Chapter 33: The Great Migration

“From that dark rift emerged beings whose existence we had never even imagined.”

What followed those words was a story… a story I knew well.

In the year 2132, humans discovered they were not the only beings in the universe… and, in fact, they were far from the most important.

When the fabric of space tore, the first things—or rather, things—spilled into that fragile planet,

they were monstrous, ancient creatures, as if lifted from a nightmare.Claws that could shred steel, jaws that could crush stone, and most terrifying of all,

they possessed strange powers capable of destroying the world… powers akin to those humans had gained.

And there was not just one or two rifts, but many, scattered across the planet.With each rift came monsters, as if released from the depths of a living nightmare.

The weapons humanity had once boasted of were useless against them… yet,

humans began to resist using the powers they had gained.

The Earth was stained with blood… the blood of humans and monsters alike.Rivers and oceans that had begun to recover now ran red.

As time passed, the rifts grew wider, and with them came stronger monsters thirsting for human flesh and blood.

Humanity lost its foothold… the hope carried by the Awakened faded.

Those who thought they could resist, stop the monsters’ spread, or control them… now had only survival as their goal.

Death was no longer in the thousands, nor millions… but in billions.

Ancient monsters, those ranked sixth, roamed the Earth freely.

Yet a group of the strongest Awakened thought differently.Instead of confronting the disasters, they decided to flee.

Where to?

Straight to the source of all this chaos.

They were called mad, but deep down, they knew… there was no real choice.

Exploratory expeditions were sent into the rifts,

and they discovered something horrifying… the true terrors had not yet descended upon Earth.

Creatures capable of destroying continents in days existed, waiting on the other side.

The moment a rift opens, it could contain their power… and then they would descend,

erasing all of humanity.

So the plan to escape began.

They scouted the rifts for relatively safe lands on the other side,and discovered that the world beyond the rifts was far larger than Earth,and that the rifts were scattered randomly, far from each other.

Many never returned.

After numerous expeditions through various rifts, they finally found a suitable area to begin the plan.

It was not completely safe, but it was the best they could find.

Did all humans agree with this plan?

Of course not.

They faced much opposition, but no one could stop them… or rather, they did not have the luxury to quarrel.

As death increased daily, and the rifts multiplied, humans gradually sided with the migrants.

Time passed,

and the first human base behind the rift was built, then expansion began.They managed to clear surrounding areas, creating a safe land for humanity to step upon.

Humans discovered that monsters, especially higher-ranked ones, usually did not leave their territories,but the rifts drew them in, like a spell only monsters could sense.

At the same time, on the other side, the largest rift yet appeared in Europe,and through it, the first Rank Seven being stepped onto Earth.

A colossal creature.

Within days, humans lost half of Europe.

This ignited the final spark… and the migration began.

The Awakened were the first to relocate behind the rift, preparing conditions for ordinary humans who had somehow survived.

People began fleeing, leaving their world behind, moving by the millions.

Yet many refused to abandon their homes; they stayed and fought… and died.

Order was established behind the rift… and the Earth fell into chaos.

Behind the rift, humans began building a new system, or more accurately, restored the old order, with nobles at its peak.

The Awakened who had accomplished feats took leadership positions and carried noble titles.

Meanwhile, the rift remained open for those who might change their minds and escape.

Until a certain day…

Silence engulfed Earth.

The monsters ceased fighting, as if preparing for something… something immense.

Even the Rank Seven monsters behaved strangely.

Humans who remained noticed these abnormal behaviors and sensed something was wrong.

They attempted to reach the safe rift and escape… but it was too late.

Those behind the rift used certain abilities to monitor events on the other side without crossing over.

Monsters’ screams filled the world… they looked to the sky as if waiting for something.

Then it happened…

The blue sky cracked and shattered like fragile glass.

The monsters’ screams grew louder, as if… they were crying.

From the shattered sky, something strange and wrong seeped through.

It began as darkness… darkness like viscous liquid.

Then they witnessed the impossible.

All rifts began closing, one by one, without exception.In the end, the rift connecting them to the other side was sealed.

All that remained was a broken sky,

and unknown darkness engulfed the Earth.

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