Date: August 1, 1715Location: Medanya – 120 Degree Region – Inner Area – Church of God Lares
Sam Aymon, the deputy leader of the Aymon family—who served under God Lares, one of the three gods ruling the 120-Degree Zone—was going about one of his usual workdays in the Church of Lares.
The room was adorned with golden and black patterns, the colors symbolizing God Lares. In the center stood a large table, covered entirely by a map of the 120-Degree Zone.
At the southern end of the room stood another desk—Sam Aymon's personal desk. Behind it, a huge window covered nearly the entire wall. On the opposite end, to the north, was the only door leading in or out of the room.
This was a hidden room, located in the back of the church—essentially the deputy leader's office. Strategies were formulated here in response to important events. Then a decision would be made and passed on to Simon Aymon, head of the Aymon family. If he approved it, the decision would be put into action.
There was a gentle knock at Sam's door. He was seated at his desk, focused on documents in front of him. Without looking up, he responded.
Sam: Enter.
The man who walked in wore the official uniform of Lares' followers. His skin was brown, and his uniform was black with golden accents. Though his build was tall and slim like Sam's, he was slightly more muscular.
He held a slim folder in his hand and waited silently for Sam to speak first.
Sam: What is it, Kendrick?Kendrick: I've brought the latest reports from the 120-Degree Zone, sir.
Kendrick calmly approached and gently placed the folder on Sam's desk.
Sam picked it up quickly, but not hastily. There were five separate reports. He began reading the first.
Sam: Our rookies defeated the Third Floor's Boss. Not even a single injury... That's good. The Goblin King isn't an easy opponent.Kendrick: This year's rookies are outstanding, sir. They show great promise.
Sam smiled proudly.
Sam: My son is leading them, after all.
He moved on to the second report.
Sam: Goddess Tephi is looking for new followers.
Sam drifted into thought. Sensing this, Kendrick made a suggestion.
Kendrick: If you wish, we can send a few of our academy candidates as spies. Perhaps one of them will be chosen by Tephi.Sam: No... Goddess Tephi is currently allied with our God. We must not violate that alliance. Not unless God Lares gives us a revelation or task to do so. I'll inform Simon, but I'm sure he'll say the same.
Kendrick nodded in agreement.
Sam: Still, it's strange. A peaceful god with only 12 followers—all of whom are disciples—seeking more… What could the reason be? Never mind... On to the next one.
Sam opened the third report.
Sam: A member of the Kirmon family has been disowned and is being escorted back to Sefa Fortress via the inner road.
Sam scowled.
Sam: Damn those Kirmons. They won't ally with us, yet they use the roads we control without permission.
Kendrick: We're not going to act against them… right?Sam: Of course not. Let them use the road. The Kirmons don't care about anyone. They're a family solely focused on climbing the Tower. They're forbidden from associating with gods or their followers.
Kendrick, looking puzzled, asked boldly:
Kendrick: But sir, isn't this also their problem? God Bragi is spreading chaos throughout the 120-Degree Zone and they're doing nothing. What if Bragi gets what he wants and forces us and our god into his service… and then turns his eyes on the Kirmons?
Sam: No sane person would attack the Kirmons. Not while that monster Darkin leads them. The Kirmons aren't just powerful in the 120-Degree Zone… they're a force across all Medanya. Bragi won't attack them. He knows he can't win. And he knows if he leaves them alone, they'll ignore him in return.
Kendrick fell silent and lowered his head in understanding. Sam moved on to the fourth report.
Sam: Bragi's men attacked our forces on the 12th Floor?!! A-Are there casualties?
Kendrick bowed his head.
Kendrick: The unit had 20 men and 3 disciples. One disciple sacrificed himself so the others could escape. His death has been confirmed.
Sam slammed his fist down in fury, shattering the desk completely. Kendrick stared in shock.
Kendrick: (Wasn't that desk made from Limda Tree, 20 times stronger than iron?)
As Kendrick processed the thought, Sam growled in anger.
Sam: That insane goddamn bastard…
Sam took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Sam: Who was the disciple?
Kendrick: Disciple Tiago. His highest floor was the 15th. He had one relative—his sister Maria, one of the new rookies led by your brother.
Sam sighed in sorrow.
Sam: Does the girl know?Kendrick: Unfortunately not. They haven't returned from the Tower expedition yet.
Sam wiped the sweat from his brow.
Sam: Don't disturb her for now. We'll tell her when she's back.
Kendrick: As you wish.Sam: Let's check the last one.
Sam read the final report.
Sam: The 120-Degree Zone Academy has begun this year's intake.Kendrick: Last year was very fruitful for us. The upcoming final-years and their juniors show great talent too. Hopefully, the new students this year will be just as promising.Sam: Have faith. God Lares may be new in Medanya compared to other gods, but thanks to him, we've risen swiftly in the 120-Degree Zone.Kendrick: You're right, sir. I'm sorry. I'm sure this year's students will also perform well.
With no desk left in front of him, Sam leaned back in his chair.
Sam: Ugh, is that all?
Kendrick: That's all I have for now, sir.Sam: Good. Then the day is long… I'm going to the Tower to hunt some monsters. You're coming with me.
Kendrick grinned like an excited child.
Kendrick: Of course, sir.
