Morning came slowly, grey light leaking through the cracked window of Rem Kuro's apartment. The city outside was already awake sirens in the distance, helicopters hovering near the tower zone, and the low hum of traffic mixed with something else.
Fear.
Ever since the towers appeared, the city never truly slept.
Rem sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the system window floating in front of him.
[GOOD MORNING, HOST.]
NEXT QUEST AVAILABLE.]
Herubbedhisface and groaned. "You don't even let me wake up properly, huh?"
[NEW QUEST]
Start a fight between two awakened individuals.
Reward: Intelligence +2, Fear +2
Punishment: -15 Days Lifespan
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Rem stared at the screen silently.
"…You really want chaos," he muttered.
He stood up and walked to the small mirror near the sink. He looked the same as yesterday. Same black hair, same tired eyes, same expressionless face.
But he didn't feel the same.
He felt stronger.
Faster.
Sharper.
More alive.
"Start a fight between awakened people…" he said to his reflection. "You're trying to get me killed."
[SYSTEM RESPONSE]
RISK CREATES GROWTH.]
Rem smirked slightly. "You sound like a motivational speaker from hell."
The system didn't respond.
The World Now
Rem left his apartment and walked toward the Hunter District. This part of the city used to be a shopping area, but now it was filled with weapon stores, armor shops, guild buildings, monster material traders, and training centers.
Hunters walked everywhere.
Some carried swords.
Some had guns modified with monster cores.
Some had glowing eyes.
Some had strange marks on their skin.
Awakened people.
Powerful people.
Dangerous people.
Large digital screens were mounted on buildings showing news broadcasts.
Rem stopped when he saw one headline:
"TOP 10 STRONGEST HUNTERS IN THE WORLD UPDATED."
He looked up at the screen.
A female news reporter spoke seriously:
"Since the appearance of the towers three years ago, awakened individuals have become the most powerful forces in the world. Today, the International Hunter Association released the updated ranking of the Top 10 Hunters globally."
Images appeared on the screen one by one.
Top 10 Hunters in the World:
Kang Jae Hyun Korea SSS Rank Gravity Manipulation,
Elena Volkov Russia SSS Rank Ice Dominion,
Marcus Hale USA SSS Rank Nuclear Energy Control,
Liang Zhen China SS Rank Sword Saint,
Rafael Dominguez Brazil SS Rank Beast King,
Akira Shindo Japan SS Rank Lightning God,
Amelia Frost UK S Rank Time Slow,
Park Min Soo Korea S Rank Shadow Control,
Ivan Petrov Russia S Rank Iron Body,
Daniel Cross USA S Rank Telekinesis.
The reporter continued:
"These individuals are considered national level weapons. Governments cooperate with them rather than control them. In many cases, these hunters have more authority than military generals."
Rem crossed his arms. "SSS rank… monsters pretending to be human."
A man next to him overheard and laughed. "You're not wrong. Kang Jae Hyun once stopped a collapsing tower floor by himself. Guy's basically a god."
Rem didn't respond.
He just watched the screen.
"If that's SSS rank…" he thought, "then what am I going to become?"
The system flickered slightly, as if it heard his thoughts.
Government Situation
The news switched to another broadcast.
"Governments worldwide are still investigating the origin of the towers. Scientists believe the towers are not man-made and may not even be from Earth. Monster activity continues to increase, and several cities have already been partially evacuated."
Another reporter spoke:
"The Korean government has increased funding for Hunter Guilds and is creating a new organization called the Tower Investigation Bureau, made up of high-rank hunters and scientists."
Rem muttered, "So basically… they have no idea what's going on."
A man nearby replied, "Of course they don't. If they understood the towers, we wouldn't be losing cities."
Rem glanced at him but said nothing.
He started walking again.
The Hunter District
He soon reached the main Hunter street. Guild buildings lined both sides of the road. Massive buildings with logos and banners:
Black Wolf Guild
Heaven Strike Guild
Iron Blood Guild
White Lotus Guild
Night Raven Guild
Hunters entered and exited constantly.
Rem walked slowly, observing everything.
"You can learn a lot just by watching," he muttered.
As he walked, he noticed two people arguing near a weapon shop.
A tall man slammed a sword on the counter.
"This blade is cracked! You sold me trash!"
The shop owner glared. Sparks appeared around his fingers electric ability.
"It wasn't cracked when I sold it to you. That's your problem."
The tall man grabbed the counter. "You calling me a liar?"
Rem stopped walking.
He smiled slightly.
"Well… that solves my quest."
He walked closer and pretended to look at daggers on display.
Then he spoke casually, loud enough for the angry man to hear:
"If someone sold me a broken weapon, I'd break his teeth first and ask questions later."
The tall man turned immediately. "Right? That's exactly what I'm saying!"
The shop owner snapped, "Try it and see what happens."
Rem slowly walked away.
Behind him
CRASH.
The counter flipped.
Electric sparks exploded.
People started shouting.
"They're fighting!"
"Call security!"
"Idiot, that guy's awakened!"
Rem kept walking, hands in pockets.
A system notification appeared.
[QUEST COMPLETE]
Fight Successfully Initiated
Intelligence +2
Fear +2
Chaos +1
Rem smiled slightly. "This system really likes chaos."
[SYSTEM RESPONSE]
CHAOS IS GROWTH.]
New Characters
As Rem turned the corner, he nearly bumped into someone.
A girl.
She had long dark hair tied in a ponytail, sharp eyes, and wore light armor with a short sword at her waist. She looked about his age.
"Watch where you're walking," she said.
"You walked into me," Rem replied calmly.
She stared at him for a moment. "You're not a hunter."
"Is it that obvious?"
"You don't walk like one," she said. "Hunters are always aware of their surroundings."
Rem smirked slightly. "I was aware. I just didn't move."
She raised an eyebrow. "Confident."
"Not confident. Lazy."
She laughed a little. "You're weird."
"You're not wrong."
She held out her hand. "Name's Yuna Park. E-rank hunter. Just joined a guild."
Rem looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it. "Rem Kuro."
"You awakened?" she asked.
"…Not officially."
"Not officially?" she frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means I'm still figuring things out."
She studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, be careful around here. Hunters aren't nice people."
Rem nodded. "I noticed."
Before she left, she turned and said, "If you ever awaken, join a guild fast. Lone hunters die early."
Rem watched her walk away.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "I probably will."
The system window appeared again.
[NEW CHARACTER DETECTED: YUNA PARK]
POTENTIAL VARIABLE.]
Rem narrowed his eyes. "Variable? What does that mean?"
The system didn't answer.
End of Chapter Hook
Rem stopped at a street corner and looked up.
The tower loomed over the city, massive and silent.
Helicopters circled it. Hunters gathered near the entrance gate. Military vehicles blocked the roads.
Something was happening.
A large screen near the tower suddenly turned on.
A broadcast began.
A man in a suit spoke:
"Attention all hunters. The Korean government and Hunter Association are announcing a Tower Entry Operation tomorrow morning. High-rank hunters will enter the first tower floor to investigate. All registered hunters above D-rank may apply to participate."
People around Rem started talking excitedly.
"Tower raid?"
"No way…"
"This is huge."
"First official entry?"
Rem looked at the tower and then at his system screen.
[HIDDEN QUEST AVAILABLE]
Enter the Tower.
Spread Chaos Inside.
Reward: Skill Unlock
Punishment: Unknown
Rem smiled slowly.
"…Looks like I'm going into the tower."
The system responded immediately.
[VERY GOOD, HOST.]
Rem put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the tower in the distance.
"Hunters… monsters… towers… governments…" he muttered.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Let's see how long this world lasts."