《Lord of the Karmic Fate》


 Chapter 1 Raven

    In a world where everything was in perfect harmony and the presence of peace was felt even by a single nce, an eternal mountain stood proudly in the middle of a vast and almost crystal-clear azure ocean.


    And exactly at the very top of this mountain, which had a peak surrounded by pure-white clouds in the shape of a ring, a great tree with a trunk as yellow as the most refined gold and with leaves as colorful as a rainbow stood straight with a top that reached the stars high above!


    "Do you really think this is the right choice? If you ept to join her dirty game you will put everything on the line. Is it really worth the risk?"


    Just below the tree''s shade where the temperature was just excellent, two individuals were seen beside each other, one leaning against the trunk of the tree while the other oney calmly beside with a head gently ced on the other''sp.


    The one leaning against the tree was a young man with features that only those eternal existences from ancient tales and myths were capable of achieving and sustaining!


    Short, pitch-ck hair which was darker than ink, a slim but seemingly well-refined body together with bronze skin, and eyes as golden as the gold of a hive. He wore a ck dress with golden sewings on it which was slightly loose above, thus revealing the middle of his firm chest, and the golden ne representing a star that hung down his neck.


    On the other hand, the one lying on his side with a head on hisp was a young woman, whose long and soft hair was caressed by the young man with both care and passion.


    However, in contrast to the young man''s could be said ''usual'' appearance, the young woman while being otherworldly beautiful to the point where even gods would decide to kneel before her, was slightly different as she seemingly had the ears and tail of a cat, each having the same color as her long and silky smooth white hair!


    Furthermore, although her eyes were closed as she visibly enjoyed the young man''s every touch, from time to time she opened her eyelids, revealing two stunningly enhancing silver eyes that even had a vertical slit in them, just akin to a cat!


    Holding a golden coin in his other hand which was turned and twisted between his fingers as if it was a part of his body, the young man slowly raised his head toward the clear blue sky filled with numerous glowing stars and pondered in silence.


    Just only when he felt a soft movement on hisp did he lower his gaze to meet the young woman''s silver eyes and spoke, "Then why don''t we just leave everything to luck? For example, with a coin toss?"


    Then, grabbing and holding the golden coin between his right thumb and index finger, the young man smiled softly, "If it''s tails, I will refuse to go along her little game. However, if it is a head, I won''t."


    "And what if it falls and gets stuck standing in the ground,nding on neither of its sides?"


    The young man smiled and cing his hand on the young woman''s head, patting her smooth hair and cat ears with passion, he said, "Then I guess I will have no choice but to leave the decision up to you."


    The young woman pouted cutely upon hearing the young man''s words and turning her head slightly to the side she started to mumble quietly, in a way that sounded more of a cat''s purr than exact words.


    The young man just smiled and chuckled gently as an answer before he shifted his gaze at the coin in his hand. Then, after pondering for a while, he threw it into the air.


    The young woman''s cat ears twitched scarcely upon the light sound of the coin getting tossed before her charming silver gaze shifted toward the sky, watching how the coin soared higher and higher toward the stars above before gravity finally forced it toe to a halt for a split second and drag it down in the next.


    And just a moment after the coin hit the ground...


    ...


    "It''s tails! It''s tails! Haha! You have lost once again, Raven! Haha!" inside a luxurious room which was filled with lots of shiny and expensive items and antiques, an old man with a chubby face and short gray hair punched his fist into the air as a delightedugh escaped his mouth.


    "Haha, luck is truly not on your side today either, brat. Losing several grand just under a single night... No, just under a single hour! You are truly something else." the old man showed an exhrated grin as he leaned back into hisfy sofa, causing his shirt around his big round and bulging belly to tighten.


    Luckily enough, his shirt had firm buttons which could keep the cloth together. If not, it was pretty feasible that the way and speed the old man leaned back the shirt would have gotten ripped apart if not into numerous parts!


    "...Old Dan, let''s y another one! Just one more time! I am pretty sure this time I will win! I can feel it!"


    The old man previously called Old Dan stoppedughing and even halted his hand from moving which was ready to ce a big cigarette into his mouth. Instead, what he did was lower both his thick eyebrows into a tight frown and stare at the young individual on the other side of the wooden table in front of him with solemnity.


    Short, slightly messy ck hair, dark gray eyes, bronze skin, and a physique that was neither slim nor bulky, just a build that was slightly above average. Even his height was only a little bit above average, perhaps around 185 centimeters or 6 feet.


    On the other hand, what was not average about him was his eyes, or to be more precise the outer corner of his left eye which had a small curvy ck mark almost as if it was a tattoo.


    However, those that knew this young man''s past, just as how Old Dan did, knew that it was not a tattoo but a birthmark instead, one which was there ever since he was found as a baby just below a light pole surrounded by several ravens during a cold autumn night.


    And exactly because of that and his mark that almost represented the wing of a bird was why he earned the name Raven and not something else!


    Of course, there were also other reasons such as his love for shiny items or his ever-so-great bad luck, but those were only secondary matters.


    Old Dan looked at Raven in silence for several seconds before he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh while his hand holding the cigarette also got lowered.


    "Look, brat, I say we should stop for today. You have lost enough already."


    "I have just lost thirty-six times!"<sub> </sub>


    ''...Just?'' Old Dan was left stupified by that statement and wished to facepalm himself, but instead decided to ask, "Then tell me, if we y once more and you, through Lady Luck''s great blessing, somehow win, do you think it will change anything?"


    "I mean, double or nothing could pretty much change everything," Raven said with a casual shrug.


    However, it seemed that was a mistake from his side as Old Dan''s expression instantly darkened almost as if dark clouds have appeared above his head!


    "...Get out."


    "Huh? Why?" Raven asked with surprise, seemingly puzzled.


    "Because this is my house and I said so."


    "But..."


    "I said get out! Now!"


    Upon hearing the sudden shout of Old Dan, Raven sighed narrowly instead of getting intimidated and quickly stood up before walking toward the door on the side.


    "And don''t even let me see you until you don''t pay me back, understood?" Old Dan asked with a grave expression as he followed Raven''s figure with a sharp gaze.


    "...Yeah." Raven sighed once again and without looking back or saying anything else walked out of the room.


    "Did Master Dan get angry once again at you? Let me guess, you tried to keep gambling despite losing at least thirty times, right?" A man seemingly being in his early thirties and having a well-built body looked at Raven once he saw him leaving, his brown gaze filled with visible knowledge examining his figure from top to bottom.


    "Was it really that obvious, Thomas?" Raven asked with a bittersweet smile as he let out a somewhat awkwardugh.


    Upon seeing Raven''s smile Thomas shook his head helplessly before gesturing at Raven to follow him. Raven naturally understood that Thomas will bring him to the entrance so quickly followed after him.


    "Raven, I hope you won''t take Master Dan''s yelling to your heart. He just wishes you to understand that-"


    "That gambling when you have lost a dozen times already will bring me nowhere but to my demise. Yeah, I know." Raven nodded as he finished Thomas'' sentence just before they reached the exit after walking through a spacious hallway that was filled with both antiques, paintings, and other old but extremely expensive items.


    "Though, I can''t help it. The thirst for gambling just happens to be my nature. Whenever I get the chance to bet, let it be with or without any risk, I can''t stop but do it." Raven mumbled quietly as his gaze was shifted to the scenery outside where he watched as the sky was engulfed in dark clouds as if a great storm was ready to descend.


    "Should I drive you back home?" Thomas asked once he noticed the weather outside.


    But strangely Raven shook his head and grabbed his coat from the coat rack on the side. It was a rather old ck coat, one that perhaps wasst produced a decade ago.


    "I see. Then I wish you a safe trip." Thomas nodded and opened the door for Raven.


    Raven thanked Thomas and with quick steps walked away, only stopping and looking back at the huge mansion when he was a few hundred meters away.


    "Sigh... I wonder just how long will it take me to collect five grand ande back here." Raven shook his head helplessly and was ready to start walking when suddenly the ground below his feet began to shake as if a huge meteor have crashed into Earth''s surface several miles away and he was forced to fall onto his backside rather unpleasantly.


    "Argh... An earthquake? Here, in the middle of... Huh?"


    The whole surroundings kept shaking with such force that the earth threatened to crack and split and even the trees in the distance urged to fall.


    Raven frowned with a hint of pain before his eyes opened wide and stared at the sight in front of him with utter disbelief.


    Right before him, about a meter away from his face, a small panel akin to a hologram floated silently.


    However, his shock quickly turned into deep disbelief as suddenly words one by one began to appear on this magic panel, forming a question that made the middle of his palm itch uncontrobly!


    [Say, do you wish to y a game?]


    * * * * *


    A/N: If you like the story vote for it and add it to your library for more!

 Chapter 2 Avatar Creation

    [Say, do you wish to y a game?]


    The very moment as that question formed on the slightly transparent magic panel floating in empty air, the tremor that shook the whole world vanished, no longer threatening the earth to split and the trees in the distance to fall.


    On the other hand, Raven was still on the ground in a daze, his eyes glued to the magic panel in front of him with so much disbelief that they were threatening to fall out of their socket!


    Though despite his shock and puzzlement, when he saw the question, especially thest three words, almost as if he got some sort of stimtion, his head moved, and even before he could have realized it, he nodded.


    "Yes, I want to."


    [Great, then let''s create your Avatar first, shall we?]


    "Huh? Wha- shit! H-Hey! Wait for a second! I-" quickly realizing what was happening, Raven tried to correct his mistake, but it seemed it was already toote and just as he could have moved an inch, white light engulfed his vision and in a blink, everything changed around him.


    The vast green grass field under him changed into floating white clouds while the sky which previously was filled with darkness got clearedpletely with the sun now perfectly observable in its full glory high above!


    "W-What kind of sorcery is this? What the hell is this ce!?" Raven asked the very first question that came to his mind, clearly noticing that he was no longer on Earth.


    A second ago he had been hit by a tremor that made him believe that it was the end of the world, yet, now here he was, standing on top of floating clouds below the clear blue sky that was filled with numerous shining stars despite the sun glowing with almost blinding rays of light!


    It was almost like he was stoned and now he was so high he was hallucinating! ...Or at least this is how he would imagine it if he was, but unfortunately, he wasn''t as he despised those things.


    Wait... If that was the case, was it also possible that he hit his head so hard when he fell that now he was in aa, dreaming about some sort of weird fantasy? Was that even possible?


    Or worse, did he... Die? Was he really that unlucky? Did life really bless him with such terrible luck just to watch him crack his skull open the very first moment he identally fell behind because he lost his bnce?


    Well... Considering the ever-so-great bad fortune that always apanied him from his birth, it was not absurd to think so. As a fact, it was very usible that what happened with him was exactly that.


    [Sorry to disappoint you, but you have not died, or at least not yet.]


    "Huh?" opening his eyes that he closed to mourn over his past sufferings but also thank life he was finally freed from his curse, Raven quickly spun around only to find no one behind him.


    In fact, it was not only behind him, it was everywhere around him- just as always, he was still alone.


    [If I were you, I would just give. Even if you would possess God''s eyes, you would still fail to see me, much less find me.]


    "Who are you? And what is this ce? Is this really not the afterlife?" Raven asked his doubts when he realized it was pointless searching for the individual whose voice sounded like a little girl''s.


    [Oh? Quite interesting. Seems like you are not scared?]


    "I would lie if I say I am not a little, but would it help me if I go and start screaming for help despite it being pretty much obvious that I am the only one here?" Raven asked with a casual shrug as he raised both his palms facing upward to the level of his chin and looked left and right.


    Of course, what he meant to say with his previous statement was that, while although he was a little frightened, as only those without any emotion or those who have experienced something simr like this would not freak out, he knew it was pointless and would also push him closer to his demise if he suddenly got a mental breakdown or started to cry for help.


    That is why he knew that the most important thing right now was to stay calm and gain as much information as possible to help him move forward steadily and safely.


    [I see. That is quite the logical answer.]


    The voice eximed out with praise before continuing;


    [Well, for your previous questions, as I have already said, you are not dead so this is not the afterlife. You are currently in a separate space called Empty World, the preliminary shape of every Realm Game. As for who am I, you are not qualified to know that yet.]


    "Empty World? The preliminary shape of every Realm Game? Can''t you just please exin everything with a little bit more rity? I am pretty much lost here."


    [You ask quite a lot considering your position.]


    "I mean if you were suddenly taken away from your world into another to y a game by an alien, then wouldn''t you also want to know what is happening with you?" Raven asked with a raised brow which resulted in a long silence without getting any answer.


    [First of all, I am not an alien, I am a deity. Secondly, you were not taken away ''suddenly''. You had the choice and time to decide if you want to y or not. Lastly, no, I would not ask so many questions as I love secrets and I prefer uncovering them by myself.]


    ''...''


    [Also, where is the fun in knowing everything right off the bat? A little bit of a mystery never hurts, you know?]


    Raven''s mouth twitched scarcely but he did not say anything. He knew that it was not a wise choice to start an argument with this ''deity'' as it was pretty much apparent he would be the one who draws the short straw if he does.


    Therefore, taking a deep breath to calm himself down he nodded and asked, "Understood. Then please, Miss Deity, tell me how to create this so-called Avatar of mine."


    [That''s what I like to hear! Now then, summon your panel by swinging your dominant hand downward.]


    "My dominant hand?" Raven mumbled and after pondering a little while he raised his left hand. Then, with a casual motion swung his arm downward.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    Not even a secondter, a slightly transparent panel emerged out of thin air in front of his face, holding numerous information that Raven found pretty much simr to those video games he has yed in the past.


    ------------------


    [Avatar Status]


    ~~~


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: 0


    ? Avatar Title/s: None


    ? Avatar ss: None


    ? Artifacts: None


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Constitution: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 0 [0]


    ~~~


    <!! Only at the start !! You are free to distribute 9 Avatar Points between your Traits!>


    ------------------


    ''So many zeros...'' Raven sighed helplessly in his heart.


    [This is your Avatar Status. Here, you will be able to keep track of your growth until your veryst breath. Also, your Avatar Status is not invisible to others, so be careful where and when you check it.]


    "What are these Rank, Avatar Titles, Avatar ss, and Artifact? What do they mean?" Raven asked soon after the deity finished talking.


    [Except for thest one, you have to figure those out by yourself. Now, go and distribute your Avatar Points so we can get onto the main course!]


    Raven opened his mouth as he wished to say something, but as no words came out of his mouth he just shook his head helplessly and directed his gaze at the part where his Traits were.


    Vitality, Mystique, Strength, Speed, Constitution, and Dexterity.


    Although Raven had no idea just what kind of ''game'' he will be ying that required him to distribute points between such elements that he has only seen in video games, he at least had a brief understanding of which Trait did what.


    And exactly for that reason, Raven knew or at least had a rough guess that if he now screws up the way he allocates these 9 Avatar Points, he will very likely end up in a tight spot. And considering his luck, that was the least he wanted.


    [Oh, I almost forgot to mention this but you can also choose to distribute your Avatar Points randomly. If you happen to choose that way, your rewards afterpleting the first game will not only double but will be much better too!]


    "Huh?" Raven''s fingers froze just as they could have touched the panel to distribute his Avatar Points to the best of his knowledge, and his eyes widened.


    Did he hear it right or not? Not only double but also better rewards if he chooses to randomly allocate his Avatar Points? Wasn''t this just like...


    Wait... Why was his hand lowering on their own all of a sudden? Didn''t he just say this was the most important part? To distribute his Avatar Points to the best of his knowledge so he won''t have to fear the approaching unknown? Then why was he even taking a step backward now?


    Raven''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle as he realized just what was happening to him, but in contrast to the previous times where he just went with the flow, he wished nothing more but to resist and stop himself.


    But unfortunately, his struggles bore no fruits at all...


    "I will randomize," Raven''s quiet voice sounded the next second, and even before he could have blinked twice his Traits underwent a great change.


    And the very moment the numbers next to his Traits altered, permanently, almost as if lightning just struck him on the head Raven copsed onto his knees while tears began to fill the corner of his eyes uncontrobly.


    "T-This..."

 Chapter 3 Artifact Selection

    Just how did it feel to be lucky? So fortunate to the point where you could happily walk past your bed during mornings without hitting your pinky toe on its edge?


    How did it feel not to stumble on every little thing on the street every single day whenever you were in a rush for different reasons and pray a truck won''t hit you in the meantime?


    Or better, just how blessed one needed to be not to die against an extremely challenging boss in an extremely hard video game from time to time just because either the electricity in their house disappeared or because the battery in their controller suddenly died just before sess?


    Well, Raven didn''t know the answers to those questions as incidents such as the ones above and many other simr things were happening to him daily, hence the word ''lucky'' was a definition that was extremely far away from him.


    As a fact, he and luck were so far apart from each other that whenever something good happened to him he broke into tears of joy and thanked the gods above a hundred times over!


    And the funny thing was that despite knowing this, that his luck was so bad that it literally turned his life into a living hell, he still failed to avoid the sole thing in existence that required luck whenever it presented itself before him.


    Gambling!


    For some reason, he couldn''t stop being a gambling addict despite losing ny-nine of his bets out of every hundred whenever he gambled!


    Therefore, the moment Raven noticed how luck stood on his side after he took a huge risk ''identally'', he couldn''t help but fall onto his knees and tear up from pure delight and relief!


    "T-This... This is beautiful!" Raven stared at the floating panel before him with eyes full of tears.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 2 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 2 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 1 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 3 [0]


    ¡ã Constitution: 1 [0]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 0 [0]


    ~~~


    Two for his Vitality which meant his health, something which was extremely important for survival. Two for his Mystique, which Raven seemed to assume was something simr to those unique type energies such as Mana and Qi he once read about in novels. And finally, three for his Speed which will give him a huge boost in movement.


    Although Raven had no idea at all just what kind of ''game'' he will be forced to y, it was pretty much apparent it will be anything but ordinary. Hence, putting more into those three Traits, especially into his Speed was a must.


    [You are quite a Drama Queen, aren''t you?]


    The deity''s voice filled with nothing but mockery and also a little bit of awe reached Raven''s ear the next second, quickly snapping him out of his daze and making him wipe his tears away from the corner of his eyes.


    ''Only if you would know...'' Raven sighed bitterly in his heart as he stood up and stated, "I have finished allocating my Avatar Points. What now?"


    [Ignoring me, huh? Well, whatever. At least we can finally move on to the fun part.]


    Whoosh!


    A gentle breeze blew Raven''s slightly messy hair and coat which also forced him to squint his eyes before several panels, each separated into numerous columns and rows, appeared around him, every little section holding a symbol that looked different from the rest.


    There was a small section that held the symbol of a falling star, there was another with a huge tree, and there was even one that represented a skull with two bones crossed behind it! Every symbol seemingly had its own, unique meaning and each gave Raven apletely different feeling just by looking at them!


    "Symbols? What are these?" Raven examined carefully each symbol and even wished to press one of them to see what will happen when the deity''s voice stopped him just in time.


    [If you don''t want to acquire some useless and weak Artifact, go and touch one of those symbols randomly. But let me warn you, if you decide to do so, there will be no turning back.]


    "Huh?" Raven froze and instantly pulled his hand back in fear. He knew that with him randomly distributing his Avatar Points he has already yed all his luck for the day, perhaps even for the following several months too!<sub> </sub>


    Therefore, understanding that if he now chooses randomly it was almost 100% he will end up with something bad considering his insanely bad luck.


    [What you can see before and around you, are Artifacts, powerful items that possess unique and different abilities which you can possess too if you have the Artifact.]


    [Here, as you can see, I have collected a few for you. You can check which Artifact can do what just by concentrating on one of the symbols. But be careful, if you are not quick enough others will take it away from you.]


    Raven raised a brow when he heard that, but soon one of the symbols he wished to check out vanished from the panel in front of him.


    Then another.


    And another one...


    In the end, almost every second at least a hundred symbols vanished, leaving Raven stupified to see how from the previous hundreds of thousands of symbols, perhaps even millions, in a matter of a few seconds more than a thousand disappeared from his sight!


    [Ahhhh-Hhhaaa~... I told you... If you are not quick enough others will snatch them away from you.]


    ''Did she really just...'' Raven felt his mouth twitch when he heard the voice yawn so carefree, but in the end, decide to ignore it.


    [Oh, I also have forgotten to say this, but while there are almost uncountable Artifacts out there, there are no two identical ones. They can be simr in a few aspects in one way or another, but in the full picture, they are all different. I hope you can understand what that means.]


    Sweat formed on Raven''s face as he understood clearly what that meant. However, whenever he tried to focus on a symbol to see what kind of Artifact it was they either vanished from his sight or their information popped up before his eyes, just to vanish the next second!


    "Oh no... Oh no, no, no, no!" panicking a little, Raven tried his best to see at least one Artifact''s description, but unfortunately, he failed every time.


    [Just saying, if you wouldn''t have asked so many questions at the beginning, this would have not happened.]


    Raven''s eyes twitched upon hearing the deity''s voice, but in truth, he couldn''t deny what she just said. Indeed, if he would have not asked so many questions now he would not be in this shitty situation.


    ''This is unfair!'' Ravenined in his heart despite knowing his current suffering was all his fault. And exactly because of this why Raven decided to do something he would have not wished to do and even avoid at all costs.


    Leave everything to his luck!


    Yes, it was ironic to say such a thing despite knowing just how ballsed up his luck was and how he even sighed a relief a moment ago for not doing what he was about to do now, but what other choices did he have?


    He had no time at all to open a single Artifact''s description much less read them! Furthermore, he was clearly running out of time as the symbols around him were decreasing in number rapidly, and it seemed that in less than 2 minutes there will be nothing left!


    "Crap!" Raven cursed as he saw he was running out of time and quickly swung his left arm to his left to the exact spot where there still remained a bunch of symbols.


    Whoosh!


    In that instant, a strange sensation swept through Raven''s body, one that felt as if he all of a sudden appeared at the very peak of a mountain kissed with snow before he was shoved into a hot spring.


    The feeling was equal to pure bliss, one that made both his mind and body feel at ease andfort!


    ''So warm...'' was what came to Raven''s mind the very first moment he felt the warm sensation throughout his body and slowly opened his previously closed eyes.


    ''I wonder what kind of Artifact I got. Fire? Sun? Maybe ligh-, huh? This is...'' Raven wondered in his heart but when his eyes fell on the little object in his hand his line of thought halted abruptly and his eyes widened.


    "A... dice?" Raven mumbled stupified, as he stared at the little item in the middle of his palm.


    It was a small dice, seemingly crafted out of some high-quality wood. Its shape was perfectly shaped as a square while its width, length, and height were about 19 millimeters, just like any ordinary throwing dice.


    The only weird thing about it, however, was its sides. Instead of dots which should have been differing in amounts from one to six, every side of it was filled with a single star that glowed with a gentle white hue.


    Raven was dazed for a while but quickly shook his head and thought, ''No, let''s not judge so quickly. Maybe it is an extremely powerful Artifact. Let''s check out what it can do.''


    Though the moment the small magic panel with several rows of texts appeared in front of him and he got the chance to read the words present on it, his face that previously was full of excitement and eagerness nowpletely vanished and turned into that of agony and distress.

 Chapter 4 Dice Of Fate & First Realm Game: Hide Or Die!

    --------------------------


    [True Artifact: Dice of Fate]


    ? Grade: Mortal


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: Allows you to gain 1 random relic with random characteristic/s after every throw!


    <The Grade of the relic depends on the number of stars gotten after the throw!>


    <The Form of the relic depends solely on the Artifact''s current Form!>


    <Cooldown: Can be used once at the start of every Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    ? Relic Grade per Stars:


    -> 1 Star: Mortal


    -> 2 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 3 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 4 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 5 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 6 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    --------------


    Raven stared nkly at the small throwing dice in the middle of his palm and remained silent for a whole minute. He didn''t move or blink, just stared silently at the little Artifact''s description with eyes that looked hollow.


    The reason you ask?


    Just what was the worst ability an individual with literally zero fortune and nearly constant bad luck could possess? Naturally, there were many skills that bad luck could influence in an adverse manner, but the worst of all of them were those that required gambling luck for chances!


    Yes! The worst ability one with a bad fortune could possibly possess, obviously and not so surprisingly, was everything that was rted to chances and luck.


    For instance, if an ability had a requirement that said it only had X% chance of activation, then that ability literally became junk in the hands of someone that was never lucky but a priceless treasure to those who were always fortunate!


    Exactly because of this reason why Raven always tries to get as far away from things that were rted to those two, let it be real-life gambling or events in video games, but unfortunately, almost as if by a curse of some sort, he always ends up in a casino or in a valley where he bets and puts wagers.


    And naturally, almost all the time, 99% to be precise, he goes home with either all his money lost or with debts he has to pay off.


    But then here came the question of how was he still alive and how he was able to pay off his debts. Well, in short, it was all thanks to Old Dan as he was a filthy rich person and, in truth, was his foster father.


    However, that was something forter.


    [Oh? That is quite an interesting Artifact. With great luck it can actually be an unstoppable Artifact, helping you greatly in any Realm Game.]


    ''With great luck...''


    When those words reached Raven''s ears he wished to cry, but unfortunately, no tears came to his eyes.


    [Well, anyway, now that you finally have your Avatar and also possess an Artifact, it is time for you to embark on your first ever Realm Game!]


    Whoosh!


    While Raven was literally appalled motionlessly, still staring at the dice in his hand with a somewhat hollow expression, the surroundings around him underwent a great change.


    The ground which was made up of dense white clouds quickly turned into solid earth covered in emerald green grass while trees the width of at least five humans began to grow toward the sky at rapid speed, only starting to slow down ande to a halt when they reached the height of at least 50 meters!<sub> </sub>


    Even the bright sun from the sky vanished and what reced it was a beautiful silver full moon, which in contrast to the one on earth was eerily close to the point where one could easily discern the smallest craters and pits on its surface!


    At the moment when everything changedpletely, Raven has already regained hisposure and although slightly sad and bitter on the inside, his outer expression was calm and collected as he examined his surroundings.


    One had to note, that while Raven was extremely bad at gambling thanks to his horrible luck, he was also a very perceptive individual, and everything he was doing, let it be gambling, ying video games, or doing simple chores, was done with 100% seriousness and concentration!


    Due to this attitude of his why he was able to squeeze out victories here and there during his bets as he always analyzed things while he yed, thinking about ways how he could avoid his bad luck without it having the slightest chance to destroy everything.


    Of course, it did not work every time as his bad luck akin to a lurking curse always struck him, but at least when it did it showed that his efforts were not for nothing.


    While Raven was looking around now the dense forest, which slowly but surely began to get filled with white fog, several individuals he has never seen before started to appear out of thin air one by one. They were all humans.


    However, in contrast to him who was calm and seemed to be indifferent as he already epted his fate and acknowledged he was not dreaming, those people who appeared a little bit further away from him all looked at each other and the forest around them with either baffled, anxious, or frightened expressions!


    "W-What is this ce? Why are we in a forest now?"


    "Fucking dammit, it is dark here! Didn''t you say we will y a game? So why are we in a fricking forest that looks like a ce from a fucking horror movie?"


    "I-I am scared... Sob... I want to go home... Where is mommy?"


    People differing in gender, look, and age looked around with nervous gazes which slowly but surely turned into eyes filled with fear and panic. Though, considering that humans always feared the unknown especially if it was in a dark ce, it was only natural to see such reactions.


    The only ones who were somewhat looked collected and acted calm were the older ones while everyone else, except Raven, was either trembling like rabbits or started to sob quietly.


    Raven examined each and everyone around him and after remaining silent, he realized that there were a total of 25 of them in the forest, including himself.


    Teenagers, young men and women, and even others that seemingly had kids or were nning to have one. Among the 25 there was even an old man that could easily be Raven''s grandfather, that''s how old he was!


    Damn, the poor guy even shook like a naked man outside in winter and could only walk because he supported his old body on a walking stick!


    ''Did that deity ask everyone if they want to y or only just a specific number of people was given the choice?'' Raven pondered silently, but as he remembered how hundreds of thousands of Artifacts vanished right from his sight in seconds a few moments ago, he quickly realized it was very likely that at least half of humanity was experiencing the same thing as him.


    "Well, assuming human curiosity, it is no wonder a lot of people epted the invitation," Raven mumbled quietly before he let out a deep sigh.


    He already thought about this the moment he created his Avatar, but after seeing he was indeed not hallucinating and others except him were undergoing the same things as him, he had to admit that things on Earth after this ''Realm Game'' or whatever will change dramatically.


    Changes that at the beginning very likely will bring nothing good but chaos if the UWL won''t act from the very first instant!


    Or at least if they will be brought back to Earth, to begin with...


    As Raven was contemting what he should do after he gets back to Earth, suddenly a magic panel appeared in front of his, and everyone else''s face.


    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Hide or Die]


    ¡ã Difficulty: White Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: None


    ¡ã Rules: Hide or survive until the end of the time limit!


    ¡ã Rewards: Unspecified


    ----------------


    "Hide or... Die?" Raven read the name of the Realm Game and couldn''t help but frown.


    However, even before he was given time to think the panel vanished, and what reced it was a deep, quiet, and awfully eerie voice that unwittingly made everyone''s blood turn cold who heard it!


    [You have... One minute to hide.]

 Chapter 5 Moon Rabbit Slipper

    [You have... One minute to hide...]


    The voice that reached the ears of everyone in the forest was deep and eerie, to the point where some of the people around Raven, mainly the younger ones, began to tremble from sheer terror. Some even took several steps backward, ncing left and right hurriedly to see from where the voice just came from.


    Of course, some just stood still and had no change on their faces while there were even a few that looked annoyed and began to shout toward the sky.


    "We have one minute to hide? Here? And where exactly? Behind a tree?"


    "Yeah, stop fucking around and let us out! We already said we don''t wanna take part in this shit, much less one that was meant for kids!"


    "Hey! We are talking to you, bitch! Answer then!"


    The shouts and yells of the three bulky men who were seemingly pretty close to each other, perhaps friends, quickly calmed the nerves of those that felt scared, and soon others began to join them and give voice to theirints.


    The ones that did not speak or shouted were only Raven and a few others.


    "Quite amusing how human foolishness knows no boundaries, don''t you think?"


    While Raven was watching the people in front of him with a rather baffled expression, a guy with a slim build and almost fragile look appeared on his side.


    His face was sunken, his eyes had dark circles below them as if he did not sleep properly for days now, and even his skin was pale with purplish veins visible everywhere, almost as if he was suffering from some kind of rare illness. Even his hair looked extraordinary, being misty gray which was the first time Raven to see.


    With the fog and dark forest behind his back and with the moon''s glow falling on his body, his silhouette looked rather blood-chilling, almost as if he was some kind of ghost or spirit that came to im the lives of others.


    However, despite having such an unusual appearance, Raven was not scared nor anxious but instead shocked; shocked because he failed to notice the moment that guy appeared on his side!


    One had to know that although having terrible luck since his birth, he also had quite the strong senses ever since he knew himself which, naturally, only got sharper and sharper throughout his 20 years of life.


    Just imagine living day by day in a way where even the seemingly most harmless object in your room, like a pen for instance, or the handle of your door, could be a weapon that can threaten your physical well-being thanks to your bad luck. Then you would definitely act and do everything with caution and watch out for every little thing that happened around you, right?


    Hence why Raven felt secretly surprised how he didn''t notice or at least hear this weak-looking guy''s footsteps.


    ''How did he do it?'' keeping his calm facade on his face, Raven pondered silently while having a hunch it had something to do with the guy''s Artifact.


    Though, it seemed his calm stare was ambiguous as the guy quickly showed a somewhat awkward smile and said, "Haha, don''t misunderstand me, I do not wish to belittle them, it is just... funny."


    "...Funny?" Raven raised a brow but soon the deep and eerie voice once again appeared throughout the forest, striking everyone with the uncontroble urge to shiver!


    [Only... Thirty seconds remain...]


    Raven''s face paled slightly as he realized he just wasted more than thirty precious seconds, hence wanting to tell the guy beside him that it was time for them to find a hiding ce he turned his head to the side, only to see that at some point in time the guy had already vanished, almost as if he was not even there in the first ce!


    "A ghost..." Raven mumbled but soon shook his head to shake all the unnecessary thoughts out of his head before he hastily raised the small dice in front of his face.


    "Just make sure I get something I can at least use a tiny bit." praying with a face filled with nothing but a plea, Raven didn''t hesitate even for a second and threw the dice which not so surprisingly as all of its sides were the same, fell on a single star.


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle breeze that blew his ink-ck hair scarcely upward, the small star on the dice lit up, and even before Raven could have blinked twice a small object appeared on the ground.


    "This..." Raven''s jaw opened slightly as he wished to say something, but found no words he could have spoken.


    In front of him, a pair of small slippers rested on the ground. Both were made out of some sort of fluffy material that pretty much looked like animal fur. However, the weirdest thing about it was not that nor how one was ck and the other one white, but the fact that both had bunny ears ced on their top and a bunny nose on the front!


    There were even a pair of small eyes on both slippers, giving them an appearance as if they were rabbits!


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Moon Rabbit Slippers]


    ? Grade: Mortal


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: Depending on the phases of the moon, either your speed increase or the amounts of times you can jump!


    <Only usable when the moon is visible!>


    <Cooldown: Can be activated for 50 Mystique Points for one hour!>


    ~~~<sub> </sub>


    ? Moon''s Influence:


    -> During New Moon: Your Speed increases by 10, your Dexterity increases by 8, your Constitution increases by 6, and your Strength increases by 4!


    -> During Full Moon: Your jumping force bes drastically stronger and your ability to jump after your first jump without touching solid surface increases by 1!


    -> During other phases of the moon: One of your randomly chosen Traits increases by 3!


    --------------


    Raven read the description of his relic silently and after a few seconds, he raised his head toward the sky, only to see that in the sky there was indeed a full moon.


    ''So I can jump one extra time in the air, huh? Well, it is better than nothing.'' Raven tried to think positively as he quickly reced his shoes with the slippers which surprisingly fit on his feet perfectly and despite looking rather ridiculous were extremelyfortable.


    It was not an exaggeration to say he felt like he was standing on blocks of fluffy and bouncy clouds!


    ''Will this really work?'' Raven wondered as he shook his leg left and right to see if the slippers woulde off easily or not. But although they looked rather loose, they seemed to be glued to his leg so his fear didn''te true.


    Then, with a gentle stomp on the ground he leaped toward the sky and once he was in mid-air stomped once again, surprisingly allowing him to jump one more time despite his feet kicking nothing but empty air!


    He really was able to jump twice, allowing him to easily change directions in mid-air, just like in that old video game he yed a few days ago, called Super Crash Brothers!


    "Haha! It works! It really wor-"


    Paff!


    Just as Raven could have finished his sentence and enjoyed his moment as he truly was able to jump an extra time in empty air, the moment he descended and his toes touched the ground his ankle got twisted and he fell onto the earth head-first!


    "Argh... Yeah... I forgot. My luck is still crap." pushing himself up from the ground with one hand while wiping the dirt away from his face, Raven showed a slightly angered face just before his eyes widened the very second he opened them.


    [Vitality: 200 -> 192]


    "Wha-?" Raven wished to say something when suddenly the cold and eerie voice once again talked.


    [Three... Two... One... Ready or not... Here Ie...]


    Whoosh!


    A strong gust of wind swept through the entire forest that blew Raven''s sleeves and hair rather wildly while those that yelled until now became silent.


    "So it has started..." Raven mumbled as he looked around with great vignce, not knowing what to expect.


    However, it was not even a second before he got his answer, and in a rather brutal way...


    "Mark! Behind you!" among the three big men that started to shout, one with a bald head suddenly pointed behind his friend, hisplexion rather pale.


    And it was not only him but everyone else around him too! However, it was already toote for the guy name Mark to react not to mention turn around; with arge and gaping hole in his chest, his body uncontrobly fell forward onto the ground, no longer moving or breathing!


    On the other hand, right behind him, a thing, a creature, one that was the furthest away from any known human appearance stood motionlessly, its blood-covered hand holding a throbbing heart which in the very next second was squeezed into meat paste!


    The creature was terrifyingly tall, more than three meters. Its body was slim, limbs were inhumanly long, skin as white as snow, and a face that was without any orifice! It was also wearing a ck suit with a white shirt below and a ck tie around its neck that went all the way down to its chest area.


    With the dense fog and dark forest around it, and the corpse before its feet, the creature looked insanely ghastly and creepy, to the point that one look at it was enough to make any living being''s hair curl from pure horror!


    Everyone stared at the creature and Marks'' now lifeless body glued to their spots, terror-stricken, including Raven too. No one talked, moved, nor blinked, but silently stared at the creature.


    It felt like time froze for that very moment while the air in the surrounding became heavy, causing breathing extremely hard and challenging.


    This was especially true for those two big guys that stood the closest to the creature, one of them even trembling and pissing his pants from sheer terror!


    ''J-Just what the hell is that... thing?'' Raven thought with tense muscles, but once he saw how the creature turned its head specifically toward his direction despite it having no eyes, his face lost all colors.


    He knew way too well what was going to happen now.


    "Oh, hell fucking no!" Raven shouted as he clearly understood he became the next target and without any hesitation spun around before pressing his feet firmly against the ground and dashed into the distance with record speed!


    As for the creature and the people, like getting snapped out of their daze all of them began to move at once, thetter sprinting far away from their previous spots while the former began to chase after Raven with speed no slower than his!

 Chapter 6 Chased

    Inside a dense forest where the trees were as tall as twenty-story houses and where thick fog ruled literally every crook and cranny, a young figure could be seen running between trees, continuously ncing behind his back with eyes seemingly filled with fear.


    His dark and slightly messy hair danced wildly in the breeze as he ran, his skin for some unknown reason was paler than it should have been, and his feet were moving so fast and strong that they left deep footprints on the ground!


    ''Yeah, of course, it starts to chase me out of everyone! Not those idiots the closest to it but me!'' running through the forest with speed so fast that it allowed him to pass two to three trees per second, something that in the past he could have never imagined achieving, Raven watched as behind him a tall creature with a grotesque appearance chased after him with a speed that was not slower than his!


    As for the reason why he was not shocked to see that he was able to run just as fast as a professional athlete despite he was not one, was because of two reasons;


    First of all, while surprised at first, he quickly realized it was because of his Avatar Trait called Speed. It seemed, that these Avatar Traits increased his overall physical strength depending on how many points he had for which Trait.


    As for the second one, he simply had no time to feel startled by his increased speed as he, at this very moment, had a way greater problem to take care of than either feeling shock or surprise.


    As a matter of fact, he also figured out quite a few interesting things just because he began to run, giving him a brief understanding of how this Avatar Status of his really worked.


    First of all, his Vitality. When he fell onto the ground and sprained his ankle, while it was true he felt pain the moment he sprained his ankle, he was perfectly fine and could easily keep walking, even running as he did now, while only a few proportions of his Vitality got decreased.


    Although he did not understand entirely how this Trait worked, it seemed in this Realm Game where he was temporarily trapped, his life was literally turned into a health bar, just like in video games. Depending on the amount of damage he took his Vitality will decrease by an equal amount.


    Naturally, it was needless to as that if his Vitality reached 0, it was game over for him.


    Secondly, his stamina. In the past, he went to gyms at least twice a week to make sure he would not get chunky, but despite that his staying power didn''t be something outstanding, just only slightly above average.


    But it seemed this changed also.


    By adding points to one of his Avatar Traits that also included his stamina, probably his Constitution, he felt like if he got the chance now to be teleported back into the past he definitely would be able to keep running at least twice as long!


    His body just brimmed with energy for some strange reason, which while was something good made Raven feel also scarcely weird.


    Lastly, his unique Avatar Trait, Mystique. Although there was only a single number next to that Trait, a simple 2, after reading his Moon Rabbit Slippers'' description and learning how he was able to activate them, he realized the 2 units of Mystique were 200 Mystique Points just like how his 2 units of Vitality was 200 points of Vitality!


    Of course, it could be also that he was entirely wrong and the answer was somethingpletely different, but from the small amount of information he was given, that was the only logical he was able toe up with.


    As for him to know if his guess was correct or not, Raven understood he first had to remain alive or else gaining answers from six feet underground will be pretty much impossible.


    Running through the dense forest, Raven zigzagged between trees without slowing down when suddenly he realized that the Realm Game''s description mentioned something about a time limit.


    ''Now that I think about it, how can I check the remaining time?'' Raven pondered with a small frown, but soon the familiar magic panel appeared in front of his face with nothing but a simple row of text.


    [58 minutes and 24 seconds remaining.]


    "Huh?" Raven''s eyes widened from pure shock once he saw the time limit, but unfortunately, just as he was about to react, his right foot got stuck under a protruding tree''s root.


    Paff!


    Bam!


    With a heavy sound as if someone just dropped a heavyweight onto solid ground, Raven''s body crashed into the soil below and slid through it in a not-so-fascinating manner.


    [Vitality: 192 -> 187]


    "Ptui... Urgh... I only look away for a second and this happens. My luck can''t be any worse, huh?" spitting out the dirt from his mouth together with some saliva, Raven pushed himself up from the ground and watched as his Vitality decreased once again.


    However, he couldn''t watch his decreasing health for a long while as a second after he was on his knees almost like getting poured down with freezing water, all the hair on his body stood upright and a cold shiver ran through his spine.<sub> </sub>


    "Crap!" being familiar with this specific feeling, Raven didn''t even hesitate for a second and threw himself to the side.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    The ground split and cracks spread everywhere at the spot where Raveny moments ago while a curtain of dense dust clouds rose toward the sky, obstructing vision in a twenty meters radius.


    But soon, once the dust together with the shattered debris was blown away by a rather powerful gust of wind, the creature that chased after Raven revealed itself under the moon''s silver light, his hand deeply buried into the ground!


    ''...''


    The creature seeing it struck nothing pulled its bony fingers out from the ground and straightened its skinny silhouette, towering over three meters in height and standing in silence for seconds, unknown what it was trying to do.


    Meanwhile, several hundreds of meters away from there, Raven ran through the forest like his life depended on it, asionally changing directions in mid-air with the help of his Moon Rabbit Slippers to make sure if the creature tracked his footprints it will get lost or at least confused!


    "That was close... Way too close..." mumbling under his breath with a somewhat pale face, Raven looked behind over his right shoulder and let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he was able to shake off the creature for the time being.


    It seemed the intuition he had developed over the years, especially after almost getting hit by cars and even trains almost uncountable times, helped him survive that strike from the creature just in thest second.


    ''For the Lord''s blessing, that thing really went for my head without hesitation.'' Raven swallowed nervously as he imagined what could have happened if he didn''t roll to the side just in time.


    It seemed dodging really does save lives!


    Of course, Raven knew this clearly didn''t mean the danger ceased to exist nor did he believe for a single second that the creature gave up chasing after him. No, he was quite sure it wasing after him even at this very moment, hence why he was trying to create and leave behind fake tracks for it to follow so he could gain more time to think.


    However, although he indeed seeded in making a fool out of that creature as not even after twenty minutes was it able to catch up with him, there was something very crucial he happened to overlook ever since this weird death game called Realm Game has begun...


    His stamina!


    With a one-hour time limit, it was no wonder the Realm Game was called Hide or Die, something simr but entirely different from the ordinary hide and seek he used to y with his little sister during his childhood, as here the main objective was to hide and not to run!


    Hence, after running at full speed without any rest for almost half an hour straight, it was no wonder that he all of a sudden started to feel how the muscles in his legs gradually started to be weak and how his breathing slowly but surely became faster and ragged.


    Raven was pretty sure if it were not for that single point added to his Constitution, he would have long ago copsed to the ground or at the very best would have been forced to stop to take a few minutes of rest.


    "This won''t do it. I need to think about something else." Raven mumbled under his rough breath and after making sure the creature was indeed not in his proximity he decided to slow down and examine his surroundings.


    ording to the description, this game was about hiding and remaining alive until the end of the time limit. However, no matter where Raven looked, the only thing he was able to see was trees with nothing else that could be used as a hiding spot.


    There was not even a small pit on the ground where he could bury himself or a boulder that he could use as a cover much less a normal den!


    Wait... If there are only trees present...


    Suddenly, an idea that normally would have never appeared in his head emerged, bringing Raven to raise his head toward the sky where except for the full moon in its ample glory he could only see the naked crown of every tree.


    "If somehow I could reach the top, I''m sure that thing won''t be able to catch me. But... how will I be able to get up there?" Raven pondered as he touched the tree''s trunk, only to be surprised at just how smooth it was, almost as if he was touching near-perfect mirror instead of wood!


    Then, as if he was enlightened all of a sudden, he looked at another tree which was the closest one to the one he was standing in front of, and mumbled, "Although it will be quite risky to do and hard to aplish, with these slippers and increased Traits I think I can do it. Yeah, I should give it a try."

 Chapter 7 Felix

    Raven took five full steps backward before he decided to slightly lower his posture with his left leg extended behind his body and his right leg gently bent forward. His torso was also bent forward a little while his right hand was in front of his body and his left hand just a bit behind him.


    At this moment, he looked just like an athlete before the start of a sprint, waiting for the signal to sound.


    "Come one... Believe in it... You can do it... What is the worst thing that could happen to you if you fail, huh?" Raven muttered quietly tofort himself, even moving his body to and fro in one ce to boost his confidence.


    Then, once his faith in himself that he could achieve the seemingly impossible increased and reached an eptable level, he didn''t waste a second and pressed his feet firmly against the solid ground, resulting in it sinking below his feet scarcely.


    Whoosh!


    Bam!


    With a momentum that in the past would have been impossible for him to achive, Raven dashed forward and once he was just a single meter away from the tree he quickly jumped, ced a foot on the tree''s trunk, and kicked himself into the opposite direction with all the strength he could muster.


    ''It alles down to this!'' Raven thought with clenched teeth as he watched how he was soaring through the air about two meters above the ground and used his Moon Rabbit Slippers to jump once more in mid-air just before his descent could have started.


    And to his greatest happiness and joy, the moment he hopped for a second time, he had no trouble at all reaching the other tree despite it being five to seven meters away from the other one!


    In the past, Raven was 100% sure he wouldn''t have been able to jump more than three meters from one ce to another, much less five or more! Yet, almost as if by magic, with his slippers and these Avatar Traits, he was somehow able to achieve the impossible!


    Raven wished to howl toward the moon from pure joy, but knowing way too well he was just getting started and what consequences will he end up with if he lets his excitement get over his head he kept his focus.


    ''It''s here.'' just before reaching the second tree, Raven quickly pushed his shoulders to the right, allowing him to turn around during mid-flight. Then, once he was facing the direction where the first tree was, he extended his legs and flexed his feet.


    Bam!


    Raven''s face turned slightly ugly from the pain when he crashed into the tree, but as he has already expected this to happen he just ignored the pain and with a powerful and fast stomp on the tree''s surface he kicked himself back into the air once again.


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    Jumping in empty air, turning around during mid-flight, reducing impact with his leg, stomping on the tree, and bouncing back into the air once again...


    Raven repeated these steps without rest like some kind of superhuman, quickly reaching the top and achieving a feat that until now should have been impossible to aplish!


    "I... I really have... done it...?" Pulling himself up onto a branch that was thick enough to amodate even an adult human without breaking, Raven rested the weight of his body on the tree''s trunk and ced one leg on either side of the branch to make sure he won''t fall.


    "Nah... This should be impossible." Raven mumbled with disbelief and took a nce downward, only to regret that decision in the next second.


    All the blood from his face vanished and his body turned into jelly. He could even swear that if it were not for him sitting perfectly bnced on the branch he definitely would have fallen by now!


    "We are pretty high up, huh? This tree is definitely above fifty meters, could be even sixty if you ask me!"


    As Raven forced himself to avert his gaze from the sight below and instead concentrate tried to focus on the scenery in front of him, suddenly a somewhat familiar voice appeared from beside him, causing his body to uncontrobly flinch.


    Unknown since when, but on the branch just a single meter beside Raven a young man sat, his leg swinging beside the branch casually. His back, just like Raven''s, was against the tree''s trunk but his gaze instead of looking panicked or pale was full of awe and amusement.


    For god''s sake, he even smirked unconcernedly, ignoring the fact that he was just a push away from falling into his demise!


    ''This again... Just when did he get up here? I didn''t notice him at all!''


    No... It was not about detecting him or not, but just since when was he up here? Raven could swear on his life that when he looked up even before starting jumping from tree to tree this guy was not up here!


    Thinking about this, Raven slowly couldn''t help but think that the weak guy on his side was either a skilled and talented assassin with an insane ability to climb on trees or just simply was a professional magician who could vanish and appear whenever and wherever he wanted.


    Or even worse, perhaps...


    "Perhaps he is a... ghost?" Raven blurted out slowly, causing the guy to shift his attention at him with a raised brow, looking at him rather puzzled.


    "Ghost? No, I am a human and I even have a name, Felix." Felix said but soon he looked at his hands and body before adding with an awkward smile, "Though, if we consider just how frighteningly white my skin truly is, it is not an exaggeration to say I am something close to a ghost, yeah."<sub> </sub>


    Raven opened his mouth to say something, only to find with surprise he couldn''t as no words came out even after a full minute.


    "Well, don''t feel so shocked." Felix lowered his hands, resting one on his bent knee while leaving the other one hanging down, "Just like how you had your way to reach the top of this tree, I had mine too."


    "Yeah, but..." Raven wished to ask a question when suddenly Felix ced his left index finger before his lips and pointed downward. Even his face turned slightly grave, something that caused his presence to be slightly heavier.


    Raven followed Felix''s finger and just as he thought, the grotesque-looking creature finally seemed to arrive. Although the fog was dense and he could hardly take out its appearance, the tall and thin frame of it with its long limbs easily helped Raven to confirm it.


    Raven watched silently how the creature walked left and right, seemingly in search of him before it suddenly snapped its head toward a specific direction and dashed into the distance.


    "Sigh... That was close..." Raven let out a sigh of relief before he frowned and contemted out loud, "But why did it dash away so fast?"


    "To collect another soul."


    "Huh?" Raven was shaken, but it was not even a secondter when suddenly a shrill and bone-piercing scream traveled through the forest, reaching the spot where he was.


    ''...''


    Raven looked toward the direction from where the scream just came from and quickly realized that it was the exact same location where the creature has vanished to.


    "And... There goes another one." Felix said calmly, his face rather indifferent at this very moment.


    Raven opened his mouth to say something, only to end up closing it and deciding not to say anything. Even a fool would understand what Felix meant by those words of his, and although he didn''t wish to ept it, sometimes the best thing was to ept reality.


    "Just what the hell is happening?" was what Raven could ask after ten full minutes of silence as he was simply too confused and lost to raise another question.


    Yeah, although he has epted reality no matter how impossible it seemed to be, he still struggled to get used to it. Like, people were dying by a creature before he only saw in horror videos, one even losing his life before his very eyes!


    He definitely needs a little more time before he can adapt to all this hellpletely, that was for sure.


    Felix, on the other hand, just hummed quietly and said, "I was in a hospital when this... Deity, as she called herself, brought me with the rest into this presumed Realm Game without any hint or whatsoever."


    "Huh? Wait... You... have been given no choice at the start at all?" a deep frown appeared on Raven''s face when he heard the words Felix said, confusion taking over his mind.


    Felix was brought into the Realm Game without any signal or hint? What about him then? Why was he given a choice by the magic panel at the start?


    "Choice?" this time it was Felix''s turn to look puzzled before raising a brow and telling, "I don''t know what choice you are talking about, but I, and if my guess is correct everyone else too, was teleported into this Realm Game outside of our free will."


    Then, as if remembering something he sighed and continued, "One moment I was inside the hospital on my bed, happily chatting with my mother, then the next... Bam! I found myself in this horror world where people get in by a strange creature from some kind of horror movie!"


    Raven was ready to ask something when he was forced silent by a sudden movement in the distance, hence attracting his gaze toward that specific direction.


    Felix obviously noticed this and quickly followed his gaze and watched as a young girl with dirty high school clothes ran through the forest continuously looking back over her small shoulder with a panicked and terror-filled face.


    "Sigh... Poor girl... May God give her a painless death." Felix let out a sorrowful sigh as he tilted his head gently against the tree''s trunk and closed his eyes.


    And not even a breathter he said those words, under the widened eyes of Raven, the tall creature emerged from the fog like a phantom, and with a fast swing of its long and bony arm, it beheaded the little girl.


    There was no scream, no explosion, nothing. The only thing that was heard was the heavy sound of the little girl''s head and body falling onto the ground, the former showing terror while thetter bing lifeless once and for all!


    Raven inhaled a mouthful of cold air when he saw this, however, it was not even a second before his eyes widened and his whole body tensed up as if he was just frozen into an ice sculpture.


    ''You must be fucking kidding me, right?'' Raven cursed in his heart and with a pale face slowly shifted his gaze just slightly beside the little girl''s corpse.


    And just as he thought, the creature was indeed looking in his direction, staring straight up at him from below!

 Chapter 8 On The Verge Of Dying Yet Still Alive!?

    What was the creepiest and most blood-chilling experience one could ever undergo throughout their lives?


    Was it getting identally trapped in an abandoned hospital for the rest of the night during a wild thunderstorm?


    The sensation when they are being followed from the dark on their way home just a little after midnight?


    Or perhaps was it the feeling when one was all alone at home and suddenly the sound of light footsteps wasing from outside of their living room?


    Raven, although experiencing all of the ones mentioned above, none of those past spine-chilling moments coulde even a tiny bit close to the feeling he was currently experiencing!


    Right at this very moment, he was stared at by a faceless and grotesque creature in the middle of a dense forest where the sole thing that ruled except for darkness was the white fog!


    The feeling to be stared at by such a creature in such a hair-raising environment was truly a blood-curling experience, there was no question about it!


    ''Calm down... You have climbed up here exactly because of this reason...'' Raven closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and calmed his rapidly beating heart down.


    ''It can''t reach you up here. You are safe.''


    As he calmed both his mind and body with those words, Raven opened his eyes slowly and nced at the creature below. However, it seemed that was a bad idea as the very next second all the color vanished from his face.


    "Of course, I fucking jinxed it!" pushing himself up on the branch with the trunk as the support, Raven gawked downward with a pale face and watched with horror as the creature began to climb toward him!


    Yes!


    Right before his very eyes, that thing was impaling its long and bony fingers into the tree''s steel hard surface, using that means to pull itself up inch by inch and reach him!


    "This is bad. Really, really bad! We have to do something, but what? Any wise ideas, Felix? ...Felix?" turning his head to the side when hearing no answer, Raven''s eyes widened and fear became stronger in his heart.


    Right on the tree branch where Felix''s body should have been at the moment, now there was nothing but empty air. It was pretty obvious he ran away but as to how or when just like previously Raven had no idea at all.


    ''Bastard!''


    Raven cursed loudly in his heart and shifted his gaze back at the creature, watching as it climbed higher and higher using nothing but its fingers!


    "Okay... Let''s calm down first." Raven mumbled and breathed in deeply before exhaling slowly.


    And surprisingly enough, it seemed to be working as his mind immediately got clearer and while fear still lingered in his heart his body no longer trembled.


    [3 minutes and 34 seconds remaining!]


    "Roughly four minutes to go, huh?" Raven mumbled and once he shifted his gaze at the creature he began to think of ways to safely escape.


    "Considering the speed with its climbs, it will reach the top in less than 2 minutes. Although it is a lot of time, in fact, it is not." Raven spoke to himself to further calm his tense nerves and began to examine his surroundings.


    However, even after two entire minutes, the only thing he was able to think of was a big fat nothing!


    He could obviously choose to jump onto the closest tree next to him as with his boosted physical strength and Moon Rabbit Slippers that seemed feasible, in the end, Raven decided to disregard that idea.


    As for the reason? There was not enough space for him to gain even the slightest momentum, and without any, he would only end up falling!


    There was also the option of him climbing even higher as there was still at least about an extra ten meters above his head, but considering how fast the creature was climbing he would only push him into a corner, so that also was a no-no.


    Then, the only solution that remained was...


    Raven''s eyes turned resolute and lowered his posture slightly as he watched how the creature was getting closer and closer to him at a rapid speed.


    Time seemed to slow down in the eyes of Raven and what was in truth seconds felt as if they became minutes!


    [58 seconds remaining!]


    ''Now!'' just at the very moment the creature grabbed the branch he was standing on and the time fell below 1 minute, Raven stepped on the creature''s fingers and jumped.


    Then, once he was in the air, he turned around and with a mocking grin flipped a middle finger at the creature before allowing gravity to grab him and drag him toward the ground.


    But it seemed that was a bad idea, as karma immidieatly collected its debt on him.


    When he stomped on empty air to gain an extra jump just as he did all this time and get the chance tond without much trouble, weirdly, this time nothing happened!<sub> </sub>


    He was still falling toward the ground and no matter how many times he stomped he was unable to jump once more!


    ''Why is it not working?'' Raven''s eyes widened and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle when suddenly realization hit him like a train.


    ''Don''t tell me...!'' Raven raised his gaze toward the sky, and just as he feared, the moon which just a second ago was visible at some point in time got engulfed in thick ck clouds, sending everything in the forest intoplete darkness!


    All the color from Raven''s face vanished in that very instant and without having the time to groove on his bad luck, pain, one he has never in his entire life felt before, assaulted his whole being.


    BAM!


    Crack!


    "AAAAAAARRRRGGHHH!!"


    Screaming with a voice filled with nothing but pure pain and suffering, Raven stared with wide and tearful eyes at his bottom which now looked like nothing a few seconds ago.


    Both his legs were twisted in ways that would be impossible to imitate through normal means. Fractured bones pierced out from almost every part of his thighs, feet, calf, and heel from which blood flowed out uncontrobly, gradually forming a thick puddle of blood just below his body.


    There were even a few thicker bones that were piercing through his belly, allowing him to see a bit of his inside, yet, no matter how much he stared at his "wounds" he could feel nothing but pain.


    In fact, he not only was unable to channel his thoughts into his now shattered limbs for obvious reasons, but everything below his neck was numb, seemingly because several bones in his upper body got broken while it was also very likely that even his spine suffered massive damage.


    As for how he was still alive despite falling from several stories high and having almost all the bones in his body shattered which would have meant, logically speaking, certain death, Raven had no idea nor could he think of any as the pain he was currently feeling was much worse than death itself!


    The only thing he was able to do was to scream from the top of his lungs and watch through his blurred vision how his Vitality was rapidly declining.


    [Vitality: 187 -> 142]


    [Vitality: 142 -> 95]


    [Vitality: 95 -> 21]


    Raven tried to swallow his screams as much as possible, but unfortunately, he was helpless.


    Furthermore, to make things even worse, through his blurred vision, Raven could spot how the creature above him had already leaped off the tree, seemingly ready tond on his head and st it into bits like a watermelon!


    ''Fuck... Is this.... how all this will end?''


