Year 20X6

Humanity had lost.

Every major city was under attack.

The first day of the sixth year marked the last day for Mankind. The day of extinction. Across the world, all hope had been forfeited. Humanity's greatest champions had fallen.

Jason Halloway, Shu ha, Lucien D'Armont, they had all perished on the frontlines. Hundreds of thousands of demons spread across every human territory leading hordes of monsters that they had somehow extracted from unclaimed gates, were well on their way to put an end to this one-sided war.

Just as the situation bordered on irreversibility, the sky roared.

Millions of lightning bolts struck, limited to the bounds of human territory. Less than six years ago, perhaps one third less, but still a considerable number.

With it, the lightning brought new champions.

In what was once Los Angeles, one of the key locations of the newly established WHDC, a woman with blonde hair rose into the sky. "How dare you sully my home, you vile creatures!!"

She muttered a few phrases, and light blinded the eyes of onlookers

"Empyrean Prism!"

In the next moment, a demon with a single golden line across its forehead who had been razing the city to the ground, turned to ash. Blood trickled from the girl's nostrils and she stumbled.

"Hmph! I...huff huff...can use Disrupt just fine now! You're nothing!" she said as more blood leaked from her mouth. It seemed that spell had taken a toll on her despite her words.

In what was once Mexico city, a blur streaked through a horde of monsters, and without so much as warning, another bolt of lighting descended from the sky, annihilating them all at once.

The demon who had led them there survived, but she had clearly taken a decent blow.

"Hmm… demons…"

In eastern Asia, the blades of those who had fallen from the sky began to shine. They cut through the demons as though they were paper, and though they did not die immediately, their regeneration seemed to be considerably slower.

"They say you can only kill demons with a mage because Aura users are rare, but Aura works almost just as well." A man said as he cut through a demon's exposed core.

In the UAU, one woman brought all the vegetation within the territory to life. Even for the ones who had returned, this was an impressive display of power. The entirety of the UAU settlement had become a living organism. The Green came rose in various forms, and it began tearing demons and monsters alike.

By her alone, through unknown means, the UAU was terraformed into a massive forest. With her help and the involvement of the existing conquerors whose morale had been boosted, they barely managed to stop the demonic advance.

In the European settlement, something just as incredible took place.

Five mages took to the skies, each with dual Major affinities, and for every single one of them, one of those affinities was fire magic

They wove their power together into a single, cataclysmic spell. Flames of unmeasured heat raked the earth, carving a blazing frontier that marked the line between humanity and the demon lands. From that searing border, they stood as living anchors, driving the demons back behind the fire.

This marked the end of what was later known as the 'training' period, both for the heroes who came from the sky, and those who had stayed on earth.

The saviors of humanity were later known as the 'Chosen of Lightning'.

That day, six years ago, they hadn't died, far from it. Instead, they had been transported to a world where both martial arts and magic were advanced beyond imagination. They'd only spent just short of a year there, but the powers that they had returned with were incomparable to what Earth had achieved.

Warriors returned with Aura refined beyond imagination, while mages returned incredibly advanced mana manipulation techniques.

Single marked demons were no match for them and their overwhelming numbers.

But more would come. The Chosen of Lightning had made sure to warn the Earthlings of this. Stronger ones, much stronger ones, would come. Just as it had been in the Other World, demons were inevitable.

As proof of that, they had all received a quest.

Main Quest

Stage : Earth

Objective : Prevent the demons from conquering your world

Reward : Survival

Failure Penalty : Death

Leaderboard :

Demon kills

[…..]

[….]

Once more, the world had changed, and humans would have to adapt.

Four years later.

Somewhere in a barren plain, far from any city, a teenage girl and a man in his twenties sat watching the live transmission from the WHDC capital, Nexus. Against all odds, their signal held steady.

And… they're out!!

This year's official rankings for all active Protectors within the WHDC are out!!

We'll begin with the rankings from the Protectorate which take into account popularity, contributions to dungeon clearance, contributions to demonic subjugations, and overall power! Then, we'll move on to the leaderboard of the main quest for those who do not yet have access to the system.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The girl's eyes lit up. "It's starting!! It's starting!!"

The man beside her rolled his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips. "...It's the same every year anyway, isn't it?"

She puffed her cheeks. "For now, but you'll see! In no time, my name will be there too!!"

The man smirked. "Start by killing a demon first."

