The novel world was divided into four great continents North, South, West, and East and at the center of them all lay the Central Continent, a land of endless battle. The Central Continent was not ruled by kings or nations but by blood, fire, and steel. It was the frontline of humanity's survival, for it was where the demons roamed.
Demons were abominations born of chaos. Their bodies were covered in black, stone-like scales harder than iron, and from their backs grew jagged wings that could tear through the sky. The weak ones were mindless beasts, thrashing wildly and devouring anything they found. But the stronger they grew, the sharper their intelligence became. The high-ranked demons could scheme, plot, and command armies as if they were generals of darkness.
The rank of demons are:
• E-Rank Demons: Low-class demons with a hint of intelligence. They hunt in packs and can overwhelm careless opponents.
• D-Rank Demons: The first true "soldiers" of demon kind. They display tactical awareness and often lead groups of E ranks.
• C-Rank Demons: Respected among their kind, these demons are dangerous and cunning. Often act as lieutenants in larger hordes.
• B-Rank Demons: Commanders of demon forces. Their bodies are powerful, and their intellect rivals human generals.
• A-Rank Demons: The rulers of vast territories in the Central Continent. Their strength is comparable to armies.
• S-Rank Demons: Very rare, near-mythical demons said to be born from the abyss itself. Very few exist, and their power is beyond measure.
The Central Continent was divided into four layers: the Outer Layer, the Middle Layer, the Inner Layer, and the Central Layer. The deeper one ventured, the stronger the demons became. At the core, S-rank demons reigned, each possessing the lifespan of more than five thousand years, ancient monsters whose strength surpassed entire nations.
Yet humanity did not bow. To resist extinction, they awakened.
At the heart of the Northern Continent lay the Hell Circle, a massive formation carved into the land since time immemorial. At its center rested a stone ten meters across, cold and silent, yet pulsing faintly with otherworldly power. This was the Awakening Stone, the awakener of all human strength.
Every year, when the youths of the continent reached eighteen, they would gather before the stone. To awaken, one would sit cross-legged upon it and close their eyes. The moment their consciousness sank, they would find themselves within a strange, boundless space a space filled with books that stretched endlessly in every direction.
This realm was called the Picatrix Space.
Every book within it was a Picatrix, a vessel of power, a path of destiny. Fire Picatrix, Thunder Picatrix, Life Picatrix, Death Picatrix thousands of paths, each with unique abilities. Those chosen by fate would find themselves before a single book, and upon grasping it, their awakening would be complete. From that moment, the Picatrix would be bound to their mental world.
A mental world was a unique realm within each awakened. It was the bridge between human flesh and the power of the Picatrix. The stronger and wider one's mental world became, the more strength they could draw from their Picatrix. It was here that the demon cores became crucial.
When a demon was slain, it left behind its core the crystallized essence of its power. These demon cores could be refined by awakeneds, feeding and expanding their mental world. The higher the rank of the demon, the greater the core's effect. A B-rank demon's core was called a B-rank demon core; the naming was simple, but its value was immeasurable. Without cores, awakeneds stagnated. With them, they soared.
Thus, the struggle between humanity and demons was more than survival it was the foundation of strength.
Awakeneds themselves were ranked as well:
• Novice Awakened – those who had just grasped a Picatrix.
• Intermediate Awakened – those who had refined their mental world and wielded their Picatrix more freely.
• Advanced Awakened – elites who could stand at the frontlines against high-ranked demons.
• Elite Awakened – feared warriors, their names echoing across nations.
Legendary Awakened – few in number, each one capable of altering the fate of armies.
Transcendent Awakened existences beyond comprehension, whose powers shook the heavens and earth.
The stronger one got the longer the life span becomes.
Equipment, too, had its measure of strength. Weapons and armors were ranked
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Diamond
• and Legendary.
Few could wield a Diamond weapon, and even fewer had ever laid eyes upon a Legendary one.
To defend the continents, humanity forged its own order. The South and West became bastions of protection, where awakened warriors volunteered or were chosen to serve as royal armies. They guarded against villains among awakeneds themselves, and against the ceaseless incursions of demons. In the East, powerful factions rose, families whose bloodlines seemed blessed with a higher chance of awakening, creating clans of unmatched influence.
But not all awakeneds walked the path of guardianship. Some sought dominance, others pursued ambition. And among them, rivalries and enmities were born. The greatest threats to humanity were not always demons.
For within the East Continent lived those who believed themselves destined to rule, and among them rose figures whose powers twisted even fate itself.
Still, legends did not come from the safe. They came from those who defied impossibility.