Rain couldn't wait to return to the library the next day.
He knew the layout of the shelves like the back of his hand, and he quickly found the thick tome he had read many times before - a history of the world.
As he flipped through the pages, his mind wandered to the billions of years that had passed since the universe exploded into existence, and he recalled how the stars and galaxies were formed.
The eight planets that orbited the star named Sun, and how each one had its own unique features.
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[skipped]
The terrestrial planets, the gas giants, and the ice giants, as well as the dwarf planets and the asteroid belt that lay beyond the orbit of Neptune.
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[skipped]
As he turned to the chapter about Earth, Rain smiled to himself.
It is the third planet from the Sun and the only known planet to harbor life.
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He read about the formation of the oceans and the evolution of living creatures, including the humans that he was now a part of.
As Rain read on, he grew increasingly bored with the familiar information. 'This is all the same as my previous life,' he thought, skipping ahead until he found the information he was looking for.
As Rain scanned through the text, he quickly found the information he was searching for and began reading from the section that detailed the events that happened decades ago.
***
Decades ago, Earth was on its way to developing into a technological civilization.
However, there were several wars between countries, although they were rare.
But then the disaster struck.
June 12, 2150 (Friday): a series of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis struck coastal cities. Cities like Tokyo (Japan) and Los Angeles (USA) suffered significant damage.
2151-2152: Unpredictable weather patterns lead to floods, droughts, wildfires, volcano eruptions, and landslides.
Many scientists believed that the lack of resources was the cause of this, but that was only one of the factors.
Even though rules and resource management were created, none could triumph over nature. In next ten years landscape of world undergo dramtic changes under these disasters.
The catastrophe grew over time until a true danger struck.
Jan 2, 2160 (Wednesday): It was an invasion by monsters. It was small intially. But grew over the time.
They were everywhere - swimming in the sea, descending from the sky, and even emerging from crevices in the ground.
May 4, 2161 (Monday): The first city, Reykjavik, Iceland, falls to a surprise attack by Goblins
June 21, 2161 (Sunday): Helsinki, Finland fell under Ogres…
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August 8, 2161 (Saturday): Edinburgh, Scotland, besieged by a massive dragon..
[Records of first generation monsters]
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They began obliterating everything in their path, and a horrific scene played out.
Even with current technology, humanity was unable to handle this, and around one-third of the planet's population was wiped out.
[Data analysis about the damage by catastrophe]
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However, this was not the end of the general consequences.
As someone once noted, "Problems sometimes come in a package."
After that, diseases began to spread, and many suffered severe or incomplete injuries.
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[skipped]
Suddenly, additional fatalities occurred, and it is estimated that about half of the population of the earth perished based on the aftermath.
But gradually, some energy began to circulate in the Earth's atmosphere, and people called it 'Mana'.
Many people also started to get new 'superpowers' and 'abilities', and they were called 'Awakeners.'
"This is so cliche," Rain muttered as he read and skipped some pages.
While the majority of the surviving population got awakened, gradually they started the war with monsters.
September 19, 2170 (Wedesday): A war officially started. That was called the 'Great Reshuffle,' a fight for humanity that took many sacrifices, the blood of many warriors, and years to take back some land from monsters.
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[skipped]
2175-2180: During the war, mankind got some of their lands back, and ten great commanders emerged among them.
They were called ten great heroes, and they contributed a major part to this war.
People still remember to respect them for their bravery and heroism.
***
"Hmm. Now I think one of the ten great heroes was also from the Holmes family, Aron Holmes." Rain recalled.
As he continued reading, he quickly realized that the majority of the content was useless.
He started to skim through the pages, searching for anything relevant.
He found many articles about theories on [why monsters had appeared] and [why they had been awakened], but none of them offered any real answers.
However, Rain knew the truth. Because later in the game's plot, it was revealed that the monsters had emerged due to a [collision of dimensions].
After scanning through the text, Rain finally found a chapter with information about how people's lives had changed after the emergence of the monsters.
He read about how gates, dungeons, and monsters had become a regular part of daily life. Some people had even formed groups such as guilds and associations.
In 2180s, new races such as Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, and Giants began to appear from some of the gates.
At first, humans were wary of these new races, but through negotiations, they started to accept them.
These new races brought new technologies that helped further develop the world.
However, conflicts arose when the dangerous race known as "demons" arrived. (Nov 28, 2190)
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[skipped]
Each race had its unique characteristics:
Elves were known for their pride and reserved nature,
Dwarves for their directness,
and Giants for their emphasis on strength and individuality.
But Demons are a complex and multifaceted race, known for their love of power and dominance over others.
While they often revel in the chaos and destruction they sow, it's important to note that not all demons are the same.
Different types of demons have unique traits and abilities.
Some are more cunning and manipulative, using their powers of persuasion and deception to achieve their goals.
Others are more overtly aggressive, relying on brute strength and raw power to get their way.
Despite their differences, demons share a common goal: to dominate and control.
They thrive on conflict and are often the instigators of wars and battles between different races.
As a result, war was inevitable, causing chaos and turmoil for all involved.
The war continued for over a decade until it finally came to an end, with the demons claiming one-fifth of the earth's landmass.
Humanity was granted two-fifths of the land, another one-fifth was shared by the elves and dwarfs.
The remaining territory was home to several minor races, such as cat, fox, and wolf-like beastmen, as well as towering giants who dwarfed all other races in size.
Mermaids, nagas, and lamias inhabited the sea, while Avians made their homes in the Sky City.
March 5, 2202 (Friday): All races came together following the war and signed a peace treaty in hopes of preventing future conflicts.
Despite this, a sense of foreboding lingered in the hearts of many.
They knew that chaos and war were bound to ravage the land once again, staining it with blood.
***
After reading this much, Rain quickly scanned the remaining content.
However, he didn't find any useful information.
Most of it was something he already knew. Feeling disappointed, he closed the old, leather-bound tome and stood up from the chair.
He walked towards the bookshelf, his hand trailing over the spines of the books.
He found the right spot and placed the tome in its usual place with a gentle thud.
Leaving the library, he started walking towards his room, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway.
As he walked, he pondered about the plot. He couldn't help but feel amused.
Because these people didn't know that this wasn't the same Earth it was anymore.
'The world was already heading in a new direction, yet to be explored.
Although it may have still been called Earth, it was a new world altogether - one that would come to be known as Arcadia.'