The bustling city of Mendelos is very much alive even during the late hours of the night, as taverns around the city are full of patrons enjoying ale and meat.

Most of these patrons are grizzled adventurers eager to spend what little gold they had earned during the day's work on drinks and whores. Fights breaking out of these taverns are so common that most patrons don't even bother to join in the fun, as they are more interested in the wenches that served their ale and meat, often stealing some playful slaps at the girls ample ass. The wenches aren't bothered by this, as long as these men spend their gold on their taverns, they allow them to fondle their private parts.

The Spireforge Academy located at the center of the city was a different matter altogether. The towering structure which is home to the greatest mages and their students are as silent as the grave. The masters and students are deeply resting their minds and bodies in order to replenish their mana. The noise from the outside is completely blocked off by spells created around the academy so as to not disturb these scholars at their studies.

A young acolyte silently entered the study room of the headmaster of the academy. He gently placed the tray he was carrying, taking great care not to spill the pot of hot coffee and the loaf of hard butter bread which the headmaster loves to eat.

"Pardon my intrusion grandmaster…" the nervous acolyte squeaked, his body shaking uncontrollably for no reason at all. It wasn't his fault however because most of the acolytes except those who have high aptitude for magic can't help but tremble before the dominant aura of the Balekon Grandmaster Finas Alterane. The grandmaster is the complete opposite of the more famous Red Lightning, Arsenon Regnum. Ars is a bear of a man but with a soft heart, while Finas Alterane is slender and looked frail even at only thirty years old, hardly what one would imagine what a Belekon looked like.

What Finas lacked in strength, he made up for his deep understanding and knowledge in magic. One might say that in a battle of spells, even the legendary High Balekon Sinante Bluewing would have met his equal.

Grandmaster Finas dismissed those rumors as absurd, he always says that he still has much to learn to even stand beside the legendary Bluewing. Finas is a kind and humble man, the rank of Balekon for him is just a title, nothing more, nothing less. All he cared about was how to shape his students into better citizens, using their talents to help the people around the continent, be it by magic or by guiding the peasant's children and giving them free education inorder to better their lives.

"Oh it's you young Marco, how was your day? How is your father, did the herbs I sent over to your house help ease the pain of his stomach?" The kindly grandmaster inquired at his still shaking acolyte. He then stood up and reached for the butter bread, breaking it into two halves and offering one to Marco.

"Oh no, I can't, grandmaster, it is for you…" Marco politely declined. "And yes, my father feels much better now, thanks to the herbs you sent… I am very thankful to you grandmaster, you truly are the best!" Marco declared as tears of happiness flowed down his cheeks, he could never thank the grandmaster enough for his kindness.

"You shouldn't be crying Marco, I understand what you're feeling… it's the least I can do for my students." Finas replied. He then pursed his lips and tapped his forefinger on his chin, looking up to meet Marco's eyes, he continued. " You need not cry now… you can however do that if you fail the exams next week!" The grandmaster said with a wry smile at his face.

Marco suddenly went pale, his eyes wide, his mouth open in a silent but obvious bloodcurdling scream, even the dominant aura can never instill such dread and terror as the grandmaster's legendary written exams. And it is much more dreadful to fail these exams, students would wish they were never born if they fail.

"Go now and study Marco." Finas calmly said, but still made Marco scurry back to his room probably to study as if his life depends on it.

Finas was once again alone in his room, he went back to his study table, munching happily on his bread when all of a sudden he felt a strong fluctuation on the mana, it was so severe that he felt as if his head was going to burst.

"ARGH!!!"

The Balekon fell down to his knees, his rugged breath audible, his eyes wide, sweat flowed from his brow, his body shaking as pain wracked his whole being, tearing and stabbing. The balance of the world's mana was greatly unstable as a new source had entered this plane.

"MOTHER FUCKER!!! SOMEONE OPENED A PORTAL FOR A PRIMEVAL!" Finas wailed. Summoning all of his strength, he pushed himself up, his teeth gritting in agony as he slowly crawled towards one of his many bookshelves. Using the shelves as support, he painfully pulled himself up to stand on his legs.

Through the pain, Finas still willed himself to cast a spell of protection around the academy, hoping it would be enough to quell mana backlash that he felt. He doesn't know who else is mana sensitive enough to have felt a Primeval. His spell had somehow worked, and the pain quickly subsided.

"This is bad… some fool had opened a portal… the last time this happened was over five hundred years ago… the beginning of The Godsbane Wars!"

Finas slumped back to his chair, his hand massaging his head easing the remaining pain he felt.

"When the Primeval God Tal' Kamon entered this plane and forced the angels to do his bidding, almost annihilating the entire human race in the process… it was only sheer luck that an otherworlder was also pulled into this plane because of the mana backlash caused by a God entering the material realm."

"Who would have thought that an otherworlder was able to rally the heroes of old and defeat the Primeval once and for all… and single handedly defeat the last overlord, the destruction angel Tarmora… ah, Sinante Bluewing, where are you now when the world needs you…" Finas uttered in despair.

"That was the past… this is now… I need to find heroes who would be willing to lay their lives to protect this world from the Primeval threat!" Finas' eyes were burning with determination, he understands what his task and his responsibility as a Balekon are in this time of great peril. He must find someone, anyone who has the strength to challenge a god.

"So it begins… a new Godsbane War has finally come into this world." His ominous words had sent a cold shiver down his spine.

…………..

"Tara, what's wrong?!" Chitose asked the angel when she noticed that Tara's eyes suddenly turned back into its sinister almond shape form.

"We need to leave this place… NOW!" Tara shouted, with a voice filled with dread and concern, something that is completely foreign to her personality. Silma noticed this at once, and the elfmaid needed no more explanation.

"Girls, let's leave this place as Tara said!" Silma then held Lyn and Chitose, urging them to make haste and follow the angel who had already started to move.

"Okay, let's go!" Lyn nodded and with Chitose in tow, they ran as fast as they could out of Triplance, leaving everything and everyone they knew and loved.

……………

On the other side of the world, in another continent, Jean woke up in a strange world very different from her home… all she remembered is that she had died in a hospital from Covid 19.