Levi walked through the slums of the so-called major city, an area nestled at the very fringes of the towering stone walls that dominated the skyline. The massive structures loomed over the slums like silent sentinels, casting long, oppressive shadows that stretched across the narrow, winding streets.

It had only been a month and a half since Levi had left this place, but the sight of it tugged at something deep within him. There was a strange nostalgia in the air, a feeling that mingled with the stench of decay and the oppressive weight of the atmosphere.

The slums hadn't changed. They never did. Time passed, but this part of the city seemed eternally locked in its grim, unchanging state.

The alleys were as cramped as ever, barely wide enough for a single person to pass without brushing against the broken-down shacks lining the streets. The makeshift homes were patched together with scraps of wood and metal, sagging under the weight of time and neglect.

Children skittered through the shadows, their faces hollow with hunger, while adults lingered in doorways, their eyes filled with resignation. Levi recognized it all—the dirt, the hopelessness—but it felt more distant now, like a part of a life he had left behind.

Above, the walls loomed high, blocking out the sun and casting everything in a dull, grey light. The towering walls stood as a boundary between humanity and the monstrous lands beyond, a constant reminder of the price paid for human greed.

When humanity discovered Paradise, they began creating portals between Earth and Paradise, tapping into divine power without restraint. Driven by greed, the number of portals kept increasing, eventually falling into the hands of incompetent individuals. And that's when disaster struck.

Humans weren't the only ones capable of passing through the Bliss portals. When the strongholds on the other side in Paradise failed to hold, monsters swarmed through the portals onto Earth, triggering the First Great Cataclysm.

Unprepared and vulnerable, humanity was caught off guard. With no defenses in place, more than a third of the global population was wiped out. Monsters made their nests around the Bliss portals, forever altering the world.

The Phase of Great Change reshaped the world after the cataclysm. Before the disaster, over 150 countries existed, each with its own government and laws. But as monsters spread, smaller nations collapsed, and only the strongest survived, giving rise to the Five Unions.

Africa united to form the Union of Africa.

While North and South America merged under the leadership of Pachacuti, the World-Shaker. He and his sanctuary, the Great Sun, forged the Union of Great America. Europe and Australia remained largely the same as no nation had the military power or resources to conquer others during such chaotic times.

Asia, however, was the last to unite. With Russia, China, and India all competing for dominance, unity seemed impossible. Unlike America, which had Pachacuti as its undisputed leader, Asia lacked a singular figure to bring the nations together. Despite having powerful individuals, the three countries were evenly matched, their vast populations making a decisive victory difficult.

When humans gained the ability to form contracts with gods, countries with massive populations, like India, gained a significant advantage. Despite being less developed than China or Russia, India remained competitive purely because of its numbers.

For a decade, the power struggle continued, but with the growing might of a united America looming, the three powers—Russia, China, and India—had no choice but to merge, forming the Union of Asia.

Then there was Antarctica, the continent that had suffered the worst during the First Cataclysm. "Suffered" wasn't the right word—it had been completely overrun. Humanity had lost the entire continent to a monstrous swarm, a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked greed.

But humans, for all their flaws, were also adaptive. They learned quickly from their mistakes. Regulations on Bliss portals became far stricter. Only certified sanctuaries under the control of one of the Five Unions were allowed to open portals, and they could only remain open for a limited time.

At the first sign of a monster invasion, the portal had to be closed immediately. Additionally, a powerful individual—at least of Paladin rank—was required to stand guard on one side of the portal at all times.

These precautions helped humanity recover from the devastation of the First Cataclysm. But they weren't enough to stop the Second.

The Second Cataclysm struck exactly thirty years after the first, when humanity discovered a new threat—demonic followers. These crazed individuals, driven by madness, managed to open a Bliss portal larger than anything seen before, summoning a creature that humanity was utterly powerless against at the time.

Unlike the chaotic disaster of the First Cataclysm, this one was deliberate. The intention behind it was clear - to annihilate the Followers who had made contracts with the gods.

The devastation caused by this event far surpassed the first cataclysm. Cities were razed, sanctuaries overrun, and countless lives lost. The damage was catastrophic, not just physically but also psychologically.

Humanity was pushed to the brink of collapse as they fought to survive a foe far beyond their capabilities.

Although they managed to overcome the Second Cataclysm, the cost was almost too great to bear. Entire regions were left in ruin, and the scars of that battle lingered long after the threat was defeated.

But that had little to do with Levi.

It had been 48 years since the Second Cataclysm, and while no major events had occurred since, humanity had spent the time fortifying their cities. Massive walls encircled every population center, creating a barrier against the monsters that continued breeding outside, much like goblins.

Fortunately, these walls were strong, and most monsters couldn't break through.

Most.

From time to time, a powerful beast would appear, which is why the wealthy lived in the heart of the cities, far from the danger. The poor, on the other hand, were pushed to the outermost edges, near the walls, forced to live in constant terror and fear.

Levi knew this fear all too well. It was how he had lost his mother.

What kind of monster had it been? He tried to remember, searching his mind for the details. But nothing came to him.

Then, a moment later, as if the thought didn't concern him, Levi continued walking, the memory slipping away, forgotten.

He wasn't even aware that it had vanished from his mind!

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Daily Chapter~

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