Worm (Parahumans #1) - Chapter 204: Arc 18: Queen - Interlude; Echidna

Nine years ago, humankind almost perished the day monsters came out of the Cracks– aka dungeons– that appeared all over the world.When all hope seemed to be lost, a select few awakened as Hunters equipped with a System.Thanks to them, the civilization recovered faster than one would expect after the apocalypse.However, another conflict presented itself later: the more the Hunters used their powers, the quicker they lost their sanity.Fortunately, among the Awakened People, there is a group classified by the System as Guides– and only these Guides have the power to soothe the Hunters and bring them back to their senses.Sounds great, right?But what happens when a Civilian is in a relationship with a Hunter who has a high matching rate with their Guide?“Let’s break up, Wonhee.”Yep, this is what happens when your Hunter boyfriend has a 76% matching rate with his Guide.Wonhee was dumped by her long-time boyfriend because she’s just a Civilian…… or so she thought.

Xiao Rou, a girl growing up in a poor countryside family, finds that she’s actually the daughter of a wealthy couple. Her mother had mistaken another girl for her back at the hospital. Thinking she would change from an ugly duckling to a noble swan and live happily ever after with her real family, reality strikes her in the face.

I am Master Siwei, and I speak for arcane arts.
This is an era of heroes and heroines.
This is an era of great changes.
In the end, it will be an arcane era opened by me.

- Description from Novelupdates

June 15 of the year 2010, the third awakening happened. Several smaller worlds had returned to connect with the main world as living beings of different races started to appear and some people managed to connect with the origin and gain control of various powers: control of fire, of water, of wind, of air, and of earth... In the midst of all these confusions, towers that gave unimaginable powers began to appear in all corners of the world, where those who already had powers could upgrade and become more powerful or even those who did not have powers could receive powers through tests of the tower. And because of these towers, conflicts started to happen in all corners of the world by those wanting to monopolize these towers.

Luan Dimas was betrayed by one of the people he trusted most. However, in his final moments before being killed, he was transported back to four months before the third awakening that started the apocalypse on earth. Being a man who lived for a thousand years and had accumulated several techniques, he now had a new chance to correct some of his early mistakes. Luan decided to make the most of this new chance that the heavens had given to him.