On Earth, humanity stood proudly at the top of the food chain, unmatched and unrivaled by any other species.But in The Oneness, things were very different.Countless races existed there—many as intelligent and powerful as humans, sometimes even more so.And beyond those races lived the true nightmares of that world: Monsters.
Beasts of overwhelming strength, like creatures torn straight from ancient legends—demons that could level entire cities with a single strike, or reshape the landscape with just one attack. Against such power, humanity's technology meant almost nothing.
To help Players evaluate danger and decide which battles were even possible,
the Association categorized monsters into eight levels:
Common Level
Creatures commonly found across The Oneness.
Their strength was comparable to animals on Earth.
A Rank E Player—one or two of them—with proper artifacts could handle them.
Professional Level
Significantly stronger—ten times the strength of Earth's animals.
A single one could easily kill a fully grown African elephant.
Hunting them required a team, ideally with at least one Rank D Player.
Elder Level
Now truly terrifying.A single Elder monster could wipe out an entire human village.
Hunting required multiple Rank C Players, or a team that included High-Rank Players.
Warlord Level
Even High-Rank Players struggled against them.Defeating one required a party comprised of Rank B Players,and preferably at least one Rank A Player.
Marquis Level
The strongest class of monsters that modern Players could realistically hunt.Capable of annihilating entire cities.A group of Rank A Players was required—and ideally a Super Player (Rank S) among them.
Emperor Level
Even Rank S Players could not kill them.At best, groups of Rank S Players could injure or repel them.Their power was enough to eradicate entire human kingdoms.
But even the Emperor Level wasn't the peak.Occasionally, beings appeared that even Rank S Players stood no chance against—monsters whose existence could only be inferred from ancient skeletal remains or old myths.
These were classified as:
Ancient Level
Beings so powerful that even glimpsing them meant certain death.
The Association named them "Ancient" because their power could only be estimated from prehistoric remains and obscure legends.
And above even them were the whispered legends:
Chaos Level
Beings whose power rivaled gods.No skeletons, no evidence—nothing but rumors.
The Association labeled them Chaos, meaning:
If they truly existed, their power would be enough to plunge the entire world into devastation.
Fortunately for humanity,monsters from The Oneness could not cross into Earth. If they could, mankind would face a catastrophe far worse than any world war.
Because of the danger and sheer scale of the unknown, exploration of The Oneness had made very little progress. Even after years of human presence, Players had barely touched the "tip of the iceberg." Many regions remained unreachable—lands where no human could even set foot.
Fortunately for Thailand,the teleportation gates connecting to The Oneness were situated mostly within the territory of the Yothandia Kingdom, a nation ruled by humans.
Because of this, the areas Thai players entered were relatively safe from high-tier monsters. Cities existed where Players could rest, trade supplies, exchange information, and take shelter.
Although most Players earned their living by hunting monsters for meat and energy crystals, many chose different occupations inside The Oneness—merchants, doctors, farmers, even soldiers. Some rose so high in rank that they earned more through these professions than through monster hunting.
A few even became nobles or city rulers.Since both worlds were connected, one's status in The Oneness influenced one's status in the real world as well.
Guildmaster Tana understood this better than anyone.He had seized the opportunity during Yothandia's large-scale war years ago.Using his strength, he rose through the ranks and became a Great General of the kingdom.
With access to Yothandia's military power, he built The Future Guild into one of the nation's three most powerful guilds.That was why The Future dared declare itself the enforcer of law within Yothandia.
But the other two mega-guilds were not intimidated.
The Tiger Guild Led by a Rank A President and Rank A Vice PresidentFilled with infamous bounty huntersSkilled in fighting other humans, not monstersConnected to the country's mafiaRumored to be supported by The Darkness Association—a notorious underground organization active across many kingdoms in The Oneness
The Darkness Association was behind more than half of the tragedies in The Oneness, directly or indirectly.Some claimed their influence exceeded even that of Yothandia's royal army.
The Azure Dragon Guild, on the other hand, had only one Rank A Player—its Guildmaster, Tamba, the strongest tank across Indochina.But what it lacked in top-end power, it made up for with sheer numbers of High-Rank Players—more than both other guilds combined.
This was because Azure Dragon was founded by Thailand's elite.Its members were the wealthy and the powerful—the children of the nation's high society.They trained at Asashi Academy, the country's premier Player training institute.
When they entered The Oneness, they were already far stronger than ordinary applicants.Thus, Azure Dragon's influence rivaled that of any major guild.
If conflict escalated into a full-scale war,even with Yothandia's backing, The Future Guild would struggle to defeat both rival guilds.The most likely outcome?Mass casualties.
Perhaps even the downfall of all three guilds.
This was what Yongyut had concluded after years of collecting and analyzing information.
"Why tell all this to me?" Nawa asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It's nothing complicated," Yongyut replied.
"You're smart. This information will help you choose your path more wisely."
