Three years have passed. Gouhaku is now seven, and Lutz is twelve.
One afternoon in Lutz's room—
Lutz, with his slightly messy jet-black hair, was sitting in the corner of the orphanage garden, absorbed in a book he had just borrowed from the library. Despite his young age, he looked incredibly focused. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached, and when Lutz looked up, he saw Reia, an older caretaker at the orphanage, smiling at him.
"Hey, Lutz, what are you reading?" Reia asked, her voice soft like a calming breeze in the late afternoon.
Lutz gave a small, slightly awkward smile, his attention still partly on the book. "It's about world history," he answered briefly, but there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes.
Reia walked over and sat beside him. "You're really smart, Lutz. You must have so many things you want to learn about, huh?"
Lutz nodded. "I want to learn more about this world. About mana... and everything that can make me stronger."
Reia looked at him, a gentle smile on her face. "You're going to be someone great one day."
Lutz felt a warmth in her words, even if he didn't fully understand why they made his chest feel lighter. He liked being near Reia—it was a rare comfort.
---
One cold afternoon, Lutz was walking alone through the orphanage hallway, avoiding the crowd as usual. He preferred being alone. But he paused when he saw Reia standing by a large window, staring out with a blank expression.
Reia looked different that day, like she was hurting, as if the world outside was draining her. Lutz felt uneasy seeing her like that. Without thinking, he walked over and stopped beside her.
"Why do you look so sad?" Lutz asked, his tone more serious than usual.
Reia was surprised, but then sighed deeply and gave a faint smile. "I'm just thinking about the future... and whether I'll be able to survive in a world this harsh."
Lutz shrugged, like such big problems didn't bother him. "You just have to stay strong. Like how I want to learn more about this world, maybe you can find a way to get stronger too," he said confidently.
Reia looked at him, amazed at the strength in the little boy's heart. "You're right. Thank you, Lutz."
Lutz only nodded, though his heart felt a bit warmer than before. He felt like he could protect Reia, even if he knew he was still too young to really do anything meaningful.
Months passed, and Lutz and Reia often spent time together after physical training, talking about all sorts of things. Even though Lutz was younger, he felt like something special was forming between them. He didn't fully understand it, but the feeling made him uneasy.
One night, Reia came up to Lutz while he was sitting in the garden sketching on a piece of paper.
"Lutz, you know... I have to go somewhere else soon," Reia said, her voice barely audible.
Lutz froze, staring at her with wide eyes. "Why? Why do you have to leave?" he asked, feeling something slipping away from him.
Reia gave a soft smile, but sadness lingered in her eyes. "My duty here is done. There are other things I need to take care of."
Lutz didn't know what to say. His heart felt heavy, like he was losing something he couldn't hold onto.
"I'll always remember you, Lutz. You're an incredible kid, and I know you'll grow into someone amazing," Reia said before walking away, leaving Lutz with a whirlwind of questions and emotions he didn't know how to deal with.
Lutz remained silent, watching Reia as she walked away. For the first time, he felt something deeper than respect or curiosity. It was strange, but it warmed his heart. Before Reia disappeared from view, Lutz whispered under his breath, "I'll get stronger, Reia. For you."
—
Meanwhile...
Gouhaku was exploring the orphanage's underground library. Unlike usual, when Lutz would drag him along, this time Gouhaku went alone. For some reason, his steps led him to the deepest hallway—where dusty, forgotten books were piled without order.
His eyes were drawn to an old, nearly ruined black-covered book, but the title was still readable:
All Skill in World.
He carefully pulled the book out and blew off the dust. As his fingers touched the first page, a strange coldness wrapped around him. It felt like something alive was hidden in the words of the book.
As Gouhaku flipped through the pages, his eyes stopped on a section that felt... different. The writing seemed to whisper straight into his mind:
> "This magic is believed to reveal anything hidden. Weaknesses, strengths, or someone's true identity. Nothing can remain concealed from its user."
Suddenly, a deep blue light burst from the page, blinding his vision. Gouhaku shut his eyes, but his body wouldn't move. Something—whether magic or the book itself—was invading his mind.
A voice echoed in his head:
[Identity screen---unlocked]
Gouhaku stood still, breathing heavily. No one had taught him. No one guided him. But the world itself had given him something.
Not because he was searching for it.
But because he had been chosen.
Then, after successfully finding the All Skill in World book, Gouhaku continued his deeper search into this world. In one of the dark corners of the library, he discovered a thick book titled Race Ranking. This book explained the racial hierarchy based on their potential power—from the amount of magic they could master to the invincibility each race possessed.
It turned out that the racial ranking in this world wasn't determined solely by physical strength or bravery, but by many factors: magical mastery, tactical warfare intelligence, mental endurance, and even cruelty. Humans, who were once at the very bottom—ranked 20—had now climbed to rank 6, thanks to their unbeatable war strategies.
Once considered weak and ranked 20 due to their limited magical ability, humans managed to change everything. In the past, they fought amongst themselves, often displaying cruelty and greed. However, during wars against races ranked 7 to 20, they demonstrated extraordinary tactical strength. Their brilliance in strategic warfare elevated them to rank 6, surpassing magically stronger races such as elves and trolls.
The book also outlined the ranking system in this world:
Rank 6: Human
Rank 5: Demon
Rank 4: Angelic
Rank 3: Primordial (still mysterious)
Rank 2: Astraea (still mysterious)
Rank 1: Seraphim (still mysterious)
Primordial, Astraea, and Seraphim—the top three races—remained shrouded in mystery. Their existence and true powers were still far beyond the understanding of lower-ranked beings.
