Reader's Note
This chapter exists solely to explain the structure and lore of the world of Painkillers.
It is not part of the main storyline.
It contains minor world-building spoilers related to hierarchy, power systems, and terminology, but reveals no major plot events.
This record is ongoing.
Additional information and clarifications may be added in the future as the story expands.
Readers who prefer discovering the world entirely through the narrative may choose to skip this chapter.
(This is not part of the main story. It exists to explain how the world of Painkillers functions.)
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1.THE WORLD
At first glance, the world appears ordinary.
There are no superhuman abilities, no mythical beasts roaming the streets, no magic shaping reality. Cities rise, governments rule, and people live their lives believing the world is exactly what it seems.
But this is only the surface.
Beneath it exists a system older than nations, hidden so deeply that even governments answer to it without realizing when or how they lost control. Ordinary people live their entire lives unaware of its presence.
Those who rule from the shadows are known as Families.
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2.THE FAMILIES
A Family is not merely a gang.
It is an organization vast enough to erase cities, destabilize nations, and decide the fate of millions—without ever revealing its existence. Operating beyond law and borders, Families control the underground and, through it, the world above.
Every country is ruled by its own Family. Each carries its own name, history, and legacy.
In the country of Vanhua, the ruling Family is known as Darima.
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3.THE FATHER
At the head of every Family stands a single authority.
This leader is called the Father.
The Father commands every operation—legal and illegal, visible and hidden. His word governs loyalty, war, and death. No decision within a Family is made without his approval.
The Father of the Darima Family is Darhua.
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4.THE PILLARS
No Father rules alone.
Each Family is supported by a select few men entrusted with absolute power over major divisions of the organization. These men are known as Pillars.
Pillars execute the Father's will, lead armies in the shadows, and control the most critical operations of the Family. Their loyalty is unquestioned. Their reputations are feared.
The Darima Family has four Pillars:
Noir.
Silver.
Doccaro.
Psycho.
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5.THE TOWERS
Across the world, Pillars are ranked—not by title, but by reputation.
Their influence, efficiency, and capacity for killing determine their standing. Among them, the ten most feared Pillars are known as Towers.
To be called a Tower is to be recognized globally as a force capable of ending wars and reshaping power itself.
Vega was a Tower.
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6.FAMILY WARS
When Families clash, there is no diplomacy.
A Family War begins when one Family seeks to expand its territory or challenge another's dominance. Every member participates. There are no civilians, no neutrality, and no retreat.
The war ends only when one Father remains standing.
The survivor claims victory.
The fallen Family is erased.
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7.CLOSING RECORD
This is the world as it exists beneath the surface.
A world ruled not by law, but by blood.
Not by justice, but by structure.
And once the balance is disturbed, the consequences are never contained.