Seven years ago—one year after Zephyr was sent to prison—the ordinary human world he knew changed forever. He saw it on the tiny TV in the head guard's office—the same old man who took out his anger on him whenever he was in a bad mood.
After all, Zephyr, who had just turned 19, was the easiest target in a prison full of older and battle-hardened criminals.
At that time, he still had his sight.
A strange, massive dark portal, crackling with electricity, suddenly appeared in the center of a city on the Eastern Continent.
At first, no one paid it much mind.
The government just evacuated the area and waited for the anomaly to disappear.
However, human curiosity is persistent.
Scientists were soon dispatched to study the portal. But before they could discover anything, fantasy novel fans saw the news footage and went wild with theories. Their thrill pressured the government to take a risk and send an exploration team inside.
To everyone's shock—just as the ones who called themselves 'readers' had predicted—the portal was an unstable crack between worlds, linked to a zone filled with beasts, alien terrain, and dark, corrupted energy.
The readers called it a 'Dungeon.'
They warned that if the dungeon wasn't cleared in time, it would become overrun, leading to a 'Dungeon Break'—a horrifying event where all the monsters inside would spill out into the world and wreak havoc.
Zephyr had shaken his head at the news. He had even smiled—for the first time in a year spent in prison. Surely, no one would believe something so absurd. Reality and fantasy were two entirely different worlds.
But when a dungeon break was reported just a month later, he was left stunned.
Unfortunately, despite all the precautions the government took after learning about the dungeon break and its risks, they still couldn't prevent heavy casualties.
Many lives were lost. And after the first dungeon break, the world descended into chaos as more and more portals started appearing rapidly across the globe. One dungeon was devastating enough—now they had to deal with countless more.
The readers went silent, almost as if they were waiting for something big to unfold.
Then they finally emerged—Awakened individuals with supernatural powers.
The readers called them 'Espers'.
But for some reason, only the readers of the boys' love genre rejoiced—grateful to know that even though their world lacked hunters, systems, or stat windows...
They had Espers!
Individuals with abilities ranging from elemental control to telekinesis, spatial manipulation, and psychic weaponry! No two Espers possessed exactly the same powers, and their abilities often reflected their trauma, instincts, or deepest desires.
Some awaken naturally. Others awaken through exposure to dungeon energy or artificial catalysts. Espers are society's frontline defense against the monsters.
Revered by some, feared by others—
They were both powerful weapons for humanity and a potential threat.
But fortunately, thanks to the readers, the world was already aware that utilizing their abilities would cause Espers to accumulate corrupted energy in their bodies, eventually driving them into a violent rampage where they would lose all sense of reason.
So, before Espers could reach that point, their counterparts were discovered—
The 'Guides'.
Awakened with stabilizing wavelengths.
They didn't possess skills like Espers, nor did they have remarkable physical power.
Instead, their unique wavelengths could purify the chaotic, corrupted energy that accumulated within Espers' bodies.
Of course, for Guides to work effectively, the readers had explained the importance of compatibility—the higher the match rate between an Esper and a Guide, the stronger and more stable the connection, allowing the Guide to provide much better support.
Soon, just as dungeons were categorized into ranks based on their energy levels and threat, Espers and Guides were also ranked according to the potential of their abilities.
The ranking system began with the lowest, F-rank, followed by E, D, C, B, A, and finally the highest rank ever recorded—S-rank.
That was all Zephyr had learned over the past year—from the news reports and talk among the prisoners. And yet, it gave his naive 20-year-old self hope. Once again.
If… if he awakened as an Esper, wouldn't he finally be useful to his family? Wouldn't his mom and dad stop calling him worthless?
Wouldn't they get him out of this scary place filled with dangerous criminals?
So, Zephyr prayed. He prayed fervently to awaken as an Esper. Even awakening as a Guide would have been fine. But no matter how hard he wished, he never awakened.
Even when his older brother unexpectedly visited and brought a few crystals infused with dungeon energy—known as mana, the very force that fueled all abilities—nothing happened. He, Zephyr didn't awaken.
Not even as an F-rank Esper.
He remembered—his brother had clicked his tongue sharply, eyes filled with disdain.
"Our entire family awakened as S-ranks—even me. And you? Still useless. Pathetic."
He didn't offer a single word of comfort.
Just a cold glare before turning his back and walking away, leaving Zephyr standing there alone, a bitter smile on his face. That day, the last shred of hope in him crumbled like glass. He could almost hear it shatter. He stopped wishing, stopped dreaming.
The world wasn't simply cruel to the talentless—it humiliated them.
The next time his brother visited was six months later—this time with their parents. They had come to take away his sight.
Thanks to the changed world, Father had discovered a special Esper with the ability to transfer senses. Their goal was to cure his sister, who had lost her sight to an illness in childhood. As an S-rank Esper, she was considered far more valuable than him.
Zephyr had only smiled when his parents told him he could at least do this much for the family, even if he was worthless. The usual lines, the same cold words they had used when they made him take the fall and go to prison in place of his older brother—yet somehow, they hurt just as much.
And so, he gave his sight to his sister.
The special Esper's ability allowed one's senses to be transferred to another—but the donor would lose them permanently.
His vision vanished in an instant.
No pain. Just silence, and a world that suddenly turned gray, blurred, and broken.