There was an important rule in the ranking system:
If a lower-ranked race defeated a higher-ranked one in battle, they would move up one rank.
On the other hand, if the higher-ranked race won, their position would remain unchanged.
For example, if Elves (rank 9) fought against Trolls (rank 8) and won, they would rise to rank 8. But if the Trolls won, their rank would stay the same. In such battles, tactical warfare and proper magic use determined which race would climb higher.
After reading the book, Gouhaku became even more intrigued by this world full of tactics and hidden power. But that wasn't enough. In his search, he found two more books that caught his attention. One was Air Potential, revealing the overwhelming potential of wind magic—a force that could either destroy or dominate the world.
The book explained that Air Manipulation wasn't just about controlling the wind, but understanding its potential to reshape the world. According to the book, wind magic had the potential to alter climates, control weather, and even destroy nations instantly by creating devastating storms. Gouhaku felt this was a tremendous power—one that could change the course of history.
As he read further, Gouhaku heard and saw something appear before him:
[Low air manipulation — unlocked]
Not only did the book grant him the potential for air manipulation, but it also explained how to develop it.
After reading that, Gouhaku began practicing what he had seen, and strangely, it came very easily—almost as if the skill itself was granting him permission and accelerating his progress.
[Basic air control — unlocked]
Gouhaku obtained it effortlessly.
But that wasn't the only power he gained. Another book he found was titled Mana Indication, which explained how to sense and detect mana around him. The book revealed that anyone who had begun to control mana, even slightly, should learn mana indication—though it didn't explain why.
It seemed this crucial knowledge was intentionally left out, as if hidden. But one thing was clear: before someone could truly master mana, they had to first be able to perceive it. This process wasn't easy—it required mental discipline, intense focus, and a sensitivity to the invisible energy flowing through the universe.
With continuous training—and once again, it felt surprisingly easy—Gouhaku managed to develop this new skill. He could sense the mana flowing around his body, like a subtle pulse he could feel when deeply focused. Mana Indication helped him identify the source of mana and the strength of mana within other beings, giving him new insight into how this world worked. He eventually learned that the power of mana could be measured by how thick someone's mana core was.
[Mana indication — unlocked]
With these two newly acquired abilities—Air Manipulation and Mana Indication—Gouhaku felt more connected to the world's power than ever before. Yet, despite starting to grasp the basics of magic and mana, he knew this was only the beginning of a much deeper understanding. Determined, he aimed to master more magic and uncover more hidden truths about this world—truths explainable only by forces far beyond his current comprehension.
And with that resolve, Gouhaku continued his journey, ready to explore the depths of the world and face even greater challenges.
As he delved deeper into the nature of this world, Gouhaku discovered tales of races far stronger and more mysterious than anything on Earth. In the books he read, he found long histories involving ancient races whose powers had reshaped the very fabric of the universe.
The races currently ranked from 3 to 1—Primordial, Astraea, and Seraphim—played vital roles in maintaining world balance. These races didn't originate directly from this world. They came from realms far beyond the understanding of ordinary beings. But their presence here wasn't without purpose. It all began with the Angelic race, whose divine mission was to spread goodness across the universe. Yet even they had limitations.
The Angelic could not pass beyond the universe—they were confined within it. They could freely move within its regions, but could not cross its boundaries. This universe was divided into three major zones: Underhell, a realm of darkness and disaster; Earth, home to races ranked 6 to 20, like humans; and a mysterious region known only to a few—the origin of the Primordials, Astraea, and Seraphim.
The Angelic revealed the existence of these far stronger, enigmatic races to the world—especially to Earth-dwelling races like humans. They spoke of the Primordials, Astraea, and Seraphim, each possessing unique, extraordinary powers and purposes.
Seraphim, the guardians of balance, were assigned to protect a distant place—home to a mysterious entity known as The Origin One, the first existence in this world. The Origin One was both the creator and future destroyer of this world. Its existence was a grand mystery even to the Angelic, who knew little of what truly lay behind it.
Primordials, known as harbingers of destruction, wielded unmatched power to annihilate anything—including entire worlds. However, even their destructive power couldn't surpass that of the Seraphim or The Origin One, who held the ability to destroy space, time, and even constructs beyond the Omniverse. Yet, some Primordials could defy those laws—these were known as High Primordials. High Primordials could escape those limitations and destroy space-time and more beyond the Omniverse.
Still, Primordials did not fear the Seraphim or The Origin One. They were beings of absolute confidence, believing destruction to be an undeniable part of their very existence.
Astraea, on the other hand, were the creators. They possessed the power to create anything—though not as powerfully as the Seraphim. Astraea could create universes, multiverses, and even omniverses, but they lacked the ability to recreate time, space, and dimensions on the same scale as the Seraphim or The Origin One. Their creative power was immense, yet limited in comparison.
Just like the Primordials, Astraea also had High-level members—High Astraea—who could surpass certain laws and recreate space and time.
Even so, both High Primordials and High Astraea remained inferior to the Seraphim or The Origin One.
From that book, one story in particular caught Gouhaku's attention.
The most captivating story was of a war between the Primordials and the Astraea. It turned out that these two races had once clashed in a massive battle that shook the universe. The destruction-focused Primordials faced off against the creation-powered Astraea...