The dawn had just broken over Nexus City, yet the main streets were already teeming with activity. Amid the bustling crowd, a young man in his early twenties, with disheveled black hair and simple, dust-covered clothing, was busy lifting heavy crates onto a wooden cart. He was Leo Arvendale, a porter—an unskilled laborer who earned a living transporting goods for the Explorers heading to the Abyss.
Sweating and panting, Leo pushed the cart over the cobblestone road. There was no aura of power or magical presence surrounding him. He was merely an ordinary human in a city filled with extraordinary individuals. In Nexus City, someone like Leo was an anomaly—powerless, unremarkable, and often deemed insignificant.
"Hurry up, porter! I don't have all day to wait!"
The shout came from a tall man clad in gleaming black armor. The man, a Knight, looked down at Leo with contempt. A massive sword hung across his back, and every movement he made radiated confidence.
"Apologies, sir. This load is heavier than I expected," Leo replied, trying to catch his breath.
"Excuses. That's all you're good for," the man sneered. "I don't understand why someone like you is even allowed in Nexus City. You're just wasting air here."
Leo lowered his head, biting back a retort. In his mind, such insults were nothing new. As a porter without Awakening, he was often the target of scorn from the Explorers. To them, he was no more than an ant, existing solely to serve their needs.
"Why don't you just go back to your village?" the man continued with a mocking tone. "There's no place for someone like you in this city. Nexus City is for the strong, not the weak."
The words cut through Leo like a blade, but he gripped the cart handle tighter. For him, giving up was not an option.
---
After delivering the goods, Leo made his way to a quieter corner of the city. There, he sat on a pile of old sacks, gazing up at the sky. The sun was rising, casting golden rays over Nexus City's towering buildings. The city was breathtakingly beautiful, yet mercilessly harsh.
Leo took a deep breath, letting the cool morning air fill his lungs. Within him, a growing frustration simmered. Life as a porter in Nexus City was an unending struggle. Every day, he faced insults, relentless labor, and the painful reality of his powerlessness.
"Why am I not like them?" he muttered softly, his eyes fixed on the distance. "Why didn't I receive an Awakening?"
Awakening was a blessing granted to only a small fraction of humanity. With it came extraordinary powers that allowed individuals to face the dangers of the Abyss. But not everyone was blessed. Leo was among those who had never experienced an Awakening, despite being born in the same generation as the emergence of the Abyss.
Still, despite the hardships, Leo had never truly given up. Deep in his heart, he harbored a dream—simple yet profound: to become a true Explorer. He wanted to stand alongside the powerful, venture into the Abyss, and prove that he was no less capable than those gifted with Awakening.
---
That dream was his fuel to keep going.
He often imagined himself standing at the entrance of the Abyss, weapon in hand, battling monstrous creatures, and returning triumphant. But every time the dream appeared, reality struck him like a heavy stone.
"You're just a porter," he told himself bitterly. "What can you do without Awakening?"
Yet, no matter how much doubt crept in, Leo could never entirely abandon his dream. With every insult he endured, there was a small spark inside him that refused to be extinguished.
That day, as he returned to his usual workplace at a warehouse where other porters gathered, his friend Ralf clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"You look down again, Leo," said Ralf, a burly man with a warm smile. "What's wrong?"
Leo shook his head slightly. "Nothing. Just… wondering how much longer I'll live like this."
"You know the answer, Leo," Ralf replied with a soft chuckle. "We're porters. We don't get to choose."
That answer was meant to offer solace, but it only added to the weight in Leo's heart. He knew Ralf was right, yet he couldn't accept it.
"One day," Leo whispered to himself. "I'll step into the Abyss. I'll prove I'm more than just a porter."
But that day still felt far away. Until then, all he could do was endure, surviving one day at a time in a city that constantly reminded him of his limitations.
Dusk began to envelop Nexus City, but the hustle and bustle in the porter's warehouse showed no signs of slowing. Amid the laughter and light conversations of his fellow porters, Leo sat in a corner, cleaning his old, worn-out cart. Yet his thoughts were elsewhere—fixed on someone who often occupied his mind whenever he felt pressured.
