CHAPTER 145: THE GRACE PERIOD, COUNTDOWN TO THE OPENING OF THE UPPER REALM

The reaction across all worlds was immediate the moment the being uttered the word "Primordial."

It rippled through every realm like a shockwave, stirring up voices, speculation, and fear.

Yet for most, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

After all, this was not the first time the ten figures had appeared before them.

They had already confirmed his existence.

This time, the shock was dulled, but the curiosity burned brighter.

The question on everyone’s mind was simple and unshakable, what race was he from?

[I’m sure all of you are wondering who and what the Primordial is, but... We’re not telling you!]

The figure let out a wild, unrestrained laugh, the kind that sent a chill through the air, before returning to a grim, heavy tone.

Its eyes flared with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the worlds themselves.

[I truly wonder, just how far you can go, Primordial. Show us.]

"Fuck you."

[Insulting us doesn’t do anything, but I appreciate the response.]

[Anyway, as I said before, in two weeks all those who are eligible to enter the "Upper Realm" will be allowed to do so without restriction.]

[However, there is something I must tell you before that happens.]

[If you choose to enter the "Upper Realm," you will be setting yourself on a path toward either immense power and strength... or death. No one knows which it will be. But you will NOT be able to return to your original world or realm until it is all over.]

"...!"

For the first time during this entire spectacle, Sam’s eyes widened.

This rule was cruel—brutally so.

If someone decided to enter the [Upper Realm] to fight whatever awaited there, or to climb higher in power, they would be sealing their own fate.

There would be no return.

The [Upper Realm] would become their new reality, and the life they had known in the [Lower Realm] would be left behind.

Every loved one, every familiar place, every connection—they would all be abandoned.

The chance of seeing them again would be slim.

The chance of dying up there, far greater.

And if the [Lower Realm] was only the first of three realms...

If it had taken decades for the beastkin and humans to even get this far...

Then just how long would the second and third realms take?

Perhaps they would be shorter, yet infinitely more dangerous.

Or perhaps they would stretch out far longer, each step heavier than the last.

Sam didn’t know.

’Well... not like I have any loved ones, so I don’t care. I have to keep going.’

[The next set of rules will begin once the "Upper" realm opens to you all.]

[We expect the strongest awakeners from each race to enter, but as I have said before, please make certain you do not regret your decision.]

The being spoke with authority, but beneath it, Sam could swear he caught something strange, a faint trace of sadness in its voice, fleeting but undeniable.

[Anyway, have fun.]

[The two weeks given to you as a grace period are simply for you to spend time with those you care about.]

[After that...]

The being’s mouth stretched into a smile again, its tone laced with excitement.

[We will see what happens, won’t we?]

Fwish! BOOM!

The figure dissolved into countless shadowy particles, all swirling upward before vanishing into the great vortex above.

The vortex slowly collapsed, until at last it closed entirely, restoring the sky to its natural state.

Sam stood there for a long moment, eyes lifting to the empty air where the phenomenon had been, before dropping his gaze to the ground.

So much had just been thrown at him. Too much, really.

And now there was the added weight of knowing that if he stepped into the [Upper Realm], it would mean saying goodbye to this Earth, and to the [Lower Realm], forever.

Or a good amount of time at least.

That truth should have been daunting, even paralyzing.

Yet deep down, Sam felt the same as before.

There was no turning back. He couldn’t afford to.

If he wanted to reach the strength he needed, the only path forward was through.

It also made sense to him now why the first step of his [Advancement Task] required him to enter the [Upper Realm].

It was the system’s way of forcing him onward, cutting away any option of stagnation. Not that he minded.

Something deep inside him, something tied to his very soul, was burning fiercely, urging him to keep moving forward.

’No matter who,’ he muttered under his breath before rushing ahead.

[13 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 47 seconds.]

The sky shimmered with light as a massive countdown appeared, visible to every living being in all seven worlds.

It marked the exact moment when the [Upper Realm] would open.

Those who had already conquered the first six layers could choose to wait even after the coundown was over, entering at their own pace... but Sam doubted many would do so.

Every day of delay meant giving others an advantage.

And in a situation where hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of awakeners from every race might enter simultaneously, that head start could prove decisive.

It would be chaos from the very first moment.

Still, the thought stirred a strange excitement within him.

He wanted to know what kind of trials the [Upper Realm] would hold. He wanted to see it for himself.

For now, though, he kept moving, racing through the [Outer Rings] until he reached the train station.

He boarded and began the ride back to [Ashbourne City].

As the train rattled forward, Sam noticed more people than usual heading toward the [Outer Rings] in the opposite trains.

It was obvious why, this new announcement had ignited a frenzy.

The [Primordial Guild] had already cleared the [Sixth Layer], and now the veil had been lifted just enough to reveal what came next.

The news that you couldn’t return once you entered might drive some away...

But for just as many, it would only fuel their determination.

Because in the [Upper Realm], strength was said to multiply tenfold.

And the rate of growth? Even faster.

"I don’t care, I’m going!"

"I’m already at the peak of [Ascendant] rank! My [Advancement Task] is to clear the [Sixth Layer] anyway!"

"I need to level up quickly! We can’t let the other races get ahead of us..."

"Are you an idiot? They probably already have tens of thousands of [Forsaken] rank awakeners each! We should focus on what’s right in front of us!"

Sam listened absently as voices around him buzzed with debate and ambition.

Before long, the train rolled into [Ashbourne City].

He made his way back to his hotel, entered his room, and collapsed onto the bed.

The ceiling stared back at him as his aura slowly flared, shimmering faintly in the dim light.

’I guess... I just need to wait, huh.’

Two weeks wasn’t long, but it was enough time for the other great guilds to take their shot at the [Sixth Layer].

Plenty of top awakeners had already reached [Forsaken] rank.

All they needed now was to complete the layer before the grace period ended, and their ticket to the [Upper Realm] would be secured.

They didn’t know what they’d find there.

But Sam had no doubt that the strongest from each race would take the risk.

And if even humans, the weakest race, were pushing this far, Sam could only imagine what the others, the ones who had finished the [Forsaken] realm so quickly, were planning.

As long as the rules and challenges remained hidden, the mystery would drive them onward.

The unknown was part of the pull. And so, without even realizing it, Sam drifted into sleep.

His mind was already reaching forward, eager to see what would come next.