***
'W-what, have I done, W-why did this have to happen, I killed hundreds if not thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of people, why? Why did this have to happen?" Antares thought to himself while staring at the destruction he caused.
He was still standing on top of the mountain, looking down upon the once-thriving city of Seoul.
Everything was gone... Nothing remained.
Even the hotel that he booked yesterday had been destroyed by his attack, the only thing left intact was the tower that supported him.
His eyes started to tear up, he didn't want to acknowledge it, He just experienced Antares memories, he became Absorbed in those Memories, and those Memories became a desire to be, to become that person again.
To be the strongest, to be the most powerful,
to be feared, to be loved,
to have everything,
to Fight!!!
to have life
Power, he craved power, he desired power, he needed it, he wanted it, he longed for it, he yearned for it, he wished for it, he prayed for it, he begged for it, he cried over it, he lost sleep over it, he suffered, he fought, he died, he lived, he laughed, he smiled, he yelled, he screamed, he was alive.
A feeling of emptiness engulfed him, a sense of loss, a longing for something that he had given up years ago.
why am i living, in this world, I've caused so much destruction for what, I've even brought the supposed rulers of Solo leveling Universe to this world, will the itarim now come here? Will they destroy us too? No, no, I mustn't think about such things, I need to focus, I can't let my mind wander off, or else I'll lose myself completely.
I have to regain control, I have to stop thinking of these useless thoughts, I have to concentrate, I have to get back to work! He thought to himself, as he tried to keep himself focused.
There's no way I'd ever forget who I really am,
I have to remember,
I have to feel,
I have to live!
He got back to his feet and looked around, he noticed that there was one man next to him, he wondered how they got there, but then he remembered, he had noticed this man earlier.
"So, this is the Dragon of Destruction. What do I even call you—dragon in Crumpling flesh? Even your body is being torn apart by your own power. you are what we would call... Hedonists—those who know power, yet use it endlessly, chasing your own destruction."
"I wish I could have that strength, if only for a moment. But alas, I shall never attain that level of power. The fact that I can stand right beside you means nothing to me, I cannot hope to reach any higher than where you are now."
"Then join me, if you don't want to be under me you can always stand next to me!!!"
I replied to this mortal as if I was right in my thinking, who wouldn't want equally strong allies, an equal, someone stronger than them, it's natural to wish for such things.
"Unfortunately, I'm already bound by a law that prohibits me from doing so, but I'll leave you with something worthwhile, as I can see your own flesh is Convulsing."
the man looked through his pockets as if looking for something, after searching for quite some time he pulled out a small stone and tossed it into the air, it slowly floated upwards until it reached the height of the dragon, when it hit the ground, it began to glow bright red, like a firefly.
The light quickly spread throughout the whole area, the stones started to float towards the sky and turned into large pillars of flame which surrounded the dragon, it felt as though he was melting away, but it also made him feel warm, as if he was being embraced by the flames, it was almost pleasant, the heat was soothing, calming, relaxing, it wasn't painful nor uncomfortable, rather it was invigorating.
Without waiting the man Disappeared from the building as if he never existed in the first place, they were onto of leaving behind a black cloud of smoke, he took flight and headed for the north, leaving Antares behind to enjoy his newfound peace.
***
"Ah, H-help anyone."
"Please help!!!!"
"ahhhh!!!"
Screams broke out as the remnants of Seoul city were desperately trying to find anyplace that was inhabitable everything was Erased, in a never-ending fire, Fiery Crimson Flames were still blazing throughout Seoul, Flickering in and out of existence, sometimes they were just tiny little sparks, other times they were massive enough to cover entire buildings, they seemed to appear from nowhere, but they weren't random, they followed patterns, they moved at a speed faster than anything that humans could comprehend, they burned without end, consuming everything in their path.
It was as if they knew exactly where everyone was, making it impossible for them to escape, many people were trapped inside burning houses, while others ran in fear of getting caught in the flames.
Hwaseong, South Korea | A girl wearing glasses, her hair tied up tightly, was running down the street, she was holding on to a piece of paper with writing scribbled across it as if it held life-saving information, the words written upon it read:
"Help! This is our house! Please save us!"
She continued to run through the streets, passing by countless burnt corpses, charred bodies, and those who couldn't move anymore, either because they were dead, or due to severe injuries. Children were crying in despair, mothers screaming for their missing sons, husbands pleading for their wives.
She came to a corner and stopped, turning to look at the direction she was heading in. It was the opposite side of the city, and there was a mountain in between, blocking any possible chance of escape.
She kept running, hoping that maybe she would come across someone who could give her directions, but there was nobody else left alive.
A group of men were sitting near the edge of the road, staring at the inferno raging before them, they didn't say a word, not one single person dared make eye contact with another.
Suddenly, a woman's scream rang out, piercing the silence, she had been caught in the middle of the fire, and the flames licked around her legs, threatening to burn them completely, she tried to pull herself away from the fire, but failed.
Her cries echoed in the distance as if she'd gone mad. Her screams were filled with rage and sorrow, mixed together as if she was calling for revenge, perhaps even vengeance.
No matter how hard we try,
we will never be able to forget what happened here today,
and no amount of money, power, or authority can ever change the way we feel about it,
but at least let us die peacefully,
let us live happily once more...
There was nothing the men could do, so they stood up and walked over to the corpse of the woman lying on the floor, grabbing her hands and pulling them apart.
They placed her fingers against each other and pressed down, forming a cross shape, then they covered it with dirt and threw the body back into the fire.
All the men did this in unison as if it was the only thing they could think to do. They buried their loved ones in the same spot, covering them with earth as if burying their own guilt along with them.
