Gates
In 2137, the first Gate appeared without warning—a rupture in the sky, bright and unstable, tearing a hole between Earth and an unknown world beyond it. What emerged was not a single creature, but entire ecosystems: monsters, environments, and forces that did not belong to this planet.
Gates appeared everywhere.
Cities. Oceans. Deserts. Skies.
Some collapsed within hours. Others remained open long enough to turn entire regions into battle zones. Each Gate led to an Origin Realm, a separate world governed by unfamiliar laws of energy and matter.
By 2200, Gates were no longer rare disasters.
They were a permanent part of human life.
Awakened Humans
Humanity survived because some people changed.
Exposure to Gate energy—through proximity, trauma, or circumstances that could not always be explained—triggered Awakening. Awakened humans gained the ability to manipulate elemental forces or altered physical laws tied to the Origin Realms.
Awakening did not guarantee strength.
Most Awakened remained ordinary.
Some became capable fighters.
A few became heroes.
Elemental Archetypes
Each Awakened manifests an Archetype, which determines how their power expresses itself.
The eight primary Archetypes are:
•Fire — heat, combustion, explosive force
•Water — fluid manipulation, pressure, healing variants
•Wind — speed, cutting currents, mobility
•Earth — durability, armor, seismic control
•Lightning — precision, reaction speed, high output
•Shadow — concealment, disruption, sensory interference
•Light — restoration, purification, enhancement
•Ice — temperature reduction, crystallization,
Hybrid and rare Archetypes exist, but these eight form the foundation of modern hero training and combat doctrine.
The Merit System
As hero activity increased, researchers noticed a pattern: people did not grow stronger solely through combat.
They grew stronger through contribution.
This energy was named Merit.
Merit is generated through actions that protect or advance human society, including:
•saving lives
•defending populated areas
•suppressing Gate threats
•supporting rescue operations
•preventing large-scale loss
Merit enhances physical capability, endurance, energy output, and control.
Unlike strength or talent, Merit is visible.
Through augmented-reality technology, Merit values can be scanned and publicly displayed. This transformed heroism into something measurable—and competitive.
Ranks and Titles
Accumulated Merit determines a person's Rank.
RankMerit Range
F 0-999
E 1000-4999
D 5000-19,999
C 20,000-99,999
B 100,000-499,999
A 500,000-1,999,999
S 2,000,000-9,999,999
SS 10,000,000+
Alongside rank, the system assigns Titles based on repeated behavior and notable actions. Titles evolve over time and carry social weight but do not guarantee authority.
Public Rankings
Merit is public knowledge.
Leaderboards track:
•global hero rankings
•national hero standings
•academy student rankings
•elemental performance lists
Heroes are widely discussed, criticized, idolized, and scrutinized. High-ranking individuals rarely move through society unnoticed.
The Reshaped World
Earth's geography remains familiar, but its priorities have shifted.
Rather than borders, the modern world is loosely defined by Gate density.
Regions with frequent Gate activity maintain stronger hero presence, faster response infrastructure, and stricter regulation. Large cities and coastal zones receive the highest protection.
Travel remains open, but hero jurisdiction is determined by regional agreements rather than nationality.
The world is still Earth.
It is simply watched more closely now.
Hero Guilds
As the number of Awakened grew, Hero Guilds formed.
Guilds are semi-independent organizations responsible for:
•assigning missions
•coordinating Gate responses
•managing hero teams
•maintaining equipment and relics
Most licensed heroes operate under a guild. Guilds vary widely in philosophy—some prioritize civilian rescue, others focus on combat efficiency or relic acquisition.
Guilds compete quietly for funding, prestige, and high-Merit heroes.
The Global Gate Alliance
Above all guilds stands the Global Gate Alliance (GGA).
The GGA:
•regulates hero licensing
•standardizes Merit evaluation
•oversees international Gate responses
•mediates disputes between guilds and nations
While the GGA does not control individual heroes, its authority is recognized worldwide.
Gate Classification
To manage threats, Gates are categorized by behavior:
•Type I — Beast Gates
Hostile creatures, unstable terrain.
•Type II — Ruin Gates
Structures, traps, relics, environmental hazards.
•Type III — Domain Gates
Controlled by intelligent entities or rulers.
•Type IV — Anomaly Gates
Reality distortion, unpredictable laws, extreme danger.
Relics
Not everything that passes through a Gate is alive.
Some Gates leave behind objects.
Fragments of weapons.
Crystallized cores.
Tools shaped by environments that do not exist on Earth.
These objects are known as Relics.
Relics retain residual Gate energy and can interact with an Awakened's Archetype. When used correctly, they may enhance combat efficiency, stabilize volatile abilities, or enable techniques otherwise impossible.
When used incorrectly, they can cripple or kill the user.
Relics are regulated but never fully controlled. Guilds, governments, and private organizations all seek them, while unstable fragments circulate through black markets.
No relic is without cost.
The stronger the effect, the greater the strain placed on the user's body or mind. Prolonged use can result in permanent damage, elemental instability, or loss of control.
Relics are tools of necessity—not shortcuts to power.
Relic Classification
•Fragment-Class — unstable remnants, low effect
•Bound-Class — stable, limited-use relics
•Core-Class — powerful, dangerous artifacts
•Legacy-Class — origin-unknown, extremely rare
Asterion Hero Academy
Among all training institutions, Asterion Hero Academy stands apart.
Located on a fortified floating island above Tokyo Bay, Asterion trains elite Awakened youth selected from across the world. Admission is rare. Survival is not guaranteed.
Students are trained across specialized tracks:
•Combat
•Support
•Rescue & Evacuation
•Strategy & Tactics
Graduates often become high-ranking heroes—but many do not make it that far.
The Ice Archetype and Frostburden
Ice Archetype users wield immense control over temperature and structure.
Their power comes with a flaw.
Repeated use lowers internal body temperature, causing progressive freezing known as Frostburden. Symptoms worsen the longer power is sustained, ranging from numbness and stiffness to organ failure.
Ice users are respected for their power—and feared for how quickly they can destroy themselves.
A World in Balance
By the year 2200, humanity exists in a fragile equilibrium.
Gates threaten destruction.
Heroes stand in response.
Merit measures contribution.
Relics tempt escalation.
Some pursue strength.
Some chase recognition.
Some act simply because someone has to.
When the sky breaks open, the world does not wait for legends.
It waits for people willing to step forward.