And with a roar, he leapt forward, right into the heart of the beast.

His blade flashed—a clean, deliberate arc—and the creature split in two with a sickening, wet crack.

The severed halves collapsed to either side like broken walls, their twisted limbs twitching before dissolving into black mist.

Alex landed hard in the small space his attack had carved open.

Behind him, the others blitzed past, one after the other, jumping into the glowing gate without hesitation.

"Hurry!" Adam shouted, his voice distant but urgent as he dove into the portal.

The storm cloud loomed behind Alex, an unrelenting wall of chaos. Its speed had increased, like it knew it had missed its last victim.

But Alex didn't flinch.

He looked right at it—at the boiling darkness clawing toward him.

Then he jumped.

The air around him shimmered as he passed through the threshold of the gate. Behind him, the cloud lunged—but it was too late.

The moment Alex's foot crossed the portal's edge, the massive doors slammed shut, slicing through the remnants of the storm like a blade. The cloud's front tendrils were scattered across the air before fading into nothing.

And then… silence.

The bridge, once full of chaos and screams, went still.

From the viewing stands far above, part of the crowd erupted into cheers. Their chosen candidates had survived. A few had made it into the Legacy Land.

But not all.

In one section of the audience, carved from crystal and bathed in soft golden light, sat a group of viewers with pointed ears and flawless features.

Elves.

Their seating was elevated above the rest—ornate, refined, and guarded on all sides by runed soldiers. Seated in the center of the box was a tall woman draped in rose-gold silks. Her skin was like polished ivory, and her eyes held both wisdom and steel.

The Elf Queen.

Two male guards flanked her—stoic, silent, and deadly. Beside her sat two of her daughters, both elegantly dressed, their expressions painted with faint amusement.

So far, they had been enjoying the trial.

Despite their race's reputation for poise and grace, the brutality on display had kept them thoroughly entertained.

Still, a flicker of disappointment shadowed their faces.

"I can't believe seven players were eliminated," one of the daughters said, sipping from a crystal chalice.

"Too bad no one from our race made it in," the other added, voice tinged with irritation. "Surely someone was worthy of entry. I find it hard to believe none were chosen."

"It's embarrassing," the first agreed.

"Quiet," the Elf Queen said sharply.

Both daughters immediately straightened.

There was a cold truth beneath their complaints—one they no longer fully grasped.

They didn't remember Kaelen.

The moment the storm cloud consumed him, all traces of his existence were erased.His name.His image.Even the memory of him in the trial.

It was like he had never existed at all.

Only a handful of beings retained the knowledge of his presence. The players who had shared the trial with him. And those who stood high enough in the cosmic hierarchy to resist the veil of erasure.

People like the Elf Queen.

And, of course, the deities.

Yes—that was the true reason for her presence here.

The Elf Queen, ruler of one of the most influential factions of light, had hoped Kaelen would uncover something powerful in the Legacy Land. Something worthy of challenging divinity.

Something that could allow her to ascend beyond mortality.

But he had failed her.

Worse, he had been the first to fall.

She sat rigidly, gripping the carved armrest of her throne-like seat. Her fingers dug into the polished wood, expression unreadable.

Last place.

It was disgraceful.

Few would remember Kaelen. But the ones that mattered—the ones above her—would. They would whisper. They would laugh.

And they would judge.

Her only option now was to shift strategies.

She had to watch the remaining players closely. If any of them managed to acquire the artifact she sought, she would need to claim them—lure them into her ranks, offer favors, protection, anything.

And if she succeeded…

Then she would ascend to deityhood.

She would challenge the current god of light. And if she won—his throne, his realm, and his power would be hers.

But that could only happen if someone brought her what she needed.

Her gaze drifted up to the massive screen floating above the coliseum. The image shimmered with soft magic.

That's right.

Inside the Legacy Land, a special mechanism allowed the audience to watch the journey unfold, for a time.

Each player carried a Token of Exit, a fail-safe that allowed them to leave the trial if things became fatal. What most didn't know was that the token also released a small orb-like creature upon entry.

The orb floated invisibly above the player, recording their movements and decisions from a third-person perspective. These orbs transmitted footage back to the audience, allowing them to follow the adventure in real-time.

Of course, the players had no idea they were being watched.

And the orbs weren't invincible. They could be destroyed. If that happened, the audience would lose their connection—and their view.

From that point on, only one thing could confirm a player's fate:

The token.

It could not be destroyed, lost, or transferred. It was bound to the player's life force. If the player died, the token shattered instantly.

It had been nearly a minute since the last player disappeared through the gate.

Now the screen flickered, and the image of the gate dissolved.

The screen shifted, revealing a ruined temple.

Old stone walls stood half-collapsed, wrapped in thick vines and moss. Mist curled through the broken archways, soft and low, as if the air itself was holding its breath. Cracked statues leaned at odd angles, their faces worn away by time. Glowing symbols faintly pulsed along the walls, casting a dim, flickering light.

The view floated forward slowly, moving with the quiet, steady bob of the orb as it followed its chosen player into the heart of the ancient ruin.

Somewhere in that land, the players were beginning their next test.

Excitement rippled through the crowd.

The final round of the Legacy Trial had...