After the burial ceremony, the men went home, unable to face reality, unwilling to accept the truth.
The world fell silent again, as if the sound of the fires were the last sounds remaining in the world, and the sun rose high above the horizon.
Hwaseong, South Korea | The citizens of Hwasan had returned to their homes after burying their loved ones, they were walking down the main roads of the town, talking amongst themselves, laughing, playing games, and doing whatever they wanted to pass the time until they died, unaware that the day of reckoning was fast approaching.
As soon as nightfall arrived, the sky lit up with an enormous red moon, casting its ominous glow upon the land.
Hwaseong, South Korea | People began to panic, thinking that something terrible was going to happen. Some said that the gods are angry, others claimed it was the beginning of Ragnarok, some simply thought the apocalypse was finally coming, the end of days, the end of humanity.
However, none of these theories were true.
This wasn't the end of the world, this was the start of a new era, the dawn of a brand-new age.
***
Gates appeared, just as the Broadcast said it would, in every country around the globe.
United States of America, Seoul, South Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, and everywhere else in the world experienced the Phenomenon called gates,
Portals leading to Dungeons filled with Monsters of all sorts of kinds, Elfs, Dragons, Demons, Beasts, Giants, etc., were now inside of these dungeons as if they always existed within our world, Hunters were born in the era, where magic already existed, where gods still lived, where dragons, gods, hybrids, devils, still lived in this era, elevating this era, even more.
all humans started to experience, The "Awakening" when a human entered the dungeon they would "Awaken" Humans were granted power, each varying, some possessed the power of Cytokinesis, some Pyrokinesis, somewhere Uniquely gifted in both areas, most humans had a unique ability that set them apart from everyone else, such as being able to use multiple weapons at once, having a higher resistance to physical damage than normal humans, increased strength, speed, stamina, agility, senses, perception, intellect, wisdom, luck, and many other attributes that made them special.
Hunter's Guilds were formed all across the planet, people joined guilds based on their abilities, they fought monsters in order to gain experience on how to use their powers, and earn gold, silver, bronze, and copper coins by selling the carcasses of the monsters which they used to buy items from the Adventurer's Market, also known as the Black Market, or to hire mercenaries to fight alongside them.
Hunters were given a rank depending on their skill, and they could rise through the ranks by defeating Higher Graded dungeons.
***
'so, it's finally here, the starting of the new age, how will Sirzechs Lucifer, React, will they usher in this era of hunters, or will they oppose it,'
"the real question is, what do i do with you"
"..."
"you seem Pretty weak for a fallen angel, is your race not the ones who oppose god or something like that?"
Antares couldn't fathom how this Fallen Angel, was even considered anything above human, their strength was so ridiculously weak, that even in my condition as of right now I could still win in a fight, low class right? But even lower than me, Antares smirked, he didn't care about this Woman, she was nothing compared to him, His pride wouldn't allow anyone to defeat Him, no matter the odds.
"You, Woman, you will be Mine!!"
"H-huh W-wha do you mean...?!!"
Raynare was utterly confused by this man's words, she tried to escape her captor's grasp, But Antares held onto her tightly, making it impossible for Raynare to break free.
"I'll let go if you answer My Question."
"Wh-what are u asking?"
"Do you know why I've brought you here? Do you have any idea as to the reason behind this situation?!"
"You will be mine!!!"
"W-wha!!" Raynares face turned red with a noticeable blush, as she looked down at the floor, trying hard to contain herself, before looking back up again.
"wha, i will not be yours! please release me!"
"Why should I listen to a woman like you?"
"N-no, that's not true, I'm sorry for saying those things, Please forgive me,"
"Oh really, then tell me, what am I to you?"
"i don't know, maybe a pet, or an experiment, or a toy, or even food perhaps, i dunno!"
"Really...? Well, whatever it may be, It won't work out between us, because I hate pets, experiments, and toys."
"What are you talking about? Why did you bring me here?"
"Because you're going to become a part of My life."
'I won't just be Antares I will Become myself who says I can't have a woman.'
"B-but...why, why can't we just leave? We aren't doing anything wrong, so why must you force yourself upon me!?"
"No, You haven't done anything wrong, So there isn't anything I need to apologize for, But you see, There is something I want from you, and only you, And I think you might enjoy it too."
"Please, No, Just Let me go! Don't hurt me anymore!"
"If you don't want to be hurt, Then stop running away from Me, Now come closer, I told you, I said I wanted to talk to you, So Come over here, I'll show you what I have planned for you~"
Raynare began walking towards Antares slowly, she knew better than to resist him now, after seeing what he did to the city, she didn't want anything like that happen again, Her Favorite Donut Shop, was destroyed in that city, that would never ever Happen Again.
So she walked up to Antares, As she got close enough, He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into his body, pressing himself against hers, she felt uncomfortable being this close to someone so big, yet she had no choice but to stay put.
"Now, I'm sure you remember the feeling of having a nice warm bath, yes? I bet you miss it, Dontcha? I thought so, Because you're soaking wet already, Your clothes are soaked through, and you smell awful, Its time you get cleaned up, If you'd rather die, I'll kill you myself, I don't give a damn about your feelings, This is my Life, I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive, so shut your mouth and do as you're told."
Ah~!!
Raynare moaned softly as Antares kissed her neck, She knew he wasn't a bad guy, he was kind, gentle, and sweet, But she still hated him, he took away her favorite place, her beloved shop, she was angry at him, and she wanted revenge.
She moved her head slightly, pushing herself harder into his chest, as she wrapped both arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly, She knew it was pointless, she shouldn't try to push him away, because he would simply drag her along anyway.
And when I take thee hence
My dear love shall follow
To the grave with thy mortal remains.