    Raven felt bitter inside and for the first time in his entire life, he really hated himself for both his inability to think forward more to avoid this misery and because of his cursed luck.


    Raven''s eyelids got heavier as his Vitality got nearer to zero, and as the scenery around him started to be swallowed by darkness memories began to sh in his mind one by one.


    ''I wonder how Thomas and Old Dan... Dad is doing. Are they alive or...'' questions filled Raven''s mind as he closed his eyes, indicating he haspletely epted his fate.


    Even the image of a young girl popped up in his head, causing a tear to roll down from the corner of his eyes.


    Damn, he was indeed pathetic, wasn''t he?


    However, strangely, even after hey motionlessly for ten entire seconds, he felt no pain nor did his thought process got severed which could have indicated he has died. He could even feel the gentle breeze on his body which...


    Wait... Feeling a gentle breeze on his body?


    Raven''s eyes snapped wide open and subconsciously sat up which shocked him even more as that would have been impossible! After all, his whole body was destroyed! Let alone feeling a thing, he shouldn''t be able to move even an inch!


    "What is... Huh?" Raven was about to look at his bottom when suddenly several magic panels emerged before his face, obstructing the scenery around and in front of him almost entirely.


    [Survived until time limit!]


    [Rules of White Domain will be applied to everyone now!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted Main Quest [Survive until the end!], and Hidden Quest (1/2) [Escape death''s grasp just before the end of the time limit!]]


    [Because your Avatar Traits at the start of the Realm Game had been distributed randomly your rewards will be greater and doubled in amount!]


    [Receive rewards now or collect themter?]

 Chapter 9 Massive Changes (1)

    Raven stared with widened eyes at the words on the magic panels in front of him, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly almost like he was a small fish in water.


    Apparently, he was in deep shock which luckily juststed for a few seconds before he snapped out of it and quickly ced both palms on each of his cheeks and started to feel his skin. He even lowered his gaze to check on his legs, and to his greatest astonishment but at the same time confusion they were there just in one piece!


    "...Magic," Raven mumbled as he slowly stood up and watched how he could stand and even walk as if everything he has just done was a bad dream!


    He tried to ask and find answers to his questions at the same time, but as it seemed that his brain was incapable of processing all the current information that flooded his head, he failed.


    He was so confused that for a second he even suspected that he had really died and now was in the afterlife. After all, who would not think about such a thing after witnessing how everything below their abdomen became a meat paste and how their blood flowed out of their body like a river!


    Unfortunately, however, when Raven bit his finger and felt the piercing but way too real pain he had to realize he, ironically, was not at all in the afterlife.


    "But then... what happened with me?" calming down and epting that through some miracle he indeed survived and was alive, Raven chose to collect his rewardster and decided to look around.


    Currently, the scenery around him was the exact same as before the Realm Game named Hide or Die started. It was the Empty World as the deity called it.


    Whoosh!


    "Hm?"


    As Raven was observing his surroundings in the hope to spot something or someone, suddenly a gentle breeze swept past his face, and out of nowhere, a figure appeared not so far away from him, someone he immediately recognized.


    "Felix!" Raven eximed out loud, but even before he had the chance to take even a step forward another breeze hit him on his face, pulling another individual into sight out of thin air.


    Then shortly after that another...


    And another one...


    And another...


    <o>,m Just in three seconds, over a hundred people arose from out of nowhere like ghosts and their numbers only increased by each fraction of the second!</o>


    100... 300... 800... 1,100... 10,700... 400,000... 1,000,000!


    In a matter of half a minute, Raven watched with a dumbfoundedplexion how over a million individuals, each of them being humans popped out of nowhere, each differing in gender, age, race, and appearance!


    And what was the most shocking part was that despite over a million people appearing in less than half a minute, the numbers kept increasing without any sign of slowing down much less stopping!


    No, the greatest shock for Raven was that among the sea of humans that appeared, close to him he could recognize faces that ording to his memory should have been dead!


    There was the bulky guy that at the start of the game was instantly killed by the creature, yet here he was, looking left and right with a confused gaze!


    There was even the little girl a few meters away from him whose head had been severed in a single second, now hugging her friend while crying!


    "What the actual hell is going on here? Where are we now?"


    "Joe! You fricking bastard! Haha! I knew you were alive! Someone who survived getting hit by a truck twice definitely cannot be killed that easily!"


    "Karen! Oh, now you are screwed bitch! Let''s see where you will run now! There is no one this time you can use to save your fat ass!"


    "Mama!!"<sub> </sub>


    Confusion, tears of joy to see the believed lost loved ones once again, thirst for revenge for the experienced betrayal from the past, hatred, relief, fear, and all kinds of other emotions broke out from the people around Raven in just a finger snap!


    Some people hugged each other while shedding tears of tion. Some chased others with deep hatred and even killing intent in their eyes. There were even a few that became so confused that they either started tough like maniacs or pped their heads as if that would help them wake up from a bad dream!


    "Well, this is indeed something I have failed to foresee." walking beside Raven and looking at the sea of people around him which seemingly had no end even behind the horizon, Felix sighed gently and shook his head.


    "I don''t think you are the only one thinking that." Raven agreed with a small nod while his gaze kept sweeping at the faces of the people around him.


    Felix gave a sideways nce at Raven and after pondering for a second or two which also carried a mysterious glint in his eyes he looked straight ahead and asked, "You are looking for someone, right? A friend perhaps? No, your face is filled with too much concern, it must be someone very dear to you. Your father then?"


    "Huh? How did you...?"


    "Bodynguage tells quite a lot about a person." Felix shrugged and was ready to open his mouth to keep speaking when suddenly a young feminine voice swept through the air forcing him to stiffen and stay silent.


    And it was not only him. Everyone, including Raven, who heard the voice froze and became motionless in a split instant, almost as if a spell had been cast on their bodies!


    "Okay everyone~! Let''s calm down for a moment, shall we?"


    Once those words reached everyone''s ear and made everybody remain silent, the voice let out a satisfied hum.


    "Great, great! This is what I like to see, obedient and silent. Well then, let me not waste your precious time and let me briefly exin everything, like starting with me!"


    As the voice reached that point with her speech, a magic panel appeared before everyone with a single name presented on it.


    [Etia.]


    "As you all can see, that is my name. However, let me tell all of you this. Anyone who dares to speak my name out loud without any Celestial God blood flowing through their veins or got no permission to say it will end up dead in three seconds."


    And as if fate wished to show a demonstration, several individuals, who were either used to reading words aloud or simply were simply retard to believe Etia''s words after all the things they went through, spoke her name for all to hear!


    And just as Etia exined, soon several thousands of people fell onto the ground in a way a lifeless doll would, blood flowing out all of their orifices and holes, even from the ones at their bottom!


    "Phew... That was close, buddy. You have almost died there." Felix let out a sigh of relief as he withdrew his palm from before Raven''s mouth who was obviously ready to speak Etia''s name out loud!


    Cold, bean-sized sweat flowed down Raven''s forehead when he heard Felix''s words, and once no hand was blocking his mouth he swallowed nervously.


    Just now, he almost spoke Etia''s name unconsciously! If it were not for Felix''s help at the veryst second, he would have met a really ugly fate real fast!


    "T-Thank you..." speaking quietly, Raven wiped the sweat away from his forehead and thanked Felix.


    "It is nothing," Felix shook his head before adding, "Though, I can''t decide whether you are extremely lucky or insanely unfortunate."


    Raven smiled bitterly at that as slowly he couldn''t determine either which it was.


    His luck was still as bad as it was in the past, but now in the past one hour, three huge miracles happened to him which was new and even felt weird.


    In the past, he was already happy if he had a little bit of luck once in a month and a bigger one in a year, much less three huge miracles and under the same hour!


    Therefore, instead of being happy, he was not. For some reason, he felt spooked and couldn''t erase the weird sensation from his chest that something was not right.

 Chapter 10 Massive Changes (2)

    While Raven was secretly mulling over why things happened the way they did and tried to find answers, Felix decided to ignore the confused young man on his side for the time being and kept listening to Etia''s voice.


    "As you can see, those who dared to speak my name out loud all died. Of course, I could easily bring them back from the afterlife if I wanted to, as I am a deity, but I won''t as then you would not learn your lesson properly."


    ''...''


    Silence fell on the seemingly vast Empty World as no one had the guts to speak much less move.


    Naturally, the asional sobbing or quiet murmuring from those who were currently mourning over their lost loved ones filled the silence here and there, but except that no one did a thing.


    Even those who cried but had the eyes of that vicious beast thirsty for revenge dared not to raise their voice this time as they were forced to ept the fact that this no longer was a game or a prank; this was real life and every act of theirs had consequences!


    "Good. Now then, let me exin everything as... Sigh... You know what. I am tired of repeating the same crap over and over again! I will just give each of you a small manual that will allow you to understand things without getting spoiled too much. Here!"


    Not even a second after Etia''s words silver glow shed before every individual''s face before they gradually formed the shape of a small book and materialized into one!


    The book had the width and length of an average human palm while its thickness was about two to three inches. Its cover was made out of some kind of ck leather which was rather smooth to the touch.


    "Worlds''... sh Manual? What the hell does this even mean?" reading the three words on the cover, Raven and everyone else felt confused but before they could have given the chance to open it their bodies suddenly got enveloped in silver light!


    "Okay, that''s is all everyone. Now off you go and try not to perish so soon."


    Immediately after, not giving even the slightest chance for anyone to blink much less let out a confused gasp the silver glow engulfed everyone and in a sh, everybody was teleported away!


    -


    -


    -


    Back on Earth.


    In the middle of arge emerald grass field where each strand of grass had the same height, seemingly five inches each, silver light shed about two meters high in the air before a young man arose from within and fell face-first onto the ground!


    "Urgh..." groaning in pain while holding his nose which was also bleeding, Raven pushed himself up onto his feet and watched the small ck book lying on the ground just a few feet away from him.


    "So it really was not a dream..." Raven mumbled as he picked up the book, but soon his eyes snapped open and snapped his head toward the right where a luxurious mansion could be seen standing just at the end of the grass field and the start of a dense forest!


    "Dad!"


    Without any hesitation, Raven began to run toward the mansion almost as if he was chased by someone or something once again. However, strangely, Raven found that his speed was no longer as fast as it was during the Realm Game. His speed was just as average as it was always in the past!


    Raven frowned scarcely upon this discovery, but as he had something more important to check he decided to put the matter aside for the time being and kept running.


    "Father! Thomas!" exploding through the main entrance like a wild beast, Raven remained motionless and perked his ears in the hope to hear anything.<sub> </sub>


    "Nothing?" Raven''s face paled before it became serious once again and dashed into the room where Old Dan used to spend at least half of his days.


    Quickly reaching the door, Raven didn''t hesitate a second and burst inside, "Thomas! Fat...her... Eh?"


    Raven''s feet were glued to the floor the moment he stepped inside the room and his eyes widened like saucers from pure shock.


    "Raven! Thank God you are alive!"


    "You..." watching how a man who looked just like the Old Dan from his memories but at the same time not walked before him and hugged him tightly, Raven didn''t know what he should do.


    Old Dan in the past was a chunky man with a big belly and a chubby face. It could be said he literally looked like a living and walking meatball in the past!


    But right now, that seemed to have changedpletely!


    Old Dan''s chubby face became thin with a sharp chin, his arms became big with shaped muscles, and his upper body which for some strange reason now was naked held a broad chest and an abdomen that contained not six but eight seemingly rock-solid abs!


    His whole figure emitted a powerful aura, looking like someone who has gone to the gym twice every single day for several years while also fighting against bulls as a kind of hobby!


    "You... Who the hell are you and what did you do to my father?" quickly breaking out of Old Dan''s hug like a snake, Raven took three steps back and narrowed his eyes without letting himself be hugged once again.


    Old Dan was surprised at first but soon turned angry and said, "Brat, you can''t even recognize the one who raised and fed you through the years? Do you want me to p you so you can gain your memories back?"


    "This..." Raven''s lips parted as he wished to say something, but unfortunately, no words came to his mouth.


    Old Dan looked at Raven with sharp eyes before his lips curved upward and after adjusting his jeans that were several sizes bigger than his legs, he flexed his left hand while resting his right on his waist.


    "To tell you the truth, even I am shocked beyond words. That Artifact I have chosen... It stated it could turn my weakness into strength which I first doubted but when I found the way to activate it really did! I am no longer fat, hahaha!"


    Listening to the words of Old Dan, Raven was both shocked, relieved, amazed, and stunned.


    An Artifact that can turn weakness into a strength? Well, obviously Old Dan''s greatest weakness was his body, but to think it could change him to such an extent... There really are many things he had toprehend and understand.


    "Wait..." Raven suddenly snapped out of his daze and looked left and right, "Where is Thomas? Is he..."


    "Don''t worry, he is okay." Old Dan lowered his arms and while walking behind his wooden desk which was made out of high-quality wood he continued, "I sent him to gather some people."


    After saying those words, however, suddenly the smile on Old Dan''s face vanished and once he was seated in hisfy tufted leather chair he gestured at Raven to take a seat.


    Raven''s face changed too when he saw the graveplexion of Old Dan as he clearly understood what that look meant. Thus, without any choice but obey Raven walked before the chair ced before Old Dan''s desk and with the same serious expression slowly sat down.


    Although he already knew this deep within his heart, now after seeing Old Dan''s current behavior he finally realized that things will never be the same as they were before.

 Chapter 11 Massive Changes (3-Last)

    Earth, the year 2055.


    After the end of the Third World War which brought humanity almost to the brink of total annihtion, people were forced to realize that to live a better tomorrow they must join hands, help each other, and put all the conflicting views to the side.


    Of course, it was easier said than done but after the year 2031, two years after the end of the Third World War, the United World League was sessfully established and immediate changes took ce.


    All borders got erased and all the existing countries, or at least those that remained or were reconstructed after the war became one!


    Natural resources and different technologies had been shared without regtions, the whole world was put under the same system without damaging or destroying past and ancient cultures, the primarynguage became English for every human, and a new currency was created that was used in every corner of the new world known as Novas!


    From that point onward, and with other minor and somewhat greater changes, Earth and humanity were finally pushed back onto the path they should have walked ever since the start!


    Developments on almost every point on Earth happened on arge scale, technology advanced at an outstanding pace while starvation, water shortage, violence, and environmental problems literally vanished!


    Naturally, this didn''t mean everything was ideal, far from it. This was not a fairy tale where everything was perfect so it was inevitable to meet with problems here and there.


    For instance, while the numbers decreased greatly there still were people and families who lived in poverty, there still were individuals and groups that tried to break the new world''s order, and there were still some superficial issues among people which unfortunately couldn''t be erased as they were part of human nature.


    However, as these problems were rtively small in rate, the United World League had no problem at all keeping control, protecting peace, and concentrating on creating a better world where the mistakes from the past will never be repeated!


    Unfortunately, however, nothing canst forever, not even peace...


    -


    -


    -


    Sitting on a luxurious tufted leather chair that alone could be sold for an astronomical fortune, Raven watched with a scarcely tense but nonchnt face as Old Dan examined him in silence.


    The two of them sat before each other, neither of the two talking for several minutes straight.


    Though, this onlysted for about less than three minutes before Old Dan finally moved and ced the ck book given by Etia onto the desk.


    "Have you opened it yet?"


    Upon hearing the simple question Raven shook his head, stating an obvious reply.


    "I see, as I have thought." Old Dan let out a soft sigh and said, "Then go on, open it."


    Although Raven had no idea why Old Dan wished him to open the manual at this moment he still nodded and did as he was told.


    Taking the manual out of his pocket, Raven grabbed the top edge of the small book and opened it carefully. However, when he did, his eyes widened.


    "This... Why is this empty?" Raven asked dumbfounded as he watched how every page of the manual was empty.


    Every single page was nk, containing no words at all!


    "Just give it a second." Old Dan asserted calmly which Raven found confusing but soon understood why.


    Just three seconds after he opened the book, like in some kind of fantasy movie the first page of the book started to get filled with words one after another.


    --------------


    ? Basic Instruction


    ? Avatar Information


    ? Artifact Information


    ? Realm Game Difficulties


    ? Realm Game Requirements


    <Knowledge in the Worlds'' sh Manual solely depends on what you have discovered so far!>


    --------------


    "Solely depends on what I have discovered so far?" Raven raised a brow and unconsciously raised his head to look at Old Dan who just simply gestured at him to proceed on looking at the manual.


    "Try and focus on either one of the five texts presented before you."


    Raven although confused still nodded and concentrated on the second option.


    And under his startled gaze, as if the book had its own consciousness, the pages within it began to move, quickly reaching page number 4!


    --------------


    [Avatar Information]<sub> </sub>


    ? Strength: Avatar Trait improving raw physical power!


    ? Mystique: Avatar Trait allowing to use various Abilities/Skills/Techniques!


    ? Vitality: Avatar Trait expanding your health and the amount of damage you can take before death!


    ? Constitution: Avatar Trait enhancing Stamina/Endurance/Physical Toughness!


    ? Dexterity: Avatar Trait boosting Reflexes/Body Coordination/Agility!


    ? Speed: Avatar Trait increasing Reaction Speed/ Attack Speed/Movement Speed!


    --------------


    ''So that''s why.'' Raven thought in his heart as it seemed his guess considering which Avatar Trait enhanced which aspect of his body was correct.


    Then, out of curiosity Raven concentrated on the first option Basic Instruction to which the manual in his hand reacted and quickly flipped back to page number 2.


    --------------


    ? Worlds'' sh, universalpetition among all living races in existence until only one stand!


    <31 days, 23 hours, and 12 minutes before the start of the first round!>


    --------------


    "W-What?!" Raven''s eyes widened and to make sure he didn''t read the words wrong he re-read everything once again.


    But even then, everything remained the same.


    Old Dan leaned a bit forward and once both his elbows were ced on the desk and his fingers interlocked with each other, ced just before his mouth, he began to speak;


    "Although it is hard to say much less admit it, it is an undeniable fact that massive changes will now ur in the following one month and the world we have known until now sooner rather thanter will change in its whole."


    After he said those words, Old Dan lowered his arms and extended his right hand toward Raven he showed him his right ring finger.


    "These Artifacts... As that deity called them. They will change the whole structure of our current beliefs and I didn''t even talk about our Avatar Traits or those weird Realm Games!"


    Whoosh!


    Upon saying those words, Old Dan waved his primary hand and quickly summoned a floating magic panel before Raven, showcasing him his Avatar Traits.


    ~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 4 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 4 [5]


    ¡ã Speed: 1 [0]


    ¡ã Constitution: 0 [0]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 0 [0]


    ~~~


    "Huh?" Raven became dumbfounded but not because of that he was able to see Old Dan''s Avatar Traits but because of the way Old Dan has allocated his 9 points!


    "Four to both Vitality and Strength, one to Speed, and nothing at all to the other three Traits? Also, what is that extra five beside your strength?" Raven asked, confused.


    "Haha, well, as I didn''t know what to expect I distributed all my points into Traits that I understood and considered could be useful. As for that extra five points, that is because of this."


    Raising his right hand Old Dan pointed at his left shoulder where a small ck mark representing a small rock was visible.


    "What''s that? A tattoo?"


    "You don''t recognize this?" Old Dan raised a brow before his eyes shed gently and asked, "You didn''t collect your rewards yet, did you?"


    "Huh? No, not yet." Raven mumbled but after seeing the gaze Old Dan gave him he seemed to understand what was going on so quickly summoned the magic panel through which he could collect his rewards.


    Or at least wished to but as he didn''t know how to do so he showed a rather awkward smile and asked, "So... How do I collect my rewards again?"


    * * * * *


    A/N: If you like the story vote for this novel and make sure to drop a review!

 Chapter 12 Great Rewards

    ''...''


    Old Dan stared without any visible emotion on his face at Raven before he sighed and said, "Just concentrate on what you wish to know and this magic system or whatever it is called will respond ordingly."


    "I just have to concentrate on it?" Raven mumble quietly and did as Old Dan just said.


    And soon enough, a magic panel he wished to see indeed appeared in his line of sight.


    [Do you wish to collect your rewards?]


    "Yes, I do."


    Whoosh!


    A gentle breeze appeared in the room the moment Raven said his reply despite no windows being open, and soon several items appeared on the desk before him.


    Two small bottles filled with different colored liquids, one green and one ck, two perfectly orb-shaped small crystals, each transparent like ss, a small b with a strange symbol carved into its middle, and a piece of circr paper that was filled with tiny words that Raven couldn''t understand.


    "Wh-Why do you have so many rewards?" shocked upon seeing the number of items and objects appearing on the desk Old Dan''s eyes widened and shifted his gaze between Raven and the rewards on the desk.


    "Hm?" Raven looked at Old Dan before he raised his hand and started scratching his cheek, "Haha, well it was like this..."


    Then, he quickly narrated how he was given the choice to randomize his Avatar Points so he could gain more rewards as the result.


    "Sigh... Of course, you would do something like that. Why am I even surprised?" Old Dan massaged his temple before gesturing at the items, "Anyways, go ahead and check them out."


    Raven nodded and quickly grabbed the first item on the left which was the small bottle filled with green liquid.


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Constitution]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Constitution increases by 4 points!


    -------------


    "This..." Raven''s eyes widened slightly when he saw the small magic panel materializing beside the bottle before he went and grabbed the other bottle with the ck liquid within.


    -------------


    [Avatar sk: Strength]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Strength increases by 3 points!


    -------------


    "One increases my Strength while the other my Constitution?" Raven mumbled before he watched with awe how his manual on his side opened on its own and words started to form in it, seemingly being the description of the Avatar sk!


    "Raven, you must make sure to never collect your rewards before others, just only before those you truly trust from the bottom of your heart." Old Dan exined as he went and snatched one of the Avatar sks away, showing Raven an obvious reason.


    "I will remember that." Raven nodded as he watched Old Dan cing the bottle back on the desk before grabbing both crystals in his hand, one in his right while the other one rested in his left.


    -----------


    [Artifact Crystals: Small Piece]


    ? Description: Shattering above an Artifact allows its Form to increase by 1! Can only increase Artifact until the Legendary Grade!


    -----------


    Both crystals'' magic panels showed the same description which was not a huge revtion to Raven as both looked the same.


    After cing both crystals back onto the desk, this time Raven extended his hand toward the small tablet with the weird symbol on it. However, this time the moment his fingers came into contact with the item no magic panels appeared but instead turned into a white light which quickly melted into his body.


    [Rune Mark: Death Runner acquired!]


    ''Death Runner?'' Raven was confused and quickly opened the description of this newly acquire Rune Mark while ignoring how his manual on his side once again flipped over several pages and created words within.


    ---------<sub> </sub>


    [Rune Mark: Death Runner]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Description: Passively increases your Speed and Constitution by 3 points! When your Vitality falls below 30 points you gain an additional 3 points for Speed and Constitution!


    ---------


    "Seems quite a useful Rune Mark if you ask me." Old Dan mumbled as he read Raven''s newly acquired passive ability.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 2 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 2 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 1 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 3 [3]


    ¡ã Constitution: 1 [3]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 0 [0]


    ~~~


    Just like what he saw when Old Dan showed his own Avatar Traits, Raven watched how he also got bonus digits besides his Speed and Constitution.


    Furthermore, he also noticed that on the left area of his chest a small ck tattoo representing a running person appeared!


    "ording to our manual, Rune Marks are akin to Artifacts, granting various powers but in a way where they require no special events or Mystique to be activated. They seem to work passively." Old Dan exined calmly.


    Raven nodded as that was the same conclusion he ended up with, thus after pondering for a second or two he went to grab thest item which was the circr paper with numerous mysterious words written on it.


    "I did not acquire anything like that, so I do not know what that is." Old Dan pointed out and watched as a small magic panel materialized beside the small paper in Raven''s hand.


    ---------


    [Item: Realm Gate Detector]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Description: A simple item that can be used to find Realm Gates in exchange for Mystique. For every 10 points of Mystique the item''s detection radius increases by a mile!


    ----------


    "Realm Gates? What are those?" Raven and Old Dan looked at each other but soon their questions were answered as the manual on their sides opened and words began to form within them.


    -----------


    [Realm Game Information]


    ? Realm Games: Various games performed in separate spaces by the Goddess of Contests and Games, Etia!


    ? Realm Gates: Entrances that connect the real world with the Empty World where Realm Games took ce. Realm Gates appear at random locations in your world that can be essed by anyone and anything!


    -----------


    Once Raven read the context of his manual his face turned rather ugly and couldn''t help but remember the sight where thousands of individuals died on the spot just because of mentioning that deity''s name.


    "Interesting." Old Dan mumbled once he finished reading before ncing at the clock on the wall and asking, "We still have time before Thomas arrives so how about if we try out that detector and see how it works?"


    Raven pondered over Old Dan''s question, but as he too was curious he nodded, and just like how he did with his Moon Rabbit Slippers, which were still on his feet, he activated the Realm Gate Detector for 10 points of Mystique.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Make sure to vote for more and leave a review!

 Chapter 13 Realm Gate

    Unknown how it worked, but the moment Raven wished to activate the Realm Gate Detector he was able to feel how something within his body got depleted a bit and got poured into the circr item in his hold which immediately reacted almost as if an old iron machine suddenly getting charcoal as a source of energy!


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle breeze that caused Raven''s hair and coat to flutter slightly, the small paper began to soar a few inches above his hand before it slowly began to spin in one ce.


    However, this sight onlysted for a few seconds before the small piece of paper fell gently back into the hands of Raven, no longer moving or spinning.


    "Nothing?" was what Raven mumbled but soon his eyes turned resolute and activated the item once again, but this time instead of 10 points of Mystique he used one entire unit which was equal to 100 points!


    Whoosh!


    Once again, the small item quickly floated a few inches above his palm and began to spin, but this time instead of falling back the words on it began to emit ck light which slowly formed an arrow, pointing toward a specific direction.


    Old Dan and Raven looked at each other when they saw this, and both of them saw the disbelief in each other''s gaze.


    "...Should we... Go and check it out?" Raven was the first to break the silence which immediately snapped Old Dan out of his daze and after excusing himself for a second quickly ran out of the room.


    Raven was confused but it was not even a minute before Old Dan emerged at the corner of the door, now wearing apletely different set of clothes than before.


    "Aren''t those..."


    "Yeah, these are Thomas'' clothes. But this is not what matters right now. Instead, we should go and see where that thing takes us." Old Dan said with a straight face, without any shame that he was wearing Thomas'' suit which on his body looked rather tight because he was just too bulky.


    Raven was speechless and didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry, but seeing that Old Dan has already vanished from his line of sight he had no choice but to go after him.


    -


    -


    -


    Old Dan, also known as Daniel Wright, was a preposterously rich individual, being the seventh richest person on the whole surface of Earth.


    He was the founder of the Zeusbridge, a device which although being just a prototype at the moment was already capable of transporting smaller inanimate objects from any point of the Earth to another in less than 2 seconds!


    Furthermore, he also had variouspanies under his supervision that not only developed technologies that made the lives of every human easier but also much safer!


    Also, he had numerous connections with various influential people throughout the world, including the current president of the United World League who was a rather close friend of his.


    And for these reasons, it was not a huge shock to know that Old Dan''s daily ie was simply so astronomical that he could and was possessing multiplends, each asrge as a smaller sized city!


    "Are you sure this is the right way?"


    Walking through a dense forest just about three hours before dusk, Old Dan walked beside Raven as he examined his surroundings.


    The whole forest was his, so while he snapped his head from one side to another almost every five seconds his eyes held no fear as he knew they won''t encounter a wild beast all of a sudden.


    Upon hearing Old Dan''s question, Raven looked at the old man on his side with a slightly raised left brow.


    Like, couldn''t he see the huge floating arrow above his palm that pointed toward a specific direction? What other obvious indication did he need to know they were going the right way?<sub> </sub>


    "Come on, don''t look at me like that. I was just kidding, I know this is the right direction. I just thought we could chat a little after walking in silence for so long." Old Danughed awkwardly.


    "You still suck at starting conversations," Raven responded to that statement with an indifferent face.


    "That was... Pretty harsh."


    "But that is the truth." Raven said before pondering for a second or two and adding, "Though, at least the effort was there."


    After that, the two kept walking for several tens of meters in silence before Raven decided to break the silence.


    "So... what kind of "game" had you been forced to y?"


    Old Dan understood Raven was referring to the Realm Game in which he had to participate, thus quickly started to speak.


    Raven listened calmly to Old Dan''s story, but the more he listened the more he felt surprised in his heart.


    ording to Old Dan, just like how Felix has once mentioned, after getting teleported into the Empty World outside of his will where he had to create his Avatar and choose an Artifact, Old Dan together with 9 other people was forced to y a Realm Game known as Jungle Tug.


    The game was rather simr to the game tug of war but here instead of trying to pull the rope away from another team consisting of other individuals, the ten of them had to fight against a ck panther whose size was thrice asrge as a lion!


    Furthermore, the "game" transpired above a massive ravine that was so deep that the only thing visible at its seemingly bottom was eternal darkness!


    If one fell into that, the only thing one could pray for was a fast and painless death!


    Luckily, however, among the ten individuals except for Old Dan, six invested their points mostly into Strength which helped them to beat the beast in the end.


    "Though, while I say it was easy, it was not. We have struggled for almost 40 minutes straight." Old Dan said before adding, "In fact, if it would have not been for a young little girl who used her Artifact and tied our bodies with vines to the trees behind our backs, we would have been pulled into the ravine by that beast at the very first second the Realm Game started!"


    Raven was speechless hearing this and secretly thanked the little girl in his heart for helping his father.


    "And what about you?" after a small whileter Old Dan nced at Raven, curious about his story, but as he knew his insanely high bad fortune he had a hunch Raven''s Realm Game was even worse than his and perhaps he...


    Raven wished to reply to that and narrate the events that happened with him in the forest, but just as he could have started to speak suddenly the arrow above his palm vanished and the small piece of paper fell into his hold, no longer spinning.


    "It seems we have... arrived?" Raven raised his head to look around, but except for trees, he saw nothing out of ordinary.


    Old Dan was confused too, but suddenly his eyes narrowed and pointed forward, "Watch! Something is happening over there!"


    "Huh?" Raven quickly followed Old Dan''s finger, and indeed about fifty meters away from the two of them a white light materialized in mid-air out of nowhere which slowly began to expand in size!


    Whoosh!


    Both Raven and Old Dan took a step behind unconsciously and watched how the previously fist-sized white light expanded and took on the shape of a tall white gate with a curved top!


    Just under a single second, a massive gate with a height of at least forty meters appeared before the two, making them look like ants before a real giant!


    * * * * *


    A/N: If you like the story make sure to vote for more and drop a review!

 Chapter 14 Blood Syringe

    The gate was massive, to say the least. It was almost as tall as a twenty-story building and from the looks of it was about ten meters wide!


    It was made out of some white material, perhaps from polished marble whose surface seemed to be hard but extremely smooth!


    However, except for its size and appearance, there was nothing special about the gate. There was not even a single carving on its surface much less a handle through which it could be opened.


    "So I assume this must be the Realm Gate, huh?" Old Dan raised his head to see the top of the gate, but as he was pretty close to it he almost fell behind when he tried.


    "How should we... Open it?" Raven asked the question as he ced his left palm on the gate''s surface.


    Whoosh!


    [Do you wish tomence the Realm Game within this Realm Gate?]


    Raven''s body flinched subconsciously when he heard the unfamiliar voice in his head but he quickly calmed down as he knew there was no danger.


    "What happened?" Old Dan asked when he noticed Raven''s reaction and he too ced a palm on the gate''s surface.


    ''So he couldn''t hear the voice, huh?'' Raven thought, but deep inside wondered whose voice he just heard.


    It was not Etia''s not anyone else''s who he could have recognized, yet, for some reason he felt as if he had heard the voice before but couldn''t remember when and where.


    "Interesting. It seems we can open this gate and gain ess to the Realm Game within." Old Dan mumbled as he stroked his sharp chin, seemingly giving attention to the same information Raven was told by the unfamiliar voice.


    After mumbling those words, Old Dan nced at the small watch on his wrist and after contemting for a few seconds he looked at Raven.


    "Let''s try it out. What do you think?"


    "Huh? But... Don''t you fear that if we do we can... Die?"


    After all, while it was true they have survived the first time, perhaps all thanks to the mysterious deity called Etia, it did not mean they will be able to survive the second time.


    It was especially true for him. The way he has ended up thanks to his bad luck was enough to tell him that from now on he has to be twice, maybe thrice as cautious as until now.


    "Oh, about that..." Old Dan quickly pulled his manual out of his pocket and after opening it on a specific page he shared it with Raven.


    ---------------


    [Realm Game Difficulties]


    ? White Realm: Lowest difficulty out of all Realm Game Difficulties where participants'' life is equivalent to their Vitality. If a participant''s Vitality falls below zero "Fake Death" urs and the participant will be eliminated from the Realm Game!


    <Realm Gates with a white color has White Realm Difficulty!>


    ---------------


    "Fake Death?" Raven raised a brown but Old Dan quickly exined while he felt how the manual in his pocket began to move slightly, indicating that new information appeared within it.


    "ording to this manual Fake Death means if your Vitality reaches zero in the Realm Game you will be teleported out without sustaining any injuries or feeling any pain but also will lose the chance to obtain rewards."


    "I-I see..." Raven nodded, finally understanding how he survived. It seemed it was not a miracle that saved him, but simply it was a mysterious rule that controlled these so-called Realm Games.


    "So? Wanna give it a try?" Old Dan asked with excitement shining in his eyes.


    Right now, he looked like an impatient little kid who was ready to tear open his birthday present from the sheer excitement he felt!


    "I mean, if it''s like this, there is nothing we can lose so why not?" Raven pointed out and without waiting for a reply ced his palm atop the gate''s surface before quickly epting tomence the Realm Game.


    Whoosh!


    "W-Woah... No hesitation at all, huh?" watching how he was teleported into the familiar Empty World, Raven looked around to see something he didn''t expect to see.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    "T-This..."


    The Moon Rabbit Slippers from his feet suddenly vanished and what appeared before his face was the small dice.


    "Oh... Right... I have to throw it whenever I start a new Realm Game... Great." Raven sighed and grabbed the dice.


    However, instead of throwing it right away he quickly took out the two crystals from his pocket and smashed them above his Artifact.


    [Your Artifact had been increased to Advanced Form!]


    [Your Artifact had been increased to Complete Form!]


    "Much better." Raven nodded and threw the dice from his hand which soon resulted in a new item appearing before him out of thin air.


    However, this time this item was even weirder than the rabbit slippers he got for the first time.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Blood Syringe]


    ? Grade: Mortal


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: A simple syringe containing the blood of an unknown entity. Injecting it into the body grants the ability of an unknown entity for a limited amount of time!


    <Can be used only once!>


    <Cooldown: Effectsts only for 1 minute!>


    --------------


    "This..." Raven was speechless but just as he could have thought about something a silver glow shed on his side.


    "Damn... I still have to get used to this." Old Dan staggered a little before he regained his bnce and looked at Raven.


    However, when he saw the small syringe in Raven''s hand which contained blue liquid within while also noticing how he was now on barefoot, Old Dan raised a brow in confusion, hoping to get answers.


    Raven sighed and wished to exin, but once again he couldn''t do what he wished to do as a magic panel materialized before him and before Old Dan too.


    [No more participants chose to join. Realm Game now willmence!]


    Whoosh!


    Just like previously, the Empty World underwent a great change, and Raven and Old Dan were brought into apletely different world.


    In an instant, Raven and Old Dan watched how they now stood in the middle of a square room while on each side a hallway was visible, seemingly leading into another room.


    The room, which the two of them were in at the moment and looked like a reception hall from a hotel, however, happened to be rather old-fashioned such as the furniture and objects.


    Even the symbols and the coloring of the carpet floor below their feet were somewhat ancient, giving one the vibes as if the building they were in was constructed during the 1980s!


    Whoosh!


    As Raven and Old Dan were inspecting their surroundings with awed but also cautious eyes, suddenly both of them watched how a magic panel appeared before them, containing the information about the Realm Game.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Please vote for the novel if you like the story!

 Chapter 15 Shard Chasing

    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Shard Chasing]


    ¡ã Difficulty: White Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: None


    ¡ã Rules: Collect 500 Shards alone or with the help of other participants! However, be wary, the Shard Chasers are close!


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - 2 random variety Avatar sk


    - 1 Small Piece Artifact Crystal


    ----------------


    Whoosh!


    [Shard Chasing begins in 30 seconds!]


    Once the warning appeared before both Raven and Old Dan, suddenly purple crystals appeared at the edge of every hallway, each floating about 10 inches above the ground.


    Furthermore, Raven was able to see how many other floating crystals were visible behind the closest floating purple crystals, indicating there were more.


    "We have to collect 500? Isn''t that a lot?" Old Dan asked but when he saw how Raven took out two bottles, one filled with green liquid while the other with ck, he looked confused.


    "What are you doing?"


    While opening both bottles'' lids Raven raised a brow and asked "Isn''t that obvious? I will drink both of these."


    Then, without waiting for a reply he poured both contents of the bottle into his mouth and swallowed them as if they were orange juice.


    ''Hmm... I have expected something way worse but it seems I was wrong. They taste quite like milk.'' Raven thought as he wiped the corner of his mouth and felt how changes happened within his body.


    [3...]


    [2...]


    [1...]


    [Realm Game: Shard Chasing has begun!]


    [Shard Chasers had been freed!]


    "We should get going." Raven threw the bottles in his hand to the side and quickly gestured for Old Dan to follow.


    And not even a secondter he arrived before the first purple crystal which uponing into contact with his hand quickly melted into his body.


    [Collected Shards: 1]


    "It seems it counts our collected shards together." Old Dan eximed in front of Raven as he touched another floating crystal and watched how his and Raven''s count increased by one.


    "Should we split up then? Like that, we can collect 500 way faster than going the same way together." Raven raised a question while running a few meters behind Old Dan and watching as he collected shards after shards.


    "I don''t know... I think we sh-"


    Tremble!


    Suddenly, just as Old Dan wished to assert his opinion about the idea of splitting up, a great tremor shook the ground and walls around the two of them, while from the direction they have juste from small explosions started to resound, bing louder with each passing fraction of a second!


    And just a momentter when themotions and the tremor began, a sight that could easily freeze the blood within anyone''s vein emerged at the corner of the hallway, immediately causing Raven''s and Old Dan''s faces to change.


    Right before the two of them, a massive ck snake with a size almost as big as a truck was slithering toward them with eyes as crimson as blood while it opened its jaw from time to time, revealing the interior of its ck mouth together with two gigantic fangs!


    Furthermore, to make its appearance even more bizarre, Raven was able to spot a small red hat on top of the snake''s head, one that looked like the hat of a doorman!


    "Yeah, on second thought... I think it will be better if we split up." Old Dan then suddenly said, and without waiting for a reply he dashed to the left.


    "...You!" Raven was speechless by the shameless act of Old Dan, but as he saw how fast the snake was moving he clenched his teeth and quickly started to run toward the right.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, it was pointless to say that the moment the beast reached the point where it had to decide who it will chase after, without a second thought it continued to hunt after Raven!


    ''Let''s see what you can do!'' Raven thought with a calm expression in his heart while watching as the number of collected shards increased by 2 every two to three seconds!


    Raven ran through several hallways while also asionally changing directions, however, not even after running for more than 1 minute without slowing down, he noticed how the snake got further and further away from him until he could no longer see it!


    It seemed that the ck beast was much slower than the faceless creature from the First Realm Game, which obviously was all thanks to the extra three points of Speed that his Death Runner granted him!


    Or at least that was what one would believe after seeing the obvious difference in speed, but Raven thought otherwise.


    ''Something is not quite right here.'' Raven thought in his heart and subconsciously slowed his pace down as he entered a bigger room.


    Looking around the room which seemed to be an old but luxurious dining area with hundreds ofid tables surrounded by numerous chairs and a few floating purple crystals over the ce, Raven noticed that not counting the passage from where he just came, there were 2 other ways he could decide to go.


    [Collected Shards: 73]


    After giving a quick nce at the tiny floating magic panel on his side, Raven walked around the ce and quickly collected all the 25 shards.


    However, even after he has collected all the crystals which resulted in his collected amount of shards to increase over 100, therge snake has yet to catch up with him and there was no sign at all that it was nearby!


    This only made the ominous feeling within his chest growrger as he was quite familiar with this feeling. Just like how it appeared and saved him from dying during the first Realm Game, this time also it appeared and slowly but surely crept its way onto the surface!


    Drip... Drip...


    As Raven was slowly walking toward one of the entrances on the side which seemingly led the way into the kitchen as through the small circr window Raven was able to see frying pans and kitchen knives, suddenly Raven''s steps halted, and lowered his gaze.


    Drip... Drip...


    ''...''


    Watching as some kind of liquid fell from above before his feet, Raven''s face paled, and slowly raised his head.


    And just as he did, a massive face of a white snake appeared above him, its deep ink-ck eyes staring straight at him while its forked tongue which was as wide as a human arm kept appearing and disappearing from its mouth.


    "Hissss!"


    Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip...


    Watching as the snake opened its mouth while pulling its head slightly backward, causing huge drops of saliva to fall onto the ground, Raven immediately knew what will happen next, thus without any thinking threw himself to the side.


    "HISSS!"


    BAM!


    A great explosion shook the entirety of the dining area, its ripples sending all the furniture and silverware flying threw the air, from which several hit Raven, some even piercing his arm and legs!


    [Vitality: 200 -> 148]


    "...Argh! Damn it! This hurts like hell!" pulling out a knife from his right shoulder and a fork from his right upper thigh, a painful grimace swept through Raven''s face before it turned back to normal once again.


    "I must get out of here right n-"


    Pushing himself quickly onto his feet as he saw how the white snake which had a small chef hat on its head shifted its gaze at him after failing to devour him, Raven wished to turn around and dash in the opposite direction when his steps halted abruptly once again.


    As for the reason?


    It was because unknown when, but at some point in time, the ck snake that chased after him now towered over him less than five meters away, staring at him with visible bloodlust in its crimson eyes!


    Seven could even see a small upward curve at the corner of its mouth, almost as if it was mocking him!


    One behind his back and one in front of him with two out of the three entrances blocked by the massive bodies of each beast!


    ''I guess this is the time I should try and see what the syringe can do, huh?'' Raven wondered as he subconsciously put his hand into his pocket where he put the syringe.


    However, it was the very next second before a painful grimace once more appeared on his face, forcing not only him to quickly pull his hand out but also watch as his Vitality dropped by another 8 points!


    "Don''t tell me..." lowering his gaze to see why all of a sudden a sharp pain pierced his hand, Raven watched how pieces of broken ss covered in droplets of ck liquid stood out of his palm!


    The relic he has gotten from his throw at the start of the Realm Game, right now, was in numerous pieces in his hand, some of it piercing his skin so much that blood started to flow out of the wounds uncontrobly!


    Without any question, the syringe got crushed into pieces the moment he threw himself to the side and fell to the ground, seemingly without any hope for it to get repaired!

 Chapter 16 Time Shard & Revealer Shard

    Running through hallways after hallways with heavy but fast steps, Old Dan collected one purple crystal after another.


    "I can still hardly believe I am not dreaming and all this is... Real."


    Just a day ago Old Dan could remember how he was preparing to go to a party meant for privileged people, yet, here he was now, running through hallways and collecting shards while trying to escape from getting devoured by a beast!


    "For some reason, I feel like this Realm Game is quite simr to that old video game I have yed when I was still a teenager. What was its name again? Dac... Pac... Urgh, I can''t remember."


    Old Dan kept running and collecting shards without stopping while quietly talking to himself to help his tense nerves to calm down a bit.


    After all, it was only natural even for him, an adult man to feel a scarce amount of anxiety after experiencing all the weird things he did in the past few hours not to mention after watching how a snake a size of a truck was trying to devour him!


    Hell, it was a snake the size of a huge ass elephant! Who would not feel scared in the face of such a beast?!


    "Hm? This..."


    After running for a little more than one minute, suddenly Old Dan arrived in a room which looked quite like a hall for banquets.


    Circrid tables were ced on the sides with chairs around them while the middle region was left empty except for a floating shard that instead of purple was bright yellow!


    Old Dan had a hunch about what this new piece of shard could do, and to see if his guess was correct he quickly extended his hand and grabbed it.


    [Time Shard acquired! All Shard Chasers will now be frozen in time for 15 seconds!]


    Bam!


    The moment the words materialized before his face on the small magic panel, the yellow shard in the hands of Old Dan cracked and as if pumping arge amount of water into a balloon it exploded into pieces!


    Whoosh!


    "W-Woah!" forced to take a step backward because of the powerful shockwave that swept into every direction the moment the shard exploded, Old Dan''s eyes widened slightly.


    This item was exactly the one he had guessed it would be!


    "I wonder if that brat is doing fine or..." Old Dan mumbled as he nced at the magic panel on his side, but seeing how the number of collected shards was not increasing, his fingers subconsciously got tightened into fists.


    Meanwhile, in another room, Raven stood with a stiff and pale face with his eyes fixed on his hand which was bleeding thanks to the broken pieces of the syringe that was now piercing out of his hand!


    "Hiss!"


    Upon hearing the quiet but hair-raising hiss from his front, Raven slowly raised his head only to see how the mocking grin on the ck snake grew wider.


    Then, without any prior sign whatsoever, the ck beast opened its jaw wide and lunged itself at Raven from above, ready to consume him with one single gulp!


    Raven clenched his teeth, finding himself in a deep dilemma. He understood way too well that he was in checkmate as no matter what he will try to do next the white snake behind him watched every move of his!


    It was rather obvious that if he decided to dodge the ck snake''s attack the other one would not hesitate even a second and swallow him in a whole piece!


    ''Damn it! If my Dexterity would have at least three points...'' Raven sighed bitterly in his heart and closed his eyes, but just as he began to move his eyelids a powerful shockwave swept through the dining area!


    [Time Shard acquired! All Shard Chasers will now be frozen in time for 15 seconds!]


    Whoosh!


    "Huh?" watching how the ck snake froze still in mid-air with a wide-open jaw, only a single meter away from him, Raven felt confused.


    However, his confusion onlysted a second when he saw how a small panel appeared on his left, holding a countdown which at this moment was already at 13 seconds!<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t know what happened, but I would be a fool not to live with such a golden opportunity!" Raven narrowed his eyes and quickly grabbed a knife from his side which he immediately swung at the beast''s eye.


    "Try and smile now, bitc-"


    Crack!


    [Vitality: 140 -> 139]


    "Argh... The... Hell?"


    Watching how the knife in his hand failed to pierce the snake''s eyes and even snap which flew past his head, leaving behind a deep cut on his cheek, disbelief and fear shed within Raven''s eyes.


    "...This must be a bad joke, right?"


    Raven''s eyes widened and wished to try again, but when he saw how he only had 7 seconds left he clenched his teeth and decided to start running.


    Like, what joke was this? He didn''t know how strong he was currently with his 4 points of Strength, but he was confident he could easily crack a tree trunk with a single punch if he wished to!


    Yet, with strength like that and with the help of a sharp knife he still failed to pierce the weakest point a living being could possess, the eye!


    It felt almost like he just tried to stab a metal alloy instead of something soft and slimy!


    ''Common sense and logic really do not apply to things within Realm Games!'' Raven thought in his heart as he dashed out of the dining area and started to collect the shards once again.


    However, not even after collecting his 4th shard, increasing his and Old Dan''s amount just a little above 200, a scream swept through and shook the whole hallway around Raven.


    [The effect of the Time Shard has worn off!]


    [200+ Shards had been collected!]


    <o>,m [Every Shard Chaser now will gain an extra 2 points of Speed!]</o>


    "Bullshit!" Raven cursed out loud as he felt a hint of anger for the first time after many years, thinking about what was currently happening was unfair.


    But regardless of whether he will ept or not, the ever-growing tremor below his feet indicated that the speed of the two beasts indeed increased, and they were closing the distance between them and him slowly but surely!


    Raven clenched his teeth and instantly increased his speed while changing directions to make the two beasts'' chase even harder!


    Running through hallways and various bigger rooms while collecting shards, Raven didn''t slow down at all and watched how slowly but surely the number on the magic panel on his side got closer to 500!


    However...


    [350+ Shards had been collected!]


    [Every Shard Chaser now will gain an extra 2 points of Speed!]


    Raven''s face changed once again, but just a second after the notifications appeared in front of him, and just as he turned left in a corner, he reached an intersection that had a red crystal in its middle!


    "What''s that?" although confused as he has never crossed paths with a red crystal before, Raven quickly dashed forward and grabbed it.


    [Revealer Shard acquired! Everything now will be visible to all Shard Collecters for 30 seconds!]


    Whoosh!


    In that very instant as the new notification appeared before Raven, suddenly all the walls around him turned half-transparent, allowing him to see not only the remaining Shards he had to collect but also spot Old Dan in the far distance together with the two snakes that were chasing after him from behind!

 Chapter 17 Avatar Title; Chaotic Survivor!

    "What?" running through one of the many hallways with quick steps, Old Dan was rmed to see how the walls around him turn half-transparent.


    However, a second after he spotted Raven''s figure in the distance he quickly became ecstatic which in the second turned into shock and anxiety upon seeing how two beasts were chasing after his son!


    "Now there are two of them? And even their speed has increased. I have to do something, but what?" Old Dan''s face turned serious as he tried to figure out a way he could help Raven.


    "Wait... Although it''s risky, if I do it at the right time maybe it could work out." Old Dan mumbled to himself as he put his hand into his pocket and took out two small bottles, one having silver liquid within it while the other contained golden colored one!


    "Yeah, it definitely will work out." with those words Old Dan quickly opened both bottle''s lids and poured their contents into his mouth, just like how Raven has done it at the start of the Realm Game!


    "Ahh... Tastes quite like sour milk..." Old Dan wiped the corner of his mouth and once he threw the bottle from his hand to the side he pressed his legs firmly against the ground!


    Whoosh!


    ''Fast!'' in the far distance Raven''s eyes widened when he saw how Old Dan''s speed all of a sudden exploded, literally tripling in speedpared to a few moments ago!


    Old Dan became so fast that with his current speed he could easily rival professional athletes from the real world and perhaps even beat them!


    In fact, although just a bit, it was an undeniable fact that with his current speed he even surpassed Raven''s, indicating his Speed was above 6 points!


    However, the biggest shock for Raven was not seeing the massive increase in Old Dan''s speed but instead that he was running in his direction!


    "What is he trying to do?" Raven was confused but exactly five secondster his eyes widened from pure disbelief.


    "Hey! Over here!"


    Pressing his feet firmly into the ground the moment he reached the intersection where the two snakes were at the moment, Old Dan leaped into the air and swung his fist at the white snake''s face which was only a single meter behind the ck one!


    The white snake with the chef hat on its head upon hearing Old Dan''s shout stopped moving and was ready to turn its gaze to the side, only to end up with a firm punch on the side of his skull!


    BAM!


    "Damn! This daddy''s fist here is way stronger than he has believed!"nding on the ground Old Dan nced at his right fist with awe.


    As for Raven, his eyes became so wide upon seeing how his foster father sent the massive white snake flying several meters away with a single punch that his eyeballs were threatening to fall out of their sockets!


    "Hisss!"


    Watching how the white snake dragged its body up after the strike, a confident smile appeared on Old Dan''s face before looking over to Raven, who even at this moment was running away as the other beast was chasing after him.


    "Brat! You go and collect the remaining shards. I will take care of this one here!"


    Raven wished to say something, but unfortunately, as he was already reaching a corner while the countdown of the Revealer Shard was reaching its time limit, he could only clench his teeth and nod.


    Although he didn''t like the idea of his foster father fighting against the beast, as he experienced firsthand just how tough their skin really was, he had to admit that with only one snake chasing after him the pressure on him was less than before.


    Like, after escaping from the dining area it was not once when the two beasts split up and tried to surround him so now that only the ck snake wished to devour him he didn''t have to fear such a thing.


    [450+ Shards had been collected!]


    [Every Shard Chaser now will gain an extra 1 point of Speed!]


    Raven ignored the notification popping up on the small magic panel on his side and instead concentrated on the remaining purple crystals that were still visible around him.


    ''43 more to go, huh?'' Raven tried to find an ideal path through which he could collect each shard with ease, but had to realize it was not that easy.


    While there were shards that were around in one area, there are some that were far away and even a single one that was at the starting location!


    ''This will be quite troublesome...'' Raven thought bitterly in his heart while making sure he memorized each shard''s location until the veryst second the Revealer Shard power was active.


    Then, once the red crystal''s effect wore off and every wall around him became opaque again, Raven quickly changed direction and started to move toward the area where more shards were in one location.


    Of course, the ck snake still chased after him like a hungry predator, and considering that it was only ten meters behind Raven which was getting shorter with every passing second it was obvious it was only a matter of time before it catches up with him!<sub> </sub>


    There were even times when the snake didn''t follow after Raven but decided to go on another path in the hope it could surprise him from the front or the sides, but as Raven was sharp and never let his guard down it always failed.


    He simply outsmarted the snakes outsmarting and easily avoided getting devoured!


    As for getting stuck in a dead-end, luckily that never happened as all the hallways were connected!


    ''Good! Only one more lef-!'' an excited smile appeared on Raven''s face, but it was not even a second before he saw how a white figure shed from left to right in the following intersection which soon was followed by a muscr figure.


    ''He is insane...'' Raven was speechless when he saw Old Dan''s figure chasing after the white snake which had a body seemingly full of bruises!


    Hell, Raven could even swear how the white snake looked terrified from Old Dan despite it being a hundred timesrger than the small human behind it!


    Raven sighed and nced behind over his shoulder. However, the moment he did his face paled as the ck snake was only a single meter away from him at this moment!


    "Shit!" Raven quickly snapped his head back to the front and increased his speed to the utmost limit.


    In a sh, Raven dashed through numerous hallways and different rooms before he finally reached the corner from where he was able to see thest Shard.


    Joy took over Raven''s heart when he finally saw thest crystal and didn''t even hesitate to dash toward it.


    However, just as he got five meters close to the crystal his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle, and watched with horror how all of a sudden the other snake suddenly appeared from the other hallway from his side!


    "Raven! Watch ou-!" Old Dan wished to warn Raven but it was toote.


    Bing thrilled from terrified in an instant, the white snake opened its jaw wide and with one single move plunged itself at Raven, swallowing his whole figure with one single movement!


    "You!" Old Dan''s face paled when he saw how Raven''s body was pushed deeper and deeper down into the snake''s stomach, but his face quickly became angered, and swung his fist.


    "Spit him out this very instant!"


    BAM!


    A powerful bang resounded in the hallway as Old Dan punched the snake square in the face, sending its massive body flying through the air like a ragdoll!


    But it seemed even after such a powerful punch, except for a small bruise on its ugly head Old Dan failed to damage the beast severely not to mention force it to spit Raven out!


    "You son of a b-"


    "Th... Shar...d... Colle...ct... the shard!"


    "What? What shard?" hearing Raven''s rather quiet voice from within the beast, Old Dan raised a brow before he noticed that on his side a small purple crystal was floating silently!


    "The shard!" Old Dan immediately understood what his son wished to say and without a second thought grabbed the crystal,pletely unaware that just inches away above his head the jaw of the ck snake was wide open.


    But unfortunately, unlike Raven, Old Dan was not swallowed as the very moment he touched the crystal everything seemed to freeze before gradually the whole scenery around him changed.


    The walls were reced by thick and tall trees, the floor below his feet became emerald green grass, while the ceiling above his head vanished and what appeared in its ce was a boundless night sky filled with numerous stars!


    He was finally back in the real world with the massive white gate only a meter away from him!


    "I... Am I alive?" lying on the ground withrge drops of sweat flowing down his face, Raven touched his face several times before finally calming down and sighing with relief.


    Whoosh!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted Main Quest [Collect 500 Shards without dying!]]


    [Receive rewards now or collect themter?]


    Whoosh!


    [Congrattions! You have been eligible to earn a new Avatar Title; Chaotic Survivor!]

 Chapter 18 Gathering (1)

    How did it feel to get swallowed up by a huge beast and be squeezed almost into a pile of meat paste inside its stomach?


    Of course, no one would think about such a foolish question as it made no sense to even consider such a possibility. However, with the sudden appearance of this mysterious deity and her wicked games known as Realm Games, considering such a topic in this new world where every fantasy now seemed toe alive, it was no longer as foolish as it seemed.


    Raven has experienced many things during his short but at the same time long 21 years, mainly unpleasant and horrible ones, but none of them was as terrible as the feeling of getting gulped down by a snake and slowly getting his body squeezed and melted!


    The feeling of his bones getting crushed and his skin getting slowly eroded was something way worse than when he fell from the tall tree during his first Realm Game and got his whole body turned into a waste!


    But luckily, thanks to this and not getting killed instantly instead, Raven was able to inform his father to collect thest shard, hence putting an end to this hell once and for all!


    And it seemed, that not only did he survive from death''s grasp once again and gain his rewards, but he also seemed to getpensation for his struggles which in the past never get paid off!


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: Chaotic Survivor]


    ? Status: Currently Active


    ? Description: A bizarre record given to an unfortunate individual who was able to ovee chaos and death from time to time!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  First Active Effect: This Effect will be triggered when chaos or unfortunate events that could harm your physical well-being approach you, granting you +1 to every Avatar Trait!


    -> Second Active Effect: This Effect will be triggered when your Vitality falls below 50%, granting you +5 to every Avatar Trait!


    -> Third Active Effect: This Effect will be triggered when your Vitality falls below 10%, granting you +10 to every Avatar Trait!


    -> Final Active Effect: This Effect will be triggered when your Vitality falls below 5%, granting you +15 to every Avatar Trait!


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    Raven''s eyes widened at the vast information popping up in front of his face and he was speechless for a while.


    The same went for Old Dan too, but not because he saw Raven''s Avatar Trait, but because he got his own too!


    However, before he could have examined his Title in greater detail suddenly the ground below his and Raven''s feet began to tremble while a magic panel popped up before both of their faces, forcing the rest to vanish.


    [Realm Game had beenpleted!]


    [Realm Gate now will open and Realm Domain will be formed!]


    [You will be now teleported outside the perimeter of the Realm Domain!]


    Whoosh!


    "W-What?" Old Dan and Raven were dumbfounded to see how they were brought out of the forest, now standing just three hundred meters behind Old Dan''s mansion!


    Furthermore, their shock became even deeper when they saw how a slightly vibrant and transparentyer of barrier started to engulf the forest from all directions, slowly but surely forming a massive dome around it!<sub> </sub>


    "What is going on now? It said something about a Realm Domain, but what is that?" Raven asked with confusion and quickly took his manual which seemed to shake slightly in his pocket for a while now.


