No one noticed at first.
An asteroid fell from the sky, tearing open a rift in the middle of the ocean. There was no explosion loud enough to be heard worldwide, no dramatic warning—just a quiet disaster that rewrote everything.
That single event marked the beginning of chaos.
Monsters began appearing everywhere. Dungeons and rifts emerged without warning. Cities fell into panic as humanity realized something horrifying—
The world was no longer safe.
From that asteroid came creatures unlike anything humanity had ever seen.
They were called Echoes.
At first, the Echoes didn't attack. Their purpose was a mystery. But they could sense humans with Affinity—a rare, mysterious power that appeared in only a handful of people.
When an Echo formed a bond with a human possessing Affinity, a Contract was made.
That human became a Contractor, wielding abilities far beyond normal comprehension.
Those without Affinity could not form contracts. Those with weak Affinity struggled to awaken anything meaningful.
And the monsters came.
Spawned from dungeons and rifts, they rampaged across cities and countrysides alike, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Humanity had nowhere to hide.
Yet in the darkest hours, hope remained.
The Contractors fought. Side by side with their Echoes, they repelled the monsters, sealed the rifts, and defended the helpless. Their power was the thin line between survival and extinction.
And survived
Later on
The creatures from the asteroid—Echoes—weren't mindless. They could sense humans with Affinity, a rare power that awakened in only a few.
Those who bonded with an Echo became Contractors. Their strength far exceeded ordinary humans. Without Affinity, survival for humankind was nearly impossible.
Echoes themselves came in different types:
Beast-Type: feral and physical, boosting strength and speed.
Elemental-Type: manipulate fire, water, wind, and more, controlling the battlefield.
Spirit-Type: versatile and cunning, often affecting energy, perception, or objects.
Ancient-Type: legendary beings of immense power; only a few exist, and forming a contract with one is deadly.
Contractors were ranked, from F for novices to S for the elite. Rank measured not just raw power, but combat skill, bond stability, and the ability to survive monsters.
Monsters, spawned from dungeons and rifts, tore through cities, leaving death in their wake. Contractors were humanity's shield—the only ones capable of standing between destruction and survival.
And yet, even with all that, most humans couldn't hope to survive on their own. Only the Contractors, bound to their Echoes, could fight—and win.
After only one year of this chaos is become a profession which can bring money,fame and glory all you want.
Echoes are ranked by strength. Higher rank means stronger power.
D-Rank
C-Rank
B-Rank
A-Rank
S-Rank
F-Rank – for humans without Affinity; they cannot form true contracts, only minor bonds.
The higher the Echo rank, the stronger the bond required. Low-Affinity humans attempting to contract with high-rank Echoes risk death or insanity.
What once brought despair had now become a profession.
Money, reputation, power. Everything could be earned by becoming a contractor.
Those with Affinity became Contractors. Heroes. Elites.
And those without it?
They were filth.
Zero Affinity humans couldn't form contracts. They couldn't fight. They couldn't matter. The only reason they were allowed inside dungeons at all was because someone needed to carry the load.
Mules.
I was thirteen when the world changed.
Years later, this was where I ended up.
Somewhere inside the Tower of Aquin,
Floor 117.
Bags slammed into my back as someone shoved past me. Heavy equipment. Supplies. Loot. All of it stacked high.
"Move faster, mule."
Shouting echoed from behind.
I tightened my grip on the straps and kept walking.
Then a voice cut through the noise.
"Kang—hey, you!"
I turned halfway.
A contractor glared at me, irritation clear on his face.
"Walk faster," he said coldly.
"Or we'll feed you to the monsters."
"Junyeok—yes," I replied automatically.
You might think, who am I? Doing this would amount to nothing.
I'm Kang Jingeuk. Twenty-six years old. I have no affinity.
I was thirteen when the world changed.
My father was an A-Ranker, we used to live happily, but he died in an accident. After that, my mother was all I had but she also died in an train accident when I was mid 16th I had no No talent. No choice but to survive.
That's all life had left me: survive.
Now, in the dungeon, I was just a mule—carrying supplies, moving loot, doing the work no one else wanted.
A teammate nudged past me as I adjusted the bags on my back.
A teammate bumped me as he passed.
"Move faster, loser. Don't slow us down," someone muttered behind me.
Another snorted, shaking his head. "Seriously, how did they even let him in?"
I gritted my teeth, adjusted the bags on my back, and kept walking. I'm used to this.
Doesn't matter what they think. Just survive.
They have item boxes, but even with all that, they needed someone to collect the monsters' remains.
The leader's voice cut through the noise: "Kang. You're up. Collect the leftovers you usless for nothing, atleast do your work properly trash".
They had barely walked for a while when it appeared.
A Red Minotaur, massive and furious, charging straight toward them.
This thing isn't supposed to be here… I thought, panic rising. Its presence should have been restricted to floor 150 or higher, not on floor 117.
"Do we fight it?" someone yelled.
"Run? We can't outrun that thing!" another countered.
Even the leader's eyes glinted—but not with fear. A cruel, twisted smile spread across his face.
"Well, well… looks like we'll survive this," he said, voice dripping with malice.
"But you? Useless little mule… at least be of use once. Go grab what you can from it."
Before I could even react, hands shoved me forward.
The rest of the team ran for the exit—but the Minotaur's first charge had already smashed part of the path. Stones and debris blocked the way. The monster hadn't even noticed yet, and already the leader's plan was falling apart.
I gritted my teeth, adjusting the bags on my back. Of course… I'm used to this. Just survive.
Before I could think of anything else, the Minotaur attacked again.
By pure luck, I managed to dodge it.
The next moment—
screams
Those bastards weren't as lucky.
The Red Minotaur tore into them mercilessly. Steel shattered. Flesh ripped apart. Even their Echoes were crushed and slaughtered without mercy.
As blood sprayed across the dungeon floor, a single thought crossed my mind.
They deserve it.
But that didn't answer the real question.
How do I survive this hell?
The Minotaur turned.
Its blood-soaked eyes locked onto me.
Its body was drenched in red, and the dungeon floor had become a bloody banquet.
My breath hitched.
I grabbed a fallen spear from the ground. My hands were shaking—I knew it. I couldn't match that monster. Not in strength. Not in speed.
Then—
a spark.
A desperate idea flashed through my mind.
I ripped open my bag and pulled out monster remains with frantic movements.
Red gigantic bee poison.
Deadly slug saliva.
Purple herb residue.
I smeared them onto the spear's tip, my hands moving on instinct alone.
The Minotaur roared and charged.
I know I can't defeat you. Even with this…
I stopped dodging.
Instead—
I sacrificed my left arm on purpose.
Pain exploded as bone snapped and flesh tore.
"But I have to survive."