She looked away, embarrassed.

Most of the names, you all know very well, but there are significant upheavals this year! Exciting, isn't it!?

Let's dive in!

In tenth place, The Thousand-eyed General - Isaiah Brown.

The keeper of the ten pillars! A Strategist whose combat insight knows no bounds! With him on the battlefield, victory is nothing but assured!

In ninth place, Hawk-eye - Thomas Wagner.

An Archer whose precision is second only to his charisma! Look, but not too long, you might lose more than your heart!

In eighth place, The Saintess of Annihilation - Ayla Jackson!

She holds no combat class, yet her presence is crucial on the battlefield. Don't let her harmless look fool you, her prayers are deadlier than any blade!

In seventh place, The Brilliant Thunder God - Enrique Menendez!

With a whisper, the skies fall onto his enemies! A mage whose raw destructive power can only be matched by a few in this world.

In sixth place, skyrocketing through the rankings in only a year, The Mad Beast - Jamie Wu.

An entirely new addition to the top ten! Of the Berserker class, no one knows whether her axe's striking red color is by design, or simply the blood of her enemies!!

"Oh, that one is new. A Berserker huh… never met one before. Must be a rare class." The man said, stroking his chin.

"Master! They're about to announce the top five! Look! Maybe they'll finally add you this year!"

Her master sighed. "Doubt it…"

In fifth place, a well-known name. His voice booms like thunder, his body is as hard as stone, and his will as unbreakable as diamond, The Martial Emperor - Marco Vasquez!

He does not bleed, he does not bruise, and for the last four years, he has remained the symbol of an unbending, indestructible hope for humanity! Co-founder of the Soaring Meteor Guild, he oversees the southern defense of the WHDC!

"Are the introductions getting longer…?"

"Master! Listen!!"

"...Right."

In fourth place, a beacon of light in the darkness, a shred of hope in a sea of despair. The most powerful artillery Mage within the WHDC. One who wields the rarest of magical affinities. She illuminates the battlefield, she brings light where it does not shine, she chases away the shadows, and she turns demons to ash, The Radiant Twilight - Hoshino Sterling, or as she prefers to be called, the Star of Justice!!

He gave a moment for the cheers to end.

Now, we get into the top three!

You may have noticed already that The Radiant Twilight has been robbed of her number three ranking this year. Who could have possibly surpassed her, you may ask!?

The embodiment of an unshakable will. An immovable obstacle to the demon's conquest. A man who I myself look up to. His courage, discipline, and dedication has made his fanbase large, even when compared to others within this list.

The manliest of them all, you know who it is…

The Iron Wall - Lucas Anderson!!!!!! Rising from eighth place, Lucas Anderson's contributions to re-conquering the southern passage has propelled him to third place!!

I feel my heart beating simply announcing these names. I can't even imagine those of us today who get to see them up close at the Savior's Plaza!

The announcer cleared his throat.

It is now time for the awaited top two. The one eternal constant within the rankings of Protectors.

They are among ten Protectors in the world, who bear the rank of S! Special! A rank that is only given to those who defy all reason, even among protectors! Their intervention guarantees victory, the glint of their blade assures the extermination of the enemy! Their full combat prowess has been deemed incalculable, and alongside the The Blossoming Whirlwind of the east, they are considered the best swordsmen in existence!

In second place, vice-leader of the protectorate, founder of the Dreaming Forest Guild, Dean of Nexia academy, the Edge of Revelation - Felicia Harbidge!!!!

And in first place, leader of the Protectorate, debatably the single strongest existence on Earth, possessing both mesmerizing looks and overwhelming power, the Sword of Providence - Elio!

Perhaps if they'd been there, in Nexus, the two would have heard an eruption of cheers at the appearance of Elio..

But they weren't, so the man shrugged.

"Training now?"

The girl's eyes were glued to her electronic device. "N-Not yet, master!! I still want to hear your name called out!!"

The man sighed. "...But you can have it written in front of you whenever you want…Just bring up your quest window…."

The announcer continued.

If you were one of the few lucky enough to purchase a ticket to see these heroes in person, I can't help but feel jealous of you. As today is a special day, they will be present at the Savior's Plaza until sunset. If you hurry, you might be able to catch a glimpse from afar!

He fixed his hair.

Now that this year's ten Pillars have been announced, we will proceed to our next segment.