    -----------------------


    [Realm Game Informations]


    ...


    ? Realm Domain: After challenging a Realm Gate and sessfullypleting it, the Realm Gate will open its doors and cause changes around its proximity, forming a Realm Domain!


    ^ Within Realm Domains death is permanent without any rules and can be essed by anyone!


    ^ Within Realm Domains participants will be able to gain ess to their Avatar Status!


    -----------------------


    After reading the newly formed contents inside their manual, Raven and Old Dan raised their heads and looked at each other, watching how shock was present in their eyes!


    There was no reason for either of them to speak as the words inside the small book in their hands told and stated everything for them as clear as day!


    "Master Dan? Young Master Raven? Why are you standing out there?"


    While the two stood with dumbfounded expressions at the edge of the forest, suddenly a familiar voice came from behind them which quickly snapped them out of their daze.


    Turning around, Old Dan and Raven watched as about twenty meters away from the two of them Thomas together with three other figures behind him approached them, each having distinct differences from one another in appearance.


    Raven was familiar with all of them as they all were close friends with his foster father.


    The one of the very left was a man who despite approaching his fiftieth year and having short gray hair together with a low gray beard, he had a figure that was far from being old.


    He wore an elegant snow-white suit with a deep ck tie that passed perfectly to hisrge and graceful frame which was full of vigor and strength. He had eyes akin to emeralds while


    His name was Lucas Naylor, head of the Naylor Family that in reality was among the top 20 richest families in the whole world!


    On his left, however, a man who while seemingly being the same age as Lucas was theplete opposite of him.


    He had long ck hair with sharp, almond-shaped eyes the color of cold ashes. He had a small and slim figure, perhaps around 172 centimeters or 5 feet and 7 inches, while he wore a ck suit which seemed to be made out of high-quality material!


    His name was Darwin Hunt and while he was not as rich as Old Dan or Lucas he had two times if not three times as many connections as them!


    As for thest figure, the moment Old Dan saw her his tense expression immediately rxed a bit and even a slight sigh of relief escaped from his mouth.


    "My little princes-"


    "Raven!"


    ? Not waiting for Dan to even say more than three words, the young girl who was a real beauty and was seemingly in her early twenties dashed before Raven and leaped at him with wide-open arms.


    While already expecting such a thing to happen as this was not the first time something like this ured, Raven was still shocked to see the youngdy who he was very familiar with jump at him so suddenly and push him to the ground with her petite yet strong body!

 Chapter 19 Gathering (2-Last)

    Scarce pain, warmth, and softness...


    These were the three things Raven felt the moment he was pushed to the ground by the petite beauty, the firsting from the impact when his body fell on the ground while the other two... Well, that was pretty much evident without the need to exin.


    "Ah! My God, Raven! Are you okay?" pushing herself up with her palms resting on Raven''s chest while she sat on his lower trunk gently, the beauty eximed out worriedly.


    "Argh... Y-Yeah, I am fine." Raven nodded gently as he opened his eyes before adding, "But Lulu, next time please be more careful. What if you identally get yourself injured?"


    Watching how Raven smiled, the beauty previously called Lulu sighed with relief almost as if a huge rock had just fallen from her heart before chuckling sweetly.


    Raven examined Lulu''s expression in silence and couldn''t help but make a bittersweet smile deep in his heart.


    The beauty on top of him was Lulu, or her real name Luna Wright, Old Dan''s biological daughter which also made her his little sister.


    However, in contrast to Old Dan''s previous appearance, Luna was a heaven-sent beauty with features that even those fully matured women from noble families could hardlypete against!


    Her hair was deep ck which gradually turned silver toward the end and was worn in a style that reminded one of a gush of water. Her skin was wless white akin to the purest snow while her small eyes shone like amethyst in the dark!


    Furthermore, while being only 20 years old, just one year younger than Raven, and having a petite body, she was slim and curvaceous so much that any man would fall for her just from looking at her enticing figure!


    In the past, several individuals even doubted she was Old Dan''s biological daughter for numerous obvious reasons, but in the end, papers were proving it without letting any doubts to be raised!


    "identally injuring myself? But I had a pretty soft surface tond on, hehe~" Luna chuckled and to prove a point bounced a little on Raven.


    "Cough!"


    Raven''s eyes widened quickly while an awkward cough escaped from his mouth and didn''t hesitate to grab Luna by the waist and raise her slightly for him to escape before an even bigger "ident" could happen.


    ? "You won''t even help me up?" Luna looked up at Raven with a somewhat puppy look to which Raven could just sigh helplessly and extend his hand forward.


    And the very moment he did, a wide and happy smile emerged on Luna''s face who quickly grabbed his hand and jumped up on her feet.


    Meanwhile, the other four on the side watched everything from start to finish with various expressions, unknown at the moment what they were thinking.


    "Khm... So... Dan." the first to break the silence was Lucas who shifted his gaze at Old Dan and with an amused smile asked, "Although I am still shocked, I must admit you look much better than Thomas has described to us."


    Lucas'' words quickly snapped Old Dan out of his daze, and after giving one final nce at the figure of his daughter who didn''t even give him a single nce since the start, looked at the three gentlemen in front of him.


    "I appreciate thepliment, but I don''t think this is right. Now that you all are h-, wait a second. Where is that arrogant bastard?" Old Dan narrowed his eyes as he noticed someone was missing.


    "Master Dan, I tried to get in touch with Sir Marlin but I failed to do so." Thomas took a step forward as he started to speak.


    "That''s weird..." Old Dan mumbled quietly and couldn''t help but feel that something bad has happened.


    "Anyway, would you care to enlighten us on what is happening over there?" gesturing with his head at the sight behind Dan, Darwin asked with a slight frown.<sub> </sub>


    Old Dan looked at the slowly forming transparent dome around the forest over his shoulder before shaking his head and starting to walk toward the mansion;


    "I will exin everythingter, but first, let''s get inside, shall we?"


    Everyone looked at each other, but soon they nodded and started to follow closely after Old Dan with Raven being thest one with Luna clinging to his arm tightly.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere in an unknown location, inside arge and spacious hall where a massive circr table made out of pure gold was located, numerous beings that had the appearance akin to mystical entities from human myths and tales sat next to each other.


    Each and every one of them while having a humanoid appearance had different looks, none of them having the same facial characteristics.


    Sitting in one of the golden chairs, a being which had a big frame with six muscr arms crossed before its broad chest and four eyes examining his surroundings sneered coldly.


    "How long will she make us wait, huh? It has been an entire hour already and I am starting to run out of patience!"


    The being sitting beside the six-armed colossal, who had a golden halo above her head and two pairs of golden wings behind her ethereal figure, looked sideways and shook her head gently.


    "Just take a deep breath and try to rx, Worus. I am pretty sure she has her own reasons why she iste despite all of us already being here."


    The being who had been just called Worus nced at the beauty on his side and snorted once again.


    "Woman, do you know me as someone who can calm down that easily?"


    "My name is not woman, but Ufia," Ufia said calmly, but her golden eyes shed with a hint of coldness.


    As for Worus'' question she just simply ignored it as she understood what title the being beside her held and it was the furthest thing away from serenity!


    "Whatever." Worus clicked his tongue in annoyance and continued to watch as other beings either chatted with each other or simply sat in one ce with their eyes closed.


    Time passed just like that, and about ten minutester the doors on the side finally opened and two beings started to walk inside the hall with slow but confident steps.


    In that instant, every being in the hall quietened down and all eyes shifted at the figure of the two beings, each gaze filled with various emotions such as fear, admiration, anxiety, excitement, or indifference!


    The being on the left was a tall man with a ck cloak around his slim figure, hiding everything below its neck away from the prying eyes of others.


    Moreover, he had a ck mask on his face, representing that of half crying and halfughing clown, one which had a rather creepy and eerie look instead of giving one a feeling of fun!


    On the other hand, despite having such a mysterious look and presence of him, the majority of the beings kept their gaze on the figure beside him who, in contrast to everyone present, was a little girl with an appearance of 12 years old!

 Chapter 20 Realm Association

    The steps the little girl walked were slow but confident, not caring at all that the beings staring at her not only had unusual appearances but their aura around them also made the surrounding air heavy!


    However, despite being so young and having such a demeanor, in fact, the most outstanding characteristic was her appearance by a huge margin!


    Her medium-short hair which cascaded down behind her back like a river was, just like her small iris, colorful like a rainbow! Her skin was light-colored and she wore a dress covering her shoulders entirely and flowing down into a simple scoop neckline. The sleeves of the dress were long too, broadening toward the bottom but covering the armspletely!


    The dress, however, was no ordinary dress as instead of it being made out of silk it was created out of seemingly scales akin to dragon scales which gradually changed colors!


    "Hmph! So she finally decided to show up." Worus, the four-armed giant sneered loudly to which many gazes fell on his figure from all directions.


    One of the gazes was the clown masked individual''s which for some reason made Worus'' body flinch scarcely before his eyes narrowed and his fingers tightened into fists.


    "Just ignore him, Enas." the little girl looked at the masked individual called Enas and after giving a brief look at Worus she continued to ignore him and sat down on one of the chairs around the table.


    Everyone watched the little girl''s every move, some even examining her figure and every movement of hers as if they wished to see and find out all the secrets she held.


    Once she was seated on the chair where her little legs failed to touch the ground, she looked at the different faces around her and showed a cute smile where her pearly white teeth became visible to everyone.


    "I apologize to everyone for the wait, I had a few important matters to take care of beforeing and weing all of you. As a sign of apology, I hope you all can ept these small gifts from me."


    Whoosh!


    After the little girl waved her small hand, in a sh several items appeared before each being around the table.


    "This... Lady Etia, we don''t deserv-"


    "Just take them." the little girl who turns out to be Etia just smiled and quickly added, "For wasting your''s and everyone''s precious time in this hall because of me, this is the least I should do."


    The being who had emerald green short hair and the eyes of a snake closed her lips and decided to just nod instead of speaking.


    Etia showed a sweet smile seeing how everyone put their items away and quickly pped her little hands twice.


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle breeze, a huge floating silver orb materialized above the table before everyone''s eyes, within visible a list of words with numbers beside them.


    Then, once more than a thousand words one after another appeared on the orb''s surface, Etia flicked her little wrist, and a lollipop quickly appeared in her hand.


    "Well then everyone, let us gamble a little bit, shall we?"


    -


    -


    -


    On Earth, inside the mansion of Old Dan.


    Sitting on afy chesterfield leather chair in the living room while holding a ss of red wine, Old Dan, with Thomas standing on his side, looked at the four individuals in front of him, two sitting on his right while the other two sat on the left, each pair sitting on a long leather sofa.


    "The United World League tries to do what?" sitting on the right, Lucas stared with a small frown on his face while staring at Darwin beside him.<sub> </sub>


    Darwin, holding a ss of whisky filled with ice in his right took a sip before talking, "A special association, known as Realm Associations. They will and probably have already started the process to create it which will gather people and separate them into smaller guilds that willplete these Realm Games on various points of the world."


    "Anyone can join this association? Also, what are the rules and how will they determine who leads these guilds? These changes are just way too sudden! It hasn''t even been half a day since..."


    "Since we all experienced the first Realm Game and a lot of things are still unknown, I know." Darwin nodded as he knew what Lucas wished to say, and while looking at Raven at the other side of the ss table with Luna sitting close beside him, he continued, "But this information is from not one but many reliable sources, and it is very likely President Bai will announce it tomorrow morning if not in a few hours."


    "As for your previous questions, Lucas, I only know they will request you to share every information about your Avatar and items you have obtained. If I have to take a rough guess, these things known as Avatar Traits and Artifacts will determine one''s position within the association and in the guilds."


    Upon seeing how Luca fell into deep pondering Old Dan sighed gently and said, "Although I must agree these things are too sudden as it feels like they didn''t consider the possible problems that could arise in the future with such quick changes, it is irrefutable it was the right choice to do."


    "How so?" Lucas asked despite having a rough guess.


    Old Dan looked at his friend and after taking a sip from his wine he said, "As you can see, my body has changed all thanks to the Artifact I have chosen."


    "Yeah, that is something which is hard not to notice, especially after knowing you for years!" Darwin said quietly with scarce envy shing in his eyes.


    Old Danughed gently but quickly turned serious and continued, "However, in truth not only my appearance changed but my strength has improved a lot."


    "But, wait a second. How is that possible? ording to our manual Avatar Traits and Artifacts cannot be used in the real world." Luna suddenly asked from beside Raven, who just like Darwin and Lucas, seemed eager to know the answer.


    "I don''t know." Old Dan shook his head, "Honestly, I have no clue at all. The only thing I know is that there are items which in the past couldn''t even exist now exists and can be used in the real world with both good and awful intentions, just like Raven''s Realm Gate Detector."


    Old Dan has already exined what they have done an hour ago in the forest, thus the other four were not confused when they heard the small piece of paper''s name Raven got after his first Realm Game.


    "Therefore, I am pretty sure that all these changes are happening to keep everything in order around the world." Old Dan stated calmly.


    Once Dan finished talking the whole living room fell intoplete silence for a minute or two before Lucas sighed and asked, "What should we do then? I don''t like the idea of joining this... Realm Association."


    "Me neither." Darwin nodded in agreement.


    For the two of them, who always held their fate and lives in their hands, doing something like joining a newly created organization where they had to share every piece of information about themselves, was akin to putting chains on their legs and limiting their possibilities in the uing future.


    After all, if they decide to join this Realm Association, they have to share everything about themselves, including their Artifact''s strength, collected items, and Avatar Traits. They will literally be puppets, tools that the higher-ups could move and control as they wished!


    Old Dan seemed to be in a dilemma too, but it was not even 30 seconds before he gulped the whole ss of wine from his hand and after cing the now empty cup onto the ss table he stood up.


    "Where are you going?" Lucas asked confused with Darwin looking the same with raised a brow.


    However, instead of answering right away, Old Dan first asked Thomas to prepare the car, and only then did he show a small smile and gestured toward the four to stand up and follow him;


    "Stand up. We are going to City Novas and visit one of my old friends."


    "Who?" Lucas asked as he stood up, but it was a second before realization hit him, and shock appeared on his face.


    And it was not only him, but Darwin, Luna, and Raven too. All three of them had deep surprise shing in their eyes as they all thought about the same person.


    Upon seeing their expression a wide grin arose on Old Dan''s face and a small chuckle escaped his mouth.


    "Yep, we are going to meet with President Bai, Bai Feng."

 Chapter 21 City Nova & Star Palace

    Thanks to the great changes and massive growth of technology after the Third World War, the life of humanity became way easier than ever before, which, naturally, included transport.


    In the past, people usually used normal vehicles that couldn''t travel at high speed and only used nes or trains which could move at 400-700 km/h if they wished to travel from one point on Earth to another.


    However, thanks to constant developments and newer and newer technological improvements, now there were vehicles all around the world that could transport arge number of people in huge distances safely with more than 1,000 km/h onnd and even over 2,500 km/h on the air!


    And right now, Raven will board and travel by such a vehicle, which, in fact, was Old Dan''s private jet which he bought for close to 1 billion Novas which in the old world would be around twice as much in USD!


    Of course, considering that it was an extremely luxurious and high-tech private jet that was capable of traveling over 2,000 km/h with ease and without trouble, such a price was normal, perhaps a little small in an amount too!


    The jet itself was long, around 250 feet which were 76 meters. It was made out of shiny silver alloy and had numerous small circr dark windows next to each other on both sides.


    Furthermore, it had four massive engines on it, one on either side around its middle part and one on either side at its tail.


    Anyone seeing this beauty would drool or pass out from shock, but in the eyes of Darwin and especially Lucas, such a thing was normal and while not as extravagant as this one, both of them possessed one each!


    Once inside the jet, Thomas closed the gate and without asking anything walked into the pilot''s cockpit where he quickly started the engines and made the jet start moving!


    "Master Dan, we are expected to arrive at City Nova in two hours." speaking through the speakers, Thomas informed Old Dan and the rest sitting around him in a luxurious room with a calm tone of voice.


    "Two hours, huh?" Darwin mumbled before grabbing a small cigarette from a ss container from the side and while cing it into his mouth and closing his eyes, he said, "Then I think we should rest a little but. I have a feeling we will have a very looong day before us."


    Lucas nodded as he agreed with this, but instead of resting, he decided to put on some chilling music on the wireless speakers before starting to chat with Old Dan, mainly about the events that happened with both of them and the things that could ur in the future.


    As for Luna and Raven, the former simply tilted her head gently against thetter shoulder before falling into a slumber.


    Raven smiled at this behavior of his little sister as he was very used to this closeness with her, and without saying anything he too closed his eyes to take a small nap.


    -


    -


    -


    In middle New Europe, City Nova, the capital of the New World.


    "Damn, it feels like it had been ages since Ist came to this city!" sitting inside of a ck limousine that floated above the ground and let out zero sound, Old Dan eximed out loud as he stared outside.


    Wide streets filled with numerous floating vehicles on both sides,mp posts in different but unique styles with floating orbs within them instead of light bulbs, and modern buildings, each having different sizes from two-story houses to cloud-touching skyscrapers!


    "Yeah, me too. But in my memory City Nova was something way more... active." Luca nodded and watched how except for a few vehicles and running individuals across the streets there was no one around!


    The whole city felt dead and abandoned, just like in those apocalypse movies with the sole exception here things were not destroyed and there seemed to be no chaos around.


    "Everyone was notified to stay inside their homes and only leave when it is particrly necessary," Darwin exined calmly as he stared outside the window, watching how two individuals carrying weapons patrolled the streets.<sub> </sub>


    "Luckily I have informed Bai Feng about our arrival or else I am sure we would have been prohibited from leaving the airport." Old Dan exined and watched as they gradually approached the central part of the city where a massive building stood in the middle of a huge green field which from looking above had the shape of a star!


    It was the Star Pce, the current and future residence of the United World League''s president, who at this moment was President Bai!


    "Esteemed guests, wee to the Star Pce. Master Bai was waiting for your arrival. Please, this way."


    Climbing out of the limousine, the first thing Raven and the rest were weed with was a youngdy wearing a stylish and modern maid dress with two big framed bodyguards standing behind her, each wearing a ck suit and ck sunsses.


    However, despite holding a calm expression, the moment the maid''s eyes fell on the figure of Old Dan her eyes shed with a weird light before she quickly regained herposure.


    Old Dan nodded gently and without hesitation started to follow after the youngdy while Lucas, Darwin, and Raven with Luna closely beside him followed after him.


    A few momentster, after walking through the beautiful garden of the Star Pce which was filled with emerald green trees and various colored and looking flowers, the group finally reached the entrance and walked inside.


    "Woah..." Luna let out a shocked gasp once inside as this was her first time being inside the Star Pce despite her father being close friends with Bai Feng since childhood!


    On the other hand, Raven just admired the luxurious interior of the pce while Lucas and Darwin werepletely unfazed and were indifferent to the sight around them.


    The group walked through a few hallways which were loaded with numerous antiques and expensive stuff before they were finally reached a door that was opened by the maid, revealing a spacious hall on the other side.


    However, in contrast to the expected empty interior, the hall was filled with numerous people, each wearing eye-catching suits or dresses from which one could easily tell they all were important figures.


    "Esteemed Guests, Master Bai will soon arrive, until then please rx and try to enjoy yourselves with some drinks and food over there." the maid pointed at the numerous tables on the side, each having various drinks and food on them.


    "Thank you." Old Dan thanked with a smile to which the maid bowed and left the hall.


    Of course, this did not mean the others in the hall would avert their gazes from them. No, in fact, more and more people looked in their direction, their attention mainly focused on Old Dan and Raven''s figure.


    One has to take note that everyone that currently was inside the hall knew each other in one way or another and possibly met with each other face to face at least once.


    Hence, after seeing Raven who until now no one saw but only heard about before for various reasons together with Old Dan''s nowpletely new appearance, it was only normal to see all of them staring at them with confusion and suspicion.


    There were even some people whose bodyguards raised their guards and narrowed their eyes at them, almost as if they tried to see through them and unearth all their secrets!


    However, while such a thing would make numerous other individuals feel nervous because of the intense stares directed at them, only made Old Dan show a confident smile and after spotting someone close to him he widened his arms and started to speak loudly;


    "David, old friend! How are you? I see your beard and mustache are just as glorious as ever, haha!"


    About ten meters away from Old Dan, a man in histe forties with a long beard and with a handlebar mustache widened his eyes upon recognizing the voice that talked to him, and the tobo pipe in his hand instantly fell out.


    And it was not only him, but almost everyone who heard Old Dan''s voice became stupidity in one way or another, immidieatly causing a small ruckus in therge hall!

 Chapter 22 Reaching Rank 1!

    The entirety of the hall became chaotic and every individual''s eyes bulged out, threatening to fall out of their sockets the moment they heard who the person in front of them truly was.


    "Dan? Daniel Wright? Is that really you?" the man with the unusual mustache and who was called David took a step forward and examined Old Dan''s body from to bottom.


    He was so absorbed in studying Dan''s body from top to bottom that hepletely ignored his wooden tobo pipe, which he bought for 10,000 Novas, fell on the ground and cracked scarcely.


    "Haha! You can''t even recognize your old friend? Sigh... I don''t know what to think. I am rather disappointed Davey." Old Dan shook his head helplessly, but from the way how he kept smiling it was obvious that he didn''t mean his words and was only fooling around.


    "Bu-But how in the greatest heaven..." David mumbled with sheer disbelief but soon realization hit him, to which he straightened his posture and remained silent.


    In the past, such a sudden transformation would be impossible and many would doubt if the individual in front of them was real or not, but after experiencing numerous things just in the past one day, David and everyone else in the hall were forced to admit that everything they so far knew became useless and things will be no longer the same as they were.


    Old Dan''s new appearance proved this perfectly!


    Standing beside Old Dan and watching as everyone was slowly approaching Old Dan, Raven decided to walk to the side where food and drinks were served in a very fashionable and neat manner.


    "Where are you going?" noticing Raven was walking away, Luna quickly followed after him with a sweet smile on her beautiful face.


    "Just over there. I kind of got hungry so thought I should fill my stomach."


    Luna examined Raven''s face for a second or two before nodding and saying, "Then I will apany you."


    Raven smiled softly and didn''t say anything.


    Ever since he was adopted by Old Dan he was always together with Luna, who like a little ko always clung to him and followed after him everywhere whenever time allowed her to do so.


    There were even several times when she was together with him when he gambled in casinos, and while she was helping him win more than he used to win without her, he still used to lose 8 bets out of every 10!


    For example, about a week ago the two of them went into a casino which was located not far away from Old Dan''s mansion, from where he departed with a massive loss of 3,500 Novas which was around 8,000 USD during and before the Third World War!


    Wait... Now that Raven thought about it, although he lost more than three grand, he still had to pay the debt back. No, not that, but the people he promised he would pay the money didn''te to find him which was rather strange.


    ''Should I contact them? Although I still have to pay Old Dan back, if I sell the items from home I have found I am pretty sure I will be able to clear my debts with both them and Old Dan.'' Raven wondered as he grabbed a cookie from the table in front of him and threw it into his mouth.


    ''Wait, now that I think about it, can''t I use these to earn some money?'' suddenly a great idea appeared in Raven''s head and as he saw that no one was looking at him as everyone''s attention was on Old Dan he quickly collected the rewards he got after the second Realm Game.


    Whoosh!


    "Raven, aren''t those-" feeling the gentle breeze on her face, Luna nced at Raven and her eyes widened when she noticed what Raven was holding in his hands.


    A small crystal resting on his right palm and two small bottles held by his left, one having a blue color while the other one having a brown!


    Furthermore, Luna, just like Raven, was able to see how small floating panels appeared beside the bottles, the one beside the blue one stating it increased Dexterity by 5 while the brown gave 6 points to one''s Constitution after drinking it!


    "Shhh! Please not so loudly, Lulu." Raven ced subconsciously his index finger before Luna''s cherry lips, taking her by surprise.<sub> </sub>


    Seeing that luckily no one seemed to look in their direction as everyone was busy listening to Old Dan''s story and talking with Lucas and Darwin, Raven sighed softly with relief and pulled his finger away from Luna''s lips.


    "Though, the answer to your question is, yes, these are the rewards I have gotten after we havepleted a Realm Game father talked about."


    "I see." Luna nodded and after pondering for a second asked, "Will you use them now?"


    "Well, I was thinking about..."


    Then, Raven proceeded in exining how he would use these items to earn some money and pay all his debt. He also mentioned that because everything was unknown to everyone he could take advantage of it and sell these items for astronomical prizes!


    ? However, to his greatest surprise, Luna weirdly shook her head gently as a result, her beautiful silk smooth hair waving from side to side as a result behind her slim back.


    "Believe me, if you do that you would be making the biggest mistake in your entire life which very likely you would regret to your veryst day."


    "How so?" Raven raised a brow, but a secondter as he moved his brain a little he seemed to find the answer alone too, thus allowing a soft gasp to escape his mouth.


    "From the look on your face, it seems you have figured it out, right?" Luna showed a knowing smile as she asked.


    "Yeah, I did." Raven nodded and as he shifted his gaze at the items in his grasp he said, "And it seems I was thinking pretty foolishly just now."


    Just who cared about money after everything that happened? Yeah, money was an important factor if one wanted to live peacefully and in luxury, but after all the things that urred and will ur in the unknown future, wealth no longer will be the deciding factor whether one could stay alive or not.


    With the appearances of Etia and Avatar Traits and Artifacts, people gained abilities that in the past could have been only achievable in video games or fantasy novels!


    Of course, while it was true that at this moment humans could wield supernatural powers in these so-called Realm Games, who promised him or anyone that in the future the same thing won''t be achievable in the real world?


    After all, look at Old Dan! Although he couldn''t use his Artifact just like everyone else, his whole appearance still changed and ording to him he even became stronger than in the past!


    This alone proved changes to one''s body were possible and perhaps in the future the Artifacts and items one possessed could be also wielded in real life!


    And for this reason alone why Raven realized selling the items he got just to gain some money was a foolish mistake. After all, he has to be alive to use and spend all that money, right?


    "Then I will just use them," Raven mumbled and without hesitation opened the bottle''s lids and poured the contents within them into his mouth.


    Gulp!... Gulp!... Gulp!


    The moment Raven drank the veryst drop from the bottle he wiped his mouth with the handkerchief that Luna gave him and felt as if something within his body changed before everything turned to normal.


    However, a few moments after the strange feeling vanished from within Raven''s body, two small magic panels appeared in front of his very face.


    [Congrattions! You have increased one of your Avatar Traits beyond 10 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully be Rank 1!]

 Chapter 23 Realm Shop (1)

    Raven was surprised the moment the two magic panels popped up before his face but quickly calmed down and examined them.


    ''One of my traits broke beyond 10 points so I became a Rank 1?'' Raven raised a brow before a rough guess appeared in his head.


    "So one gets their Rank increased after every 10 points?" standing beside Raven Luna mumbled quietly which was the exact same thing Raven thought about.


    "So far, it seems so." Raven nodded before mumbling, "Though, I wonder what will happen if two Traits get beyond 10 points. Will my Rank increase once again or do I need to reach 20 points to reach Rank 2?"


    "Well, it seems we have to find it out." Luna smiled sweetly to which Raven nodded and quickly made the panels vanish.


    "Will you also use that?"


    ncing at the small crystal which was able to increase his Artifact''s Form by one, Raven pondered silently before shaking his head.


    "No, not know."


    "Why?" Luna tilted her head slightly to the side as she felt a little confused. Raven just consumed two bottles that increased to Traits of his but he won''t use the crystal now?


    However, Raven just shook his head helplessly and quickly exined to Luna that his Artifact was a little special and at the moment he can''t use the small crystal.


    "Is that so?" Luna hummed quietly while curiosity shed within her eyes but decided not to ask.


    "Esteemed Guests, please wee Master Bai."


    While putting the crystal into his pocket and throwing a piece of chocte into his mouth from the table beside him, suddenly the door on the side opened and a man wearing a luxurious ck suit walked in with two bodyguards following behind him.


    The man looked rather young despite Raven knowing that he was around his mid-fifties. His short, scarcely gray hair was worn in a bun while within his slightly deep nut-brown eyes nothing else was visible but deep wisdom, which, naturally, for someone like the head of the United World League was a fundamental trait to have!


    Bai Feng looked at all the faces in the hall, his eyes halting on Old Dan''s figure with a surprise for a second or two before ncing at the young maid beside him who nodded gently and took a step forward.


    "Everyone, please those who hear their name follow me and Master Bai to the other hall." after saying that the young maid took out a small paper from her pocket and started to list names one after another.


    Raven watched calmly as people started to walk toward the entrance in confusion, including Old Dan, Lucas, and Darwin but not him and Luna.


    "This is all." the maid lowered her hand and ncing at the few individuals whose names were not called she quickly said, "Those who did not hear their name can stay for a little while longer here but please make sure to leave the Star Pce in an hour from now on."


    Several people looked dissatisfied and seemingly irritated by these changes, but as President Bai was present they could only swallow their words and silently walk out of the hall.


    "Thomas, please bring them to the nearest hotel." cing a small golden card into his butler''s hand, Old Dan patted Thomas on his shoulder before ncing at Raven and Luna for a second and walking away.


    "Young Master Raven, Lady Luna, I assume it is time for us to leave."


    Raven and Luna nodded hearing Thomas'' words but before following after him Raven still made sure to stuff a few pieces of cookies into his mouth and an extra few into his pocket just in case he will get hungry.


    However, obviously, the moment he reached the hall''s exit he was stopped by a guard who requested him to hand the cookies over as it was prohibited to take them away which although sounded ridiculous Raven could do nothing but obey.<sub> </sub>


    "We will stay here until Master Dan won''t arrive." once driving through several streets for half an hour and reaching a tall building, Thomas led the two youngsters inside.


    "Wee to Nova Star Resort, how can I help you?" behind the desk, a beautifuldy with long brown hair and a stylish white uniform stood with a charming smile on her face as she asked.


    "I would like to rent a room for a night," Thomas said as he handed the golden card to thedy.


    "This..." thedy''s eyes widened upon seeing the card and the symbol on it but quickly regained herposure and nodded.


    "Understood. Please wait a second." thedy said before she walked away and after two minutes came back with another woman on her side.


    "Her name is Dorothy. She will escort you to your rooms so please follow her."


    "Please, this way." Dorothy gestured toward the three to follow and quickly brought them onto the highest floor within the hotel where a single room was located.


    In fact, the whole floor was a single room, filled with numerous luxurious items and objects that each could be sold for several thousand Novas alone!


    "Young Master Raven, Lady Luna, I will go and buy some food. Until then please stay here. Also, if you have any questions or problems, don''t hesitate to call me." Thomas looked at the two in front of him.


    "Sure." Raven nodded softly and watched silently as Thomas walked out of the room.


    However, not even three seconds after the door closed, the very thing Raven felt was someone jumping on his body from behind, causing him to topple over and fall on the wide and long sofa in front of him.


    "You... And what do you think you are doing, Lulu?" feeling the light weight of Luna''s body on his back while hey on his stomach, Raven looked over his shoulder only to see Luna looking at him with a teasing smile on her beautiful face.


    "I. Got. You. Now!" Luna spoke slowly word by word as she raised her hands while wiggling her delicate finger and once she finished talking she swing her hands, starting to tickle Raven by his waist.


    "H-Hey! What... Haha! S-Stop! Haha!" being a ticklish person, Raven couldn''t evenst a second before he started tough and struggle to stop Luna.


    "Hehe~! I will stop if you sa- Kya!" Luna was ready to tease Raven a little when suddenly a Raven spun around below her and ced his hands on her waist.


    This surprised Luna and her gem-like eyes widened immediately while her fingers stopped tickling for a second. Raven, of course, lived with this golden opportunity and quickly did a counter-attack, pushing Luna down and starting to tickle her instead.


    "Haney! ha! W-wai-, Haha! Wait! No, please wai-"


    "Nope. You were the one who started this war, so now suffer!" Raven said with a devilish smile and without any mercy began to tickle Luna who was twice if not thrice as sensitive to tickling as him!


    And just like this, the two quickly immersed themselves in their little sh in the room, trying to force the other party to admit defeat.


    However, after ten straight minutes of "fighting" and just as Raven was about to push her little sister on the verge of admitting defeat, suddenly the whole room started to shake and something engulfed in white light started to take shape in the middle of the living room out of thin air!


    This naturally attracted the attention of both Raven and Luna on the sofa, thetter''s upper body half-hung from the edge of the sofa while her lower half was held by the former one by the waist to prevent her from falling and hitting her head on the floor below.

 Chapter 24 Realm Shop (2-Last)

    ''...''


    Both Raven and Luna stared at the white light in the middle of the living room withplexplexions, none of them moving or speaking.


    However, this onlysted for a second before Raven quickly pulled Luna up from the edge of the sofa and stood before her, his eyes staring intently at the phenomena in front of him.


    ''What is happening now?'' Raven narrowed his eyes and felt a little nervous as he immediately recognized what was happening in front of him.


    The very same thing urred with him and Old Dan inside the depth of the forest where the massive white Realm Gate appeared out of thin air. Though, the only difference between that time and this was that they, at this very moment, were on the highest floor of a hotel!


    This meant if a Realm Gate all of a sudden will be formed here, the whole building will copse and will bury everyone in this hotel under tons of debris alive, sending all of them straight to the afterlife without any chance toe back!


    "We must get out of he-" realizing the danger they were in, Raven was ready to turn around and pick up Luna to run away, but just as he could have done so the white light akin to a swollen balloon suddenly exploded, sending white fragments flying everywhere within the room.


    Raven first was shocked and even believed this was the end for both of them, but the moment he lowered his hand which he raised to protect his face, what he saw was nothing he has expected to see.


    "A... Door?" Raven mumbled quietly and looked at Luna behind him, only to see that she too was confused and lost for words.


    In front of the two of them, in the middle of the living room, a small white door with a height of two meters stood lonely with nothing but a pair of golden handles in its middle. Just like the Realm Gate Raven has seen before this one was too without any carvings or symbols atop its surface.


    Raven waited for a few minutes to see whether something else was about to happen, but noticing that his fear was pointless he sighed softly before walking in front of the door.


    "Should we open it?" standing beside Raven with scarcely messy hair which obviously was the result of their little "fight", Luna looked at the door with cautious but also curious eyes.


    Raven contemted for a second or two before deciding to ce a hand atop the door''s surface which instantly made Luna jump slightly from fright.


    Whoosh!


    [As one of the few individuals sessfully reaching Rank 1, you have been rewarded to enter the first floor of the Realm Shop!]


    [Please be aware that at this moment only you can enter the Realm Shop! Anyone else trying to do so will be severely punished!]


    [Do you wish to enter the Realm Shop?]


    Reading the contents on the half-transparent magic panels in front of his face, Raven''s eyes widened while through Luna''s eyes a hint of indifference seemed to sh before vanishingpletely.<sub> </sub>


    "What will you do?" Luna decided to ask when she saw Raven standing still even after three full minutes.


    Raven gave a sideways nce to Luna before shifting his gaze at the doorknob and saying with confidence, "You stay here, I will check what is on the other side."


    "But what if it''s something dangerous?" Luna quickly grabbed Raven''s hand while her mesmerizing violet eyes looked at Raven with both worry and uneasiness.


    "I wille with you!"


    "You won''t!" Raven didn''t hesitate even a second to deny and with an extremely serious face which he rarely showed to others not to mention to Luna, he stated, "You will stay here!"


    Luna was surprised by the sudden change of attitude in Raven before she became shy and couldn''t help but avert her gaze. Raven could even swear he saw how his little sister''s ear became scarcely red but as this was not the time to ponder on useless things he took his phone out of his pocket and quickly sent a message.


    "Thomas will be soon here. Once he arrives tell him everything." then, without waiting for a reply Raven turned the doorknob slightly and watched as his vision was engulfed inplete whiteness before he found himself in an entirely new environment.


    "?!"


    Raven''s eyes immediately widened the moment he could see what was around him.


    He no longer was inside the luxurious hotel room but in arge room filled with numerous shelves and desks, on each of the desks and shelves, different items were visible.


    There were books with different thicknesses and qualities of covers, scrolls, objects with various looks, shapes, and sizes, and there were even a few items Raven immediately identified such as the Avatar sks filled with different looking liquids, the small almostpletely transparent crystals, bs with symbols carved on their surfaces, and small circr pieces of paper that seemingly were Realm Gate Detectors!


    "This... What is this ce?" Raven mumbled as he tried to find answers, not expecting that the very moment he asked his question a voice would appear within the room, answering his question!


    "This ce? This is the most renowned shop in the whole cosmos, one where even the very gods used to visit as here everything one wishes to find can be found!"


    "Eh?" Raven quickly snapped his head toward the direction from where the voice came, but as he saw nothing he felt confused and with a slight frown but cautious voice asked, "Most renowned shop throughout the whole cosmos that even gods like to visit? What should that even mean?"


    Just in that single sentence, Raven found so many things that he didn''t seem to understand that he wished to ask numerous questions. But unfortunately, before he could have, the voice once again started to talk.


    "Although I appreciate your curiosity as it is every living being''s nature to be curious and to be thirsty for more knowledge, despite me wanting to exin your doubts, I, unfortunately, can''t for several reasons. Hence, please let us get onto the main reason why you have been summoned here."


    In that very instant the deep voice said those words, a magic panel suddenly appeared out of nowhere before Raven''s line of sight, containing texts he has so far not seen before.

 Chapter 25 Top 101 Strongest!

    -----------------


    ? Currency: 101 Astral Core


    -----------------


    "Currency? Astral Core?" Raven''s brow was raised and he wished to think of answers but only to no avail.


    "That is correct indeed." the deep voice began to talk once again, "Within my Realm Shop one can pay with either an item for an another with equivalent price or use Astral Cores which, if my memory won''t fail me, is something simr to your race''s currency known as Novas."


    "That... is correct." Raven nodded but soon his brows were lowered into a deep frown and he asked, "Did you just say ''your'' Realm Shop?"


    "Oh my, it seems I have forgotten to introduce myself. I sincerely apologize." the voice cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly before continuing, "My name is Dinas, a lonely merchant who owns this shop known as Realm Shop and wants nothing but to get rich."


    ''Another weird name.'' Raven narrowed his eyes, not saying Dinas'' name out loud on purpose.


    "You seem to be pretty cautious, huh?" Dinas asked with a slight chuckle before saying, "But don''t worry. I am not her, my name holds no curse within so you can say it with free will."


    Raven, however, just remained silent without any sign of wanting to mention Dinas'' name out loud.


    "I see. Well, whatever. With time you will realize I mean no harm and only wish to help. For a little wealth of course, hehe."


    Raven rolled his eyes and after pondering for a second he asked, "So, you told me you will exin why I have been summoned here, right? Let''s hear it then."


    "You are right, where should I start then... Right! Because you have been among the first few that reached Rank 1 from your kind, you have been given my permission to get ess to the first floor of my shop."


    "So does this mean there are others here?" Raven asked calmly while looking left and right. However, unfortunately, he found no sign of anyone in the shop, not even a shadow.


    "If you wish to find others, you are just wasting your time."


    "Why? Didn''t you just say others also had been given permission to enter this ce?"


    "Yes, I did, but this is not that easy." Dinas exined before aplicated sigh escaped his mouth, "How should I put it. While others have indeed been permitted to enter the floor you are currently on, when they enter through the door just as you did they will get teleported into another space which is not this one but apletely different one with the room being the exact same one like this!"


    "So numerous separate spaces with duplicate rooms within in akin to this one?" Raven asked as he had the gist of what Dinas was talking about.


    "Yes! Bingo! Haha! I am d you were able to get the gist of it so fast. Sigh... If you would know just how many times did I have to exin to a single individual how things work in my shop because they failed to understand for the first time. Do you know just how time-consuming that was?"


    "I can imagine, yeah." Raven nodded as he could remember how once he needed half an hour to exin to one of his old friends how the mechanics of a video game worked.


    Of course, he needed half an hour not because the mechanics were hard to learn or because he couldn''t exin properly but because his friend was just that stupid.


    "Anyways, what matters is that you are in the first one hundred and one humans who seeded in first reaching Rank 1, hence why you have been given this reward!" Dinas said as if he was a proud father before his son.


    "First one hundred and one?"


    "Yes, and funnily enough, you were the 101st. You happened to qualify just at thest moment. You are pretty lucky if I want to be honest."


    ? ''Lucky?'' Raven almostughed at that statement as he was everything but lucky.


    Just in less than a day he experienced so many downs that he was surprised how he was still alive. Starting from his whole lower body turning into meat paste through his blood syringe getting broken all the way until the moment he was swallowed by a snake while still alive, Raven knew he was not lucky at all!


    He even was busted when he wished to take a few cookies away with him from the Star Pce while he at least stumbled several times on small objects on the ground, including his own feet!


    "Anyways, what matters is that you are currently among the top 101 strongest beings among your kind and that is why you were given 101 Astral Cores for free and will be allowed to spend it here in my shop!" Dinas exined with excitement.


    Raven could even swear he would happen to see Dinas'' face, the sign of money would undoubtedly be in his eyes.<sub> </sub>


    "So I can buy... anything from here?" Raven asked as he stepped in front of a small item that was a weapon, a dagger with an azure de and abyss ck handle.


    -------------------------


    [Weapon: Azure Wave Dagger]


    ? Rarity: Common


    ? Description: A rather interesting dagger crafted by a talented novice cksmith out of fun. Wielding this dagger grants the holder 10 points of Strength and a special technique ''Wave Dance''!


    <Cooldown: Can be activated for 150 Mystique Points for 5 minutes!>


    ~~~


    ¡ã Wave Dance: Your Speed and Dexterity increase by 10 extra points!


    --------------


    "C-Cough! Cough! Cough! T-Ten points of Strength, Speed, and Dexterity from which thetter two will double if one pours water on it?!" Raven almost choked on his own saliva and needed a few seconds to calm down.


    "For how much?" asking that question Raven lowered his gaze where the price was but he regretted it doing so.


    -----------------


    ? Price: 250 Astral Core


    -----------------


    ''So is this how it feels to be poor and be unable to buy what you want?'' Raven thought bitterly in his heart.


    "Hey! Heads up! Why the long face?" Dinas quickly tried to raise Raven''s spirit and said, "Look, I will quickly do a slight change around you, that will definitely help you to regain your joy."


    Whoosh!


    In that instant, several hundreds of items vanished from around Raven while only a few remained such as bottles, small items, books, scrolls, and weapons that looked rusty and old.


    "What did you do?" upon seeing the sudden changes Raven was surprised and immediately raised his guard.


    In the end, he still was in an unknown domain hence seeing that things suddenly started to appear and vanish still made him feel unease.


    "Rx. I just helped you. I made the items that you can''t afford vanish while I kept the ones you can afford to buy."


    And to prove he indeed did what said, a small item that seemed to be an Avatar sk but at the same time not beside Raven lit up while a magic panel appeared above it too.


    -------------


    [Avatar sk: Mixed Traits]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Dexterity, Constitution, and Mystique increase by 4 points each!


    ? Price: 75 Astral Core


    -------------

 Chapter 26 A Useless But Also Priceless Treasure!

    Avatar sks.


    ording to his current knowledge and the information he got to learn from his manual, Raven seemed to understand that the strange liquids within the bottles are able to increase one''s Avatar Traits upon consumption.


    However, so far he only had Avatar sks that could only increase 1 Avatar Trait and not many at the same time.


    Moreover, the sks he once held and consumed contained only a single colored liquid within, yet the one beside him had not one but three different types of liquid, weirdly none of them mixing together with the other one!


    "Blue for Dexterity, brown for Constitution, and gold for Mystique." Dinas started to exin in a calm tone of voice, "Including these three, there are three more types of sks such as the red sk that increases Vitality, a silver sk boosting one''s Speed, and the ck one that increases Strength!"


    "Usually, Avatar Traits can only increase a single type of Trait, but there are those rare ones that can increase more than 1. Also, it is should be noted that each type of sk increases an Avatar''s Trait randomly from 3 points to 9 points."


    Upon hearing thest part of Dinas'' exnation Raven was not even surprised to hear that his first two Avatar sks contained the worst amount of points one could get.


    "I had been thinking about this quite a long time ago, but where can I get more Astral Cores?" Raven asked as he noticed that this Avatar FLask needed 75 Astral Cores to buy it.


    Indeed, it was a great question as so far he hadpeted in two Realm Games already yet he had not happened to cross paths with this thing called Astral Core nor did he get any afterpleting them.


    Hence, he was curious to hear where one could get these things called Astral Cores.


    "You are curious, huh?" Dinas asked with a sound that felt like he was smiling, and quickly continued, "Well, it is not a huge mystery as sooner orter your kind will discover it, so I guess I should tell you."


    Then, after taking a small breath he exined, "Once someonepletes a Realm Game, the Realm Gate opens and transforms the area around it into a territory known as Realm D-"


    "A Realm Domain," Raven mumbled quietly as he immediately knew what Dinas wished to say, and without the need to hear anything else he already had a rough guess of what the mysterious individual will or wished to say next.


    "So you have already crossed paths with a Realm Domain, I see. Then there is no need for my exnation. The point is that you can collect Astral Cores within Realm Domains with a little bit of an effort."


    Raven nodded and immediately thought about the Realm Domain that formed under his and Old Dan''s nose when theypleted the Realm Game within the forest.


    "Anyways, if you have no more questions I hope you can now start looking around and buy something."


    Raven''s brow twitched scarcely upon hearing Dinas'' words as he could clearly understand the hidden meaning behind his sentence. Though, in the end, he still did as he was told.


    First, Raven checked the Avatar sks on his side, but it didn''t even take him five seconds to realize that each sk that could only increase 1 Trait cost 25 Astral Cores while those that increased 2 or 3 cost 50 and 75 Astral Cores.


    Unfortunately, there was no Avatar sks that could increase more than 3 of his Traits and Raven had a rough guess they were only present on other floors of this Realm Shop.


    After checking the bottles Raven decided to check out the weapons and different pieces of armaments.<sub> </sub>


    There were daggers, rusty swords, shields, hammers, and all kinds of weaponry together with chest tes, helmets, gauntlets, and boots of different styles, shapes, and colors.


    However, while each looked pleasing to the eye and tempting to buy as each increased one or even two Traits by at least 3 points, they each cost 100 Astral Cores! This meant if he decided to buy them he would go bankrupt right away which he didn''t want to.


    After all, who knew what will happen in the future and he didn''t happen to need a few pieces of Astral Cores outside this Realm Shop, right?


    And exactly because of this, Raven could do nothing but watch with a bitter smile at all the amazing items in front of him and only hope he could buy themter in the future.


    After checking out the weapons, Raven decided to examine the different books and scrolls and he was soon shocked to find out that they were more than simple books or scrolls.


    "Earth Javelin Crafting... Blueprint?" Raven raised a brow and wished to open the book to read its content but found it with surprise he was unable to.


    "Those books and scrolls contain forms to create either different weapons, pills, potions, or other unique types of items which can boost your overall strength." Dinas exined before adding, "Though, for one to create them, one not only has to collect different items from Realm Domains but also has to gain experience in different fields."


    "For instance, that book in your hand, that Earth Javalin needs not only several ingredients to create but also needs you to have at least a novice level of crafting experience! The same goes for the scroll beside you which allows you to create Speed boosting pills which can be only made if you have a basic level of knowledge in the field of alchemy!"


    "This..." Raven was shocked and slowly put the book back into the ce from where he grabbed it.


    What joke was this? While he indeed had little experience in crafting smaller items such as various simple objects, smaller tools, or furniture, he had no experience at all craftingplex things not to mention entire weapons!


    As for alchemy... Haha! He once tried it but almost ended up dying because the room where he was practicing exploded thanks to him!


    "I see, thank you for exining." Raven thanked Dinas before directing his attention to another area within the shop, now examining the smaller items such as bracelets, earrings, rings, and nes.


    However, just as he began to start checking the description of each item, he spotted an item that immediately caught his attention and made his body freeze the very moment he read what it can do.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Reverse Star-Crossed Ne]


    ? Rarity: Umon


    ? Description: A ne designed and created by a witch who wished to condemn his unfaithful lover with eternal bad luck. Those who wear this ne will get their luck turned into bad fortune and vice-versa!


    -------------------------

 Chapter 27 Announcement & Entering The Realm Domain (1)

    Raven''s whole body froze up the instant his eyes fell on the description of the ne, his fingers even starting to twitch as if electricity was running through them!


    "Reverse... Star-Crossed Ne..." mumbling the name of the item Raven shifted his gaze at the ne to get a better look.


    Its chain was thinner than a human nail and was seemingly made out of silver steel which also had a hint of a gold cluster. However, the most interesting part about it was not that but the pendant connected to the chains which was a small star with its five edges curved toward the left while half of it was ck while its other half was white!


    "Hm? Oho? I know those eyes. You want it, right?" Dinas chuckled as it was as clear as day what Raven was thinking. In fact, it would not be an overestimation to say that at the moment he looked like a little kid before his favorite toy, wishing to buy it.


    "Though, I must say, your taste in relics is rather... weird."


    "How so?" Raven asked as he took the ne into his hands and watched that the item cost not even 30 Astral Cores, 28 to be precise!


    "How should I put it. That ne was given to me by a young man a very long time ago and it had numerous owners but each of them brought it back shortly after they bought it, saying it was cursed. Just like how you can read it in its description."


    Raven became silent as he touched the pedant and asked, "How cursed it is?"


    "Well, there was a youngdy who said after she bought the ne just under a week almost died five times, lost her house, was robbed, and broke an arm. However, the moment she got rid of it, she no longer experienced hell." Dinas exined before adding, "Simr events and stories happened with others who got their hands on the ne, hence why I advise you to think over your ch-"


    "I will buy it!" Raven quickly said.


    "You... Did you even listen to what I have just told you?" Dinas was stupefied.


    "I did, but if what this thing says is true, that it also works the other way around, then..."


    Then he has just hit the jackpot and gained a priceless treasure for almost free!


    "Hmm... You are quite the interesting one. Well, whatever, don''t me me for not warning you." Dinas said and even before Raven could have blinked twice he saw as from his 101 Astral Cores 28 vanished, leaving him with 73.


    "Do you wish to buy anything else?" Dinas then asked.


    Putting the ne around his neck Raven nodded and asked, "Is there any relic or item that is simr to this one?"


    "Luck-rted items?" Dinas mumbled as he fell into deep thoughts, "While unfortunately on this floor there is none, on the higher floors there are some."


    "And how can I get ess to the higher floors?" Raven asked while he kept examining several things around him.


    "There are a total of ten floors in my Realm Shop. You will be able to enter the second floor if you have surpassed Rank 10. As for the other floors, you get ess to each of them after every 10th Rank."<sub> </sub>


    "And what about the others? Like, those who became Rank 1 but didn''t get permission to enter the first floor? When or how will they be able to get here?" Raven asked as this question made him curious a long time ago.


    "Oh, about that... I won''t tell you as that would spoil the fun, hehe."


    ? Raven''s mouth twitched upon hearing Dinas'' reply, but as he could do nothing he just sighed and grabbed a bottle and a ring from his side, one being an Avatar sk increasing his Vitality by 3 while the other being a relic increasing one''s Constitution by 4 points.


    The former one was for him which cost 25 Astral Cores while thetter one he bought for Luna for 20 Astral Cores, hence leaving him with 28.


    Of course, he would be able to buy another Avatar sk or a cheaper relic, but as he already said he didn''t know when he will need them in the future or how hard it was to get a single Astral Core he decided to keep some just in case.


    "It was a pleasure to do business with you," Dinas said with a joy-filled voice.


    Raven nodded his head and before walking toward the door on the side which was the obvious exit, he asked, "Will I be able toe back here?"


    "Unfortunately, until ''that'' time you will not be able to do so. This time it was just an exception, a little reward for your hard work for reaching Rank 1 before others."


    "I see." Raven mumbled and while he wished to ask what Dinas meant under the word ''that'' he knew he would not get an answer.


    Thus, after giving one final nce at the scenery around him he turned around and grabbed the handle on the door, allowing himself to get teleported.


    And the very moment his figure vanished, Dinas began to speak, but this time in a rather deep and serious voice;


    "Your path has just begun, little bird. Things will only be harder from this point on. Let''s just hope you can be strong fast enough or else..." after Dinas reached that point he just sighed and fell into silence, no longer talking.


    Meanwhile, back in the luxurious hotel room, Raven appeared out of thin air, immediately weed by a shocked gasp and a warm hug which was carried by a violet scent.


    Of course, it was needless to say that the one jumping onto him and hugging him tightly was Luna, who after waiting for half an hour anxiously finally could let out a sigh of relief.


    "Young Master..." while Raven showed a somewhat guilty smile for making Luna feel worried because of him, a familiar voice appeared from beside him.


    However, when Raven looked to his left, except for Thomas who had just spoken there was also Old Dan, Lucas, and Darwin, each looking at him with eyes filled with confusion, disbelief, and wonder.


    ''I guess I will have to exin everything to them, huh?'' Raven sighed bitterly in his heart before gently patting Luna''s back to let him go, who while being reluctant to do so did as he asked.

 Chapter 28 Announcement & Entering The Realm Domain (2-Last)

    "Raven... Can you please exin to us what happened exactly here?" after seeing how his daughter took a step backward, allowing his son to breathe Old Dan frowned while watching how the white door behind Raven started to disperse into white particles.


    Watching as everyone was looking at him with questioning eyes, Raven sighed softly before he began to narrate everything, starting with how the white door appeared out of nowhere.


    "What? You have already reached Rank 1? Since when?" Old Dan was surprised after Raven finished talking, but he didn''t need three seconds to realize the answer.


    "This... Being. He said others that did not reach the top 101 will get the chance to enter his shop in the near future, correct?" Darwin asked, his face rather serious at the moment.


    "Yes. Though he has yet to mention the exact when." Raven replied with a nod.


    "And these Astral Cores... Can you show us what they look like?" Lucas asked next.


    However, this time Raven fell into deep silence as he didn''t know how to summon Astral Cores into his hands despite knowing he still had 28 left!


    ''Perhaps wishing for one to appear in my hand is possible?'' Raven wondered and just as he used to summon his Avatar Status or his Artifact into his hand he did the same this time too.


    And to his pleasant surprise, it worked! With a gentle breeze, a small, bean-sized orb appeared in his hold out of thin air, one that had numerous colors swirling within!


    "Is that an Astral Core?" everyone took a step forward to take a closer look, Darwin was especially eager to get a clear look as he wished to know everything as much as he could!


    "Interesting." Old Dan mumbled as he straightened his back before pointing at Raven''s neck, which previously than an hour ago now held a ne, "Then I assume you have bought that from that Realm Shop too."


    "Yeah, I did." Raven nodded as he subconsciously touched the pedant which reached down almost to his chest.


    "Can we get a look at it?" Lucas asked with curiosity.


    "Umm... I don''t think that would be a wise thing to do." Ravenughed awkwardly before exining the same thing Dinas told him and also what the ne was capable of doing.


    "Huh? Then why did you... Oh." Old Dan almost asked why did Raven choose such a harmful item when he remembered what the ne was capable of doing to those that always were unlucky.


    Lucas and Darwin, knowing Raven also seemed to be in awe, even a little bit curious to see if Raven now will finally experience luck or not.


    "Anyways, this is for you." Raven ignored Old Dan''s gaze and handed the ring he bought to Luna.


    "Huh?" Luna''s eyes widened when she saw the ring, which had a smooth surface with a beautiful silver color, and looked at Raven, "Is this... for me?"


    "Yeah, so take it." Raven smiled which made Luna blush slightly when seeing it and with a shy nod took the ring away.


    "What about me? Won''t you give your sweet father something too?" Old Dan asked with bashful eyes, blinking with puppy eyes toward Raven that looked rather cringed and awkward considering his current look.


    "You get nothing. You are strong enough to protect your own ass, but not her." Raven said indifferently to which Old Dan quickly clicked his tongue in irritation.


    Raven just shook his helplessly before he became serious and said, "However, father, I think we should go back to your mansion and check out that Realm Domain."


    Old Dan quickly regained his seriousness hearing Raven''s words and began to badass his sharp chin, "You are right. If what that... Being said was true and things are different within these Realm Domains where one could collect different unique things, including these Astral Cores, it would be better if we see it with our very own eyes."<sub> </sub>


    "But before that!" suddenly Old Dan raised his voice, and looking at Raven formed a wide smile before saying, "I have great news to announce!"


    Raven and Luna, from which thetter already put the former''s gift onto her right ring finger, looked at each other, wonder lingering within their eyes as to what Dan wished to announce with such enthusiasm.


    -


    -


    -


    Taking a step out of the luxurious ck car before arge and majestic mansion, Old Dan led the way forward with four individuals following behind him.


    These individuals were Raven, Luna, Thomas, and Darwin with Lucas not being around as he had other matters to attend to and couldn''te back to Old Dan''s mansion.


    "Will we go and enter the Realm Domain right away?" Luna asked her father when she saw how they went around the mansion to get to the forest.


    "Of course, we will." Old Dan nodded before asking, "Or why? Should we go inside and drink a cup of warm tea first?"


    "That''s..." Luna opened her beautiful cherry lips before closing them again, remaining silent as she realized how foolish her question was.


    The group quickly walked around the mansion and its garden, which ironically was several hundreds of meters long and wide, and soon enough arrived at the perimeter of the forest where the slightly vibrating dome around it could be seen if one took a careful look.


    "So? Who will be the brave one to enter first?" Old Dan asked shamelessly, looking at the four behind him.


    No one talked nor moved, which from one point of view was understandable. After all, what they were trying to do now was not only dangerous but risky too!


    ording to their manual, within Realm Domains, death was permanent hence if they now crossed the barrier before them and die it will be game over for them.


    Luna looked at everyone''s faces with a scarcely twitching mouth and asked, "Really? No one? How can you even call yourself men? You know what, I wi-"


    "I will do it." Raven quickly took a step forward, just in time to stop Luna from walking through the barrier.


    "Then I wille too." Luna''s eyes turned reluctant while directing a sharp gaze toward Old Dan''s direction for obvious reasons who as a result started to sweat and shift his head toward the opposite direction.


    "No, you will stay here." Raven just shook his head and quickly added, "In fact, I will just step inside and if I sense danger will immediately dash out. I will just check what will happen if we cross this barrier."


    Luna, however, was still firm in her decision and took a ce beside Raven, even grabbing his hand tightly.


    "We are going in together."


    "You..." Raven felt a headache assault his head, but even before he had the chance to say anything, he watched as Luna took a step forward, pulling him forward together with her.


    And just like that, the moment their bodies crossed the barrier before them, under the stupefied gazes of Old Dan, Thomas, and Darwin both Luna''s and Raven''s vanished from sight almost as if they had not even been there, to begin with!