His older brother, Nadex Arvendale.
Nadex was the perfect opposite of Leo. Muscular, with a commanding presence and an air of confidence that radiated charisma. As a Knight-class Awakening holder, Nadex had become one of the elite Explorers in Guild Lord—one of the largest and most respected guilds in Nexus City. As a key member of the guild, Nadex's name was a source of pride for their family.
But for Leo, Nadex's existence was a bitter reminder of the chasm between them.
"You can't keep living like this, Leo." Nadex's words still echoed in Leo's mind, from a conversation they had a few weeks ago. "Porters have no future. If you can't get an Awakening, find a safer life outside Nexus City. Don't waste your time here."
Leo remembered how he could only bow his head back then, too timid to argue with his brother. Deep down, he felt anger—not just at Nadex, but at himself. He knew Nadex was right. But leaving Nexus City meant abandoning his dream, something he couldn't accept.
Lost in his thoughts, a loud burst of laughter broke the mood. Leo turned to see Ralf, a large, stocky man with a cheerful demeanor, joking around with several other porters. Ralf was one of Leo's closest friends, a figure who brought a bit of light into an otherwise grueling life.
"Leo!" Ralf called out. "Are you just going to sit there all night? Come here! We're talking about something interesting."
Leo gave a faint smile and got up, joining his friends around a large wooden table cluttered with leftover food and bottles. Among them was Marie, a young woman with short hair who always seemed upbeat despite the hardships of a porter's life.
"Leo," Marie said, nudging him playfully. "You haven't forgotten, have you? Tomorrow, we've got a big job with Guild Vanguard. If we pull it off, we might get a bonus!"
"Yeah," Leo replied curtly. "Let's hope so."
Alongside Ralf and Marie was Toren, a quiet but exceptionally skilled logistician. Known as the brain of their small porter group, Toren always had a solution for every problem they faced.
Despite the struggles of their lives, Leo felt grateful for these friends. They were the only reason he didn't feel completely alone in Nexus City.
As the night wore on, Leo leaned back against the warehouse wall, gazing at the starry sky. His thoughts wandered back to the past—to the moment the Abyss first emerged.
He had been a child then, perhaps eight years old, living in a small village with his family. Life was simple, free of chaos or significant threats. That was until the day the sky changed. A massive light erupted from the Abyss Origin, and the world was never the same again.
Leo remembered the trembling ground, the deafening roar, and the panicked screams of the villagers. But more than that, he remembered the look on Nadex's face—a mixture of curiosity and strange excitement. That was the day his brother received his Awakening.
While Nadex quickly became the village's center of attention, Leo could only watch from the sidelines. Years passed, yet Leo showed no signs of Awakening. It was then that he began to feel left behind, as if the world was moving forward without him.
Still, amidst it all, something inside him kept burning. He wanted to prove that he was worthy too.
Leo knew well that he lacked the strength or talent Nadex possessed. But every insult he endured, every challenge he faced, only served to strengthen his resolve to keep moving forward.
That night, as Leo was dozing off in the corner of the warehouse, a commotion erupted outside. The sound of a door slamming was followed by heavy footsteps approaching.
"Where's that weak porter?" came a loud voice, dripping with mockery.
Leo jolted awake, instantly recognizing the voice. Darren, a member of Guild Venom—a small guild notorious for causing trouble in Nexus City. Darren was a hulking man armed with a massive axe, always eager to intimidate those he deemed weaker than himself.
Leo stood up, his eyes fixed on Darren, who barged into the warehouse with an arrogant stride, flanked by two of his cronies.
"Darren," Ralf said in a calm tone. "What are you doing here?"
Darren laughed. "I'm just here to have a little chat with our dear friend," he said, pointing at Leo. "I hear you've got a job with Guild Vanguard tomorrow. You know what that means, right? I want my cut of your pay."
Leo clenched his fists. "That's not happening. I worked hard for that job."
"Of course it's not happening," Darren mocked as he stepped closer. "You have no strength, no name. If you won't pay me, I'll make sure you never work in Nexus City again."
The threat thickened the tension in the room. Ralf and Marie shifted uneasily, while Toren stood behind Leo, ready for anything.
