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Dogmatic Dungeon Dominion

นักเขียน: SchuylerLisette

บท 1: Prologue

The end of humanity began with a gradual emergence, marked by the opening of one particular portal in the sparse woods of an empty mountain in a remote location. Scientists would say it began with a simple spark in midair, appearing irregularly and slowly growing more erratic. Based on reports of similar events, it seemed like a mirage as the air shimmered and warped.

After many days, possibly weeks, the spark hovered permanently above the ground, circling the size of a coin. Then, quickly, over several hours to days, it grew. A dark blue oval floating just above the ground, the outer rings were akin to electric blue sparks, and the inner rings were suspected to be yellow.

The studies say it must have been yellow. From the first blip of radiation on the satellite graph to when the events unfolded, yellow was the only color to fit the timeframe for radioactive decay. If it had been orange or red, shit would have hit the fan faster, and the amount of damage incurred would have been catastrophic. Based on the findings after the event, they concluded that the portals formed at different speeds and danger levels. The colored rings of the portals made it easy to discover the meaning behind each after the first several disasters.

That portal remained on that lone chilly mountain for a couple more weeks as its color slowly changed from blue to purple. As the outer ring completed a purple circuit, cracks appeared as if a glass window were breaking. Scientists later noted that radiation spikes on their equipment soared to unprecedented levels.

At first, nothing noticeable happened since no humans lived in the area. The closest village was several miles away from the base of the mountain. It happened in slow waves, almost unnoticeable. On the first noted day, the villagers assumed a few hungry wolves had migrated into the area, as the damage during the night was nothing outstanding. But still, they called the closest parks and wildlife offices to report the issues.

Things quickly took a turn for the worse once someone shared a photo of the wolves on social media. Many assumed the night photo was doctored. The wolves were larger than a car. They had glowing red eyes, tusk-like fangs, and spiked spines. Drool rained from their mouths. Their fur and tails shot out porcupine-like needles.

As time passed, more of them descended the mountain onto the village. Even before officials could respond for help, the town was wiped out in a matter of days. But the waves didn't stop. The monster-like wolf population continued to grow to an ungodly number, spreading out along the mountain range and laying waste to all living creatures within their sights. Knives and bullets caused them no damage, and all heavy auxiliary did was spook the creatures until they got used to it enough to ignore it.

They only seemed to be damaged by nature itself, with the creatures only getting harmed by the landslides caused by a bomb dropped near them. But destroying entire mountains to wipe out a few of the countless monsters was an impossible task. Even building barriers did not help slow these impossible and unbeatable things. Their agility helped them jump over any obstacle.

It was the frustration and determination of a lone trooper, who lost her brother and nieces, that changed the course of humanity after several towns were already decimated. For weeks, she tracked, monitored, reported, and searched for the habits and weaknesses of the ravenous creatures from who knows where. Her constant reporting to the authorities paid off. They passed her findings to researchers. Things were finally put in motion. In return, they would drop off supplies via flyby.

The trooper's report said a mechanical voice haunted her mind. It got worse as she neared the monsters' spawn point. She noted that she first heard the voice during a windy day and assumed her radio had broken when the voice said, 'TRACKER SKILL ACQUIRED.' However, the continuous recurrence of the voice mentioning different acquired skills and skill level increases made the trooper more determined and confident as she grew closer to her goal.

Though the goal wasn't technically far when looking back at the map data, finding an unknown spawn point without information, on foot, solo, in winter, while avoiding death - it took several months for her to make it up the mountain as her only support waited on the other end of a dead radio and tracked her by the occasional flyby to guess when to airdrop supplies or information.

With every step getting easier, her body felt lighter, and her fatigue disappeared with every voice announcing she leveled up - she knew inside that as soon as she made it to the place where these monsters came from, she would be able to handle it without an issue.

By the end of January, after five months of tracking, the trooper made it to a clearing where the portal spun above the ground like a fire dancer performing a hoop trick. She heard the helicopter fly ahead and waved as she walked into the void without hesitation. It was another month before the portal changed colors, and all the monsters outside the portal stumbled before collapsing dead on the spot.

In report summaries of the event written by the trooper, she states that it was "a whole other world on the other side of the portal." She said she could close her eyes, picture the area map, and know exactly where she had to go. With fewer places to hide, she started taking the monsters head-on. After several close encounters, she brought them down, one after another, and worked her way to where she was being guided.

She states that with every kill, she would "level up," and items of various qualities and quality levels would drop from the bodies. She used those items to survive and grow strong enough to take on "the boss monster" that she said "commanded and regenerated each of those wolf monsters." After a fight she claimed lasted several days, she managed to bring it down. Monsters still spawned after she killed it, so she knew something else needed to be done.

After finding the area where the boss monsters were, she discovered a large floating crystal. In her report, she continues that the voice within stated, "The boss monster, Folan, has been slain. Destroy the dungeon crystal to claim rewards." After following the voice and destroying the crystal, it again said, "Dungeon of Foalan's Dominion Completed."

Exiting the dungeon after healing took time, so the purple and yellow gates turned green. The army had finally moved in on the location the moment the monsters disappeared and waited for her reappearance. When she stepped out, she gave a sheepish thumbs-up to the awaiting crowd and asked for tacos and beer. And through the long, dark, meticulous hunt for these monsters, this trooper, who tracked and elongated them from the source, was coined "the first hunter."

The hospital records set the scientific community abuzz. They detailed her self-healing, increased strength and speed, and a new power. After months in the hospital and many tests, the trooper said she just wanted to resign and go home to her family on the other side of the country.

After many protests from the army and scientists alike, more similar people with abilities appeared. All were the members who had been near the gate during airdrop supplies or checkups on cleared areas of the monsters. Repeated interaction with the gate and monsters showed that some people could awaken abilities. With this, the trooper was no longer the only subject and could leave the hospital.

It took a month after the first dungeon was cleared for the portal to disappear as if it never existed. But it wouldn't be the last. It was later discovered there were more of these gates of low difficulty around the world—and they all started in unpopulated areas. It was only over time that they started appearing more often, closer to cities, with increasing difficulties.

More people started to awaken their abilities with this increased number of monsters, and a new problem arose. There was a cap on how much power one of these individuals could use. As they grew stronger and used their powers without rest, the powered users began to lose control. They went hysterical, their minds and powers spiraling into a frenzy. They were unable to calm them down or stop them until they self-destructed or were killed by a more powerful ability user.

Eventually, one college boy stepped forward during a berserk moment as all the others evacuated. In the police report filed, he stated he felt a calling and a voice within him said, "Hunter in the vicinity showing abnormal levels, berserk period imminent. A hunter requires gilding. Please proceed to the nearest hunter and guide him to average levels."

He told the officer that he instinctively knew where to go and what to do. Once he reached the hunter who had lost his mind, he knew he had to reach out to them and hold them. The officer who witnessed the event wrote in the report that he saw the college boy glow golden as he made contact with the manic hunter. He watched as that glow enveloped the hunter too. Within moments, the storm of power started calming down before finally collapsing in the arms of the boy, unconscious.

The reporters hailed him as the brave, empathetic man who risked his life to soothe a hunter who lost control—and even referred to him as an angel descended to save the civilians who suffered at the hands of unchecked power users. That was the first reported guide.