From Thug To Idol: My Celebrity Hunter System

Chapter 7: The Mana Apocalypse (Back Story

Chapter 7: The Mana Apocalypse

The warehouse floor echoed with the rhythmic hum of conveyor belts. Boxes slid across steel rollers. Forklifts beeped as they weaved between towering stacks of cargo.

Jonny wiped the sweat from his forehead before lifting another carton onto a wooden pallet.

His body moved on instinct.

Lift.

Stack.

Turn.

Repeat.

It had become second nature after nearly three years of working at Graystone Logistics.

Normally, he would've been counting the hours until lunch but today his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Become unforgettable..."

How exactly would an ordinary warehouse worker become unforgettable? Without embarrassing himself, Or getting arrested.

"...Definitely not robbing a bank," he muttered.

"What?" Mark, the loudest worker in the warehouse, looked over. "You say something?"

Jonny quickly shook his head. "N-No. Just talking to myself."

Mark laughed. "You've gotta stop doing that, man. It makes you look crazy."

Jonny forced an awkward smile. "If only you knew..."

Just then...

BEEEEEP!

A sharp emergency alarm echoed throughout the warehouse.

Every conveyor belt immediately stopped.

Forklifts powered down and workers exchanged confused looks.

"What happened?"

"Fire drill?"

"I don't smell smoke."

Before anyone could guess further, the warehouse manager's voice boomed through the speakers.

"Attention, all employees. Please proceed to the break room immediately."

Murmurs spread across the building.

"What now?"

"Another safety meeting?"

"They better not make us work overtime again..."

The workers shuffled toward the break room.

Jonny followed quietly. As soon as he stepped inside, He noticed everyone staring at the giant television mounted on the wall.

The words flashing across the screen were enough to silence the room.

{BREAKING NEWS

EMERGENCY DUNGEON GATE DETECTED IN HARBOR CITY}

The broadcast switched to shaky helicopter footage.

High above a modern city...

A massive black crack floated in the sky It stretched hundreds of meters across.

Purple lightning danced around its edges.

The air itself appeared distorted.

Cars had stopped and thousands of civilians fled in panic.

Jonny unconsciously took a step closer.

"...A Gate." Jonny unconsciously took a step closer.

One of the older workers crossed himself.

"Please don't let it break."

Another nodded grimly.

"If monsters come out..."

"...that city's finished."

The news anchor spoke rapidly.

"Authorities have confirmed that a B-Rank Dungeon Gate appeared approximately twenty-three minutes ago."

"The surrounding district has already been evacuated and Members of the Hunter Association are on their way."

"B-Rank..." Jonny frowned. "I've heard people mention ranks before..."

Mark looked at him as though he'd grown another head. "You seriously don't know?"

Jonny scratched his cheek.

"I mean... I know Hunters fight monsters."

"Dude." Mark blinked. "Have you been living under a rock?"

Several coworkers laughed.

Sandra, the inventory manager, sighed.

"Leave him alone."

She turned back toward the television.

"The younger generation really has it easy."

Jonny frowned."Younger generation?" He asked.

Sandra nodded. "You were what... Seventeen, Eighteen? When it happened."

"...Yeah." Jonny slowly nodded

She folded her arms."You probably don't remember much."

The television suddenly switched to old archival footage and the cheerful newsroom atmosphere disappeared.

Dark clouds covered the sky, cities burned.

Towering monsters walked through shattered streets.

Buildings collapsed beneath giant claws.

People screamed as soldiers fired desperately into creatures that barely noticed the bullets.

The anchor's voice became solemn.

"Today marks seven years since humanity entered what historians now call..."

A title appeared.

{THE MANA APOCALYPSE}

The room fell silent.

Even Mark stopped joking.

The anchor continued.

"Seven years ago, mysterious Gates appeared simultaneously across every continent."

"Within minutes... Monsters invaded our world."

Images flashed rapidly. Dragons flying above skyscrapers. Massive wolves tearing through highways. Stone giants crushing tanks, entire cities reduced to rubble.

Jonny unconsciously clenched his fists.

He remembered, Bits and pieces.

The panic. And His parents locking every door, the power outages, the endless emergency broadcasts.

The anchor continued.

"Conventional weapons proved largely ineffective against mana-infused monsters."

"Humanity suffered catastrophic losses during the first seventy-two hours."

The footage changed again.

This time, people began glowing.

Some controlled fire. Others manipulated lightning. One woman froze an entire river with a wave of her hand.

A man punched a giant monster through a concrete building.

The anchor smiled.

"Then... Humanity Awakened."

Cheers erupted from the old footage.

Families cried tears of relief.

The first Hunters had been born.

Sandra spoke quietly. "My brother awakened during the first month."

"My uncle too." Mark nodded. "He died clearing a C-Rank dungeon."

The room became noticeably quieter.

Nobody laughed anymore.

The television displayed another statistic.

CURRENT GLOBAL DATA

Confirmed Gates Cleared: 1,842,117

Active Hunters: 27,491,335

Registered Guilds: 194,601

Civilian Survival Rate: 99.3%

The anchor continued.

"Over the past seven years..."

"Guilds have replaced corporations as the world's dominant economic powers."

Images of enormous headquarters filled the screen.

Glass skyscrapers, private helicopters, luxury vehicles, hunters posing for magazine covers.

Crowds screaming their names, Commercials, fashion brands, movie premieres. Only, Every celebrity was a Hunter.

"...Why?" Jonny blinked.

"What do you mean why?" Mark laughed. "They save cities."

Sandra added quietly, "They're the reason humanity still exists."

Jonny nodded slowly.

"...I guess." Jonny nodded slowly. "But..."

He looked around the room. "Why are they treated like movie stars? They're soldiers."

No one answered.

Instead...

The System did.

-----------

[Power attracts attention.]

Jonny remained silent as another line appeared.

[Attention amplifies power.]

His heartbeat quickened. "...What does that mean?"

[When enough people believe in an individual...

Their influence extends beyond physical strength.]

"...Belief?" He asked.

[Information Locked.]

Before he could ask another question, the newsroom erupted into chaos.

A reporter shouted.

"The Gate is opening!"

Everyone in the break room stared at the television.

The massive crack in the sky trembled violently.

Purple lightning exploded outward. The black surface rippled...

Then slowly began to split apart.

Something enormous moved inside. A shadow far too large to be human.

The cameraman's breathing became frantic.

"Oh God..."

"It's coming out..."