Six hundred years ago, the Dragon Race ruled this continent.
They possessed overwhelming attack power, defense, and vitality, along with near-perfect resistances across the board. Their immunity to both physical and magical damage stood at the very peak among all races.
Most terrifying of all, dragons enjoyed almost limitless lifespans. They rarely died of natural causes, and over time, they multiplied into an enormous population.
There were no weak dragons. Even a newly hatched dragon surpassed the majority of powerful beings from other races.
The longer a dragon lived, the stronger it became. Even if it did nothing but lie in its lair and idle away the years, it would still easily surpass most races.
While other races were still fumbling to understand how to use magic, the Dragon Race, like favored children of the world, had already mastered the only magical system of this realm.
That power was known as [Wild Magic].
Under the leadership of the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon Lords ruled over the land, the skies, and the seas.
In those days, there was no such term as "True Dragon Lord." There were only Dragon Lords.
Dragons could be seen everywhere. The entire world was like their private garden, existing for their amusement.
Across countless years, no being was able to challenge the Dragon Race's dominance.
No, it was more than that. Any creature born into this world could scarcely even conceive of rebelling against them.
Even without using Wild Magic, dragons could crush all other races through sheer physical strength alone.
Most of the time, the strongest champion of another race would fall to a single swipe of a dragon's claw.
An ordinary adult dragon could determine the survival or extinction of a weaker race. The might of Wild Magic had long since numbed the myriad races into submission.
In that era, intrigue between races, wars over land, and bloody battles over resources occurred daily.
But no race ever dared provoke the Dragon Race.
Wherever dragons appeared, others would retreat without hesitation. Even wars that had escalated beyond control would be forced to halt.
Never provoke the Dragon Race. That was an unwritten rule all races abided by.
Yet even while standing above all others, the Dragon Race remained dissatisfied. They longed for even greater power.
Led by the Dragon Emperor and assisted by numerous Dragon Lords, they used the power of Wild Magic to turn their gaze beyond this world.
It was then that the [World-Class Items] came into view.
Within that power capable of reshaping the world itself, the Dragon Emperor saw the possibility of ascending even further.
Using Wild Magic as an anchor, he attempted to summon the [World-Class Item] into this world.
He succeeded, and yet he failed.
The summoning of the [World-Class Item] itself went smoothly. However, during the process, something unexpected occurred. Beings known as Players were brought along with it.
Five humans, one Undead, and six World-Class Items.
The exact details of what happened next are unclear. But in the end, the Dragon Race and the six Players did not engage in a fight to the death.
It seemed the Players paid some kind of price, and the two sides signed a non-aggression pact.
Thus, a fragile peace was established between the six Players and the Dragon Race.
The Dragon Race then withdrew from the world. From that point on, dragons became a rare sight across the continent. According to some dragons, they were conducting research of some kind.
Only a small number continued to act freely, such as the Brightness Dragon Lord and the Heavenly Dragon Lord.
Meanwhile, the six Players began exploring the continent. They soon discovered that the humans of this world were being hunted and slaughtered by other races, teetering on the brink of extinction.
Seeing this, the six Players chose to intervene.
They saved humanity.
They negotiated with all races and forcibly carved out territory for the humans, establishing the first nation belonging to mankind.
Thus, the Slane Theocracy was born.
The six Players became the highest objects of faith within the Slane Theocracy. They were revered as the Six Great Gods, symbolizing the six divine beings who had saved humanity.
But prosperity did not last.
As time passed, a hundred years went by in the blink of an eye. The five human Players, once hailed as gods, gradually grew old.
After leaving behind descendants and entrusting their equipment and World-Class Items to the final Undead Player, the God of Death, Surshana, the five Players eventually died of old age.
...
After an unknown span of time, a new group of Players descended upon the world.
The Eight Greed Kings.
They were originally meant to arrive alongside the Six Great Gods. For reasons unknown, however, their descent was delayed by a full century.
The moment the Guild base known as the [Floating Castle] manifested in this world, the eight Demon Kings appeared.
This Guild, much like The Great Tomb of Nazarick, was bound to World-Class Items.
Unlike the Six Great Gods, the Eight Greed Kings made no effort to hide their ambition.
They intended to rule the world.
Submit, or be destroyed.
They declared war on every race except humanity.
Without warning, massive meteors rained down from the heavens. Some races were wiped out before they even understood what was happening, erased without leaving a trace.
The Eight Greed Kings were unstoppable. Through relentless bombardment of Tier Magic and Super-Tier Magic, they crushed one defiant race after another.
That overwhelming power stirred memories buried deep within the hearts of all races.
It was like the era once ruled by Wild Magic had returned.
The same crushing dominance. The same overwhelming inevitability.
All races trembled.
The Eight Greed Kings were utterly ruthless. To them, life was nothing more than a number.
They summoned falling stars, raised towering tidal waves, and reshaped the very land itself. Like gods walking the earth, they annihilated any who dared to resist.
Their advance continued until they arrived at the Slane Theocracy, where they encountered the God of Death.
Negotiations followed.
Surshana attempted to dissuade the Eight Greed Kings, urging them to abandon their ambition of conquering the world.
He warned them of the Dragon Race, and of Wild Magic, a power capable of rivaling World-Class Items.
But instead of retreating, the Eight Greed Kings grew even more ambitious. They tried to recruit Surshana, inviting him to join them in ruling the world together.
Yet after a century of life, Surshana had long since lost his desire for conquest. All he wished for was to safeguard the Slane Theocracy.
Talks broke down, and the two sides argued fiercely. Perhaps out of regard for their shared origins, or perhaps out of caution toward the World-Class Items in Surshana's possession, the Eight Greed Kings ultimately withdrew without attacking.
And so, they continued their campaign.
With overwhelming force, they conquered race after race. Those who refused submission were reduced to remnants of history.
At last, their actions drew the attention of the true overlords of this world.
The Dragon Race.
The dragons, who stood above all races, emerged once more. With the Dragon Emperor at their head and the Dragon Lords at his side, the skies filled with the deafening roar of dragons.
That day, the entire continent shook beneath their cries.
The Eight Greed Kings were unrivaled. Even if the Six Great Gods had still been alive, they would not have matched them.
But the Dragon Race was no hollow legend. As the most powerful race under heaven, their strength was equally real.
When the two forces collided, it ignited a war unlike any before it.
A battle that threatened to end the world itself.
Wild Magic versus Tier Magic and Super-Tier Magic.