Lucien turned the page, still seated on the plush carpet of his grandfather's study. The scent of old parchment and ink filled the room, a comforting contrast to the heavy secrets pressing against his mind.
The file he held was thick—thick with truths hidden from common knowledge, weighted with the kind of information that could reshape a person's entire understanding of the world.
I know this already, he thought, scanning the introductory lines that described the size of the world, the power systems that governed it, and the nine great families standing at the apex of humanity.
But as he read further, a chill slid down his spine.
Because this wasn't the surface-level fluff the novel had hinted at. No vague world-building, no half-finished notes.
This was official.
Detailed.
Precise.
The kind of knowledge only given to those burdened with the responsibility of legacy.
Lucien's eyes sharpened as he continued.
---
Continent II: The Draconic Domain
The land ruled by the Dragons of Space—a race so mighty they could tear apart dimensions with a flick of their wings.
Above all stood the Space Dragons, creatures of ancient bloodlines whose power eclipsed human understanding. Beneath them thrived the Five Colored Dragons: Red, Blue, Green, Black, and White—each representing elemental dominion.
They maintained a delicate balance with humanity. Neither friend nor foe.
But it was said that a fully matured Space Dragon could rival a demigod.
The Dragon Princess must come from here, Lucien realized, remembering the aloof yet mesmerizing girl from the novel. Her silvery hair, her glinting golden eyes—traits of those who had command over space itself.
He shivered slightly, not out of fear, but anticipation.
Someday, their paths would cross.
---
Continent III: The Elven Lands
Ruled by the Royal Elves, beings of unmatched beauty and terrifying magic. Beneath them served the Elemental Elves—masters of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning.
Unlike the dragons, the elves bore no pretense of neutrality.
They hated humans.
Their hatred ran deep, rooted in centuries of cruelty. Humans had once enslaved elves, auctioned them like cattle, using their magical affinity and long lifespans for selfish gain.
Now, the Elven Lands were a powder keg—one insult, one misstep away from all-out war.
Lucien's jaw tightened.
It was no wonder the elves chose isolation over diplomacy.
---
Continent IV: The Dwarven Mountains
A land carved by flame and thunder.
The dwarves divided themselves into two great tribes:
The Forgers: smiths capable of creating weapons so powerful they could wound demigods.
The Hammer Warriors: living juggernauts, blessed by battle gods to crush mountains with their fists.
There were legends among them—twins who had forged an SSS-grade hammer with their bare hands, warriors who could shatter enemy armies with a single strike.
Yet despite their valor, dwarves sneered at humans.
Mass-production disgusted them. They revered craftsmanship, where every strike of the hammer was a prayer, every blade a masterpiece.
Lucien made a silent vow.
One day, I'll earn their respect.
---
Continent V: The Orc Dominion
A savage and brutal land.
At the top sat the Emperor Tribe, bloodthirsty conquerors crowned through countless wars.
Below them, the Five War Tribes, each named for their favored weapons—axe, spear, hammer, blade, and bow.
Orcs respected nothing but strength.
Their raids were infamous, their blood feuds eternal. Every few decades, their hordes spilled across borders, seeking glory through plunder—most often targeting elves and beastkin.
Humanity was simply another target.
---
Continent VI: The Titan Realm
Lucien's hand froze on the page for a moment.
Titans.
Beings who could shift their size at will—from man-sized warriors to towering giants who could crush cities underfoot.
Ruled by the ancient Primordial Titans, and divided into clans that mastered forces like gravity, thunder, war, forests, and stone.
Titans and dragons had warred for longer than recorded history.
Old wounds. Old grudges.
Caught between the two? Death was a mercy.
Lucien's heart thudded against his ribs.
I'll need more than strength to survive this world.
---
Continent VII: The Vampire Territories
A kingdom built in shadow and blood.
Six royal bloodlines, each descended from the First Vampire King.
Vampires needed no excuse to hunt. To them, blood was life, battle was instinct, and diplomacy was a temporary truce at best.
Only the threat of the demigods kept their ambitions leashed.
For now.
---
Continent VIII: The Beastkin Realms
A wild land of ancient tribes and roaring spirits.
The Tiger Men Royalty reigned supreme, followed by noble lines of Elephant Men, Wolfmen, Bearmen, Lionmen, and Birdmen.
They were not truly hostile to humanity.
But they were territorial, fiercely protective of their lands.
Crossing their borders without permission was tantamount to signing one's own death warrant.
---
Continent IX: The Witchlands
Shrouded in mists and riddled with forbidden sorceries.
The Witch Queen ruled from a tower of shifting reality, flanked by her Twelve Great Witches.
They practiced dark arts—curses, soul manipulation, forbidden magic long since outlawed in other lands.
Most races simply avoided them.
It was safer that way.
---
Continent X: No-Man's Land
The frontier of nightmares.
No rulers. No laws. No civilization.
Only monsters.
Beasts that began at A-rank—and climbed to horrors beyond classification.
Even SSS+ rankers tread carefully here.
At the heart of this cursed wasteland lay a portal.
A portal to a realm beyond the world.
A portal to the demons.
---
Lucien's fingers trembled slightly as he turned the final set of pages.
---
Portals & Invasions
Portals had existed since ancient times, connecting this world to realms unknown.
They were ranked like everything else—F to SSS+.
Each continent held one terrifying SSS+ portal. But the worst portal—an ancient wound in reality itself—lay deep within No-Man's Land.
It led to the Demon Realm.
Long ago, to survive the endless demon invasions, the races of the nine continents had signed the Contract of Unity—an ancient agreement enforced by their strongest champions.
If even one side broke the contract, the portals would reopen—and the world would drown in blood once more.
---
Power Rankings
Strength was everything.
Each rank from F- to SSS+ was divided meticulously:
Level 1–3: F-
Level 4–6: F
Level 7–9: F+
Level 10: Quasi-E
… and so on, up to:
Level 99: Peak SSS+
Level 100: Demigod
Only a handful of beings across all races reached level 100.
They stood above it all, forming the World Council—making decisions not for nations, but for reality itself.
Their lifespan stretched up to 5000 years.
Lucien's hands clenched around the file.
And my great-grandfather… is one of them.
---
Lucien closed the file with a soft thud.
The room seemed colder somehow.
The world wasn't just vast.
It was a battlefield stitched together with fragile treaties, ancient grudges, and monsters that could swallow armies whole.
I have to grow faster.
Stronger.
Smarter.
He rose to his feet, his red eyes burning with a newfound resolve, staring out the window at the distant mountains cloaked in twilight.
This world won't wait.
And neither would he.