December 31 2022

11:59:59pm

The world changed in one night.

Portals to different dimensions opened and spewed thousands of monsters everywhere. They also infected wild animals mutating them, making them frenzied.

They attacked everything in sight.

But not all hope was lost. The call for heroes was sung and the system came and provided selected humans the means to fight back.

After decades of killing and pushing the monsters back into their portals, Humanity finally reverted the last dungeon invasion.

The changed humans played a huge part in humanity's victory and were celebrated as heroes for they were the only ones that could enter the Portals and bring Earth's mightiest weapons, their technology, along with their system skills to fare against the enemy.

In recognition of their bravery, the changed humans were recognized as the strength of humanity. They were hailed as Guardians, for they said that they were called as such by their status screens.

Guardians of Earth.

For fifty years the Guardians halted all dungeon invasions and freed swathes of land inhabited by the mutated wild animals, bringing all the alien materials, cores and crystals to be used for humanity's advancement.

After only a half century of relative peace, another crisis arose.

The system stopped selecting Guardians. Most of the old ones were either dead, dying or retired.

When hope was almost lost. The system called once more.

But this time, it called for Hunters.

Most people interpreted this as the time for defending was over and urged Hunters to

Hunters were different, they are more powerful and can unleash terrifying effects when they fight. They said that their status called them Hunters to hunt the second wave of stronger monsters which the almighty weapons of modern society will no longer affect, and they were right. the bombs no longer harm the new wave of monsters from the portals and bullets fail to penetrate their magic-infused skins and outer shells.

Twenty more years passed and most Guardians are now dead, the Hunters took the mantle of stabilising Dungeon portals and keeping the mutated animals in check.

***********

December 31, 2082

11:30 pm

It was Jack's fifth time to watch the documentary about the 'New era of Earth' on the television. He never missed the program since he was five years old.

He tightly clutched his sand brown teddy bear, Mr. Dante, when they showed the part where the eastern hemisphere's Guardians sacrificed themselves to protect the frontline from a dungeon break.

"We will not die!" A charismatic Man wearing a cracked and dirty Golden armor shouted at his fellow Guardians as he stood on a slightly raised pile of rubble.

"We will not die!" He repeated, looking at the face of his comrades one by one.

"Even when we lay lifeless on the alien dirt of the portal! We will not die!" He jumped down the pile of rubble, the camera drone followed him.

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"Even when monsters feasts on our corpse! We will not die!" The crowd parted for him as he walk towards the front of their party where a small crack in space was starting to form.

"We! The Guardians of Earth, will live! We will live as another of our kind! As a mother who holds her child! We will live as men who protect their families! We will live as a child, who at this very moment, is watching us! They will take the mantle that we will leave tonight. Then, through them, we can fight for another battle!" Guardian Dante, as bloody and beaten as his fellow Guardians faced the opening portal a few meters away from him. He unsheathed his sword and raised it, then without looking back, He shouted and charged into the portal along with his men.

"For Humanity! For Earth!"

Jack shouted with them as he cried and rocked while hugging his teddy bear.

"It's dinner time, Jack." His mom lifted him up from behind and craddled him in her arms. "You need to be strong to protect humanity, right?"

"uh-huh, I'll be a Guardian mom." Jack told his mom while rubbing his face dry with his Mr. Dante. "I'll be the best Guardian in the world." he added and hugged her neck.

"Yes, yes. But Guardians need to greet their family on new years eve's dinner, ok?" she said and proceeded to walk down the stairs from his room and deposited him on a chair near hers on the dining table.

"Happy new year Jack." Jack's uncle greeted him then ruffled his hair.

"Happy new year uncle Sam, Aunty Helen, Aunty Michelle, Dad, Mom, Grand Da, Baby Sam and Mira." Jack smiled and greeted his Family who greeted him back. His sadness melting away when he saw his family were all gathered in the kitchen.

His grandfather chuckled on his seat at the head of the long table. "Were you watching Guardian Dante on the television again?" his gruffy voice sounded very affectionate.

"Yes!" Jack said then stood on his chair. "I will become a Guardian like him and he will live as me to fight another battle on the front lines!" Jack exclaimed.

"You meant a hunter like me? Right son?" His father asked with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow.

"No, I will be a Guardian! I will not be as strong but I will be as honorable as the old Guardians and die and live as another to fight another battle!" Jack jumped on his seat.

"Hahaha! That's my boy! Just wait till the system pick you and show the world the honor of the old Guardians!" His Grandfather said proudly.

"Jack." Jack's mother put her hand on top of his head. "The system chooses who will become changed humans. We can never know for sure if you will be chosen. Remember, even unchanged humans fought hard to protect humanity against the monsters." She kissed his forehead. "We will love you no matter what."

"Yes, Mom." Jack smiled at his mother. "But I'm sure I will become a changed human! I can feel it!"

**********

Jack didn't become a changed human.

Jack can still vividly remember the last night his whole family celebrated new years eve as a whole. It was the happiest memory he has and he's afraid it might stay that way into the future.

"Rabbit! pick up the pace or you will get a pay cut again!" Morriston, Jack's supervisor, yelled as he sipped his freshly brewed coffee.

"Yes Sir!" Jack replied energetically and swung his pickaxe faster, he cannot let the leech have a reason to pocket a part of his already measly salary again.

"That's the spirit!" Morriston the leech slapped Jack's back a little too hard and chuckled to himself. "Everyone! you should be as lively as little Rabbit here."

"Yes Sir!" The Dungeon cave echoed as Jack's fellow miners shouted their response to their supervisor.

"Very good!" Morriston smiled contentedly as he revel in his little show of authority then walked back out of the dungeon.

"That pudgy little bat hates you, huh?" Jack's senior co-worker, Tj, said as he easily swung his pickaxe with one hand to break the crystal ore into smaller pieces.

"I think so, I guess he hates pretty faces, no wonder he never bothers you."Jack quipped with a smirk.

"Nah, he just knows if he bothers my handsome face, his would be caved in instantly." Tj retorted.

"Yeah, that's true," Jack agreed with his two and a half meter tall friend of pure muscle.

"You coming back to your hometown for New Years?" Tj asked him after a while.

"Nope, I might as well work for the double pay." Jack replied flaty.

"You need a life man, your family will want you home." Tj said, concern in his deep voice.

"Yeah, well they can get either me or my money for the new year, even if they don't say it, I know that they need money more than my company for a day." Jack said nonchalantly.

"Well, bills don't pay themselves." Tj sighed. "I wish I was chosen by the system. I mean look at me."

"Yeah," Jack said. "Me too."

***********

December 31 2092

11:59 pm

"Happy new year Mom." Jack said, struggling to keep his voice from breaking.

"You should have come home." His mother said in a tired voice.

"I'm still in training Mom." Jack said, trying to convince himself more than his mother.

"Baby... Jack, your father wants to see you."

"No! he doesn't!" Jack shouted but immediately felt sorry. "Sorry Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout, it's just that the training has been quite difficult recently."

"Jack.." His Mother paused for a while, Jack can hear she is sobbing. "We know, Jack.. baby, we know you're not training." His mother was now crying aloud. "Just come back home, we miss you."

Jack muted the call as he let his failures and disappointment flow down his eyes.