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Prologue
The Blackwoods Forest was the most dangerous place on the entire continent of Anatolia, a land said to be blessed by the two goddesses of Life and Death.
This world teemed with many different kinds of intelligent and non-intelligent species. Monsters were classified into four categories:
1. Lower-level beasts
2. Mid-level beasts
3. Higher-level beasts
4. Catastrophic beasts
These were the common types found across the land. However, ancient mythologies spoke of a fifth and even a sixth category of beast that roamed the continent more than 10,000 years ago.
The fifth type were called King Beasts, rulers of their kind, commanding their species with absolute authority. These beasts possessed intelligence and could communicate with other races using magic.
Then came whispers of a sixth and most mysterious type: the Divine Beasts. While the King Beasts were confirmed to have existed long ago, the Divine Beasts were steeped entirely in myth. The only tale that mentioned them claimed they were also known as "Dragons," and that they once aided the goddesses to wipe out all life on the planet in order to restart the distorted cycle of life and death.
After the cycle was restored and life began anew, the Divine Beasts vanished. Some say they ascended to a higher plane of existence—a realm no mortal has ever reached.
But what caused the cycle of life and death to falter?
What is the mysterious bond between the Hero and the Demon Lord, and how will their fates intertwine with prophecy?
Do any remnants of the Divine Beasts remain—clues that could shake the world once again?
The land blessed by the goddesses was divided into three great regions:
The Land of Sun—a haven where humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen lived. Low- to mid-level monsters roamed the forests, and dungeons or labyrinths rarely appeared. This region was ruled by the Empire of Indussia. An old myth passed through generations spoke of a Hero born from this empire, blessed by the Goddess of Life, who would bring peace with help from the royal family.
The Land of Shadows—home to higher-level monsters and rich in rare minerals like mithril, orichalcum, and adamantium. Skilled blacksmiths and large dwarven communities thrived near this land, working these precious resources into weapons of war and tools of peace.
The final and most perilous territory was the Land of Darkness. Only here could catastrophic beasts be found. High-level monsters roamed freely, and within its bounds lay the dreaded Blackwoods Forest. This land was ruled by demons, all protected by the Demon Lord—himself said to be blessed by the Goddess of Death.
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