CHAPTER 153: OUTSIDE THE SAFE ZONE, THE UPPER REALM’S FIRST MONSTERS

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

The world beyond the kingdom’s protective walls was calmer than Sam expected.

The grass stretched out in endless fields, still coated in that same lifeless shade of gray, and the sky hung heavy and pale, looking as though all color had been drained away by something unseen.

It was as if some creeping force had spread its influence over everything in sight, leeching the world of life.

But Sam didn’t mind.

In fact, the stillness almost made it easier to think.

He stood still for a moment, letting his gaze sweep across the dead horizon before deciding to head deeper into the lands.

Part of him had half-expected some kind of monster to immediately burst from the shadows, attacking anyone foolish enough to step beyond the safe zone.

But, of course, reality didn’t work that way. At least, not yet.

For now, the area near the gates seemed relatively safe, maybe because they were still so close to the kingdom.

Sam wasn’t the only one to make the journey outside.

He saw several other groups already moving forward, their formations led by the towering and unmistakable figures of celestials.

These leaders strode ahead without hesitation, their presence drawing others forward.

They were already dozens of meters from the gate, and with every step away from the kingdom, the air itself seemed to grow heavier.

A faint tension pressed down.

"Be careful," one of the celestials called back to their group. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Even beings that powerful, those who stood among the strongest in the realm, knew better than to assume their strength alone would guarantee survival here.

Another voice spoke, this one from farther up ahead. "Where’s the seventh layer, anyway? Is it going to be in a rift, or do we need to just keep going until we find it?"

"No idea," someone answered. "We need to advance forward, though."

It was clear there were two kinds of people among those who had left the kingdom.

On one side, there were those willing to march forward even in the face of whatever dangers awaited them.

Groups of demons, elves, angels, beastkin, and humans walked ahead with unshaken expressions, determined to see their mission through.

[Their souls are shining with determination... I wonder just how long it will last =)]

Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’Their determination has a limit. I already know that. But... even then...’

[The celestials are the race with the second-strongest determination in the realms.]

"Hm."

On the other side, there was a very different reaction.

The farther they moved from the gates, the more a wave of unease began to spread through the second half of the group.

Many of them were peak [Forsaken] rank awakeners, yet that didn’t mean they were immune to fear.

[This is what happens when your determination falters. Never let that happen to us.]

Sam tilted his head slightly, curious.

From where he stood, he could see several awakeners from different races slowing down.

A few exchanged uneasy glances, and then, almost in unison, they turned and began heading back toward the gate.

"I need to prepare myself more," one muttered. "Get a better team before I try this."

"Hell no," another said quickly. "I’ve got a bad feeling about this."

But the moment they tried to cross back into the kingdom...

Bam!

A sudden flash of light shimmered across the air, forming some kind of invisible wall that sent them stumbling back.

"Huh?"

"What...?"

No matter what they tried, charging forward, pushing against the barrier, striking it with weapons, unleashing attacks, it didn’t give way.

The truth became clear fast. They were trapped outside.

And then...

Ding!

A massive crimson panel appeared in the sky above everyone, the glowing letters visible to all.

[Once you leave the "Forsaken" kingdom, you are not able to enter again until one hour passes.]

[It’s better to just try and complete the missions assigned to you.]

The words hung in the air for only a moment before the panel dissolved, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

Sam stared up at it with a blank expression.

Then, slowly, a small smile began to curl across his lips.

’Of course.’

This realm was far more dangerous than the one beneath it.

That much was obvious from the start. Mercy didn’t exist here.

Sam’s gaze flicked toward the group that had tried to return, as well as those still lingering at the gates inside the kingdom.

Despair was written clearly across their faces.

In only a few seconds, they had gone from somewhat confident to fully realizing just how dire their situation really was.

This realm wouldn’t grant them anything unless they fought for it.

And even the idea of this kingdom being a safe spot would in itself be the biggest reward they would be granted.

"W-Wait," someone stammered. "That’s fine, right? There’s nothing out here to fight. We can just wait the hour and then head back."

It was a fragile hope, but some clung to it.

The hour-long cooldown meant that every single time you stepped outside for a mission, you needed to be prepared to remain out here for a while.

There would be no quick retreats.

And if there were dangers waiting... Well...

Fwish! Fwish!

Sam’s head tilted slightly as he felt a shift in the air.

Something was wrong. He looked up toward the lifeless gray sky and spotted a swirling vortex beginning to form.

It grew rapidly, churning like a storm, its center dark.

"Heh," he murmured with a grin. "Here it comes."

Fwish! BOOOOM!

Crimson lightning ripped through the sky, surging from the vortex.

Bolts slammed into the ground all around them, striking in rapid succession.

Hundreds of impacts lit up the dead landscape, the sound reverberating in Sam’s bones.

When the mist from the strikes began to clear, shapes emerged. They weren’t human.

The creatures stood tall and twisted, their eyes glowing faintly as they fixed their gazes on the awakeners.

Every single one of them radiated a peak [Forsaken] rank presence, level 70.

The vortex above didn’t fade either.

If anything, its rotation grew faster, promising more arrivals... and likely stronger ones the deeper they went.

[The barrier of the first mission is located further. You will need to reach it to start the mission.]

’Barrier,’ Sam muttered under his breath.

It seemed the system was only revealing its information piece by piece as they progressed, almost as if it wanted to avoid overwhelming them all at once.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that monsters were already closing in.

Sam reached into his [Spatial Inventory] and drew out the primordial sword.

Dozens upon dozens of enemies surrounded them now, forming an almost unbroken ring around the scattered groups of awakeners.

Those who had been willing to leave the kingdom without hesitation stayed calm, their expressions unreadable as they raised their weapons.

Sam didn’t plan on showing too much of his true power here.

He had handled hundreds of creatures like this in the [Forsaken Abyss] before, so their strength didn’t worry him in the slightest.

But his identity as a Primordial was another matter.

If that got out, things would become... complicated.

[What would happen is that we would kill them all =)]

[After all... our determination is far stronger than all of theirs combined...]

’I wonder about that,’ Sam thought.

Still, it looked like holding back might not be necessary.

The same celestial who had killed the dragonkin earlier stepped forward, summoning a [Thunder Spear] in their hand.

With a single motion, they hurled it toward a cluster of monsters.

ZAP! BOOM!

The explosion wiped out all five targets instantly.

More lightning fell from the vortex above, each bolt bringing new enemies into the fray.

Sam’s eyes scanned the field, and a thought crossed his mind.

’Oh. I underestimated them, didn’t I.’

The celestials moved like living weapons, their every strike ending a monster’s life.

The angels fought with divine blades and radiant abilities, cutting down their foes with ease.

Demons tore through the ranks without hesitation.

Dragons shifted into their true forms, their jaws snapping enemies in half.

Even the elves struck with lethal precision.

Seraphine was among them, her scepter raised toward two advancing monsters.

Elven Arrows!

Two green projectiles shot from her weapon, each piercing into a target’s head before detonating.

The monsters collapsed instantly.

’What the fuck?’ Sam thought, eyes widening slightly, ’These people are actually overpowered.’

He gripped his sword tighter.

If this was the level of strength around him, then there was no reason to hold back anymore.

Without hesitation, he dashed forward, the primordial sword in his hand glowing with the full power of his affinities.

[Proceed.]