Never-ending rows of plain, yet utilitarian Flame Burrows rose from the ground. The rebirth of this place over the past decade seemed to have rested entirely upon the shoulders of these elite Acraepoids. Toiling away continuously, they built these structures from scratch, carrying out their final quest of securing the Acraepoids’ dignity in this Endless World.

At the top of the Flame Burrow that reached three hundred meters into the sky, Aeschi lied on the roof, gazing at the azure sky and its fluffy clouds, his mind lost in thought.

‘What’s happening in the outside world?’

Ever since he was led into the First Acraepoid Kingdom as a child, Aeschi was indoctrinated with the idea that the great Acraepoid race would one day, launch a counter-offensive into the Infernal Spirit Continent, and recapture the Infernal Spirit World.

Decades ago, when the Blood Moon first appeared, the Infernal Spirit World was ravaged by a horde of merciless foreign beings called “sorcerers”. Their campaign was unstoppable, turning the five great kingdoms’ capitals into rubble before occupying the World Core and corrupting the entire realm using the “Sorcerer’s Shadow”.

Under the leadership of the First Acraepoid King and the Guardian of the Sea, the remnants of the Acraepoid Nobility and the World Guardians, whose homelands had been tainted beyond salvation, were gathered. The elite Acraepoids, who had been facing an eternal struggle to survive, were then slowly accepted in secrecy as the final ray of hope for the First Acraepoid Kingdom.

When they were torn apart from each other, Aeschi could never forget the look in his mother’s eyes.

The First Acraepoid Kingdom had limited resources, which meant that some Acraepoids were inevitably barred from entering its borders. Only the nobility and the guardians, Acraepoids who had the potential to wield the powers of the Infernal Blade, were allowed into the final stretch of land, untouched by the corruption of the wretched sorcerers. A symbolic place that represented the Acraepoid race’s hopes for peace.

Decades had passed since then.

Aeschi looked at his fellow busy Acraepoids, moving about the bustling city. Each of them emitted the same aura, one that was fighting for a better tomorrow, their eyes brimming with hope and anticipation.

For some reason, they seemed to have forgotten about everything that was happening beyond the walls of the kingdom!

Perhaps, this was because the interiors of the First Acraepoid Kingdom had been too peaceful.

Beyond the borders of the kingdom was a no-man’s land plundered by the wicked and invincible sorcerers. An invisible layer of Spatial Wall separated them from the outside world. Living within these walls were all the remaining elite Acraepoids of the Infernal Spirit World. Some dedicated themselves to building fortification structures while some trained for battle day and night, forming a microcosmic replica of what was once the Infernal Spirit World.

“Aeschi!”

A voice called out to him from behind. It was Umi, his wife as well as his childhood friend. She was also a talent in the art of Infernal Swordsmanship, which bought her a first-class ticket into the First Acraepoid Kingdom alongside many others who were deemed the final hopes of the Acraepoid race by the nobility.

An Infernal Blade hung on each side of her hips, indicating that she was one of the very rare dual-wielding Acraepoids of the Infernal Spirit World.

Umi walked over to Aeschi’s side, her gaze had hints of sorrow but for the most part, she maintained an air of indifference around her. It was as if she had lost every ounce of passion for the outside world, with Aeschi being her only source of solace.

“Noble Rayden summoned me to get you to practice Infernal Swordsmanship. You have been absent for two days already.”

Aeschi remained silent. His eyes were lost in the white clouds slowly drifting across the blue sky. It looked so serene and beautiful. For a moment, this world seemed so tranquil, completely isolated from the outside world.

No matter what, Umi would never show her indifferent side to Aeschi.

Clang!

Umi sat down beside Aeschi. A loud sound interrupted the silence as the swords on her hips clanged onto the platform. Together, they watched the clouds pass by above them in the boundless sky.

The Infernal Spirit World was truly so beautiful…

Finally, Aeschi snapped out of his reverie and said to his wife beside him, “Say… what’s happened to the world beyond our kingdom? Is it really like what Noble Rayden had said, that the great Acraepoid race had finally succeeded in resisting the sorcerer’s advance and that we have started a strategic counter-offensive?”

“I guess so.”

