CHAPTER 152: TRYING TO LEAVE THE FORSAKEN KINGDOM

[You are about to leave the ’Forsaken’ kingdom. Be wary of the dangers that await outside.]

Sam stopped just short of the invisible boundary that marked the edge of the kingdom.

The same went for the people around him.

None of them stepped forward. No one wanted to be the first.

Beyond this border lay the unknown, and everyone here knew it.

It was one thing to face danger inside the safety of the [Forsaken] kingdom’s walls, where the system still offered some protections.

It was another thing entirely to step out into a realm that no one had explored in centuries.

The possibility of instant death was real.

It was only natural for people to hold back and wait for someone else to be the test subject.

Even the strongest champions and most influential leaders of the gathered races remained still.

"Wait, your majesty!" one of the angels called out. "We should wait for one of the other races to go first before us!"

Sam turned his head slightly, his sharp hearing picking up the familiar voice.

It was the same group of angels he had noticed earlier while keeping to the side.

And standing among them was the angel they referred to as "majesty."

His presence was impossible to ignore — a crushing aura of divine might that Sam could feel even without looking directly at him.

It was the kind of power that made gauging his exact abilities impossible.

The royal angel’s voice was calm, yet it carried authority.

"Let’s wait for my daughter and the others," he said. "If nobody else goes first, then we will. We are strong enough."

The other angels nodded in agreement.

From somewhere in the crowd, a deep, guttural roar rumbled through the air.

"ROOOARRR~"

Sam glanced toward the source.

The dragons hadn’t moved either.

Prideful as they were, even they weren’t foolish enough to head out alone into uncharted territory.

The Beastking, standing among the beastkin, gave a casual shrug.

"The Celestials will probably go first anyway," he said. "Might as well wait."

Sam’s gaze moved over the massive crowd.

Thousands of awakeners from nearly every race were gathered here, each one tense but hiding it under a mask of calm.

And yet...

One race was glaringly absent in large numbers.

Humans.

He counted quickly.

If he was being generous, there were fewer than three thousand humans present who had made it into the [Upper] realm so far.

The reason was obvious.

Just a few months ago, humans had been struggling to survive in the fourth layer.

They had only managed to clear the sixth layer recently.

That meant their advancement rate was painfully low compared to other races.

Not only were they few in number, but their average power level was also lagging behind — weaker than beastkin, weaker than elves, and much weaker than dragons or angels.

Sam could feel the unspoken judgment in the eyes of the surrounding awakeners.

The looks they gave him weren’t subtle.

It was as if they were already certain that humans wouldn’t last long here.

But even so...

[You are not even human to begin with.]

[Their opinions matter little to us. Just keep moving.]

[Knowing that you are being underestimated fills you with determination!]

’Heh.’

He smirked faintly.

A sudden commotion rippled through the crowd, breaking the tense stillness.

Sam turned to look behind him — and then he saw them.

’So... the [Celestials] have arrived.’

A group of them advanced toward the gate.

There were only a few dozen in sight, but their presence outweighed everyone else’s combined.

Even though their numbers were small, they radiated an overwhelming sense of power.

Sam had suspected before that their race was not large in population, and now he was sure.

Yes, there were still thousands of them scattered across the realm...

But for a race that had cleared all six layers decades ago, their count was still low compared to others.

Low in number, yet honed to perfection.

Every movement they made was precise and deadly.

Even the smallest gesture from them seemed like it could end a monster’s life, or an awakener’s, without effort.

The other races reacted instantly.

"Here they are! I knew they’d come!"

"Good, at least they’re reliable when they’re on your side."

"Who said they’re on our side? Don’t count on it."

The atmosphere remained mostly calm as the Celestials made their way to the front, clearly intending to be the first to leave the kingdom.

But then...

"Heh, I bet the Primordial is from their race," a dragonfolk awakener said, his tone casual. "No way he isn’t. They’re the strongest, after all, right?"

The change in the air was immediate and violent.

It was like thunder cracked across the entire gathering.

An immense wave of killing intent and pressure exploded outward from the Celestials.

Their eyes burned with a malevolent light as they turned toward the dragonfolk who had spoken.

And then—

ZAP! BOOM!

One of the Celestials conjured a [Thunder Spear] in his hand and hurled it without hesitation.

The weapon crossed the space in an instant, far too fast for the dragonfolk to dodge.

BOOOOM!

Lightning erupted in a deafening explosion, swallowing the target completely.

When the light faded, the dragonfolk’s body hit the ground with a heavy thud. Lifeless.

"Never compare us to that wretched being again," the Celestial said coldly. "We... are not like them."

Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly, a faint glow of crimson reflecting in them.

His face remained calm, but his mind was already working.

’So they hate the Primordial too... That’s going to be a problem.’

[We’ll have to kill them all eventually =). Better to prepare for that.]

He didn’t need the reminder. His disguise wouldn’t last forever.

At some point, someone would uncover the truth, that he was the Primordial.

When that happened, survival would only be possible if he was strong enough to crush every threat that came for him.

Right now, even one or two Celestials could probably end him.

He stepped aside to let them pass.

As they moved past, several of them glanced briefly at him.

He met their gaze evenly, but they looked away without comment.

The faint crimson in his eyes burned steadily.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t give him away.

The Celestials reached the border and, without hesitation, crossed into the wilds beyond the [Safe Zone].

Sam was just about to follow — but then a familiar voice stopped him.

"Wait, saintess, let’s not rush! We don’t know what’s out there!" an elf said urgently.

"We’re in unknown territory," another replied. "It’s better to push forward and see what we’re capable of!"

That second voice...

Sam’s lips curled into a smile.

"Oh," he murmured. "So she’s here too."

Seraphine Lunaris. The saintess of the elf race. The fourth heroine of [Forsakened].

She stood at the center of a group of elves, her presence commanding but without the arrogance of the Celestials.

"Y-Your father isn’t here, and neither are any of the peak elf awakeners, so—" one of her companions began.

"—So what?" Seraphine cut in sharply, her aura flaring. "I won’t sit around and do nothing. If father isn’t here, then I’ll handle whatever comes myself."

---

[Name: Seraphine Lunaris]

[Rank: Forsaken]

[Level: 9]

[Class: ???]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: The fourth heroine, saintess of the elf race. She seems to be nervous about something.]

---

Sam read her panel with mild surprise.

She had reached [Forsaken] rank, and was already close to its peak.

Her growth rate had been remarkable. Still, the note about her being "nervous" made him wonder.

’Doesn’t matter,’ he thought.

He turned back toward the gate, ready to leave and begin his first mission in the [Upper] realm.

But then, Seraphine’s eyes met his. He hadn’t expected anything to come of it.

As far as he knew, she only remembered meeting him once in the [Battle Realm].

If she even remembered him at all.

But as she looked at him, her eyes suddenly widened in recognition.

"You..." she breathed.

She quickly shook her head. "No, not here."

"What should we do, saintess?" one of the elves asked.

"We go forward," Seraphine said firmly, her gaze flicking back toward Sam. "And... we clear that mission."

"Alright!"

Sam stared at her for a moment longer, his expression unreadable.

Then he sighed, turned away, and stepped through the gate.

Ding!

[You have left the safe zone of the "Forsaken" kingdom, you are on your own now.]