Those who dominate the leaderboard of the main quest. The quest on which humanity's survival depends.

For this one, we will not name ten individuals. The top four are so far ahead of the rest that this would be meaningless. All of these names, you know very well, but stay tuned, I promise that we have information that will have you glued to your seat.

In fourth place. A woman whose name in the east is a synonym of strength. Her legacy even reaches the far corners of the WHDC. Her exploits are the stuff of legend. And sometimes, she even has me wondering whether she truly is, or was at one point, a human like the rest of us.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Leader of the six stars of the East, The Blossoming Whirlwind - Wang Zhilan!

In third place, a man whose magical prowess rivals our very own Twilight Radiance, but whose destructive power far eclipses hers. Standing at the apex of the five suns of Europe, widely regarded as the best mage alive, Head of the Red Magic Tower, The Roaring Sun - Johann Muller!!!

In second place, a woman whose word is more than law…. A woman whose word is absolute! The Heart of the United African Sovereignty, a living army all on her own. Every inch of her territory is under her supervision! Her domain is referred to as the Land of Death by her enemies! The one who has single-handedly created an impenetrable fortress within the southern reaches of what was once Africa, and a woman, no– a Queen, who may be the closest thing we have to a God!

Her people refer to her as Mother Nature, but we know her as…. The All-Mother - Ifedolapo Akinola!!!!

"Master!!! It's going to happen!! You're up next!!!"

The man covered his face with his hand… but his attention was focused onto the broadcast. A faint smile curled his lips.

This next one has me fidgeting in my seat. Unlike all the other names I've shared with you today, this one is the only entity whose existence has not been made public. You know very well who I am referring to, but today, I will share exclusive, never before heard, verified information that we have gathered.

Confirmed to be a Spearman, he wanders the western borders of the WHDC, the most dangerous, and most demon-infected region of the Americas. He lurks so deep in demon territory that only a few have ever seen him in action. He was even thought to be a strange monster at first, but that was quickly disproven by those who have seen him without his signature cloak.

I know what you're all thinking, what does he look like!?

Here's the information we have based on reliable visual reports.

His eyes are like fire, shining even in the darkness. Two pupils that remind one of the sun.

He wears no armor, as though he doesn't need something like that to fight the demons. His body is covered in what seemed like tattoos in the past, but upon closer look, image analysis, and the opinion of experts, they would in reality be… runes!! That person is highly believed to be a Runic Sorcerer who wields a spear and uses his own body for his sorcery!!!

Is it a new class? A new fighting method? No one has tried to replicate what he's done, but this mere fact boggles the minds of Mages around the globe.

Then comes his weapon, his spear. When shown to blacksmiths, they've confirmed it to be well above the rank of Refined, perhaps legendary, or even mythical!

There are so many aspects of this man that seem completely unbelievable, but I assure you, everything I've said today is true!

What other items and secrets could he also be hiding?

Those who reside within the WHDC know very well who I'm referring to. He might be someone who garners even more attention than the Sword of Providence himself.

The silent and mysterious defender of humanity, ladies and gentlemen, The King of Fools!!!!!!

The man cringed at the name. "...So he gets to be called the Sword of Providence, but I'm the King of fools," he mumbled dejectedly.

The girl, her smile curling her lips from ear to hear, beamed with joy. "I think it sounds cool Master!! You're a King!!"

"...Yeah, of Fools…"

She spoke, her eyes still glued to her electronic device. "And anyways, I heard you Chosen of Lightning, could choose your alias before coming back, so why did you choose that one if you always complain about it?"

The man cleared his throat. "Ahem. I-In any case, the sun will set soon. Let's just head back to Nexia."

The girl did not dare turn back. This had been her plan from the start. '...I'll really get to escape his hellish training today…!!'

She hurried, moving as fast as she could, in case her master would change his mind.

But before she could even grab her bags, a hand landed on her shoulder. "Is that what you thought I would say, Apatia?"

She froze. She jumped back, and she fell to her knees. "Master, please!! Tomorrow is my first day at the academy!! I want to be in top condition!! Let's skip training, just for today!!"

The man shook his head, and he smirked. "You know, if it was my Master, she would have hit your head three times by now."

Apatia held the top of her skull, recalling unpleasant memories.

With a sigh, she drew the spear from her back, and she lowered her stance.

"Here I come!" Said the man, perhaps too excited.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.