 Chapter 29 Boosted Luck! (1)

    "H-Hey! Lulu! Did you go in... sane... woah..." shocked by the sudden pull by Luna, Raven was ready to scold his little sister for doing such a reckless thing without considering the consequences, but once his body passed through the barrier his words got stuck in his throat and his eyes widened.


    Right before him, the middle region of the forest vanished and what reced it was beautiful stone pavement with ck steel Victorian-styledmps standing next to each other on both of its sides, leading the way into the distance where a massive building stood.


    One had to note down that Old Dan''s mansion alone was around 450-500 square meters while the building before Luna and Raven was at least four times if not five times bigger than that!


    The building, however, while being insanely big was incredibly old, almost looking like an ancient hotel from the 1950s if not even older than that!


    The walls of it were made out of red brick with the edges and frames of its windows and doors being snow white. Its roof, which was at least 20 meters tall above the ground, waspletely t without any chance to see what was on it.


    Furthermore, to make the whole scenery of the hotel even more bizarre, the yellowish lights oozing out of it through the windows under the night sky gave the construction an eerie and haunted feeling, especially with the leafless trees standing everywhere around it!


    Only lightning and thunder were missed to make the whole view before the two look like real haunted scenery from a horror movie!


    "So is this a Realm Domain? This is how one looks like from the inside?" Luna mumbled, but a secondter she watched with scarce surprise as a magic panel suddenly popped up before her and Raven''s faces.


    [You have entered a Realm Domain!]


    [All ''Limitations'' now will be lifted!]


    Whoosh!


    Not even a second after the panels materialized out of thin air before both Raven and Luna the two felt as if something within them opened scarcely and in the next moment a warm andfortable sensation swept through their whole bodies.


    This was especially true for Raven, who from the previous time now felt as if his skin turned rock solid while the vision in his eyes turned sharp and more clear. He could even swear the movement of the branches around him felt slightly slower than usual.


    Whoosh!


    As Raven was considering if all these weird changes were because of his now increased Constitution and Dexterity, suddenly the small dice shaped into reality before him just like the start of his previous two Realm Games.


    It seemed just like how before Realm Games, here in Realm Domains too he could throw the dice to get one random relic!


    "That is your Artifact?" Luna asked with curiosity upon seeing Raven grab the small dice.


    "Yeah. However, it is a rather weird one." Raven exined calmly, not fearing that he was telling Luna about his Artifact as just like she trusted him with everything, he was the same too.


    In fact, Luna held so many of his secrets that Raven could hardly count them on both of his hands.


    "That... Quite an interesting ability to have." Luna mumbled and watched as Raven broke the remaining crystal above his dice, increasing its Form and surprisingly its Grade by one!


    --------------------------


    [True Artifact: Dice of Fate]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: Allows you to gain 1 random relic with random characteristic/s after every throw!<sub> </sub>


    <The Grade of the relic depends on the number of stars gotten after the throw!>


    <The Form of the relic depends solely on the Artifact''s current Form!>


    <Cooldown: Can be used once at the start of every Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    ? Relic Grade per Stars:


    -> 1 Star: Mortal


    -> 2 Stars: Epic


    -> 3 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 4 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 5 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 6 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    --------------


    Whoosh!


    While Raven watched that the information about his Artifact popped up with newer information within, three sides of the dice out of six now had two golden stars on them instead of one!


    "Let''s signal to the others." Raven then said and extended his hand toward the barrier and watched as his hand vanished the moment it crossed through the vibrantyer.


    Of course, on the other side, Old Dan and the others seeing how a hand popped out of the barrier, gesturing a thumbs up were surprised at first but knowing it was Raven''s hand they calmed down and walked into the Realm Domain.


    And just like how Raven did it, the three of them eximed out with shock too seeing the massive building with the haunted scenery around it.


    However, there were slight changes Raven immediately noticed the moment the three entered. For instance, on Old Dan''s right ring finger a weird-looking ring with the shape of an old silhouetted scale appeared.


    On the other hand, on Thomas'' right eye a monocle materialized with a golden frame, giving him with his butler uniform a rather gentlemen appearance. Though, while it looked like an antique, the Artifact was a rather useful one as it allowed Thomas to see objects and beings'' trajectories alike in exchange for Mystique.


    As for Darwin, on both his hands a white and thinyered gauntlet appeared, around its knuckles air seemingly swirling in a vortex. His Artifact was called Shockwave Gauntlet and ording to the information he told to Old Dan and the rest with a punch he could send shockwaves.


    Furthermore, depending on how much Mystique he decided to choose he could increase its size and the distance it could travel together with its strength and damage it could cause upon impact!


    "Are you guys ready?" standing at the perimeter of the forest for an entire minute, Old Dan asked, and when he saw everyone nod a little nervously he started to lead the way toward the building.


    Raven, however, didn''t follow after Old Dan and the others immediately but instead waved his hand and threw his dice, watching as it fell onto the grass before his feet with a side facing upward that had two stars on it!


    ''It really is working?'' Raven''s eyes widened slightly as he subconsciously touched his ne and watched as the dice quickly changed into a small item, seemingly being a rolled-up parchment scroll with a red string tied around its middle part.

 Chapter 30 Boosted Luck! (2-Last)

    Whoosh!


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Lost Pirate''s Scroll]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: An ancient scroll that was held by an unknown pirate until her veryst breath, allowing her soul to seep into it. They say whoever seeds in summoning her soul from within gets blessed with a small amount of her Constitution.


    <Activation: In exchange for 10 Mystique Points you can summon the pirate''s soul sealed within the scroll, helping you to scout your surroundings!>


    <Cooldown: Lost Pirate will consume 10 Mystique Points after every 1 minute, however, if it gets killed the Activation requirement doubles!>


    --------------------------


    "Lost Pirate?" Raven read the details of the scroll as he chugged down the liquid from the Avatar sk he had bought way back in the Realm Shop, increasing his Vitality by 3!


    "What are you looking at?" slowing down her speed Luna stepped beside Raven, her right shoulder softly leaning against Raven''s left.


    Seeing that Luna was not nervous at all and even read the text above the scroll with curious eyes Raven couldn''t help but shake his head helplessly and while grabbing the red string around the scroll he said, "This is what I have gotten this time after throwing the dice."


    "Looks pretty useful. Wanna try summoning this Lost Pirate?" Luna asked as she raised her beautiful violet eyes at Raven''s face.


    "Yeah, let''s try it." Raven nodded his head and just like how he did when he still had his Moon Rabbit Slipper, here too used 10 points of Mystique out of his total 200.


    Whoosh!


    A small white circle filled with numerous unknown symbols suddenly formed before Raven''s feet, forcing him and Luna to halt their steps and watch as a hand emerged from within and once it got a firm grip on the ground slowly started to pull the body up!


    This change obviously made Old Dan and the other two on his side stop walking. However, when they saw the sight before the feet of Raven and Luna with the already creepy scenery around them, all three of their faces paled.


    The sight was very simr to a skeleton or a zombie climbing out of its grave in a cemetery at midnight,ing back to life to take revenge on the ones that sent it into its unwanted demise!


    "Everyone, just take a deep breath and calm down. She is harmless." Raven asserted calmly, while within his heart he added, ''Despite she has a rather scary appearance...''


    The thing that climbed out of the white circle was a woman with human female features and clothes akin to a pirate. The only difference was that her whole body was half-transparent while her whole body, including her face, was rotten!


    She looked like an undead from the most hideous horror movie in existence!


    Swish!


    While everyone was in awe and motionless from the shock, the pirate woman looked at the scroll in Raven''s eyes for a second before directing her gaze at the massive building in the distance. Then, as if deciding on what she should do next, she started to float toward thetter, quickly vanishing from everyone''s eyes.


    "What was that just now?" snapping out of his daze Old Dan looked at Raven, who seemingly wished to reply watched as the scroll in his hold rolled open, revealing nothing but an empty interior!


    Or at least was empty for a second or two before things slowly started to form on its surface!<sub> </sub>


    "Isn''t this... a building''syout?" Luna eximed out loud which quickly attracted the attention of everyone onto the scroll.


    "Yeah, that is ayout out indeed. But this one is a pretty basic one." Darwin took a step closer and continued, "These lines here are the hallways, these little dimples are doors, as for the bigger but different shaped forms like the square here arerger rooms and halls."


    "It seems whatever that thing was, it explores the building and we can see it! Haha! Great job brat!" Old Danughed with joy and patted Raven on the shoulder.


    "And what about these small dots all around the ce?" Luna asked as she pointed at the numerous small ck dots on the scroll, each located in hallways or in bigger halls and rooms!


    "That... I fear we have to find out." Old Dan said despite having a hunch, and quickly led the way into the building, which from closer look seemed way more colossal than from the distance!


    After giving a moment to admire the size of the building, Old Dan grabbed the handle of the door and opened it with caution. However, the moment the door opened wide and revealed the sight on the other side, his eyes widened which was the exact same reaction as Raven!


    "Father? Raven? What happened? You two look as if you have just seen a ghost." Luna asked, even pressing her delicate index finger against Raven''s cheeks.


    But it did nothing to Raven nor did Old Dan react, but simply stared at the scenery around them with widened eyes and loosened jaws.


    As for why? It was because what they first felt was the case when they entered the Realm Domain turned out to be the case indeed! The massive building was indeed the huge hotel wherein they ran away from therge reptiles!


    There were even three floating crystals, one on either side and one in the center of tha room where they were currently standing, seemingly being the reception hall where they started the Realm Game.


    "So these dots on my map are... the crystals, huh?" Raven mumbled, and his guess which he didn''t say until now turned out to be correct.


    "And what can they do?" Luna asked and grabbed the crystal, which the very moment it came into contact with her hand turned into crystal dust.


    "Nothing?" Luna seemed disappointed and watched as Raven walked to the crystal on the right and extended his hand toward it.


    However, in contrast to what happened to Luna the moment Raven grabbed the crystal it lit up with a gentle purple glow and quickly changed shape, turning into a bottle filled with golden liquid!


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Mystique]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Mystique increases by 8 points!


    -------------


    "Holy cow!"


    Raven''s eyes threatened to fall out of their eye sockets when he read the description of the Avatar sk,pletely unaware that the ne hanging down on his neck was glowing with a soft white light before slowly turning back to normal.


    "Hey! That''s unfair! How did you do it?" Luna quickly appeared beside his brother which surprised Raven as she moved fast, but just as he wished to ask how she did it Luna raised both hands before her chest and while wiggling her index fingers against each other she looked at him with cute puppy-like eyes.


    Raven immidieatly understood what she wished and shook his head, "Nope, that won''t work on me this time. This one is mine!"


    Then, without further ado, he quickly poured the content of the bottle down his throat and once he gulped down thest drop he wiped the corner of his mouth and looked at Luna with a smirk.

 Chapter 31 Lucky Bastard

    Luna''s fingers and face froze the moment she saw Raven''s actions before the corner of her eyes turned slightly moist, seemingly on the verge of crying as if she just got bullied.


    Raven seeing her little sister like this sighed and ced a hand atop her head, "Okay, you win. The next item I will get will be yours."


    Luna looked into her brother''s ck eyes with her scarcely teary but still breathtakingly beautiful sapphire eyes and shook her head, "No, I want the next five items."


    Raven almost choked when hearing Luna''s sudden shameless bargain but he quickly regained hisposure and crossed his arms before his chest, and stated, "No chance."


    "Then how about the next four?"


    "You can collect the shards on your own too, you know that, right?"


    "Yeah, but you obviously have a bigger chance to get something better thanks to that!" Luna pointed at the ne on Raven and continued, but this time with a somewhat teary look, "Or could it be that... You no longer..."


    "Eh?" Raven felt confused upon seeing her little sister on the verge of crying, slowly starting to feel a little headache assault his head.


    Usually, Luna was a well-mannered youngdy who not only was smart but also knew how to behave before others. However, that was in public, but the very instant she was left alone with him, she became this almost clinging little girl who at one point loved to joke and mess around shamelessly but all of a sudden became emotional or sulking in another.


    She was simply unpredictable, so much that sometimes Raven didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry!


    Raising his hand to massage his forehead, Raven watched as Old Dan and the others were slowly approaching them and said, "Okay, then how about this? The next three items I find will be yours, but at the same time, the three shards you will touch next, if they summon any item then they will be mine. It is a pretty good deal, right?"


    Luna narrowed her eyes but after contemting for a second or two nodded and smiled sweetly, "Deal!"


    Raven smiled too, but deep within his heart, he prayed secretly for his ne to help him in this matter.


    "You guys look pretty rxed despite knowing we are in an unknown territory where we can easily die." once beside the two, Old Dan eximed out loud, his gaze especially directed at Raven as he was the only one except him who clearly understood what kind of dangers lurked inside this hotel.


    "You are right, sorry." Raven apologized and quickly nced at the map in his hand, which was now sectioned into two parts with "Floor 0" being on the left and "Floor 1" on the right!


    "It seems things are a little different this time. Let''s look around and see what we can find." Old Dan said to which everyone nodded and started to follow him with cautious steps.


    Of course, while they walked and explored the interior of the hotel with which Old Dan and Raven were very familiar, they took turns grabbing the crystals and seeing what they could earn.


    But unfortunately, just like what happened with Luna, the moment Darwin, Old Dan, or Thomas touched the floating shards they turned to purple dust, leaving behind nothing at all.


    On the other hand, whenever Raven grabbed one, it turned into items, ones that seemed and were pretty useful.


    -------------------------


    [Item: Sand Gum]


    ? Rarity: Umon


    ? Description: A simple item that can be chewed on and blown into arge bubble that will explode near targets and scarcely slow their speed down!


    -------------------------


    ...


    -------------------------


    [Avatar sk: Dexterity]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Dexterity increases by 3 points!


    -------------------------


    ...


    -------------------------


    [Item: Star Dust Pouch]<sub> </sub>


    ? Rarity: Common


    ? Size: Small


    ? Description: A small pouch filled with Star Stone Dust, a great material for crafting items!


    -------------------------


    "As promised, these three are yours." Raven smiled as he handed a small ck pouch, a pack of brownish bubblegum, and a tiny bottle filled with blue liquid to Luna, who while epting the three items looked dissatisfied.


    Of course, Raven just ignored it and while the Old Dan and the others were trying their luck at the other side of the room they were currently in, he pointed at the three shards behind Luna;


    "Now it is your turn. Let''s see what you will get for me."


    Luna sighed and with a scarce nod approached the first shard.


    Raven swallowed nervously when he saw Luna extending his arms toward the purple crystal, but it was not even two seconds before his worry flew out of the window and his eyes lit up like stars in a dark sky!


    -------------------------


    [Avatar sk: Speed]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Speed increases by 9 points!


    -------------------------


    Luna''s expression immidieatly stiffened when she saw what she got from the crystal, but seeing as Raven snatched it away from her hand and poured it down his throat she immediately snapped out of her daze.


    "Hey! That was..." Luna wished to say that was her sk, but when she saw Raven''s questioning look and realized their promise she could only bit her lower lip in frustration.


    Moreover, her frustration became even greater when she noticed how the ne on Raven shone with a gentle white light before gradually turning back to normal.


    ''Hmph! Like I believe that thing can bless you infinite luck!'' Luna sneered in her heart and without further ado ran before the second shard and grabbed it.


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------


    [Item: Small Astral Core Pouch]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Size: Small


    ? Description: A small pouch filled with Astral Cores, primary currency among every living being throughout the cosmos!


    -------------------------


    "Haha, this is the best!" Raven once again grabbed the small pouch from Luna''s hand, who while although seemed to try to avoid him this time also failed as now Raven''s Speed was way above hers!


    "One, two, three, four..." Raven began to count the small crystals within the pouch and after about half a minute he showed a delighted smile and stated, "There seems to be a total of 50 Astral Cores in this pouch! That''s two Avatar sks within the Realm Shop, haha!"


    Ravenughed with joy which obviously attracted the others'' attention at the other side of the room and soon they all approached him and Luna.


    "This... Your luck truly has turned for the better, kid." Darwin mumbled, a hint of jealousy and greed shing within his gaze as he eyed both the pouch and the ne in Raven''s hand and on his neck.


    "Haha! It seems with a lucky bastard as you here with us, we can leave all the rest of the shards to you!" Old Dan stated with scarce disbelief and bigger joy, to which, for obvious reasons, the rest agreed with a nod.


    After all, while the four of them, which naturally included Luna, were only able to collect 7 items from more than 50 shards, Raven collected 4 from all his shards from which he had given 3 to Luna!


    It was pretty much obvious that Raven, who in the past couldn''t even open a can without injuring himself identally, now became particrly lucky. And it was all thanks to his ne, which whenever he touched a shard lit up with gentle light!

 Chapter 32 Black Moon Guild (1)

    "So? What do you say, kid? Will you help us?" Darwin, Old Dan, Thomas, and Luna, four of them looking at Raven with curious and pleading eyes.


    Raven saw the gazes he got from everyone and after checking that there were at least a few hundred shards remaining in all the 3 floors his Lost Pirate scouted he nodded his head.


    After all, what was the point in refusing such an offer? It was very obvious that with him and his ne not only he could be strong fast but everyone that was precious to him; strong enough to protect themselves in the uing Worlds'' sh which was stated in the manual!


    "Yeah, let''s do it. But where will we put the items? Did we bring any bag?" Raven asked as it was pretty obvious if he seeds in turning just half of the remaining shards into items they won''t be able to bring all of them out not to mention if he ends up changing all the shards into items!


    "About that, Young Master, I have this." Thomas suddenly took a step forward and handed Raven a small wooden box.


    The box was small, about just a 5-inch square box made out of ck wood with a beautiful white tree painted on its surface.


    "What is this?" Raven raised a brow as he took the box away from Thomas.


    -------------------------


    [Item: Storage Box]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Description: A small box crafted out of Celestial Void Tree. It contains a ratherrge space within, allowing one to store numerous smaller and medium-sized items at will!


    -------------------------


    "This is an item I have got through my luck." Thomas exined calmly before adding with an awkward smile, "And also the only one as all the other crystals I have touched turned into crystals dust."


    "That''s still amazing! I mean this box is incredibly useful! Great job!" Raven asserted with awe.


    "I am ttered, thank you." Thomas smiled softly with joy, truly appreciating Raven''s kindness.


    Raven smiled also and without further ado began to touch one shard after another, watching how they turned into various items and tools, each being mainly at the Common and Umon Rarity and only a few having a Rare Rarity!


    Of course, he also discussed with the others that they share the spoils like this; the first item goes to him, the second to Luna, the third to Old Dan, the fourth to Thomas, the fifth to Darwin, and after that this will be repeated from the start once again.


    Like this, they could share everything fairly and could remember what item was whose when they put it inside the Storage Box!


    Naturally, when Raven happened to get an Avatar sk he and everyone else made sure to drink them instantly as it was pointless not to.


    "And it seems this one is thest one," Raven mumbled as he turned thest shard into a deep red leaf called Blood Leaf, which, just like the Star Stone Dust, was also a crafting material but this one was for alchemy!


    "Damn... We have collected quite a lot of things, haven''t we?" Old Dan eximed out with surprise but shining eyes as he watched how except for a few moments Raven was able to gain items from all the shards he touched!


    From which Avatar sks were not few in number, allowing all five of them to increase at least one of their Avatar Traits above 10, pushing them also above Rank 0, to Rank 1!


    Or at least this was the case for everyone except for Raven, as shockingly 60% of his items were all Avatar sks through which he was able to be Rank 2!


    ------------------


    [Avatar Status]


    ~~~


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: 2


    ? Avatar Title/s: Chaotic Survivor


    ? Avatar ss: None


    ? Artifacts: Dice of Fate [Lost Pirate''s Scroll]


    ? Astral Cores: 118


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 9 [0]<sub> </sub>


    ¡ã Mystique: 14 [5]


    ¡ã Strength: 12 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 21 [3]


    ¡ã Constitution: 14 [9]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 11 [0]


    ------------------


    ''Damn... This progress is just simply too... ridiculous.'' Raven thought in his heart with mixed emotions as he could remember how just 4 hours ago before entering this Realm Domain only had just a single Trait above 10 points, yet now he had almost all of them except his Vitality!


    He even got 5 extra points of passive Mystique points thanks to his newly acquired item called Gold Vein Bracelet!


    As for his extra 6 Constitution, it was the blessing the Lost Pirate gave him because he summoned her.


    ''I only need 1 more for Vitality and all my Traits reach Rank 1!'' Raven couldn''t help but smile like an idiot, but soon he flinched and shifted his gaze to the side where he saw how Luna stared at him with an intense stare and narrowed eyes.


    "What? We shared everything equally, you can''t say it was unfair." Raven coughed as he made his Status vanish and quickly walked toward Old Dan and the rest in the distance who at this moment was examining the interior of arge hall.


    Of course, as he did Luna followed after him but with a sharp re on his back, making him feel as if he will be getting stabbed at any given moment!


    "I think it is time for us to go. There are no more shards left." Raven asserted, even showing the scroll to everyone.


    Old Dan pondered silently before he asked, "This is weird."


    "Weird? What?" Darwin frowned, feeling something was not quite right the was Old Dan said those words and he looked.


    Old Dan looked at his friend and after taking a deep breath told him everything about this hotel, including the tworge reptiles from which one even seeded in swallowing Raven!


    Thomas and Darwin were shocked to hear this while Luna immidieatly nced at Raven with eyes filled with worry.


    Naturally, Raven just gestured at her that he was fine before looking at Dan, "Yeah, that is one of the few reasons I said we should get out of here."


    "Master Dan, I agree with the Young Master. Although it started with only a small tingle, now that we have spent several hours behind this establishment''s walls I feel like we are being watched."


    Old Dan caressed gently his sharp chin and soon nodded, "Okay, it is decided then. We will leave. However, once our ck Moon Guild had been officially created, I will make sure to send some people here to investigate the whole Domain."


    Upon hearing this, everyone nodded before quickly heading to the exit which surprisingly was without any problems.


    [You have exited the Realm Domain!]


    [All ''Limitations'' now will be sealed!]


    Whoosh!


    Just like the opposite of what happened when the entered Raven felt as if the small crack that opened within him closed, sealing all the massive strength he gained until now away!


    Though, before he or any of them could have taken a single step forward, another row of text popped up before their faces.


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully cleared the Realm Domain!]


    ? [Realm Domain now will undergo Evolution!]


    Bam!


    TREMBLE!!


    In that very instant as those words appeared on the magic panels, under the dumbfounded gaze of everyone the dome around the forest began to vibrate and pulsate with white light which gradually turned into blue color!


    "What the hell is going on now?" Darwin was the first to break the "silence" among the group and watched with confusion that once the color changedpletely to blue it slowly started to weaken beforepletely vanishing.


    The dome around the forest once again shifted back to its original state, being nothing but an almost transparentyer of a barrier!

 Chapter 33 Black Moon Guild (2-Last)

    "W-What happened just now?" feeling a little anxious about the unknown, Darwin clenched his fingers into tight fists while trying to see if he can spot any abnormal changes around him and especially on the barrier in front of him.


    Everyone else beside him was the same, but they didn''t even have to wait 5 seconds to get answers to their questions.


    [Realm Domain sessfully Evolved from Rudimentary Phase to Advanced Phase!]


    Raven frowned when he saw the words popping up on the magic panel in front of his face but soon he felt as if something in his pocket started to move, quickly making him realize that it was his small manual, seemingly because it gained another set of knowledge once again.


    -----------------------


    [Realm Game Informations]


    ...


    ? Realm Domain Evolution: Once a Realm Domain had been cleared it will undergo Evolution! After Evolution the interior of the Realm Domain transforms and the level of danger within increases dramatically!


    -----------------------


    Everyone looked at each other when reading the manual''s description before shifting their attention to the transparent barrier in front of them.


    "Should we go and check it out?" Darwin asked after a while as he felt curious about what changed within, but he was immediately refuted.


    "That would not be a wise choice. We should wait at least until we have more people." Thomas shook his head to which Old Dan, Luna, and Raven nodded.


    "Maybe that should be better, yeah." Darwin nodded his head after contemting one thing or two.


    Raven on the other hand despite agreeing with what Thomas said, felt the urge to go inside and try out his newly acquired strength. After all, every Trait of his increased massively yet he was unable to test out his limits!


    ''Sigh... I guess I will wait until our ck Moon Guild had been officially made.'' Raven thought and turned around to follow Old Dan and the rest back into the mansion, but unfortunately just as he did his left got stuck in his right.


    Paff!!


    "Pfft... Hahaha!" Luna looked at Raven''s lying figure on the ground with his face buried deep in the soil beside her and couldn''t control herself and ended up giggling.


    Even Old Dan was on the verge ofughing as Raven''s fall was truly unexpected and has happened in a funny way, but as he saw how Thomas and Darwin didn''tugh he also forced himself to keep a straight face.


    "It seems Young Master''s ne does not have such a major influence in the real world after all," Thomas eximed out loud with a soft smile while Raven stood up holding his nose which seemingly was bleeding.


    "...Let''s go home" Raven mumbled and ignoring Luna''s continuousughing and mockery behind his back quickly walked toward the mansion.


    -


    -


    -


    After the first appearance of the Realm Games throughout the whole world, Earth underwent such huge and massive changes just in a single day like none before!<sub> </sub>


    The United World League ordered everyone to stay within the walls of their homes and only those were allowed leave who got permission from the higher-ups themselves. Those who disobeyed this order were immediately under arrest and those who even showed the slightest hint to cause chaos were allowed to be killed on the spot!


    The United World League even dispatched special teams in every city to help those who crucially needed everyday necessities such as food or drink, further lowering the chance of someone trying to start a mess within the already established perfect order.


    However, while it indeed worked in the majority, those who just really didn''t give a shit about the rules still came forward and started to cause havoc in the hope they could destroy or at least shake the United World League''s bnce!


    Of course, a number of such events only happened in a few locations throughout the world and the teams under the control of the United World League were able to take care of it without any problem.


    And while that happened, the higher-ups were able to discuss the future of the world ande up with primeval solutions for the problems regarding the Realm Games and the powers gained through Avatar Traits, Artifacts, and various Relics or Items.


    And just like that, after a whole day of discussion the United World League''s head, President Bai announced the most important and crucial changes that everyone must obey or else one has to face harsh and permanent consequences which also included the possibility of death!


    -


    -


    -


    Four days after clearing the Realm Domain.


    Standing about five hundred meters away from the mansion and before a fresh new construction, Dan with Thomas on his right gazed at the beautiful silver building with a small but captivating ck moon symbol ced just below its slightly sloping ck steel tile roof.


    "It is ravishing, to say the least. Just by looking at the symbol, I feel it has both that cold beauty and raw strength within which will definitely attract many individuals, including great talents." Thomas expressed his honest opinion about both the building, the symbol on it, and the guild''s now finally official name.


    "I 100% agree with you." Dan showed a satisfied grin before asking, "Also, now that you mention it, how many recruits do we have already?"


    Thomas quickly raised his hand holding a small notebook and opening it he said, "With the basic 100 recruits that all the officially created guilds were given by the United World League on the first day, we have gathered a total of 524 in the past 3 days which is almost the double amount to the second most popr guilds like the New Light Guild, the Greatest Guild, or Realm Gods Guild."


    Dan frowned hearing the corny and even cringe guild names, but after hearing currently their ck Moon Guild was on the top with double recruit amountpared to the second most popr guild, a smile formed on his face.


    "I must admit Lucas and Darwin are a huge help. Especially Darwin, with his connections the number of recruits our ck Moon Guild will be able to gain will be astronomical, to say the least!"


    "I agree, but Master Dan, please remember numbers are not always a deciding factor. While I admit it is not a bad thing to have more recruits considering the poprity and intimidating other parties, we should focus more on talents and future potential." Thomas asserted as he looked behind his shoulder and watched how severalrge jeeps glid through the main gate.


    Dan noticed the guests too and while turning around he said calmly, "You are absolutely right, but you don''t have to worry. Maybe you don''t know this, but Darwin has already befriended an influential figure within the Realm Association and has ess to the majority of those individuals who decided and will choose to join the Realm Association."


    Then, watching as people wearing ck suits stepped out of the jeeps Dan smiled and added, "So I am pretty sure out of 500+ recruits at least 1/4 are talents or with great potential!"


    Thomas was in awe for a second before he regained hisposure and let out a soft sigh, "I see, that is a relief then."


    Dan nodded his head gently and once a figure wearing a rather elegant suit stepped out from the closest car to him he cleared his throat and showed a wide grin, "Look at you, despite brimming with life just about three days ago now you already look like an old man considering whether to retire or not! Haha!"


    The man to whom Dan talked with such a carefree attitude was none other than President Bai, the head of the United World League and also one of his very closest friends since childhood!

 Chapter 34 Greed

    Walking on the beautiful and well-polished silver stone pavement which led the way toward the recently erected ck Moon Guild, Bai Feng with several guards following him from behind approached Dan and Thomas while his gaze was fixed on the building behind the two.


    "Although your look has changed tremendously, your taste in everything is still as extravagant as ever." Bai Feng ignore Dan''s previousment on his current exhausted look, and instead decided to give his opinion about the ck Moon Guild.


    "It is called a nice lifestyle and not an extravagant taste." Dan showed a smile to which Bai Feng rolled his eyes and spread his arms.


    Dan obviously justughed and quickly gave his friend a hug that was shared only between buddies who have known each other for a long time.


    "Hell, I wish I could see Isabe''s face at this moment. I bet she would faint from the shock after seeing you like this." Bai Feng took a step back while he rested both his hands on either of Dan''s shoulders.


    Dan showed a somewhat mncholy look upon hearing his wife''s name who about 9 years ago through unknown means vanished from the Earth''s surface without any trace!


    Bai Feng seemed to notice the emotions and the shing memories within his close friend''s eyes and a hint of guilt took over his heart.


    "...I''m sorry." despite knowing that Dan was madly in love with his wife, he quickly took a step backward and apologized.


    "Huh? What are you doing? You did nothing wrong." Dan quickly pushed all of his emotions back into his chest and "forced" Bai Feng to straighten his posture, "Also, you are President Bai, did you forget? So stop apologizing for pointless things as it will lead others to misunderstand things."


    Bai Feng nodded his head and like a professional instantly put on a serious expression despite his eyes still holding a hint of regret.


    "So? Where is that Realm Domain you have been talking about." Bai Feng asked, his eyes surveying the surroundings of both the mansion in the distance and the ck Moon Guild before him.


    "Come, I will show you right away." Dan gestured for Thomas to lead the way to which Thomas gently bowed his head before walking toward the forest.


    "We have arrived." Thomas turned around as he halted his steps, obviously not taking a step to the side in order to prevent Bai Feng from identally entering.


    Bai Feng, just like the guards behind him, was confused and raised a brow at Dan, who as a response stepped beside Thomas and exined everything, even pointing at the almost invisible barrier just a meter away from him.


    "This... So it was true indeed." Bai Feng took a step closer which resulted in his guards hired to protect his well-being reacting with a hint of anxiety.


    "Rx, I won''t cross the barrier." Bai Feng mumbled as he leaned closer to the barrier to get a better look and pondered silently.


    After examining it for a few minutes Bai Feng straightened his posture and asked, "Have you sent others inside to explore the ce?"


    "About that..." Dan cleared his throat and exined that happened a few days ago, even mentioning the Evolution process.


    "May I take a look at the items you have collected?" Bai Feng asked calmly.


    Dan nodded and gestured for Thomas to take out the box which stored all the items they have collected. Of course, the ones that Darwin took away with him or the ones that could be consumed such as the Avatar sks were no longer within.


    Thomas opened the lid of the box and took out numerous items before cing them on the ground in an orderly fashion.


    Pouches filled with different materials, various objects that could be used for either crafting, cksmithing, or alchemy, items that one could use for different means, and even a few essories that increased one''s Avatar Traits scarcely.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, the essories were not used because it turned out one could only wear one of the same types, meaning one couldn''t wear two nes or two rings no matter if they increased different Traits.


    "Y-You want to say that within that Domain shards turn into random items upon touch?" Bai Feng''s eyes widened from pure disbelief.


    Although he had already read hundreds if not several thousands of reports about various Realm Gates and even other Realm Domains appearing throughout the world, none of them talked about something like this!


    Old Dan literally hit the jackpot with this one as just with the items on the ground alone could he nurture his guild members to the point where the other guilds will have no chance topete against him!


    While Bai Feng examined each item and read their description Thomas kept his vignce, his sharp eyes especially fixed on Bai Feng''s guards as almost all of their gazes were filled with greed.


    Dan obviously noticed this too and made sure to keep his eyes on them. After all, while they were Bai Feng''s guards, greed could easily blind anyone which was also including them!


    After examining each item, Bai Feng took a step behind and asked, "You said the chance one could turn a shard into an item was solely dependent on one''s luck, correct?"


    Dan nodded, showing Bai Feng that he was right.


    "Then how did you get so many items? I hope you don''t wish to say you all were this lucky. There are over 350 items here!"


    Dan nced at the guards behind Bai Feng, his gaze especially lingering on one of them for a second before he walked beside his childhood friend and whispered words into his ear that only he could hear.


    Meanwhile, Thomas quickly put all the items back into the box, ignoring the increasing greed directed at the box in his hand.


    Bai Feng''s eyes widened for a second once he heard Dan''s words before he regained hisposure and nodded his head, "I see. And where is he at this moment?"


    "Haha... About that..." Dan showed an awkward smile, raising his right hand to scratch his cheeks.


    -


    -


    -


    Standing at the bottom of a tall hill which was surrounded by trees andrge boulders from every direction, a young man wearing a ck coat gazed toward the sky, beside him was a breathtaking beauty in a silver fur coat doing the same.


    "It seems Darwin''s source was right. This really is a White Realm Gate." holding his ck hat with one hand, Raven eximed out loud, watching how the massive gate towered above his and Luna''s head, enveloping half side of the hill inplete darkness!


    "Hm?" while they were examining the majestic white door, suddenly Luna snapped her head to the left and narrowed her eyes.


    "I think we have apany." Luna poked Raven gently on his side with her elbow, immediately drawing Raven''s gaze from the gate to the direction where she was looking.


    And soon enough, Raven also noticed as a group of four men, each in their middle twenties approached the two of them with different faces.

 Chapter 35 Another Side Of The Moon (1)

    "What do you think they want?" Luna asked with narrowed eyes to which Raven shook his head and took a step forward, standing just a meter before his little sister.


    The four men before Raven wore a blue jacket with deep, somewhat torn ck jeans. Each wore their hair in the same style while all of them held their hands in their pockets; they looked exactly like a gang, bringing nothing but a bad omen.


    "What the fuck are ya brats doing here? This is private property, ya know right?"ing to a halt just a meter away from Raven, the one on the front pointed his nose toward the sky and looked at Raven up and down.


    Raven''s mouth twitched seeing and hearing the contemptuous style the guy just looked and talked to them while Luna''s eyes shed a hint of coldness before her expression changed back to normal.


    ''It seems he is the boss around here, huh?'' Raven thought before he showed a friendly smile and took out a paper from his pocket which he handed it over to the guy.


    The guy raised a brow upon seeing the paper but when his gaze fell on the symbol at the very left top corner his eyes bulged and his hands began to tremble as he epted the paper.


    "We are from the ck Moon Guild and were sent by the Realm Association to check out the Realm Gate which has recently appeared here," Raven exined with the same calm smile, watching as the guy''s face froze and even scarcely paled.


    Of course, knowing what kind of consequences would one suffer if they dared to screw with people sent by the newly formed guilds which were under the supervision and protection of the Realm Association which also was in firm connection with the United World League, it was natural to see such reactions.


    After all, no one wished to spend the remainder of their life in cold cells, especially not after hearing how multiple individuals and groups got executed without mercy because they believed they could vite thews that were recently formed!


    Raven smiled seeing the expressions of the four guys and secretly in his heart thanked Darwin for giving them the official deed which was given to him by the Realm Association.


    Like this, ording to the paper he has just given to the guy in front of him, the Realm Gate and thend around it from this point onward is the official property of the ck Moon Guild. Of course, it also stated that whoever governed thend until now will bepensated with a hefty amount of Novas!


    "Now then, if you excuse us..." Raven bowed his head gently and started to walk toward the Realm Gate with Luna following after him, but her eyes were still fixed on the four behind them.


    "This gate is different than the previous one," Raven eximed out loud once he arrived at the foot of the gate and raised his head.


    Thest Realm Gate he saw back in the forest while being white had a smooth surface. On the other hand, this Realm Gate in front of him although having a snow-white color, had, in fact, a single but massive ck circle carved into its middle.


    "I wonder what that ck circle means?" Raven asked as he took his hand away from his hat and touched the gate''s surface.


    However, the moment he did, not only did he hear as he was asked if he wished tomence the Realm Game but also as a strong breeze blew the hat off his head and carried it into the far distance.


    "My hat..." Raven was on the verge of crying but watching as Luna touched the Realm Gate and soon vanished he could only mourn secretly within his heart and follow her into the Empty World.


    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Escape Maze]


    ¡ã Difficulty: White Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: Rank 1 and above!


    ¡ã Rules: Either find the exit in 30 minutes or kill the Spider Witch.


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - 3 random variety Avatar sk


    - 1 Small Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 random type of Treasure


    ----------------


    Raven frowned seeing the Rules and especially the Rank Requirements, but he decided not toment on it and instead threw his dice, which the moment he entered the Empty World appeared in his hand.


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------<sub> </sub>


    [Weapon: Yin-Yang Yo-Yo]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: Depending on the user''s current state of mind, one can activate either skill of the Weapon; Absolute Stillness, Absolute Chaos, or Perfect Harmony! The Yin-Yang Yo-Yo also grants an extra 3 points for both Constitution and Strength!


    <Activation: Depending on your current state of mind you can activate one of the three skills in exchange for 350 Mystique Points!>


    <Cooldown: Each skillsts until your state of mind does not change. If it does, another Activation is needed!>


    --------------------------


    "D-Damn! This ce is just like the one we were inst time! Fucking cool!"


    While Raven was examining his new item which was a small yo-yo with a yin-yang shape and appearance, suddenly the four guys from previously appeared not so far away from him and Luna, taking them by surprise.


    "What the hell are the four of you doing here?" Luna narrowed her eyes and asked with an angry gaze. It was pretty obvious she didn''t like the group of four men before her.


    "Lil'' beauty, don''t be so cold with us. Although the paper stated the Realm Gate is now ya ck Moon Guild''s property, it did not mention we can''t join the fun, did it?" the leader of the group winked at Luna, earning whistles and chuckles from his friends behind his back.


    Luna frowned with disgust and wished to say something, but Raven stopped her.


    "Let''s just ignore them. After all, Darwin only said we shoulde here and snap up the Realm Domain before other guilds do. We were supposed to wait until others from the ck Moon Guild arrives and not enter it."


    "Yeah, but that does not mean they can enter too. It ismon sense that you don''t use others'' possessions without any permission." Luna frowned deeply, ignoring the hungry and lustful gazes on her body from the four men.


    Raven, however, shook his head and said, "Maybe, but look at them. Do they look like they havemon sense? Also, to avoid any trouble they can easily say they will join our guild."


    Luna pondered silently for a moment or two before she nodded, "Sure, but if they try anything funny I won''t show mercy."


    Raven smiled hearing this and chuckled, "Well, considering your Artifact allows you to move faster than the majority of others, I would not be surprised to see their assess kicked by you."


    Luna just sighed upon hearing Raven but soon watched as the Empty World transformed, quickly turning into a massive maze with walls as tall as skyscrapers and paths as wide as streets!


    [The escape starts now!]


    "So? What is ya n?" the leader approached the two with the other three following behind him.


    Raven opened his mouth to say something but shockingly Luna grabbed him by the wrist and started to pull him away while saying without looking behind, "We will go this direction, you go the other. This way we will have a higher chance to find the exit."


    "Huh? But..." the leader was stupefied by Luna''s coldness but just as he was about to ask something he watched as Luna together with Raven vanished into the corner.


    "Boss, I think we should "teach" that bitch a good lesson." one of the guys stepped beside the leader of the group, his face holding a creepy look and his hand this moment holding a small dagger.


    Seeing as the others approved the idea, the leader smiled wickedly too before turning serious again and saying with a scarce frown, "Though, we should get rid of that brat first. I have a bad feeling about him."


    "Huh? Boss, you are just overthinking it. We all know how strong you are. There is no way that brat could cause us trouble, especially not after we have found out how ''that'' works." another guy holding a small nt that was covered in vine asserted his opinion on the matter.


    "I agree. If we kill that brat we not only will gain the benefit of ''that'' but we can also have some fun with that beauty before we ran out of time. After all, we have checked it already, we got 1/5 of the money on our bank ount for thend which is more than enough for us to live in luxury for a few months, perhaps even for an entire year!"


    Thest guy who said those words licked his lips with a hint of coldness shing within his gaze, his shoes all of sudden having small golden wings on them on either side!


    The leader of the group seeing the confidence and rather wicked look on his buddies'' facesughed rather evilly and nodded his head.


    "You know what? Sure. Then here is what we will do."

 Chapter 36 Another Side Of The Moon (2-Last)

    Walking through thebyrinth and turning either left or right every five or eight seconds, Luna pulled Raven behind her with firm and quick steps.


    "Hey, Lulu, slow down a bit. We are pretty far from them already." Raven talked calmly, but when he saw how his little sister didn''t seem to hear his words he sighed and nted his legs firmly on the ground.


    "Ah? H-Hey! How did you do it?" Luna''s eyes widened when her body was yanked back, seeing that no matter how much strength she used she failed to propel Raven to move.


    "Is that even a question? Let alone my Dexterity which is 4 points below yours, all of my Traits are way above yours, including my Strength. There is no way you can force me to move if I don''t want to." Raven exined, even showing Luna his current Avatar Status.


    Luna narrowed her eyes at Raven before taking a deep breath and sighing.


    Raven just smiled and patted Luna''s hand that held his, and gently held it. He would be a fool not to understand his little sister''s current thoughts and why she acted the way she had at the moment.


    After all, no woman would be pleased to get looked at by several men with hungry and evident lustful gazes in a ce where the mortal shackles no longer limited the human nature.


    "Just forget about them. Apparently, this maze is pretty huge and full of paths. It is very unlikely that we will cross paths with them if they did not follow us." Raven smiled as he took Luna''s hand into his and added, "Moreover, don''t forget that your big brother within these Realm Games is akin to a god! Unless those four didn''t find a better Realm Domain than ours orpleted a bunch of Realm Games, I doubt they have a single Trait that is higher than ours!"


    Luna seemed to ponder about that for a few seconds before she sighed, "You are right, but that does not mean should underestimate them. While Traits can decide who is strong and who is weak, one''s Artifact is also a deciding factor."


    "Also..." as Luna reached this point her lovely face sunk into a deep frown and mumbled, "For some reason, I feel like they will try to do something. They were just way too calm."


    After all, although Raven and Luna were confident within these Realm Games, it was because they had strength, Traits that were above average thanks to the massive amount of Avatar sks they have collected from the shards.


    Therefore, they also knew that while an individual could reach Rank 1, it was very unlikely that except for one Trait they could have pushed two or more above 10 points!


    No, it was better to say that those with more than one Trait above 10 points were extremely few as Raven and Lune personally experienced how hard it was to obtain Avatar sks that could increase more than 4 points at once!


    "Just rx. Not to mention our strength, we also have the backing of the Realm Association. You know they can''t do anything, not here nor outside." Raven smiles softly, making Luna''s scarcely tense nerves rx.


    After that, the two finally began to run in order to find the exit as ording to the rules they only had 30 minutes. However, when they began to run they were stupefied to see how their speed was inhumanly fast!


    In the real world, an average person was able to run at 10-13 km/h while an average athlete almost reached 25 km/h! Yet, at this moment while Raven was holding back as he didn''t want to leave Luna behind, he was still running at almost 40 km/h!


    That was literally faster than an average vehicle speed in the past world when technology was not advancing as fast as in today''s world!


    "We have been running for 10 minutes in the same direction but we have yet to reach thisbyrinth''s perimeter. The only thing that changed is the number of spiderwebs on the walls and nothing else." Luna eximed out loud with a scarce frown.


    Raven raised his head to see the thick spiderwebs stuck on the sides of the massively tall walls above his head before halting his step, which naturally made Luna to stop and turn around questioningly.


    "We only have less than 20 minutes left. I think we should split up. At least that way we will have a bigger chance to find the exit." Raven said as he took out a small item from his pocket and asked, "Do you still have this?"


    ncing at the small red orb in Raven''s hand Luna nodded and took out a small item with the exact same appearance.


    The orbs were acquired by Raven from a shard, from which a total of four of these have appeared. ording to their description, it was an Umon item that could be used tomunicate with others in exchange for Mystique.


    It also had a special skill for a greater amount of mystique that allowed the owners of the orbs to find each other; it was a rather useful item, to say the least.


    Of course, as they had two, the other two were in Thomas'' and Old Dan''s possession, each keeping one with themselves.


    "Let''s use these if we have found something, okay?"


    "Sure." Luna nodded gently to which Raven nodded too and without further ado quickly ran away.


    Luna, however, remained where she was and kept her gaze on the spot where Raven stood a moment ago. Or at least she did that for a few seconds before her pretty face suddenly turned scarily dark and her violet eyes got filled with nothing but ice coldness and indifference.<sub> </sub>


    Her previous innocent, mature, and somewhat cute look at this very moment changedpletely and now she was an ice-cold individual with an aura that told others not to approach her much less anger her, or else they will easily find themselves face to face with death!


    "Now then..." after waiting for a second or two, Luna looked in a specific direction and an eerily cold smile formed on her pretty face before her body blurred and vanished from her spot!


    Meanwhile, somewhere else within the maze, the group of guys ran fast with their feet glowing with a gentle golden color.


    "Sigh... Bro, Bill. I know I have said this already, but your shit is still uber-cool!" the guy who had a shiny ck dagger attached to his waist eximed out loud, watching how on his shoe a small gold wing akin to a bird''s pped, causing his Speed to increase dramatically.


    "Envious? About this? Except for increasing my and myrades'' Speed, it is useless." the guy called Bill shook his head and stated, "On the other hand, yours is not. Yours is what uber-cool, Cade, not mine."


    "Nah... You praise my Artifact too much. Like, ask T. He will definitely agree with me, right T?" Bill looked at the guy with the nt in hand to which even Cade shifted his gaze at him, curiously waiting to hear his opinion about the matter.


    T nced at the two on his side for a brief moment and wished to answer when suddenly the nt in his hand trembled slightly and halted his steps.


    "Boss, it seems we have caught up with them," T stated as he raised his head, but except for an empty passage in front of them that about 5 meterster separated into two directions, he saw no one.


    The leader of the group frowned at this sight too, but it was not even a second before his eyes glowed up like stars, and watched how the beautifuldy in a silver fur coat approached them with calm steps.


    "It seems they have split up to find the exit faster. Haha! This is better than we thought! We don''t even have to kill that brat!" Cade stepped closer to his boss as he chuckled with a nasty grin, even licking his lips in the process.


    The leader of the four just curved his lips upward seeing Luna alone and gestured to the three behind him to do what they discussed.


    "Hey, sup gorgeous? It seems you have got lost, huh? Where is your boyfriend?" walking beside Luna and putting an arm around her shoulder without any care while Cade and T walked behind her with their boss standing in the front, Bill used his other hand to grab Luna''s chin and turn her face toward his.


    "Damn, you are even more tempting from this close than I have believed. That brat has definitely hit the jackpot!" Bill stated with a hint of annoyance and envy, but soon smiled naughtily and leaned forward to go for the kiss.


    However, just as his lips could have touched Luna''s, Luna quickly raised her hand and ced her palm right before her and Bill''s mouth.


    Bill and his friends looked puzzled before thetter began to chuckle, finding it amusing that even knowing the obvious Luna was struggling and trying to put up a fight.


    "Your breath stink." ignoring the mockery, Luna pushed her palm firmly against Bills'' face and with a rather cold tone said, "Just die already."


    "Hm?" Bill raised a brow but it was not even a second as his eyes widened with terror.


    Swish!


    Squelch!


    "?!?"


    Cade, T, and their leader watched with horror as all of a sudden the back of their friend''s head split wide open, and a long sharp shaft burst out through his skull, covered in blood and brain matter!


    "H-Hey... What the fuck was that?" Cade took a step backward and subconsciously grabbed his dagger, but seeing as the girl in front of him didn''t reply not even after their friend''s now lifeless body fell on the ground, his eyes turned cold, and yelled, "HEY! BITCH! I''M TALKING TO YOU!"


    Watching as Cade raised his weapon and was ready to swing it at her, Luna sneered coldly and like a ghost appeared behind the guy.


    Cade''s eyes widened upon seeing Luna''s sudden dissapareance, but even before he had the chance to spin around, a sharp pain pierced his heart, and under his dread-filled gaze watched as something long and sharp burst out of his chest, covered in blood and split organs!


    "B-Bone...?" Cade mumbled with disbelief just a second before blood gushed into and out of his mouth and all of his senses got shut down.

 Chapter 37 Spider Witch

    Paff!


    With an indifferent gaze, Luna watched coldly as Cade''s body fell forward with a gaping hole in his chest, one that was big enough to push one''s fist through without much struggle.


    "Y-You... Wh-Who the fuck are you!" stuttering from fear, T quickly took several steps backward, only to feel his back bump into the wall behind him.


    Even T''s boss showed a grave expression at this moment, despite him being an individual who could keep his cool during the majority of crises without much difficulty!


    Luna gazed at the corpse in front of her feet for a second before she nced at her right hand, which at this moment had a long, sharp, and blood-covered bone piercing out of it.


    Though, despite that, it seemed Luna felt nothing, not even the slightest amount of pain which made her look even more terrifying.


    "B-Boss! T-This bitch is crazy! Let''s get out of here!" T turned his head to the side, but it seemed that was the biggest mistake in his life as the very next second everything around him began to spin before turning ck.


    Paff!


    "That''s three, only one remains," Luna spoke with a calm, but eerily cold tone while she threw T''s head she has just cut down to the side, ignoring the blood that sttered all over her clothes and coat.


    Thest guy, and also the former leader of the group whose name, in fact, was Jack, showed a deep frown before showing an amused smile.


    "Damn, look at ya girl! Ya definitely one of a kind, there is no question about that!"


    Luna turned her cold gaze at Jack and the disgust within her eyes became even more visible than before.


    Whoosh!


    "Hoho! Hey! That was a pretty close one!" tilting his head to the side just in time to avoid his forehead getting prated by the sharp boneing out of Luna''s palm, Jack smiled and quickly jumped several meters backward.


    "Can''t we just calm down and talk? There is no reason for us to spill our blood for no reason, isn''t there?"


    "We have nothing to talk about," Luna stated with indifference, but despite saying that she remained still.


    From the looks of it, she became rmed a little bit after seeing how Jack dodged her attack as that was by no means the work of luck.


    Jack obviously noticed this about Luna and his lips curved upwards before he said, "C''mon... Ya and me, we know way too well things won''t end up lovingly if we decide to fight. Why don''t we just p-"


    Jack was ready to offer peace but just as he could have finished his sentence he saw Luna''s gaze deliberately was attracted by something behind him while his surroundings gradually darkened for no reason.


    Jack raised a brow and lifted his head to see what was happening, only to end up with his eyes bulging and face paying as a result.


    "Oh... Shit..."


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere else within thebyrinth, Raven ran and zig-zagged through the maze with inhuman speed while memorizing the paths he has already explored in order to avoid going on the same route twice.


    After running for more than 10 minutes straight Raven decided to halt his steps and nce at the floating magic panel beside him.


    [Remaining time: 8 minutes and 32 seconds!]


    "Less than 9 minutes, huh?"


    So far he had been searching for the exit for more than 21 minutes yet he failed to find anything except for spider webs all around the walls. And considering how Luna didn''t get in touch with him, it was apparent that not even she found the exit.


    "What should I do?" Raven mumbled and pondered silently, but soon a crazy but still seemingly feasible idea popped up in his mind which subconsciously made him touch the ne around his neck.


    However, even before he could have attempted to see whether his idea could lead him to his goal or not, suddenly the crimson orb in his pocket flew out and started to float before his face.


    "Raven! Help me! Please!"


    "Huh? What happened?" Raven was surprised as he asked, but although feeling growing anxiety in his heart he quickly spent 200 points of Mystique to make the floating orb to help him find his little sister while also starting to run.


    "It''s a... It''s a creature! And it is trying to kill! Please he-" and just as Luna could have finished her sentence her voice was cut off.


    "Luna!" Raven yelled with an ashen face and without further ado used his total of 24 points of Speed.


    BAM!


    With an explosive momentum, the earth below Raven''s feet cracked and shattered while his body turned into a blur as he zig-zagged through the maze following the red orb with a speed of no less than 60 km/h!


    Of course, when he came to a turn he had to forcefully halt his speed before shifting his body toward the right direction and again using his tremendous Speed and Strength to explode with momentum once again!<sub> </sub>


    ''Luna! Please be safe!'' although knowing they were in a White Realm Gate where they could not die, Raven still couldn''t ept to see his little sister dying without him even there to protect her.


    Raven ran for 1 minute straight with his anger and guilty taking over his mind, but after taking a left on the next turn his legs froze in ce and his eyes pupils shrunk.


    In front of him on the right side of the wall, a massive creature with a size no smaller than a house sat calmly upside down. Its body was akin to a spider''s while where its head should have been the upper body of a naked woman was noticeable with an ethereal face!


    But the scariest sight was not that but how its front legs were moving and rolling up two bodies at once into huge cocoons using its spider silk as a material!


    Without any question, Raven understood that inside either one of those was where Luna was trapped, struggling to get out even at this moment!


    [Title: Chaotic Survivor''s First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +1!]


    Ignoring the magic panels popping up beside him Raven''s eyes for the first time in a very long while turned sharp and was filled with nothing but anger.


    And as if sensing the killing intent directed at it, the creature stopped wrapping the two cocoons with spider silk and shifted its face at Raven.


    "Hu...man..." the spider moved its legs to face Raven and the mouth on its female face curved upward so much that it was inhumanly impossible to mimic.


    The sight was, without any shadow of a doubt, terrifying to the point that it could inflict deep dread in others!


    Raven, however, didn''t seem to be scared nor nervous as it seemed his anger and the rush of adrenalin had a greater effect on his body and mind.


    "Let her go," Raven said calmly as he took his Yin-Yang Yo-Yo from his pocket and dropped it onto the ground with its string already attached to his index finger.


    ng!


    [Skill: Absolute Chaos had been triggered!]


    After using 350 points of Mystique to activate one of the three skills his weapon had, Raven stomped on the ground firmly and jumped into the air.


    Raven soared higher and higher in the air, more than 30 meters, and once he was at the same level as the creature he swung his arm and threw the yo-yo at it.


    Normally, one would believe the small item would just simply fly in a straight line, but that was the furthest away from reality. As if it had its own consciousness, the yo-yo shed left and right with insane speed while it cut every strand of spider web in a fifty meters radius!


    It even smashed and shattered the stone walls on either side, causing huge chunks of debris to fall below and crash to the ground!


    "HUMAN!!!" seeing how its webs were sliced the spider shrieked with anger and quickly used its abdomen to fire thick and sticky spider silk at Raven.


    The attack was, definitely faster than a sword swing, but in the eyes of Raven who had his Dexterity above 10 points and Speed above 20, it was still slow.


    Hence, he just snorted and just flicked his finger, to which the yo-yo which until now caused havoc around him immediately moved and in a single blink shredded the creature''s attack into nothing but bits.


    Surprisingly, it didn''t even get stuck and just cut through the sticky spider silk as if it was a hot knife before butter!


    "Now it''s your turn," Raven stated calmly and moved his finger once again.


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    The yo-yo shed numerous times around the creature in just under a single second, shredding its body into countless pieces!


    [You have killed Rank 2 Spider Witch!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted Main Quest [Safe Escape], Hidden Quest 1/2 [Killed with a Single Strike!], and Hidden Quest 2/2 [Sole Victor and Savior]]


    [Because you havepleted all Hidden Quests you will be given 9 free Avatar Traits that you can allocate at free will!]


    [Recieve rewards now or collect themter?]


    Raven ignored the arising notification in his vision and didn''t hesitate a single second to run before the spider cocoon that happened to fall on the ground after his weapon went on a rampage.


    "Cough... Cough... R-Raven?" watching as the spider cocoon was cut open and pulled out, Luna who was stuck within opened her eyes weakly and started to cough.


    "Luna! How are you feeling? Do feel any pain? Are you injured anywhere? Your cloth is covered in blood. Are you bleeding?" Raven bombarded his little sister with questions but seeing Luna was alright his tense nerves finally rxed.


    Even the adrenalin that flowed through his body seemed to lessen and gradually vanish, allowing the previously suppressed fear and exhaustion to break onto the surface.


    After all, just who would not be scared if they would have happened to meet with a massive spider for the first time or were mentally exhausted after focusing for straight minutes?


    Everyone, right?


    "I''m... alright... Except for minor injuries that caused my Vitality to drop by a few hundred points I am perfectly fine." Luna mumbled as she stood up with Raven''s help and watched as slowly the surroundings around her changed back to the hill and the Realm Gate.

 Chapter 38 Accident & First Avatar Imprint

    "It''s over?" watching as they were teleported back before the Realm Gate with their clothes surprisingly intact and clean, Luna sighed with relief and hugged his brother''s arm exhaustedly.


    "Here you are! Now you are fucking dead bitch! I will definitely break your arm and skin you alive!" as Raven was looking at Luna''s happy face with a soft smile, suddenly the voice of one of the gangsters sounded from his side, making his face turn grave once again.


    "Let''s see what the fuck you will do now! There are no Artifacts, no nothing here to make you strong!" Cade hissed coldly as he approached Luna with bloodshot eyes, his friends following from behind surprisingly having the same enraged expression as him!


    Luna''s eyes shed coldly for a second before they turned puzzled and looked at Cade with deep confusion.


    "Huh? What are you ta-" Luna wished to ask a question, only to see as the moment Cade already arrived in front of her he clenched his right fingers into a tight fist and threw a punch at her.


    Bam!


    "And what the fuck are you doing, huh?" Cade narrowed his eyes at Raven who all of a sudden pulled Luna behind his back and let Cade punch him in the face instead.


    Raven, whose face was just smacked to the side, slowly turned his head at Cade, his gaze scarily cold at this moment.


    "I should be the one asking that from you," Raven spoke with a low tone of voice, surprising Cade for a second before making him even angrier than before and propelling him to throw out another punch.


    However, just as he could have done so, suddenly Bill''s loud shout came from behind Cade''s back, forcing him to halt his actions just in time.


    "Cade! Cut it out already, they areing! Let''s get the fuck out of here before it is toote!"


