The world ended quietly.
No explosions. No divine wrath. No Apocalypse.
It ended with a silent and colorless signal broadcast into every mind on Earth.
One moment, life was ordinary. The next, everyone heard the same words:
"Welcome to the new realm. Your world has been synchronized."
People screamed, panicked. Others fainted. Some clung to their phones, searching for explanations.
Eventually, everyone learned the truth:
Earth had been devoured by a higher-dimensional world known as Orca—a mysterious and dangerously unknown realm.
The Earthers were alive, but not safe.
As a weak and pathetic race, they were quickly conquered and annexed by the Skadi Empire.
The Skadi Empire was a massive force in Orca, and the idea of resisting them was impossible.
Within days, the Earthers were reduced to mere slaves.
After the annexation, the Skadi began using them as nothing more than farming tools.
But there's something special about World Orca:
Through these World Dungeons, their consciousness could travel to other, even higher supernatural worlds.
From those worlds, one could hunt for magical treasures, arcane scriptures and more importantly, discover paths to grow stronger.
Paths like Immortal Cultivation, Exorcism, Ninjas, Mages, Crafting, Gene Evolution, and many more.
Now it may have seemed like the Earthers had a chance to break free from their status as slaves under the Skadis, but the reality was far from hopeful.
All the World Dungeons were heavily guarded by the Skadis, and all the valuable resources like treasures, artifacts, and arcane scriptures were seized by them.
In the end, the Earthers were left with nothing but scraps.
The Skadis had humans in positions of power too, but they showed no sympathy toward their fellow humans.
The Earthers remained as weak as ever, spending their days, months and years in slavery.
And it continued still in present day.
For 18-year-old Igaris Vance, it still feels like a dream. A cold, lucid one.
He had been just a small child when it all happened.
The brutal war, the massacre, the enslavement; every moment remained vivid in his mind to this day.
Fortunately for Igaris, his family had a military background back on Earth.
Although it's a bit shameful, the Vance family submitted to the Skadis early in the war and joined forces with the Skadi Empire to defeat their own kind.
It was an act of betrayal to humanity.
But for the Vance family, the odds of winning against the Skadi Empire were simply too small—almost negligible.
So they chose the winning side, however opportunistic that may sound. And they weren't the only ones.
Four other great military families joined them too.
Naturally, with the Skadis' victory, the Vance family and the other four rose to power.
The land once known as Earth was now a vassal state of the Skadi Empire, governed by the Five Great Families.
For the next 10 years, everything seemed to go well for the Vance family.
But the last 3 years had been hell.
Things had deteriorated so badly that now, the once-mighty Vance estate, the proud home of Commander Izroth, was now nothing more than a deserted, dilapidated building.
It appeared the estate was cursed. Even the slightest movement or passing wind echoed like ghostly howls.
In the courtyard, Igaris sat quietly alone in his wheelchair.
He had tousled black hair, a handsome face, and wore a fine, neatly tailored black outfit.
But he looked worn out, his features weary from exhaustion.
More unfortunately, he was now a cripple.
But he wasn't born that way. Something or someone had made him this way.
His deep blue eyes carried a sorrow he couldn't hide as he gazed into the unknown sky.
Then he closed his eyes, as if deeply concentrating on something.
In his palm was a small paper ball.
It looked insignificant, but from the way he held it with deep concentration, it was clear he was trying to do something important.
Another pair of eyes watched him quietly. Aged, yet filled with anticipation and hope.
An old butler, hunched and frail, stood behind Igaris, dutiful and silent, not daring to interrupt the moment.
Very quickly Igaris's forehead glistened with sweat, fine lines of strain marking his effort.
The paper in his hand floated into the air, lifted by an unseen force.
Seeing this, the old butler's eyes lit up instantly.
"You did it, young master. You've awakened the God Particle!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty estate.
But there was no one else left to share the joy with.
Igaris opened his eyes slowly, gazing at the hovering paper ball with a soft, relieved smile.
He was happy, so deeply happy that two silent tears rolled down his cheeks.
He had finally awakened. He was now capable of World Diving—something he had spent his entire life trying to achieve.
"It's truly joyous news, young master Igaris. You can finally carry the family line of the Vance family," the old butler whispered, his voice trembling.
"Young Master Izroth would've been proud too..." he added, his eyes red with emotion.
"Huh? Carry the family line you say?" Igaris murmured, his voice low as he paused in thought.
"Yes, yes," the old butler replied quickly.
"If Master Vance and Young Master Izroth were alive, they would have wished that from you too."
Suddenly, Igaris broke into a fit of laughter. The laugher was mad and wild as if the very idea was some absurd joke.
The butler stiffened with worry.
"Oh Lord... has my young master finally gone mad? What will become of the Vance family now? Is it really going to end ?"
Then, just as suddenly, the laughter stopped.
Igaris's eyes turned cold to freezing degree, sharp like winter's bite.
His voice echoed through the empty courtyard like death itself.
"This Igaris Vance will not choose such a pathetic life."
"I know my father and brother didn't expect much from me... but I will show them what I am capable of."
"The world of Orca will be beneath my feet. And so will those people. All of them."
The old butler, trembling slightly from the intensity of Igaris's aura, nodded rapidly like a chicken pecking at rice.