🃏 The Emergence of the Shackleds
A shackled is described as "a demon trapped in human or animal form" who possess immense power.
Shackleds began to appear during the "Spiritual Rot" age, when humans began to use their power for vanity, luxury, and war, rather than transcendence.
This corruption triggered the "Loom Period", an era of total war. It was a horrific bloodbath, but humans emerged victorious.
They didn't win because they had more power; they won because they adapted faster. They evolved and defeated the shackled threat, entering the "Grace Period", not realizing that it was just the calm before a storm.
As of chapter 120, there are only three publicly known ranks, based on their intelligence and destructive capability.
● Low Rank: Known to mindlessly destroy everything around them.
● Medium Rank: Possess resilient bodies capable of withstanding fire and physical trauma. They focus on specific targets rather than general destruction.
● High Rank: Capable of strategic thinking and planning. Their offensive and defensive abilities are vast enough to destroy army supply chains or trample crops to cause famine.
The Theory of "Broken Oaths"
The Gods granted powers to humans with the expectation that humans would eventually transcend their physical forms. Instead, humans used the power to build empires, hoard beauty, and prolong their mortal lives.
They started to look for loopholes in order to break their oaths. They kept their money, their sanity, their egos, and their emotions while still wielding the power of Gods.
To avoid being wiped out by the Gods, the four great ancestors came up with an idea of specialized leases that basically said: "We sinned, but we promise to pay off our debts, piece by piece, over centuries."
It wouldn't erase the rising debt; it would only delay the collection.