    Cade, who was just about to start a fight with Raven looked into the distance, and seeing how a group of vehicles was approaching them he could only clench his teeth firmly in frustration before spitting at Raven and running away.


    "You okay? Your mouth is bleeding." looking at Raven with a worried look, Luna took out a tissue from her pocket and used it to gently wipe the flowing blood off her brother''s mouth.


    "Thank you." Raven showed a smile, but not even a second after he said those words he watched how the Realm Gate beside him began to tremble before his vision blurred for a second as he was teleported away.


    It seemed, just like previously, now that they havepleted the Realm Game the Realm Gate will open and the Realm Domain will be formed.


    However, what he did not expect was that the very moment he was teleported away, something from the side crashed into him with great momentum.


    BAM!


    "Raven!" seeing how a car hit Raven and sent his body flying like a ragdoll, Luna became terrified and immediately ran beside him, only to see him struggling on the ground with a pained expression.


    "Fuck... From where did those twoe from?" the driver cursed out with wide eyes and watched as the individual sitting on his side jumped out of the car and quickly ran beside Raven and Luna.


    "L-Lucas?" seeing the familiar face, Luna felt scarcely surprised while Lucas just nodded and quickly started to examine Raven with sharp eyes.


    "Sigh... Thank god..." after remaining silent for a few seconds, Lucas'' nervous face finally rxed and showed a calm smile, "Luckily the driver was not going fast, so except for a few fractured bones and bigger bruises, he will be fine."


    "Though, we still have to bring you to a hospital for a check-up."


    Luna upon hearing Lucas'' words, who she knew was also a very professional and well-renowned doctor, sighed with relief before directing a cold and piercing stare at the man who just hit Raven a few moments ago.


    "Fucking... Hell..." Raven cursed out loud as he was helped onto his feet with Lucas'' and Luna''s help, grabbing his side with a rather painful expression.<sub> </sub>


    "Can you walk?" Lucas asked to which Raven nodded.


    Lucas sighed once again as this was another sign things were not as severe as he initially believed, "Good, I will take you to the hospital. As for the things here, I will call Dan to send someone here while I am away."


    Luna nodded and once she helped Raven to sit in the backseat she went around the car and sat beside him. As for Lucas, after giving a few orders to the new recruits of the ck Moon Guild he quickly sat inside the car and drove off toward the closest hospital.


    -


    -


    -


    Several hours have passed since the ident and Raven was diagnosed with three fractured ribs which luckily were not grave. After getting some medicines and receipts, Lucas brought him back to Old Dan''s mansion where he had to tell Dan everything that happened.


    "So you have cleared the Realm Game but were attacked when you got out?" Old Dan mumbled as he looked at Raven before he directed his gaze at Thomas and asked, " And what about those hooligans? Any news about them?"


    "Unfortunately, we have did not find them yet. They seem to have fled the area the moment they were teleported away from the Realm Gate." Thomas exined calmly.


    "I see. Well, whatever. I am sure we will find them sooner orter, but until then, you should go and rest for the time being."


    "Sure, I will." Raven nodded and once he stood up from the sofa with a soft groan he walked up to his room on the second floor.


    Luna wished to follow him too, but as Old Dan told her to stay, she could only stomp a little from frustration and watch as Raven disappeared at the corner of the door with his hands ced on his side.


    "Urgh... This will take at least four weeks to heal for sure." Raven mumbled as he closed the door behind his back andy down on the sole, queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.


    "Sigh... While it seems that my luck has gotten better within these Realm Games obviously because of my ne, I am still as cursed as ever in real life." Raven sighed bitterly and closed his eyes to take a nap.


    Though, after lying on the bed for several minutes straight without moving, suddenly his eyes snapped open as something he haspletely forgotten aboute across his mind.


    Hence, once he sat up carefully and ced his back against the bed''s frame, Raven waved his hand, and in an instant several items appeared in front of him on the bed.


    There were three small bottles, one containing ck, one golden, and one red liquid within, each seemingly having the ability to increase his Strength, Mystique, and Vitality Traits!


    There was also 1 small crystal orb with a scarcely transparent appearance, while beside it there was a small item that looked like a medicine pill with the sole exception that around its surface there were strange ck symbols, just like on his Realm Gate Detector.


    "Let''s drink these first," Raven mumbled as he grabbed the three bottles and poured their contents down his throat, increasing his Strength by 6, his Mystique by 4, and his Vitality by 3!


    "...It tastes the same as always," Raven said to himself as he put the three bottles down and was ready to grab to small crystal orb when suddenly a notification he didn''t expect to see popped up before his face.


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 10 points!]


    [Congrattions! You will be now given your first Avatar Imprint!]


    "What?" Raven was both confused and surprised by the sudden change of events, but even before he could have blinked twice a weird sensation swept through his whole body which soon turned into a piercing, causing his face to instantly contort into a painful grimace.

 Chapter 39 Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost

    "Argh... What... The hell is happening with me?" clenching his chest with a painful expression, Raven fell from his bed while a feeling akin to getting his heart pierced assaulted him without any sign of vanishing or lessening.


    [Calcting Participant''s [Number 69,311,011,369] characteristic, past achievements, strengths, shorings, and abilities in order to create Avatar Imprint!]


    "AR...Ghmm!!!" feeling that he was ready to scream up from the almost muscle tearing pain, Raven quickly grabbed the pillow from his side that fell to whether with him and bit on it.


    He did so powerfully that he almost seeded in bitting through the fabric which just showed how much pain he was feeling at this very moment!


    The pain went on for about 5 minutes straight, which in truth felt like an eternity for Rave, before it finally started to be weaker, allowing Raven to finally breathe up with relief.


    [Calcultationplete!]


    [Congrattions! Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost acquired!]


    Whoosh!


    In that very instant as Raven saw those words pop up before his face, he felt a warm andfortable sensation quickly sweeping through his body and also making the pain from his bodypletely vanish.


    "What the... Hell was that?" Raven mumbled with heavy breathing, struggling to use the side of his bed to climb back up.


    --------------------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost]


    ? Layer: First


    ? Description: A power born through your past deeds and your current self! It has 3 Effects that only affect you outside Realm Games or Realm Domains!


    <Avatar Imprints cannot be upgraded, enhanced, or boosted through any external means!>


    ~~~


    ? Luck Boost Effects:


    -> Your overall luck will be increased by 25% and the chances to be affected by any unfortunate events will decrease by 5%!


    -> Right before and during any unfortunate events that could threaten your well-being or directly risk your life your senses will sharpen by 20% and your luck will get an extra 30% boost! There is also a 1% chance that the unfortunate events will affect those who try to hurt you!


    -> In all chance-based games or events, if your chance to seed falls below 25% your chances immediately double!


    --------------


    "What the..." with still a painful grimace on his face, Raven squinted his eyes at the appearing magic panel and read the text visible on it.


    However, not even a second after he read from start to finish, with an obvious puzzled look, another panel appeared in his line of sight.


    [Congarttions! By bing the very first individual who pushed all Avatar Traits beyond 10 points, officially bing a True [Rank 1] Avatar, you have been rewarded to enter the backroom of the Realm Shop!]


    [Please be aware that at this moment only you can enter the backrooms of the Realm Shop! Anyone else trying to do so will be severely punished!]


    Whoosh!


    At that very instant Raven reached the end of the messages, a gentle breeze swept through the room despite the windows being close, and under Raven''s shocked gaze, a door materialized in the middle of the room.


    The door had the same appearance as the one Raven had once encountered back in the hotel room with Luna, with the only difference that this time it had a deep ck color with the handle being azure blue!


    Raven was confused for a few seconds, but soon he snapped out of his daze and quickly stood up from his bed, and after writing a few words on a piece of paper he walked to the door and touched it.


    Of course, he also made sure to put the rest of his rewards into his pocket, just in case someone tries to steal it.


    [Do you want to enter the backrooms of the Realm Shop?]


    The same question as previously appeared before Raven.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, I do," Raven replied with a nod and watched as everything around him turned ck before he found himself in the middle of arge room with numerous desks and shelves around him, each filled with various items or objects.


    "This, I must say, is a huge surprise indeed. To think out of everyone from your kind you will be the first one to obtain an Avatar Imprint... That is something I would have not believed even if she told me!"


    Suddenly, while Raven was looking around him with cautious eyes, a familiar voice appeared in his ear, quickly helping his scarcely tense nerves to calm down.


    It was, without any shadow of a doubt, Dinas.


    "What is this ce? Didn''t you tell me I won''t be able toe back here until a certain period of time?" Raven asked, not wasting his time to turn around as he knew Dinas was able to speak with him even without being physically present.


    "What I said was true. You won''t be able to go back to the first floor of the Realm Shop. However, this is not the first floor of my shop, but the backrooms of it; a very special ce that can be only essed by those who obtained their Avatar Imprints." Dinas exined with a rather excited tone of voice.


    "And... What is this ce?" Raven asked as he looked around and continued, "So far, for me, it looks as if everything here is the same."


    "That is only half true."


    "Huh? How so?" Raven asked, puzzled.


    At that question, Dinas just chuckled softly and said, "Just go and grab an item. You will understand it soon enough."


    Raven raised a brow at that statement, but still did as he was told and quickly picked up the closest item to him which looked like a small toothpick with the slight difference that it was made out of white wood and was half as thin.


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Cloud Tree Needle]


    ? Rarity: Umon


    ? Description: A small needle made out of the wood of a Cloud Tree. Fusing some Mystique into it will allow it to change its shape! Forrge amounts of Mystique, it can also change its size!


    ? Price: 200 Astral Cores


    <This Relic can be used both inside and outside Realm Games/Realm Domains!>


    -------------------------


    "WHAT?" Raven tried to hold back his disbelief once he finished reading, but thest sentence in the bracket was so shocking that he couldn''t.


    The Relic could be used both inside and outside of both Realm Games and Realm Domains? If that really meant what he was thinking it was, and he was sure it meant exactly that, after all, just who could misunderstand such a simple sentence, then things were even more serious than he initially believed them to be.


    "Did you say this ce can be essed by anyone that acquired their Avatar Imprint?" Raven asked with a graveplexion, putting the needle back to its ce and grabbing another item.


    "Yep. Though, while everyone will get the chance toe here for the first time without much trouble and difficulty, it won''t be the case after that."


    "Can you please exin that in greater detail?" Raven asked calmly.


    "Sure." Dinas agreed and quickly proceeded on exining, "Once someone acquires their Avatar Imprint they will be given the chance to enter the backrooms of my Realm Shop, where just like in my shop, they can buy items, relics, and other sweet goods in exchange for Astral Cores or other sites with an equivalent price."


    "However, once they leave the backrooms, they will be able toe back here if they find a special key, which can be used only once, and found as a reward in Realm Games."


    "This, on the other hand, luckily does not apply to you at all!"


    "Huh? Howe?" Raven was surprised to hear thest words of Dinas, but he quickly got his answer.


    Whoosh!


    "...A key?" Raven raised a brow seeing how a beautiful ck key with a unique shape materialized before him, floating half a meter away from his face in empty air.

 Chapter 40 Backroom Key

    The key floating in front of Raven was small, about an index finger long. It was made out of some kind of ck material, almost like obsidian, while its bow had a circr shape with a letter B shaped in its middle. As for its shoulder, shanks, and tip, they were formed in a way that represented a wave with small and sharp bits on it, giving it a rather unique appearance.


    "This... is a key? Why did it appear here?" Raven asked with a raised brow, showing no signs at all to grab the key.


    "You don''t have to feel scared, that key is harmless," Dinas then spoke calmly, "In fact, that key is your reward for being the very first human reaching the backrooms, hence this key is rightfully yours. Of course, until you have the strength to keep it with yourself."


    "Eh? What does that even m-"


    "Anyways! I advise you to take that key now or don''t me me for taking it back and giving it to the very next individual that will walk into this sacred ce! I am pretty sure whoeveres in next won''t hesitate even a second to take it!" Dinas suddenly dered, quickly forcing Raven to swallow his previous question and with clenched teeth grab the key.


    -------------------------


    [Item: Backroom Key]


    ? Rarity: Ultra Rare (Unique Item!)


    ? Description: A special key capable of opening the path into the Backroom of the Realm Shop through any doors if [Special Requirements] were met!


    ? Price: 1,000,000,000,000,000 Astral Cores (100% Discount!)


    <This Item requires also 1,000 units of Mystique (10 points of Mystique) every time it is used!>


    <This Item can only allow the person holding it to travel into the Backrooms of the Realm Shop!>


    ~~~


    [Special Requirements]


    -> Complete 5 Realm Games or clear 5 Realm Domains!


    -> Sacrifice 500 Astral Cores!


    -> Sacrifice 1 Realm Domain Core!


    <Sessfulpletion of Special Events or after every Worlds'' sh Rounds the Item can be automatically used!>


    -------------------------


    Raven''s eyes widened in disbelief when he reached the end of the description of the key, immediately causing numerous questions to pop up in his head.


    "No, don''t even waste your breath asking questions as I can''t answer any of them. No, it is better to say that I had been prohibited to tell more than necessary." Dinas quickly stopped Raven from speaking.


    "Prohibited? By who?" Raven frowned but soon, even without Dinas'' help he could easily figure out the individual he had been talking about.


    Etia.


    The goddess who caused all this mess and who was the reason humanity was literally on the verge of chaos. The only reason Earth had not fallen into a post-apocalyptic state was that the United World League held enough power at every point on the to keep everything under control.


    However, Raven knew for sure that if this would have happened before, or even worse, during the Third World War, things would have escted to such heights that it was not impossible to assume that humans would have pushed themselves to the verge of extinction!


    As Raven thought about this, unbeknownst to him his fingers tightened into fists despite he, at the moment, felt no anger or any negative emotions.


    "Well then, now that you have gotten your weing gift, why don''t you look around and check out my sweet little babies? I am sure you will find something your will like!" Dinas after a few seconds began to speak, his voice literally filled with the thirst for more wealth.


    ''How many Astral Cores do I have?'' Raven pondered as he summoned his Avatar Status and checked on his current amount of Astral Cores.


    "118..." Raven mumbled before he asked Dinas to help him make all the items above 119 Astral Cores vanish.


    <o>,m "Thank you," Raven said and after putting the key into his pocket he started to look around.</o>


    -


    -


    -<sub> </sub>


    2 hourster, inside Raven''s room within Old Dan''s mansion.


    Whoosh!


    Appearing out of thin air with a silver sh, Raven staggered a few steps until he regained his bnce while the door behind his back vanished from sight without leaving behind not even the slightest sign that it was there a few moments ago!


    "Raven!" while Raven was straightening his back, suddenly Luna''s anxious voice filled the room, attracting his attention in an instant.


    Luna was ready to jump at Raven when she saw how he appeared out of nowhere, but when she realized he was still injured she quickly stopped herself just in time.


    "What happened here? Where did that doore from? Are you okay? Did you get injured?" numbing her brother with all kinds of questions, Luna walked around Raven like a cute puppy, searching if she could spot anything weird and out of ordinary.


    "I am fine, don''t worry." Raven showed a smile but soon watched as another figure approached from the side.


    "Father."


    Dan stared at Raven in silence for a few seconds, but in the next moment he raised a brow, "Your wounds have healed?"


    "What?! That is impossible!" Luna refuted Dan''s question, however, when she saw how Raven stood straight without any painful expression or hand on his side, she became also puzzled.


    "Huh? Wait... It''s really true. I don''t feel pain at all and I can move around just as always!" Raven mumbled with disbelief before thinking, ''Also, now that I think about it, right after I have entered the backroom I didn''t feel any pain at all! Was I healed then? But how?''


    Even more questions than until now appeared in Raven''s head, his expression gradually shifting into a troubledplexion.


    Old Dan seemed to understand what Raven was thinking about hence he sighed and after pulling out the chair from the side and sitting down on it, he looked at his son and asked, "So? Care to exin to us what really happened here and on the other side of that door?"


    Luna was also curious and nodded as a way to show it, but she decided to remain beside Raven almost as if she feared he would vanish if she took even a single step backward.


    As for Raven, seeing both his father and his little sister, he could do nothing but sigh, and after he plopped down onto his bed with Luna beside him he began to narrate everything from start to finish.


    Time passed just like that, and half an hourter, when he told everything, Raven sighed and said, "And that is everything."


    Dan pondered in silence for a long time, his gaze fixed on the key that Raven made into a ne before he sighed and asked, "About this item, you have mentioned earlier. The one that can be used even outside Realm Games and Realm Domains. Can you show me?"


    Raven nodded his head and gently waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    The item that appeared out of thin air in Raven''s hand was a pair of fingerless gloves, one having a white while the other one having a golden color. Both felt smooth to the touch, however, with enough force pressed on them their surface could be as hard as steel!


    "This is called the Collector''s Gloves. When I wear them, they grant me the ability to either double the items I collect or I can enhance their effects to a small degree. Though, it does not work every time as it has and Activation Requirement which is depending on one''s luck."


    "Huh?" both Old Dan and Luna were puzzled for several moments before thetter frowned and asked;


    "Okay, let me get this straight. You have gone to this... backrooms after sessfully breaking all of your Traits through 10 points, correct?"


    "Yes."


    "And inside that ce, hundreds of thousands of items were lying on shelves and tables, the majority of them having the ability to grant you powers that so far could have been only used inside of Realm Games and Realm Domains, right?"


    "That is correct."


    "Yet, you still have decided to choose those gloves, that are not only useless outside those death games, but even work solely on items acquired within there. Why?"


    "And that is incorrect." Raven shook his head and showed a smug smile, "Just who said these gloves cannot be used outside Realm Games and Realm Domains?"


    "But you have just said, items you collect while wearing them." Old Dan was confused, showing a deep frown.


    "Oh... It seems I have exined it wrong," Ravenughed awkwardly and after he stood up he walked in front of his desk and grabbed a pen with his ck glove on.


    "When I said to collect, I meant to touch, meaning, whenever I touch an item, whether it is small orrge, I can either enhance their effects, s I can make them more effective, or..."


    And once Raven reached that point in his talk, under the confused gazes of Dan and Luna, the pen within his hand started to glow with a ck light before it gradually split, quickly bing two with the exact same appearance!

 Chapter 41 Cheat-Like Ability

    Standing inside a spacious silver square room with Old Dan, Luna, and Thomas, Raven looked at all the items around him, ced in an orderly and neat fashion before he nced at his after and asked, "Just from where did you get all of this stuff?"


    Hundreds of pouches, filled with various materials that could not be found on Earth, different essories, items that can grant varied effects or skills, and all kinds of smaller objects that seemingly had numerous uses.


    All the items around Raven were stuff one could only obtain from either Realm Games in the form of rewards or Realm Domains in the form of loot!


    Naturally, Raven was well-aware that ever since their guild had been officially formed Dan ordered numerous teams to explore other Realm Gates, but to think just in less than a week this much loot was collected- it was a feat that was insanely outstanding and unexpected!


    ? "After our ck Moon Guild had been officially formed, we had been tasked by the Realm Association to explore numerous Realm Gates and if possible clear the Realm Games within. Of course, we must share 40% of the things we gathered inside while we can do whatever we want with the remaining 60%." Old Dan exined as he looked around with a proud look.


    "I see." Raven nodded and after walking before the closest item, which seemed to be a small piece of wood, he looked at Old Dan and said, "Though I must say, once I touch an item and my gloves fail to do their magic, I can''t try again. I can only try once with every item."


    "Even if you can duplicate or enhance the effects of just 10% of the items here, that will be more than enough. After all, it''s like gaining more resources without even risking anyone''s life!" Old Dan stated with a small smile with Thomas and Luna nodding beside him.


    Hearing his foster father''s words, Raven nodded softly also and without saying anything went to grab the first pouch with his left hand, which had the ck glove on.


    Since he had the chance to either double or enhance the effects of any item, Raven decided to do the former on materials such as pouches, ores, or items with strong abilities while he uses histter ability on items that seemed to be weak and useless to make them stronger!


    Like this, he not only can increase the ck Moon Guild''s resources greatly but he can also boost its strength by a considerable margin! And all this through doing nothing but simply touching the items!


    ''Although my luck in real life so far was not great, could be said non-existent, things now will be different. With the Effects my Avatar Imprint grants me, I will be able to do more than until now!'' Raven thought as he grabbed the pouch and activated his Collecter''s Glove.


    However, waiting even after several seconds after he did, nothing happened.


    Although scarcely disappointed, Raven didn''t feel helpless and quickly went to grab the next pouch on the right. But, just like previously, this time didn''t happen anything either.


    ''If we consider that previously I had zero luck but now it was increased by 25%, I should seed around every 4th try, right?'' Raven asked himself and went to grab the third pouch, only to fail once again.


    Of course, his Avatar Imprint''s third Effect currently didn''t work as what he was doing at the moment was not a chance-based game nor an event. This meant, at the moment the only thing he could rely on was his luck.


    ''Wait... I still have the second Effect, but...''


    But for that to activate he must be under constant danger, which, while was possible to achieve if he asked either of the three behind his back, was something he very likely would avoid. After all, triggering the second effect really needed one to wish to kill him or at least harm him, which he doubted Dan or Thomas would do, not to mention Luna.


    ''Well, if my sess rate falls below th expected I just have to ask Old Dan.'' Raven shrugged and grabbed the 4th pouch, which this time shed with a ck glow and quickly split into two!


    "Marvelous... To think such an ability can truly exist." seeing the magic Thomas eximed out loud in awe.


    "While I must agree that those gloves grant their wearer powers that can be considered heaven-defying, let''s not forget they can work so efficiently in the hands of someone like Raven." Old Dan replied with a calm gaze.<sub> </sub>


    Thomas upon hearing Dan''s words nodded as hepletely agreed with him. After all, Thomas was pretty sure if he would be wearing those gloves, his chances to seed would be one out of every ten if not one out of every 20!


    Putting back the two pouches from his hand onto the shelf, suddenly Raven remained motionless. Then, as if realizing something thanks to his father''s words he turned around and said, "We should bring these into the Realm Domain."


    "Huh?" both Old Dan and Thomas were surprised by the sudden question.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Raven, looking at the items around him before directed his gaze at the gloves on his hands then at the ne hanging down his neck, and said, "I think I have found a way to use these gloves'' ability to the utmost best!"


    ...


    "And this is thest one." standing at the perimeter of the Realm Domain from the inside, Old Dan shifted his attention from the crates on his side at Raven, who at this moment was staring at therge hotel in the far distance.


    "Just ignore it." Old Dan waved his hand as he said, "Although it is true that the interior of it changedpletely and those huge beasts finally decided to show up, assuming because of the Evolution, they can''t leave the building."


    Raven hearing his father''s exnation nodded as he was well aware of what had happened inside this Realm Domain ever since it has undergone the so-called Evolution.


    The interior of the hotel became at least twice as big, the number of shards found inside doubled also, and even those tworge snakes they met with during the Realm Game had emerged.


    Raven even heard from Thomas about how those two beasts seeded in killing a bunch of new recruits who had the task to explore the interior of the building for the first time. Among them, there was even an individual who possessed a rather useful Artifact, which was a huge loss for the ck Moon Guild!


    Thinking about this, Raven shook his head helplessly before he turned serious again and quickly opened the lid of the first crate beside him.


    Then, once he saw the numerous pouches carefully ced inside, he extended his hand and took it out. And to his delight, the pouch immediately split, bing two instead of one with the materials inside them is the same amount and quality!


    "It seems that I was right," Raven mumbled with a satisfied grin as he went to grab another pouch, watching how it split too just like the earlier one!


    Just as he thought! While it was true and was happy that his luck increased by 25% outside Realm Games and Realm Domains, as his Avatar Imprint was only active outside them, his luck within was still shit, almost nonexistence!


    This meant, that his Reverse Star-Crossed Ne was still granting him an inhuman amount of luck inside Realm Games and Realm Domains, hence allowing him to seed almost 100% of the time with his gloves on!


    And to prove him that he was right, the next twenty pouches Raven touched all split, while he only failed after the twenty-first attempt!


    ''Haha! I am a genius!'' for the first time in his life, Raven was truly proud of himself, and with an excited smile stered all over his face, he began to grab the items from the crates one after another while hepletely ignored the dumbfounded stares directed at him from Old Dan and the rest on his side.

 Chapter 42 Preliminary Realm Core (1)

    Standing beforerge crates, Raven used his Collector''s Gloves to either double the items he touched or enhance their effects, which turned out to have a better result than he had initially believed it would be!


    Previously, he thought by using his white glove to boost a treasure''s skills would be only by a small degree, like if he touched a Golden Vein Bracelet that could increase one''s Mystique by 5 points it would grow to 7 or 8, but it seemed that was not the case at all!


    It turned out that if the treasure increased one''s Avatar Trait he could increase the basic amount by at least 5 points while if it was a skill or ability he could enhance their effects such as radius or simply decrease their activation requirements such as Mystique!


    Furthermore, because he was using his gloves within the Realm Domain, where his Reverse Star-Crossed Ne could work properly, he seeded almost all the time, only failing to use his gloves'' abilities once or twice after every 100 attempts!


    In the end, he literally doubled the amount of wealth the ck Moon Guild had previously, indicating that at this moment, without any shadow of a doubt, they were the strongest and the wealthiest guild among all the currently existing guilds!


    "This was thest one?" handing a small blue ring to one of the guild members who will bring the things back to the warehouse where every collected resource was kept, Dan turned around to face his son who at this moment was gazing at therge hotel in the distance.


    Thomas, standing beside Dan as if suddenly realizing something put his hands into the small pouch that always hung on his waist and pulled out a few times, including the Storage Box that was capable of keeping numerous items within.


    Old Dan upon seeing this pped himself on the face and quickly took down the essories from his body. It seemed, that he was so immersed in marveling over his son''s achievements that hepletely forgot that he also had treasures in his body.


    Raven just smiled and without hesitation used his gloves'' powers to enhance the effects on the essories while only using his duplication ability on the little box. Of course, out of the 10 or so treasures, his gloves'' ability failed, but luckily just once.


    As for Luna, Raven had no chance but to use his gloves on her treasures at ater date as she currently was not around. She had been sent to explore a newly emerged Realm Gate with Darwin; she was told to do so by Old Dan, but for what reason, Raven didn''t know.


    Perhaps because she was one of the strongest members within the ck Moon Guild, hence her presence was needed while Old Dan, Thomas, and Raven were doing their tasks here.


    "Anything else?" Raven asked as he couldn''t stop but asionally steal nces toward the hotel''s direction in the center of the Realm Domain.


    "Master Dan, if I may. I believe it would be a great idea to use the Young Master''s gloves on the treasures of our guild members too." Thomas suddenly brought up an idea.


    Old Dan looked at his butler and after pondering a little while he nodded softly.


    "That is indeed a great idea. Though, as everyone is far away and busy exploring Realm Gates as they had been tasked, we should do thister when everything has calmed down a little."


    "About that, I don''t think that would be a great idea."


    "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Old Dan looked at Raven with a raised brow when hearing him suddenly talking.


    Raven, as an answer, just took out his small manual from his pocket and opened it on a specific page.


    --------------


    ? Worlds'' sh, universalpetition among all living races in existence until only one stands!


    <23 days, 12 hours, and 1 minute before the start of the first round!><sub> </sub>


    --------------


    "I don''t know if you all have forgotten about this, but I did not." Raven stated calmly but also with a grave face, "Although 23 days are a lot, considering that we have the most resources after the Realm Association and yet we were able to increase our Ranks only just by 1, at the very best by 2, it is a pathetically small amount of time."


    "Like, in thest Realm Game, Luna, who had several of her Traits above 10 points was almost killed if it were not for meing to her rescue at the veryst moment!"


    "But you said you said you killed the beast with a single strike." Dan showed a small frown while deep within his heart he started to understand what his son was trying to say.


    Raven rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, I did. But only because the weapon I used at that moment granted me great strength while my Traits were way above average."


    He then slowly added, "Though, if I want to bepletely honest, if it hadn''t been for my weapon, I am pretty sure I would have died at that moment."


    "Young Master, you underestimate yourself and your strength way too much," Thomas added coolly, however, Raven still shook his head.


    "I don''t, Thomas. Although it is true that I only have a rough guess about my real strength when ites to my Traits, I know for sure that I was able to kill that beast because I have caught off its guard." Raven said gravely, even recalling how therge spider moved just as fast as him despite it not even taking him as a serious threat!


    For some reason, Raven had a hunch that with his current strength if he would encounter the beast for a second time, he would stand only a little chance to emerge as the victor and would very likely die in seconds!


    Seeing as Old Dan and Thomas looked at each other and pondered silently, Raven sighed and said, "What I want to say with all this, is that even with all the resources we have acquired so far, we are so weak that 99% of us would die without the chance to put up a fight against a beast that is seemingly just a simple enemy inside the ''weakest'' type of Realm Games!"


    "And exactly because of this, I think we should do everything we can to be strong as fast as possible and wait for nothing. After all, we don''t know what chaos will wait for us once this "Worlds'' sh" will start."


    Old Dan touched his chin once Raven finished talking and hummed quietly.


    "Yeah, you are right. Although I am sure we did not waste our time in these 8 days, our process is still considered slow so we should really pick our pace up."


    "Though, because we can''t just halt and leave all of our work with the Realm Gates behind, not even for a day, as at the end of the day the majority of our resources and information are gathered from them, we first have to make a schedule to make sure Raven will be able to use his power on everyone."


    "That, please leave it to me." Thomas bowed gently before he said, "Though, I would advise in collecting the items and essories from everyone and allowing the Young Master to use his treasure on them in privacy. That way, we can avoid ''unwanted'' attention falling on us."


    Knowing what Thomas meant by his words Old Dan nodded, showing he found the idea suitable for numerous reasons.


    Raven listened to his father''s and Old Dan''s conversation in silence, and while he was a little puzzled why they won''t just decide to collect every guild member''s essories and items while letting them continue on with their tasks, he quickly realized the reason.


    It was because without their treasures equipped, they would be significantly weaker, meaning their chances to seed toplete Realm Games or clearing Realm Domains would drop dramatically too!


    This, obviously would give the other guilds thatpeted against them not only the perfect chance to catch up but also to attempt to report their inefficiency to the Realm Association which as a result would give their currently owned Realm Gates or Realm Domains to other guilds, forcing the ck Moon Guild to lose huge amounts of resources and wealth in instants!


    Thinking about this, Raven directed his gaze at therge building in the far distance, only to be halted by a firm grip on his arm just before he could have taken his second step.

 Chapter 43 [Bonus Chapter] Preliminary Realm Core (2)

    "Where are you going?"


    Feeling a firm grip on his arm, Raven lowered his gaze at the owner of the hand, only to see that it belonged to his father, Dan.


    ''How did he move so fast?'' Raven narrowed his eyes when he realized just how fast Dan crossed the few meters between them, but as he watched him take his hand off him he sighed and pointed at the building, "I will go and explore it, of course."


    In that instant, Old Dan''s already grave expression became even graver, and quickly shook his head, "No, I won''t let you go there."


    "You don''t have to worry, I will be fine." Raven calmed his foster father with a confident smile, knowing what he was currently thinking.


    However, even like that Old Dan shook his head reluctantly while Thomas on his side took a step forward and exined, "Young Master, it is not about whether you can protect yourself or not, it''s about the danger lurking inside."


    "Are you talking about the beasts?" Raven asked as he raised a brow.


    He could clearly remember how Dan could punch the snakes around as if they were nothing but punchbags even with his less than 10 points of Strength at that time, so he didn''t quite understand why they both looked so serious all of a sudden.


    Yes, a group of recruits died within, but Raven was also told that except for the one with the useful Artifact all of them had less than 10 points for each Traits!


    Hell, he even heard how some of them possessed zero points for several Traits which included Speed and even Strenght too! With such a pathetic Status it was no wonder they have died- and of course, Raven thought like this without any intention to look down on them, especially not after they have already died!


    As if guessing his thoughts, Old Dan gave a sideways nce at Thomas who as a result nodded softly and began to speak;


    "Can you remember when I told you how those new recruits died within this Realm Domain?"


    "About the group of ten individuals from which one possessed a strong Artifact that enhanced all of his Avatar Traits greatly? Yes, I can. You told me they died while they were exploring the interior of that building." Raven although confused replied with a nod and casually gestured toward the building with his thumb.


    "Well, that is not quite right. That person''s Artifact was not as simple as Avatar Trait Enhancement as it could allow him to transfer all of his Traits into a single Trait for a brief period of time!"


    "What?!" Raven was shocked beyond belief, "And you have still let him go in there which had yet to be explored?!"


    Raven was speeches beyond belief.


    What did it mean to have the ability to transfer the points of one Avatar Trait to another? If Raven wished to showcase it, that would mean he would be free to transfer his 18 points of Strength to his 21 points of Speed, allowing him to have a total of 39 points!


    Yet, that was only if he transferred the points of a single Avatar Trait!


    However, if what Thomas just said was true, the recruit who just died was able to transfer all the points of each of his Avatar Traits into a single Trait! That was just so fucking powerful that in the long run, it could easily make a powerhouse from anyone, even if that anyone was aplete retard!


    Thomas sighed with regret at Raven''s question while Old Dan showed sorrow and a little hint of anger, obviously showing it was their mistake that they allowed that individual to enter the Domain.


    ''Wait, if someone even with such a powerful Artifact ended up dying without any chance to survive whether it was inside an unexplored Realm Domain, things must be even direr than I have thought.'' Raven thought to himself, realization shing within his eyes.


    "I see you have understood it, good." Thomas sighed with relief, "That is why I highly disagree with you entering that building, or at least not alone."


    ''So not only the interior of the Domains will change once they undergo Evolution but even the beasts within will get stronger, interesting.'' Raven thought with scarcely narrowed eyes.


    "Now that you know what danger lurks within that building''s walls, you now understand why it is not a good choi-"


    "I will still go inside, though." Raven quickly interrupted Old Dan with a casual shrug, dumbfounding both him and Thomas before him.


    "I swear I will smack him in the head..." snapping out of his daze, Old Dan clenched his teeth and hissed, seemingly on the verge to step closer to Raven and beating some sense into him.


    Like, they have just told him how a person with slightly above average Avatar Traits, great and useful essories, and a powerful Artifact just died without any chance to remain alive, yet, in spite of all these, he still wanted to go inside?


    Slowly, Old Dan started to doubt whether he raised Raven properly way or not as right now he felt it was thetter one. It seemed like Raven had lost all hismon sense and became aplete bonehead without any brain inside!<sub> </sub>


    Or it was also possible that he just simply became arrogant because he all of a sudden possessed a little bit of strength that others had yet to reach.


    Raven seemed to understand his father''s thoughts, after all his face at the moment was like an open book, but still shook his head and even raised his hand, holding a small bottle of perfume in his hand.


    "What''s that?" Dan squinted his eyes, but when took it away from his son his eyes immediately widened.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Forgotten Perfume]


    ? Grade: Mortal


    ? Form: Advanced


    ? Description: A unique perfume capable of disguising one''s presence and odor from other living beings.


    <The Relic can only be used 3 times!>


    <Cooldown: The effect onlysts 30 minutes for the first time, 20 minutes for the second time, and 10 minutes for the third time!>


    <If you get found while under the Forgotten Perfume''s effect, your Vitality increases by 3/6/9 depending on how many times you have already used the Relic!>


    --------------


    "As I said, you don''t have to worry," Raven said calmly as he took back the perfume from Old Dan, which obviously was the Relic he got after throwing his dice, and continued, "With this, I can explore the building without getting caught."


    "But... Those beasts are snakes."


    "Yeah, several meters long and wide snakes with hats akin to hotel staff," Raven said with a straight face, and even before Old Dan or Thomas could say a word he continue, "Of course, regardless of all that, they can still have the ability to sense others inside their through vibrations, and that is why I will use these."


    As he reached that point, Raven pointed down at his feet, which at some point in time had tworge, brown, leather boots on, their feet seemingly made out of some kind of squishy material.


    "...You didn''t just steal one of our Silent Hide Boots, did you?" Old Dan frowned, realizing the pair of boots on his son''s feet were ones they have kept so far inside the warehouse as except for a silent walk they werepletely useless.


    "Steal?" Raven raised a brow, looking a little offended, and quickly said, "I just borrowed it."


    "And when did you want to tell me?"


    "I did. Just now." Raven replied with a calm grin before he turned around and dashed away, reaching the entrance of the building in mere seconds.


    "Bullshit!" thick veins popped up on Dan''s neck and forehead, almost ready to pop, but just as he was ready to chase after Raven, two individuals wearing the uniform only those with high status within the ck Moon Guild could wear, ran inside the Domain, each holding a terrified expression on their faces.


    "G-Guild Master... We have a problem! A HUGE problem!"


    Old Dan frowned, but seeing how the two in front of him were paler than a piece of paper, he slowly started to feel unease too, hence he had no choice but to look at Thomas on his side with a serious gaze.


    "As you wish." Thomas nodded with gravity and without any hesitation dashed toward the building in the distance, obviously following after Raven.


    As for Old Dan...


    "Now then, tell me what happened."

 Chapter 44 Preliminary Realm Core (3-Last)

    How fast was an average person in terms of speed?


    Well, ording to studies, a human who didn''t move regrly could run around 10 km/h to 13 km/h which is between 6 to 8 mph roughly.


    And what about those who moved on a regr basis, went to the gym at least four days a week, and did sports like football or athletics in a professional way? Surprisingly, they were able to easily reach 24 km/h which was equivalent to 15 mph!


    But, shockingly enough, after the sudden appearance of the mysterious Realm Games, magical Artifacts, and Avatar Traits that granted one inhuman and fantasy-like powers, all of that changed drastically.


    In the past, Raven could easily remember how he couldn''t even run a single mile without getting exhausted. Hell, he even struggled for his life with his already increased Speed and Constitution after running for less than 30 minutes during his first Realm Game! He even almost copsed from fatigue, just how pathetic was that?


    However, just in a little over a week, that changedpletely.


    Now with his Avatar Traits all above 10 points, Raven was like a living machine, a beast from a fantasy novel disguised as a human.


    He became faster to the point where he could easily reach 70 km/h if he wished to, which naturally reacquire massive amounts of stamina in exchange. His Strenght increased so much that while he couldn''t fight properly, after all, he had yet to learn any martial skills or battle techniques, he could easily crack or even shatter a boulder depending on its size!


    He also noticed how his senses sharpened and how everything around him felt slower and also clearer when he either ran or moved a little bit faster than he would normally; this seemingly was because of his Dexterity Trait.


    Thus, because of all this, Raven was not surprised at all when he watched how he literally shed before the hotel''s entrance, traveling more than 500 meters in just a few seconds.


    ''Though, although I can move fast, my stamina gets depleted just as fast if not faster. I should watch out for this.'' Raven thought to himself as grabbed the handle of the door and once he opened it walked inside.


    The interior looked the same as previously with the only difference being the size, whichpared to the previous time, was around twice asrge! The reception desk became double its size, the paintings on the walls now were as big as a regr human, and the floating shards now had the size of a newborn baby.


    Raven scanned his surroundings for a few seconds with a serious expression and once he made sure he heard and saw no movement, he walked over to the closest floating shard and touched it.


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------


    [Scroll: Wasp Arrow Crafting Blueprint]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Level of Complexity: Easy


    ? Description: A simple but rather lethal item with toxic properties that with the appropriate materials can be easily crafted and produced inrge numbers!<sub> </sub>


    --------------------------


    In Raven''s hands, a ck paper scroll about the size of 10 inches appeared in his hand. Around its middle, a thick white string was tied in a ribbon, allowing one to easily untie it if wished.


    Looking at the description, Raven couldn''t help but think about the Earth Javelin Blueprint he grabbed and read during his time back in the Realm Shop before a sudden realization hit him like a truck.


    ''I knew it! I knew that I will forget to bring that box!'' Raven facepalmed himself, as at this moment he only had his coat''s and jean''s pockets to store his items.


    ''Wait, maybe this can work.'' then, suddenly running back to the reception desk, Raven grabbed therge vase ced on its side and put the scroll inside.


    ''Although it has no massive space as inside the Storage Box, I can still use it to ce the more important items inside.'' Raven thought to himself as he carried the vase in his hand to the next shard, which after he touched turned into an Avatar sk, one that increased his Dexterity by 3.


    ''Let''s make that 8, shall we?'' Raven showed a smile and using his Collector''s Glove enhancing ability he quickly turned the number 3 into 8 on the Avatar sk''s description.


    ''Perfect!'' Ravenughed in his head and without hesitation chugged the bottle with one single motion!


    Then, once he emptied the bottle, he carefully ce it on the ground and proceeded to walk to the next shard, which quickly turned into a pouch filled with numerous small and shiny azure ores, called Sky Mithril.


    After cing that also into the vase, Raven proceeded to turn shards into items. If they were Avtar sk, depending on the number of Traits they could increase he either duplicated them or enhanced their effects while if they were items with great usage he ced them into the vase.


    As for the items that Raven had already seen and thought were useless or if he had already collected enough from the same kind, he just simply left them behind; after all, his vase had no infinite amount of storage space so he had no other choice but to do this.


    Of course, once he leaves, he will notify Thomas to send recruits, ones that were strong, inside to collect them.


    Raven kept walking around the ce with hisrge vase in hand, but although he seemed to walk aimlessly, in truth, he had a target he wished to reach. And that was the center of this hotel.


    As for the reason?


    It was because the moment he acquired his Backroom Key, its description talked about a Realm Core. At that moment, Raven was puzzled as he didn''t know what that was, but just when he was about to leave the backrooms he was told by Dinas that Realm Cores were unique treasures that could be found in the center of every Realm Domain.


    And of course, he also mentioned that they can be sold for astronomical wealth.


    ''Last time when we explored this ce we have found nothing. I wonder if this time I can.'' Raven thought to himself and the closer he got to the central area the slower his steps became while he also decided to use his perfume and stop collecting shards.


    Walking through numerous hallways with his Silent Hide Boots on, Raven was able to move as silently as a real assassin from movies and it took him less than 15 minutes to reach his target. Though, the sight that waited for him there was something he had not expected to see at all!

 Chapter 45 Blue Realm Gate (1)

    Hiding behind a thick pir, just at the edge of thisrge green field which was seemingly an indoor garden with a simple t ss roof atop, Raven stared at the sight in front of him with wide eyes.


    ''You must be kidding me, right?'' a surge of anxiety swept through Raven''s body the very next second.


    Before him, in the center of therge basketball court-sized garden, a wooden shrine with a rather ancient style stood majestically while inside it a small white orb could be seen floating, emitting a gentle white light.


    It looked just like a miniature star, making one wish to grab it.


    However, no matter how beautiful the shrine on the raised stone pir looked with the colorful flowers around it and with the floating orb within, Raven''s eyes were fixed on the humongous beasts on both sides of the small monument.


    The two beasts, obviously, were the two snakes that chased after Raven and his father before this Realm Domain was formed; one white and one ck, the former wearing the hat of a kitchen chief while thetter wearing the hat of a doorman!


    Raven stared at the beasts with a scarcely worried look as both seemed to have grown twice as big as they were during their first encounter, however, his uneasiness gradually vanished.


    It was because even after standing there for 5 minutes straight, the two beasts didn''t notice him at all. Assuming from their closed eyes, Raven believed they were sleeping soundlessly.


    ''This should be the best chance, right? Should I try and sneak there?'' Raven contemted silently as he stared at the small orb, but just as he could havee to a conclusion something behind him grabbed his shoulder firmly, freaking the shit out of him.


    Luckily, whoever was the one behind him also ced a hand before his mouth, or else he was bound to scream up from sheer horror.


    "Young Master, please calm down, it''s just me."


    ''Thomas?'' hearing the extremely quiet whisper in his ear, Raven closed his eyes and with a continuous but slow sigh, he made sure to reagin hisposure.


    ''I was too engrossed in my thoughts that I havepletely ignored the things happening around me.'' Raven thought with a scarcely pale face, realizing that he could have not reacted at all if Thomas would have wanted to harm him.


    Although it was true that he was inside a Domain that was under the supervision of the ck Moon Guilds, it was still possible to encounter unknown dangers which can easily cause his demise.


    After all, this was a Domain that not only had not been explored entirely but was also one that underwent Evolution, something humanity waspletely oblivious about what it really did.


    Wait... Just since when did he start thinking like this? No, a better question was just since when did his thinking be so... dark and cautious?


    It was true that he was never the type of person who freaked out on things and lost the ability to think in dire situations, but he was not a super spy or someone who had been trained through special means for years either. He was just a human.


    This was also true in how fast he had been able to adapt to all the current chaos happening around the world, which seemed to be abnormally fast.


    Yes, he knew that eight days were enough for any humans to get adapted to any changes, but in his case and in this worldwide situation, it happened just way too fast.


    Like, for instance, the very moment he got back from his first Realm Game, except for confusion he was not scared and terrified about the possible future at all, just like how his father looked despite him trying to hide it, Raven felt way too calm.


    This also showed back inside the Star Pce. During that time, everyone inside that hall while holding serene facades their eyes held uncertainty and fear. They all looked like scared kids in a dark room while he, on the other hand, seemed to be just perfectly fine!


    Damn, now that he was thinking back, only he was the one who ate from the food there while those that held tes with cakes on them or sses of wine just did so to lessen the tension in the atmosphere!


    Even the faces of each individual their ck Moon Guild had recruited so far held a hint of anxiety, akin to soldiers on a battlefield that deep within knew they could die at any moment!


    ''This is not right.'' Raven thought with a weird face, but as Thomas made him turn around he had no choice but to push the matter aside for the time being.


    "We have to leave, now!" Thomas whispered, continuously ncing at the two beasts behind Raven''s back, fearing his voice will attract their attention.


    Raven furrowed his brows upon seeing the nervous look on Thomas''s usually calm and collected face, but when he looked behind over his shoulder at the small orb, he clenched his teeth and handed the vase from his hand to Thomas.


    ''?!''


    "Stay here, I will be quick," Raven whispered and after spraying once at Thomas with his perfume he quickly began to sneak toward the shrine.


    "Y-Young Mas-" Thomas'' face paled, but as he heard how the ck snake on the right snorted loudly, his muscles tensed and he froze motionlessly.


    ''He will be alright... He will be alright.'' Thomas calmed himself down with those words and watched with anxiety as Raven sneaked closer and closer to the shrine.


    With his special boots and perfume that made him silent and literally invisible, Raven was able to walk silently before the small monument and inspect the orb from a closer look.


    [You have discovered Preliminary Realm Core.]


    [Do you wish to collect it?]


    [Warning! If you collect the core, the Realm Domain will copse and disappear!]


    ''What?!'' Raven''s eyes widened when he noticed the appearing panels around him before his brows lowered into a confused frown.


    Should he collect the orb? But if he does, not only will he make this Ream Domain disappear, which technically was a free loot farm thanks to his ne, but also raised the possibility that the snakes will wake up and hunt him and Thomas down even before the Domain copses.


    Thinking about this, Raven opened his Avatar Status to check something.


    ------------------<sub> </sub>


    [Avatar Status]


    ~~~


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: Rank 2 (True Rank: 1)


    ? Avatar Title/s: Chaotic Survivor


    ? Avatar ss: None


    ? Avatar Imprint/s: 1st Layer - Luck Boost


    ? Artifact/s: Dice of Fate


    ? Rune Mark/s: Death Runner (+1)


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 18 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 24 [5]


    ¡ã Strength: 28 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 27 [6]


    ¡ã Constitution: 29 [6]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 25 [0]


    <You have 9 Avatar Points that you can freely distribute!>


    ------------------


    ''Oh... I havepletely forgotten about these.'' Raven thought to himself once he noticed he had 9 extra Avatar Points which he acquired as a reward from the previous Realm Game.


    As for his 3 extra passive points next to his Speed and Constitution Trait, that was the result of him enhancing the effect of his only Rune Mark, his Death Runner. It turned out that little pill he obtained also as a reward had the use to enhance Runa Marks if swallowed!


    ''I will just put two to my Vitality, three to my Strength and Speed, and one to my Constitution.''


    Whoosh!


    [Congrattions! You have increased some of your Avatar Traits beyond 30 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully be Rank 1!]


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 20 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully be a True Rank 2!]


    ''Even with such a ridiculous Status, I don''t feel confident taking on these two beasts.'' Raven thought wryly as he felt how his body underwent changes inside, giving him a peculiar feeling that was hard to describe.


    Though because it onlysted for a few seconds and he felt it would be better to go, Raven after giving one final nce at the orb turned around and left.


    It was better to leave now and don''t push his seemingly perfect luck. After all, at the end of the day, he was still just a nobody who except for basic self-defense techniques knew nothing about fights much less how to kill two humungous beasts!


    Perhaps if he would still have the Yin-Yang Yo-Yo he would have the courage to try something ridiculous but without that... Hell no!


    "Let''s go." whispering once he was beside Thomas, Raven quickly started to walk away.


    Thomas seeing that nothing happened sighed with relief and with a nod followed after Raven.


    The two moved faster the further away they got from the two beasts and the small wooden shrine, and in a matter of 15 minutes, they were finally outside the building.


    "So? What happened?" once they reached the perimeter of the Realm Domain, Raven halted his steps and looked at Thomas with crossed arms before his chest.


    Thomas after putting down the vase he carried until now on the ground, dusted his clothes off and said, "I don''t know what happened, we were only told a problem had arisen somewhere, a huge problem at that."


    "A huge problem?" Raven furrowed his brows.


    "I think we should go and find Master Dan," Thomas suggested to which Raven nodded and after picking up the vase he quickly walked outside the Realm Domain.

 Chapter 46 [Bonus Chapter] Blue Realm Gate (2-Last)

    After asking someone to bring the vase back into the warehouse where the other items and materials collected from Realm Domains were kept, Thomas quickly got in touch with Old Dan.


    Speaking on the phone for several minutes straight, Thomas''s face first looked indifferent with only a hint of nervousness visible in his eyes, but that soon turned into disbelief before bing as grave as a stone statue.


    "What happened?" Raven asked as he stood beside Thomas, feeling that whatever his father''s butler got to learn was anything but good news.


    Thomas lowering his arm and putting his phone away nced at Raven in silence and after pondering for a second or two, he said, "It seems a new type of Realm Gate appeared."


    Raven raised a brow without saying anything and let Thomas continue.


    "This new type of Realm game appeared inside Nova City about a few hours ago. ording to the report that Master Dan got and shared with me, the gate is twice as big as normal Realm Gates while its color is weirdly blue."


    "A Blue Realm Game?" Raven was confused.


    Currently, all around the world, Realm Gates only with the color white appeared from which just a few had either one or two ck circles carved into their surface. They also had the exact same size, hence hearing that in Nova City appeared a new one made him think about only one thing;


    ''Another difficulty...''


    So far white Realm Gates were the easiest ones toplete ording to his and everyone''s little book. This meant there were other Realm Gates with increased difficulty and it seemed blue Realm Gates were the next level!


    "However, this is not everything." Thomas soon continued, making Raven start to feel a little headachee over his head.


    "The Realm Association gathered people for various rewards to explore the Realm Gate and find out what kind of Realm Game one needed to aplish if entered. However..."


    Reaching that point, Thomas let out a small sigh with a soft shake of his head and stated, "Not even 5 minutes after the volunteers entered the Realm Gate they were all quickly thrown out, all of them ending up with injuries, each varying in severity. One even ended up being paralyzed on his right hand."


    "Also, not long after that, they discovered that all of them lost their Artifacts while a portion of their umted Avatar Traits, as a result of failing toplete the task within, had decreased!"


    Raven''s eyes snapped wide open in a sh, his lips parted and closed from time to time as he tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth.


    In the end, he could only frown gravely with a troubled expression on his face.


    "Is he already on his way to Nova City?" Raven asked immidieatly, referring to Old Dan with his question.


    "He is. He also took others with him as it seems the Realm Association wants our guild to explore the inside of the gate. No, it would be better to say we had been ordered to do so."


    "Bruh..." Raven blurted out, surprising Thomas.


    Noticing his mistake, Raven quickly cleared his throat and asked, "Did he take Luna with him?"<sub> </sub>


    Of course, Raven could have asked why they, the ck Moon Guild were the ones who had to explore the dangers within that new Realm Gate, but the answer was pretty much obvious; it was because out of all the guilds, they possessed the most recruits, the biggest wealth, and possibly the most overall strength.


    Furthermore, while Raven didn''t doubt that the other guilds were unable to gather geniuses with powerful Artifacts, he knew way too well so far the ck Moon Guild possessed enough wealth to nurture them to a limited degree!


    Of course, this didn''t mean everyone within the ck Moon Guild had heaven-defying power or insanely high Avatar Traits. It simply indicated that while in other guilds only a few individuals enjoyed the luxury of possessed essories or had above-average Avatar Traits, within the ck Moon Guild that was the norm for almost 70% of the members!


    Hence, it was only normal for the Realm Association to ask for their help instead of others.


    ? "Master Dan also said the Realm Association will also gather other volunteers, but considering what happened with the previous bunch, it will be hard."


    "We should go to Nova City." Raven quickly suggested, even ready to walk to the vehicle in the distance, only to be stopped by Thomas with a head shake.


    "We will stay. We, or to be more precise you have other tasks to attend to."


    "Huh? Me?" Raven furrowed his brows, feeling rather puzzled.


    What was more important than helping his father who at this moment was doing something extremely dangerous? They should set off right this instant and go to Nova City, after all, he was the strongest individual currently within the ck Moon Guild so he should be there!


    Thomas clearly understood Raven''s thoughts as he knew him like an open book, andforted him, "You don''t have to fear, Master Dan won''t enter the Realm Gate. He is just there to supervise everything and discuss matters with the people from the Realm Association and the United World League."


    "And that is why, while he is in Nova City, in safety, taking care of different matters, you will be staying here, taking lessons."


    Raven was ready to refute and still insist on helping his father, but when he heard thest words Thomas said the words stuck in his throat while his eyes widened with disbelief.


    "...Say what again?"


    Thomas smiled, even chuckled softly. Raven''s face at that moment looked truly amusing.


    "As I have said, while Master will take care of what he has to in Nova City, you, under my and Mr.Kayn''s care will take lessons. You will be taught the basics of fighting."


    "Mr.Kayn? Who the hell is that?"


    "Khm... I believe that would be me."


    Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind Raven, forcing him to furrow his brows and turn around, only to see an individual he only read about and saw in fantasy novels or movies walk toward him!

 Chapter 47 Show Me What You Got!

    A big frame over two meters, bulging and seemingly steel-hard muscles with pulsating veins below the dark bronze skin, ck leather clothing that was filled with iron spikes and chains like on the shoulder or elbow parts, and a long mohawk punk style hair that almost looked like a punk''s!


    The giant named Kayn walked and stopped before Raven, his dark blue eyes staring down at him from above and seemingly assessing him silently from head to toe.


    ''...''


    As Raven and Kayn stood before each other, thetter looking upward nervously while thetter stared downward rather menacingly, the corner of Thomas'' lips curved scarcely toward the sky and walked between the two.


    "Young Master, please let me introduce you to Mr.Kayn, a very old friend of Master Dan and also someone with a vast amount of knowledge and experience in the field of hand-to-handbat."


    ''Old friend of my father?'' Raven felt puzzled, not remembering if Dan would have met even once with an individual such as this guy in front of him.


    "Before The Greate Change, he lived on Starlight Ind," Thomas exined when he saw Raven''s confused but suspicious gaze.


    "What?" Raven''s pupils shrunk that very next instant, his view on the person before him changing one hundred and eighty degrees.


    The Great Change was the name those very ''creative'' individuals within the United World League gave the moment everyone was teleported into the first Realm Game. Though, this was not the main reason why Raven freaked out so much.


    No, instead, it was because of the second part Thomas just said.


    Starlight Ind. Although its name held the word ''Ind'', in truth, it was not one; or at least not that kind of ind one thought about when one heard that word.


    Starlight Ind was an artificial ind in the middle of the Antic Ocean, one that was so big that it was almost 50% the size of Australia!


    It was massive, to say the least. Though, despite having a gigantic size with the capability to amodate close to 13 million people and heaps of animals, its poption was only 1.4 million!


    Why so small?


    It was because Starlight Ind was a ce where only those with privilege or high status could ce their feet on! The very privileged or filthy rich people could even rent residences there and live until they were either thrown out or forced to leave because of the shortage of money!


    Naturally, it was needless to say Old Dan was one of those few individuals who if wanted, could easily live on that ind, and for the rest of his life at that! He was just that wealthy.


    ''Wait... Kayn... Lived on Starlight Ind before the Great Change...'' almost as if a memory wished to swim up onto the surface from deep down his mind, Raven began to frown and think hard.


    Thomas and Kayn in the meantime just smiled scarcely and waited in silence.


    ''Wait... Kayn... Kayner William? The legendary war hero who fought during the Third World War? Who saved many lives and achieved numerous impossible feats, some of them even aplished all alone?'' Raven''s eyes widened as the image he once saw in a book when he was still a kid appeared in his head.


    "Finally figured it out, huh?" Kayn showed a cocky smile before heughed and extended his right hand forward, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you kid, my name is Kayner William and from now on it will be me who you will call as Teacher. Though, I would prefer you to call me Master as that sounds cooler, haha!"


    Raven stared at the big hand before him that looked as massive as a shovel, and even before he could have realized...


    "...What?"


    -


    -


    -


    Standing in the center of a room that looked like a well-equipped gym with a huge circr space in the middle, Kayn grabbed his leather jacket and handed it to Thomas, who with the piece of clothing looked like a kid holding a nket.


    "Mr.Kayn... Is this really the right way to do it?" Thomas asked with a hint of worry in his voice, watching as Kayne started to crack his neck and move his massive arms around, causing his already gigantic muscles to bulge even more!<sub> </sub>


    "No need to fret, I will go easy on him." Kayn replied calmly as he turned around, but just as he took a step forward, he quietly added, "Or at least I won''t kill him."


    Thomas'' face was nonchnt, but from the way the corner of his mouth twitched scarcely, it was pretty much apparent that he didn''t like Kayn''s idea.


    Meanwhile, about 10 meters away from Kayn and Thomas, just at the perimeter of the clear circr area in the middle of the room, Raven stood in one ce. He looked serene, his eyes sharp, but his face still sweated a little from nervousness and his fingers were clenched into tight fists.


    Right now, he was forced to fight with Kayn, one of the few war heroes out there who while although saved many lives also took away a hundred times more than that! He also was known as Blood Phantom which was given to him as a title when he slew over 100 soldiers during a single night all alone, using nothing but a machete!


    Just imagining as a single individual sliced the throats of 100 armed soldiers all alone made Raven swallow nervously and calcte the severity of his injuries once this one-sided beating wille to its end.


    As for his chances to emerge as a victor... Haha! He had zero chance.


