In the vast world, five great kingdoms stand: Ardelia in the north guarded by steel warriors, Solaris in the south that burns like dragon fire, Nerathis in the east with boundless seas, Eryndor in the west covered in ancient forests, and Valoria in the center, where all the kings swear to maintain the balance of the world.
"For centuries, the five kingdoms have held themselves in a fragile peace, united only by one legend: that deep beneath the earth lies a sealed gate to hell that must never be opened."
But the legend has now become reality. A massive fissure has opened in the desolate plains near the kingdom's border, and from it a deep red light emanates. The screams of thousands of monstrous creatures fill the night sky. The gates of hell have opened, unleashing bloodthirsty monsters that immediately overrun the nearby villages.
Amidst the chaos, a young villager named Kael could only run for his life. He was neither noble nor a soldier, just an orphan who lived off working as a livestock breeder. But fate led him to escape to ancient ruins long considered haunted by the villagers.
Within the ruins, he saw something he had previously thought was only a fairy tale: a gleaming sword, embedded in a cracked stone altar, emitting a faint glow.
"The Astralis Sword…" he whispered in surprise, remembering the folk tales he'd heard as a child. The sword was said to be humanity's final weapon, forged by the gods to restrain darkness. But thousands of years ago, it had been lost, remaining only as a legend among bedtime stories.
But now, the sword was real, right before him. Kael's fingers trembled as he touched the hilt. And when he drew it, the light blinded his eyes, shook the air, and even silenced the roar of the distant monster.
Kael fell, staring at the sword now gleaming in his grasp. In that moment, he realized—despite being just an ordinary young man with no fame—fate had chosen him. He would be humanity's last hope.
Meanwhile we go back to the time before the disaster occurred.
That morning, Eldoria, a small village on the border of Valoria, was still alive with simple life. Dew hung on the leaves, and the aroma of warm bread from the woodstove wafted through the dirt streets.
Kael sat on a wooden bench in front of the pen, drawing water for his livestock. A mischievous goat tried to jump over the fence, making him grunt.
"If you run away again, Elina will definitely laugh at me," he muttered, calling the name of the village girl who often teased him.
Sure enough, a chuckle was heard nearby. Elina appeared carrying a basket of apples. "Kael, you're so stupid. Even a goat can play tricks on you."
Kael shrugged with a faint smile. "It seems my suffering has made you very happy."
Elina could only smile when she heard Kael's words.
In the afternoon, the villagers gathered in the small town square. There was a weekly market, children ran around selling wildflowers, and the elderly sat and told stories.
But amidst the jokes and laughter, an old man known as the village storyteller told an ancient legend. Kael, as usual, listened quietly.
"Listen carefully," the old man's voice was hoarse. "Under the ground we walk on, there is the gate of hell. The gods once sealed it with a holy sword—Astralis. But one day, the sword disappeared, but as long as the gate of hell does not open, we will all remain safe here.
The children listened with sparkling eyes, half afraid, half in disbelief.
The adults simply shook their heads, dismissing it as just another fairy tale meant to scare little children.
But Kael… felt something different. The words pierced his mind, like a whisper of the future.
Little did he know that that night, the fairy tale everyone had dismissed as fantasy, would turn into a real nightmare.
Now we go back to the beginning of the story when Kael managed to draw the Astralis sword.
The sword's light slowly dimmed, but the aura it left behind made the air around the ruins tremble. Kael gripped the sword's hilt tightly, his heart pounding, as if a foreign power were flowing through his body.
Footsteps approached. From the cracks in the rubble, hideous monsters emerged—their skin pitch black, their eyes glowing red, and their long claws dripping with acid. They growled, smelling the scent of humans.
Kael took a step back, his hand trembling as he held the sword. "I… I can't fight them…" he whispered, his breath coming in short gasps.
But suddenly, Astralis's light pulsed, as if responding to his fear. The sword's light reflected in the monsters' eyes, striking fear into their hearts. One of the creatures roared and leaped, charging at Kael with terrifying speed.
Reflexively, Kael swung his sword.
Swoosh!
A light shot out, slicing the monster's body into ash before it could touch him.
Kael fell silent, staring at his own hands. "I... I did it?"
The other monsters roared in anger, dozens now surrounding the ruins. Kael retreated until his back was pressed against the stone altar. His body tensed, but inside, something began to change. The fear that had previously choked him was slowly replaced by a glimmer of determination.
"If I don't fight… I'll die here. My only hope is this sword."
With a desperate cry, Kael charged forward, wielding Astralis. Each swing of his sword emitted a beam of light that struck the monsters, incinerating them into black dust.
However, there were too many of them. Kael's breathing began to quicken, his muscles screaming with exhaustion. Fresh blood dripped from his arm where the monsters' claws had grazed him. Astralis's sword was powerful, but his body was no longer able to fight back.
Just as another monster's claws were about to strike him, the sword in his hand gleamed again. A light erupted from the blade, forming a wave of energy that swept across the ruins. The monsters were knocked back, burned to ash.
A sudden silence fell over the area.
Kael stumbled, nearly falling. His breathing was labored, sweat pouring down his face. He stared at the sword, still gleaming in his hand.
"If this really is a weapon of the gods…" he muttered softly, "then I have no choice. I must survive—no matter what."
In the distance, a loud bang shook the ground, followed by a roar more terrifying than any of the monsters he had just faced.
Kael turned his head. From behind the red mist, a giant figure was approaching.