Ten years later, after the Gates appeared…
Governments around the world decided to name the strange phenomenon. They called it "Gates."
The world had transformed into something unrecognizable. The age of skyscrapers and cities gave way to fortresses of steel and mana detectors lining every block. Gates—dimensional rifts that birthed monsters and chaos—could appear anywhere at any time, turning even the safest cities into unpredictable battlegrounds.
Humanity, however, adapted.
An organization solely dedicated to fighting Gates and their monsters rose to power. Gates were classified into ranks based on the mana they radiated: E-rank for minor threats, all the way up to the nearly impossible SSS-rank, where only the strongest warriors dared to conquer.
Monsters lurking inside these rifts were dangerous, but Gates were more than just death traps—they were treasure troves of resources, artifacts, and wealth. And the people who dared to raid these Gates became known as Rankers.
Eighty percent of humanity awakened unique skills during the Gates' emergence, granting them extraordinary abilities. To awaken meant to ascend. Rankers became the idols of a new era—famous, rich, and admired. They tore through Gates, sold monster parts, and auctioned off relics to rebuild society.
But for the unlucky twenty percent—the ones who never awakened—their role was evident. Analysts, logistics workers, scouts, and technicians operated behind the scenes, invisible and thankless. Seo Jun Xin was one of them.
Seo Jun Xin stood at the edge of his office cubicle, a tablet in hand. The faint buzz of computers filled the air as dozens of analysts worked tirelessly under flickering fluorescent lights. Jun Xin adjusted his glasses and sighed quietly before sitting back down. His desk was a mess of reports, gate analysis logs, and energy fluctuation data. A sticky note, scribbled with barely legible handwriting, stared at him: "Deadline: 5 PM!"
Analysts like Jun Xin were the backbone of Gate operations. Their job was to study Gate activity, predict mana shifts, and provide Rankers with detailed reports to ensure successful raids. But while Rankers basked in fame and fortune, analysts like Jun Xin were invisible—their work was seen as little more than support.
Jun Xin's fingers flew across his keyboard as he pulled up the latest Gate report. He squinted at the energy data. Something didn't look right.
Unstable mana levels again? he thought.
He peeked around, wondering if anyone else noticed. Most of the analysts were glued to their monitors, typing away in a mechanical trance. Jun Xin frowned, leaning in closer to his screen. The mana fluctuation pattern for Gate #2013 didn't match the usual low-rank signature. It spiked suddenly—as though the Gate was hiding something deeper.
"What's wrong with you now?" a voice broke his focus.
Jun Xin looked up to see one of his supervisors, Mr. Park, staring down at him with narrowed eyes. Park was a stout man with a perpetually annoyed expression.
"Nothing, sir," Jun Xin said quickly.
Park folded his arms, his tone sharp. "If you have time to daydream, you have time to double-check the energy reports for tomorrow's raid. Rankers can't afford your mistakes."
Jun Xin bit back a retort. Mistakes? He was one of the few analysts who took this job seriously, who spotted problems before they became disasters. But there was no point in arguing. He lowered his head. "Understood, sir."
Park grunted and moved on to berate another analyst, leaving Jun Xin in peace. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. The heavy, silent pressure of being undervalued was a burden he had long grown used to. But it didn't stop the slight hint of frustration from gnawing at him.
As the workday ended, the analysts began packing up. Jun Xin lingered, studying the Gate #2013 report again. The unstable mana pattern refused to leave his mind.
Am I overthinking this? he wondered. No. I know what I'm seeing. Something's wrong.
"Still working late?" a familiar voice interrupted.
Jun Xin looked up to see Min Su leaning against his desk, holding two cans of iced coffee. She placed one next to his keyboard with a soft smile.
"You're going to burn yourself out at this rate," she said.
Jun Xin offered a small smile. Min Su had been his closest friend since the Gates first appeared. They'd grown up in the chaos, and though her bright personality clashed with his quiet demeanor, they balanced each other out.
"Thanks," Jun Xin said, grabbing the coffee and popping the tab open. "Just double-checking something."
Min Su glanced at his screen. "Gate #2013? Isn't that scheduled for a low-rank raid tomorrow?"
"It's strange," Jun Xin muttered, pointing to the mana graph. "Look at this spike. Low-rank Gates don't behave like this. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's unstable… maybe even dangerous."
Min Su frowned, leaning in closer. "Did you tell anyone?"
"Park won't listen. You know how he is."
"You should report it anyway," Min Su said firmly. "If you're right, people could die."
Jun Xin hesitated. Her words struck a chord. If something really was wrong with the Gate and the Rankers walked in unprepared, it would be on him. But no one took analysts seriously.
"I'll think about it," Jun Xin replied, his voice uncertain.
Min Su sighed, pulling him up from his chair. "Well, don't overthink it for tonight. Let's go. You're buying me dinner."
The next morning, the raid on Gate #2013 proceeded as planned. Jun Xin sat in his office, staring anxiously at the live feed projected onto a large monitor at the front of the room. Several Rankers entered the Gate confidently, led by a well-known C-Rank team captain. The analysts were tasked with monitoring mana levels and providing intel in real time.
Jun Xin clenched his fists under his desk. The mana levels on his screen were rising steadily, far beyond what had been reported. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Sir!" he called out suddenly, standing up. "Something's wrong with the Gate's mana levels. Look!"
Mr. Park shot him an annoyed glare. "Sit down, Seo Jun Xin. The Rankers can handle it."
"No, you don't understand," Jun Xin pressed. "These readings are unstable. We need to pull them out—now!"
The room went silent as a sharp alarm blared from the monitor. On the live feed, the confident team of Rankers froze. The Gate's weak, misty entrance had suddenly shifted into a swirling vortex of black mana. Something huge moved in the shadows.
"What… what is that?" one of the analysts whispered.
Jun Xin's heart sank. He knew. It wasn't a low-rank Gate. It was something far worse.
Inside the Gate, chaos erupted. The Rankers shouted orders as a creature emerged from the darkness. Its monstrous form loomed high, its thick scales shimmering with an unnatural, obsidian sheen.
"Retreat! Everyone, fall back!" the team captain yelled.
But it was too late. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar, its claws tearing through the nearest Ranker in a single swipe. The screams echoed, amplified by the live feed, causing shivers to run through every analyst watching.
Mr. Park's face turned pale. "Why… why didn't anyone see this coming?"
Jun Xin shot him a cold glare. "I told you."
The Gate's mana levels spiked even further. The live feed crackled as interference disrupted the signal. Jun Xin stared helplessly as the Rankers were overwhelmed one by one. Their panicked voices cut off abruptly.
And then… nothing.
The screen went black.