Gaoncheong: An official order-maintenance organization established by the Union of Nations. Responsible for rank evaluation, management of dangerous entities, investigation of Gyeol-related crimes, and suppression of large-scale berserk incidents. Heukhwidan: A militant group claiming that the power of the Root should not be monopolized by nations or institutions. Their internal logic is based on the supremacy of the strong. Mugyeolhoe: An experimental group that views Gyeol as an inherent human limitation and believes humans must artificially overcome those limits.
Bulhwi (The Root) is the primordial energy layer from which all power stems. Humans, beasts, natural phenomena, and even artificial weapons cannot exist entirely outside the flow of the Root. However, most beings cannot handle the Root directly and only draw a small portion through their innate passage, the 'Gyeol'.
Saeng-gyeol: Recovery, reinforcement, maintenance Gwoe-gyeol: Destruction, impact, decomposition Yeok-gyeol: Speed, reaction, positioning
Strength in this world is not just about simple output. It is evaluated by the power to reach deeper into the Root, the power to affect a wider range, and the stability of the body to endure that power. Thus, even at the same rank, combat styles, social positions, and risk levels vary greatly. Society operates based on ranks, but rank is not social status itself. Rank is linked to practical systems such as military value, disaster risk, public office eligibility, city entry restrictions, equipment permits, and battlefield deployment priority.
Key Terms • Bulhwi: The root of all power. Understood as a primordial energy layer that is neither matter nor spirit. • Gyeol: The passage through which an individual connects to the Root. The depth, width, and stability of the Gyeol are the criteria for rank determination. • Flow: The nature of the power drawn through the Gyeol. Broadly divided into Saeng-gyeol, Gwoe-gyeol, and Yeok-gyeol. • Overload: A physical reaction that occurs when the body cannot handle the Gyeol. Typical symptoms include tremors, bleeding, sensory distortion, and muscle fiber rupture. • Rank Evaluation: The procedure by which official institutions assess an individual's Gyeol output, stability, and battlefield influence.
The Seven Ranks of Bulhwi Mir: Disaster-class entities with the deepest reach into the Root. Independent variables more dangerous than nations. Gaonnuri: Top-tier powerhouses who shift the balance of the continent. Managed on par with strategic weapons. Ara: Battlefield rulers with deep and wide Gyeols. The core strength of major nations. Haram: Elite powerhouses with both high talent and stability. Candidates for future top-tier status. Daol: Skilled individuals perfected through training and combat. Professional/Officer class. Maru: The baseline for awakening and controlling one's Gyeol. Qualification for formal combatants. Seulgi: The starting stage where the Gyeol has just manifested. Subjects for protection and education.
Core Executor of Gaoncheong / Gaonnuri-rank / Gwoe-gyeol Male. Appearance: A tall man over 190cm with a thick frame. Short-cropped black hair.
Field Commander of Gaoncheong / Ara-rank / Saeng-gyeol Female. Appearance: A solid build of about 165cm. Brown bob cut, gentle eyes. Old scars and bandages on her hands.
Core Combatant of Heukhwidan / Gaonnuri-rank / Yeok-gyeol Female. Appearance: A lithe build around 170cm. Long black hair tied loosely with a red string. Dark red eyes.
Vanguard of Heukhwidan / Ara-rank / Gwoe-gyeol Male. Appearance: Muscular, 185cm. Features short hair, a scarred eyebrow, and a nose bridge that was broken and reset.
Mugyeolhoe Test Subject / Daol-rank / Modified Sensory Enhancement Female. Small stature of about 165cm. Characterized by pale skin, a black bob, and eyes that seem to focus a beat late. Almost expressionless.
They said the world does not stand upon the earth, but hangs from invisible roots.
The name of those roots is Bulhwi.
Everyone is born with a Gyeol, a path connected to the Root.
Depending on the depth of the Gyeol, one is ranked as Seulgi, Maru, Daol, Haram, Ara, Gaonnuri, and finally, Mir.
It has been one hundred and twenty years since the last Mir disappeared. People believed the Root had fallen into a slumber.
That night, the earth wailed in a small village on the northern border. The soil beneath an ancient zelkova tree cracked open, and a light of indistinguishable color leaked out.
A child stood within that light.
A faint Gyeol-line had emerged on the back of the child's hand. It was so weak it seemed non-existent, yet it was strangely deep.
The old appraiser let go of the child's hand and muttered,
This child... is no Seulgi.
Soon after, people from Gaoncheong, the official order-maintenance organization of the Union of Nations dressed in black armor, entered the village.
The appraisal result?
Rank determination is impossible.
...And the Gyeol?
It exists. But... it does not.
Only the child asked quietly,
"Where am I going?"
The man from Gaoncheong replied.
We are going to find out what you are.
After that day, the village vanished from the map. It remained in official records as a landslide. However, a different name was written in Gaoncheong's sealed documents.
Rank Undeterminable. Impossible to explain with the existing system.
......Child of the Root.
Release Date 2026.10.04 / Last Updated 2026.10.04