    Walking toward Raven with slow but firm steps like a real giant, Kayn stopped right in the center of the circr tform and crossed his arms before his wide chest.


    "Come, I will give you three tries. Show me what you got." Kayne spoke with a deep voice, standing in one ce with an indifferent face like an immovable mountain.


    Raven nced at Thomas for a second before he took a deep breath and walked before Kayne.


    ''Here I go....'' Raven sighed quietly and raised his left hand to throw out a punch, only to see in the next second arge rock was flying at his face with insane speed.


    Wait... Rock? That was a fricking fist!


    Raven''s pupils shrunk when he realized that the rock was Kayn''s fist and his body as a result froze momentarily.


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost Second Effect had been triggered!]


    "Wha-" Raven hearing an unfamiliar voice in his head felt even confused, but the very next second Kayn''s fistnded square on his face, sending his body flying backward a few meters!


    "Lesson number one. Never trust the words of anyone much less your enemies''. If you do and lower your guard just because you think they won''t fight back, you are as good as dead." lowering his hand with an indifferent gaze, Kayn walked beside Raven''s now lying body and looked down at him.


    ''Cough... Cough... Crap... that hurt!" grabbing his now bleeding nose with a pained expression and pushing himself up, Raven looked up at Kayn and wished to say something, but just as he opened his mouth his eyes widened.


    This time, it was a leg that flew at him, one that was almost as thick as his thigh!


    However, for some weird reason, the moment Raven fixed his gaze on the attack everything became fairly slowerpared to previously. He could even see the outline of Kayn''s leg and it no longer looked like a blur or sh in his eyes!


    Of course, this still didn''t mean he was able to avoid the attack as it was still incredibly fast. It just simply gave him enough time to raise both his hands next to his head to disperse the force of the impact, but he still ended up as a sandbag, getting kicked a few meters away to the side!


    Bam!


    Watching as Raven''s body flew to the side together with a painful groan, Kayn''s eyes shed with a hint of surprise before his indifference came back.


    "Lesson number two. If you want to strike, never show your intention. Keep your emotions hidden and your thoughts clear. If you are incapable of doing something so simple as that, you lost the very moment the fight began."


    Then, once he said those words, Kayn grabbed Raven by his cor with one hand and raised him into the air. As for his other hand, he had already pulled it scarcely backward, ready tond a firm punch right on Raven''s stomach.


    Raven, feeling as he was lifted off the ground and seeing how Kayn was ready to punch his very soul out of his body, clenched his teeth and did something neither Thomas nor Kayn expected; he grabbed the Backroom Key from his neck, and with a quick stab jabbed its tip into Kayn''s forearm!


    Though, to Raven''s absolute horror, the moment he drilled his key into the flesh, Kayn didn''t start to yell much less loosen his grip! Hell, he didn''t even flinch but simply just stared at him coldly,pletely ignoring the blood flowing down his arm!


    ''I''m screwed...'' was what Raven thought before Kayn finally moved, mming his fist into his abdomen without any mercy!

 Chapter 48 Come On, Get It Back!

    Nothing but darkness.


    That was the first thing Raven sensed when he regained consciousness, only to feel immense pain and soreness assaulting his very being, especially his abdomen the next second.


    ''Urgh... Crap... I feel like throwing up...'' opening his eyes weakly, Raven focused his attention on the very first thing that came into his sight, trying to figure out where he was.


    ''This... Why am I still here?'' Raven thought bitterly and also exhaustedly when he recognized the silver ceiling belonging to the gym where he had fought against Kayn.


    "So you finally decided to wake up, good.'' while Raven was trying to ignore the pain in his body and push himself up, a voice that made his already hurting stomach get squeezed unwittingly appeared from the side.


    Of course, it was needless to say it belonged to Kayn, who at this moment was sitting on a small wooden box, one of his hands resting on hisp while the other one held a small key in front of his face. He was examining Raven''s Backroom Key.


    ''?!''


    Raven''s eyes widened and pupils shrunk when he saw the key in Kayn''s hold, his hand subconsciously touching his neck where instead of two, now there was only one ne hanging!


    Kayn noticed this subconscious act of Raven but decided to ignore it. Instead, he leaned a little forward, and while waving the key around a little, he asked, "This key... Where did you get this from?"


    Raven stared at the key and then at Kayn in silence for several seconds before he clenched his fingers into fists, "Give it back."


    Kayn yed with the key gently as he pondered, his thoughts unknown as his face waspletely indifferent. Though, he only needed just a few seconds to stop ying with the key and with a low hum stand up.


    "Sure. I will give it back to you." Kayne said as he extended the key toward Raven.


    Raven felt confused as this felt way too easy, but as he saw how Kayn waited patiently he clenched his teeth and reached out, only to grab nothing but empty air as Kayn pulled his hand back at the veryst moment.


    "On second thought, I will give it back to you if you can take it back yourself."


    "You must be screwing with me, right?" Raven hissed through his clenched teeth as he stood up, his right hand holding his stomach as it still made him feel as if Kayn''s fist was in there!


    "Screwing with you?" Kayn raised a brow before he let out a wildugh and shook his head, "No, not at all. Like, why would I?"


    "Then give it back to me!" Raven barked angrily and with a dark expression. His eyes even shed coldly as his gaze was fixed on Kayn''s figure.


    However, instead of being intimidated or surprised, Kayn sighed with a hint of disappointment and shook his head once again, "Seems like you have already forgotten about what I taught you. Perhaps I have punched you a little too hard?"


    ''What do you mean...?'' Raven was puzzled but it didn''t take him a few moments to realize what Blood Phantom was talking about, hence resulting in him sighing deeply.


    ''Although I hate to admit it, he is right. I won''t achieve anything by getting angry and throwing a tantrum. Stay calm... Just stay calm...'' Raven closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, once he breathed the air out of his lungs, he opened his eyes, this time showing a collected gaze with a serene face.


    ''That was fast.''


    Kayn was surprised by the speed with which Raven calmed himself downpletely. No, it was better to say he was shocked and secretly impressed. After all, the difference between calming oneself down but still showing anger and soothing oneself''s mind entirely was huge; they were twopletely different stories!


    Doing the former was easy and almost everyone could do but as for thetter, that was something only a few could achieve with experience or because their mind was just simply hat strong!


    ''Well, it seems things will be more interesting than I have first believed.'' a small smile appeared on Kayn''s face, and straightened his posture, "Good. Although weak, at least you listen and learn fast."


    Raven didn''tment on that and instead clenched his teeth and straightened his back also. Pain immediately assaulted his body, making him wish to groan from the piercing pain, but he kept his posture and showed a strong image.<sub> </sub>


    "Give the key back."


    Kayn felt more and more impressed with Raven as his current behavior showed he was not a loser and had what it took to get stronger. However, he still shook his head in a reply to Raven''s statement, "I won''t. You have to fight for it yourself. If you want it back thene and get it back!"


    Raven frowned upon hearing that to which Kayn sighed and exined, "Kid, you really think this is how things, how the world really works? Losing something to someone and thinking they will give it back to you just because you have asked for it?"


    Raven''s eyes widened scarcely as he slowly started to figure out what this game was all about.


    Kayn was right. What did he think would happen, but really? He lost the key because of his mistake because he was weak. If something simr was to happen to him somewhere else, would others give him back the key just because he said so? Definitely not.


    Even worse, what if he lost the key and was killed? Then he would be unable to ask to get it back, right? After all, corpses don''t talk, do they?


    All this showed just how foolishly he had been thinking, how naive he was, and mainly just how pathetically weak he was outside Realm Games and Realm Domains where there were no Artifacts or Avatar Traits to make him invincible; here, in real life, he was just a small fly ready to be mashed into a pulp by others!


    "I see." Raven sighed and with a nod began to walk toward Kayn.


    Upon seeing this, Kayn smiled and lowered his hand with his right still holding the key, waiting to see what Raven wished to do this time.


    ''Will he go for the key right away or give it a try and throw a punch at me?'' Kayn pondered silently as he watched how Raven walked before him and stood still only a foot away from him.


    But weirdly enough, Raven did nothing but stare at him in silence for a very long time.


    ''Is he trying to test my patience or wants me to strike first?'' Kayn''s brows furrowed scarcely, but just then Raven finally move, looking down at his feet for some reason.


    "Hm?" Kayn lowered his gaze to see what Raven was looking for that much, but just as he did Raven finally moved and threw a punch out at him, targeting his chin from below!


    Bam!


    "Really? This was your n?" with a swift move, Kayn grabbed Raven''s fist with his left, his eyes showing disappointment. He believed Raven would try doing something else, something more sessful and creative than this but it seemed he raised his expectations way too high.


    Raven looked straight into Kayn''s eyes calmly before he soon showed a smile, confusing Kayn greatly.


    "What are you smiling all of a sud-" Kayn was puzzled by the seemingly cocky image of Raven, but then, not even a secondter an immense pain pierced his leg, forcing him to fall on his knee!


    "This was my n," Raven said with his smile still on his face once he kicked straight on Kayn''s kneecap with all the strength he had. Then, once Kayn''s face dropped to the same level as his, Raven swung his other hand, mming his fist square on Kayn''s chin without any sign of holding back!


    ''No matter how big or strong you are, if you get a direct hit with enough force on your knee on the right spot, you will have no other choice but fall!'' Raven thought with delight as he watched Kayn letting go of his arm but not yet his key.


    ''It was not enough?'' Raven furrowed his brow as he prepared himself to swing his hand for a second time, but weirdly he didn''t get the chance to do so as the very next second the only thing he saw was a blur before his leg was hit by something and his back crashed into something rather solid, sending another surge of pain through his whole body!


    Swoosh!


    Paff!


    "Wha-" Raven''s pupils shrunk when he realized he was no longer standing but lying on the ground with Kayn now above him with his key''s sharp tip firmly pressing against his throat!

 Chapter 49 Improving Rapidly (1)

    Raven didn''t move. No, it was better to say he didn''t dare to move in fear if he does he will identally make the key''s sharp tip sink into his throat more than it should be.


    On the other hand, Kayn just stared coldly at Raven from above, his eyes staring daggers at him almost as if he wished to drill through his head with his gaze alone! Then, he slowly turned his face to the side and spit, painting the floor beside Raven with a mixture of blood and saliva.


    "You know, although you look small and fragile, you have a very strong punch." Kayn pointed out, showing no signs at all that he wished to take the key away from Raven''s throat. Instead, he even pressed it more against his neck, drawing blood through a small wound as a result!


    ''Fuck! He is not joking! He will really cut my throat open if I move!'' every muscle in Raven''s body stiffened and the yful thought in his head to punch Kayn''s hand to the side with one fast and strong move immediately vanished.


    Watching how Raven''s face paled when he pressed the key against his throat more firmly, Kayn pondered for a few moments before he sighed softly through his nostrils and stood up.


    "You lost, again, but that is okay. "


    Raven immidieatly touched his throat when Kayn stood up, making sure there was no grave injury. Luckily there was none so he was able to let out a sigh of relief and raise his gaze, only to see Kayn''s hand extended toward him, seemingly as a gesture to help him up.


    ''...'' Raven didn''t say anything and without epting the ''help'', which was very like another bait, he pushed himself up from the ground.


    Seeing this, Kayn lowered his hand, but the small upward curve at the corner of his mouth told others he was satisfied with Raven''s decision.


    "Here. I think this belongs to you."


    "Eh?" watching as something was flying toward him through the air, Raven was first puzzled before he quickly reacted and raised his hands, cathing the item with no difficulty at all.


    "Didn''t you say I should take it back by myself?" Raven furrowed his brows when he saw the thing he caught was the Backroom Key and not something else.


    "I did, but then I realized even if you would be given all the time in the world, you would still fail to take it back from me," Kayn replied indifferently, stating facts.


    Hanging the key back around his neck, Raven raised a brow and felt bewildered. Then what was the reason he was beaten up twice? It made no sense!


    "I am pretty sure now you are wondering then why I had been going so far as to beat you up twice, but don''t worry, there were in fact two reasons." Kayn exined and raised his hand, showing two fingers, "The first one was to make you understand that there will be always others stronger than you, and if you are not strong enough you can lose everything in a blink. And when I say ''everything'', I literally mean everything kid."


    A hint of sorrow and regret shed through Kayn''s eyes when he said those words which onlysted for a second before disappearing in a blink. This, of course, was something that Raven was able to spot, but instead of deciding to open up old wounds he asked;


    "And what about the second reason?"


    "It was just to simply see what you can and can''t do. I even nned to harm your little sister a tiny bit as I heard you two were pretty close to each other, hoping that way you will show your real worth, but as she was not around I had no choice but to use that key instead. It seemed pretty important to you, like, damn, even as you were lying on the ground unconscious you were still clenching it as if your life depended on it!"


    ''...''


    Raven''s face darkened immediately upon hearing Kayn''s words. Though, instead of starting a fight with Kayn like a stupid and cringe little kid throwing a tantrum he instead took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself down while secretly feeling a little shocked.


    ''This is weird. He held the key yet he didn''t get to read what it does?'' thought Raven a little confused but didn''t his puzzlement to be shown on his face.


    Seeing this, Kayn nodded once again, feeling even more satisfied with Raven, and walked before him.


    "Anyways, now that I know what you are capable of doing, or at least here in real life, let''s start with the real training," Kayn said then he grabbed and pulled Raven''s hand toward him until it was fully stretched.


    "First of all, your punch. I see that you learned how to fight back when they attack you, but I can also see that except for self-defense you are just a noob." Kayn said calmly and made Raven clench his fingers into a tight fist.<sub> </sub>


    "While your punch was strong when you hit me in the face, it was just only enough to make my head move to the side a little and not to force me to fall on the ground or to urge me to retreat. What do you think, why is that?"


    Raven watching how calmly Kayn was talking lowered his gaze and pondered, recalling his previous fight with the giant in front of him.


    "Because... You are like a massive rock?"


    Kayn raised a brow but quickly began tough and shake his head, "Haha! What? No, not at all! Though I will take that as apliment."


    Then, once he stoppedughing, Kayn let go of Raven''s fist and put his hand on his shoulder, "The reason why you were not able to deliver me a devastating blow was because you only used your arm."


    Saying those words, Kayn walked to the side where a boxing bag was located hanging from the ceiling and once he was in front of it he used only his right hand to punch it.


    The result was rather pathetic indeed.


    "As you can see, I only used my arm when I punched and the result was the bag only moving backward a little. However, if I use my shoulder together with my whole body..."


    BAM!


    The punching bag immediately was sted backward, only the chains attached to its top stopping it from flying away into the distance!


    "See? If you go and use your body as a whole the amount of strength and force you can put behind your attacks, especially behind your punches will grow drastically!"


    "Using my whole body?" Raven mumbled as he pondered for a few seconds before taking up a stance, lowering his posture, and throwing out a punch, this time using his whole arm shoulder, torso, and even waist!


    Whoosh!


    A quiet and weak breeze was generated once Raven finished his punch, earning a soft nod from Kayn!


    "You really do learn fast, huh?" Kayn expressed with a low hum and pointed at the punching bag, "Now use that knowledge on this. Punch it a thousand times."


    ''...Huh?'' Raven''s eyes widened thinking he just misheard Kayn''s words he asked, "I am sorry, but did you just say... a thousand times?"


    "You find that too little? Sure, let''s make that two thousand."


    "What? I didn''t even say-"


    "You know what, let''s make that three thousand. Yeah, the more the merrier." Kayn asserted before adding, "Oh, and as you can see, I sent Thomas away and even asked him to close the doors. So until you won''t finish your three thousand punches you can only dream about seeing the outside world."


    ''...''


    Raven stood motionlessly in one ce, his teeth firmly clenched together.


    "So? Will you start punching already or do you want me to add another thousand to that three thousand?" Kayn asked with a raised brow, his arms crossed before his broad chest.

 Chapter 50 Improving Rapidly (2-Last)

    Inside a frequently constructed building filled with all kinds of modern equipment that one could use to improve their physical strength and fitness, the sound of something heavy getting punched constantly rung through the air continuously.


    Bam!


    "Don''t stretch your arms that much, that way you will lose momentum and leave more room for your enemies to attack you. Just take half a step forward and keep punching.


    Bam!


    "Don''t squeeze your thumb with your other fingers, that way you will just break it."


    BAM!


    "Yes! That''s what I''m talking about! Use your body as a whole from your legs all the way to your fist and the force behind your strikes will increase dramatically!"


    Striking the punching bag constantly with Kayn''s help, Raven used his fists to strike the equipment relentlessly, almost as if he has just gone mad. His body was soaked in a thickyer of sweat while his muscles seemed to have a better contour than before from the nonstop punching.


    BAM!


    "And... Three thousand!" Raven mumbled as his hands dropped weakly beside his body, his breathing heavy and ragged. Sweat rolled and fell down from his face, arms, and even legs onto the floor, showing just how difficult it was to strike something three thousand times with constant focus, precision, and without any rest!


    ''Damn... I don''t feel my arms at all! Every muscle in my hand aches as hell!'' Raven wished to fall onto the ground to rest, but his wish, unfortunately, didn''te true.


    "Good. Although your punches are not perfect, it is already good enough to help you knock out others with a single strike," Kayn stated as he grabbed Raven by his cor stand and dragged him to the middle of the room.


    "Huh? W-Wait... What are we doing? Are we not done?"


    "Done?" Kayn raised a brow as he pulled Raven up and ced him onto his feet like some kind of puppet, andughed, "Did you really think that just because you have learned how to punch you will also learn how to fight?"


    As he said those words Kaynughed and walked before the small bag he ced on the side at the very start, "Let me tell you this now kid, those punches will only protect you from getting bullied here, outside. As for the real threat waiting for you within those Realm Games, believe me, throwing fists won''t save your ass there."


    Then, grabbing something from the bag Kayn turned around and tossed it at Raven.


    "Huh?" Raven grabbed the thing with two hands, only to see with disbelief that it was a ck knife with a silver handle.


    "A knife? Wait... Don''t tell me..." Raven''s eyes widened even more. However, when he raised his head what weed him was a fist flying at his face!


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck boost...]


    Raven didn''t care about the voice appearing in his head and instead with his now sharper perception quickly tilted his head to the side, avoiding the punch just in the veryst second.


    "Good reaction. Now use that knife and fight back!" Kayn praised coldly before throwing out another fist at Raven, this time with his other hand.


    ''He definitely lost his fucking mind!'' Raven screamed in his heart as he dodged Kayn''s fist for the second time and jumped backward.


    However, it seemed to be a bad idea as not even before his feet could have touched the floor Kayn suddenly crouched down and swept his leg from side to side, kicking his leg to the side and forcing him to fall to the ground with him almost stabbing himself in the heart!


    Paff!


    "And just like that, you are dead," Kayn said coldly, his fist resting only an inch away from Raven''s face.<sub> </sub>


    "Stand up." Kayn went and pulled Raven up by his shirt and once both of them were standing he threw out a fist.


    Raven clenched his teeth knowing way too well this hell won''t stop if he does not fight back, so no matter how much he hated to do it, he avoided Kayn''s fist and swung the knife in his hand at him.


    "Too slow."


    Whoosh!


    "Wha-" Raven''s eyes widened once again and watched as Kayn grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm back at him, and pressed the weapon''s sharp tip at his throat with the knife still in his own hand!


    "And you died... again." Kayn sneered as he let Raven''s wrist go and forced him to take a few steps back with a soft push on his shoulder.


    "Just like when you punch, use your weapon with your whole body. sh, swing, or pierce, try to make it a part of your body. If you just swing it around only using your hand, you will have no chance to react in time."


    "Now let''s start again."


    Then, without even waiting for Raven to process his words, Kayn moved and attacked again, this time his punches being way more aggressive than before, forcing Raven to concentrate on everything he had.


    "Died. Stand up."


    "Dead once again."


    "That was a good one, but you''ve still ended up getting kill so let''s do it again."


    "Not so shabby, you are starting to get the hang of it. Again."


    "Good. Your timing on when to dodge and when to strike is definitely improving at a rapid pace. Now focus on the speed of your attacks, they are slower than my grandmother."


    ...


    Time flew by and unbeknownst to Raven eight hours have gone in a blur with him only doing nothing but fighting with Kayn, where in the end, he always ended up ''dying'' through various situations.


    Though, although he lost all the time, the amount of fighting experience he gained was astronomical. He improved his skills so much just in less than half a day that even Kayn seemed to be at a loss for words!


    ''The speed with which he learns is just way too fast no matter how I look at it. Anyone else would be still struggling to learn how to do a proper punch, yet he can already use a knife as if he had been wielding one for years!'' Kayn pondered silently as he sat on a wooden box, his eyes fixed on Raven''s body on the ground.


    At the start, Kayn nned to teach Raven how to throw out good punches and use the knife as a weapon, as that way he could increase his chances to protect himself both inside and outside Realm Games and Domains.


    After all, it was no longer a secret just how humans were bing just as a threat as beasts, both inside Realm Games and Realm Domains.


    However, never in his wildest dream would have he imagined that Raven had such a terrifying talent when it came to learning speed.


    ''This brat... The speed with which he learns and adapts is just simply too terrifying.'' Kayn thought to himself as he shifted his gaze at his arms, watching indifferently how it was full of bloody cuts.


    Then, as if he just thought about a good joke began to grin and chuckle which soon burst into a peal of wild and heartyughter.

 Chapter 51 Special Training

    Lying on the ground with a body covered in a thickyer of sweat that made his clothes stick to his skin, Raven''s chest heaved up and down while his eyes were tightly shut.


    ''Fuck... I can''t move... at all...'' Raven cursed bitterly in his heart as he tried to lift his limbs, only to see that except for an inch he couldn''t.


    His body literally became a waste with all his muscles aching from pain and soreness like hell, some of his fingers even twitching from exhaustion as a result!


    For hours straight and without any rest, he did nothing but punched a single piece of equipment with his fist before fighting with Kayn, which despite him having a knife was more of a one-sided beating instead, especially if one looked at the bruises all over his body.


    Hell, he even had a long cut running down his lower arm. He got it when he seeded in taking Kayn off his guard which, ording to him, ''triggered'' his instincts.


    ''Instincts my ass! Like someone like me could threaten his life only after a few hours of practice!'' Raven groaned inwardly as he opened his eyes weakly, looking at the scar on his arm with pain.


    That wound was not something that will heal soon, that was for sure.


    "Ha... Haha... Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"


    Suddenly, as Raven was inspecting his injury which luckily was no longer bleeding, a burst of wildughter snapped him out of his daze and attracted his attention to the side. There, like someone who just heard the greatest joke in his life, Kayn wasughing madly, tears visible in the corner of his eyes.


    ''What the hell is so funny for him?'' Raven looked confused but as he had no energy to ask nor did he care, he just shifted his gaze back to the ceiling and closed his eyes, taking a rest after a long while.


    ...


    "Hey. Wake up already."


    ''...''


    "If you don''t wake up don''t me me for what I will do next."


    ''Uhm... Just 5 more minutes...''


    "Sure, I warned you."


    Enjoying his well-deserved rest, Raven was ready to shift his body to the side to get a better position when something hard and big mmed into his stomach with great force, sending his body sliding through the floor.


    "Cough... Cough... What the... Cough..." feeling as if the world was spinning around him, Raven grabbed his stomach and began to cough like crazy, saliva uncontrobly flowing out of his mouth.


    "That wasn''t even hard so stop screwing around and stand up already. We have work to do."


    Then, feeling a strong hand on his cor stand, Raven watched with disbelief as he was lifted like he weighed nothing and was brought before something he was rather familiar with already; the punching bag.


    "Today you will learn how to use your leg to fight. After all, in a fight, not only your hands are your only weapons nor the items in your possession, but your leg also." Kayn said calmly and with a powerful leg swing kicked the punching bag, sending it flying just like he did previously with his fist.


    "Just like when you punch, when you kick use your whole body. Now repeat what you saw three thousand times," Kayn said indifferently and took a step back to give Raven more space to practice.


    "Kicking? Wait, three thousand times? Again?" although still in pain, Raven straightened his back while his eyes widened.


    "Yes. I have already given you enough time to rest so we will continue with your training." Kayn nodded, gesturing at Raven to finally start kicking the equipment.


    ''Given me enough time to rest? Just how much time has passed?'' thinking about that, Raven directed his gaze at the clock on the wall, watching as it currently showed 04:47!


    ''Almost 5 am?! Wait, if I am right, we stopped fighting just a little before midnight which means...''


    He only got to sleep 5 hours! No wonder why it felt like a blink when he closed his eyes. After all, 5 hours of sleeping time was a ridiculously small amount of time, especially for him who used to sleep twice as long as that!


    "From today onward, in the following 2 weeks, you will spend the majority of your time here, training with me." Kayn suddenly said, further increasing the shock on Raven''s face.


    Training for 2 whole weeks? Without increasing his strength, his Avatar Traits bypleting Realm Games, gaining rewards, and clearing Realm Domains? No chance!


    He has less than 20 days to prepare before that special event, Worlds'' sh will start, something that is bound to present a greater threat to him and everyone else than the current Realm Games and Realm Domains.


    Like, if one took a moment to think, why was it that it will only start in a month and not in a week or right away? It was because everything that so far was happening all around the world was nothing but an appetizer, a ''tutorial'' from video games that showed everyone how things worked and allowed humans to prepare themselves for something even bigger!


    One didn''t have to be a genius to understand this, and this was why when Raven heard Kayn''s words he almost felt the urge tough right in his face despite having no energy for that!<sub> </sub>


    Yeah, while it was true that learning how to punch, kick, and wield a weapon such as a knife could save him from dangers, it waspletely useless in the face of a real threat like those massive snakes he faced in the past!


    What he really needed now was not how to swing a fist or kick a leg, but real strength which could be only acquired through Realm Games and Realm Domains!


    Thinking about this, Raven shook his head and began to walk toward the exit, having understood that he was just wasting his time here.


    "I see... As you wish."


    Raven was confused when he heard Kayn''s sigh, but even before he could have turned around he was grabbed by his cor stand and with a strong yank was dragged out of the building.


    "H-Hey! Let me go!" Raven struggled to break free from Kayn''s grip, but it seemed it was useless.


    "At least tell me where you are taking m-, urgh!"


    Paff!


    [You have entered a Realm Domain!]


    [All ''Limitations'' now will be lifted!]


    "What?" lying on the ground after he was thrown there like a piece of trash, Raven pushed himself up onto his feet and looked around, watching as he was back inside the Realm Domain with therge hotel in the distance.


    "What are we doing here?" showing a puzzled frown, Raven shifted his gaze at Kayn who just simply stood a few meters away from him, his arms crossed before his chest rather menacingly.


    "I brought you here to prove you only one thing; that you are nothing but a worthless trash, a pig waiting to be in by others, let it be beasts or not, even with all the strength you have here," Kayn said with indifference and waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 11 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 5 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 23 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 11 [5]


    ¡ã Constitution: 6 [0]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 19 [8]


    ~~~


    "As you can see, my Traits are only average at best. On the other hand, I am well aware that yours are not and they are way above mine."


    "Wait... How do you even know that? Who told you that?" Raven asked with his brow furrowed with doubt.


    Kayn, however, shook his head and raised his hand, instantly revealing a red ring to Raven.


    "It''s not who, but what. This ring is called Dragon Blood Ring, a Relic I have obtained from a Realm Game. Depending on whose blood falls on it, I can inspect that individual''s Avatar Traits for 10 seconds."


    Then, without any shame, he added, "Curious, while you were sleeping I used your blood to see your strength. And to tell you the truth, I am truly shocked."


    "You did what?" Raven blurted out, his face turning pale a little and a cold shiver ran down his spine.


    "You had your blood on the floor so I used that to see how strong you really were, that''s all." Kayn asserted before he sneered and said, "So even before your imagination goes wild, I will say this right here and now, I did nothing to your body while you were sleeping. I am not into men."


    After saying that, Kayn ignored Raven, who while nervous for obvious reasons also sighed with relief, and grabbed the knife from his waist before tossing it before Raven''s feet with indifference.


    "You can use that knife as your weapon or you can also take your Artifact out if you wish, in the end, it won''t matter at all," Kayn said coldly, and even before Raven could have blinked twice he was already in front of him like a phantom!

 Chapter 52 Not Everything Is About Numbers

    Raven stared at the knife before his feet in confusion and when he raised his head the only thing he saw was, once again, a fist flying at him at a rapid speed.


    However, different from the previous times, the moment the fist came into his sight it looked... slow. It seemed his 25 points of Dexterity were showing their real worth right now!


    ''Hmph! I want to see how you will beat me here!'' Raven sneered inwardly as he easily dodged Kayn''s fist.


    "I don''t know why, but if you saw my Traits you should understand you have no chance of winning against me her-"


    Suddenly, while tilting his body from side to side and avoiding Kayn''s fists that flew at him like torrents, a leg appeared out of nowhere right beside his head which even with his 25 points of Dexterity looked fast!


    "Wha-" Raven looked stupefied and raised both hands.


    BAM!


    A powerful force mmed into his hand and body the very next second, and while he only took a step back because of his higher Constitution and Strength, Raven felt how his hand turned numb!


    ''This... How is he so strong?'' Raven was secretly shocked and was ready to keep fighting when suddenly noticed that for some weird reason Kayn was not moving.


    "Umm... Hello? That was it? Just throwing out a few punches and a single kick and you have already given up already?"


    Lowering his leg after the kick, Kayn ignored Raven''s questionpletely and with an indifferent gaze he asked, "How much do you know about these Avatar Traits?"


    "Huh?" Raven''s brow shot up in confusion before he began to ponder and said, "What kind of a question is that? Everything is written down in the manual. Vitality is for one''s health, Strength is-"


    "I was not talking about that, kid." Kayn interrupted Raven, earning a deep frown from the ck-haired young man right away.


    "Then about what?" Raven asked with a hint of anger while curiosity also shed in his eyes. After all, at the end of the day, he was still not a fool, so he understood that there was a reason behind Kayn''s question.


    "So you don''t know it either, huh?" Kayn mumbled and pointed at a boulder beside Raven, "Try and punch that with all the strength you have."


    "But-"


    "Just do it." Kayn asserted loudly, leaving no room for any quarrel.


    Raven narrowed his eyes and although scarcely unwilling he still walked before the boulder which was twice as tall and seven times wider as an adult human!


    ''Well, I am also curious what 31 points of Strength can do, so...'' Raven thought inwardly, and ignoring the fact that his body was still tired he clenched his fist and once he was ready threw out a punch just in a way he had learned.


    BAM!


    A small explosion burst out the very next second, and under Raven''s stupified stare the whole surface of the rock cracked as if it was an egg!


    "This..." Raven mumbled with shock and nced at his fist, which except for a small bruise on his knuckles was perfectly fine. Even the pain he felt was minimal despite him just cracking a whole boulder almost into chunks!


    "So that is what Strength above 30 points can achieve?" Kayn mumbled, and while Raven shifted his mocking gaze at him he walked before a boulder that was around the same size as the one Raven had just punched.


    Then, once in front of it, he clenched his fist, and in a more refined way than Raven just did he threw out a punch.


    BOOOM!


    With a burst akin to a stick of dynamite sting the earth apart, the rock shattered into huge chunks that quickly flew in every direction, some almost even crashing into and through Raven if it were not for him dodging just in thest second!


    "Hmm..." Kayn hummed quietly as he raised his fist and slowly nced at Raven, "As you can see, even though you have more points in Strength than me, you are still weaker. The same goes for your Speed, Constitution, and Dexterity."


    Then, to prove his point even further, the muscles on his legs suddenly bulged and in a sh he appeared in front of Raven, his right foot already hovering just an inch beside his head!


    ''...


    ''


    With widened eyes and shrunk pupils, Raven felt utter disbelief as he tried to find answers to what he had just seen.


    Like, the speed with which Kayn just moved was simply way too fast, fast to the point where his speed was equivalent to someone who had around 25 points of Speed and not to someone who had only 11!


    His speed was also instantaneous, something that not even he could achieve at all!<sub> </sub>


    This was simply...


    "Impossible..." Raven mumbled as that was the only exnation he coulde up with.


    Kayn, however, just shook his head and while lowering his leg he said, "But it is not. I am the living example of that."


    "But... How?"


    "How?" Kaynughed and with a smile, he replied, "The answer is really simple. I have worked out and surpassed my limits."


    "Bullshit!" Raven didn''t even hesitate to blurt out what he thought, and narrowed his eyes.


    Worked out? Please... Go and try to give that crap to somebody else!


    Now he was 100% sure that Kayn used either his Artifact which he cannot see or a Relic that secretly boosted his strength. Of course, there was the possibility of him possessing a special Rune Mark or an Avatar Title, who knows.


    After all, just who would believe such a crappy lie? Like, he worked out a little, for 8 days no less and his Speed and Strength reached the same level as his despite their points of Traits differing hugely?


    That was like telling someone to do squats for 8 days without stopping and they will be able to jump right on top of a skyscraper with one try!


    That was just ridiculous!


    As Raven thought about this his brows unconsciously lowered into an even deeper frown, the look of doubt on his face bing even more visible.


    Kayn, however, just showed a smile and crossed his arms before his chest, "You are free to specte what you want, but that is the truth. If you would have been trapped with me inside the Death Domain I had been and saw what I had to do to survive, you would not doubt me at all."


    "Death Domain?" Raven raised a brow but soon the manual in his pocket began to move a little so he went to grab it.


    -----------------------


    [Realm Game Informations]


    ...


    ? Death Domain: After challenging a Realm Gate and sessfullypleting it, when the Realm Domain was formed there is a 0.5% chance it will be a Death Domain!


    ^ Within Death Domains death is permanent without any rules!


    ^ Everyone whopleted the Realm Game will be trapped inside the Death Domain until they either clear it or the Death Domain does not copse, killing all life within!


    ^ Those who enter from the outside will be also trapped inside!


    ^ Within Realm Domains participants will be able to gain ess to their Avatar Status!


    -----------------------


    "It is a long story so I will just exin it briefly. After I havepleted a Realm Game I was not teleported outside the perimeters of the Realm Domain but stayed inside. I was trapped." Kayn exined as he gazed at the building in the distance.


    Then, he pointed at the small book in Raven''s hand and continued, "Just like how that manual describes it, I was unable to leave the Domain until I have not cleared itpletely. Of course, I tried several attempts to escape, but the Domain''s barrier was like a solid wall, I had no chance to escape at all."


    Raven remained silent and after pondering silently for a few seconds he asked, "And what had you have to do to escape? I mean, you are here, still alive, so it means you have sessfully cleared the Domain."


    "I had to kill 50 creatures, each asrge as lions but luckily as slow as turtles because of their huge shells covering their bodies."


    "Then it must have been easy to kill them, right?" Raven asked to which Kaynughed and shook his head.


    ? "Not at all kid. Their shells were even harder than that boulder you have just punched. Also, let''s not forget that at that time I only had just a little over 15 points of Strength. Let alone breaking their shells and killing them, with that much Strength I was unable to scratch or at the very least crack their shells even a tiny bit!"


    "Just the sheer hopelessness I felt at that time when I saw how the Domain started to shrink, slowly destroying everything within makes me even at this very moment shudder a little," Kayn said with a small shiver seemingly running down his spine.


    Then, however, he suddenly showed a proud smile and after even lifting his chin scarcely, he said, "Or at least that''s how I felt until I didn''t found out how the human body can be even stronger without Avatar sks, Rune Marks, Artifacts, or essories!"

 Chapter 53 Same, Yet Different

    Raven stood still, his brows furrowed with confusion and doubt.


    So far, if he understood it right, Kayn seemed to figure out a way where humans, without the help of any external help such as Rune Marks, Artifacts, and essories, were still able to be stronger than normal... And because of working out?


    Pfftt...


    Raven almostughed when he heard this, yet, Kayn just stood calmly where he was, his face holding not even the slightest sign of screwing around.


    "You are just joking... Right?" after a few seconds, Raven''s face turned serious, and asked.


    Kayn''s lips curved upward and while picking up the knife from the ground he just tossed there a few moments ago, he asked, "What do you know about diamonds?"


    ''Ignoring my question again, huh?'' Raven squinted his eyes before he decided to reply, "I only know that in the past, and even at this moment they are considered to be the strongest gemstone in the whole world. Though, I don''t understand how a piece of shiny rock matters when we were talking about physical strength."


    "You will understand just in a few minutes, believe me," Kayn replied, and as he began to spin the knife between his fingers, he carried on, "You know, they say that diamonds and carbons are, in fact, the same, yet, at the same time not. Why? Well, ording to the information I have found, it is because while both of them are being carbon, depending on the amount of pressure you put them under, you can refine them and make them stronger, which in the end will give you diamonds!"


    "The same goes for the human body too. Every human, let it be women or men, depending on the amount of physical pressure they put their body under, s the more physical exercise they do, they can improve, bing stronger, faster, and more tenacious."


    "However, as you have already said it, massive and noticeable changes cannot be done in just a few days. One needs to struggle for months, even for years to achieve a noticeable and massive amount of changes."


    Then, grabbing the knife''s hilt with his right and the tip with his left, Kayn flexed his muscles and under Raven''s attentive gaze he broke it into two.


    "Or at least that was the case until now. It seems, that these Realm Domains and Realm Games not only allow us to get stronger, faster, and have a faster reaction speed, together with higher endurance and stamina but just like how pressure can polish carbon into a diamond, we can also refine our bodies, physical characteristics without increasing our Traits at all!"


    "And it also seems way faster than ever before!" Kayn smiled, dropping down both the hilt and the de of the broken knife from his hand onto the ground.


    Raven remained silent, and after pondering for several seconds he asked, "Okay, I seem to understand what you are saying. But I have a question."


    "Sure, go ahead." Kayn gestured calmly at Raven to ask.


    "If what you have just said was true then didn''t we just waste our time yesterday? After all, outside Realm Domains and Realm Games, no matter how much I punch, my fist won''t be stronger."


    "That may be true, but it doesn''t matter. Working out inside or outside will have the same effect within Realm Games and Realm Domains." Kayn said nonchntly before he pointed at the boulder and stated, "I am pretty sure if you would have punched that rock just before we met, your results would have been even worse than now."


    "I see..." Raven mumbled before another question popped up in his puzzled mind, "Wait. If that is the case wouldn''t that mean slowly everyone will be insanely powerful?"


    Kayn, however, this time shook his head, "Not at all. Just think about it. Now that these Avatar Traits have appeared, granting inhuman strength to everyone, everyone will grind Realm Gates and explore Realm Domain to get their hands on Avatar sks and other rewards to increase their overall strength. None of them will bother to train their bodies."


    "And exactly because of this, it won''t matter if you have fewer Avatar Traits than others, in the end, you will be still stronger than them!"


    "And what about the Vitality or Mystique Trait? You can''t increase those two with physical training." Raven, although not as much as previously, still insisted on increasing his Avatar Traits, at least a bit if not by a huge amount!<sub> </sub>


    "You are right, you can''t. But considering your guild''s fame, you can easily get your hands on a few Avatar sks anytime either from Realms or by trading. You can also enter auctions online and buy some from the Realm Association, which while getting sold for astronomical prices, with your father''s wealth it won''t be an issue."


    "There is such a thing already?" Raven was surprised.


    "Kid, tens of thousands of Realm Gates are all around the world, each granting massive amounts of rewards. And I have yet to mention the loot you can acquire from the Realm Domains they turn into. Of course, there is an auction site already."


    Then, after taking a deep breath he added, "There are even a few shady auction sites that only ept Astral Cores as a payment instead of Novas, but so far they are only a few in numbers. The majority of people usually put bets on Star Treasury, which is the official auction site of the Realm Association."


    "But let''s not talk about this any longer, let''s get down to business already!" Kayn suddenly said and after looking around he pointed at the thickest tree in the distance, "Kick that tree 10,000 times."


    "Su-, Wait, what? 10,000?!" Raven was ready to walk before the tree, now a little more eager to work out, only for his steps toe to an abrupt halt and his eyes to widen from shock.


    "What? We are now inside a Ream Domain. Considering the ridiculouslyrge amount of points your Traits have, it is a must to increase the number of repetitions or else you won''t improve at all!"


    "...That makes sense," Raven mumbled and after a few secondster his eyes turned sharp, and nodded firmly.


    "Let''s do it."


    -


    -


    -


    Inside arge hall before a massive circr table, Etia, Goddes of Contents and Games, sat calmly on arge wooden chair with her short legs gently swinging and her small mouth licking a lollipop. Behind her, the masked figure of Enas was visible standing, acting as if he was nothing but her shadow.


    "Haha! It seems Nalo lost his bet. His candidate just fell off a cliff and broke his neck within a Blue Realm Domain, breaking his neck out. Haha! How pathetic!"


    Suddenly, a humanoid being with features akin to a fox pped his thigh amidst a heartyugh, shifting his gaze away from the floating orb at a man sitting several meters besides him.


    His name was Seion and he was also known as the God of Mischief.


    Nalo, God of Stars, who had small stars floating around his neck and arms just curved his lips upward with his eyes still closed and waved his hand, quickly summoning arge pouch full of shiny crystals into his hold before tossing it toward Etia.


    "Hehe! Thank you very much~." with a satisfied grin, Etia grabbed the pouch and made it vanish, doing all this without taking her eyes away from the floating orb that showed various images of different events happening on them.


    Simr conversations and sights happened from time to time between Gods and Goddesses sitting around the table when suddenly the door on the side opened and two figures with otherworldly features walked inside calmly, immediately attracting everyone''s gaze within th hall.

 Chapter 54 Live Stream

    Shortly after the two individuals entered the hall, every God and Goddess fell into silence, their gazes no longer focused on the floating orb in the center of the table.


    Even Etia''s gaze wandered away from the relic upon feeling the two divine auras entering the hall, which, shockingly, resulted in her face stiffening for a second before bing rxed again.


    The two individuals that entered the hall were, in fact, two young figures, a young woman and a young man.


    The young woman was a beauty in her own league. She had a petite figure with a long, seemingly silk smooth white hair which cascaded down behind her back,ing to an end just slightly above her slim waist


    She also had a humanoid appearance with features akin to a cat, fluffy white cat ears on her head, a long white cat tail behind her back, and silver cat eyes that seemed to hold both serenity and hidden danger!


    She wore a long silver dress with a cut on its right side, allowing her slim and perfect white leg to show itself to the world from time to time whenever she took a step forward.


    On the other hand, beside her, the young man had a much simpler, yet at the same time, way more overbearing appearance.


    His hair was darker than a raven''s feathers, his skin was as firm as bronze, and his golden eyes flickered brighter than any star in the night sky. His whole posture was straight and filled with confidence, his sharp and also calm eyes examining every face in the hall before halting on Etia''s.


    A smile, one that was filled with both mystery and cockiness, immediately appeared on his face, boosting his charm severalfold. Some goddesses even began to blush as a result, showing just how handsome he was only with a smile.


    "Starting all the fun without even waiting for us? Sigh... How cruel is that from you, Lady Etia..." the young man sighed as he shook his head helplessly and walked behind an empty chair before pulling it out, gesturing for the young woman beside him to take a seat.


    That thoughtful demeanor alone won the heart of many goddesses in a blink while also causing several envious gazes to fall on the young woman, who just smiled sweetly and epted the young man''s kindness.


    "Lord Leion, I thought you and Lady Calene were meditating on the Thousand Leaves Mountain, that is why I didn''t send an invitation. I feared if I do, I will identally ''disturb'' the two of you." Etia smiled calmly before waving her hand gently.


    Whoosh!


    "Please, ept this as my apology. I hope this will assist both you and her in your growth." Etia exined slowly as both Leion and Calene grabbed the floating box from in front of their faces.


    Leion opened the box, inspecting the things inside before another smile appeared on his face and ced it down on the table, "I appreciate your kindness, but after spending a 100 years on a mountain, doing nothing but consuming Thousand Leaves for days and nights without the chance to push my luck at all, I am a little thirsty for fun... if you know what I mean."


    Upon hearing Leion''s words, many began to blush, obviously misunderstanding his words, while Etia''s face became grave, knowing way too well what he was thinking.


    "You want to bet?" Etia asked shortly after, quickly making those who thought about something else now feel deeply embarrassed and ashamed of themselves.


    Leion, looking at the floating orb at the center and then ncing at the small pouches ced before some of the gods curved his lips even more and asked, "I mean, why would I even bother myself toe all the way here if I don''t want to?"


    Then, pushing the box in his hand scarcely forward, his smile slowly turned serious and at the same time cunning, "I will ce my bet. A thousand of these in exchange for a Celestial Fruit."


    "WHAT?!"


    In that instant, the whole room exploded as if someone just dropped a bomb, and all the Gods and Goddesses screamed up with both disbelief and shock.


    "C-Celestial Fruit?! Impossible! Thest one was found 9,000 years ago and there is still a thousand year before the next one ripes! There is just no way you have put your hands on one!"


    "Exactly! You also had to climb the Ream Tree to even have the chance to find it much less obtain it! That is a ce that not even us, Celestial Gods can approach carelessly!"<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah! Show us the proof! Show us the Celestial Fruit!"


    In a sh, turmoil broke out in the hall, doubt and a hint of anger quickly filling the air after hearing Leion''s words.


    Leion, however, just smiled, and only after seeing Etia''s suspicious gaze did he sigh and wave his hand.


    Whoosh!


    "Sweet Godfather... T-That really is the Celestial Fruit! But... how?"


    Under the stupefied gazes of everyone, in Leion''s hand, a small golden fruit appeared out of thin air, making one feel that Leion was not holding a small fruit but a huge apple made out of crystal gold instead!


    After letting everyone feast their eyes on the fruit in his hand for a few seconds, Leion ignored the greedy and also murderous stares directed at him, and while he made the fruit vanish he smiled and looked at Etia with curiosity.


    "So? What do you say? Wanna make a bet with me?"


    -


    -


    -


    Back on Earth.


    After starting his training with Kayn, Raven spent almost all his time within the Realm Domain, doing nothing but punching boulders, kicking trees, and learning how to fight with only a few hours of rest given at the end.


    Days passed after days, and in a sh, the promised two weeks flew by seemingly without any notice.


    During those fourteen days, while Raven''s Avatar Traits didn''t increase at all nor did heplete any Realm Games, his strength still skyrocketed by leaps and bounds.


    BAM!


    With a loud explosion, a massive boulder the size of a smaller wooden house exploded into bits, its chunks flying into every direction with such speed that it was almost akin to bullets, capable of iming lives if one was not careful enough!


    "Unbelievable... Although I have just a little over 30 points of Strength, my punch is definitely equivalent to that of someone with 70 or perhaps 80 points of Strength!" mumbling with awe, Raven''s eyes flickered with excitement and his fingers tightened into an even firmer fist.


    Looking at Raven from the side, who now also had a more robust figurepared to two weeks ago, Kayn smiled with satisfaction when suddenly the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.


    The same went for Raven also, so after patting his clothes to clean the dust off he grabbed his small device with the appearance of a rather high-tech phone from his pocket and pressed a small button on it. A small hologram screen immediately popped up in his line of sight as a result.


    "Hm? Live Stream will start soon?" Raven was puzzled when he saw the words on his screen and shifted his gaze at Kayn, only to see him watching the same thing as him.


    However, their confusion onlysted for a second before the hologram changed its image, showing something that none of them expected to see.

 Chapter 55 Star Treasury Auction

    The hologram screen was split into two sections, each side currently showcasing two different scenes.


    The one on the left disyed the sight of a massive gate towering above numerous buildings in the middle of a street with hundreds of people surrounding it, while the other one was a scenery where the ground was floating clouds and the sky was a clear blue sky.


    Obviously, it was the Blue Realm Gate in Nova City and seemingly the Empty World within.


    "What''s going on? Why are they streaming the Realm Gate all of a sudden?" Raven''s brows lowered into a puzzled frown and shifted his gaze at Kayn.


    So far, it wasmon knowledge that people could bring anything inside Realm Games and Realm Domains, let it be items such as cameras or weapons like knives and guns. Thus, it was also possible to record Realm Games andter on upload them on various websites for others to see.


    However, those were videotapes were recorded beforehand, and only then were they uploaded. None of them were streams broadcast live much less worldwide such as this one!


    "Are you asking that from me, but who should I ask then?" Kayn shrugged when he heard Raven''s question and after pondering for a while he took out another phone from his other pocket, quickly calling someone.


    He talked for several minutes straight, his face undergoing various emotions, and after 20 minutes of straight-talking he hung up and put the phone away.


    "I just called your father, it seems this is not the doing of the Realm Association nor the United World League. They are just as confused as we are."


    "What? It is not their doing? How is that even possible?"


    Kayn raised a hand and scratched his cheek while pondering in silence. It was needless to say, he was just as lost as Raven.


    "ording to what your father told me, they even tried to track down the source of the stream from where it was broadcasted but they found nothing. Even at the spot where the camera should have been there was no one and nothing, not even a drone." Kayn exined slowly.


    "This makes zero sense" Raven mumbled as his eyes remained on the hologram.


    The two of them waited for minutes to see whether something would happen, but strangely, nothing did.


    "Strange, maybe whoever started the stream did so to wait for someone to enter the Realm Gate and start the Realm Game within?" Raven furrowed his brows to which Kayn let out a mockingugh.


    "Well, whoever it was, they are just wasting their time. After failing numerous times toplete the Realm Game, the Realm Association prohibited anyone below Rank 10 to enter the Realm Gate. Hell, Rank 10! Do you even have any idea what that means?"


    "Yeah, I know." Raven nodded and sighed.


    Although he knew how people increased their Avatar Traits like crazy, he was also aware how the strongest man currently on Earth was just at Rank 7 with over 70 points of Constitution.


    Rank 7!


    While it was true it was a high Rankpared to the majority of humans who were still struggling to reach Rank 5,pared to Rank 10, which was the requirement to enter the Blue Realm Gate ording to the Realm Association, it was nothing.


    As Raven thought about this and was ready to put his phone away, losing interest in the stream, suddenly a magic panel popped up in front of his and Kayn''s faces, surprising both of them greatly.


    -------------------------


    [Special Event: Blue Realm Invasion]


    ? Time: 23 hours and 59 minutes before the start.


    ? Description: A Special Event that can be entered by anyone above Rank 5!


    <Anyone joining the Special Event will be granted 5 Random Avatar sks right away!>


    <Anyone joining the Special Event and seeds inpleting it will be granted the following rewards mentioned below!>


    ~~~


    [Special Event Rewards]


    - 5 Avatar sks of your choice! (Each granting 9 points!)


    - 1,000 Astral Core!


    - 1 Random Rare Item!


    <Special Event Rewards don''t contain rewards of the Realm Game!><sub> </sub>


    -------------------------


    [Do you want to join the Special Event: Blue Realm Invasion?]


    [Y/N.]


    "What?!"


    Both Raven and Kayn widened their eyes upon the appearance of the magic panels and they were left speechless for numerous minutes before they could finally talk.


    "Interesting. So it''s just like a do or dies thing." Kayn pondered loudly, "If we decided to join we will not only get the chance to increase our strength by a huge margin while at the same time getting our hands on various goods, but we will also risk our Artifact and our Avatar Traits."


    Raven nodded when he heard Kayn''s words as, just like everyone else, he understood clearly that if someone entered the Blue Realm Gate and ended up failing, they would not only sustain injuries and lose the majority of their Avatar Traits, but also would lose their Artifacts as result!


    Such a thing was truly like akin to a...


    "Gambling..." Raven mumbled under his breath and all of a sudden a weird sensation took over his body.


    His breathing became slightly ragged, his vision shrunk and focused only on the magic panel in front of him, his ears literally locked out all sound around him, and the middle of his palms began to sweat.


    He knew way too well what this feeling was, and no matter how much he hated it and wished to resist it, he failed to do so.


    Thus, in the end, even before Kayn could have stopped him, he spoke;


    "Yes, I do."


    "What?" Kayn''s eyes widened and his head snapped toward where Raven stood, ready to shout at him when suddenly a magic panel neither he nor Raven expected to se appeared.


    <o>,m Whoosh!</o>


    [Warning! You have yet to reach Rank 5! You cannot join the Special Event!]


    "Huh?" snapping out of his daze, Raven''s eyes widened as he read the words presented on the magic panel floating before his face.


    Then, realizing what was happening, his eyes widened even more before a hand was firmly ted on his shoulder, and was forced to turn to the left. It was Kayn who grabbed him and forcefully twisted his body to the side.


    "Did you lose your fucking mind? Didn''t you read the description? If it were not for your low Rank now your entire future would have been at stake!" Kayn blurted out, his usually calm face now showing a level of anger because of Raven''s foolish action.


    Despite the fact that the rewards were tempting, Kayn, as he had already said this, knew it was insanely risky to join. Hell, he was pretty sure after knowing the risks of entering the Blue Realm Game there will be only a few that will decide to join!


    Raven was surprised by the sudden outburst of Kayn as he didn''t expect him to have such a reaction. He was pleasantly surprised and also secretly touched as the way Kayn looked at him really showed he was caring for him.


    "Don''t get me wrong, you do whatever you want, you are already a grown-up." understanding Raven''s thoughts, Kayn took a deep breath and stepped back.


    "But that does not mean you can be reckless. You have to understand our lives are slowly changing, and while you can be strong with Avatar Traits and other items, in the end, your Artifact will determine who you will be in the future. Losing it would be akin to destroying your future!"


    Kayn was right. Avatar Traits just increased one''s physical strength while Items, essories, and Rune Marks only increased one''s strength a tiny bit and even just passively. Even the Avatar Titles were something that barely raised one''s power and they were really hard to acquire.


    On the other hand, Artifacts were something that determined what kind of an individual one could be in the future. They were the essence of a person''s life and losing them, while not being hopeless, was pretty much akin to being a cripple!


    After all, without Artifacts, one couldn''t wield any special power and without any, their lives rested in others'' hands.


    The only thing that could possibly help those who lost their Artifact would be some powerful Relics, which different from Artifacts while capable of granting special powers couldn''t be enhanced, and Avatar Imprints.


    Though, so far, as Raven seemed to understand it, the only individual who possessed an Avatar Imprint was him. Not even that guy with his Rank 7 was able to reach 10 points with all his Avatar Traits or else news about it would be everywhere around the world!


    Yet, despite knowing that Kayn was right, for some weird reason and almost as if he was possessed by the devil, Raven still wished to join the event which with each passing minute became stronger and stronger!


    It was almost as if he suddenly became an addict and his only way to calm his thirst was to get what he wanted, to join the event!


    And what was the fastest way for him to do that?


    The Star Treasury!

 Chapter 56 Small Request

    The Star Treasury, is an incredibly popr auction site where people could ce bets on items and stuff acquired from both Realm Domains and Realm Games!


    Naturally, there was also a physical site where people could go and start betting in person, but as it was, weirdly enough, seated in Night Star City instead of Nova City, one of the fewrge business cities around the globe, Raven couldn''t go there.


    It was about 12 hours of travel away from where he was currently!


    With the ever-growing itching sensation within his body, he was sure to go insane thus even before reaching there he knew his only chance was to get Avatar sks through the online site.


    However, it was easier said than done.


    First of all, ording to his knowledge, while the Star Treasury sold many things, mainly ones acquire from other guilds, the thing theycked the most was Avatar sks.


    Usually, whenever someone got their hands on any Avatar sk they would immidieatly drink it. After all, who would not? Avatar sks increased one''s strength, only idiots would decide to give it away or those who needed some money.


    This, however, didn''t mean it was impossible to find one on the site, it just was incredibly hard to find and even if one did find them, they sold for astronomical prices!


    Of course, there was also the option to ask his father, Dan, to help him get Avatar sks that their guild acquired from Realms, but then he would be asked for the reason which quickly would end up being a no as an answer.


    His father would not help him reach Rank 5 in 24 hours if he were to know his true motive, which, honestly, was pretty much obvious and understandable.


    There was also the question of money. Raven was well aware he was broke. He knew he could not go and ask for money from others as he was still in massive debts nor could he steal his father''s credit card as that would be morally wrong, thus he was left with only one option.


    ''Sigh...''


    Feeling slightly ashamed of what he was about to do, Raven looked at Kayn, and with another sigh, he said, "You are right, I was rushing things and didn''t think about the consequences. I learned my lesson."


    Kayn nodded with satisfaction and straightened his posture, "Good. Until you know your mistakes and know how to learn from them, that is all that matters."


    Raven nodded, and after wiping his sweat away from his forehead he told Kayn he will go back to the mansion and sleep.


    Watching as Raven walked away and out of the Realm Domain, Kayn squinted his eyes a little before his face turned indifferent, and shook his head softly.


    It was unknown what he was thinking.


    ...


    Raven walking out of the Realm Domain looked at the sight around him and watched with awe how everything changed in under two weeks.


    One had to note that throughout his fourteen days he spent almost all his time within the Realm Domain and only left when he was allowed to take a quick shower. Besides that he literally lived inside the Realm Domain, even spending his free time there!


    Therefore, while he saw the developments that happened around the mansion, it was only for a few moments. And what could he say, he was truly startled to see just how far the ck Moon Guild hade.


    Previously, the mansion was surrounded by a massive green field with a forest surrounding it from every direction except for the north, yet, thatpletely changed by now.


    Just after two weeks of constant building and development, Raven was shocked to see how therge and empty grass field was now filled with long silver pavements with buildings all around therge clearing, each differing in size and shape.


    The whole ce was like a miniature city, buzzing with life, the majority of them being the members of the ck Moon Guild!


    Raven marveled at the scenery before and around him when suddenly the mysterious and at the same time irritating itching sensation in his body appeared once again, forcing him to fix his gaze on the mansion in the far distance and start walking.


    "Please, pick it up..." clenching his teeth while walking and holding his phone, Raven looked at the screen that showed the name ''Lil Sis'' with a cute little white rabbit emoji beside her nickname.


    Although he didn''t meet with Luna for more than two weeks now, from Thomas he knew she was doing just fine, helping the ck Moon Guild toplete Realm Games and even clear Realm Domains.


    In fact, because she not onlypleted Realm Games with Rabk Requirements with great sess but also fast her name became rather popr within other guilds and even the Realm Association tried to recruit her because of her potential and talent.


    But strangely, despite the Realm Association promising her goods that only a few could enjoy she still declined their offer.


    Thomas and even his father Dan were shocked by this and they even tried to convince her to change her mind, but she refused without giving any reason why.<sub> </sub>


    The phone in Raven''s hand rung three times when the call was connected to the other side and a sweet voice that could make them subconsciously smile reach Raven''s ear.


    "So you finally remembered that you have a little sister, hmm~?"


    Upon hearing Luna''s voice which immidieatly made him imagine her pouting Raven showed a wry smile and sighed;


    "Lulu, I am sorry, I wanted to call you way earlier but with how I was tortured to the brink of death every single day in the past two weeks I couldn''t." Ravenughed awkwardly, the memories of Kayn beating the living crap out of him daily resurfaced in his mind.


