Several years had passed since the Ninth Calamity erupted in Kolo. Chaos and war had remained the keynote of the front lines.
The heart of the outbreak was still occupied by dense Calamity Energy. Endless infected creatures wandered within it; without the protection of an Order Artifact, not even a Legendary Expert could survive there.
That place was now called the Land of Chaos.
The nations farther from the Land of Chaos had not suffered much impact from the Ninth Calamity. Many had even forgotten what had once happened.
After all, for the vast majority of ordinary people, so long as their normal lives were unaffected, no matter how great the events outside might be, they merely became topics for idle chatter over tea and meals.
Sainia was such a city.
Far from the Land of Chaos, the Ninth Calamity had done little more than cause a few wandering infected creatures to appear around the city. The civilian forces alone had wiped them out completely.
Yet recently, an atmosphere of tension had shrouded this England-style magical city. The Knight Order often mobilized throughout the city, seemingly searching for some terrifying figure who had infiltrated it.
In rain-soaked Sainia, only the streetlamps lining both sides of the roads cast hazy light, dividing the city into separate districts. The shadows of the buildings merged with the black night sky, carrying an eerie air.
It seemed that only the sound of torrential rain remained between heaven and earth, clamorous and restless, as though washing away the filth of the mortal world. Flashes occasionally appeared amid the dark clouds, followed by muffled thunder, more like accompaniment to a nocturne.
Boom—
A deafening explosion rang out. Blazing fire shot into the sky, tearing apart the pitch-black curtain of night.
A building in the city center