Levi walked through the slums of the so-called major city, an area nestled at the very fringes of the towering stone walls that dominated the skyline. The massive structures loomed over the slums like silent sentinels, casting long, oppressive shadows that stretched across the narrow, winding streets.

It had only been a month and a half since Levi had left this place, but the sight of it tugged at something deep within him. There was a strange nostalgia in the air, a feeling that mingled with the stench of decay and the oppressive weight of the atmosphere.

The slums hadn't changed. They never did. Time passed, but this part of the city seemed eternally locked in its grim, unchanging state.

The alleys were as cramped as ever, barely wide enough for a single person to pass without brushing against the broken-down shacks lining the streets. The makeshift homes were patched together with scraps of wood and metal, sagging under the weight of time and neglect.

Children skittered through the shadows, their faces hollow with hunger, while adults lingered in doorways, their eyes filled with resignation. Levi recognized it all—the dirt, the hopelessness—but it felt more distant now, like a part of a life he had left behind.

Above, the walls loomed high, blocking out the sun and casting everything in a dull, grey light. The towering walls stood as a boundary between humanity and the monstrous lands beyond, a constant reminder of the price paid for human greed.

When humanity discovered Paradise, they began creating portals between Earth and Paradise, tapping into divine power without restraint. Driven by greed, the number of portals kept increasing, eventually falling into the hands of incompetent individuals. And that's when disaster struck.

Humans weren't the only ones capable of passing through the Bliss portals. When the strongholds on the other side in Paradise failed to hold, monsters swarmed through the portals onto Earth, triggering the First Great Cataclysm.

Unprepared and vulnerable, humanity was caught off guard. With no defenses in place, more than a third of the global population was wiped out. Monsters made their nests around the Bliss portals, forever altering the world.

The Phase of Great Change reshaped the world after the cataclysm. Before the disaster, over 150 countries existed, each with its own government and laws. But as monsters spread, smaller nations collapsed, and only the strongest survived, giving rise to the Five Unions.

Africa united to form the Union of Africa.

While North and South America merged under the leadership of Pachacuti, the World-Shaker. He and his sanctuary, the Great Sun, forged the Union of Great America. Europe and Australia remained largely the same as no nation had the military power or resources to conquer others during such chaotic times.

But that had little to do with Levi.

It had been 48 years since the Second Cataclysm, and while no major events had occurred since, humanity had spent the time fortifying their cities. Massive walls encircled every population center, creating a barrier against the monsters that continued breeding outside, much like goblins.

Fortunately, these walls were strong, and most monsters couldn't break through.

Most.

From time to time, a powerful beast would appear, which is why the wealthy lived in the heart of the cities, far from the danger. The poor, on the other hand, were pushed to the outermost edges, near the walls, forced to live in constant terror and fear.

Levi knew this fear all too well. It was how he had lost his mother.

What kind of monster had it been? He tried to remember, searching his mind for the details. But nothing came to him.

Then, a moment later, as if the thought didn't concern him, Levi continued walking, the memory slipping away, forgotten.

He wasn't even aware that it had vanished from his mind!

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