In the dead of the night, my fist faintly knocked on the door as I had forgotten my key on the desk beside my bed.

Mom opened the door as if waiting for my return.

She looked relieved to see me.

“Have you eaten dinner?” she asked.

“I ate dinner with my friends at the Bellflower,” I answered.

“I already pre-heated the water in the bath, go take a shower,” she said.

I went to the bathroom to take a warm shower. I put all my equipment in my inventory, and for some reason, whenever you put your items or loot in the inventory, it automatically cleaned them.

If only I could put myself in there, my inner lazy self thought.

After getting butt-naked, I turned on the shower.

Ah, nothing beats a hot shower after a grueling day, I thought to myself as my body drowned in the warm water.

I took out the bath towel from my inventory and my sleeping clothes.

After the nice warm shower, I went to my room and started looking for the documents that Dia gave me.

I sat on my bed and opened the rolled-up documents.

The first page recounted a myth, a tale detailing how the world plunged into chaos following the demise of mankind's mightiest protectors.

Mankind teetered on the brink of extinction in the absence of the seven guardians.

Demons and monsters plundered villages and towns, cities were reduced to ashes, and kingdoms and empires crumbled one by one until only Arcadia remained, a sanctuary protected by the heavenly barrier of God Atlas, mankind's last utopia.

For a brief period, Arcadia flourished, but its prosperity was short-lived.

Everything unraveled when Apophis, the Evil God, bestowed upon the demonkind the power to shatter Atlas's Heavenly Barrier.

Demons and monsters surged through the city's gates, leaving only devastation in their wake.

In a desperate bid to safeguard the remnants of mankind, God Atlas gathered the seven souls of the fallen guardians and forged seven distinct swords, each endowed with unique abilities.

These distinctive blades symbolize the strength of mankind's seven most formidable guardians.

However, possessing the seven swords alone wouldn't alter the course of battle without someone powerful enough to wield them.

Faced with this dilemma, Atlas made a difficult choice, to employ one of his most potent spells, World Magic: Forbidden Abyssal Confinement.

This spell confined the demonkind and monsters beneath the Earth for ten thousand years, but the World God paid a steep price, depleting most of his power.

Losing the ability to directly intervene with mankind, the World level regressed to zero, resulting in the loss of the Blessing of God for mankind and other beings, the capacity to use magic and skills.

Despite the sacrifice, Atlas's love for mankind prevailed, leading him to sacrifice his cherished partner, a Divine Weapon known in heaven as Phantasmagoria, where he had stored half of his power.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As a parting gift, Atlas bestowed upon mankind his final legacy before entering a deep slumber, Divine Temporal Legacy, a spell that sent the seven unique swords to the distant future in different timelines to aid humanity in times of adversity.

This spell also granted humanity the wisdom to use magic and skills.

Atlas bid a final farewell to his precious partner, Phantasmagoria, as it vanished along with the seven swords into the distant future.

Reading just a few pages of the document sent shivers down my spine, as the myth bore an uncanny resemblance to Arcadia Online.

Considering that AO was developed by Atlas Inc., the connection seemed more than mere coincidence.

Dia likely knew about this correlation, as the members of the Zero Branch, including her, used to play Arcadia Online on the North American server during our leisure time for teamwork and coordination practice.

That's probably another reason why, despite being an inactive member of Genesis Zero Branch, Dia went out of her way to provide me with the documents related to her mom's research.

By the time I finished reading and processing all the information about Dia’s Mom's research, it was already late in the evening.

Feeling weary, I stepped out of my room to grab some coffee before delving into the sixth branch documents.

Lost in thought, I poured hot water into my cup, nearly causing it to overflow.

The warmth of a few sips somehow roused my drowsy self.

Seated on my bed, I began reading every word in the sixth branch documents.

Gradually, it dawned on me that the individuals who authored these documents were no longer in this world, filling my heart with a deep sense of sorrow as I continued reading.

During the zenith of Atlas's power, the World level stood at seven, which, although high for a mortal realm, fell three levels below the pinnacle achievable by such realms.

Despite this, Atlas lacked the authority to prevent foreign Gods and other Heavenly beings from meddling with the world.

Apophis, the Evil God, Conqueror of Realms, and Devourer of Souls, seized this opportunity to feast on the souls of mankind.

However, Atlas's realm, with its delectable souls, was shielded by his Divine Magic, thwarting Apophis's attempts to devour them.

Undeterred, Apophis summoned an army of demons and hordes of monsters to conquer Atlas’s realm.

Yet, his endeavors proved futile, as the seven Holy Cities, guarded by the world's seven mightiest guardians strategically positioned around the globe, proved impervious to the assaults of monsters and demons.

Each Holy City safeguarded one of Atlas’s heavenly artifacts, symbolic of his power and authority.

Alongside the Guardians, the Atlantean, residents of each Holy City devout to Atlas, defended not only their cities but also the neighboring Kingdoms and Empires.

However, the landscape shifted when some neighboring Kingdoms began to worship Apophis, the Evil God.

This led to the emergence of Apeptians, humans cursed with Apophis's malevolent powers, accompanied by demons and monsters, altering the balance.

Despite the formidable powers possessed by the Guardians and Atlantean against monsters and demons, they gradually succumbed.

Apeptians, once human comrades, exploited the weaknesses of the Guardians and Atlantean, proving that these defenders, though undefeated against demons and monsters, were ultimately mortal.

Deceived, ambushed, poisoned, trapped, and betrayed by their fellow humans, the Guardians and Atlantean, who had sworn to protect, met their demise.

With the fall of the Holy Cities, the world level plummeted to three.

The seven heavenly artifacts, once sources of divine power, were repurposed as summoning bases for seven Legendary Class Hell Beasts.

Each summoned Hell Beast took residence in one of the fallen Holy Cities, where more formidable demons and monsters also dwelled.

As chaos engulfed the world and humanity teetered on the edge of extinction, Atlas, the World God, established Arcadia as the last sanctuary for humanity.

As I reached the concluding words of the document, my eyes widened in astonishment.

The information felt perplexing yet strangely coherent, especially as I looked at the top center of my map, W-1.

According to the documents, the World was currently at level one, which resonated with my experiences, sensing a greater sense of constraint compared to my interactions within Arcadia Online.

After hours of contemplation and analysis, fatigue overcame me, and I gradually slipped into a deep slumber.