-----*(2 Days Ago)*-----Blobby jiggled, eyes wide opened without a blink, staring intensely at Valtor, "MaMa~it's not about the fire. It's about the balance to it all."Valtor's gaze left the Blob, then straight to candle flame beneath the massive pot. "Balance?" He asked. 'There is no way one grain of rice will soften like that.'Blobby bounced to where he stood, "Yes! Ni is the energy that allows control over external forces—it moves, directs and stabilizes. Gi is internal—it fuels power and destruction."Valtor continued staring, this time with a narrowed look, "Okay. So, how does that help me boil a rice grain?"Blobby reproduced one of its 'uncomfortable-to-the-sight' tiny hand, which it points towards the candle, "Right now, the fire is just burning, but it has no direction. The heat is spreading everywhere instead of condensing to a single point."Valtor listened carefully, waiting for the right words."... Gap is a terrible tutor, when it comes to teaching important stuffs,"

Fifty years ago, after the coronation of a new king, and when the world slowly healed from the pending prophecy of its annihilation,It appeared— Shadow Gates.A bridge between the mortal realm and shattered dimensions, remnants of the catastrophic devouring by Chaos hundreds of years ago.And when the threat levels reached panic mode, they arrived as well—the gods' chosen.Individuals blessed by the gods, with exceptional powers, ranked from the least, F-rank, up to the mighty S.Gifted with the ability to harness 'Ni' wielding its remarkable effects, far beyond imagination.Yet, with great power comes high responsibilities.The Shadow Gates, upon opening, carried risk rankings. The higher the risk, the tougher the Shadow creatures within... and the greater the possibility of facing a Shadow Boss.And now, a Moderate-Risk Gate had opened in the Northern Kingdom Capital.---The air expelled from the entrance of the Gate, sending Valtor's hair swirling.A trail of sweat rolled down. H

The miners dropped their axes, some collapsing onto the ground, while others rushed to gulp down water.Twenty miners in total—five went straight to the Overseer, reporting symptoms of nausea from the Gate's side effects.It was a priority to use the oxygen dispenser after breathing in the air of this world.Everyone did, except Valtor.When he took off his helmet, he faced the desolate land, inhaling deeply, like the air here carried twice the oxygen of his home.Some miners had been watching him since the work began, whispering about his unusual strength."The new guy sure has a lot of Muscles for a new comer," one murmured, eyeing Valtor who stared at the wasteland."Yeah," another agreed. "Think the Overseer noticed? What if he's actually higher rank and came blended in as a Miner? Or something else?"Pete chimed in, "Maybe he has a lot of experience mining crystals? Probably worked with another team?"The two miners exchanged glances but shrugged. "Say what you want, but I'm not

The landscape—every crystalized red structure, every stump-like form—each one, all...Were once alive.A lifeform that couldn't be transformed into wandering Corrupted, dead without a single trace of a past life.Valtor's jaw clenched, a muscle tightening. He had never once felt powerless. He had never once... had this weakness. Except after hearing what the goddess had said, and during that last moment when everyone he knew was wiped out.His lips pressed into a thin line, and he dropped his head, understanding HALF of the goddess's pain.She couldn't do anything to protect anyone, and this pain would linger deep inside, even after she disintegrated.Another of her tears dropped into the lake. A soft ripple formed on the surface, echoing throughout the cave.That lake—the clear water—was her tears, which had fallen to the ground for hundreds of years without drying up.If only there were a way to dry the tears of a goddess... one would first have to live in the pain of what caused su

Hundreds of years ago, when Chaos devoured thousands of ascended dimensions, it shattered their creator Keys, leaving behind Voids of death in the worlds of these dimensions.Some worlds, still existing on the brink of destruction, retained remnants of the darkness left behind by Chaos's devouring process.This darkness crept into the remaining struggling life force, and even before the world turned into nothing more than dismay, it corrupted anything Living…Animals, insects, men, hybrids.Changing them into Corrupted Mutants.These mutants were known as Shadow Monsters.---Finch lost balance and fell to the ground, his body hitting the earth at the same time as Liza's limp form.A pool of blood formed, staining the ground, seeping toward Finch's legs.His eyes stayed fixed on the body, "L-L-Li... Liza... Where is your head?"A pause.Diamond's eyes widened, his pupils dilated, his breath trembling.Ryker's grip loosened on the flame sword—it dematerialized in an instant, his lips p