"Heh, what a disgusting place you live in, human," a mysterious voice echoed throughout the room, making Zephyr flinch.
From the corner of the room Zephyr lived in, a being with countless maws and a crown on top of his head, well I don't know if it's head, because the being is like a floating ball keep mumbling.
For some unknown reason, the being was criticizing the place Zephyr lived in, making his face twitch.
"A… Wisp?!" Zephyr composed himself after the shock. Yes—the thing floating and criticizing him was a Wisp!!!
Wisps are the core foundation of power; they are the source of strength for most beings.
What shocked Zephyr the most was this—the Wisp talked!
Wisps are known to be unable to speak at an early stage. They can only express their feelings through movement and thought. An early stage of wisp.
But the Wisp Zephyr encountered could speak!
He quickly regained his composure and asked the question bothering him the most.
"What are you? Why can you speak?" Zephyr asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Because I am strong!" the Wisp replied with a smug expression, annoying Zephyr.
Zephyr's face twitched at the brazen claim. Yes, it was shocking that a Wisp could speak—but all Wisps could talk at higher stages. That was common knowledge.
What made his expression crack was how the Wisp claimed it was strong just because it could speak. That was simply absurd… right?
Zephyr believed in the saying that the one who barks the loudest is the weakest.
"You are simply too blind to see my magnificence," the Wisp said, clearly annoyed.
"No… no… no! I can see your brilliance clearly," Zephyr replied, forcing himself not to laugh. Well who could blamed him? No one! It's just absurd really. Even Higher tiers can't speak and this wisp floating randomly can literally speak!!!
"Heh, now you understand," the Wisp said proudly.
"Oh! What's your name? By the way, I'm Zephyr."
"Hehehe… My name is Maw—the Conqueror, Devourer, and one of the '???'. Remember that, human," the Wisp declared.
"Ahhhggg—!" An earth-shattering headache assaulted Zephyr's mind. For some unknown reason, just hearing Maw's name and title was dangerous—enough to kill him just by knowing it.
"Hah… ha… haa…" After a moment,
Zephyr regained his bearings.
"So… your name is Maw," he said, still clutching his head while massaging his right side temple with his other hand.
His mind raced. Who—or what—was this Wisp? Was what it claimed even true? If it is true, why? What's the reason of choosing him...
Still, he composed himself.
He knew that Wisps chose their future partners based on interest. Building a bond wasn't random.
They would never choose blindly. The being they bonded with had to meet their standards—though some
desperate Wisps might settle just to survive and escape the world they are in.
In the end, it depended on mutual interest.
However, most humans wouldn't think twice before bonding. The chances of surviving the trials were extremely slim.
Why tread into a thin line,just bond with the Wisp!
But...
If both, the Wisp and the host lacked
resonance—which was rare—the Wisp would return to where it came from, while the host would have to undergo another trial.
But why choose another Wisp when awakening was already within reach?
Awakening meant becoming stronger than dormant humans. It meant gaining authority… and power.
And power meant money.
Zephyr needed money
Being looked down on because of his status was hard to endure.
Zephyr had been an orphan since a young age. He survived in the worst environments. He was lucky enough to live in a half-destroyed shelter. Others weren't as fortunate—they lived on sidewalks, in dark corners, even in sewers, knowing they could die at any moment.
This was reality.
The powerful and the rich prospered, while others scraped through filth just to survive another day.
The Great Invasion happened 50 years ago. Countless lives were lost.
The planet Earth was destroyed just one year after the invasion by other lifeforms—known as the Fallens—that brought havoc and destruction.
That same invasion turned Zephyr's life into hell. His parents were killed, and his younger brother was taken. He had no idea where he was.
Even though Earth was destroyed and billions perished, something unexpected also occurred.
Humans, once powerless, began to adapt.
Champions emerged and fought to reclaim parts of the world. In this vast, unfathomable realm, everyone had a chance to rise—through blood, sweat, and tears.
Bloody wars, brutal sieges, and ruthless sacrifices became the foundation of power.
Humans were once dormant—powerless, disposable.
But through trials, Wispers—also known as Wisp Holders—began to emerge.
Human Ranks are categorized
Dormant
Awakened
Elite
Warden
Transcendent
Celestial
Divine
Primordial
The strongest humans had only barely reached the Transcendent rank—and even then, they were barely holding on.
Meanwhile, the Fallens were also divided into eight levels:
Fallen Ranks are also categorized
Thrall
Cultist
Reaver
Dread Knight
Void Dweller
Abyss Walker
Dark Sovereign
Abyssal Emperor
Millions of these accursed beings invaded Earth, pouring in from a vast world beyond comprehension.
Weapons—guns, heavy artillery, even biohazards—were useless.
Even Thralls were barely affected. Reavers and higher-tier beings were far worse.
But the invasion wasn't the worst part.
During the chaos, the Ascent began.
Billions of humans aged 17 and above were suddenly teleported to undergo trials.
Most of them died.
What was meant to be an opportunity became a slaughter.
The population shrank drastically.
But humans are not easy to erase.
They endured, learned, and survived.
Though many perished, some emerged victorious...true champions.
They carved their own paths and built their own legacies.
Now, Earth is no longer just Earth.
It has become part of a vast, incomprehensible world like a fragment forcibly merged into something far greater.
Humanity is still losing.Fallens are everywhere.And humans… are forced to hide like beaten dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.
No one fully understands what happened.
But one thing is certain,they are now part of a world so vast that words are not enough to describe it.