At the military headquarters, near the Terania sea, Major Jihan Rei approached Luke, who was monitoring the gate via a monitor.
"Is there something wrong?" Jihan asked.
"There haven't been any changes at this time." Luke replied.
"I see. By the way, Captain Edward is very brave. Knowing that a drone view wouldn't be enough, he volunteered to sail at night," Jihan said.
"Yes. I agree." Luke replied with a slightly envious smile.
"Then I'll leave the monitoring to you, Captain Morran. Thank you for your hard work." Jihan said, leaving the room.
"Yes. Thank you, Major." Luke stood and replied respectfully.
Standing on the shore, Jihan gazed out at the dark ocean. The sound of large waves broke the silence of the night.
After a while, his cell phone rang.
"Good evening, Mr. Jihan, sorry to disturb you." Someone said over the phone.
"Yes, good evening, Miss Tania. Thank you for your hard work." Jihan replied.
"Thank you for your cooperation, sir. I've sent you some data and the separate files you requested."
"Okay, thank you. Good evening, Miss Tania."
"Good evening, sir." Jihan ended the call.
After his phone screen turned off, Jihan looked back at the dark ocean.
His jet-black, neatly combed hair blew in the wind. His purple eyes gave off a calm yet mysterious impression.
Sighing, he walked back to his private room.
...
In another world. A world where more than one race lived.
Although there were many races, six had the largest populations and even established their own kingdoms.
The human race, the half-human race (beastmen), the long-eared race (elves), the dwarf race famous for their crafts (dwarves), the immortal blood-drinking race (vampires), and the demon race.
A world where spirits and other magical creatures also existed, though they were rare.
A world where magic, mystical powers, and even blessings from the gods existed.
Living side by side in that world, they strived to abide by the established rules.
Each kingdom has its own rules.
However, due to the differences between races, all kingdoms have agreed to a single, absolute rule.
Rule number one: harming one another in any form is prohibited, whether between other races or within one another.
Rule number two: trade between two or more races must be witnessed by a legal council representing each race involved.
Rule number three: our goal is peaceful coexistence, please respect and protect one another.
As for races with relatively small populations, such as half-elves, half-vampires, dragon hybrids, and others, they do not have their own kingdoms.
They would live far from the kingdom's borders, deep in the forest, or even under the territory of another race, and still follow the existing rules.
With so many different creatures, reaching a common agreement was quite difficult.
Everyone had different opinions, and everyone wanted theirs to be the one approved.
Therefore, most of them always stayed in their respective territories, avoiding dealing with other races.
But life must go on. Not all necessities of life could be obtained alone.
They needed goods and other necessities from other regions. These included vegetables and fruits that didn't grow in their territory, weapons and other equipment they couldn't make themselves, construction needs, clothing, medicine, and so on.
At first, it was impossible to establish an equal reciprocal relationship. But over time, they were able to do so.
At first, this circle of transactions seemed safe and peaceful. Even among the races, they cooperated. If problems arose, they resolved them through the use of existing laws and were resolved amicably.
But was that really the truth?
Even though the kingdom had existed for over a thousand years, not everything was perfect.
Every shining light had a dark shadow.
Thousands of years ago, the races were at war with each other.
Each of them felt that their group was the most deserving of life and power in the world.
They harmed, killed, enslaved, and committed other cruel acts.
The gods, saddened by the bloodshed, ordered everyone to cease fighting and begin making peace.
However, even with the gods themselves giving the order, they remained stubborn and even questioned their worthiness.
Their statement angered the gods. But even though the gods were furious and could have wiped them all out, they couldn't.
Even if the world were destroyed, rebuilt, and a single race formed, this would still happen.
Finally, the gods took action, gathering and establishing each race in its own territory. Or rather, it seemed like isolating them.
This decision did seem bad at first. But even so, the gods believed that one day the minds of these primitive races would change.
At first, it was difficult, and each race decided to remain in its own territory and not set foot in the territory of another race.
At first, they were fine. But it became a life of isolation.
It was impossible for everyone to do the same thing.
Then, in small numbers, some of them began to trade with other races.
Slowly but surely, they all began to blend in.
But problems always remained.
Seven hundred years ago, the human kingdom was at war with the demon kingdom. The war was because the human race believed the demon race was evil and would lead them to evil.
Five hundred years ago, not only were the two kingdoms at war, but other kingdoms also joined in, becoming allies of one kingdom in the war, each with their own goals.
Four hundred years ago, war was still ongoing. The elves resented the dwarves for destroying the environment.
Three hundred years ago, the beastmen declared war, resenting the insults from the humans and elves about their characteristics.
Two hundred years ago, war broke out between humans and the vampire race. Caused by suspicions that the vampire race was indiscriminately kidnapping and drinking human blood.
And one hundred years later, peace began again.
But, was it truly peace?
Even without war, problems still existed.
Due to past wars and the effects of magical energy, or what they call 'Mana', strange things began to appear.
Since ancient times, creatures called monsters have existed and they must be killed to prevent chaos.
And nature that resonates with the mixed energies forms a mysterious treasure mine called the 'Dungeon'.
Those blessed with skills in swordsmanship, fighting, magic, and others join a united institution called the 'Guild'.
This guild does not discriminate against race or family. If they have the ability and the will, they can join here.
They not only exterminate monsters, they also do other jobs such as exploring dungeons, escorting, gathering materials, and others. Their members are sometimes called adventurers or mercenaries.
Each of them will sometimes form small groups to be efficient in battle. But there are also those who act alone.
Each member will be listed with a rank, from A to F. The rank is a testament to the strength and number of missions they have successfully completed.
And, those who are directly blessed by the gods have powers that are superior to anyone else. They would be given an S-rank, and some would even be called heroes.
How could they be called heroes? Was it simply by possessing the power of a god? What had they done to be called a hero?
Each kingdom worshipped a god, and all children over the age of five were required to attend church.
Hundreds of years of war couldn't simply end like this. If the war continued, the world could collapse.
So, who stopped this unconquered war?
There was a secret not even written in the annals of any kingdom.