watching this, Nam Gyuil snorted.
"Get scammed. Get scammed."
Click—
Nam Gyuil turned off the television with the remote and clicked his tongue.
National Hunters actually earned a lot of money.
Hazard pay was a given.
There were welfare allowances, overtime pay, and workplace allowances.
With the recent revision of the law, family allowances and weekend allowances had increased as well.
Being a National Hunter was a good job for earning money.
But if it was such a great job, why had a three-year mandatory service requirement been created?
People hated becoming National Hunters.
If an Awakened appeared in a household, the entire family would often wail in grief.
Because...
'The probability of leaving the Hunter Bureau in one piece is less than 37%.'
Politicians and entrepreneurs would bribe examiners or falsify test results to prevent their Awakened children from being conscripted.
'Just like the rich young masters who didn't have to join the army in the old days.'
While the strength of the monsters was a factor in how things had gotten to this point, the propagation of Gates also played a part.
If enough Hunters entered a single Gate to be safe, ten new Gates would form in the time it took to close just one.
They were appearing faster than they could be closed.
When that happened, even more monsters poured out of the Gates, and no matter how strong the military was, they eventually hit a limit.
Thus, they had no choice but to commit only a small number of Hunters to each Gate.
That was one of the reasons things had ended up like this.
The one small mercy was that now, ten years later, those who had safely completed their discharge from the Hunter Bureau had gathered to establish guilds.
There was only one reason they created guilds.
'Because you can earn big money by entering Gates. Some special monster corpses are worth hundreds of millions.'
Still, the number of guild-affiliated Hunters was small.
No matter how good the money was, there weren't many people willing to re-enter hellish Gates.
Nam Gyuil got up from the sofa and stared blankly at the calendar.
"Ha, damn it."
Nam Gyuil had also been classified as an Awakened and was in the middle of his mandatory service at the Hunter Bureau.
He circled the 25th with a red ballpoint pen.
'Four months left until discharge.'
Not much remained.
For two years and eight months, he had endured countless life-or-death crises.
If he could endure just four more months, he would be free.
"Once I'm discharged, this damned bullshit ends."
When that time came, he would be able to stretch out his legs and sleep comfortably.
Well, still, Nam Gyuil was on the luckier side.
A probability of less than 37% of leaving in one piece meant there were enormous numbers of dead and wounded.
There were countless National Hunters who had lost limbs and been crippled.
Nam Gyuil's body was intact.
'Heaven has truly helped me.'
Just as only the Awakened could enter Gates, the same was true for metal.
Unless it was metal imbued with mana, it could not be taken inside a Gate.
Not just firearms, but weapons like cannons and grenades were impossible to bring in.
Scientific weapons created by humanity did not work inside Gates.
Nam Gyuil went into his room.
A crude dagger and shield were placed on the desk.
'This is why I have to use weapons the monsters used. Because these can be taken inside Gates.'
Of course, the condition of the weapons was poor.
If there were metalworking techniques related to mana, the situation would improve, but modern technology made it impossible.
'There was once an argument for melting down weapons the monsters used to make guns.'
But even that had failed.
Weapons made that way couldn't be taken through Gates.
In the end, the Awakened had to fight with only daggers and shields, and since the same was true for monsters, bloody hand-to-hand combat broke out every time.
That was why the probability of leaving in one piece was less than 37%.
"Agh!! I've got too many useless thoughts today. I need to get to work quickly."
He grabbed his crude shield and dagger and went outside.
When he opened the door, the hallway came into view.
The lodging he stayed in was a communal residence for National Hunters.
The Hunter Bureau was right in front.
He took the elevator down and went to work.
He checked in using a smartphone QR code for identity verification and went inside.
Just as he was about to enter his own department, Team 01.
'What?'
A woman burst out of Team 02's office, sobbing.
He had seen this scene dozens of times.
'Damn it, looks like another fatality in Team 02.'
Perhaps due to the grievous atmosphere sweeping through the office, a bitter taste lingered in Nam Gyuil's mouth.
He entered the office with a stiff expression and sat down.
He placed his weapons on the desk, let out a sigh, and leaned back against the chair.
'Four months. Just four more months and I'm discharged. I have to endure until then.'
It was then.
The siren mounted on the wall blared.
Beep, beep, beep.
A deployment signal.
Nam Gyuil hurriedly got up from his seat and headed for the vehicles.
In front of the vehicles was a Hunter Bureau major.
"We've received a report that a Gate has appeared in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Everyone stay sharp and exterminate the monsters. Understood?!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Hunters answered with military discipline and boarded the military bus with orderly movements.
Nam Gyuil, having boarded the vehicle, assessed those who had climbed on with him.
