Humans previously had no affinity for anything related to magic, or at least, that was what was known for the longest time. But things changed one day when the world rumbled, and cities fell.
Millions of people across the globe lost their lives to collapsing buildings and rising tsunamis. It was a disaster of unprecedented proportions. Nations sank into the oceans, new continents emerged, and humanity was almost pushed to the brink.
However, that was just the beginning. Following the planet's rumbling, giant monoliths erupted from below the ground, rising as high as high-rise buildings. From these monoliths, monsters appeared, wreaking havoc and mayhem wherever they went.
Fortunately for humanity, they were not left entirely helpless. With the emergence of the dungeons came a blessing from the heavens.
One day, a divine light descended from the sky, bathing the entire world in a glow that brought the much-needed power to fight off the monsters roaming the land. New resources emerged, and the old ones evolved into something better.
People were granted the chance to awaken, an opportunity to gain the strength needed to fight back. Physical enhancements were now possible, as people gained the ability to move at superhuman speeds and use superhuman strength.
Even so, it was not enough. The monsters were not easily put down, at least not with the right weapons. The issue was that people had no idea how to use the resources they were granted. It would take time, time they didn't have much of.
Fortunately for them, the divine blessing did more than give strength and speed to everyone capable of awakening. Along with the awakening of humanity, thirteen individuals were granted the most power of anyone.
These thirteen individuals were each gifted with a divine relic, an artefact of power that would further push them past their limits, granting them the power to stand for humanity and to be the heroes who protected the world.
The divine relics only obeyed the chosen ones. But there was a catch. The thirteen chosen ones would not retain their power for too long. The chosen heroes would lose their additional power after a generation had passed.
New individuals born during the time of the current heroes would rise to take up the mantle, continuing the divine responsibility of protecting humanity from the new dangers that had emerged.
Of course, this was not without its issues. A few of the chosen ones had their own agendas. Fortunately for humanity, not all heroes who rose were the same, and nothing stopped the heroes from fighting among themselves.
After several generations of trial and error, humanity was able to reunite, managing to bring the surviving members under one banner. Destroyed cities were rebuilt, and technologies were restored, ushering in a contemporary era marked by a few new inventions.
***
Kael Neren was a man of few words. He was a leader, a hunter and a clever mind. His life was no sunshine. However, in a world where things had changed since the arrival of dungeons and divinity, Kael managed to make something of his life.
Leading a small team of five, Kael took on dungeons and fought monsters, making a name for his team and himself. Although they would never compare to the thirteen heroes, it was something Kael took pride in.
Prior to forming his team of hunters, Kael worked as a private investigator and a bounty hunter. He was skilled at what he did and managed to establish connections that later helped him assemble his team.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans for Kael. For reasons still unclear to him, his teammates decided to abandon him during a particularly gruelling dungeon hunt, betraying him in the process.
Kael had given his all: his sweat, his blood, everything to provide his teammates with the weapons they needed for their hunts and a place to call home. Had it not been for a miracle of luck, Kael would have lost his life.
Managing to survive the stab in the back, albeit with several life-threatening wounds, Kael ended up in a comatose state for four months. When he came to, those who had betrayed him were no longer living in the same city.
They had left him for death and cared little about what followed.
Too broken and too traumatised to find out why, Kael resorted to drinking. Finding the answers down a liquor bottle brought him more relief than actually doing something about it.
Within a year, he had blown through his savings, left with nothing but the clothes on his back and a broken apartment somewhere in the slums. The only thing that kept him afloat was the occasional odd jobs he would pick to pay the bills.
It wasn't enough, but it was all he could manage. He couldn't go back into the dungeons, and he had no desire to return to being a private investigator. He couldn't trust anyone anymore, and all who had helped him before had abandoned him, unable to look at the man he was now.
In one of the many entertainment districts in Westmere City, Kael found himself in a lonely and dark corner of a bar, where a bottle of half-finished liquor stood on his single circular table.
Kael was half asleep, his left hand outstretched on the table. Wearing his go-to outfit of a shirt with a brown trench coat, Kael looked like a homeless man blowing through the little money he made from work.
Across from his seat was the bar, where a smart television displayed the latest news about the world of dungeons, monsters, and awakened beings—the usual.
"Sir, we're about closing." The bartender shook the sleeping Kael, waking him up from his liquor-inspired nap. "It's time to leave."
"Right..." Kael muttered in a low voice, not bothering to lift his head. "Give me a minute."
"But we're about closing, sir." The bartender pressed, his left hand placed on Kael's shoulder. "Your table is the last one to be cleaned for the night."
"Hah..." Kael let out a sigh and sat up, leaning on the backrest of his seat with his head hanging back. "Do what you gotta do. I'll be out of your hair soon."
"Very well."
The bartender shook his head and got to work, ignoring the groggy-looking man who was a regular at the bar.
[Breaking News...]
The bartender's attention turned towards the television when he heard one of the most dreaded phrases in current times. Of course, it wasn't always the case, but one had to keep their ears up.
[Shocking information reaching our studies tonight is that all thirteen members of the new generation of chosen heroes said to be preparing for their awakening ceremony were all found dead in their homes.]
'Hmm?' Kael abruptly opened his eyes. 'What the hell is this guy saying?'