    "Wait, what? Who hurt you? Where are you right now?"


    Raven''s eyes widened scarcely when he heard the sudden change of attitude of his little sister which went from sweet to cold and brought the phone before his face, only to see Luna wanting to start a video chat.


    "What the..." Raven mumbled as he was a little surprised and decided to ignore the video request and ced the phone back next to his ear.


    ? "Lulu, I am fine, no one hurt me. I am still here at dad''s mansion and called you because I want to ask for your help."


    "You are not lying to me, are you?" Luna asked, her voice slowly bing soft once again despite a hint of coldness still lingering there.


    "Why would I? In fact, you would be surprised to see me right now. I am like a whole new man, brimming with life!"


    "Hmm... Okay~! I believe you!" Luna replied sweetly before she added, "So, what do you want me to do. Though I will say this right now, I am expensive. I want five hours of massage from you, full body!"


    "Sur-, wait what?! Five hours? No, more importantly, why do you even want me to massage you, and your whole body at that? You know I have no experience in that field!" Raven felt stupified as he asked.


    He knew his sister liked getting massages. He even was aware she was visiting massage parlors twice a week, or perhaps thrice, but this was the first she asked him to massage her.


    Hell, he didn''t even know if he could or couldn''t massage properly much less for 5 hours straight!


    "Lulu, that won''t w-"


    "Then I will not help you," Luna stated firmly, leaving no room for any objection. Raven either gave her a massage for 5 hours or he won''t get her help.


    Feeling the itching sensation spreading in his body and bing tenser and tenser, Raven clenched his teeth and said, "1 hour and I will get you something from the Backroom when I get the chance."


    "3 hours and an item from the Backroom. Take or leave."


    Raven clenched his teeth even more and once he reached the entrance of the mansion he sighed and surrendered, "Sure, you won."


    "Hehe~!" Luna''s delighted giggle was heard from the other side of the phone, making Raven''s mood sour a little before the growing irritation within his body worsened, forcing him to be serious once again.


    "Okay, then here is what you have to do..."


    -


    -


    -


    Inside his room, sitting right before his desk, Raven red with wide eyes right at hisputer''s screen while his legs moved up and now rapidly and his thumb was bit constantly as if he wished to eat his skin.


    Thick, bean-sized sweats were also rolling down his forehead onto the floor, looking almost like someone who just finished running several miles for hours!


    ''Damn this... What is happening with me? This was never so bad in the past!'' Raven thought to himself as he wiped his forehead and scratched his neck, feeling as if he was sitting in a sauna while ants crawled right below his skin that he couldn''t just ignore!


    Ding!


    "Finally!" hearing his phone ringing, at record speed he grabbed his phone from the desk and opened the app, seeing it was Luna who wrote him as promised.

 Chapter 57 Spending Money Shamelessly

    Once the phone was in his hand Raven pressed a small icon on the device''s screen, on the hovering hologram, and watched as a small panel popped up before his face.


    It was a text message from her little sister, Luna.


    "I got it~! I will send it to you rn!>o<"


    Whoosh!


    At that very moment, the small circr device ced at the edge of his desk lit up, and with a mixture of blue and white particles, a little golden card materialized out of thin air as if it was magic.


    But it was not magic nor was it a special item acquired from Realms. It was his father''s, Dan''s invention and one of the most used devices throughout the whole world, the Zeusbridge.


    Although just a prototype, it was still capable of transporting smaller and medium-sized inanimate objects, almost in a way akin to teleportation from sci-fi or fantasy movies!


    Looking at the golden card which, in truth, was Lulu''s credit card, Raven swallowed nervously and took it into his hands.


    "Yeah, it came through, thank you. You are a life saver."


    "Hehe~! Don''t forget about what you promised! 3 hours of massage and an item from the Backroom!<3"


    "Also, I know I have said this already, but don''t worry about the money. I got this card from that bootlicker from the Waldell Family about two years ago and I have not used it at all. Feel free to use it. (*^^*)"


    Raven forced smile on his face upon seeing what her little sister replied before he used theputer in front of him to log in to the Star Treasury''s official website and create an ount, obviously a unanimous one.


    Of course, there was also the possibility the higher-ups within the Star Treasury could track him down through the Zeusbridge, but as he will ask them to send it inside a package inside the ck Moon Guild they won''t know if it was him.


    After all, after two weeks the ck Moon Guild no longer was just a sole little building; it was a miniature city with peopleing and going on a daily basis so suspecting it was him who won the bet would be incredibly hard.


    "Let''s see what you got," Raven mumbled as he scratched his neck and shook his legs, and once he was logged in with a randomly given name, Anony Mouse, with a small ck mouse with a white smiling mask on its head as a profile picture, he typed the word ''Avatar sk'' into the searching section.


    And just as he thought, the moment he pressed enter, the number of Avatar sks that were on auction was a pathetic total of...


    "12... There is a total of 12 Avatar sk currently on auction," Raven mumbled and clicked on an Avatar sk that raised one''s Constitution by 5 points.


    ====================


    [Avatar sk: 5 points of Constitution]


    /Current Bid: 500,000 Novas/


    - Raise Bid by:


    - Buy it immediately: 1,000,000 Novas


    <Minimum Raising is 10,000 Novas!>


    <Time left: 3 days, 5 hours, 28 minutes!>


    ====================


    Raven stared at the screen for a few seconds with an indifferent gaze,pletely unfazed by the massive amount of Novas one needed to spend to acquire the Avatar sk, and quickly checked his Avatar Status.


    ''My Strength, Speed, and Constitution are the only ones that are the closest to 50 points so I should buy sks that increase those three.'' Raven thought to himself as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead and checked all the Avatar Traits.


    ''4 Speed and 1 Constitution without any Strength sk...'' Raven sighed and narrowed his search only for sks which increased his Speed.


    ''3 points, 7 points, 5 points, and... Woah, that''s a rare one. An Avatar sk that increases one''s Speed by nine points. Though, while the first three can be bought in an instant for 1 million Novas the fourth one cannot be.''


    While marveling at what he should do, Raven bought the first three Avatar sks and asked for instantaneous delivery that cost him a total of 3,003,000 Novas!


    Just like that, without any hesitation, he spent over 3 million Novas that in the past would have cost him twice as much as now!


    Meanwhile, inside the headquarters of the Star Treasury, a woman sitting before a very modernputer gawked at the floating hologram in front of her with an old man in a white suit standing behind her.


    "Anony... Mouse? Just what kind ofme name is that?" the woman mumbled quietly to which the man behind her snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath.


    His name was Alexios Greyfall and he was the supervisor within the Star Treasury. In the past, he was only just a worthless manager within the United World League, but not long after the appearance of the Realm Gates, he was given this position by the Realm Association.


    It seemed his hard work finally paid off.


    "Those three Avatar sks. Where did he ask them to be delivered?" Alexios asked calmly, his gaze on the woman in front of him.


    "ording to the information I can see, they want us to send them into the headquarters of the ck Moon Guild in Silver de," the woman answered shortly after.


    "The ck Moon Guild, huh?" Alexios mumbled and hummed for a few seconds before he shrugged, "Sure, whatever. Not that other guilds haven''t bought things directly from us in the past. Just go ahead and verify it already."


    "Y-Yes, Sir." the woman nodded and without hesitation ended the online betting, which, for obvious reasons, angered many throughout the world as they expected to win the bidding.


    "This fucker... That sk would have allowed me to be Rank 6! Who is this guy?"


    "Anony Mouse? Pfft! He is not just a loser but his name is akin to a loser''s too! Hiding behind a fake name like a coward!"<sub> </sub>


    As for Raven,pletely unaware of what he had caused with just three simple clickings quickly walked into the ck Moon Guild and stood before the desk.


    "I believe I have gotten a package from the Star Treasury."


    The woman standing behind the desk raised a brow upon seeing Raven''s sweating figure and how he was breathing heavily while scratching his neck but still walked into the room behind her before she came out with a small box in hand.


    "Thank you!" snatching the box out of the woman''s hand Raven turned around and ran away, leaving the young woman behindpletely stupefied.


    "Come to daddy." after running back into his room and literally tearing the box apart, Raven opened the three bottles and drank the contents within with one single gulp.


    From the side, he looked almost like someone who didn''t drink for days and could kill even for a single drop of liquid if he needed to!


    Once he finished drinking and feeling how the itching feeling in his body subsided a little, Raven threw the bottles to the side and walked before his desk, only to his steps to halt upon realizing something crucial.


    Because the irritation inside his body was so great, hepletely forgot about his gloves and to use them!


    ''Fuck this!''


    Cursing out loud, Raven looked at the now three empty bottles before a mix of anger and grief stered over his face.


    Unfortunately, he had no power to go back in time, so grieving over something that happened was pointless.


    Sitting down in his chair with a loud sigh, Raven directed his gaze at the screen and opened the Star Treasury.


    ====================


    [Avatar sk: 9 points of Speed]


    /Current Bid: 1,900,000 Novas/


    - Raise Bid by:


    - Buy it immediately: Not an Option!


    <Minimum Raising is 100,000 Novas!>


    <Time left: 1 day, 7 hours, 41 minutes!>


    ====================


    "1 Day?" Raven furrowed his brows and after remaining silent for a little while he raised the bid by 100,000 Novas!


    <Anony Mouse raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2 Million Novas!>


    "Now we wait..." Raven mumbled and wished to stand up andy down on his bed in the hope to get good sleep when suddenly another notification appeared on his screen.


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2.1 Million Novas!>


    <AlmightyFist_69 raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2.2 Million Novas!>


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2.3 Million Novas!>


    <Jeff raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2.4 Million Novas!>


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 2.5 Million Novas!>


    ...


    "What the...?" sitting back into his chair slowly, Raven watched as the bidding price for the Avatar sk soared to greater heights every second, only stopping when it reached 4.2 million Novas!


    "Who the crap is this Blessed Child?" Raven was dumbfounded when he saw how this Blessed Child raised the prize even more whenever someone bid.


    Narrowing his eyes, Raven nced at the golden card beside him and chuckled.


    "So, you like to y, huh? What about this then?"


    <Anony Mouse raised the bid by 1 Million Novas! Current bid: 5.2 Million Novas!>


    After raising the bid by a whole one million Raven leaned back into his chair and waited.


    However, when he saw no notification even after full 5 minutes he smiled with satisfaction.


    "Thought so," Raven mumbled and was ready to stand up and take a nap for real this time, suddenly a small bubble appeared on the screen once again.


    Ding!


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 2 Million Novas! Current bid: 7.2 Million Novas!>


    Raven almost choked on his saliva when he read the notification and his eyes immediately widened as his body fell back into his chair, almost breaking it in the process!

 Chapter 58 Setting A Record

    Leaning back into his chair, Raven stared at the screen with a stupified expression, hardly believing what he was seeing was actually true.


    7.2 million Novas...


    Although it was not arge amount for someone like him as he had already seen much more in his life, it still made him dizzy when he thought about how much money will be spent on a single bottle.


    Damn! Over seven million Novas... That was twice as much wealth before the Third World War! One could have easily lived for years from that much money!


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Raven leaned forward and tapped on the screen a few times before pressing enter.


    <Anony Mouse raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 7.3 Million Novas!>


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 7.4 Million Novas!>


    "This bi-" Raven almost cursed out loud once again and quickly raised the bid by another 100k.


    <Blessed Child raised the bid by 100k Novas! Current bid: 7.6 Million Novas!>


    "He is not ying games. He is serious about this sk." Raven mumbled and scratched his neck, feeling how the irritation slowly was creeping back into his body.


    Nevertheless, he ignored it and increased the bid by 500k which quickly was answered by another 500k by this Blessed Child.


    "Hmm..." leaning back into his chair and touching his chin with his fingers, Raven pondered silently before he checked the time.


    <Time left: 1 day, 7 hours, 41 minutes!>


    More than 1 day...


    Raven contemted for several seconds without moving or talking, and after 5 full minutes, he decided to set an rm and sleep.


    "I will take care of you tomorrow..." Raveny down on his bed and closed his eyes.


    However, not even after 2 hours, his eyes snapped open as the irritation within his body became so unbearable that he was simply unable to fall asleep. Hell, his body was even covered in a thickyer of sweat, literally soaking his bed sheets!


    "Sigh... This just can''t go on like this..." Raven mumbled and sat back down before his device, staring at the screen with a contemting look.


    "Wait, maybe that could work!" suddenly, Raven''s eyes lit up, and quickly scrolled to the very bottom of the website, finding the Star Treasury''s contact information.


    ...


    Within the headquarters of the Star Treasury, Alexios was walking up and down in arge room filled with the members of the Star Treasury, making sure everything was organized and no problems would arise.


    "S-Sir..." suddenly, as Alexios was reaching a young man in a ck uniform his steps halted, his eyes fixed on therge screen.


    <How much for the Avatar sk?>


    "Avatar sk?" Alexios raised a brow, but soon his eyes lit up, andughed, "Tell him if he wants it then keep bidding."


    "Yes, Sir!" the young man nodded and quickly wrote the reply.


    Upon seeing how his inferior pressed entered Alexios nodded and was ready to keep walking when suddenly another message came.


    <How about 50 Million Novas?>


    COUGH!


    Alexios and the young man, both almost choked on their saliva and their eyes widened so much that they were threatening to fall out of their sockets right then and there!


    "F-Fifty million Novas? J-Just who is this guy?" the young man wiped the sweat away from his forehead when he read the message for the second time, his eyes shifting over to Alexios, unknown what he should do.<sub> </sub>


    Alexios was also dumbfounded and didn''t know what he should do. This was his first time taking care of someone offering so much money.


    <Not enough? How about 100 Million Novas?>


    "This brat!!" Alexios almost tripped and fell behind, his legs almost turning to jelly!


    100 Million Novas!


    That was an amount that not even thousands if not tens of thousands of normal people would be able to see in their entire lives ever!


    Yes, the Star Treasury was an auction site where people could keep bidding on items daily so it was not a shock to see if an item was sold for several million Novas, perhaps even for a few ten million Novas.


    But for a hundred?


    No, let alone a hundred million Novas, fifty million Novas was a massive amount for a single item alone!


    "This guy definitely has a few screws lost to spend so much..." Alexios mumbled as he adjusted his tie while he swallowed nervously.


    "S-Sir... What should we do? The Avatar sk he talks about is currently at 8.6 million Novas and it cannot be bought immidieatly." the young man exined as he quickly tracked down which Avatar sk was Raven talking about.


    "8.6 million?" Alexios mumbled the number a few times before he almost yelled out loud.


    For fucking god''s sake! Who cared about almost 9 million Novas?!


    This guy was serious and he even offered 100 Million Novas! Not even a single item was sold for that much wealth ever in any auction history!


    NEVER!


    If he now epts this offer he can get even more fame and recognition from his higher-ups than ever before and perhaps get the chance to be promoted!


    Of course, this also came with risk as ording to the rules within the Star Treasury, he was prohibited from epting any offer if the auctioned item was stated was not sold immediately, which, if he does, could possibly cost his job!


    "Sir?" the young man looked at Alexios questioningly, wondering what he should reply.


    Alexios contemted silently and after 5 full minutes he clenched his teeth and said, "Sell it for him."


    "B-But Sir, that is-"


    "I know it is against the rules, but I am also confident the higher-ups will understand it. I will take all responsibility so just sell it for him already!"


    <o>,m "Understood..." the young man nodded and after swallowing nervously logged in to the server and quickly closed the auction, selling it for Raven.</o>


    <Auction closed! Item sold already!>


    "WHAT?! What is the meaning of this?" sitting on afy and luxurious sofa, an old man stood up, the cigarette falling out of his mouth right onto the ground below.


    And it was not only him, but everyone watching the auction, including numerous big figures andrge guilds! It was not an exaggeration that half of the world right now was in a huge stupor.


    "Mr. Alexios, Master Goran wish to see you in his office."


    Alexios, watching how an old man in a rather elegant suit walked into the room and walked up to him sighed, and after adjusting his tie once again he nodded.


    "I will be there right away."


    Meanwhile, back in Old Dan''s mansion, Raven stood in his chair with a wide grin on his face while a drop of tear rolled down from the corner of his mouth.


    "I won... but at what cost?"

 Chapter 59 [Bonus Chapter] Diamond Badge

    Inside a spacious room filled with all kinds of luxurious items and antics, a long table was seated in the middle with six chairs on either side while and a single sofa at its end.


    In each chair, people wearing ck suits sat with straight backs while on the leather sofa a man with a rather fit body sat calmly, his eyes closed as he was seemingly rxing at the moment.


    That man was Goran Vernize, the current chairman of the Star Treasury and also one of the few members that enjoyed all kinds of privileges at the very top of the United World League.


    Knock~knock!


    "Come in," Goran spoke with a tranquil tone, giving one an impression he was a person with great patience.


    "Master Goran, Mr. Alexios is here." opening the door and walking inside, the old man in the elegant suit stepped to the side and allowed Alexios to enter the room.


    In that instant, all the eyes fell on him, making him feel a somewhat invisible pressure fall on his shoulders right away.


    On the sofa, Goran slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of emerald gazes that seemed to be as calm as the sea, but also just as dangerous, depending on how deep one wished to look.


    "Care to exin to us what happened, Alexios?" after a small duration of silence, Goran locked his fingers together on hisp and asked, his voice just as serene as his gaze.


    Feeling as if every eye wished to pierce right through him, Alexios took a deep breath to calm himself down, and once he was ready, he began to talk.


    "And that is what happened. I have no excuse, I just simply wished to help the Star Treasury. I am well aware of what rules I have broken so I will ept any punishment." Alexios lowered his head once he finished talking


    The room fell into silence. No one talked or moved and the only thing that was heard was the asional fluttering of the curtains just behind Goron on the windows.


    Then, almost as if by mutual agreement, the room broke into wildughter, shocking Alexios deeply.


    "HAHAHAHA!"


    "This..." Alexios was speechless, not understanding why were his superiorsughing so wildly, almost as if they have just heard the greatest joke in the world.


    The only one who didn''tugh like crazy and only chuckled was Goran, looking at Alexios for the first time with amusement.


    "S-Sir... Did I perhaps... say something funny?" Alexios asked with a scarcely flushed face, feeling rather ufortable and awkward at the moment.


    Goran, leaning forward and cing his hands on the table shook his head and said, "No, not at all. We just didn''t expect you to say thosest words, that''s all."


    After saying that, Goran stoppedughing, and although he still held a smile on his face his gaze turned serious, he pulled the small box from beside him in front of him and raised its lid, revealing a small diamond badge within.


    Instantly, Alexios'' eyes widened, and he had to force himself from almost howling toward the sky from the sheer excitement he felt at that moment.


    While people could bid for items on the online website, there was also te chance to attend the physical auction in Night Star City which was held every single night and was overseen by an actual Auctioneer!<sub> </sub>


    However, here in the Star Treasury, different ranks between Auctioneers could be acquired depending on the amount of money they were able to bring to the auction house.


    Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Obsidian, and Fluorite. These were the ranks an Auctioneer could acquire throughout their lifetime within the Star Treasury.


    Of course, it was needless to say that the badge in that small box, which was made out of pure diamond, represented the Diamond Rank with which one not only could hold auctions but also gain 15% of the total amount of money gained throughout the night!


    That meant if he had that badge with him and sold an item at an auction, he would get a 15% share which, although didn''t seem a lot, when he sold items for millions it was a massive amount!!


    "So you do recognize it, good." Goran''s smile widened and nodded with satisfaction before he closed the lid, "This badge will be yours, but before that, I have a task to give you. Naturally, only if you are willing to ept it."


    Alexios snapped out of his daze the very moment he saw the lid closing on the box and with an insanely serious face asked, "What do I have to do, Sir?"


    Goran nodded once again as he was even more satisfied with Alexios'' attitude and said, "I don''t know who this Anony Mouse is, but he or she seems pretty interesting. I also found out that they do not belong to any guilds or any big families as even they are just as shocked as we all are."


    "And that''s why, if you wish to hold this badge, find that individual and deliver him that envelope personally." Goran waved his hand to which the butler on the side moved and handed Alexios a golden envelope.


    "Do you think you can do it?"


    Holding the envelope that was sealed with a purple star, Alexios raised his head and nodded firmly.


    "I will do my best, Sir."


    -


    -


    -


    After winning, Raven quickly ran into the ck Moon Guild and just like previously retrieved his package from thedy hurriedly.


    "Finally! It''s here!" smiling while holding the box, Raven ran hurriedly inside the Realm Domain where he summoned his Collector''s Gloves and once the bottle was in his hand he duplicated it.


    p "I should have done this way sooner..." Raven mourned over his past mistake and with one motion poured both bottles'' contents into his mouth.</anda>


    [Congrattions! You have increased one of your Avatar Traits beyond 60 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully be Rank 6!]


    "Damn, that feels good!" gasping for air after he swallowed thest drop, Raven sighed with relief as he felt how the itching sensation finally vanished from his body, no longer feeling as if hundreds of ants were crawling under his skin.

 Chapter 60 Two Beasts, One Man; Hopeless!

    Once he finished drinking the Avatar sks, Raven opened the magic panel rted to the Special Event and wished to join it.


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully joined the Special Event: Blue Realm Invasion!]


    [Now you will be granted 5 random Avatar sks!]


    Whoosh!


    Lowering his hands that held the now two empty bottles, Raven closed his eyes and remained motionless, enjoying the gentle breeze that crashed against his face and whole body. Hepletely ignored how five bottles materialized out of nowhere, each hovering in empty air just a few inches away from his face.


    "Sigh..." filling his lungs with fresh air, Raven opened his eyes and exhaled slowly, the corner of his lips slowly curving upward into a satisfied grin.


    He didn''t know what happened to him, but whatever it was, it no longer haunted him like a curse. Now he felt as if he had been reborn, living in apletely new body!


    It was almost akin to getting his redemption after several years of torture with the only exception that it all happened just in a few hours.


    After his eyes were fully open, Raven looked at the floating sks before his face and grabbed each of them.


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Dexterity]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Dexterity increases by 4 points!


    -------------


    ...


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Constitution]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Constitution increases by 8 points!


    -------------


    ...


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Mystique]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Constitution increases by 6 points!


    -------------


    ...


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Constitution]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Constitution increases by 5 points!


    -------------


    ...


    ------------


    [Avatar sk: Strength]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle your Constitution increases by 5 points!


    -------------


    ...


    "2 Constitution, 1 Mystique, 1 Strength, and 1 Dexterity." Raven talked calmly and quickly used his Collector''s Glove on each sk before drinking them.


    ============


    ¡ã Vitality: 20 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 36 [5]


    ¡ã Strength: 41 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 63 [6]


    ¡ã Constitution: 56 [6]<sub> </sub>


    ¡ã Dexterity: 35 [0]


    ============


    Looking at his current Traits Raven smiled with satisfaction. Except for his Vitality, all of his Avatar Traits were above 30 points, two even breaking the 50 mark by a  huge margin!


    Though he knew perfectly well how those points meant nothing, and in truth, he was way stronger than an average Rank 5 being. Hell, even his Rank 6 Speed was akin to someone who reached Rank 9 or perhaps even Rank 10!


    "I should start practicing again and gain more strength, but before that, I should try and see just how strong I have be," Raven mumbled, and his gaze was slowly directed at therge hotel in the distance.


    It was about two weeks since he had entered that building where those tworge snakes lurked, waiting for oblivious prey to fall into their territory.


    Naturally, while he had been practicing with Kayn, he saw how Thomas ordered some recruits to enter the building and explore it without touching the shards. It went without saying that Dan wished them to be collected by him and his Relic.


    However, whenever a team walked inside, when they left a few always went missing while the rest sustained smaller or bigger injuries. Also, their faces held the same expression; true horror and hopelessness!


    ''Those recruits had an average strength of a Rank 3. With my current strength, I am pretty sure I can fight those beasts.'' Raven thought in his heart, imagining how his fist would st the head of both snakes with a single punch.


    ''But just to be sure, I will use my Artifact. After all, normal weapons are not effective on those bastards, or at least that''s what Thomas told me.''


    With that in mind, Raven took out his Artifact from his pocket and after looking at it for a few seconds he threw it, watching as itnded on two stars and changed into a small item.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Revenant ws]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Advanced


    ? Description: A lethal weapon that can allow the wearer to slice through even metal!


    <In exchange for 1,000 units of Mystique special ability [Shaprness] will be activated, increasing your slicing power drastically!>


    <Cooldown: Ability [Sharpness] will be active for 5 seconds and can be reactivated right away!


    --------------


    When Raven read the Relic''s name, he believed it would be a weapon simr to a glove but with sharp ends, but when his eyes fell on it, he was stupefied to see that it was, in fact, a metal shoe with a design that looked akin to a beast''s terrifying paw!


    "Can I even walk properly while I wear these?" Raven asked himself with a confused look and carefully ced both of them onto his feet.


    "They are prettyfortable. Not as much as those rabbit slippers, but at least not unbearable either." Raven mumbled as he jumped and even kicked a few times, seeing how hard it was to use them.


    After practicing in them for a few minutes, Raven stopped and nodded, walking toward the massive building in the distance.


    The inside of the building was the same. Old hotel hallways with nts, paintings, and antics hanging from the walls or simply ced on the side, various oversized rooms one could imagine, and floating shards that could be turned into items if touched.


    Raven walked silently, following the path he once took in the past, and shortly after 30 minutes he finally reached the center with the small altar and the two giant snakes on both sides, seemingly sleeping.


    ''...Okay. Let''s do this.'' taking a deep breath, Raven lowered his posture slightly and once he was ready he activated his Relic''s ability.


    BAM!


    The ground below Raven''s feet exploded the very moment his body blurred and vanished while several meters away, right beside the white snake he appeared out of thin air, his right leg already raised high into te air.


    "?!"


    Sensing the immediate danger, the white beast snapped its eyes wide open and wished to dodge to save its life, but unfortunately, it was toote. Like a scythe falling from the sky, the moment Raven swung his leg downward the Relic sent five horizontal crescent arcs at the beast, instantly slicing its humungous body into five equal pieces!


    "This... was easy." Raven felt surprised as he hoped the beast would be able to at least resist a little before it died.


    His Relic cut through its hard skin almost as if it was a scissor slicing through a piece of paper!


    ''HIIISSSS!!!''


    Suddenly, as Raven was marveling over his strength, the hair on the back of his neck raised, forcing him to jump to the side and watch as the spot where he stood a moment ago now exploded as the ck snake crashed on it from above!


    It tried to swallow him just like it did during their first encounter!


    "Try and swallow this!" Raven spoke coldly and swung his fist, every muscle within his body bulging scarcely before exploding with strength that in the past would have been impossible to achieve!


    BOOOOM!


    With a st that was akin to a bomb detonating, when Raven''s fist came into contact with the beast''s humungous face its head exploded like a watermelon under massive pressure!


    Just like that, the two beasts that so far were considered immortal gods were killed by him, with two simple attacks at that!


    [Congrattions! You have been eligible to earn a new Avatar Title: Beast yer!]

 Chapter 61 Weird Dream

    ''A new Avatar Title?'' at first Raven was surprised before a satisfied grin formed over his usually indifferent face and quickly opened the description of the title.


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: Beast yer]


    ? Status: Inactive


    p ? Description: A special record given only to those who are strong enough to crush their bestial enemies without any fear and any mercy!</anda>


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  First Active Effect: Your Strength, Speed, and Vitality in the face of any wild beast gets increased by +10!


    -> Second Active Effect: All of your Avatar Traits will increase by +3 with every wild beast you face!


    -> Unique Effect: If you are fighting an Alpha Beast all your Traits gets increased by +25!


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    "This seems quite promising," Raven mumbled, his gaze especially fixed on the Second Active Effect.


    That ability was literally a cheat code!


    Although it was not useful when he faced a single beast, as then his Traits would only increase by 3 if he fought a pack where he was against 10 or even more that was equivalent to 30+ points!


    That was like he jumped 3 or more Ranks in an instant!


    The only problem with this title, however, was that it could be only used when he battled beasts and not other individuals.


    "Well, as I can change the Titles whenever I want I will just keep my current Title active," Raven mumbled to himself as he nced at the floating orb on the altar before he decided to call Thomas.


    "Y-You have done what?!" Thomas'' shocked voice came from the other side of the line before he turned serious and told Raven he will be right there.


    Shortly after that, Thomas with numerous recruits entered the small garden, but when they saw the carcass of the two humungous beasts their jaws dropped almost to their knees.


    "Y-Young Master... Did you kill... it yourself?" walking beside Raven while watching as the recruits examined the sliced and smashed bodies of the two snakes, Thomas asked with a hint of doubt and worry.


    "Yeah, it was me. I used these to kill them." Raven raised his right foot, showing Thomas his Revenant ws.


    Of course, he missed out on the part on purpose where he should have mentioned he killed those two, each with a single strike. After all, who would believe him even if he told so?


    Thomas once told Raven there was a recruit with a Rank 5 Strength who tried to kill the beast, only to end up running for his life at the end. Luckily, he escaped, but the injuries he sustained were rather grave.<sub> </sub>


    Ever since then, although people were allowed to enter the Realm Domain freely, they were strictly prohibited from entering the building. Naturally, those who ignored this warning could only me themselves if they die and the ck Moon Guild will notpensate in any way.


    Thomas nced at the metal shoe on Raven''s leg and after pondering silently for a few seconds he sighed and said, "I see. Well, what matters is that you are safe."


    "Now at least we can collect the shards without worrying about a thing." Raven smiled before he pointed at that orb and said, "Also, make sure no one touches that orb, or else the Domain will copse."


    Following Raven''s finger, Thomas nced at the floating small orb on the altar and nodded, "Understood. I will find someone to stand guard while we clear the Domain."


    "Good, then let''s get down to work." Raven grinned and once he summoned his Collector''s Glove he began to collect shards, either duplicating them or enhancing their effects.


    Thomas helped him also and quickly brought more people to help collect the items Raven left behind.


    Naturally, when the members of the ck Moon Guild arrived and saw therge number of treasures lying on the ground their eyes were filled with greed, but as Thomas made sure to supervise everything they could only drool their saliva and take them right into the warehouse.


    Time passed quickly and about 2 hourster Raven finally collected thest shard before deciding to meet up with Thomas at the small altar in the center of the building.


    "Do you think we can take the carcass of these beasts outside the domain?" Raven asked Thomas as he watched how people worked around the now-dead bodies of the two beasts.


    "We can. There is already a Realm Domain under our possession where we can y smaller-sized creatures and take their corpses out of the Domain." Thomas exined before adding calmly, "Also, until we don''t take their bodies outside, the Realm Domain will not be cleared."


    "I see." Raven nodded and after thinking for a while he excused himself, going back to his room to take a good rest before the Special Event.


    He set the rm to wake him up just an hour before the start of the Special Event and jumped into his bed, instantly falling asleep.


    -


    -


    -


    "wake up... Wake up... Hey... Hey... I SAID WAKE UP!"


    "WHAT?!" snapping his eyes wide open, Raven jumped onto his feet and looked around rmed.


    However, after waiting for several minutes he frowned with confusion and lowered his hands that were raised, ready to throw out a punch at any moment.


    "This was weird... I could swear I heard someone yelling right into my ear." Raven mumbled quietly and turned around, only to be frozen motionless as a face was just inches away from his, its facial expressions hidden behind an almost blinding white glow.


    "You have to break your seal! Your seal! Break it or you will never be free!"


    A deep voice resounded from every direction around Raven, shocking him even further before the face slowly dispersed into thin air and everything around him went ck.


    Then, when he blinked, he realized he was no longer standing but lying on top of his bed, his sheets covered inrge amounts of sweat for no apparent reason!


    "What the hell... was that?" Raven mumbled, his eyes slowly shifting at the rm beside his bed, watching as it was ringing like crazy.

 Chapter 62 Start Of The Special Event!

    Raven stared nkly at the rm beside him for a lengthy amount of time before he decided to move and turn it off.


    Once silence fell on the room again, he slowly sat up and ced both of his feet on the ground without standing up. His gaze fixed in front of him lost in thought, trying to recall what he had just seen.


    Was that a dream? But it felt way too real for it to be a dream. It felt almost as if he really has just woken up a moment ago and stared at that face in real life.


    But whose face was that?


    Raven wished to remember the face, but no matter how hard he tried the only thing he could bring out was a face covered in glowing whiteness.


    No, not only the face. The whole body of that individual was covered in white light, stopping him from seeing who he really was.


    "He talked about a seal... To break it or else I will be never free... But what seal? And what freedom was he talking abou? Am I not free already?" Raven contemted for minutes before he let out a deep sigh and shook his head.


    There were just too many questions he wished to ask without any of them getting a proper answer...


    "Maybe it really was just a dream, who knows." Raven shrugged and for the time being put the matter aside as for now he should concentrate on the Special Event.


    "First, I should take a bath. I stink like a fish..." with those words Raven ran into his bathroom and took a quick shower before walking back inside his room with only a towel around his waist.


    "Now then... Although no one from the ck Moon Guild will join the event, or so that''s what Thomas said, people will still be able to watch it live so I should wear a disguise. But how?" Raven wondered before his eyes lit up and quickly walked to his wardrobe and opened it.


    "It should be somewhere here..." searching at the very bottom where he once put old clothes, Raven pulled out a few boxes and checked each of them.


    And soon enough, after searching for 10 minutes he found what he wanted.


    It was a mask and a very old set of clothes he once ordered, believing it would be cool to wear it at a masked party. The only problem with it was that the party was never held as it had been canceled, this in the end, it was just tossed into a box and put into his wardrobe.


    It just looked way too cool to throw it away.


    The mask was a simple golden polygon face mask while the clothing was a white suit with a shiny gold design. The pant was also white with gold sewings all over their surface.


    He even found the white dress suits within the box, giving Raven a kind of elegant vibe when he took it into his hands.


    "Although extravagant and not suited for the asion, at least if I happen to end up losing my Artifact I will do it with style!" Raven grinned and decided to change into his new clothes before he checked himself in the mirror.


    Right now, he looked like abination of a rich gentleman and a mysterious thief, making himself nod with satisfaction.


    "Ipletely forgot just how flexible this dress really is," Raven mumbled as he kicked and punched a few times, feelingfortable even then and watching how the suit and pants didn''t get torn into pieces from the sudden movements.


    "And now we wait." sitting down at the edge of his bed, Raven summoned the countdown and watched how seconds and minutes vanished quickly.


    And just like that, the moment the countdown reached zero Raven watched how his whole body was engulfed in silver light before he was teleported into the Empty World.


    ''So it began.'' Raven took a deep breath and while people one after another began to appear around him he quickly threw his dice.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Fire Heart Orb]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Advanced


    ? Description: A small orb that if crushed grants you the ability to summon fire and control it at will!


    <Can be used only once!>


    <Your Fire''s destructive ability is highly dependent on the amount of Mystique you feed it with!>


    <Cooldown: After shattering the orb your control and ability to summon fire at will onlysts for 10 minutes!>


    --------------


    ''Although it is a little sad that it can only be used once, it looks like a pretty useful item. I wonder with all of my Mystique how lethal it can be.'' Raven thought in his heart and raised his head, watching as more and more people appeared around him.


    There were old, young, men, and women alike, each examining their surrounding while holding either their Artifacts or weapons tightly. However, not long after they began to inspect their proximity, it was not long before their gaze stopped on his figure and frowned with confusion.


    ''You didn''t expect to see this, did you?'' Ravenughed inwardly as he put the red orb into his pocket and stood calmly, not feeling awkward at all.


    Hell, he was even somewhat proud of himself for no apparent reason despite knowing that now if he dies it meant he will not only lose the majority of his strength but will also sustain injuries!


    ''Well, considering the training I did for two weeks and the strength I currently possess, I shouldn''t be nervous at all, should I?'' Raven thought to himself, ignoring the doubtful and even mocking gazes on his body.


    Meanwhile, throughout the whole world, every eye stared at their screens, watching how people one after another appeared within the Empty World.


    Kayn, sitting inside arge room together with Thomas and a few other members of the ck Moon Guild narrowed his eyes, looking at the screen intently almost as if he wished to find someone.


    However, once the seeminglyst person was teleported into the Empty world his face rxed, and let out a soft sigh.


    [Every participant had been sessfully transported!]


    [Total number: 1,923!]


    "Over a thousand? I thought it would be more but it seems I have greatly overestimated human ignorance." sitting on a floating chair before arge square table, a fat man wearing a ck suit gazed at the floating hologram in the middle as his hand gripped a cigarette before his mouth.


    At the head of the table, President Bai leaned forward and ced both of his elbows on the table, his fingers interlocked with each other right before his face.


    "Let''s see what this Special Event truly is." sitting on a leather couch in a luxurious vi, Old Dan looked at the hologram, his eyes shing with various emotions that were hard to understand.

 Chapter 63 Ascending The Mountain!

    ''Almost two thousand?'' Raven ced his fingers below his chin, wondering if with this many individuals they will be able toplete the Realm Game.


    On the other hand, people standing close to him frowned and began to whisper to each other while they asionally stole nces at him, looking at him as if he was a fool.


    "Hey, who is that fe? Why is he wearing a suit?"


    "Maybe he forgot he will have to attend a wedding when he decided to join the event?"


    "Dunno. But even if he did, what about the mask? Do people nowadays wear masks at other''s weddings?"


    "No, definitely not. Maybe he is just simply a weirdo?"


    "Who knows, but he definitely has some few screws loose."


    As people were wondering whether Raven was someone crazy or he just simply happened to wear that dress at the wrong time, suddenly numerous magic panels popped up in front of everyone.


    Whoosh!


    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Monarch of The Mountain]


    ¡ã Difficulty: Blue Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: Above Rank 5!


    ¡ã Rules: Not yet specified!


    <The Realm Game will only start once the Relic has been acquired!>


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - 4 random variety Avatar sk


    - 2 Small Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 Epic Grade Relic


    ----------------


    ...


    -------------------------


    [Special Event: Blue Realm Invasion]


    ? Description: Reach the peak of the Monarch''s Mountain and be the first one to acquire the Relic!


    ~~~


    [Special Event Rewards]


    - 5 Avatar sks of your choice! (Each granting 9 points!)


    - 1,000 Astral Core!


    - 1 Random Rare Item!


    -------------------------<sub> </sub>


    [You will have 1 minute to prepare!]


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, the world around everyone within the Empty World changed. The white clouds below their feet became rocky with only a few spots filled with grass while in the distance a massive mountain began to rise toward the sky, its sharp peak reaching and hiding behind the dark clouds above!


    Upon seeing this, almost every human eximed with shock, only a few, including Raven, remaining calm and unfazed. Instead, he decided to turn around, only to be shocked the very next second and quickly take several steps backward.


    Right behind him, a massive crater with seemingly no bottom spread all the way into the horizon, enveloped in nothing butplete darkness!


    It was an immenselyrge abyss, so deep that Raven could easily imagine just what of fate he would experience if he happened to fall in it.


    But although fate seemed to not hate him at the moment, it was not the case for others.


    Just a few seconds after turning around and stepping a safe distance away from the edge of the bottomless pit, numerous people decided to do the opposite, in the hope to get a better look at the mountain.


    The result of such an act, of course, came with dire consequences, and like small rocks falling from a cliff, people one after another dropped to their death with screams filled with dread.


    [Total Participants: 1,747]


    Raven and literally everyone who saw just how many lost their lives in a span of a few seconds sucked in a mouthful of cold air.


    "Now that''s what you call being truly unfortunate." sitting beside President Bai, the man with the fat figure eximed out with a sneer, earning nods from others sitting together with him in the room.


    "Not even a minute had passed, yet more than two hundred have died." letting out a deep sigh, Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head hopelessly.


    Just because of a small mistake those people paid a heavy price which was none other than their powers and also their future in this rapidly changing world.


    It was unfortunate indeed...


    [You have 15 seconds to prepare!]


    Another panel materialized before Raven''s face which quickly snapped out of his daze and made him finally focus his gaze on the mountain.


    ''Although it will take us some time to reach the top, it does not seem an impossible feat. With how huge my Constitution and Speed are, I''m rather confident in my abilities.'' Raven thought to himself as he stretched his limbs a little and once the countdown reached zero dashed forward.


    Of course, while he was confident in his stamina and speed, he was no fool to believe he could reach the top as the number 1 just with his Avatar Traits alone. And this showed the very first second he and everyone else started running.


    While it was true that he was unbeatable when it came to pure physical speed, there were several individuals who took out numerous items, seemingly their Artifacts, and used them to gain powers that allowed them to instantly appear on the front!


    There was one who grew wings and instantly soared numerous meters into the air, one who waved a piece of a handkerchief that grew in size and allowed its owner to jump on it before shing into the distance like a car, or even one who had boots capable of jumpingrge distances in an instant!


    There were many Artifacts that helped people gain an immediate advantage while the rest could only curse out loud and watch helplessly as the Artifacts they possessed were either useless in this kind of situation or simply could be used during other events!


    Raven, without any need to say it, was one of thetter. The only difference between him and the rest, however, was that he was not panicking nor cursing for being left behind.


    As for the reason?


    In fact, he had not one, but two reasons!


    First of all, being left behind granted him the ability to evaluate everyone''s strength while also seeing what their Artifacts did or could possibly do. Here, in this Special Event and Realm Game, where one could die not only by beasts or idents but because of other humans too, it was not a bad idea to be perceptive.


    After all, you can never be sure who will be your next enemy, right?


    As for the other reason, it was simply because of one small little detail he happened to notice within the magic panels.


    <The Realm Game will only start once the Relic has been acquired!>


    When he first saw it, Raven was confused but after giving it a thought he had to realize that this ''race'' to the top was not the real event yet. It was just a ''warm-up'' which if once done will let them experience the real deal!


    And exactly for these two reasons why he was in no hurry to be among the first ones and instead took his time, watching everything from a safe distance away while also taking his time to examine others'' Artifacts!

 Chapter 64 Reaching The Top

    The whole world watched everything happening within the Blue Realm Gate with keen eyes, willing and curious to see who would acquire the Relic first and what would happen afterward.


    In truth, there were people who already started betting, some even opening an online betting site for others to join and ce bets!


    Humans were truly an amusing race, taking advantage of others'' unfortunate and ignoring their struggle just to gain a little bit o wealth as a result!


    Hell, some even went so far that instead of Novas he bet essories and items acquired from Realms! What was that if not insanity?


    Luna, seeing how news about such sites sneered coldly before her eyes shed with a particr glint and quickly took her phone out of her pocket. She was calling someone.


    "Weird... Why is he not picking up?" Luna mumbled after waiting for an entire minute for the other side to pick up, only to no avail.


    Then, almost a secondter, her eyes widened before she jumped onto her feet.


    "Don''t tell me... No, he would not do something so foolish. ....Right?" standing in the middle of a luxurious hotel room, Luna mumbled quietly as she narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on the hologram in front of her.


    If one looked at her now, it seemed as if she was trying to spot someone while also hoping not to find anyone.


    Running up on the side of the mountain while going around huge boulders and a few withered trees, Raven suddenly felt a shiver go through his body and quickly turned around.


    "Weird... I definitely felt as if someone was staring at me, but there is no one behind me. First that weird dream now this... Perhaps I really start to go crazy?" Raven mumbled before he shook his head and decided to focus on the path ahead.


    So far he had run about 50 miles yet he was nowhere near the middle. In truth, not only him, but even the guy on the very front was very far away from reaching the middle section from where the mountain started to be really steep.


    So steep that except if one didn''t possess an Artifact granting powers akin to flight such as that guy with the white wings, one had no other choice but to climb!


    ''I should slow down a little bit and restore my strength a little. Considering how high the peak is, climbing all the way to the top won''t be an easy trip.'' Raven thought to himself and slowed down.


    Of course, others behind him immediately thought he got tired, some even throwing mean and mocking remarks at him and his mask the moment they ran past him. Naturally, Raven just ignored them like small flies, knowing way too well karma will y its role soon enough.


    And that soon was surprisingly very soon.


    After reaching the point where they had to finally climb, which took everyone around 5 hours of constant running, those who decided not to rest but were obviously exhausted all fell to their demise after climbing around 500 to 600 meters!


    Raven watching the corpses and deformed bodies of people, some even struggling for their lives as they didn''t die immediately, felt the urge to kick into them andugh. Of course, he didn''t do it, but he still yed with the thought, like why not?


    Once at the foot of the almost vertical mountainside, Raven raised his head and watched as hundreds of humans, young and old, men and women, raced to the top while ignoring those who slipped and as a result started to fall down, dying in the end.


    Bam!


    Watching how a young woman fell just a few meters away from him with her head exploding and body turning into meat paste in the process, giving her a swift and painful ''death'', Raven sighed and ced his hands into the small gap through which he will be able to climb toward the top.<sub> </sub>


    ''Here Ie...'' with a deep breath Raven began to ascend, but in contrast to the majority that climbed as fast as they could in order to be the first ones, he took his time.


    Of course, that didn''t mean he climbed slowly. He still climbed rtively fast and swiftly thanks to his Traits, he was just not reckless as others, that''s all.


    Time passed slowly, and as Raven climbed higher and higher, the slower his speed be just to make sure he didn''t slip and fall into his demise identally.


    Hell, he even had to stop thrice during his ascend just to avoid the falling bodies of others that either ended up with such a fate because of their own mistake or because the ones right below them pulled them down!


    Human savagery truly knew no limits.


    "Hey, bro. Can you please give me a hand? I am kinda stuck here?"


    Climbing higher and higher for almost an entire hour, Raven heard a voice talking to him thus he nced down, watching how a muscr man with a weird helmet on his head extended his hand toward him, obviously asking for his help.


    ''Does he really think I will fall for such ame trick?'' Raven thought to himself before he replied indifferently, "Sorry man, my hands are quite full at the moment."


    And with that, Raven decided to ignore the man and continue climbing. However, just as he was led to pulling himself up, he suddenly felt a firm hand grabbing his leg.


    "And what do you think you are doing?" Raven asked with a hidden frown as he red down at the man who at the moment was grabbing his ankle, no sign that he wished to let it go.


    The man smirked coldly and said, "If you don''t want to help me, that''s fine. I will just help myself then!"


    Then, with a coldugh, the man pulled on Raven''s leg, already imagining the sight where he loses his grip and falls below with a dread-filled scream just like the rest who already died!


    But weirdly enough, that never happened.


    "Huh..." with a frozen smile, the man pulled a few more times, but as even then he failed to drag Raven down he slowly raised his gaze, his smile turning into a rather awkward one.


    "...T-This is not what you think i-"


    "Scram," Raven spoke coldly, and without waiting for the man to finish his stuttering he kicked mercilessly downward, sending the man right into his demise.


    Although this was his very first time ''killing'' another human, strangely, except for feeling slightly weak, Raven felt no guilt nor the urge to throw up.


    ''Kill or be killed. It seems Kayn was right...'' Raven thought in his heart as he watched how the man quickly vanished from sight before quickly proceeding on ascending.


    Raven climbed without stopping and after 4 hours of constant climbing where he witnessed the death of many, he finally reached to top.


    However, not even a second after he was on his feet and was ready to pat his clothes, a sight he didn''t expect to see presented itself right before him, freezing his whole body like a sculpture as a result!

 Chapter 65 Only One Can Stand! (1)

    The sight in front of Raven was everything but ordinary.


    If one was told to imagine a mountain peak one would try and picture a rocky summit with steep, sloping sides and sharp ridges. However, this was not the case currently.


    Right before Raven, the peak was a t surface with the ground made out of some kind of ck material, perhaps ck rock or steel, while on the sides massive ck pirs rose toward the sky, their top vanishing among the stars above!


    And in the middle of thisrge, seeminglyrge ring, a humungous figure d in heavy ck armor and a white crown on its head stood motionlessly, its enormous great swords deeply pierced into the surface.


    Its hands were softly resting on the top of the weapon''s hilt while the white crown atop its head glowed with a gentle white light akin to a star.


    For some reason, Raven felt scared at first, but when he calmed down he had to realize that the humongous figure was, in the end, just a statue.


    ''Why is there only a statue here? Also, where is the Relic?'' after taking a deep breath, Raven looked around.


    But weirdly, except for the statue, he found nothing, leaving him with the only option that the Relic was the...


    ''Crown...'' Raven thought and just a secondter watched how the first human reached the statue, using his wings to soar toward the sky and grab the crown.


    "Fuck yeah! I told you all he will be the first!"


    "Who is he? I feel like I have seen his face somewhere, but can''t quite recall where."


    "His name is Rnd Brightfield, part of the Holy Light Guild and also a great talent with 4 Avatar Traits above 50 points!"


    "Right, now I remember! Well, now it is no wonder he became the first to reach the top and grab the Relic."


    "Yeah, now I am only curious what will happen after he-"


    People were talking with admiration and curiosity about Rnd when suddenly time seemed to stop for a second as a ck sh appeared on the hologram and Rnd''s body was split into two halves just in a fraction of a second!


    ''!?''


    Humans watching their screens froze with shrunk pupils while the participants within the Realm Game all froze, their faces bing as pale as ghosts!


    Just what the hell happened?


    At one moment Rnd was in the sky, seconds away to grab the white crown from the statue, then in the next, he was sliced apart, his now two separate body parts falling onto the ground, his blood and guts sttering everywhere!


    Without even the slightest shadow of a doubt, the guy who was known as a great talent with a powerful Artifact was killed without any chance to save him!


    "W-What happened...?" freezing in their steps, every human who was ready to climb the statue sucked in a mouthful of cold air while sweat rolled down their faces.<sub> </sub>


    There were even a few whose legs began to tremble as they looked left and right to spot the killer, almost ending up falling onto the ground as a result!


    Raven, on the other hand, swallowed nervously as his gaze was fixed right on the statue, his face behind his mask bing paler and paler with each passing second.


    <o>,m ''That is not a statue... That is a fucking creature!'' Raven soon screamed inwardly, his mind recalling the sight of how Rnd was brutally killed.</o>


    The image of how the statue''s eyes lit up with crimson light and moved toward Rnd''s figure before he was sliced apart was still as clear in his mind as day!


    Furthermore, what put greater fear into his heart was that even with almost his 40 points of Dexterity he saw nothing but a sh!


    Everything happened just way too fast!


    ''No, wait a second... was it even a weapon that caused the winged guy''s death?'' suddenly, Raven''s brows lowered into a doubtful frown as his eyes fell on the statue''s greatsword which was still deeply buried in the ground.


    There was no crack, no chunks of stone, nothing. There was no sign at all that the statue would have moved and pulled its weapon out of the ground, using it to shred Rnd''s figure apart!


    ''There is just no way that thing was able to pull out his weapon, kill that guy, and put his sword back into the gap without at least leaving behind a small trace.'' Raven thought in his heart as he watched how people slowly regained their courage and began to approach the statue.


    "They will all die."


    "Huh?" hearing a familiar voice beside him, Raven turned his head to the side and watched as an incredibly pale figure with purplish veins running below his skin stood beside him.


    ''This guy again?!'' Raven''s eyes widened when he saw Felix''s figure, feeling a little shocked as once again he failed to notice his approach despite being several levels stronger than in the past!


    If he was suspicious before, now Raven was confident that he was incapable of detecting him not because his attention was drawn elsewhere but because Felix possessed a rather unique Artifact.


    ''Interesting.'' Raven squinted his eyes, wondering just what kind of Artifact was under Felix''s possession.


    Feeling the gaze on his skin, Felix gave a sideways nce at Raven, and after pondering for a small while he said, "I like your dress. Where did you get it from?"


    ''...''


    Raven remained silent, not answering.


    "I see, well, if you don''t want to tell me that is okay with me also." Felix shrugged before he pointed at the statue and said, "You have noticed it also, right? That thing, whatever it is, is alive."


    "You have seen how he did it?" with a scarcely lowered voice Raven decided to ask.


    "Oh? So you can speak?" Felix grinned before he became serious once again and shook his head, "Unfortunately, I did not. However, if I should take a wild guess then I would say that thing used a special ability. One that does not require him to move in order to kill."

 Chapter 66 Only One Can Stand! (2)

    The concept of killing without even lifting a single finger surprised Raven greatly even though he had already thought about it previously. After all, although he had already witnessed what happened with Rnd, it was still hard to believe that an invisible power capable of killing people without any prior warning really existed.


    It was just like that overpowered ability he once read about when he was still a child, a young man capable of shredding people into pieces just with a single nce!


    Just a single nce, without any warning or feeling of dread, and you were gone for good!


    "No, that is just real bullshit... There is no way that the statue possesses such an ability or else this Realm Game should have been impossible toplete right from the start! We just seem to have missed something." Raven mumbled in a low voice, obviously trying to find a clue that could help them in their current situation.


    "I have to agree with you." Felix beside Raven nodded, and while he watched indifferently as people started to move slowly toward the statue he continued;


    "First of all, if that thing really can kill his enemies without moving, why didn''t he send us to our demise already? The answer to that is really simple. It is because..."


    "Because he can only use his ability in a restricted area," Raven answered without waiting for Felix to finish his sentence.


    "Correct." Felix nodded softly, "Now then, up to the second question, how did he kill? At first, anyone would assume it possesses a powerful ability that allowed him to cut those close to him with a nce, but that is not the case. I think it is way simpler than that, we just didn''t happen to pay close attention.


    "Maybe an ability to create wind des? That would exin why we didn''t see anything before and after he attacked." Raven asked.


    "No, if it would have been wind des, we at least should have felt the change in the air. It was something else."


    While Raven and Felix tried to find answers, a young woman with a long whip in hand finally reached the foot of the statue and after thinking for a while she swung it at the crown.


    The ck whip moved with almost lightning speed and it seemed to reach the crown without problem when suddenly the eyes of the statue lit up once again and the woman, together with her whip, got sliced apart in a blink!


    Just like before, everything happened so fast that no one was able to see how the young woman had been just killed!


    Or else, no one except Raven, who at his moment had his eyes wide open, excitement and also fear flickering within!


    "A clone...? No, that was more like a shadow, but one which had a physical body!"


    Felix, upon hearing Raven''s words frowned with doubt and worry. It seemed he was trying to figure out a way to beat the shadow, or at least avoid it while also taking the crown from the statue''s head.


    "Let''s stay behind and keep watching a little more. Maybe we can notice something else also." Felix suggested to which Raven nodded.<sub> </sub>


    Time passed in silence, and while it was true that everybody was scared to approach the statue after the first two death, human greed took over fear rather quickly and it didn''t take long before people started to move once again.


    However, instead of trying to acquire the crown alone, people teamed up with each other, hoping that way they will be able to get their hands on the crown.


    And while it was true that they achieved greater results than others alone, at the end, when it came to the final push to acquire the crown, they all failed and were killed on the spot.


    Therefore, it was not a huge surprise to see how the majority of the people on the summit lose hope of ever acquiring the crown while some seemed hesitant about whether they should still try their luck or not.


    As for Raven and Felix, their expression held great excitement, the previous fear no longer visible at all!


    "So that''s how it is!" Felix eximed out loud after a few seconds and quickly exined despite knowing Raven beside him had also figured out the secret behind the statue''s power.


    "That shadow is a projection of the statue, and it attacks those whoever the statue looks at. However, although it is fast, if you can avoid the first attack you will have a bigger chance to safely predict the rest!"


    "Yeah. Moreover, it seems the shadow will only attack those who the statue looked at and will only change its target if it has to go further away from the statue than 50 meters or it seeded in killing its target," Raven added with a nod.


    "Knowing all this, we should stay outside his line of sight and approach it from behind, right?" Raven asked after a small while, to which, surprisingly, Felix shook his head.


    "No, that''s just too risky to do."


    "Huh? Why? We finally understood the statue''s ability and also know how to counter it." Raven frowned, puzzled, but soon realization hit him, and let out a soft gasp.


    "Oh... We still don''t know whether the statue can move or not."


    "Exactly." Felix nodded, and as he gazed at the pile of corpses before the feet of the statue, he said, "So far, everyone tried to approach and grab the crown from the front. Even those who attempted to steal it from the side were still in the statue''s line of sight, so we have no clue at all whether it can turn around or not, perhaps even move also!"


    "You are right. It''s just way too risky." Raven sighed, admitting that he had almost rushed things and sent himself right into demise.


    "Then what should we do? Just looking at the faces around us is obvious to know no one has the guts to try their luck."


    "I know, and exactly for that reason..." saying those words, Felix lowered his body and once he was on the ground, sitting with a rxed expression, he said, "We will wait."

 Chapter 67 Only One Can Stand (3)

    "...Wait, what?" watching as Felix sat down as he was ready to start a pic, Raven felt stupefied and his eyes widened from shock.


    Thankfully, his mask hid his current expression, or else Felix would have been surprised to see how funny his expression looked at the moment.


    Shifting his body to get afortable position whilepletely ignoring the few weird gazes directed at him, Felix extended his hand and patted the spot right beside him, "Just sit down and rx. Or maybe you like standing?"


    "No one likes standing pointless... Wait, no! This is not what matters! Our future is on the line here and you just want to sit idly around, watching as everyone gets killed? Do you have any clue just how ridiculous that is?" Raven blurted out, hardly keeping his fake voice in control to avoid getting busted.


    "Ridiculous? It is amusing to hear that word from someone who decided to wear a wedding suit and a polygon mask beforeing to this ce. Or perhaps those clothes are unique Items?" Felix spoke calmly, his gaze wondering whether the dress on Raven''s body was special or not.


    ''Wedding suit?'' Raven felt slightly taken aback and a little offended, but still decided to ignore it and ask, "Are you not even worried at all that others could get their hands on the Relic sooner than us while you are just sitting here?"


    "Not at all." Felix shook his head before adding, "But even if they do, I am not worried as the Realm Game has yet to start. In fact, there is not even a single rule stated, indicating the real deal will only start once one of us gets their hands on the Relic."


    ''Yeah, I have also figured that out...'' Raven thought with a frown, and after pondering for a few seconds he asked, "And what about the Relic? What if that thing will grant you special powers once you acquire it, putting everyone else at a huge disadvantage?"


    "That is very likely, but do you really think a small jump in strength is worth your life and also your future? Because I do not." Felix stated indifferently and looked at the remaining humans around them, "Unless you don''t want to be the guinea pig and risk your life, I advise you to sit down and wait."


    "I am pretty sure others have also figured out the things we did, so it won''t be long before they try to do what you just said,"


    Raven fell into silence and his gaze slowly shifted onto the crown on the statue''s head.


    What Felix said was true, yet, for some reason, he didn''t like just standing around and watching as others got shredded into pieces. No, it would be better if he said he didn''t like the idea of others getting their hands on the crown even before him!


    Also, for some reason, he had this bad feeling in his stomach that he must get his hands on the crown as soon as possible or else things will go west real soon.


    After contemting what he should do for several minutes, Raven let out a sigh and after shaking his head he began to walk toward the statue, attracting everyone''s attention right away.