He saw juniors who had luckily survived until now, and new recruits who had been freshly conscripted this time.
They were all people who had been dragged here after receiving the Awakening examination forcibly administered to the entire nation.
Today, too, some among them would become cold corpses.
Just like his colleagues who were already dead.
There wasn't a single senior looking after the frightened newbies. Only a cold wind that felt as if a hole had been pierced through his chest could be felt.
Nam Gyuil clenched his fist tight.
'Let's get through today safely too.'
Vroom.
The military bus's engine started.
Nam Gyuil headed toward the location where the Gate had appeared.
***
Swish.
The sound of round wheels rolling spread uneasily through the surroundings.
There was a patient being moved while lying on a hospital gurney.
It was Nam Gyuil.
While fighting a Lizardman in a Gate, he had suffered fatal injuries trying to save his junior, Kim Dongseon, who had been in a crisis.
"Emergency patient."
"Move aside!!"
The doctors hurriedly transported him to the operating room.
Nam Gyuil looked at the white ceiling with half-closed eyes.
His vision was hazy.
The light from the incandescent bulb pouring down from the ceiling seemed to spread outward.
Only one thought came to mind.
'Ah, I just had to endure four more months.'
Nam Gyuil, having entered the operating room, soon lost consciousness.
A resident urgently shouted to the doctor.
"It's serious. The patient's pulse is dropping."
"Damn it—!!"
The situation was gradually growing critical.
***
Nam Gyuil, having fallen into a dying state, saw a strange vision.
No, he had arrived in a strange world.
It was a space with long rows of bookshelves, filled with enormous quantities of books.
"What, where is this?"
Nam Gyuil carefully assessed his surroundings.
He had clearly been injured by the Lizardman and was being moved to the operating room.
'Am I dreaming?!'
Or had he ultimately failed to endure the four months and died?
But his sense of touch and his pulse felt far too vivid for that.
This was not a dream.
In that moment, as countless doubts flashed through his mind, someone spoke to him from behind.
"Hello."
Hearing the greeting, Nam Gyuil hurriedly turned around.
And he felt the hair on his body stand on end.
"An, angel?!"
He saw a person with pure white wings attached to them, sublime and holy.
Nam Gyuil swallowed with dry lips.
"Am I... dead?"
"No."
The angel shook their head and gestured to the vast collection of books.
"You have not died. You have come to the Akashic Records."
"Ah, Akashic Records?! What is that?"
"It is the place that records the beginning and present of all dimensions."
"All dimensions...?"
Nam Gyuil was overcome with relief that he hadn't died, along with confusion.
It was strange enough that an angel was in front of him, but now he was being told this place recorded the beginning and present of all dimensions.
He posed a question to the angel.
"Why am I here? Who brought me here?"
"The Librarian of the Akashic Records has invited you to this place."
"Why? Why me?"
At Nam Gyuil's question, the angel smiled warmly.
"The Librarian is one who has mastered the knowledge of all dimensions. He has reached a state where he can read fate and see into the future."
"So?"
"The Librarian said that fate is paradoxical, and that opportunity comes with crisis."
"What?"
"The fate to turn crisis into opportunity. Among those who possess it, you, Nam Gyuil, were said to shine the brightest."
"The brightest light?"
"Yes. That is the reason you were invited."
Nam Gyuil blinked his eyes.
He asked again why he had been invited, but the angel only repeated the same words.
Tired of the same answer, Nam Gyuil asked a different question.
"Then, what does the Librarian want?"
"Even I do not know that far. However, the Librarian said that you are a clever person, so you will figure it out soon."
The angel's answer was not satisfying.
Nam Gyuil wanted to hear a more definite reason.
Since the angel before him did not know, he had no choice but to ask the being who had summoned him here.
"Where is the Librarian?"
"He looks down upon everything from the apex of the Akashic Records."
Nam Gyuil looked toward where the stairs were.
If he went up to the top floor, he would be able to meet the Librarian.
As he tried to ascend the stairs, something transparent and hard blocked the entrance.
Thud-!!
"What is this now?!"
"You lack the strength to ascend to the second floor yet."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You must become stronger to a certain level before you can go up to the second floor. Only then can you acquire higher-dimensional knowledge."
"I just want to meet the Librarian."
"Then you must become stronger and climb to the top floor."
"Kgh—!!"
Nam Gyuil let out a groan.
He had arrived in a place he knew nothing about, yet he couldn't even meet the Librarian who had brought him here.
His hands trembled with confusion and rage, but there was nothing he could do.
He asked his final question.
"How long must I stay here?"
"You may come at any time. And you may leave at any time."
"What?"
"The Akashic Records is a dimensional library. It is a place that records the knowledge of all dimensions, not a prison."
