CHAPTER 58: EXPLANATION ABOUT THE THIRD EXPEDITION

"Heh, don’t give me that look, kid," the man in front of Sam chuckled, a relaxed grin on his face. "I’m not here to bother you for long or anything. Just wanted to pass along some important information."

As soon as he saw him, though, Sam’s passive [Void Watcher] immediately activated.

Thanks to it, Sam was able to peer through the man’s soul without him noticing.

[He has no killing intent, but he is ready to use force.]

Sam let out a sigh and leaned against the wall behind him. "Go ahead," he said, folding his arms.

His instincts had already told him this conversation would be worth it, and if his subconscious was saying that, then he wasn’t going to ignore it.

Besides, this guy clearly worked for the [Awakener Association], and considering he already knew Sam’s name, there was no point in pretending or trying to hide anything.

"Good," the man smiled wider. "Otherwise, I might’ve had to resort to... other methods."

Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A soft crimson glow sparked from them as his aura responded on its own, flaring with subtle intensity.

"Oho~" the man let out a delighted chuckle as he noticed. "So it’s true. You feel... weak, almost ordinary. But under that layer, there’s real power. A strange kind of power, even for someone like me."

Sam didn’t respond. He simply stared, his expression flat.

"...Get to the point."

[Eternal Barrier: 50/50]

Sam didn’t need a system notification to tell him what he already knew.

This guy was strong, stronger than him by far.

Probably [Ascendant] rank, which meant he was only one step away from the fabled [Forsaken] tier.

The man lifted his hands lightly. "Alright, alright. No need to get all stiff," he said, his grin never fading. "I came here to inform you, Sam Walker, sole member and leader of the [Primordial] guild, that you’ve been invited to participate in the upcoming Third Expedition."

Sam blinked, and his eyes widened a little.

He had already heard whispers of the so-called "third expedition" earlier today, both from the news and from the crowd at the [Awakener Association].

But until now, he hadn’t known what it truly meant. And yet... he was being invited?

"...What?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You really don’t know, huh? Hm. Guess I’ll have to explain something most awakeners should know..."

Sam shrugged. "I’ve been busy."

The man laughed. "Fair enough."

Then he stepped a bit closer, his tone shifting as he began explaining.

"You see, most awakeners, Adept or even Expert, are stuck in the third layer. The fourth layer gets all the attention because that’s where the top guilds and elite awakeners aim to go, but the truth is... the majority of people haven’t even reached it."

He paused to let that sink in.

"In fact, most of them don’t even know the name of the fourth layer," the man added, eyeing Sam. "Nor what its mechanic is."

Sam tilted his head. "Can I know it?"

"No," the man said bluntly.

"...Damn."

Sam frowned. It made no sense.

If humanity was trying to survive and progress, why would they keep important information hidden from the very people risking their lives?

The man didn’t explain, and instead kept going.

"The first expedition happened decades ago. Thousands of awakeners joined forces to raid the First Layer. It was the first time humanity truly succeeded in pushing through."

Sam nodded. That much made sense.

"And the second expedition," the man continued, "was for the Second Layer. A similar mass push helped more awakeners reach the Adept rank and spread crucial knowledge. These expeditions don’t reduce the difficulty of the layer itself, but they provide structure. Support. Motivation."

He paused, then gave Sam a pointed look.

"And now, the third expedition is being launched, for the Third Layer. To push through it."

Sam understood now. It was a coordinated effort. Not just about one person getting through, but an organized strike meant to open the path for many.

The man gave a short nod. "Thousands of awakeners like you will join. The goal is to gather data, beat back the monsters, and hopefully conquer the third layer so more can advance."

Sam listened carefully. He didn’t interrupt.

"I won’t be part of it, of course," the man added. "Being [Ascendant] rank means I can’t enter the third layer anymore. The system blocks anyone who’s ranked too high."

Sam raised a brow. "Then how do [Ascendants] still enter the fourth layer?"

The man gave a dry laugh. "Because no one’s conquered it yet."

That made Sam stop and think.

The system’s restrictions only applied after a layer had been fully cleared by someone of a higher rank. Until then, people could still enter.

"The moment an Ascendant clears the fourth layer," the man said, "they’ll be locked out just like everyone else. Only allowed to move on to the fifth."

He continued, listing the layers in order and their corresponding ranks.

---

[First Layer: Novice]

[Second Layer: Adept]

[Third Layer: Adept–Expert]

[Fourth Layer: Master]

[Fifth Layer: Ascendant]

[Sixth Layer: Forsaken]

---

"These are the general guidelines," the man explained, "but even that’s been challenged. After all, not even full Master-Ascendant teams have managed to clear the fourth layer."

Sam recalled what David had told him before, about the terrible malice of the fourth layer boss.

Something that scared even the most powerful.

"Don’t get it twisted," the man continued. "If not for... that thing, any Ascendant group would’ve crushed the fourth layer easily. But it’s still undefeated, and we don’t even know if killing it is possible at this point."

Sam didn’t say anything, but he was beginning to see the full picture.

This "expedition" was humanity’s next big move, its next desperate attempt to make progress in a realm that constantly tried to drag them down.

"Anyway," the man said, brushing dust from his coat, "the third expedition begins in one week. You’re invited. Show up or don’t. That’s up to you."

He turned to leave, but paused briefly at the exit.

"Oh, and the name’s Evans," he said, a flare of golden light shining faintly in his eyes. "One of the five leaders of this place," he added with a grin.

Then he spun the scepter in his hand and walked away, laughing softly to himself.

And just like that, Sam was left standing in the hallway, his mind spinning with thoughts.

’The Third Expedition, huh...’ He scratched his chin, eyes narrowing.

He figured that all the strongest guilds and awakeners had been feeling the same thing lately, a sense that too many events were unfolding at once. A bad omen.

Plus, the [Battle Realm] was coming soon. And they wanted to grow stronger beforehand, to push further into the [Forsaken] realm while they still had the chance.

Sam had to admit, despite the pressure Evans gave off during the talk, the information had been more than worth it.

"Sure," Sam muttered to himself. "Why not. I’ll check it out."

He needed to clear the third layer anyway if he wanted to hit [Expert Rank] before the [Battle Realm] opened.

Eventually, someone would figure out how to clear the fourth layer too. It was only a matter of time.

Evans had mentioned that a Master-ranked awakener could theoretically complete it... but something kept getting in their way. Something more than just power.

Sam made a mental note to keep that "malice" thing in mind.

But for now, his mind was clear. His goal was set.

He left the [Awakener Association] with purpose in his steps, heading back toward his hotel room, eyes scanning the streets with quiet focus.

[A heavy aura of death seems to cling to you every time you think about the "Third Expedition".]

"..."

And without another word, he returned to his room.

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