But Leo held his ground, staring Darren down with unwavering determination. "I won't give in to intimidation like this," he said in a low but firm voice.
Darren sneered, seeming to relish the challenge. "We'll see about that," he said before turning and leaving.
As Darren's figure disappeared into the distance, Leo let out a long sigh. He knew life in Nexus City was never easy, but tonight, it felt like his struggles were only just beginning.
---
Nexus City wasn't just built atop the Abyss; it thrived on the hierarchical Explorer Ranking system, which defined one's strength and status in the city. Amid the daily chaos, this ranking system dictated the lives of everyone who called Nexus City home.
The system consisted of six main ranks. At the pinnacle stood the Rank S Explorers—living legends. Their powers were so immense that few had ever witnessed them in battle. Their names were more often whispered in stories shared among porters and novice Explorers.
Beneath them were Rank A Explorers, elite warriors who led major operations and battled the most dangerous Abyss monsters. They were the backbone of the city's largest guilds.
The majority of Nexus City, however, was populated by Rank B to Rank D Explorers. Rank B represented seasoned field experts, often leading small teams. Rank C Explorers were competent fighters, capable of surviving the Abyss but far from mastery. Rank D marked the entry point for those newly Awakened.
At the very bottom of the hierarchy was Rank E, a rank often dismissed as insignificant. Rank E Explorers rarely fought. Instead, they served as porters, hauling gear, spare weapons, or loot like Abyss Stones—luminous gems found only after slaying Abyss monsters. Abyss Stones were highly valuable in Nexus City, used to craft magical weapons, fuel research, or as a powerful energy source. Their worth was enough to tempt many to risk their lives for them.
For most, becoming an Explorer was the only escape from the harsh realities of Nexus City. But it all depended on one critical factor: Awakening.
---
Leo walked slowly along the cobbled streets toward the porter's warehouse. As usual, his mind was a whirl of dreams and frustrations. He knew that without an Awakening, he had no chance of entering the Abyss. In fact, Nexus City laws strictly prohibited anyone without an Awakening from venturing into the Abyss.
"Without an Awakening, you're nothing," the words of a Rank C Explorer who once belittled him echoed in his head.
He glanced at a Rank E porter passing by, clad in thick leather armor and hauling a large pack filled with mission supplies. Even those at the lowest rank had the right to enter the Abyss, if only to carry equipment or haul Abyss Stones back to the surface.
Leo clenched his fists. They're not much different from me. They're just luckier to have Awakened.
Life as an ordinary porter in Nexus City was grueling. Each day, Leo carried heavy loads, earning barely enough to scrape by. Meanwhile, even Rank E Explorers had the chance to amass great wealth by bringing Abyss Stones to the surface.
But the dangers they faced matched the rewards. Leo often heard stories of porters attacked by Abyss monsters, their bodies torn beyond recognition. Some vanished entirely, swallowed by the Abyss's darkness.
Yet none of that scared Leo. Instead, he envied those who had the chance to enter the Abyss.
"If only I had an Awakening…" he murmured.
When he arrived at the warehouse, the atmosphere was lively. Porters from various backgrounds were busy preparing supplies for tomorrow's missions. From across the room, Ralf waved at him.
"Leo! You're late again. Spent too much time daydreaming on the way?" he joked.
Leo gave a faint smile and joined his group. Alongside Ralf were Marie, always cheerful, and the quiet yet sharp-witted Toren.
"Tomorrow, Guild Vanguard is heading to the fourth floor," Ralf said excitedly. "If they succeed, their porters will be hauling loads of Abyss Stones."
"Too bad we're not part of it," Marie added with a sigh. "But at least we can help at the surface. Maybe we'll get some extra work."
Leo only nodded, his thoughts drifting once more. He knew that without an Awakening, he couldn't even join Abyss expeditions as a Rank E porter. It was an unspoken rule enforced by guilds and Nexus City's administration.
Toren, sitting in the corner, gave Leo a knowing look. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Leo. Being an Explorer isn't just about Awakening. There's more you can do out there."
Leo didn't reply. Deep inside, he knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he could step into the Abyss himself.