"Then..."
"If you think, 'I want to leave,' you can leave this place. Conversely, if you think, 'I want to enter,' you can come."
A smile spread across Nam Gyuil's face.
"Really?!"
"Yes. However, since you have come to the Akashic Records, I hope you do not waste this miraculous situation. The Akashic Records also has rules."
"Rules?!"
The angel spread three fingers and began to explain.
"First, you can only use it for three hours a day. Second, time in the Akashic Records flows the same as time on Earth."
"What's the third?"
"While connected to the Akashic Records, your physical body is in a state of unconsciousness."
"..."
They were quite stringent rules.
Unconsciousness the moment he connected to the Akashic Records.
If something happened while he was unconscious, wouldn't that be a real problem?
Having finished the explanation, the angel placed their hands behind their back.
"Well then, I have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
With those words, the angel's body turned into mysterious particles of light and disappeared.
Nam Gyuil opened his eyes wide.
He was bewildered as to whether what had just happened before his eyes was real.
Left alone in the Akashic Records, Nam Gyuil felt as if he had been abandoned in the vast library.
"Haah."
A deep sigh burst from his lips.
Though he considered leaving, he grew curious about just what knowledge was recorded here, and why the angel had called this a miraculous situation.
Scratching his head, he pulled a book from the shelf.
'Monsters of the Arnia Empire'
'Damn it! Looking at this book keeps reminding me of Lizardmen.'
He had suffered fatal injuries trying to save Kim Dongseon from danger, been transported to the hospital, and ended up in the Akashic Records.
'Trying to save a colleague sure led to one hell of an experience.'
Flutter.
He opened the first page.
Nam Gyuil's eyes grew wide as he read the book.
Every page was packed with information on all kinds of monsters.
And in extreme detail, at that!!
He especially couldn't take his eyes off the last page.
The image of an evil dragon shattering a continent with a single breath. That horrifying sight was fully inserted as an illustration.
It was a calamity.
'I had imagined that powerful monsters would appear from Gates in the future, but a dragon?!'
If a dragon were to appear, could humanity even handle it?
'If a monster this strong shows up, it's over. Humanity's destruction would be instantaneous.'
His hands trembled slightly after reading the book to the end.
'No, no. Calm down.'
He took a deep breath and steadied his pounding heart.
Dragons were strong.
But there was no law saying they had to come out of Gates.
Nam Gyuil pulled out the next book and read it.
'Principles of Dimensional Connection'
Wondering what it was, he read it, but the contents inside were even more shocking.
'Th-this is!?'
Nam Gyuil rolled his pupils rapidly as he read through the content.
Though it was densely packed with all sorts of principles, summarized and condensed into three lines, it was this:
- Dimensional connection is identical to Gate occurrence.
- Each time a Gate appears, mana gradually accumulates in the atmosphere.
- Because of this, the frequency of Gate occurrences increases, and more powerful monsters appear.
'This is an enormous crisis.'
He wouldn't be able to stretch out his legs and sleep peacefully once his remaining four months of service were over.
Nam Gyuil bit his lower lip hard.
'If Gates keep appearing, a dragon will definitely show up. Stronger monsters are destined to appear as time passes!!'
To survive, humanity had to become stronger.
They had to be able to deal with even stronger bastards appearing than now.
Nam Gyuil clenched his fist.
'I have to survive.'
And there was only one means to achieve that.
'Dimensional knowledge!'
To survive on Earth, where research on mana was lacking, he had to learn the knowledge of other dimensions that had used mana for thousands of years.
Nam Gyuil began reading books in the Akashic Records.
There was truly a flood of astonishing information.
Elixir formulas, magic, body strengthening using mana.
Though it was only the first floor, the contents were on a level one dimension higher than the knowledge Earth had uncovered, and exclamations burst from him.
'Magic? Is that really possible? There are countless Awakened who tried to use magic with mana and failed!'
Moreover,
'These elixir formulas too. We just didn't know the manufacturing methods; the ingredients are things that can be obtained on Earth.'
Nam Gyuil swept back his bangs.
'Body strengthening using mana is on a whole different level too. Earth's mana combat methods don't even amount to baby steps!!'
He now knew plenty of ways to get stronger.
All that remained was training.
'Let's hurry back to reality and train.'
Thinking this, he desperately wished in his mind to leave the Akashic Records, and the eyelids of Nam Gyuil, who had been in a dying state in the real world, fluttered open.
His body, covered with life-support devices after the surgery.
While aches and pains throbbed throughout his body.
"Patient Nam Gyuil has regained consciousness. Doctor—!!"
The nurse's voice calling for the doctor rang out clearly.