Apologies in advance for the lore dump, but it couldn't be helped. As for why that is, you'll realize at the end of the volume... or not. Then again, part of the reason has already been mentioned before. In any case, let's get into it.
The planet is one of only five planets in its galaxy to orbit a star.
Its sun is no mere ball of flame—it is a vast, almost living orb of layered elemental energies that shift and flow ceaselessly across its surface.
Rather than one simple steady light, it casts prismatic radiance in ever-changing hues.
The skies of Elementara shimmer with subtle color shifts, reflecting whichever element holds dominance at any given moment.
The world itself is neither fully modern nor truly primitive—it exists in a liminal space between the two.
Technology here is not born of science alone, but of magitech—magic fused with mechanical ingenuity.
While the results often resemble Earth's inventions at first glance, the underlying principles are entirely different, rooted in mana rather than physics.
Every aspect of Elementara—its soil, air, creatures, and structures, is suffused with mana. This vital force enables magic, while its corrupted counterpart, dark mana, powers dark magic.
The origin of dark mana remains a mystery even to the planet's inhabitants.
As long as mana flows, humans can wield magic, and as long as dark mana exists, demons can command dark magic. Magic belongs exclusively to the humans, while dark magic belongs solely to the demons.
Magic draws from elemental attributes, beginning with the four foundational forces, fire, water, wind, and earth. Countless other attributes—like light, dark, lightning, shadow, ice, and more, exist as variations or deviations from these core elements.
At the planet's heart lies the mana core, the source from which mana permeates everything. Without it, the flow would cease, magic and dark magic would vanish, and the world itself would eventually unravel, for the core is what binds the planet together.
Elementara has only one continent, roughly a quarter the size of the world. It is divided into three distinct regions:
Demon Territory, home to the demons.
Human Territory, domain of humankind.
The Barren Lands, a desolate expanse where monsters roam freely. It also acts as a place where humans and demons clash during the World War.
These barren wastes are uninhabitable to both races. Aside from the monsters, it's littered with the rotting corpses of fallen warriors. For that very reason, they serve as the perfect battlefield—a neutral ground where armies can slaughter each other without destroying livable territory.
Each war rages for a full decade as both sides strive for total annihilation.
Two intelligent species dominate the planet, humans, represented by the Hero, and demons, led by the Demon King.
For centuries they have waged endless war against one another. Humans dream of a world cleansed of vile demons, and demons envision one free of foul humans. Each side is convinced their cause is righteous.
Among the humans, some are born with the gift of magic, while others lack it entirely. Those gifted awaken their innate power at age five. Their bodies possess far superior base attributes—strength, resilience, speed, compared to non-mages.
A mage can barely survive a small point blank explosion, whereas a non-mage would perish instantly. Casting requires only speaking the spell's name, and the effect manifests in seconds.
Non-mages rely on martial prowess or Elemental Weapons—weapons embedded with mana stones. Each stone holds a single attribute, enabling non-mages to use elemental magic to some extent. Embedding more stones in one weapon allows for access to more elements.
Among all humans, the Hero stands supreme as the only one capable of facing the Demon King in single combat.
As for the demons...
Every demon is born with the capacity for dark magic, a corrupted mirror of ordinary magic that follows similar elemental principles.
It is believed that some demons degenerate over time, losing intelligence and devolving into mere monsters, distinct from true demonkind. Among them all, the Demon King reigns as the mightiest demon, and possibly the strongest being on the planet.
Every century, a Hero is born among humans—believed to be a gift bestowed to them by their God, blessed with extraordinary gifts such as affinity for multiple elements, an immense mana pool second only to the Demon King's, and exceptional physical and mental fortitude that grants superior power, defense, and immunity to mind control.
The Hero wields the holy sword and dons the holy armor, two of the world's sacred relics.
Forged from fragments of the God of Magic himself, and bestowed upon the first Hero to vanquish the original Demon King, these are the only weapons and armor capable of truly harming the Demon King or withstanding his assaults.
That said, even they have limits to how much damage they can inflict on the Demon King, or how long they can tank his attacks.
At least, that's what humans believe.
A new Hero awakens far earlier than ordinary mages, often by age three. The shortest awakening was achieved by the first Hero—who awakened at at age of one, and the longest wait in history was five years.
As they mature, Heroes then undertake quests, slaying monsters to hone their abilities and grow stronger—leveling up, in essence, to prepare themselves for the day the Demon King fully revives.
The current Demon King, Leon, boasts a mana capacity at least twice that of the Hero.
Not only that, but only a Hero can approach him and live—as lesser beings would perish under the sheer pressure radiating from his castle.
At peak power, rumors claim he wields both magic and dark magic, making him unmatched—though this remains human speculation, as it has never been proven.
He brandishes a greatsword of unknown origin. His floating citadel hovers above demon lands, shielded by a barrier penetrable only by holy items.
Demons say he seeks humanity's utter destruction—the spark that ignited the eternal war.
Humans and demons remain locked in a stalemate, awaiting the fated clash between Hero and Demon King.
Each war lasts a decade and ends predictably—the Hero sacrifices everything in a desperate bid to slay the Demon King, fails, and perishes.
The holy relics vanish, awaiting the next Hero to be born.
The Demon King, brought to the brink of death, retreats to recover for nearly a century, regaining strength before launching the next invasion.
And the cycle then repeats endlessly, unbreakable.
This time, however, something is different.
The current Hero was born far later than what the prophecy had foretold. The demons dared hope that fate had finally tilted in their favor—yet this Hero began training earlier than any predecessor, much to their ignorance.
To humans, every act of the Hero is noble, a defense of the world itself. The Hero embodies good, while the Demon King is pure evil. This is the immutable truth of their world—or so the humans decreed.
Demons care nothing for such labels. Over centuries, the boundary between righteousness and villainy has blurred for both sides.
Victory alone matters and survival is all that counts.
Humans see themselves as defenders against demons bent on extinction—or so they believe.
But why does the Demon King crave humanity's annihilation?
What does he truly gain from all of this?
No Hero has ever returned to tell the tale of their final duel, leaving the questions unanswered.
Knowing all this, IT lurks—hidden yet in plain sight, watching with quiet anticipation.
IT observes the key specimen, the one responsible for everything that has happened, is happening, and is yet to happen.
And that about sums up the information regarding this planet. At least, most of it. The rest will come up during the story progression... maybe.
A voice echoed—yet none heard it, and none ever could. To the planet's denizens, it was as though the sound had never existed at all, despite the truth that it had.
I should just make this my default form and only change it if necessary, or when I get bored of it. Most importantly, should I take a male, or female form? It's a 50-50 shot, so I'll just choose randomly. Though, I wonder which one I look best in...
The voice emanated from a silhouette.
The figure appears as a humanoid formed entirely of deep black space, its body speckled with countless white points like distant stars scattered across a night sky.
The face is smooth and featureless, except for the two glowing white eyes that stand out starkly against the darkness.
The body was lean, and the hands mirror this cosmic contrast—black like the rest of its form, yet marked by stark white palms that glow faintly, as if light itself gathers there.
It was a similar form to the one IT had once assumed when it descended upon this world in a distant past.
Big boobs, thick thighs, slim waist, and long flowing hair. Female version clearly won the coin toss.IT verified by running hands over its own body for a moment. That's enough of that. Now then, let the entertainment begin!