Technology and Weaponry

When the Rupture opened and conventional weapons failed against elementally-charged monsters, humanity faced extinction. Those who survived learned a brutal truth: only creature-derived materials could reliably harm creatures. Everything changed. Technology rebuilt itself around this reality, creating a new industrial revolution forged in desperation and blood.

The Discovery

Week One: Conventional firearms, explosives, and military hardware proved largely ineffective. Bullets bounced off elemental auras. Missiles detonated harmlessly against stone-skin. Even when physical damage occurred, creatures regenerated at impossible speeds.

Week Two: A desperate soldier killed a Fire-type creature with a piece of rebar torn from ruins—rebar that had been fused with creature materials during the monster's rampage. The improvised weapon cut through elemental aura like it wasn't there.

Week Three: Researchers confirmed the pattern. Materials infused with elemental energy could bypass elemental defenses. Harvested creature parts could be forged into weapons, armor, and tools that worked where human technology failed.

The Shift: Humanity had its answer. To fight monsters, you needed to harvest monsters. The cycle began: kill creatures, harvest materials, forge better weapons, kill stronger creatures.

Creature Materials and Harvesting

Material Properties

Every part of a slain creature has potential use, though quality varies by origin:

Origin affects quality:

Rift-born materials: Purest elemental charge, highest quality, most valuable
Natural-born materials: Strong elemental charge, slightly less pure, still premium
Infused materials: Weaker elemental charge, impurities from original Earth biology, but abundant

Core Materials (primary harvests):

Elemental cores: Concentrated energy, power sources
Scales/hide: Armor plating, protective gear
Claws/fangs/horns: Weapon components, cutting edges
Bones: Framework for weapons and armor
Blood/ichor: Alchemical components, enhancement fluids

Secondary Materials:

Eyes: Sensor components, detection gear
Organs: Medical research, specialized tools
Venom/poison: Weapon coatings, antidotes
Feathers/fur: Insulation, stealth materials

Element-specific traits:

Sun materials: Emit heat, generate light, volatile
Earth materials: Incredibly durable, heavy, stable
Moon materials: Light-absorbing, enhance stealth, unstable
Ocean materials: Adaptive, flexible, corrosion-resistant
Sky materials: Lightweight, conduct electricity, fragile
Nature materials: Self-repairing, organic, biodegradable

Material Quality by Rank

Monster rank directly affects material quality:

F-rank materials:

Weak elemental charge
Basic equipment only
Degrades quickly
Cheap and common
Most F-rank materials now come from infused creatures

E-rank materials:

Moderate elemental charge
Standard hunter equipment
Reasonable durability
Affordable for new hunters

D-rank materials:

Strong elemental charge
Quality professional gear
Good durability
Industry standard

C-rank materials:

Very strong elemental charge
Premium equipment
Excellent durability
Expensive but worth it

B-rank materials:

Exceptional elemental charge
Elite-grade equipment
Near-indestructible
Extremely expensive

A-rank materials:

Legendary elemental charge
Master-crafted equipment
Permanent durability
Worth fortunes

S-rank materials:

Reality-bending properties
Unique equipment with impossible abilities
Literally priceless
Fewer than 100 items exist globally
Exclusively rift-born; no natural-born or infused creature has reached S-rank

Harvesting Process

In the field:

Confirm kill (creatures can fake death)
Extract elemental core immediately (degrades within 30 minutes)
Remove primary materials (scales, claws, etc.)
Tag carcass for guild retrieval team
Transport high-value materials personally

Professional processing:

Guild harvesting teams retrieve tagged carcasses
Expert butchers extract secondary materials
Everything usable gets catalogued and valued
Hunters receive payment for harvested materials
Guild takes percentage, sells remainder

Material degradation:

Fresh materials most valuable
Elemental charge fades over time if not processed
Proper storage extends viability
Some materials must be used within hours
Ancient creature remains worthless (charge gone)

Weapons Technology

Melee Weapons

Most hunters rely on melee weapons for several reasons:

Direct contact with creature materials most effective
Firearms still require elemental ammunition (expensive)
Close combat allows precise harvesting
Elemental cores positioned near vital areas

Weapon Types:

Blades (swords, daggers, knives)

Most common hunter weapon
Creature bone/fang forged into edge
Elemental core in pommel or guard
Element determines special properties
Maintenance: regular sharpening, core recharging

Polearms (spears, glaives, halberds)

Extended reach, defensive capability
Creature bone shaft with claw/horn tip
Allows safe engagement of larger monsters
Popular for team formations
Maintenance: shaft integrity, tip sharpness

Heavy Weapons (axes, hammers, greatswords)

High damage, requires strength
Dense creature bone/scale construction
Effective against armored monsters
Slower but devastating
Maintenance: weight distribution, impact stress

Dual Weapons (paired daggers, twin swords)

Speed and precision over power
Lighter materials, often Sky-element
Requires high skill to use effectively
Popular with agility-focused hunters
Maintenance: balance matching, synchronized charging