Umi had always been the wise one. As for Aeschi beside her, he never seemed to have any opinion of his own. In the depths of his eyes, there would always be a lingering sense of melancholy, which would always invoke in her feelings of pity and a sense of responsibility to protect and care for her husband.

‘Clang!’

Aeschi sat up. He then drew out his Infernal Blade at lightning speed. A surge of Infernal Energy fired up and waves of energy rippled his core.

“It’s been thirty years! For thirty years, we have been relentlessly practicing Infernal Swordsmanship in order to recapture our Infernal Spirit World and to kill every single one of these brutal, merciless sorcerers! To avenge our loved ones who have died under their genocidal quest! But what about now?”

Aeschi lowered the sword in his hand, as if his will had crumbled apart.

“Look at the faces of those Acraepoids. Look at that smug, confident look they’re all wearing. It’s as if they are in a celebratory mood just because they were able to make it into the First Acreapoid Kingdom. Not only are they continuously enjoying the short-lived peacefulness of being here, they have forgotten the reason for us being here, which is to take back what’s rightfully ours beyond the Spatial Wall!”

The Spatial Wall was the First Acraepoid Kingdom’s main characteristic and a representation of its laws. It was able to fend against intrusions by creatures up to the level of a World Lord.

Umi looked at the raging face of Aeschi and replied, “We will have to become much stronger in order to defeat those sorcerers.”

“Get stronger, get stronger, get stronger! Noble Rayden keeps repeating this phrase but did we forget that Acraepoids who are truly strong become so through continuously engaging in battles? But look at them, they seemed to have forgotten all that has happened beyond the kingdom’s walls. They are only using their own strength as a reason to remain peacefully within the warm embrace of the Spatial Wall. Look at the Acraepoids who are locked beyond our walls, and are getting massacred by the sorcerers…”

What Aeschi said, was the truth of the matter in regards to the First Acraepoid Kingdom.

Although the elite Acraepoids who were living here were strong and represented the last hopes of the Acraepoid World, their powers were superficial in nature.

In the hearts of many of these Acraepoids, they had already lost the courage to rise up in the fight against the mysterious powers of the sorcerers as well as their bloodthirsty army of soul slaves.

Dong, dong, dong, dong…

The sound of a bell echoed through the city. The conceited looks on the Acraepoids’ faces had turned for the worse. A portion of the crowd gritted their teeth anxiously as they chanted to themselves words like, “Please don’t select me, please don’t select me” as they made their way towards the source of the ringing.

“See that?”

Aeschi gritted his teeth in frustration and bellowed towards Umi.

“These cowards! None of them have the balls to leave the security of the kingdom’s Spatial Walls to carry out missions in the land beyond its reach! They are praying so hard that they won’t be selected in these missions!”

“Aeschi…”

Umi was at a loss for words. She could only wait for the righteous Aeschi to calm down, remaining silently at guard beside the love of her life.

“They are parasites, living on feebly within the confines of the kingdom’s Spatial Walls. They are tainting the Will of the Acraepoids’ Soul. These scum do not deserve to be called the ‘final hope’ of the Infernal Spirit World!”

Aeschi was getting more and more furious by the moment. The black flames atop his head burned intensely as his bloodshot eyes glared at the other Acraepoids. However, despite all his rage, he was still just a rat in a cage. Powerless, anything he could do was futile to change the truth.

Umi tugged at Aeschi.

“Stop it, let’s discuss this somewhere else. If anybody else hears this, we would get interrogated. If we go on any further we might lose our rights to live on under the kingdom’s protection.”

Aeschi shook off Umi’s hands.

“Even you are afraid of those damned sorcerers!?”

Aeschi’s voice turned cold.

“So you are just like those bastards I resent, weaklings they are. All of you are just cowards who are unwilling to let go of the crumbling facade of living a peaceful life within the Spatial Walls! You have lost the will to face the sorcerers!”

Having her hand brushed aside like that, Umi did not know what to say anymore. All forms of wisdom had lost its effect on Aeschi at the moment.

Umi could not conjure up anything sophisticated to rebut what Aeschi had said.

Before entering the kingdom, both of them looked back at their Infernal Spirit World, devastated by the Sorcerer’s Shadow. In that moment, they made a vow to one another, that they would use all their might to improve themselves once they get into the kingdom and that one day, they would take back what the sorcerers had ripped out of their hands.

