Twenty years ago, the world stood on the brink of extinction. From the depths of the cosmos, beings known as Monarchs emerged. These entities, composed of unfathomable mana, feasted upon life itself, drifting through existence like dark stars and extinguishing all that breathed in their wake. Cities crumbled under the shadows of their ascendancy, and nations dissolved within mere days.
Humanity's weapons turned to ash against a power so divine it seemed paradoxical. Amidst that sea of despair—when hope flickered like a dying ember—nine heroes rose, chosen by destiny and bound by an indomitable will.
These heroes traversed continents, rallying the remnants of humankind for one final confrontation against the darkness. Among them were Han Seojin and Lee Mirae, heroes of Korea—wielders of light and steel, their prowess unmatched. The final battle unfolded above the ruins of Seoul. The Monarch of Oblivion, the oldest and most fearsome of its kind, descended in a cataclysmic storm.
The sky fractured into jagged shards as mana tempests raged for seven long days. When the chaos subsided, the ancient being lay defeated—its colossal form dissolving into golden motes, its essence scattering like dying starlight. Mirae stood over the fading remnants of a god, breathless, her sword dripping with radiant light. "You've lost," she whispered.
A hollow smile crept across the Monarch's face, an expression steeped in centuries of chaos. "Lost?" it murmured. "No, mortal. It's not yet finished." Its voice echoed through the burning sky as its body disintegrated, leaving behind a single fragment of its core—pulsing faintly amid the ruins. "When the Monarch of Calamity returns, he will awaken the others. When peace blinds you, they will remind you of fear."
The war ended, and the world rejoiced. The heroes declared victory—Monarchs destroyed, Earth saved, a new era born. But behind closed doors, a darker truth lingered. The Monarch's final words were not a curse; they were a prophecy.
In secret, the heroes and global leaders understood that peace was only temporary. The Monarchs would return, and humanity had to be ready. Thus, the World Hero School System was founded: a global network of academies presented as training grounds for aspiring defenders. In reality, it served to identify potential heroes who could fight when the Monarch of Calamity and the other Monarchs returned.
Years later, Han Seojin and Lee Mirae dedicated their lives to studying the fragment of the Monarch's core, determined to uncover its secrets. After three years, the fragment pulsed one final time—silent and unseen. In that instant, deep within Mirae's womb, an unborn child stirred. The fragment did not corrupt him; it did not consume him. Instead, it became his power.