Exotic Weapons (whips, chains, gauntlets)

Specialized usage, unique techniques
Often incorporate multiple creature types
Requires specific training
Rare but effective in right hands
Maintenance: complex, specialist required

Ranged Weapons

Less common but valuable for specific situations:

Bows and Crossbows:

Arrows/bolts tipped with creature materials
String infused with Sky-element for power
Silent, precise, good for Moon-type hunters
Ammunition expensive
Maintenance: string tension, limb stress

Firearms (modified):

Conventional firearms retrofitted
Elemental-charged ammunition required
Loud, draws attention
Good for suppression fire
Maintenance: barrel stress from elemental rounds, jamming

Throwables (kunai, shuriken, bombs):

Creature material projectiles
One-use items, costly
Strategic deployment only
Effective for hit-and-run tactics
Maintenance: storage stability, elemental decay

Weapon Crafting

Process:

Design based on hunter style and monster type
Select appropriate creature materials
Forge/craft base weapon
Infuse elemental core
Balance and test
Ongoing maintenance and upgrades

Crafters:

Guild-employed master crafters
Independent smiths (expensive but talented)
Specialized elemental crafters
Each crafter has signature style
Best crafters have waiting lists

Cost:

Basic E-rank weapon: 5,000-10,000 credits
Quality D-rank weapon: 20,000-50,000 credits
Premium C-rank weapon: 100,000-300,000 credits
Elite B-rank weapon: 500,000+ credits
A-rank weapon: Custom pricing, often millions
S-rank weapon: Priceless heirlooms

Customization:

Hunters often use same weapon for years
Upgrades replace components as better materials acquired
Personal modifications reflect fighting style
Named weapons for legendary hunters
Weapons passed down to students/heirs

Armor and Protection

Armor Types

Light Armor:

Creature hide/scales, minimal coverage
Focuses on mobility over protection
Popular with scouts, speed-focused hunters
Protects vital areas only
Cost: 10,000-100,000 credits depending on rank

Medium Armor:

Balanced protection and mobility
Layered scales or reinforced hide
Standard for most hunters
Full torso coverage, joint protection
Cost: 30,000-300,000 credits depending on rank

Heavy Armor:

Maximum protection, reduced mobility
Creature bone/shell plating
Tank hunters, formation fighters
Nearly impenetrable to lower-rank monsters
Cost: 100,000-1,000,000 credits depending on rank

Armor Properties by Element

Sun-element armor:

Heat resistant, glows faintly
Intimidation factor
Vulnerable to water/cold
Popular for aggressive fighters

Earth-element armor:

Heaviest, most durable
Slow but nearly indestructible
Weak to erosion/acid
Standard for defensive roles

Moon-element armor:

Light-absorbing, stealth bonus
Lightweight, flexible
Weak structural integrity
Assassin and scout preference

Ocean-element armor:

Adaptive, self-repairing slowly
Water-resistant
Vulnerable to extreme temperature
Versatile all-around choice

Sky-element armor:

Lightest, maximum mobility
Electricity-resistant
Fragile under sustained attack
Speed-build hunters only

Nature-element armor:

Living armor, regenerates damage
Comfortable, grows with wearer
Fire vulnerability
Rare, requires constant care

Specialized Gear

Detection Equipment:

Elemental sensors using monster eyes/organs
Track creature signatures
Warning systems for ambush
Range based on component quality

Climbing Gear:

Claws for grip, lightweight materials
Essential for Sky-type hunting
Allows vertical combat
Failure means death

Survival Equipment:

Tents reinforced with creature hide
Water purification using Nature-element organs
Emergency medical supplies with creature-derived healing
Rations preserved in elemental containers

Communication Devices:

Radios powered by elemental cores
Range limited by core quality
Encrypted using elemental frequencies
Vulnerable to interference from high-rank monsters

City Infrastructure

The Walls

Fortress walls represent humanity's greatest engineering achievement post-Rupture:

Construction:

30-50 meters high, 10-20 meters thick
Reinforced concrete base
Creature materials integrated throughout
Earth-element cores for structural integrity
Self-repairing in sections with Nature-element infusion

Defensive Systems:

Mounted weapons along battlements
Elemental detection grids
Emergency response stations
Overlapping kill zones
Backup wall sections for breach scenarios

Maintenance:

Constant repairs from monster attacks
Elemental core replacement quarterly
Damage assessment daily
Testing protocols weekly
Entire city economy partially built around wall maintenance

Power Generation

Elemental cores replaced fossil fuels:

Large cores from C-rank and above monsters
Generate power through controlled elemental release
Different elements for different applications
Requires skilled technicians to maintain
Core depletion necessitates constant hunting

Applications:

City power grids
Manufacturing facilities
Water purification
Climate control in sealed sections
Communication networks

Limitations:

