"Oh my God."
I murmured as I walked down the road, moving my head right and left like a child seeing something new.
Alright, you can't blame me—even with memories, seeing something is different from merely remembering it.
I arrived at the Mana Train Station, and from afar I saw the train. Let me tell you—it looks truly amazing.
Its design is like a regular train, but larger, more modern… and floating.
Yes, you heard me right—it floats, because it runs on mana.
Well, mana on this planet has become something natural after the First Catastrophe; even a child can use it.
I didn't tell you about the catastrophes, did I? Right—I forgot. My fault. I forget some things quite often.
The great catastrophes were three disasters that occurred over the course of two centuries.
About three hundred years ago, suddenly, on an ordinary day, strange monsters appeared and began to wreak havoc across all continents.
At first, the monsters could be stopped using pistols and gunpowder weapons; but they evolved, and those weapons became completely ineffective against them.
And let me tell you—when I say "catastrophe," I mean annihilation of humanity.
About 40% of humanity was wiped out in that catastrophe.
After two years had passed since the monsters evolved, what do you think happened?
Yes—humans evolved. After all, we are the most adaptable and fastest-evolving species in this universe.
Thus, the first generation of human heroes appeared.
But six heroes in particular shone brightly—three men and three women.
These heroes became symbols of humanity and eliminated most of the monsters, until the remaining ones retreated and were sealed in specific locations—what are now known as dungeons.
Naturally, the average strength of the monsters was around Rank E.
The strongest hero at the time was also Rank E—the one known as the First Hero, the greatest spear user, master of a style that targeted the opponent directly, and arguably the strongest spear style ever.
"Zero Max."
I murmured softly as I boarded the train and handed my ticket to the attendant.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
I took my seat after setting my destination—a small village along the way called "Sina."
Yes, that's the location of the hidden dungeon I'm heading to, where I hope to find the art that will allow me to stand in this world… I think.
As the train moved, I thought about the catastrophes that had occurred—especially the worst one: the Second Catastrophe, or the Descent of Demons.
Well, about sixty years later, suddenly, one day, a rift appeared in the sky and vanished after a few days.
This strange phenomenon frightened most people, driving them to shelters and secure homes.
Most famous heroes had retired from active duty or were helping their nations recover.
Days later, the rift appeared again—but this time, pitch-black creatures emerged from it.
Yes—demons.
Demons are dark beings that feed on negative emotions to grow stronger and stronger.
And what situation generates the most negative emotions?
War.
A great war began between the demons on one side, and humans—along with other races that had mutated after the appearance of mana—on the other: the dwarves and the jinn, or elves.
Dwarves are humans who mutated to become shorter; as usual, this race focuses on weapon crafting and new inventions, and one of the novel's heroines is from among them.
Elves are the race capable of communicating with nature itself—and yes, a hero comes from them as well.
At first, he was arrogant and a real pain in the neck, but after several events, he becomes one of the main respectable figures in the story.
Where were we? Right—the Great War began.
On second thought, we shouldn't even call it a war; it was closer to a massacre.
The human population was reduced from six billion to just two billion. You can imagine what happened during that annihilation.
After the battles had continued for two months, a second savior appeared for humanity—the Second Hero.
"Harry Dragao."
I murmured softly the name of the second hero, considered by many to be the strongest—the greatest sword user, and the owner of the protagonist's fighting style.
Focus with me here: the protagonist's style—not the author who entered the novel.
You might be wondering what the author's style is—but I'll tell you later, as a surprise.
Harry, with the help of most awakened humans, managed to stop the demons' advance and confine human territory to a single continent.
It's worth mentioning that after the appearance of mana, the continents drew much closer together, until only three remained: the Great Continent, now home to humans; the Dark Continent, home to the demons; and the Northern Continent, home to dragons and other monsters.
Yes—dragons.
And let me tell you, dragons are truly powerful; even the weakest dragon is considered Rank A by human standards.
Dragons began appearing about a century later. As usual, they are a proud race—they do not attack unless attacked.
And yes, they can transform into other forms, including humans. You see where this is going, don't you?
About eighty years later came the Third Catastrophe—the last one to occur.
But I can say that I know there is another catastrophe coming, don't I?
Just as humans were beginning to rise again, trying to return to life while strengthening themselves, the Third Catastrophe struck: another war with the demons for control of the Great Continent.
Yes, the demons tried once again to annihilate humanity, preparing for the arrival of the Demon King—Baal, the strongest demon of all, arguably the most powerful entity in this universe.
And let me tell you—it was a catastrophe, but the one in which humanity had the highest chance of survival.
If we say the survival rate in the First Catastrophe was 60%, and in the second it was 40%,
then in the third, it was 80%.
Yes, it was a war—but this time, humans didn't need an overpowered hero.
They nearly defeated the demons on their own, until the first Ninth-Grade Demon appeared.
And let me tell you—he alone wiped out 20% of humanity.
Then, without any warning, the demons retreated. To this day, no one knows why.
A wonderful story, isn't it…?
Well, after that, about a hundred years of peace passed.
But it seems that peace is about to end—pay attention to the irony here.
Seriously, the heir of the strongest hero has appeared. What do you think will happen next?
While I was thinking about the story, the train arrived at my destination.
And let me tell you—this train is truly advanced. It stopped, my compartment lights turned on instantly, a door opened for me, and the path leading out of the train was illuminated.
"Technology is truly amazing."
After arriving and getting off the train, I began thinking about how to take the book without waking the dragon imprisoned in this dungeon.
Yes—there is a dragon in this dungeon, and it is extremely powerful: Rank SS.
You might ask why such a dragon is confined in a place like this.
It guards the art book located beneath the dungeon.
That explains why I'm carrying a shovel in my bag.
Yes—I'll dig my way down to that place, so I don't risk alerting the monsters inside the dungeon.
Did you really think I'd enter that dungeon directly?
A Rank C dungeon—
while I'm Rank F?
That would be a request for death. The weakest monster in this dungeon is Rank D—something that could kill me with its eyes closed.
"Finally, I've arrived,"
I said as I circled the dungeon entrance, searching for a specific rock described in the novel—one from which you could start digging and eventually reach the book's location.
"Found you."
I said, a smile spreading across my face as I pulled the shovel from my bag and began digging.
Of course, I won't tell you how I dug—but I will tell you that it was torture.
I dug for four consecutive hours until I finally reached the entrance to the underground chamber—the dragon's domain.
After arriving, I pulled out a low-grade stamina potion from my bag and drank it immediately.
Let me tell you—it tastes awful.
Like drinking cough syrup, if you know what I mean.
As if by magic, my energy returned to its peak instantly.
"Perfect."
I murmured and took a step into the chamber, feeling a mix of excitement and fear.
Now, I take my first steps in this world—
and I hope they won't be my last.
I descended into the chamber, unaware that my fate was about to change in this way.