The Aspida Empire was said to have the longest reign and ruled over nearly 80% of the western continents, Erupa. Their people were considered to be supreme beings among humanity in this world, because they were carrying the divine blood from their goddess. This divine heritage set them apart from ordinary humans and other races, granting them unmatched strength and intellect.
Their goddess, Athena, the deity of wisdom, bestowed upon them this sacred power. In return, she entrusted them with a singular duty to seal the Oracle Gate.
The Oracle Gate was an ancient structure, a gateway that connects this realm to the dark realm. It was built by the gods and goddess after the legendary Battle of Oracle, when divine beings and mortal united to drive back the demon horde and forced them through the gate, which was then sealed to imprison them and prevent them to bring chaos to the world.
To ensure the gate remained closed forever, Goddess Athena took it upon herself to guard it and protect life in this world. With her power, she was able to grant the people of this world classes.
Unlike ordinary people, who received a class from the goddess at the age of fifteen, the Aspidans did not require one, their power alone far surpassed anything a class could offer.
However, even with their divine power, the Aspida Empire began to fall due to the ongoing internal conflicts and widespread uprisings, all arranged by the Diabolos Organization.
The Diabolos were a devil-worshipping cult devoted to dark powers. Their main goal was to harness the power of the devil to gain immense strength, immortality and free the demon king.
The organization was founded by escaped demons who had avoided being sealed away. These demons deceived humans with promises of power in order to grow their influence.
As their followers increased, they began to corrupt other groups and nobles, spreading their beliefs and power across the continent.
By the time the Aspidans realized the threat, it was too late. The Diabolos had already infiltrated the empire and broken the Oracle Seal, unleashing chaos upon the world.
Caught in the middle of this disaster, the Aspida Empire was forced to fight on two fronts, against the rising coups from within and the demon invasion from beyond.
The Oracle Gate, sealed for a thousand years, and the peace it upheld were shattered in just a week.
After the fall of the Aspida Empire, the people in Erupa finally realized the consequences of their actions. Demon forces poured out from the Oracle Gate, destroying Aspida's cities and spreading chaos across the vassal kingdoms.
In just one month, the demon horde had taken control of 60% of Erupa, the western continent. This sudden conquest deeply alarmed the eastern continent, Asura, as the threat of demonic invasion became impossible to ignore.
In response, the kingdoms and empires of Asura began taking swift countermeasures. A high-level emergency conference was quickly assembled to address the growing danger.
From this gathering, four powerful kingdoms and two mighty empires from Asura united with the five remaining kingdoms of Erupa to form an alliance known as the Confederation of Liberation.
The alliance's purpose was to provide both military support and essential supplies to the remaining Erupan kingdoms resisting the demon invasion.
Leading the resistance was the Kingdom of Zoryvia, located in northern Erupa, bordering the Velgorod Empire, one of the Asuran empires that joined the alliance. Zoryvia was the largest of the remaining Erupan kingdoms and had strong diplomatic ties with Velgorod, making it a central pillar in the Confederation.
South of Zoryvia were three additional kingdoms:
The Kingdom of Gallandria, a prosperous and refined realm renowned for its magic and arts. Gallandria valued knowledge, beauty, and freedom. It lay directly below Zoryvia and bordered the Kingdom of Al-Nur, one of Asura's allied kingdoms.The Kingdom of Reikenthal, a compact yet formidable nation built on machinery and ancient runes. Its people treated magic as science, and their culture emphasized discipline, control, and innovation. Reikenthal was located south of Gallandria and also bordered Al-Nur.The Kingdom of Vessonia, a sacred land where the goddess Athena was worshipped. It lay to the west of Reikenthal and directly south of Gallandria.
Finally, there was the Kingdom of Avastrad, the second largest of Erupa's surviving kingdoms after Zoryvia.
Avastrad's lands stretched around Gallandria, Reikenthal, and Vessonia like a protective barrier. It bordered the Serranid Khanate and the White Sea, making it a key stronghold along Erupa's southern front.
Ultimately, Zoryvia and Avastrad were positioned as the frontline defenders, standing as the first line of resistance to shield both Erupa and Asura from the growing tide of the demon horde.
The alliance's strategy worked as expected. With support from Asura, Zoryvia and Avastrad were able to hold their ground and successfully repel the demon forces, preventing them from further expanding their aggression.
However, the head of the research institutions in the Kingdom of Reikenthal discovered that the ancient ruins, commonly referred to as dungeons, built over a thousand years ago might be connected to the ancient structure, the Oracle Gate.
It was suspected that the demons were using these dungeons as a passageway from the Oracle Gate to spread across the continent. While this remained only a theory, it raised serious concerns.
As a result, a high-level alert was issued for the exploration and conquest of the dungeons. Adventurers and soldiers from around the world began to unite, working together to explore and secure these ancient sites.
Amidst these efforts, the Holy Kingdom of Vessonia discovered the next Saintess, a child born with divine power, chosen directly by Goddess Athena. It was a sign that the gods had not abandoned humanity.
At the moment of her birth, a radiant light burst forth from the child, spreading across the remaining kingdoms of Erupa. This light formed a holy barrier, a divine shield that weakened any demon that came into contact with it.
Fearing the barrier, the demon forces shifted their focus, launching relentless attacks on Avastrad in an attempt to break through and reach Vessonia, hoping to eliminate the source of the divine interference once and for all.
After all the chaos and destruction, humanity finally came to a painful realization, how different things might have turned out if the Aspidan people had still been alive to fight alongside them against the demons. It was a regretful thought, a bitter and shameful reflection on what had happened in Erupa.
As for Asura, the eastern continent had never expected events to spiral so far out of control following the fall of the Aspida Empire. Many of its kingdoms and empires had maintained diplomatic ties with Aspida, but none had imagined that the vassal kingdoms and the Diabolos Organization would actually succeed in their rebellion and plunge the once peaceful world into chaos.
The nations of Asura did not step in out of sympathy for Erupa, they acted out of necessity. Their goal was to prevent the demon forces from extending their invasion eastward, while also desperately searching for a way to seal the Oracle Gate once more.
There was only one question on everyone's mind:
"Did any of the Aspidan people survive?"
No one knew the answer. But at the very same time the new Saintess was born, a mysterious baby boy was found at the doorstep of a church in the small village of Egrish, located in the northern region of Avastrad.
The baby boy was taken in and raised within the church.
What awaited him was something completely unexpected.