Raon felt it before he fully understood it.
The air was wrong.
It wasn't just the stench of blood and decay that lingered over the broken streets, nor the oppressive silence left behind after the monsters retreated deeper into the ruins.
It was something subtler—an invisible pressure pressing down on his senses, like an unseen gaze settling upon him.
This isn't right.
According to the story he had read, factions did not appear this early.
Not here.
Not now.
Raon stood at the edge of the cracked boulevard, his boots resting on asphalt that had once carried thousands of cars each morning.
Now it was split open, roots of alien plants bursting through concrete like veins crawling over exposed flesh.
The girl stood half a step behind him, quiet, her presence steady but fragile, like a glass ornament that had somehow survived an earthquake.
Ahead, torches flickered.
No—those weren't torches.
They were skill manifestations.
Golden flames that burned without heat. Pale silver lights drifting like crescent moons. Dark crimson embers that pulsed as if alive.
Three groups.
Three factions.
Raon's fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of his sword.
This is wrong, he repeated internally. The factions should still be scattered. Disorganized. Fighting monsters, not claiming territory.
Yet here they were, standing openly in the middle of the city like feudal lords dividing land.
The group at the center wore armor polished to a near-blinding sheen, their presence domineering. Their insignia—a blazing sun etched into breastplates and banners—radiated confidence and territorial arrogance.
The Sun Faction.
To their left stood a quieter group, their numbers fewer, their stance relaxed but vigilant. Moon-shaped crests adorned their cloaks, and faint silver light traced slow arcs around them like tides responding to unseen gravity.
The Moon Faction.
And behind them, partially hidden by shadows and collapsed buildings, stood the third group.
The Devil Faction.
They were the hardest to read. Their members wore mismatched equipment, masks, and layered gear that concealed both face and intent. At their front stood a figure wearing a smooth, horned devil mask—expressionless, emotionless.
Raon felt his chest tighten.
They're all here.
Not just factions—but established factions.
"This city is already divided," someone from the Sun group said, their voice carrying effortlessly across the open street. "You walked into territory without permission."
Raon did not respond immediately.
Instead, he observed.
The Sun faction members stood aggressively forward, weapons visible, stances wide and possessive.
The Moon faction members remained slightly back, eyes sharp, hands close to weapons but not provoking.
The Devil faction barely moved at all—as if watching a play rather than participating in it.
"This area is under Sun jurisdiction," the Sun leader continued. "Any outsiders passing through owe compensation."
Raon's gaze sharpened.
Compensation.
So it had already begun.
Someone from the Sun faction gestured dismissively toward the surrounding ruins. "Our people died clearing this zone. If you're trespassing, you pay."
And then he looks towards the moon factions leader and spoke "Are these people with you"
The Moon faction leader spoke next, her tone calm but firm. "These people are not with us."
Raon's eyes flicked to her briefly.
She was younger than he expected, her silver-marked cloak fluttering faintly as if touched by invisible wind. Her gaze held no hostility—only caution.
"They're not with Moon," she said again, clearly. "We encountered them just moments ago."
A brief silence followed.
The Sun leader's eyes shifted, narrowing. Slowly, his gaze moved toward the Devil faction.
"They yours?" he asked flatly.
The devil-masked leader tilted his head slightly.
"No," came the reply, voice distorted, unreadable. "They don't belong to us either."
That was when the Sun leader smiled.
Not warmly.
Not pleasantly.
But with the expression of a predator spotting unattended prey.
"So," he said slowly, turning his attention fully toward Raon. "Newcomers."
Raon felt it—the subtle shift in how he was being viewed. No longer as a threat. No longer as an unknown variable.
But as an opportunity.
The Sun leader stepped closer. "What level are you?"
Raon did not answer immediately.
His status window still flickered inconsistently when he tried to access it. The numbers refused to stabilize, as if the system itself hadn't fully decided what he was yet.
Answering wrong here could be fatal.
Instead, he met the man's gaze calmly.
"We survived till now," Raon said. "So that should tell you enough."
The Sun leader laughed softly. "Not really."
Then his eyes shifted.
Down Past Raon.
To the girl standing behind him.Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
Raon felt it instantly.
The Sun leader stepped closer again, ignoring Raon now, his attention locked onto her like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.
"And what about her?" he asked casually. "Is she with you?"
Raon did not move.
The Sun leader leaned in, lowering his head as if inspecting merchandise. His hand lifted slowly, fingers stretching forward.
"Hey," he said lightly. "Little girl."
Raon moved.
Steel whispered through air.
In a single motion, Raon drew his sword and pressed the blade against the Sun leader's neck. The edge kissed the skin, just enough to draw a thin red line.
"Stop," Raon said quietly.
The street froze.
The killing intent that erupted from him was not wild.
It was not loud.
It was absolute.
A suffocating certainty that screamed one truth to everyone present:
"One more step, and you will die here."
The Sun leader stiffened, his breath catching for half a second before he forced himself to relax.
Around them, Sun faction members raised weapons instantly, blades and spears pointed directly at Raon. Magic flared. Heat spiked.
The Moon faction leader took a step forward.
"Enough," she snapped. "What do you think you're doing? They're new here."
Raon did not lower his blade.
The Sun leader swallowed, then slowly raised his hands, stepping back just enough for the sword to leave his throat.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue. "Sensitive."
The tension cracked—but did not break.
That was when the Devil faction leader stepped forward.
The masked figure's footsteps were slow, deliberate, echoing faintly against broken concrete.
"She's right," the devil-masked leader said calmly. "Let them decide."
Raon's gaze shifted to the mask.
"So," the leader continued, tilting their head toward Raon. "Which faction will you join, newcomer?"
Raon felt it again.
That invisible gaze.
He considered his answer carefully.
"And if we don't join any then?" Raon asked.
A brief pause.
"Then you won't survive alone," the devil leader replied. "Not here."
Raon was about to respond—
When the world roared.
The sound was deep, thunderous, vibrating through the ground itself. Loose debris rattled. Cracks widened in nearby walls.
"What was that?" someone shouted.
The Moon faction leader's expression darkened instantly. "The monsters," she said. "They're coming. Everyone—prepare."
Raon's heart sank.
He activated his golden eye.
The world shifted.
Distance folded.
Far beyond the ruined skyline, atop a broken overpass twisted into a grotesque throne, stood a massive white wolf.
It was colossal—its body easily dwarfing buses and buildings. Snow-white fur flowed like mist, and behind it unfurled multiple tails, each swaying slowly with terrifying grace.
A king.
Around it gathered smaller wolves, their forms lean, their eyes glowing with loyalty and hunger.
Raon's gaze snapped to the other side.
Another roar answered.
From the shattered remains of a stadium rose a monstrous ape-like creature, its body supported by six massive limbs. Its face was warped, eyes too many, mouth too wide, and from its back extended several thick, segmented tails lined with barbs and sinew.
Its presence was grotesque.
Its intelligence unmistakable.
Around it swarmed smaller creatures—ape-things and warped beasts that followed their leader's every movement.
Two territories, Two kings, Facing each other. About to collide.
Raon lowered his sword slowly.
This city…
His breath grew shallow.
It's not divided by humans anymore.
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
It's divided by monsters. And humanity—Was just another species trying to survive between them.
The ground trembled again.
The wolf lifted its head.
The ape roared.
And the war for territory began.