Cores eventually deplete (weeks to months depending on size)
Unstable cores can explode
Element compatibility issues
Expensive to maintain
Cities compete for high-quality cores

Transportation

Within Cities:

Electric vehicles powered by elemental cores
Public transit systems
Mostly pedestrian (conserve resources)

Between Cities:

Armored convoys with hunter escorts
Sky-element vehicles for wealthy (risky, expensive)
Ocean routes for coastal cities (monster-infested)
Trade caravans as primary goods transport
Travel is dangerous; most people never leave their birth city

Manufacturing

Pre-Rupture industries mostly collapsed:

Traditional manufacturing impossible (resources cut off)
Factory districts converted to processing centers
Automation reduced (power too valuable)

Post-Rupture industries emerged:

Creature material processing plants
Weapon and armor forges
Elemental core refineries
Repair shops for hunter equipment
Research facilities studying monster biology

Economic shift:

Hunter-related industries dominate
Traditional goods luxury items
Recycling and salvage crucial
Everything more expensive
Resource scarcity constant

Medical Technology

Creature-Derived Medicine

Monster materials revolutionized medicine:

Healing salves:

Nature-element organs processed into regenerative compounds
Accelerate healing 5-10x normal rate
Expensive but life-saving
Guild benefits often cover costs
Black market for civilian access

Antidotes and antitoxins:

Created from monster venoms/poisons
Element-specific treatments
Must match poison type or ineffective
Hunters carry relevant antidotes for their contracts
Shelf life limited

Surgical enhancements:

Monster bone grafts for severe injuries
Elemental infusions for chronic conditions
Experimental and risky
Only for wealthy or critical hunters
Side effects poorly understood

Prosthetics:

Lost limbs replaced with creature-material prosthetics
Elemental cores provide motor function
Better than pre-Rupture prosthetics
Expensive ongoing maintenance
Some hunters prefer loss over cyborg status

Combat Medicine

Field treatment:

Emergency healing salves
Tourniquets using Ocean-element materials (self-tightening)
Portable defibrillators powered by Sky-element cores
Pain suppressants from processed monster organs

Guild medical facilities:

Trauma centers specialized in creature injuries
Element-specific treatment wings
Staff experienced with monster-inflicted wounds
Subsidized for guild members
Civilians pay premium rates

Recovery rates:

Minor injuries: days instead of weeks
Major injuries: weeks instead of months
Critical injuries: survival possible where death was certain
Psychological trauma: no creature-based cure exists

Research and Development

Academic Institutions

Universities and research centers study monster biology, elemental theory, and technological applications:

Areas of study:

Creature evolution and behavior
Elemental energy properties
Material science and applications
Rift phenomena and gate theory
Bond research (often classified/suppressed)

Challenges:

Live specimens dangerous to acquire
Funding tied to military applications
Political pressure to suppress certain findings
Researcher mortality rate concerning
Ethical debates about experimentation

Cutting-Edge Development

Current projects (various institutions):

Synthetic elemental cores (reduce hunting dependency)
Rift closure technology (theoretical)
Bonding replication (controversial, mostly secret)
Creature communication attempts
Elemental hybrid materials
S-rank material applications (when available)

Breakthrough potential:

Self-sustaining power sources
Impenetrable defenses
Offensive weapons matching A-rank monsters
Reclaiming the Wilds
Understanding the Rupture's cause

Obstacles:

Limited funding (survival takes priority)
Dangerous research conditions
Missing pre-Rupture scientific infrastructure
Brain drain (researchers become hunters for better pay)
Suppression of politically inconvenient findings

The Black Market

Where there's scarcity and desperation, illegal trade flourishes:

Common black market goods:

Stolen creature materials
Falsely-graded weapons/armor
Unlicensed healing salves
Illegal elemental cores
Restricted research
Bonded creature information

Prices:

Premium over legal markets (50-200% markup)
Quality unreliable
No recourse if cheated
Risk of execution if caught

Who uses it:

Guildless hunters
Desperate civilians
Bonded hunters hiding partners
Criminals and gangs
Those city authorities won't help

The Economic Reality

Everything costs more post-Rupture:

90% population loss reduced labor force
Resource scarcity from isolation
Constant military spending on defense
Creature materials expensive to acquire
Technology dependent on dangerous hunting

Result: Vast wealth inequality

Elite hunters are millionaires
Skilled workers live comfortably
Average civilians scrape by
Failed hunters and unemployed struggle
Children orphaned by Rupture face poverty

The technology exists to survive. Barely. Whether humanity can thrive again—that question remains unanswered.

The Future

Five years in, humanity has stabilized. The walls hold. Hunters grow more skilled. Technology improves incrementally.

But the creatures keep coming. The rifts don't close. The Wilds don't shrink.

Every technological advance comes from harvested monsters. Every weapon requires killing. Every improvement demands blood.

Humanity survives by becoming predators ourselves.

Maybe that's the price of survival.

Maybe we had no choice.

Maybe we're becoming monsters too.