Chapter 11. The war.

The mutation of animals around the world had accelerated so swiftly that humans lost control over it. This transformation wasn't confined to mere physical alterations; their strength, defense, and speed also surged, and some even began to manifest abilities akin to fire, earth, wind, and other elemental forces.

As the mutations persisted, humans grew increasingly alarmed, especially after witnessing that the creatures—once ordinary animals—were rapidly evolving into vicious and violent beasts that began to assault humans globally.

Within just a month since the onset of this animal mutation, thousands of human lives were lost, plunging the world into chaos. What unfolded was not a war among humans, but a battle for supremacy between humanity and a species of animals that, until recently, had been considered inferior. These creatures now pose a serious threat to humanity's reign as the dominant species on Earth.

The conflict raged on, with military forces worldwide stepping up to shoulder the responsibility of eradicating the mutated animals to prevent the annihilation of humanity. Initially, humans, with their firearms and explosives, managed to repel the animal onslaught, temporarily reinforcing their superiority. However, this triumph was short-lived as the beasts mounted a formidable comeback.

Humans had at first subdued the beasts with conventional firearms and weapons, but this success was fleeting. The animals' hides grew so thick that bullets struggled to penetrate, prompting humans to resort to explosives for defense. Yet, it wasn't long before they realized that such victories were tenuous at best.

As days passed, the number of mutated animals swelled, and the frightening pace of their growing power raised the question: did humans possess enough explosives, and even if they did, could they possibly anticipate the full extent of the beasts' mutations?

How long would it be until the animals' resilience reached a point where they were impervious to human explosives? What would humanity do if faced with such invulnerability? The prospect of total annihilation by the beasts loomed large.

In response to this threat, humans were compelled to reboot Project Blue Horizon which had been paused when the war broke out. This time, the goal was not to uncover the secrets of alien technology but to determine the cause of the mutations and explore potential ways for humans to adapt and match the evolving beasts.

As Project Blue Horizon progressed, the war waged on, with the beasts' strength growing at an alarming rate and humans beginning to lose ground. Cities fell and countless lives were lost as the beasts rampaged across the planet.

However, just as humanity's hope waned, Project Blue Horizon achieved a monumental breakthrough after three years of relentless research: the discovery of a method to awaken latent human powers. This method involved an elixir dubbed 'the Awakening Potion,' designed to trigger the dormant potential within humans.

With the inception of the Awakening Potion's production, humans began to harness their newfound powers. Warriors from across the world, empowered by the potion, emerged as the Awakened, ready to confront the escalating threat and fight for the survival of their species.

As the Awakened emerged, humans began to gain a foothold in the battle, pushing back against the mutated beasts. The conflict between mankind and the beasts continued fiercely, with neither side securing a definitive upper hand.

The struggle endured for decades, and after nearly fifty years of this evenly matched warfare against the 'demonic beasts,' as humans had taken to calling them, humanity finally triumphed. The pivotal moment came with the defeat of the demon god, the strongest of the demonic beasts, signaling the end of the war. However, victory came at a steep price.

Throughout the fifty years of conflict, approximately three billion lives were lost, nearly halving the human population. The battle-scarred the Earth's surface, altering terrain and leaving indelible marks from the relentless fighting.

Even after driving the demonic beasts back, they weren't completely vanquished. Survivors lingered, which led to the establishment of the Hunters Guild. Its purpose was to eradicate the remaining demonic beasts and help humanity reclaim the planet.

Over the years, numerous Awakened joined the Hunters Guild. A century after its inception, it became the largest and most powerful faction in the world, with billions of both Awakened and unawakened individuals swelling its ranks globally.

The Guild's structure was designed with a hierarchy indicated by the building's floors. For example, the Hunters Guild building in the Silverdale shelter was a modest three-story structure, the elite hunter ranking being the highest achievable rank within this shelter.

The ground floor catered to individuals like Ethan, who held the novice hunter rank. Seasoned hunters had access to the first floor, and so on with higher ranks. Each ascending floor offered hunters access to better and more plentiful resources. Novice hunters had limited resources, whereas seasoned hunters, and those of higher ranks, had access to far superior resources.

Ethan and his group approached the Hunters Guild, Ethan still shouldering the bag of loot. Upon reaching the front of the building, Ethan handed the spoils of their encounter to the firearms expert, who, along with the rest of the group, entered the building. Hyejin remained outside to compensate Ethan for his role as a porter.

After a few presses on the hunter watch around his wrist, Ethan's device beeped. He lifted his wrist to see a message flashing on the screen:

===YOU HAVE RECEIVED 120 POINTS FROM BEAST SLAYER235===

A wide smile spread across Ethan's face. His standard pay as a porter was only 20 points, but it seemed that taking down a single corrupted level-three-eyed wolf had earned him an extra 100 points. Slaying demonic beasts was highly rewarding, which explained why many Awakened individuals quickly transitioned to become hunters after their awakening.

Hunter's pay was more lucrative than any other job available to an Awakened.

"Thanks," Ethan said to Hyejin, his face lit with a grateful smile.

# #

[A/N_ Please remember to support the book by voting, gifting, commenting, and reviewing. Your support will truly make a difference for the book. Thank you for your help!_ Please excuse me for shamelessly asking for support.]