However, the rage and hatred could only last so long.

Compared to the outside world which was ravaged by the Sorcerer’s Shadow, the peace and tranquility the First Acraepoid Kingdom offered was basically a paradise, safeguarded by the Spatial Walls. And as the days passed, the people here continuously built up more infrastructure in this already prosperous paradise, turning it all the more tempting to the short-sighted majority.

Each and every Acraepoid here possessed a great amount of growth potential.

According to the rationale back then, as they continuously developed their powers, they would also wage a never-ending war of attrition with the sorcerers. And yet, the situation turned out to be the complete opposite.

The stronger an Acraepoid got, the more rights he had which was then misused to secure his own place within the security of the Spatial Walls. What was even more appalling was that they would send the weak ones outside of the kingdom’s care in accordance with the kingdom’s laws, to launch so-called “counter-offensives”, sending them to meet their demise.

What had happened was contrary to what was originally planned.

In the face of Aeschi’s righteousness, Umi could not help but feel guilt-ridden. After all that had been said and done, this was the First Acraepoid Kingdom’s laws and was not something Aeschi and Umi could change. They could only adapt to it.

“Aeschi, where are you going?”

Umi yelled out to her companion but Aeschi was acting like a rebellious juvenile who was venting his frustrations onto everything around him, remaining forever in a state of burning anger. Coldly, he replied.

“It matters not to you where I am going. As for this filthy world, I can no longer…”

Boom!

Halfway through his sentence, a low rumble of thunder reverberated through the air.

“Huh?”

“This is…”

Aeschi and Umi looked up at the sky simultaneously, their gaze filled with suspicion.

The Acraepoids on the streets, as well as those in their respective Flame Burrows too, all looked up at the sky.

“What on earth is happening? The weather was so beautiful, so how the hell is there thunder?”

“Ay, ay, ay, don’t tell me it’s coming from the Spatial Wall?”

“This isn’t funny, how’s that possible! After all, this is the First Acraepoid Kingdom’s Spatial Wall. No matter how strong they are, they will never break through its barriers.”

For a moment, the Acraepoids were caught off guard by the odd occurence and after a round of discussion, a small team of rapid-response troops on duty flew up towards the sky to check on the Spatial Wall. Everybody else returned to their respective jobs and the city returned to peace.

Aeschi looked curiously at an unusually large cloud in the sky. An ominous vibe emanated from it, distracting him from Umi who remained by his side.

There seemed to be something behind that particular cloud high up in the blue sky!

He must do something to prevent that team of rapid response troops from getting any closer to the unknown threat and to call for the people to make preparations for a potential attack!

As if his mind had gone haywire, Aeschi suddenly roared out.

“Everyone, pick up your weapons! Prepare for battle! Sorcerers, they’re here! Sorcerers have made their way into our final refuge!”

After being shocked by Aeschi’s sudden outburst, the crowd of Acraepoids distanced themselves from him with a look of disgust as they continued on with their everyday tasks.

Umi tugged at Aeschi and pleaded with tears flowing from her eyes.

“Stop yelling now, if the authorities find us doing this then…”

Aeschi sighed and looked at the indifferent faces around him in despair. His eyes trembled at the sight of his fellow Acraepoids, disappointed at being so powerless.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Five Acraepoid enforcement warriors flew over to Aeschi with the same cold look on their faces. The leader announced in an indifferent tone, “Come with us to the public security bureau, any forms of resistance will be met with your demise!”

Aeschi seemed soulless as he was immobilized by two of the enforcement officers.

As they were just about to leave for the bureau, a dull explosion erupted once again in the sky before screams of agony echoed from above. Immediately after this, the bodies of the rapid response troops fell through the clouds.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

These bodies smashed against the cold hard ground.

Click!

A gigantic pair of pitch-black energy hands were struck continuously by the chain of laws. It however, remained unscathed as it proceeded to rip apart a tear across the Spatial Walls which was made up by a dense formation of laws. As it did so, a dark Abyssal signal poured in from the opening.

From the unknown depths of the tear, a massive pair of eyes could be seen peering through at their world.