Decades have passed in Axel's world since the discovery of life-energy.

Since that event, the world has suffered some changes.

The population on the new continent, now named Eden, has multiplied many times. Humanity has reclaimed and adapted its usage in many regions while exploring the continent. Even though they have yet to reach the center of the continent and discover the tree that has become the beacon of their world, they have already mapped more than half of the landmass.

Meanwhile, things have improved on the old continent, which is now called Orixe.

Thanks to the discovery of life-energy, the constant danger of corruption have diminished, as new ways to clean it and treat its effects on people have appeared.

And that wasn't all, as life-energy-infused magical plants were brought over from Eden to Orixe and introduced into the different ecosystems. Those plants were much more resistant to corruption than the others and helped humanity to create areas that served as retaining walls for corruption, as when planted around the polluted areas, they helped to isolate them so no corruption could naturally expand outwards.

After that, the old groups that dedicated themselves to combating corruption and cultists evolved into something else over time, becoming their own independent organizations. Even though they continued working toward these goals, they also became the reference for anyone that wanted to learn martial arts.

With the Guburg Village in a passive state, it seemed that peace was finally returning to Axel's world when suddenly every being in the world heard a voice inside their heads.

"My children, soon the sacred archway will open, and you must cross it again as you have already done once. This time, each tribe will send a group composed of ten of their best warriors, which would be commanded by a leader from their village."

This message turned the world upside down and caused the three tribes to cooperate again after decades of hatred.

A few weeks after that, people were arriving around the sacred archway. This legendary place has changed almost nothing since the first time it was discovered, with the only difference being the few structures that the three tribes had built around it.

The first to arrive was a handsome man dressed in a brown tunic, followed by a group of ten people who were also dressed in tunics. The man's hair was short and black, and he had a small mustache under his nose.

After arriving by the side of the archway, he took out a pocket watch, and after looking at it, a look of boredom appeared on his face.

"You seem bored, Head Master Ethan. Could it be that you expected a much more spectacular welcome to my kingdom?" said a masculine voice.

Hearing that, the handsome man looked up and saw a new group entering the cavern.

This group was completely heterogeneous. One of its members could be a giant man wearing a full set of leather armor, while the other was an almost naked woman carrying two scimitars with tattoos covering her two arms.

The one that talked was the man at the front of this group. He was young and had a long red mane. He was wearing a few pieces of clothing that covered not much more than a few crucial areas, which revealed the tattoos that covered almost the whole of his tanned skin.

A serious expression appeared on Ethan's face after seeing that man, and it stayed there until he started talking.

"It's a pleasure for me to meet the new leader of the Guburg Tribe, the great Leader Owald. Despite this, I'm afraid that I must correct your words. The area around the sacred archway had been designed by our ancestors as a neutral area that no one would ever take control of. Because of this, we are not in your fetid and gross kingdom, so there is no need for you to prepare any welcome." he said this while doing reverence.

"Ancestors, you say? Are you talking about those that backstabbed my grandfather? Or perhaps about those who flew with their tails between their legs when these lands became dangerous." Owald replied with a smile on his face before becoming serious."Orixe is my territory, and no Esvert or Yuoko has the right to say otherwise."

"I would love for the three of us to be friends and collaborate to end this quest as soon as possible. So let's leave the political matters for later and focus on this for now." said a laughing voice

Hearing this voice, the leaders of both groups looked at its source and discovered that the third group had arrived.

An elderly man was leading this group, followed by a young woman and a group of nine armored figures.

Even though the man's face was wrinkled and his hair was completely white, he had defined muscles, and his eyes radiated an unusual vitality for someone of his age.

"Also, I do not agree with your words, Leader Owald. In the past, a lot of people left these lands to seek refuge in Eden, but there were also a lot of people that stayed here, fighting against corruption and creating safe areas for the weak. I myself was one of those people, and even now in my Evil Cleaving Sect, we still do our best toward those objectives." said the man with a smile.

After hearing that, Owald looked at the man and began to laugh loudly.

"You are right. If there is a person that has done so much for this continent that I had to admit that he has the right to claim any of Orixe's lands as their own, it is you, Sect Master Zack."