The year was 1937. The year marked a new age known as the Great Cataclysm.
Strange events, also referred to as anomalies—or later, nexuses—began occurring around the world.
The first of such anomalies appeared in the icy regions of Russia.
Strange distortions in the atmosphere were recorded and were thought to be the cause of certain changes to the planet's natural biology.
Over the next few years, anomalies became more frequent and widespread. Just as quickly as they'd appear, they'd fade away, leaving unknown elements in the air.
For a long time, the world government tried to keep it a secret and pass it off as just rumors or some kind of experiment, so as to not create mass hysteria. However, they could not keep it hidden for long.
Eventually, the distortions began to take a more physical form, as if they were living beings trying to adapt—to invade an unknown environment and survive in it—but they would still collapse, although now lasting considerably longer than they did initially.
This continued for over a decade, with the distortions slightly increasing in size and mass each time they appeared. As a result, temperatures worldwide fluctuated and then dropped significantly.
Warmer places like Africa and the Middle East began to regularly experience snow and rain…
The melted glaciers in Antarctica started to refreeze, and the atmosphere was thriving.
Despite the effects of pollution and greenhouse gases, wildlife seemed to prosper, especially in colder regions.
The air felt richer and cleaner, with oxygen levels increasing slightly. Water became purer and more refreshing, crops more nutritious and filling, poverty at an all-time low, and life more fulfilling.
After some time, anomalies began to be seen as a blessing of sorts—a true gift from the heavens. Unfortunately, not everyone shared the same enthusiasm.
Scientists were still concerned about the unpredictable nature of the anomalies.
Five years passed, and anomalies became just another part of life for most. For some, they were a minor inconvenience for the greater benefit of society. For others, they became a religious or political talking point.
A few years later, an infant with a slight genetic mutation was born, followed by many more.
At first, the genetic changes were small, but surprisingly positive. These individuals had healthier metabolisms and higher life expectancy. Some displayed exceptional intelligence at a young age, while others possessed great physical ability.
According to many scientists, the elements released by anomalies seemed to have altered their genetic code.
It was too late for those born before the anomalies began appearing, but the future looked promising for the newer generations.
Many cases of animal mutations were also recorded. For example, the horned rabbits we know today were once hornless. The horned variants had actually been found a few years prior to the first genetically mutated human.
At the time, researchers had hilariously believed they had discovered a new species, but it later turned out to be a mutation caused by the anomalies.
Many other such mutations were discovered in animals in the following years—
cold resistance, harder scales on fish, and tougher skin on reptiles.
The changes were still mild, but the potential for evolution seemed limitless.
Twenty-six years after the first anomaly, a major change was observed in a distortion that appeared near historic mountains in North Carolina. It would later come to be known as "The First Ingress."
This was the first recorded instance of a dimensional rift—another plane of existence interacting with the mortal world.
The portal-like object remained for a few minutes, releasing strange bird-like creatures that flew out and began attacking nearby people. After causing significant chaos, they were promptly eliminated with guns and other weapons.
This event became the main reason why this era was called "The Great Cataclysm."
Panic spread, and major world leaders put aside their differences for the first time to combine resources in order to understand this newly unraveled threat.
Many more of these portals—or gateways—appeared soon after, all of them disappearing quickly at first.
However, eventually, they stabilized enough to be examined and explored in greater detail.
And thus, another new era began—the "Era of Nexonian Exploration."
A new occupation was created, and gifted individuals known as explorers took it upon themselves to cross into different dimensions and harvest resources from other planes of existence.
This would result in them growing stronger by absorbing the core of those dimensions into their bodies. Furthermore—
ding ding
The sound of bells echoed as students began rushing out of the lecture hall.
"Oh my, it looks like our time for class has come to an end for the day.
That was a wonderful presentation by Mr. Shayden. I would love to hear the rest of it, so please email me the file."
"Thank you, Professor Hartenstein. Have a great weekend."
"Currently, it is the year 2027—the new age of exploration.
Almost four generations have passed since the beginning of the Great Cataclysm.
The world is constantly changing and adapting to new developments every day."
In a world like that, people were doing their best to make the most out of their lives. One such person was Xander Shayden, who sat at a table eating a meal after class.
The young man had fair skin and semi-long dark brown hair dyed with streaks of blonde.
He was chewing on a bite of steak while looking over the rest of his presentation.
"Oi Xander, look at you sitting here eating by yourself—and you ignore all my texts too?"
Another student walked up to him with a drink in his hand.
He was light-skinned and had dreads falling along the sides of his face and forehead.
"Yo Mi'kael! Sorry, my phone broke last night. I dropped it on the subway rail on the way back from the hospital—got crushed by the bullet bus, man…"
Xander spoke with his mouth full, still focused on reading his presentation.
"Dude… did you just make all that up? Anyways, I just wanted to talk to you about that thing I mentioned earlier."
