Rising Tensions
Aurora stepped out of the dungeon, her boots crunching against the gravel-covered ground. The outside world felt oddly different now. The night air was crisp, the city lights flickered in the distance, and yet... everything felt slower.
She had changed.
The rush of battle, the thrill of overwhelming her enemies—it was intoxicating. She clenched her fist, still feeling the residual energy from her last fight. If that was just a low-level dungeon, then the real invasion...
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion.
Not far from where she stood, a group of awakened humans surrounded a collapsed figure. Some whispered in concern, while others looked away, unwilling to get involved.
Aurora's eyes narrowed. Another dungeon failure.
She approached silently, blending into the crowd. A young man, barely in his twenties, lay on the ground, his breathing ragged. His arm was bent at an unnatural angle, his clothes torn. His party members stood nearby, exchanging guilty glances.
"We shouldn't have gone in..." one of them muttered.
"He got hit too hard. Healing abilities are rare, and hospitals don't know how to treat awakened injuries yet."
Aurora remained quiet. So, even if people have abilities, not everyone can handle a fight.
This was only the beginning. As more dungeons appeared, more people would get hurt—or worse. And when the first wave hits... will humanity even be ready?
A faint buzzing sound interrupted her thoughts. A new system notification flashed before her eyes.
[New Quest: Preparing for the Storm]
Observe how humanity is adapting to their new abilities. (Completed!) Acquire information on at least one major faction. (Incomplete) Reward: 1x Intermediate Gacha Ticket
Aurora smirked. So the system wants me to gather intel? Fine by me.
The Rise of Factions
The next day, Aurora scrolled through news articles and livestreams, analyzing how the world was reacting to their newfound powers.
And one thing became clear: people were already forming factions.
The Guardians – A group advocating for law and order, working closely with governments to regulate awakened abilities and dungeon exploration. The Hunters' Guild – Mercenary-like individuals focused on raiding dungeons for profit, recruiting the strongest awakened humans. The Ascendants – A cult-like organization believing that abilities were a divine gift, seeking to establish a new world order. Independent Awakened – Those who refused to join any group, training in secret or working alone.
Aurora leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping against her desk. Which group should I pay attention to first?
Her system beeped again.
[Quest Update: Learn about the Hunters' Guild.]
She raised an eyebrow. Guess I don't have a choice.
An Unexpected Encounter
Later that night, Aurora arrived at a newly established Hunters' Guild outpost—a repurposed warehouse in the heart of the city. People gathered inside, some celebrating successful dungeon raids, others discussing their latest power awakenings.
She observed from the shadows. Unlike the Guardians, who wanted to regulate abilities, the Hunters were more chaotic, driven by personal ambition. Stronger hunters were treated like celebrities, while the weak were ignored.
Then, she spotted someone interesting.
A silver-haired woman, clad in black combat gear, leaned against the bar counter. Unlike the others, she radiated a sense of dangerous confidence—someone who had already mastered her abilities.
"That's Celeste Varian." A voice whispered behind Aurora.
She turned to see a young man watching the silver-haired woman intently.
"You don't know her? She's one of the first people to clear a high-level dungeon alone. Some say she has an S-rank ability."
Aurora's curiosity grew. An S-rank awakened? This might be worth investigating.
She smirked, stepping forward. If she wanted to learn more about the Hunters' Guild, Celeste Varian was the perfect place to start.