15: Welcome to the new world

The camera zoomed in, but the reporter’s voice drowned beneath the shouts of people behind her.

“These unidentified structures appeared shortly after the earthquake stopped,” she shouted over the commotion, her eyes wide with terror. “Similar formations have been reported in several major cities worldwide. Authorities have not confirmed their origin or whether they pose any immediate danger.”

The camera shook as someone in the crowd shouted that another rift had just torn open in the distance.

The reporter turned, and for a brief moment, the screen captured the full structure looming above the distant buildings.

Vivi slowly exhaled, seeing that the world has really changed. There was no going back.

She watched as people gathered in the streets, pointing toward the enormous portal. Some recorded it on their phones. Others stood frozen, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

The gate did not move. It did not attack. It simply hung above the streets, silent and mysterious.

And that silence seemed to frighten people more than anything else.

“What is that damn thing?”

“Is it some kind of weapon? A terror attack?”

“Did the earthquake cause it? Can something come out of it?”

Questions filled the broadcast, but nobody had answers.

Then the camera caught another strange sight.

A young man sat on the pavement, surrounded by several frightened people. His body was trembling, and a pale blue light shone through his fingers. A moment later, the light vanished beneath his skin.

Vivi leaned closer to the screen.

The crystals.

Some people were still triggering the fusion phase.

‘He probably stumbled across someone else’s crystal lost in the wreckage,’ Vivi thought, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Across the world, people who had survived the earthquake were beginning to awaken, and somewhere among them were people who would eventually become the strongest Hunters humanity had ever known.

Vivi shut off the broadcast since she had seen enough.

The first stage was unfolding almost exactly as she remembered, but she had no intention of repeating her past life.

She would not spend her days waiting for someone to save her. She would not allow herself to become another person’s disposable tool. And she would never again mistake dependence for love.

She turned back toward the system screen.

“System. What can you do for me right now?”

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┃ * The System is currently analyzing the ┃

┃ Host’s condition. ┃

┃ * Basic functions are available. ┃

┃ * Would the Host like to receive an ┃

┃ introductory guide? ┃

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“Yes.”

【 Ding! 】

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┃ 【WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD】 ┃

┃ ┃

┃ * The Host may improve her strength ┃

┃ through training, exploration, combat, ┃

┃ and the completion of assigned ┃

┃ objectives. ┃

┃ * Additional functions will become ┃

┃ available as the Host meets the ┃

┃ required conditions. ┃

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Vivi read the message twice.

Training. Exploration. Combat. Objectives.

That sounded simple enough.

But she knew better than to underestimate the world just because the system’s instructions were brief.

Right now, people outside were feeling a false sense of relief simply because the ground had stopped shaking. But the earthquake was merely the opening act.

With the arrival of the gates, those who thought they had survived the worst were walking straight into a slaughterhouse.

Why?

Because the gates housed dungeons. Monsters were going to pour out, turning cities into blood-soaked combat zones. The weak would starve in the ruins while the powerful would begin fighting over resources and territory.

And Hunters would rise to the top of the new world, and this time, Vivi intended to be one of them.

A new notification appeared.

【 Ding! 】

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┃ 【INITIAL QUEST GENERATED】 ┃

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Vivi’s eyes narrowed.

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┃ * Quest: Stabilize the Host’s Core ┃

┃ Energy. ┃

┃ * Description: The Host has absorbed an ┃

┃ abnormal quantity of golden crystal ┃

┃ energy. The core remains unstable, and ┃

┃ failure to stabilize it may result in ┃

┃ severe physical consequences. ┃

┃ * Reward: Initial Core Stabilization. ┃

┃ * Penalty for Failure: Unknown. ┃

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Her expression darkened.

“Unknown? You can’t even tell me what happens if I fail? This system doesn't know anything.”

The system did not respond.

Vivi stared at the floating text, then let out a humorless laugh.

She had survived betrayal, death, and a second chance at life. She had endured the pain of absorbing thirty golden crystals and woken up in a world that had fallen apart in a single morning.

She wasn’t going to let a mysterious system frighten her.

“Fine. Tell me how to stabilize it.”

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┃ * The Host must first learn to sense the ┃

┃ energy within her core. ┃

┃ * Sit down and focus on the energy ┃

┃ circulating throughout your body. ┃

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Vivi followed the instruction on the panel, settling onto the floor despite the lingering pain in her back. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

At first, she felt nothing unusual until she noticed a faint warmth deep inside her abdomen.

It was subtle, almost impossible to distinguish from the ordinary sensations of her body. But when she focused on it, the warmth seemed to respond, pulsing gently before spreading outward.

Vivi’s breathing slowed, feeling something inside her that had not been there before.

She tried to draw it toward herself but pain immediately shot through her chest.

Her eyes snapped open.

“Ah!”

The warmth surged violently, rushing through her body like a river breaking through a dam. Her muscles tightened, and her fingers dug into the concrete floor.

The system screen flashed.

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| 【Warning!】

┃ * Core energy fluctuation detected. ┃

┃ * Host, cease attempting to control the ┃

┃ energy directly. ┃

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Vivi forced herself to stop.

The violent sensation gradually faded, leaving her breathing hard and sweat gathering along her forehead.

She glared at the screen.

“You could have said that earlier.”

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┃ * The System’s instructions were provided. ┃

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“Not clearly enough.”

There was no response.

Vivi took several deep breaths until her heartbeat returned to normal.

She would need to be careful.

Whatever power she had gained, she couldn’t afford to lose control of it inside her own bunker. She needed to understand her abilities before stepping outside, especially with her core still unstable.

For now, survival came first.