"Mhmm, I'll check it out once I get back to the dorm… probably not happening though."
Mi'kael took a sip of his drink while staring at the thick stack of papers on the table.
"Is that the presentation for your Nexonian history class?" he asked, pointing to the papers.
"Yeah, and guess what? I couldn't even finish it. Class ended halfway through."
"That's unfortunate…"
"Doesn't matter. I'll get a good grade regardless. Doubt they wanted to listen to all that anyway."
"That's because everyone's heard it a thousand times."
"Never gets old to me, though."
"Well, I'll see you later at the dorm then, Z."
"Later, Mi'kael."
"Give my regards to your sister."
"Will do."
They parted ways, and Xander headed toward the city's underground subway.
He passed multiple billboards and signs—most advertising things like:
"Looking for new explorers!" or "Seeking experienced porters for the Lion's Den Guild."
Xander stepped onto the bullet bus and blasted music through his old pair of Epods.
His card was charged automatically as he walked past the scanners.
"All standing passengers, please hold onto your straphangers."
The train began moving, slowly at first, then accelerating rapidly after exiting the subway—reaching speeds of 400 km/h.
Outside the windows, the city blurred past.
The stop nearest the hospital took only ten minutes to reach at such speed.
Inside the metro, multiple screens displayed various news headlines, entertainment, and ads.
One headline read:
"Should abortions still be legalized with the population dwindling at such a high rate?"
Below it was a chart comparing deaths and births over the past 50 years. The death toll had steadily increased each year.
Another headline appeared:
[Breaking News]
"A new dungeon portal has appeared in the southern district of Apex City! Energy readings suggest it's an Alpha!"
"We've arrived at stop 17. Please remember to take all your belongings with you and—"
Xander stepped off the metro, hands in his pockets, heading toward a large building in the distance.
On the way, he stopped by a nearby store and bought a basket of clementines and a box of caramel chocolates.
[Apex City Central Hospital]
"I'm here to see my sister. Room 645."
The receptionist nodded and handed him a card. He was a regular, after all.
He took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked to room 645.
On the door, beneath the number, it read: [Kristella Shayden].
Swiping the card, he spoke softly.
"Sis, it's Xander. Can I come in?"
A delighted voice responded.
"Yes! Come in!"
Xander entered with a smile, placing the clementines and chocolates on the bedside table.
On the bed lay a woman in her late twenties with smooth pale skin and long black hair.
She looked slightly malnourished, but still maintained a relatively healthy appearance.
"How you feeling, sis?"
She picked up a clementine and began peeling it.
"A lot better, honestly. They're even letting me go outside for a few minutes every day… with supervision, of course."
"But enough about me—how was your presentation?"
"It went great. They loved it," Xander replied with a bright smile.
"That's wonderful! And you know what? The doctors said I might be able to attend your graduation next year if I recover enough."
"That's amazing, sis! Now I really can't wait to graduate."
Kristella giggled, and they continued talking for another hour—about college, their parents, and old memories.
Eventually, visitation hours ended.
"Oh wow… it's already dark. Time really flies when you're having fun."
"It really does," Xander said with a sigh.
"But next time I'll come earlier. I've got a week of accumulated paid leave, so I should be able to."
"I'll be waiting. Bring me peaches next time."
"Bet."
After saying their goodbyes, Xander left and headed back to his dorm.
The metro was much more crowded now, filled with people leaving work.
Every screen displayed the same headline:
[Breaking News!]
"Four explorers dead and one missing following an Alpha dungeon outbreak in the southern district of Apex City!"
"These dungeon outbreaks are happening more often in the south…"
Xander thought.
"This place never used to have high-level explorers… but at this rate, it'll become a hotspot. If only I could…"
He had imagined it countless times—being a successful explorer, maybe even one of the best.
No more money problems.
No more limitations.
"I could afford better treatment for her…"
But being an explorer wasn't easy—especially for beginners.
Dungeons were brutal.
And sometimes, humans were worse than the monsters.
"Sis would never allow it… and if something happened to me… she'd be alone…"
He got off at his stop and walked back to his dorm.
His room was a mess—clothes scattered everywhere.
He sighed, took a hot shower, and then made dinner.
Instant ramen. Fried egg on top.
While eating, he checked his laptop.
99+ messages.
3 new emails.
He opened the most important one.
From: Nano Genics
"Congratulations, dear intern! Due to having the highest contribution points in your department, you have been selected for the upcoming research field trip to the main Knoxville facility.
Scheduled from Monday to Wednesday. Rooms and meals will be provided, along with guided tours and limited activities.
We look forward to seeing you.
—VP"
"So I finally get to do something fun…"
Xander leaned back.
"…better late than never."
Exhausted from the day, he collapsed onto his bed—
—and fell asleep within moments.