[Day One — Gate of the Fifth Continent]
The group halted the moment they stepped into the Fifth Continent.
Their eyes widened in genuine disbelief—not because of nature itself, but because of the distant figures moving through the streets.
Towering machines.
Metallic robots.
Creatures unlike anything they had ever seen.
Everything here was different.
Before departing, Cloud stood before them in his usual calm, while Leviathan remained silently at his side.
His voice was cold as ever:
— “If you head straight forward… you’ll reach your destination in three months.”
Genica froze for a few seconds before erupting in anger:
— “Three months?! Why didn’t you just teleport us closer from the start?!”
Cloud replied without even turning to look at her:
— “Every action has a reason… I want your abilities to grow.”
Genica let out a harsh sigh, then muttered under her breath:
“Damn you and your impatient foresight… you blindfolded man.”
Without another word, Cloud vanished.
Leviathan followed him into nothingness.
Silence fell.
Then the journey began.
[Three Days Later]
Genica had not stopped complaining since they began.
Lucian and Dastan had even been forced to cover their ears while walking.
Suddenly…
The ground shook beneath them.
The three slowly raised their heads.
A mechanical giant.
Fifteen meters of pure metal, its crimson eyes glowing with terrifying hostility.
Lucian shouted instantly:
— “It’s hostile! Be careful!”
And in the next moment…
Their first battle in the Fifth Continent began.
The creature was far stronger than any orc or goblin they had faced before.
Dastan raised his spear as shadows spread beneath him like a black sea.
— “Shadow Control.”
The darkness swallowed the giant’s body for fifteen seconds.
At the same time, Lucian surged forward, his aura blazing bright white.
His body split into two luminous copies.
One to the right.
One to the left.
While a third version… charged forward unarmed.
Genica leapt high, nullifying gravity around her body.
Twenty meters in a single burst.
She hovered directly above the giant, holding her bow steady.
Below…
Dastan released control of the shadow.
— “Now!”
Lucian and his clone moved together.
Synchronized strikes.
Both arms of the giant fell to the ground.
Genica raised her bow toward the sky as energy gathered around the arrowhead.
Then…
Gravity increased a hundredfold.
The arrow shot forward like lightning.
It pierced directly through the giant’s head.
But the end had not yet come.
Dastan appeared beneath the creature, his spear coated in dense black energy.
— “Dark Piercing.”
The spear tore through the giant’s heart from within.
Everything stopped.
The colossal metal body collapsed with a deafening crash.
Genica reduced the gravity just before landing to avoid breaking her bones, then descended lightly.
Lucian smiled and shook Dastan’s hand with excitement.
Meanwhile…
Genica was still complaining, as always.
[Two Months and Three Weeks Later]
The trio had fought dozens of battles against the giants.
They had gained real experience.
Their bodies grew stronger.
Their reflexes faster.
Then one day…
They saw a distant light on the horizon.
Each day they approached it…
The light grew brighter.
Until finally, they arrived.
And stopped completely.
A colossal city rising into the sky.
Electric trains flying between towers.
Massive moving screens.
Luminous advertisements.
Buildings that looked as if they belonged to the future.
The Fifth Continent…
Was not just a continent.
It was an entire advanced world.
[Arrival Evening — The Festival]
The city was alive with celebration.
Lights filled the sky.
Music echoed everywhere.
Suddenly…
A stranger collided with Lucian.
She wore a mask, a cap, and glasses.
But from the impact…
Her hat and glasses fell off.
Time seemed to freeze.
Silky golden hair.
Golden eyes shining like pure gold.
Her beauty was striking—almost unreal.
She quickly apologized, nervous, then disappeared into the crowd.
But Genica did not miss the opportunity.
She looked at Lucian with disdain:
— “Impressive… even here you can’t walk without bumping into girls.”
Lucian sighed tiredly:
— “It was an accident…”
— “Of course it was, you blind fool.”
After finding Talia and explaining their arrival…
She looked down at them with clear arrogance:
— “And why exactly should I give you authorization in the first place?”
Dastan slowly raised his hand.
— “Show.”
The permits appeared before her.
And in the next moment…
Talia collapsed.
— “C-C-Cloud’s… authorization?!”
Her arrogance vanished instantly.
Her tone shifted into genuine fear.
She quickly handed them the information and permits, then invited them to her laboratory.
But the lab…
Was a disaster.
Scattered tools.
Trash on the floor.
Complete chaos.
Genica whispered:
— “Is she part of an organ trafficking organization?”
Lucian swallowed nervously.
Talia pretended she hadn’t heard.
While examining Lucian, her eyes suddenly widened.
— “Your blood cells… are not fully human.”
But Lucian ignored it.
She quietly took a sample, then continued the examination.
Moments later, she injected a healing serum into his body, and his wounds vanished instantly.
She said with quiet pride:
— “I am number 19… Talia. I have no combat abilities, but healing is my specialty.”
“What is the story of Lucian’s blood… and what will pursue them because of it?”