Date: August 3, 1715Location: Eastern part of the Central Region of the 120 Degree Region
Axel and the Kirmon guards escorting him had completed their journey through the inner region and returned to the central zone. Sefa Fortress was now close.
Throughout the journey, Axel had been quiet, excited, and impatient. He was eager to try out the two newly acquired active abilities he had recently gained. With these thoughts in mind, he gazed outside.
The carriage and mounted guards were passing by a massive pit. The bottom of the crater was barely visible.
Axel: So this is the crater left behind by one of the First Gods who fell during the cosmic war between gods… "The Fallen One's Crater." According to a book I read, this war happened 200 years after the death of the first human, Meda. That would place it approximately 1,715 years ago—marking the beginning of the New Divine Calendar.
No one, including Axel himself, noticed the brief flash of blue that shone in his eyes as he looked into the crater.
The driver of Axel's carriage, who had been calmly and professionally guiding the horses, suddenly grinned wickedly and abruptly brought the carriage to a halt.
Driver: Shall we begin?
The mounted guards were momentarily confused. The man who seemed to be their leader approached the driver.
Just then, Axel shifted his gaze away from the crater window, curious about what was going on.
Guard Leader: Driver, what's going on? Why have we stopped?
The driver began speaking in a weary yet irritating tone.
Driver: They assigned this mission to me at the last moment because of you people. Why would they send warriors from the 20th floor just to protect a failure?
The guard leader sensed something was wrong and immediately drew his sword, taking a combat stance.
Seeing this, the other guards quickly and efficiently followed suit.
Driver: I could probably defeat you one-on-one without too much trouble, but not all of you together… oh well.
The driver opened his palm, and suddenly, purple glowing runes appeared on it.
The guard leader recognized the symbols a moment too late. It was an activated trap spell—one that had already completed its function.
Guard Leader (shouting): Get the young master out of the carriage!!!
But it was too late.
BOOOOOM!!!
The explosion flung all the guards into the air. However, thanks to their high stats, they all remained conscious and relatively unharmed.
The driver looked at the guard leader and smiled.
Driver: And that concludes my mission… How simple it was. I really should've done it earlier, but my boss wanted the perfect moment to avoid any risks.
The guard leader was livid.
Guard Leader: I'll kill you!
He charged at the driver with full speed, consumed by fury.
The driver continued to smile smugly.
Driver: [Shadow Passage]
A dark magical aura emerged beneath the driver, enveloping him entirely. It both shielded and consumed his body.
Because of the darkness, the guard leader was forced to halt his attack. He continued to glare at the driver.
Driver: I'd love to fight you… but there are too many of you. I'd probably die. So… goodbye!
The darkness fully consumed the driver, and then vanished—taking him with it.
The guard leader screamed in rage. The others were just as furious, but slowly, their anger turned to fear.
The guard leader looked at the burnt remnants of the carriage and the scattered bodies of the horses.
Guard Leader (thinking): (What the hell am I going to tell Lord Darkin?)
Date: August 3, 1715Location: A large town near Sefa Fortress in the central part of the 120 Degree Region – Lortwin Town
Lortwin Town, as usual, was chaotic and noisy. It was divided into two parts: Right Lortwin and Left Lortwin.
Right Lortwin was where ordinary citizens lived in peace, while Left Lortwin was a haven for gangs, black markets, and constant conflict.
In that sense, the town was like a miniature version of the entire 120-Degree Zone.
Although Right Lortwin was relatively peaceful, disputes or problems among its residents were still inevitable.
Two middle-aged men were chasing a 12-year-old girl through the narrow alleys of Right Lortwin. The girl, carrying three loaves of bread—one in her mouth and two in her arms—was sprinting at full speed.
One of the men gave up the chase out of exhaustion, but the other, who was more athletic, continued running.
Middle-Aged Man: Hey! Left Side Brat! Get back here and return that bread you stole!
The girl ignored him and kept running. While sprinting on a flat path, she jumped unnecessarily before continuing her run.
The man, too focused on catching her, didn't question it. But he tripped on something where she had jumped and fell hard, smashing his chin.
He looked back and saw a wire stretched between two buildings. In his rush, he hadn't noticed it.
His chin was bleeding, and he began to shout, though his voice was garbled:
Middle-Aged Man: You damn Left Side whores! If I ever catch you, I'll kill you!
The girl had successfully escaped into Left Lortwin. While most people would feel nervous entering that side of town, she had been born and raised there and knew every street by heart.
Thanks to her knowledge of the area, she followed the safest route to reach her small, nearly collapsing one-story home on the far end of Left Lortwin.
Standing at the door, holding the bread, she took a deep breath and knocked in a specific rhythm—twice, then three times with pauses.
Young Girl: I'm back.
The door was opened by a girl and a boy, both around 7–8 years old—much younger than her.
Little Girl: Celise! You're home!Little Boy: Whoa! Bread! And it's fresh! Yay!
Celise smiled and squeezed between them, laughing.
Celise: Calm down, kids.
It had been a long time since the children had eaten anything that wasn't moldy or rotten. Finally, they were going to eat something fresh.
Date: August 3, 1715Location: The Fallen One's Crater – Central Region of the 120 Degree Region
The sun was nearly set. On the ground, a boy around 12 years old lay unconscious—his clothes torn, body covered in burns.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the crater's growing shadow crept over him, slowly swallowing him in darkness.