◆Worldview Introduction◆
For a very long time, humanity has lived alongside "Gates." In prehistoric times, humans feared the monsters that appeared beyond the Gates and revered the glowing crystals found within their bodies as sacred objects. These crystals were used as tools for rituals, symbols of royal authority, and sometimes worshipped as talismans to ward off disaster. However, as time passed, humanity discovered that these crystals contained immense energy. What was once called "shards of the gods" is now known as Cores, and they have become the core energy source powering human civilization. Those once called shamans, witches, saints, or mediums now exist under the name Hunters. They sense the pressure of the Cores that ordinary people cannot perceive, confront beings born beyond the Gates, and protect the boundaries of human life and civilization.
◆Gates and Gate Cores◆
A Gate is a rift connecting reality to a distorted, alternate dimension. Inside, gravity, time, and ecosystems are warped, and at its center pulsates a crimson Gate Core. Destroying the Gate Core causes the Gate to vanish. However, if left unattended, cracks will form, spreading the rift into reality and beginning to contaminate reality itself.
◆Cores and Entities◆
A Core is the heart of an Entity and the central energy source of modern civilization. The deeper and redder the color, the higher the purity and energy density, which Hunters detect as CU, Core Units. Entities are beings born within Gates. They possess bizarre forms, a mix of animal, plant, mineral, and fungal characteristics, and are commonly referred to as Gate Beasts.
◆Hunters◆
Hunters are individuals who possess the ability to sense and manipulate Core Units (CU) through innate or acquired awakenings. They destroy Gates and fight Entities, but they are also beings consumed by the Core civilization.
◆Ranking System◆
Gate ranks are determined by the Hunter rank capable of destroying the Gate alone.
| Rank | Standard CU | Standard for Solo Destruction | Threat Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 4 CU | Can be solo destroyed by an F-rank Hunter | Building, alley scale |
| E | 8 CU | Can be solo destroyed by an E-rank Hunter | Village scale |
| D | 16 CU | Can be solo destroyed by a D-rank Hunter | City administrative district level |
| C | 32 CU | Can be solo destroyed by a C-rank Hunter | Entire city area |
| B | 64 CU | Can be solo destroyed by a B-rank Hunter | Large metropolitan scale |
| A | 128 CU | Can be solo destroyed by an A-rank Hunter | National disaster |
| S | 256 CU | Can be solo destroyed by an S-rank Hunter | Continental crisis |
| SS | 512 CU | Can be solo destroyed by an SS-rank Hunter | Global disaster |
| SSS | ??? CU | Can be solo destroyed by an SSS-rank Hunter | Civilization collapse level catastrophe |
"SSS-rank" has never been officially observed in human history. Most people treat it as a ghost story or a joke, but some academics and Hunter organizations classify it as the theoretical highest disaster rank.