He paused before adding with a serious tone:
"You probably don't realize it yet, but you're already in danger.The Oneness is nothing like Earth.There are no laws there—no organizations to protect you.Killing a Player is no different from slaughtering a chicken.What you did today was admirable… but it was also reckless. You've drawn the attention of powers you shouldn't provoke."
Nawa nodded.He understood perfectly.He had stepped into the conflict of the three great guilds.A single misstep now could mean the end—not just of his career as a Player, but his life in both worlds.
"Thank you," he said. "So… what is it you want me to do?"
Yongyut froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected Nawa to cut straight to the point.Most people, upon hearing they were in danger, would panic or lose their composure.Yet the young man before him remained calm, rational, and sharp—sharp enough to see through Yongyut's hidden intentions immediately.
"Well then," Yongyut said, "I'll be straightforward."
He laid out his proposal: He wanted Nawa to work as his informant inside The Oneness.Originally, Yongyut assumed it would take time to persuade him.
He didn't expect Nawa to agree instantly—without asking about salary, contract terms, or conditions.
"You're not even going to think it over?" Yongyut asked, baffled. "Not even about payment? Or contract terms?"
"That's unnecessary," Nawa replied simply.
"If you pay too little, I just won't give you information.If I do poor work, you'll replace me anyway.Why waste time negotiating?"
His tone was calm—matter-of-fact, as if stating the obvious.
For a moment, Yongyut was speechless.He had faced countless politicians throughout his career—people full of schemes and hidden agendas.Yet here he was, struggling to keep up with the thought process of a young man barely out of his teens.
What Nawa said sounded naïve at first glance—but after thinking it through, there was no flaw in his reasoning.
"Excellent!" Yongyut laughed.
"You never fail to surprise me. In that case, let me buy you a meal to celebrate the start of our partnership."
"But I have to register as a Player today," Nawa reminded him.
"Don't worry. Asashi Academy's second-years are here for registration today. Even if you go now, they won't start testing until all those high-society kids show up."
Yongyut grinned.
"Besides, wouldn't you like to eat some Elder-level monster meat before your test?"
Nawa didn't refuse.He hadn't expected Yongyut to treat him to Elder-level monster meat.After eating until he was full, Nawa could feel his body growing noticeably stronger.
After expressing his sincere gratitude, he entered the elevator to head to the Player registration floor.
"Fifth floor. Doors opening."
When the elevator slid open, Nawa found the hall packed with young men and women chatting excitedly.The scene reminded him of a singing competition he once saw on TV: contestants waiting nervously for their turn.
Most applicants were around 18–19 years old—the minimum age at which one could enter The Oneness.It wasn't about legal adulthood.The Player Device didn't activate until the human body reached full physical maturity—around eighteen.
Likewise, the effects of monster meat only worked on bodies aged eighteen and above.Before that age, no matter how powerful the monster meat, the body simply couldn't grow stronger from it.
For this reason, most people waited a year or two to consume monster meat and build up their stats before entering The Oneness.Otherwise, entering too early—with stats no different from an ordinary human—was essentially suicide.
Nawa received his queue number: 108.
He sighed inwardly.He'd likely be stuck here till nightfall.Normally, only a handful of people registered on any given day.He hadn't expected to encounter this crowd.
But today, Asashi Academy's second-year students were here to get tested.
Their presence increased the applicant numbers tenfold.
Asashi Academy was the country's only officially recognized Player training institute.Students were taught combat, skills, and techniques essential for survival.
Classes were divided based on talent and specialization, allowing for explosive growth.
The students here today were mostly second-years, aged nineteen to twenty.
They had already undergone basic Player training—and had consumed monster meat to strengthen themselves.
Their stats were far beyond those of ordinary applicants.Because of this, many regular applicants chose to come another day—not wanting to risk embarrassment by being compared to Asashi's elite.
Only Nawa didn't care.He needed to enter The Oneness as soon as possible.Every day he delayed meant more interest he had to pay—money he didn't have.
"Hey, look at that guy. What class do you think he's from? I've never seen him before."
A girl whispered to her friend as Nawa walked past.His clothes were shabby and worn, but his face drew attention.
"From how he's dressed, he's probably not from our academy," her friend replied.
"Maybe he's just a regular guy trying to become a Player."
"That's too bad.If he was from the academy, I'd totally go after him."
"Don't even joke. Imagine dating a laborer Player—so embarrassing."
Nawa heard every word, but didn't react.Insults like this were nothing to him.
He'd already contemplated eating scraps from trash bins—what meaning did insults hold?
Many low-rank Players didn't hunt monsters.Instead, they worked as laborers—hauling materials, mining crystals, guarding outposts.Though they earned more than on Earth, it wasn't enough to afford good monster meat or advanced training.
Thus, "laborer Player" had become a derogatory insult.
"Please review the registration procedure displayed on the board,"a staff member called out.
Nawa followed her gesture.A large digital display—like a movie theater screen—lit up with images and instructions explaining the registration process.