Doloryara Continent.

A world that revered brute strength and arcane might.

Countless races thrived here, building nations and tribal civilizations—humans, beastkin, the Demon Race, Ghost Clan, yaoguai, merfolk, and more.

Some clashed in bloody wars; others coexisted peacefully or remained neutral. Countless tales unfolded.

Beyond that, Doloryara brimmed with mysteries and opportunities.

Ancient ruins and dungeons awaited adventurers, hiding the continent’s secrets and treasures.

Our story begins in a quiet corner of this land.

Within the Camila Empire lay a humble patch called the Nebis Territory.

Nestled between the Monster Woods and the empire’s border, it suffered constant monster raids. Its people lived in fear.

Every year brought casualties. Many fled the anxiety, abandoning Nebis Territory for other lords’ lands.

This exodus left the territory dirt-poor.

Even the Nebis Lord’s family lived in shabby hardship, farming fields and hunting game to survive. Other nobles avoided them.

How poor was Nebis Territory? Bandits bypassed it entirely—there was nothing worth stealing.

The first Nebis Lord inherited this land from Camila Empire. Under his rule, it once sheltered over a thousand households.

But time eroded its glory. Each successor proved weaker than the last.

Now? Whether a hundred souls remained was doubtful.

Strong young adults had all left for better towns. Only elders and children stayed behind—too frail to farm or hunt properly.

The current Nebis Lord had four children. His youngest son was merely eight. His eldest had renounced inheritance rights upon coming of age, taking a small stipend to escape.

The second son followed suit. Neither wanted this broken legacy. Staying meant no future.

They refused a lifetime of grinding poverty.

His third child, a daughter, married a lord thrice her age. His support alone kept Nebis Territory afloat.

Now only the youngest son remained beside the lord—Nebis Leyang, the reluctant heir.

With his elder brothers gone, the burden fell to him. A territory needed a lord. His youth left him no choice.

But Leyang cared little for inheritance. A mere lordship couldn’t chain him.

Others didn’t know—he remembered clearly. He wasn’t born here. He’d been reborn.

In his past life, he was Lai Yang, Earth’s deadliest assassin master. Now, reborn as Leyang. Strange fate.

His family had been slaughtered by a martial arts clan. He’d sworn vengeance, joined a shadowy organization, and became "Evil Slaughter." His blade felled countless demons and fiends, drowning in blood.

His name alone made warriors tremble. Even peak masters of that world fell to his sword.

After avenging his family, his power outgrew the organization’s control. Knowing too many secrets, he became a target.

He stole their classified files first. Hunted to the edge, he chose his own end.

He awoke reborn into the Nebis Family as a newborn. Shock faded into acceptance.

Inheriting this backwater territory suited him. Its isolation meant peace to train.

Plus, cute monsters kept him company. Though only eight, Leyang was Nebis Territory’s most terrifying force—hidden beneath a child’s smile.

No wonder monster raids had dwindled lately. The poor beasts had learned to fear him.

Barren fields stretched across the territory. The noble Nebis Family couldn’t even afford a maid. Pathetic.

Human warriors here ranked from lowest to highest:

Iron-grade, Bronze-grade, Silver-grade, Gold-grade, Hero-grade, Legend-grade, Immortal-grade.

The empire’s strongest known warrior was Legend-grade.

Human limits capped at Legend-grade. Whether Immortal-grade humans existed remained myth.

Mages ranked differently:

Apprentice, Mage, Archmage, Magus, Archmagus, Legend Mage, Immortal Mage.

Mages were rare treasures. Anyone could train as a warrior, but magic demanded innate talent.

Without it, one could never become a true mage. Thus, mages held exalted status.

Doloryara connected to countless planes, hiding monstrous threats.

Legend-grade (Seventh Tier) was humanity’s ceiling—but not other races’.

Each race faced limits. Humans ranked among the weakest.

Take dragons, apex predators of this world.

A single adult dragon could erase a nation.

A middle-aged man in tattered clothes paused his farming. He scanned the fields, frowning.

Only his still-beautiful wife stood nearby. No sign of the boy he sought.

"Where’s Leyang?" Nebis Light grumbled. "That rascal’s off playing again? Haven’t seen him all day. Did he sneak into the Monster Woods?!"

His wife, Berna Meda, smiled gently. "Don’t fret. He’ll be back in a day or two. It’s not the first time."

"The Monster Woods are deadly! How can you let him wander there? What if something happens?"

Light scowled, worry etching his face.

"Oh? And can you stop him?" Berna shot him a look. "Besides, without Leyang’s daily hauls from the woods, we’d starve. These fields yield almost nothing."

Light threw up his hands with a sigh. "Other eight-year-olds study letters and tactics. Our little beast just roams the wilds. He always returns with baskets of berries and game... while I can’t even find weeds."

"Perhaps it’s his gift," Berna said lightly. "As long as he stays near the woods’ edge, he’ll be safe. That boy’s clever. And... can we afford tutors anyway?"

"...True. I’ve failed him. This land will be his burden soon."

...

At that moment, Nebis Leyang—the lord’s youngest son—faced a savage beast.

His delicate features held preternatural calm. In his small hand gleamed a sharp Silver Dagger, catching the light with icy menace.

His parents would have fainted at the sight.

For Leyang wasn’t facing ordinary prey. This was a Fang Wolf—a Second-Tier monster matching a Bronze-grade warrior’s strength.

Even seasoned Bronze-grade adventurers fled from Fang Wolves. Yet this eight-year-old showed no fear. No tension. Only focused intensity.

The Fang Wolf, however, shrank back. Its eyes held an unnatural sheen—like fear.

It growled low in its throat, a warning meant to drive him off.

"Heh. Little Black," Leyang’s eyes burned with excitement. He took a slow step forward. "Missed me? Let’s test my new move today."

The massive wolf flinched backward as if struck.

"Awooo!"