A strong, icy wind was blowing.
On the rear extension of a building, a young man was sitting. Just by looking at him, one could easily tell that he was eighteen years old.
His body was thin from malnutrition, and his height was rather short for his age, around one hundred seventy centimeters. He had long black hair and eyes just as dark. Sitting on the ground, in a place where there were no people and no movement, he was eating meat.
His name was Scarless.
Sitting there, Scarless took a bite of the meat and began to chew. It was quite tough, making it hard to chew. After swallowing, he voiced his thoughts out loud.
"Just as I expected… This isn't meat, it's rubber. But for that price, it's the best I could get. Fine, I should finish it. This might be my last day on the streets. It's so cold…"
He exhaled deeply, and a cloud of vapor formed in the cold air. After taking a few more bites, Scarless finally finished the meat. Glancing to the side, he picked up a book, opened the first page, and fell into thought.
Books were rare in the world now, and they cost a great deal of money. This one spoke of many things: animals that once lived in the past, what the old world had been like, and people who once lived in abundance.
With a faint smirk, Scarless muttered.
"What nonsense. This world can't be brought back. Why cling to something that can never return? Seriously…"
Scarless was right.
Ten years ago, a terrible catastrophe had descended upon humanity. A portal to the Abyssal Realm opened, forever changing the human race. It was impossible to enter it physically, only spiritually.
It worked like this. When a person reached the age of eighteen, the Abyssal Realm selected them to undergo what was called the prologue and obtain a supernatural power known as an attribute. The attribute varied and depended solely on the individual.
In the first weeks, people across the world began falling into a state of suspended animation. More than a thousand people were in this condition at the same time. Countries such as America, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Canada, and Europe were thrown into confusion. With each passing day, more eighteen-year-old boys and girls slipped into that state.
More than ninety percent of them died from cardiac arrest. Weeks passed, yet no one awakened.
Then, one day, a terrifying lunar eclipse occurred.
Those who had died from cardiac arrest opened their eyes. Their pupils turned blood-red, and their bodies began to twist unnaturally, stretching and transforming into demonic forms.
Some were enormous, others smaller. Orcs appeared, as well as sea-dwelling monsters, colossal creatures capable of destroying ships with a single movement.
War began.
Within a single week, most of the world's countries were destroyed, and the rest stood on the brink of annihilation. At the final moment, they appeared. Those who had managed to pass the prologue and awaken their attributes.
Some received attributes of healing.
Others wielded elements such as fire, water, lightning, or earth.
Yet they could not fully use these powers, as they had only completed the prologue. That was when the gods intervened, forming contracts with them.
Gods once believed to be mere myths proved to be real. Norse gods, Greek gods, the gods of Olympus, Egyptian gods, and many more. Humanity began to push forward, destroying more and more demons of the Abyss, and eventually achieved victory.
But it was not that simple.
Even now, there were places known as Forbidden Zones, where demons of the sixth to ninth core levels still dwelled.
Most nations had been wiped out. Only Russia, America, Japan, Europe, and Korea remained. Korea survived solely thanks to America's assistance. Otherwise, it too would have fallen.
"I'd like to see a bear someday…" Scarless murmured quietly.
"I wonder if it's really as big as the pictures show."
He let out a sigh.
"But enough… I can't endure this anymore. Every day it gets worse. I've already endured more than enough."
Rising to his feet, Scarless swayed slightly from a sudden headache. Grabbing his head and rubbing his temples, he began to walk, not forgetting to take the book with him.
He was dressed in tattered rags. This so-called clothing barely covered his knees. The cold wind struck his face, leaving his skin red from the chill.
From a distance, one could easily mistake him for a girl. Delicate, attractive facial features and long hair made the illusion convincing.
Scarless's eyelids began to droop.
"Damn it… If this keeps up, I'll fall asleep before I even reach the station."
Shaking his head, he muttered.
"Whatever. I'll make it."
Walking through the streets, he carefully observed the surroundings where he had spent more than ten years of his life. The streets were filled with people returning from work or rushing to finish their shopping. The sun had already set, and little time remained before the stores closed.
More than ten minutes passed before he reached the police station. Stopping in front of it, he read the sign.
"41st Police Precinct, New York District."
Carefully opening the door, he stepped inside. After looking around, Scarless noticed a man in his thirties standing ahead. Approaching him, he stared directly at his face.
The man noticed and asked.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Oh, sorry," Scarless replied. "I haven't slept for several days."
Hearing this, the police officer became alert.
"Were you chosen?"
"Yes," Scarless answered.
"I see… You can still stay conscious?"
"For about another hour. That's my limit."
"You look pretty energetic," the man remarked.
"It only seems that way," Scarless said with a faint smirk.
"Alright. Stay here. They'll come for you."
"Understood," Scarless replied.
The officer quickly walked away and pressed a button on the wall. At that very moment, people dressed in black robes approached Scarless.