    "Who the hell is that guy? And why is he dressed like that?"


    "Maybe a unique Item he acquired from a Realm?"


    "Nah, I don''t think so. But even if it is, he looks pretty... Cool, I guess?"


    "Well, at least he will die in style, right?"


    People began to whisper, mainly talking about the set of clothing on Raven whilepletely ignoring whether he will be able to put his hands on the Relic or not, which was rather understandable for obvious reasons.


    <o>,m After all, so far over a hundred individuals attempted to grab the crown, some even going for it in groups, yet, in the end, they have all failed. Hence, after seeing that Raven was trying his luck alone, no one gave him any hope.</o>


    "He is quite the amusing guy." still sitting on the ground, Felix curved his lips gently upward, his eyes flickering with curiosity.


    Ignoring the stares on his skin, Raven walked slowly toward the statue and only came to aplete halt when he was only 50 meters away.


    ''It seems I was right. His ability won''t be triggered until I am not closer than fifty meters.'' Raven thought inwardly and slowly began to walk toward the left, slowly but surely going around the statue.


    "What the hell is he doing?" almost everyone asked the same questions, only those who have somewhat figured out how the statue killed people started to widen their eyes and feel a little bit of anticipation.


    Raven walked slowly around the statue and after 5 minutes he waspletely behind it.


    It seemed the statue didn''t move.


    ''Good.'' Raven nodded and once he took a deep breath he took a step forward, his scarcely nervous gaze fixed on his white shoes.


    "Hm? Nothing?" Raven felt surprised once nothing tried to attack him even after 3 seconds and raised his gaze.


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s First Effect had been triggered!]<sub> </sub>


    [All Avatar Traits +1!]


    ''?!''


    Seeing the magical panels appearing just beside him, Raven didn''t hesitate even a second and jumped backward, watching how a ck, somewhat transparent figure materialized in front of him, a sword already piercing the spot where he had been just a moment ago!


    ''That was close...'' Raven swallowed a bit nervously as he watched how the projection of the statue slowly dispersed into thin air.


    ''But this makes no sense. He didn''t even turn around, yet the shadow still attacked me. Perhaps we have guessed it wrong and the statue''s power activates whenever someonees close enough?'' Raven pondered, feeling confused.


    After all, he has seen with his two eyes how the statue used his power, so what just happened just made no sense at all.


    Or maybe... Suddenly, an idea that seemed crazy popped up in Raven''s mind and after taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and took a step forward.


    One second... Two seconds... five seconds...


    Raven waited for 10 full seconds before he slowly opened his eyes, only to see the previous warning about him in immediate danger popping up, forcing him to quickly jump backward.


    ''Just as I have thought.'' a self-satisfied grin hidden from the mass appeared on Raven''s face.


    It seemed, just like anything else in existence, the statue''s power had a weakness too, one that was rather interesting.


    On the front, the statue could kill anyone until he saw who he wanted to kill and that someone was within a fifty meters radius. It was a very powerful ability that was quite hard to counter, especially if one didn''t know how it worked.


    On the other hand, things werepletely different when people tried to approach the statue from behind. It seemed the statue''s power got only activated if the one approaching him looked at him!


    This meant the statue could be approached safely until one kept his or her eyes closed!


    As for how did Ravene to this conclusion? It was when he first took a step forward. He could remember how nothing happened for 3 entire seconds and the shadow only attacked him when he raised his gazes onto the statue.


    ''But still... approaching the statue with closed eyes is still risky. I still don''t know whether the statue will move or not.'' Raven thought to himself, knowing if the statue will turn around he is fucked.


    "You have figured out something, haven''t you?"


    Suddenly, Felix''s voice appeared just beside Raven, making him flinch slightly and turn his head to the side.


    ''Just what kind of Artifact does he have? One that grants him an ability akin to teleportation? No, it is something else, but what?''


    While Raven wondered silently, Felix raised a brow and asked, "Is there a problem?"


    "No, not at all." Raven snapped out of his daze and said, "Though, I have really found out something. But as I don''t know if it will work, I need a little bit of help."


    "Sure, what do you want me to do?"


    "Huh? That easily?" Raven was surprised, not expecting that he could earn Felix''s help this smoothly.


    Felix smiled and shrugged, "We are in this together, not joining hands after all the things that happened would be just stupid. Also, I know you will pay me back in one way or another, so why not?"


    "You are that confident?" Raven felt scarcely stupefied.


    Felix, however, just smiled and shrugged, "What can I say, I am quite good at knowing others and I know you are not that type of guy to toss me aside once you get what you wanted. But let''s not talk about this now, first, tell me what I should do."


    Raven was speechless, but as he saw how Felix raised a brow, waiting for him to talk, he sighed and said, "Okay, then here is what we will do, so listen carefully."

 Chapter 68 Only One Can Stand! (4-Last)

    Outside the Realm Game, almost every eye stared intently at holograms orrge screens, watching how two individuals talked to each other, seemingly discussing what they should acquire the white crown.


    "How interesting, They seem to have figured out a solution to approach the statue." a slim man with a pale face and wearing a rather elegant suit leaned back into his chair, his exhausted eyes looking at Raven''s and Felix''s figure indifferently.


    "Sir, if I may, was it really a good idea to send the Young Master there?" a young butler standing beside the man asked politely, his eyes fixed on Felix''s body.


    The man gave a sideways nce at the young butler before he smiled and shifted his attention back at the screen, "With his Artifact and especially with ''that'' item in his possession, there is nothing we should worry about. After all, if ''that'' Relic really could achieve what its description stated, even if he dies he will lose nothing."


    "Sir, that is true, but with ''that'' Item''s side effects the Young Master condition will only wor-"


    "Evin, that is enough."


    Evin, the young butler quickly shut his mouth and bowed deeply.


    "I apologize, I was just worried because of the Young Master''s safety and well-being."


    The man shook his head and after he waved his hand usually, showing he didn''t mind it, he looked at Raven''s figure and narrowed his eyes.


    "Did you find anything about him?"


    Evin, ncing at the Raven whose face was hidden behind a golden polygon mask and was wearing a white suit with golden sewing on it, shook his head.


    "Unfortunately, we did not. We even tried to track down who bought the same dress in the past, but we came up with nothing so far."


    The man narrowed his eyes even more before he hummed softly and said, "Just make sure you keep searching. Whoever that guy is, it is very obvious that my son took interest in him. After all, knowing his personality he won''t just start chatting idly with just anyone much less befriending them. There must be something interesting about that guy."


    "We are on it, Sir," Elvin assured the man with another polite bow.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the Realm Game, standing right behind the statue.


    "Are you ready?" straightening his posture, Raven looked at Felix and asked with a calm but at the same time nervous voice.


    "Although the n is simple, it still holds too much risk. Also, are you really sure you can jump that high?" Felix frowned with doubt.


    "I know, but there is nothing without risk. As for whether I can jump that high or not, you don''t have to worry. I am confident in my own strength."


    Felix stared at Raven, trying to see through his mask and see if he was truly confident or was just trying to look strong, but soon he just sighed and nodded;


    "Sure, let''s do it."


    "Great!" Raven grinned with excitement which was rather weird considering he will just risk his life and future, and after taking a deep breath he turned to face the statue and closed his eyes.


    If someone at this moment would be able to see his face, they would be shocked to see that the grin on Raven''s face didn''t vanish at all nor did it turn nervous, but instead grew wider!


    ''This feeling... I don''t know what it is but it feels great!'' Raven thought when he felt how the sensation grew stronger with each passing second and took a step forward.


    Everyone watched this move of his with back-held breaths, waiting for the sight of the shadow to appear and slice him apart, just like it did with everyone else so far!


    Yet, weirdly enough, the shadow never came, not even when Raven had walked more than 20 meters!


    "This... How did he do it? Why does not the shadow attack him?"


    "Impossible... He really figured out how to approach it safely?"


    "Bullshit! I don''t fucking believe it!"


    People discussed the sight in front of them with perplexed expressions, not believing that Raven really figured a way to approach the statue safely, some even suspecting he was using a special Item he acquired in the past or his Artifact allowed him to get out of detection!<sub> </sub>


    Some were even so skeptical that they quickly ran around the statue and once behind it they followed after Raven. Of course, it was needless to say when they entered the radius of the statue and their eyes fell on the ck figure of therge knight, the shadow appeared and shredded them apart in seconds!


    This, naturally, dumbfounded many and quickly forced them to think twice before deciding to approach the statue.


    "Just 15 meters." suddenly Felix shouted which quickly ended up him starting coughing.


    Raven nodded slightly and continued to walk forward, onlying to a halt when Felix told him he was right behind the statue, only a single meter separating him from touching the ck knight''s ankle.


    ''Now herees nothing.'' Raven thought and after taking a deep breath he crouched down, ready to jump.


    "What the hell is he trying to do? Jump? The Relic is almost 60 meters tall! There is no way he can jump that high!"


    One had to note that so far those who ever got close to acquiring the crown all possessed Items or Artifacts that either allowed them to soar into the sky a little or grab it from far distances. There was no one that tried to jump as although their physical strength got enhanced by the Strength Avatar Trait, they could only jump above 15 meters, 20 meters at max.


    That is why some tried to climb the statue, but of course, they were also killed by the ck shadow as everyone else!


    However, soon, those who have already started to mock Raven for his seemingly foolish attempt quickly widened their eyes when suddenly the pants around Raven''s leg visibly got tighter and with a force that cracked the ground below his feet soared into the sky like a rocket!


    "The fuck?!"


    Everyone''s jaw dropped to the ground, and those who sat in their chairs sat up from them in disbelief and watched as Raven flew higher and higher, reaching the head of the statue in a sh!


    "Now!" Felix with a mix of startled and excited grin shouted to which Raven extended his arm, his hand grabbing the crown just at the right moment!


    ''I got it!'' opening his eyes and looking at the white glowing Relic in his hand, Raven smiled like a fool behind his mask and watched as magic panels popped up before his face despite him being still empty air.


    [Congrattions! You have acquired the Monarch''s Crown!]


    [Realm Game: Monarch of the Mountain! now will begin!]


    Whoosh!


    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Monarch of The Mountain]


    ¡ã Difficulty: Blue Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: Above Rank 5!


    ¡ã Rules: Protect the Relic with all costs and kill whoever wants to take it or force them into submission!


    <Time Limit: 15 minutes!>


    ? <The one keeping the Relic in the very end gets double the Rewards!>


    <Those who decide to surrender will only get the first two as Rewards!>


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - 4 random variety Avatar sk


    - 2 Small Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 Epic Grade Relic


    ----------------

 Chapter 69 The Strongest Human!

    Once the panel popped up before Raven the smile on his face froze


    Protect the Relic from whoever wants to take it by either killing or forcing others into submission?


    So he had to fight with everyone currently standing below him? But there was over a thousand individual around him! There was just no way in hell he could fight that many even if he was stronger than all of them!


    Raven started to feel helpless and even was on the verge of throwing the crown away when suddenly another panel popped up in his line of sight.


    [Being the first one who acquired the Relic, you can gain ess to 50% of its powers!]


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Monarch''s Crown]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: A powerful Item granting its wearer powers akin to a real Monarch!


    <You need to wear the crown to gain ess to its abilities!>


    ~~~


    ¡ã Monarch''s Domain: Anyone within a 50 meters radius will be automatically targeted by the Monarch''s Shadow.


    ¡ã Monarch''s Shadow: A guardian of the Monarch that protects its Lord from any assault with a wicked intention that is hidden from the Monarch''s sight! However, if the attack is detected by the Monarch, the Monarch''s Shadow will only attack if it was ordered!


    ¡ã Crown Blessing: Not yet unlocked!


    ¡ã Crown Sacrifice: Not yet unlocked!


    <For each second the Monarch''s Shadow spends time to protect its Lord, 25 units of Mystique will be consumed!>


    --------------


    Raven felt shocked, to say the least.


    The Relic in his hand was something akin to a priceless treasure that could literally protect anyone from anything! It was a real lifesaver!


    However, there was just one little problem that was just impossible to miss out on.


    Raven''s eyes fell on the part where the description stated ''with a wicked intention'' and wished to think about what it could have really meant when suddenly something silver shed from the side, attracting his attention.


    It was a flying sword, about two meters long with a straight de and sharp tip. It was seemingly thrown at him by a human from below with the obvious sign of iming his life.


    ''Motherfuck-'' Raven cursed inwardly and using all the muscles in his body he shifted his figure in mid-air to the side, barely avoiding his skull getting pierced!


    "Which one was it?!" Raven hissed with a mixed emotion of anger and fear, and his eyes tracked the sword''s paths back.<sub> </sub>


    An old woman, around 40 years old flinched scarcely when she saw how Raven directed his gaze at her before she turned serious and summoned another sword into her hand, ready to throw it at him once again.


    And it was not only her that showed signs of killing Raven; others possessing powers capable of long-range fights readied themselves, greed and killing intent clearly visible in their eyes!


    "So I have no other choice, huh?" Raven mumbled and with a sigh put te crown on his head. Surprisingly, even with his mask on, it fit his head perfectly, almost as if it was created just for him!


    The moment the crowny on his head, the Relic lit up with a gentle white light while unbeknownst to Raven the color of his eyes changed color, turning into deep red!


    "...Die." with that simple order, Raven looked at the figures closest to him and watched as a ck shadow, a massive ck knight materialized right in front of him from out of thin air.


    Then, in just a split second, it vanished and appeared before the young woman, severing her head from her body with one clean swing of his greatswords.


    Of course, this was just the beginning of a massacre. Like a ghost, the Monarch''s Shadow vanished and reappeared from time to time, slicing people that were within 50 meters radius of Raven!


    Just like that, over a hundred individual lost their lives without any chance to regret their decision to attack Raven!


    Bam!


    The ground shook and cracked as Raven finally crashed into the ground, a dense cloud of dust flying everywhere and covering the vision of everyone in a matter of seconds!


    "I-Is he dead?"


    Many were shocked and believed Raven had just fallen to his death and now his body was nothing but a pile of meat paste, after all, although the human body became stronger and more resilient all thanks to Strength and Constitution Trait, it still was incapable of surviving a fall from more than 60 meters!


    Yet, once again, Raven happened to prove how wrong their belief really was.


    Whoosh!


    A powerful breeze swept through the mountain peak, sending the dense dust hovering above the ground flying, quickly revealing a sight no one would have ever believed to see!


    Right in front of them, standing straight with a glowing crown on his head, Raven looked right at them with a hidden expression and with fists that were covered in a zing fire!


    Except for dust on his white suit and a small white mark on his golden mask which appeared on it when he avoided the sword, he looked perfectly fine, having no visible injuries on his body much less broken bones or ripped muscles!


    Of course, if they would have known that currently, Raven''s Constitution was above 60 points while an average human had around 15 or even less than that, then they would be able to understand just how he survived a fall like that.


    [You have used Fire Heart Orb!]


    Ignoring the appearing panel beside him, Raven smiled softly and without wasting a second dashed forward, appearing right before the closest human that tried to kill him.


    "Wha-?" the muscr man with a thin bow in hand widened his eyes and even before he could have realized what happened Raven already grabbed his face with his palm.


    "Burn," Raven mumbled and the mes around his hand immediately came alive, surrounding and engulfing the muscr man''s body with zing crimson mes!


    BAM!


    Arge pir of me soared in a sh toward the sky and swirled for a few seconds before it shrunk and vanished from sight, leaving behind nothing but a small scorched pit filled with ash and dust.


    As for the muscr man, well, it was needless to say he was burnt to ashes, so fast that he didn''t even have time to scream!

 Chapter 70 The Strongest Human! (Last)

    Everyone became frozen, no one moved or blinked.


    p Complete silence descended on the whole summit, to the point where even a single sweat dropping on the ground was heard as loudly as thunder!</anda>


    "Crap it! I just wished to burn his skin a little, I never expected him to turn into ashes!" blurting out loud, Raven turned his palm toward himself and with a dumbfounded look stared at his hand for several seconds.


    Then, as if sensing the numerous stares on his skin, he slowly raised his head, shocked to see how everybody was looking at him like a monster.


    ''The fuck? You guys in one moment try to kill me with bloodlust then in the next are pissing your pants from fear? Fuckin'' decide what you want to do!''


    Feeling a little irritated, Raven straightened his posture and spoke loudly, "So? What now?"


    The question was simple, yet for those around Raven felt as if a heavy and at the same tim invisible pressure had fallen on their shoulders.


    For some reason, they all knew instinctively, that what they will do in the next few moments will decide whether they will be able to leave this ce alive or not.


    "I... I surrender!"


    "M-Me too..."


    "Fuck this shit! There is just no way I will risk my future over just a few rewards!"


    "Damn it!"


    Amongst curses and disappointed sighs, people one after another began to lower their Artifacts and drop onto their knees, showing that they no longer wished to fight and surrendered.


    Naturally, they chose to fall onto their knees not because they have chosen to do so, but because, different from Raven, their task in this Realm Game was to either steal the Relic away from the current Monarch or to kneel before him and surrender!


    By choosing thetter one, although they decided to give up on getting their hands on awesome treasures, they could still obtain a little bit of a reward while also keeping their lives and also their Artifacts.


    It was better than losing everything, right?


    With a seemingly indifferent gaze, Raven watched as over a thousand individuals fell on their knees while only a few, about a hundred or so remained standing, seemingly hesitant about what they should do.


    "Damn it! I will die instead of kneeling before a clown!"


    Suddenly, a guy with a long scar running down the right side of his face yelled with frustration before he raised his hand and pointed an old wooden staff at Raven.


    "I will fucking kill you and take that Relic!"


    Once the guy said those words, the tip of his staff lit up and a white circle formed right below Raven''s legs, making him feel as if the ground below him all of a sudden turned soft and slimy!<sub> </sub>


    "Say goodbye to your fucking life, lose-" the guy was about to swing his staff downward, seemingly to activate his Artifact''s power, when suddenly a ck silhouette appeared before him and sliced him into two perfect halves from head to the groin!


    This sight, of course, shocked many and forced those who were hesitant to quickly kneel down and surrender, making them realize that against Raven, with that Relic in his possession, they stood no chance at all!


    They would just throw themselves right into their own demise, even if they would have decided to join hands.


    Of course, what they did not know, was that the crown on Raven''s head while granting him inhuman and almost seemingly devastating powers, if all the thousand of them would have decided to fight him, sooner orter they would have won.


    After all, just like everything else in all existence, that crown too had its own weaknesses and limits.


    ''It seems fear can really beat greed, it just depends on the situation.'' Raven sighed with relief and leaned forward to stretch a little as all his muscles in his body felt sore after crashing into the ground, only to feel as something sharp and cold swept past just inches above his head.


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +1!]


    ''?!''


    Upon seeing the panels popping up right before his face, Raven, although both confused and surprised, with cold sweat rolling down his face jumped several meters forward and while in mid-air turned around.


    And to his absolute shock, just a single foot away from where he had stood a moment ago, Felix stood calmly, a shining green short sword held by his hand with an indifferent face!


    "Hm... I could have really sworn it will be a clean strike, but it seems, in the end, I was still right." Felix spoke just as calmly as ever, showing no signs at all that a few seconds ago he wished to severe Raven''s head off with his weapon!


    On the other hand, several meters away from him, Raven stood with a stiff expression hidden behind his mask, cold sweat rolling down from both his forehead and back!


    ''This makes no sense... he came from behind me and wished to kill me, so why didn''t the shadow kill him?'' taking a deep breath Raven frowned, but soon his eyes widened and something that soured his mood popped up in his mind.


    ''Those with wicked intentions... It must be because of that. But how did he figure it out this fast?'' pondering silently, Raven''s raised his hand subconsciously to his neck, thanking both the gods above that he was not killed and also his ne it seemed it yed a huge role that he was still alive.


    It seemed, for the first time since he has it, luck saved his life!


    Watching as Raven stood motionlessly in front of him, Felix lowered his hands, pointing his sword''s tip toward the ground, and after a small while he asked, "How did you do it?"


    "...Do what?" Raven asked, unsure what Felix wished to know.


    Felix, however, just smiled and continued, "You know perfectly well what I mean. Your strength and also your Traits... Despite being Rank 6, your real strength is way higher than that, perhaps Rank 10 or even Rank 11? Just how did you be that strong in such a short amount of time, huh?"

 Chapter 71 Hidden Quest: Prove Yourself Worthy!

    Sitting inside the spacious room, President Bai stared at the screen with other members of the United World League, his gaze focused on the figures of Felix and Raven.


    "Any information about those two?" after watching how Raven dodged Felix''s ambush and now they both stared at each other in silence, President Bai lowered his hands and asked loudly.


    A man, wearing an elegant ck suit and seated on President Bai''s left nodded and pushed several documents forward.


    "Sir, ording to what we have found the young man holding the sword is Felix Vaincor, the only son and heir of Lord Vaincor, head of the Vaincor Family."


    "The Vaincor Family? So that''s why he looked familiar for some reason." a brow raised on President Bai''s forehead, not expecting to hear that name.


    "Yes, Sir. Although it is truly unexpected to see someone from one of the Great Families participate in this Realm Game, the only heir no less, despite knowing the consequences of failing, Lord Vaincor was the one sending his son there."


    "Why?"


    "That, I apologize, Sir, we were not told that." the man answered politely.


    "I see." President Bai nodded and wished to add something when suddenly Felix''s voice resounded through the room.


    "... perhaps Rank 10 or Rank 11? Just how did you be that strong in such a short amount of time, huh?"


    "He said what?" suddenly, everyone in the room broke into a stupor, their eyes widened as if they have just misheard things.


    Even President Bai was shocked and confused before his eyes narrowed and fixed his eyes on Raven''s figure.


    "Sir, do you think what the heir of the Vaincor Family asked was..."


    "Although we know there are Items acquired from Realms that can show one others'' Ranks or Avatar Traits through various means, we can''t be sure yet." President Bai quickly stated before he asked, "Any information about the other guy?"


    "No, Sir. We have found nothing. We even tried to identify the individual through his retina, but as the broadcast is recorded from far away we can''t do anything."


    President Bai nodded, just the very moment Raven straightened his posture and started to speak;


    "Why do you assume I have a strength akin to someone at Rank 10?"


    The voice with which Raven talked was calm and collected, surprising Felix a little before urging him to curve his lips upward softly.


    "Who knows... Maybe because you have just jumped over fifty meters in height and survived a fall from that high? Also, with the speed you have appeared before that man you have just scorched to death, it was just incredibly fast."


    "Although I have over 50 points of Speed, you moved almost twice as fast as I ever could. My speedpletely pales inparison to your, just as my Strength and Constitution."


    Raven stood still while thousands of eyes were fixed on his back, and after a small, while he said, "That still doesn''t exin how you knew what my Rank is and why you suspect I am being much stronger than that. There are numerous ways to achieve the impossible now, such as Relics or Rune Marks. I could have used any of those."


    Felix''s smile curved even more and asked, "Why? You have?"


    Once again, Raven fell into silence, not denying nor agreeing with what Felix just said.


    "Well, whatever." then, stabbing his sword into the ground and kneeling down, he said, "If you don''t want to tell me that is okay with me. It is not like I can force you to tell me, is it?"


    [Congrattions! Everyone has surrendered after witnessing your strength!]


    [You have impressed the Mighty One after showcasing a fraction of your strength and potential! He is giving you an offer.]


    Whoosh!


    ---------------<sub> </sub>


    [Hidden Quest: Prove Yourself Worthy!]


    ¡ã Difficulty: Blue Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: Above Rank 10!


    ¡ã Rules: Challenge the Mighty One and prove him your worth by iming his head!


    <Warning! In case of failing, you will be not granted any Reward, including the ones you should gain from thepletion of the Special Event or Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - Will be only revealed after epting the offer!


    ----------------


    [Do you wish to ept the offer?]


    Several magic panels popped up before Raven as slowly every human, including Felix around him, turned into white particles, leaving only him behind on the mountain peak.


    ''A Hidden Quest?'' Raven was surprised to see something like this happen.


    He was not new to the concept of Hidden Quest as he had already met with it several times; twice to be exact.


    ording to what he understood so far, as there was no information about Hidden Quests in his manual weirdly, every Realm Game had one or more Hidden Quest, which if sessfullypleted will grant even more rewards!


    For instance, during his very first Realm Game, hepleted only 1 Hidden Quest out of 2, giving him little more rewards than others.


    On the other hand, when hepleted all Hidden Quests when he killed that Spider Witch in that Realm Game, he not only gained more rewards but also was given 9 Avatar Traits that he could distribute freely.


    Thus, this meant Hidden Quests granted only good things and there was no harm inpleting them, or so that is what he thought so far.


    Now, after seeing the warning, he was not really sure if every Hidden Quest was as harmless toplete as he had initially believed.


    [Do you wish to ept the offer?]


    Seeing how that single panel flickered in his line of sight, Raven nced at the Rank Requirement and sighed.


    ''Even though I wished to ept the offer... The Rank Requirement is just too high. I would just throw myself into death''s embrace willingly.''


    With those words in mind, Raven shook his head.


    "No, thank you. I''m good with what I have."


    [You have refused to ept the offer!]


    [The Mighty One is furious and now he demands your head!]


    [You have been sentenced to death!]


    "What the fu-" Raven almost choked when he saw the panel, but not even a secondter the ground below his feet began to shake like crazy, making him feel as if a massive tremor hit the mountain!

 Chapter 72 First Real Life And Death Experience

    TREMBLE!!!


    The whole world around Raven shook like crazy, almost as if a massive earthquake crashed into the mountain, hoping to split it apart and destroy it!


    The ground below his feet cracked, spreading further and further away from him into the distance until they reached therge pirs on the sides, quickly racing toward the sky on their surface!


    Furthermore, if things were not enough worrisome, the sky in the air turned ck with thick crimson bolts of lightning shing in every direction, some even striking the pirs, turning them into nothing but scorched chunks of debris that fell down into the abyss below!


    Yes, abyss!


    Unknown since when, but when Raven turned around he was shocked to see how the mountain peak shrunk in size and what once below was the bottom of a mountain now was just an abysmal pit, engulfed inplete darkness!


    The base of the mountain from where they have just climbed up now was nowhere to be seen, just pitch ckness with certain death waiting down below for those who happened to fall into it!


    BAM!


    Suddenly, a great explosion attracted Raven''s gaze to the center of the peak, and with widened eyes watched as the statue in the middle moved, with burning crimson eyes pulling his huge greatsword out and staring at him with visible bloodlust!


    There was no question about it, that thing wished to kill him!


    [The Mighty One demands his Relic back!]


    Swish!


    Unable to react in time, Raven watched helplessly as the crown on his head floated up and into the hands of the statue, which soon was thrown into the air, and as if hung by an invisible rope from above it remained to hover there!


    [Angering the Mighty Onees with grave consequences!]


    Whoosh!


    [Warning! Blue Realm Gate''s Rules had been forcefully changed!]


    [Real Death now had been activated!]


    "Let me see what you are really capable of... human."


    "It can speak?!" Raven was speechless and dumbfounded before the only thing he saw was how a massive weapon appeared right in front of his face, descending onto him from above like a final verdict!


    BOOOOOM!


    The air trembled and the tform shook like crazy as the statue''s greatsword descended and crashed into the spot where Raven stood, creating a massive pit with deep fissures running everywhere around it!


    ''T-That was just way too close!'' watching how the mask cracked slightly just from the air pressure alone, Raven swallowed nervously as he stared at the ck knight several meters away from him.


    Just now, if it would have been not for his high points of Avatar Traits and also for Kayn''s training together with the scarce benefit that his Title and Rune Mark granted him, he would have failed to avoid the attack just now!


    "That other human was right... Although you are just a mere mortal at the 6th Rank, your strength is way above that. Quite close to the 12th Rank!" raising his weapon and turning to face Raven, the statue gazed coldly at Raven, "It seems you have figured out the true potential of the Avatar Traits!"


    ''The true potential? He must be talking about what Kayn taught me before.'' Raven thought inwardly and after taking a deep breath to calm himself down he opened his mouth;


    "Who are y-" Raven was ready to ask a question to buy some time for him to figure out how he could get out of this hell pit when suddenly he saw as the statue vanished from his ce and was behind him with a foot already raised above his head!


    He wished to step on him like a human on an insect!


    BAM!


    Another tremor shook the whole peak, forcing several pirs to be destroyed and turn into piles of debris, but strangely, the statue didn''t seem to be satisfied.


    No, in fact, it was almost as if he was smiling which made his crimson eyes burn even more!


    "Haha! Human! I have witnessed myriad things in my long life, but this is something new! You truly know no dread!"


    Right below the foot of the statue, Raven with both hands raised above his head groaned with the pain while blood gushed out the crack of his mask.


    Using just his two hands covered in mes, Raven pushed the statue''s foot upward, fighting against the immense weight falling on him from above like boulders!


    "COUGH!"


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +1!]


    [Vitality: 2,000 -> 976]


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s Second Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +5!]<sub> </sub>


    Coughing up at least a mouthful of blood and tasting the taste of iron in with his tongue, Raven clenched his teeth and with the little Strength boost, he gained from his Title he pushed the statue''s foot a little more up.


    "Truly amazing... To think your body is capable of adapting and getting refined this quickly is truly amazing!" the statue spoke with visible amusement in his voice while he slowly put more weight on his leg.


    This, naturally, went without saying, that forced Raven to slowly bend his hands and fall on his knees while the bones in his body cracked scarcely and blood uncontrobly flowed out from below his mask.


    "AAARRRGHHH!!"


    Struggling under both the massive pressure and ever-increasing pain, Raven was unable to hold himself back and yell out.


    As for those who heard it, every human on Earth at this moment tensed up, feeling almost as if they were the one who was in pain, sending an undescribable shiver running down their spines!


    Right now, this felt like an execution, one that was not quick and painless but slow and painful, almost like torture where the victim struggled until his or her veryst breath!


    The statue, on the other hand, felt as if it enjoyed more and more, and while he ced more weight on his leg he continued to talk;


    "You can feel it, right? Despite the pain that assaults your body, your muscles, and every bone, somewhere deep within your body, in your cells, a particr sensation creeps slowly onto the surface, urging you to struggle even more."


    "Urgh!" feeling even more weight on his body, Raven now fell onto one leg, the statue''s foot already touching the top of his head.


    [Vitality:  976 -> 199]


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s Third Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +10!]


    "Isn''t that such a wonderful feeling? Gaining the strength to struggle even more even though knowing what awaits for us is unavoidable death?" the statue asked coldly and put more weight onto his leg which quickly made the ground below Raven''s body crack.


    [Vitality: 199 -> 78]


    [Title: Chaotic Survival''s Final Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +15!]


    Seeing how his Vitality decreased while also his Traits getting a massive boost, Raven coughed a few times and hissed;


    "...Screw you!"


    With those two words, Raven channeled his Mystique in his body into both his hands, immediately causing the mes toe alive and like two roaring dragons grow in size and engulf the whole figure of the statue!


    BOOOOM!


    The ck mountain peak at that very moment was lit up with a deep crimson glow where the temperature rose to inhuman heights.


    Yet, despite tha, the statue didn''t move and kept his feet on Raven, staring down at him with nothing but mockery.


    "Did you really think a little fire will hurt me? You will need more than th-''


    "I am just getting started!" interrupting the ck knight, Raven closed his eyes and without hesitation pushed all the Mystique from within his body into his mes.


    And just as he thought and as his Fire Heart Orb described it, the sight was akin to when one poured oil or gas on burning fire!


    It was like a massive explosion!


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    With an explosion that had enough strength to st the knight''s leg off, Raven freed himself and quickly jumped several meters backward while his scarcely weak but lively gaze watched how the ck knight''s figure now was engulfed in a massive me pir, struggling to extinguish it.


    "I-Impossible! Y-Your Golden Essence... Why is it so pure?! You are just a human! A mere mortal! You should not have such a pure Gold Essen-, AARRGHH!"


    ? The statue began to yell and move crazily, staggering backward when suddenly its body began to melt rapidly like an ice cream under the sun, bing just a pile of boiling mass in mere seconds!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted Special Event [Blue Realm Invasion], Realm Game [Monarch of the Mountain], Main Quest [Obtain the Crown], Hidden Quest 1/2 [Prove Yourself Worthy!], and Hidden Quest 2/2 [Survivor of the Mighty One''s Wrath!]]


    [Because you havepleted all Hidden Quest you will be...]


    [Recive rewards n...]


    [The Backroom has...]


    [Congrattions! You have been eligible...]


    Not even having the chance to finish reading orprehend how the statue died so fast, Raven watched as his vision slowly became blurry, and even before he could have realized it his whole body went weak and everything around him went ck.


    Just like that, he fell unconscious.

 Chapter 73 Another Vision

    In a rather spacious hall where arge circr table was seated with hundreds of beings, each having unique and different looks, Etia stared at the floating orb in front of her with a rather stiff expression.


    "That mortal... Did he just..."


    "Yeah, we all have seen it. A mere mortal just killed a Guardian."


    "But how is that even possible? I mean, it is not an impossible feat to achieve, but it was pretty obvious he was just at the sixth Rank."


    "Who knows... The Guardian even talked about something like pu-"


    "That is enough."


    Suddenly, as every God and Goddess in the hall began to whisper, wondering just what they have witnessed, Etia''s cold voice rumbled loudly, silencing everyone in seconds.


    "Lady Etia, please, calm down. No one wishes to see this masterpiece getting demolished." in front of Etia, the young beauty named Calene talked calmly, her beautiful silver gaze fixed on Etia''s hand which at the moment threatened to split therge table in half.


    Etia immediately snapped her cold eyes at Calene, who just smiled even more before shifting her gaze at Leion beside her.


    Feeling the pair of eyes on his skin, Leion, who all this time sat with his eyes closed finally moved and opened his eyelids.


    In an instant, as if time seemed to freeze everyone held their breaths and waited for what will happen.


    Etia, upon seeing that Leion focused his attention on her inhaled deeply before she loosened her grip and waved her hand.


    Whoosh!


    "Here. A promise is a promise, and as I am a woman of my words, I will give you what we have agreed on."


    Shifting his eyes at the boxes and crates piled on each other on the table, Leion curved his lips upward and extended his hand forward.


    Whoosh!


    Like a ck hole pulling everything towards it with great force, the ck ring on Leion''s fingers shed with a ck glow and sucked all the boxes on the table inside without leaving anything behind!


    "It was a pleasure to y with you, Lady Etia. Now if you excuse us..." once all the crates vanished, Leion stood up while also helping Calene, "We would like to leave."


    "What? So soon?" a goddess withrge assets and seemingly crystal-like skin looked at Leion''s leaving figure when suddenly a cold shiver ran down her body.


    "I hope both of you have enjoyed your stay here." after staring at the goddess for a few seconds, Etia looked at the departing figures of Leion and Calene, showing a rather stiff smile.


    Stopping right before the door, Leion looked back over his right shoulder and nodded, "We did, it was fun. So much that from now on we would like toe here more often."


    The smile on Etia''s face stiffened even more upon hearing Leion''s words, but soon forced a smile and nodded.


    "My doors are always open before everyone, so feel free to visit whenever you have time."


    Leion smiled after hearing Etia''s words and after grabbing Calene''s hands he opened the doors.


    Once the two deities walked out and the doors were closed, Etia clenched her teeth and looked at the masked figure behind her.


    "You know what you have to do."


    The masked individual nodded softly and like a shadow slipping into darkness, he vanished from everyone''s sight.


    -


    -


    p -</anda>


    Darkness and pain.


    That was the only thing Raven sensed the moment he somewhat regained his consciousness.


    ''Where... am I?''


    Raven wished to move and open his eyes to see his surroundings, but to his absolute shock, he failed to do it; everything felt as if his whole body was tired of ropes!


    ''Urgh... Why do I feel like I have been thrown before a truck? My whole body screams from pain...'' Raven groaned inwardly, feeling helpless at the moment.


    "The seal... You have to break the seal..."


    ''Huh...? This voice again?'' Raven was surprised to hear the familiar voice again and quickly spoke, or ar least wished to speak, but just as he was unable to move his limbs, his mouth didn''t open either!


    "Little Raven... You must listen carefully... When the first eclipse arrives you must follow the beam..."<sub> </sub>


    The voice kept speaking, confusing Raven even more.


    ''First eclipse? Follow the beam? Breaking the seal? What the hell is going on here?''


    "You will be able to break the seal there! You just have to... fi... th... w..."


    ''I have to what? Hey! Talk to me! I have to do what!?'' ignoring the pain in his body and the exhaustion in his mind, Raven yelled, but only to no avail.


    In the very next second, as the voice seemed to fade into the darkness, almost as if the person talking walked further away from him, Raven finally felt the shackles around his body freed and snapped his eyes wide open.


    However, when he did, the very first thing he saw was not the expected sight of his room''s ceiling, but the face of someone he was rather familiar with; his little sister, Luna!


    "Eeikk!" scared by the sudden movement Raven has done, Luna, who was just a few inches away from her brother''s face with hers, pulled her head back so fast that she ended up falling back.


    Paff!


    "L-Lulu? What are you doing her-, argh..." trying to sit up only to fail because of the immense pain that swept through him, Raven clenched his teeth and looked down at his body.


    Currently, he was wearing his white suit, covered in blood stains and signs of it getting scorched, possibly because of his mes.


    As for the golden mask, well, Raven could see it ced on his desk, seemingly in two pieces.


    While Raven examined his body with a pained expression, Luna slowly pushed herself up from the ground and with visible worry looked at Raven.


    "How are you feeling?"


    Surprised by this seemingly simple question, as he expected her to lecture him or curse at him for how he could be so stupid to risk his life, Raven coughed awkwardly and said;


    "Well, considering that I have a few broken bones and possibly some internal injuries that luckily don''t seem to be fatal, I am fine."


    Luna became silent and just stared at Raven with eyes that held various emotions. It was unknown what she was currently thinking much less knowing what she wished to say or ask next.


    Time ticked by in silence and after about 5 minutes she finally decided to speak.


    "Why did you do it?"


    The answer was simple, once again, and only a fool would not know what she meant by it.


    Raven looked at his little sister''s face and watched as the corner of her eyes were slightly moist, seemingly because she was holding back her tears.


    Seeing her like that, Raven sighed and once he ced his head back on the bed he exined everything to her, including how the urge within his body ''forced'' him to buy Avatar sks and join the event, and also the two visions he has seen.


    "I know, you think I have gone mad, but this is th-"


    "I believe you."


    "Huh?" Raven was shocked and raised his head, only to see Luna staring at her with a graveplexion.


    "Wait... Do you really believe me even without showing you any proof? Why?" with a frown, Raven asked.


    "Because I know you way too well, Raven. After all, I am your little sister for a reason." Luna spoke calmly, and after wiping the small teardrop away from the corner of her eyes, she added, "Also, when you have asked me to help, you seemed to be... different than usual."


    "Different?" Raven raised a brow, but as he thought about it he really looked, ''eager'' to get some help.


    "I see..." sighing once again, Raven looked at Luna and with a wry smile, he said, "I promise that I will pay you back the money. I don''t know how or when, but I will definitely pay it back to you."


    Upon hearing that Luna just smiled and shook her head, "As I said, that was not mine. It was just a gift that I have not even used once. Though, if you want to pay me back this bad, how about 1 hour of massage for every million Novas you have spent?"


    "Cough!" Raven almost spit up seven liters of blood when he heard what his little sister just said and started to cough wildly.


    Luna justughed sweetly and quickly shook her head, "Just kidding. Though, if you ever feel the need to repay my kindness, you know what I want."


    Raven coughed for a few seconds after Luna finished giggling, and after taking a deep breath to calm himself down he asked, "Who else knows about my current condition?"


    "No one. In fact, Dad doesn''t even know I am here nor does Thomas."


    "Then how did youe back? I thought you were in Redmond City, which is several hours from here even with a car." Raven asked with confusion.


    Luna, however, just smiled and said, "I asked for a friend''s help."


    Raven frowned and wished to ask which friend when suddenly somebody knocked on his door.

 Chapter 74 Rich As F*Ck

    A/N: Do you like the story? I would really appreciate it if youment so I know your thoughts and can decide whether I should keep writing it or not.


    ¡Á ¡Á ¡Á


    ? The knock was short and gentle, immediately attracting both Luna''s and Raven''s attention.


    "Young Master, are you inside?" Thomas'' voice resounded from outside, waiting for an answer.


    Raven, seeing that Luna looked at him took a deep breath, and acting as calm as he could, he spoke, "Yes."


    "Can I go inside?"


    "I fear it is not the right time. My body still aches from the training and I am naked, taking care of myself at the moment."


    Thomas seemed a little surprised as he talked with Kayn and he told him Raven was in perfect shape. Also, after the training, he also saw how Raven was fine after killing the two beasts, so it was a little confusing hearing him say he was hurt.


    "Young Master, is everything okay? If there is anything I can help you with, I will not hesitate to take care of it." Thomas asked, his voice sounding a little worried.


    Raven felt a little guilt, which was strange as he didn''t feel anything like that when he killed that bulky guy with his me.


    ''This is weird...'' Raven thought inwardly, but when he saw how the door handle was pushed down and the door was ready to open he quickly spoke;


    "I''m really fine! I just need a little rest, that is all."


    The door stopped just as it was about to be pushed open, and Thomas let the door handle go.


    "I see. But if there is anything I can help with, please tell me. After all, that is why I am here." Thomas said before adding, "Also, I just wished to inform you that Master Dan is on his way back, he will arrive in about 8 hours."


    "Thank you for informing me, Thomas." Raven thanked and once he heard how Thomas'' steps went further away from the door he let out a long sigh of relief.


    "That was close," Luna said before showing a smile and adding, "And I think this is your first time lying to Thomas. Don''t you feel guilty?"


    "I would lie if I say I don''t, but considering my current situation what should have I said?" Raven sighed helplessly which turned into a painful grimace.


    Luna''s smile quickly turned into a grave facade with anxiety flickering within her eyes.


    "You are not looking good at all. That thing... whatever it was, almost killed you even though you were inside a Blue Realm Gate."


    "Yeah..." Raven nodded and groaned, "It was a Blue Realm Gate until that statue didn''te alive and I was not informed about the rules being forcefully changed."


    "The rules were forcefully changed? How?" Luna asked, disbelief felt in her voice despite showing indifference.


    Raven just sighed and after pulling out his manual from his pocket he opened it on a specific page.


    -------------


    [Realm Game Information]


    ...


    ? Real Death: In Red Realm Gates/ Domains and above it, once your Vitality reaches zero you will die for real.


    -------------


    "That is... a rather simple description," Luna mumbled and swallowed nervously.


    Only just now did she realize that back inside that Realm Game Raven not only fought to gain the victory but also to remain alive!


    Right then and there, he really was struggling to keep his life, and the injuries all over his body only talked for themselves!


    Thinking about this and that Raven could have really died without her helping, Luna''s delicate fingers clenched into firm fists, her nails digging into her soft skin from pure anger.


    "Wait... Now that I think about it. I have rewards to im!" suddenly, as if gaining strength from an unknown source, Raven''s weak eyes lit up like stars, and swung his left hand downward.


    [Do you wish to collect rewards?]


    "Yes."


    [Because of therge amounts of goods you have gained and also because you have lost consciousness just before you could have collected them, everything had been stored!]


    [You can check and collect them freely!]


    Whoosh!


    ------------


    [All Rewards]


    /Realm Game Rewards/ - (Doubled)


    - 8 random variety Avatar sk


    - 4 Small Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 2 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 2 Epic Grade Relic


    /Special Events Rewards/


    - 5 Avatar sks of your choice! (Each granting 9 points!)


    - 1,000 Astral Core


    - 1 Random Rare Item<sub> </sub>


    /Hidden Quest Rewards/


    - 1 [Unique] Legendary Item


    - 1 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1 Random Rune Mark


    - 1 Rune Pill


    - 2,000 Astral Core


    /Bonus Rewards/


    - 9 Avatar Points to distribute freely!


    - 2 Avatar Titles


    - 500 Astral Cores


    - Charged Backroom Key


    - 2 random variety Avatar sks


    /Special Reward/


    - High-Grade Healing Pill


    ------------


    "Holy f*ck!" both Raven and Luna cussed out loud the moment they saw the long list and they looked at each other with disbelief.


    Right before them, right on the floating panel, there were 18 rows of texts which with Raven''s Collector''s Gloves nearly doubled!


    They were fucking rich!


    Wait? They?


    Raven frowned and nced at Luna beside him. Sure enough, he saw how she was staring at him, pleading and a small hint of greed in her beautiful eyes.


    "You know I have worked for all this, right?" Raven asked with a serious face.


    "You know I helped you, right?" Luna asked, pointing out how she helped Raven join the Special Event.


    "Yeah, but we have already made a deal about that. 3 hours of massage and an Item from the Backrooms, that is what I have promised you." Raven said before he quickly added, "Which, with the now over 3,000 Astral Cores I have, I am sure will be pretty great."


    Luna narrowed her eyes, but after a few seconds sighed and nodded, "You are right. You were the one earning all this not me. You deserve them."


    Raven sighed with relief, almost thinking his little sister will force him to hand at least half of his rewards to her aspensation for the 100 million Novas.


    ''Though, I will still give her some, after all, as she said, if it were not for her help I wouldn''t have been able to join the event and earn all this.'' Raven thought inwardly, taking a mental note that he will give a few things to his little sister; as for which one, he had no idea.


    ''First of all, I should check this out.'' Raven thought and his gaze fell on thest reward.


    ------------


    /Special Reward/


    - High-Grade Healing Pill


    ------------


    Although Raven had not seen rewards such as a healing pill before, what its name indicated did, then he was more than eager to eat it.


    "Collect Special Reward."


    Whoosh!


    In the very next second, under the watchful eyes of both youngsters, with a gentle breeze, a small red pill appeared on Raven''sp, immediately filling the room with a rather strong aroma.


    "Just a single pill yet I feel like I had been thrown into the middle of a botanical garden all of a sudden." while showing a small frown because of the strong scent the pill was oozing, Raven picked up the pill and three it into his mouth.


    At first, nothing seemed to happen and Raven even thought the pill did nothing, perhaps because he should have not eaten it, but after 1 full minute he finally felt some change within his body.


    In the beginning, it only felt as if someone tried to tickle him, making his body feel funny before that turned into a sensation of almost unbearable itching and piercing pain!


    All of a sudden, he felt as if ants or smaller insects started to crawl right below his skin while thousands of hot needles pierced his flesh from time to time.


    The pain was almost unbearable and nearly caused Raven to yell out, but luckily, he was still able to clench his teeth, and only with quiet groans bear with it.


    As for Luna, although she looked worried and even wished to help, when she saw how the injuries and the bruises on Raven''s body slowly got healed, vanishing from sight as if they had been not even there, she calmed down and remained silent.


    Time passed by, and after 5 minutes of torture, which in truth felt like an hour or more, Raven felt joy as the pain finally began to subside, giving him the chance to breathe in a mouthful of fresh air.


    "How are you feeling?" sitting beside Raven, Luna took out a handkerchief, and with gentle movements, she wiped the sweat away from his forehead.


    Feeling the soft texture of the cloth on his skin, Raven let out a deep sigh and pushed himself up from the bed before a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    "I have never felt better."


    And to prove to his little sister that he was really fine, Raven jumped out of his bed and quickly started to stretch his limbs, almost as if he was ready to run a marathon.

 Chapter 75 More Wealth

    After seeing that her brother was really fine Luna let out a sigh of relief and asked, "So what now? Will you not collect the rewards?"


    "I will, but not here." Raven nodded as he straightened his posture and lowered his hands, "We should go inside a Realm Domain first."


    Luna raised a brow in confusion before realization shed in her eyes and nodded.


    "Though, I think you should change clothes before we go." Luna pointed at the somewhat damaged white suit on Raven, who seemingly wished to go outside while still wearing it.


    "Oh, you right. Give me a second." Raven nodded and quickly got undressed.


    "I see it was worth training with Kayn. You no longer look like a broomstick that can be broken with a single m." while watching as Raven put on some new pants and a shirt, Luna narrowed her eyes and eximed out loud.


    "Broomstick?" Raven raised a brow and looked at himself in the mirror, just before he was about to pull his shirt down on his body.


    In the past, although it was true he had no muscr body such as those top athletes, his body was not bony either. Or at least instead of calling himself a broomstick, he preferred the term of a slim person.


    However, right now, that changedpletely. After two weeks of training with Kayn, his body became more robust with his muscles bing way more refined than before.


    It was truly amazing how intense training could change a person in just two weeks.


    ''Well, now that I will jump several Ranks soon, I will have to start training once again. Great...'' Raven thought to himself as he finished dressing and walked toward the door with Luna following closely behind him.


    Meanwhile, inside the headquarters of the United World League.


    "Did you find anything yet?" sitting in his chair, President Bai averted his gaze from the screen in front of him to the person walking into the room.


    Once inside the room, the young man wearing a ck suit closed the door behind his back and began to speak;


    "Sir, we have looked through all the data we had in our system and while we indeed have found individuals with Artifacts simr to that person, they either are below Rank 5 or simply did not participate in the event which they can even prove if wanted."


    "None of them?" President Bai frowned, tapping on the table with his fingers as his eyes rested on the screen; it showed Raven''s alias together with the figure of Felix.


    "Did you try to get in contact with the Vaincor Family?"


    The young man nodded and after opening the small note in his hands he said, "Yes, we did, however, after talking with Lord Vaincor personally he stated that except for a short conversation his son learned nothing about the person."


    "He didn''t even ask for his name?" the frown on President Bai''s face deepened even more.


    "Yes, it seems so, Sir."


    President Bai stopped tapping on the table and slowly leaned back into his chair, seemingly contemting.


    "I see. Well, keep searching and if you find anything useful, inform me immediately."


    "I will, Sir." the young man nodded


    "Great. Anything else I should know about?"


    "In fact, there is something, Sir."


    "Go on." President Bai gestured for the young man to proceed on.


    "It''s about the incident that happened about a day ago on the online site of the Star Treasury." while speaking, the young man handed several documents over to President Bai, "An Item, or to be more specific an Avatar sk that could increase one''s Trait by 9 points, was sold for 100 million Novas."


    Upon hearing therge amount of money that was spent for a single Avatar sk, President Bai''s eyes widened scarcely from shock, and opened the documents.


    As for the young man, he continued to speak calmly.


    "The problem, however, is not with the amount of money it was bought for, but that the Avatar sk was a Unique Item."


    "But aren''t Unique Items only sold through bidding? Then why does it say here it was sold immediately despite there being almost 24 hours before the end of the auction?"


    "And this is where the problemes in, Sir. Someone with an anonymous profile sent a message to the headquarters of the Star Treasury and offered 100 million Novas to buy the sk immediately, which, despite the strict rules, was epted and as a result produced many problems."


    "There are numerous iing calls and messages, all wishing to know who bought the Avatar sk and why it was sold despite it being a Unique Item."


    "Is there any of them that enjoys any form of privilege?" President Bai asked, his eyes reading the information presented within the document.


    "There are, Sir. Many, in fact, such as the Waldell Family, Briskfield Family, Naylor Family, and other top guilds. Even Darwin Hunt happened to reach me rted to this incident, but so far I told him nothing."


    "I see..." President Bai nodded softly and after reading through the papers he said, "Just tell them the truth and also add something like this won''t happen again."


    "And what about the rest?" the young man asked as he took notes.


    "Just tell them it was a bug which already had been fixed. If there are still some that decide to argue orin after that just offer them a small discount which can be used if they win an auction."


    "Understood." the young man nodded.


    "Also, try and find out who this Anony Mouse is." President Bai added after a small while.


    "As you wish, Sir." the young man nodded once again and after bowing with respect left the room.


    As for President Bai, once he was left alone he leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms, his eyes moving back and forth between the documents on the table and the floating screen in front of him.


    -


    -<sub> </sub>


    -


    "Are you sure it is okay toe here? Thomas told me it''s dangerous to enter this Domain." walking after Raven with a hint of worry, Luna raised her gaze at therge building.


    At the moment, they were before therge hotel.


    "He indeed said that, but that was only before I have killed the beasts inside. Now except for the Realm Core, there is nothing inside." Raven exined as he entered through the entrance.


    "Huh? You did what?"


    Seeing Luna''s stupified expression Raven coughed softly and said, "After I have finished my training with Kayn I was curious to see just how strong I have be so I decided to fight the two beasts dwelling in the center of this Realm Domain."


    "I readied myself for the worst and actually even nned for a way to escape beforehand if things would have turned to worse, but surprisingly, it was pointless. I killed both creatures with a single strike."


    Luna was seemingly in shock as she heard from Thomas the rumors about just how strong the two beasts truly were, however, as she knew her brother would not lie about something like this she believed him.


    "This should be a good spot." after walking for 5 minutes straight while talking, Raven and Luna finally arrived in arge room filled with numerous tables and chairs.


    It was a dining hall.


    Whoosh!


    "I still can hardly believe you have earned all this," Luna mumbled quietly as Raven summoned all his rewards onto therge and circr table.


    15 bottles, each filled with various colored liquid, several crystal orbs of different sizes, a few pouches filled with shiny Astral Cores, and other stuff like a wooden b with a mysterious carving on it, a small pill, and different looking items that looked both mysterious and powerful.


    Of course, among these rewards, the ones such as the Avatar Titles or the Avatar points were not present, as they were not things that could be collected physically.


    Upon hearing his little sister''s exmation Raven showed a smile and silently summoned his Collector''s Gloves onto his hands before he began to either duplicate or enhance the items.


    And just like that, after close to 5 minutes of duplicating and enhancing, the number of items on the table nearly doubled!


    "Now then, onto the main course." with an almost drooling mouth, Raven took out his Artifact and ced it below a small crystal which he quickly shattered.


    In a sh, the Artifact''s Form increased by one, reaching Complete before a panel popped up before Raven''s face.


    [Your Artifact had reached a threshold!]


    [Required Artifact Crystals: 2 Middle Piece]


    "I just happened to have 2," Raven mumbled with a grin and quickly grabbed the bigger Artifact Crystals which he didn''t hesitate at all to shatter above his Artifact.


    [Your Artifact sessfully increased in Grade!]


    Whoosh!


    --------------------------


    [True Artifact: Dice of Fate]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Initial


    ? Description: Allows you to gain 1 random relic with random characteristic/s after every throw!


    <The Grade of the relic depends on the number of stars gotten after the throw!>


    <The Form of the relic depends solely on the Artifact''s current Form!>


    <Blue Star Effect: If the star on the dice after the throw turns blue, the Relic bes a Permanent Item!>


    <Chances for [Blue Star Effect] to activate is 0.1%!>


    <Cooldown: Can be used once at the start of every Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    ? Relic Grade per Stars:


    -> 1 Star: Mortal


    -> 2 Stars: Epic


    -> 3 Stars: Legendary


    -> 4 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 5 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 6 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    --------------

 Chapter 76 Growing Stronger By The Second

    After shattering the two Middle Piece Artifact Crystals above his dice, Raven''s Dice of Fate finally increased in Grade, bing Legendary.


    However, different from the previous time when his Artifact increased from Mortal to Epic Grade, now his dice seemed to gain a bonus ability which until now it didn''t have.


    ''Blue Star Effect?'' Raven raised a brow and read the description. Sure enough, when he reached the end of it his face held both shock and bitterness.


    First of all, he was shocked because if he understood it right, Permanent Item meant whenever he threw the dice and the Blue Star Effect was triggered he could keep the Relic!


    That was an insanely powerful ability, one so ridiculously powerful that in the future he will be able to possess numerous "Artifacts", each granting him various abilities.


    He will be simply unstoppable!


    On the other hand, however, he felt bitter because the chances he could trigger the Blue Star Effect were extremely low; Zero point one percent to be exact!


    Even with his ne in his possession, which blessed him with good luck, didn''t allow him to trigger that effect every time!


    ''Moreover, chance and luck are two different things and my ne only boosts my luck, not by chance. I have no power over this ability... yet.''


    The only way for Raven to have a scarce chance to manipte that 0.1% would be if he could use his Artifact outside Realms. Outside, with his Avatar Imprint''s influence, it should be possible for him to achieve greater results than here, within the Realm Domains and Realm Games.


    ''Well, I am pretty sure I will be able to find a way to either increase or influence that 0.1% chance in the future.'' Raven thought to himself and quickly grabbed the remaining Artifact Crystals.


    "There are now only 7 Small Piece and 5 Middle Piece Artifact Crystals. I will give you 3 from both, here." Raven said calmly as he handed six crystals to his little sister, three small and three bigger ones.


    "You sure?" Luna asked, a little hesitant to ept it. After all, while she felt a little envious of all the things Raven got, it was still earned solely through his hard work and not hers.


    Raven knew perfectly what her little sister thought at the moment so sighed and after grabbing her smooth hand he ced the six crystals into her palm.


    "I am sure."


    "...Thank you." with a shy blush Luna nodded and instead of using them instantly, she ced them into her pocket.


    Raven was slightly confused why Luna didn''t use the crystals now, but as he knew it was her business how or when she used them, he just ignored her and walked before the collection of sks on the table.


    There were a total of 24 Avatar sks on the table, each capable of increasing one Avatar Trait by 6 or more as Raven only enhanced those sks that granted 5 points or less.


    "What is your current Rank?" before deciding to consume the sks, Raven nced at Luna with curiosity.


    "I am Rank 5 at the moment," Luna replied and without hesitation showed Raven her Avatar Traits.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 12 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 21 [0]


    ¡ã Strength: 33 [11]


    ¡ã Speed: 57 [8]


    ¡ã Constitution: 31[6]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 13 [0]


    ~~~


    "You are pretty close to reaching Rank 6." Raven mumbled when suddenly his eyes widened and asked, "Wait, all of your Traits are above 10 which means..."


    "I have gained my first Avatar Imprint, yes." Luna nodded before her expression became serious and said, "In fact, there are a lot of people who sessfully obtained their Avatar Imprints, but it seems so far the Realm Association and the United World League keeps this information a secret."


    "That makes sense." Raven nodded, "Although it is impossible to prevent people to increase all of their traits above 10 points, by keeping it a secret they can keep everything in order."


    After all, if every human all of a sudden gained powers outside the Realm that granted them inhuman or superhuman abilities, the world could easily go into chaos.


    "Anyways, these four are yours." grabbing five bottles, two having red liquid within, two silver, while the fifth one blue, Raven pushed them before Luna.


    Luna didn''t say anything and with a thankful nod, she quickly opened the bottles and poured them down her throat, increasing both her Vitality and Speed by 18 points while her Dexterity jumped through the 20 mark.


    "As for the rest..." Raven looked at the remaining 19 bottles and quickly started to drink them.


    2 bottles of Dexterity, 2 bottles of Mystique, 3 bottles for both Speed and Constitution, 4 bottles for Strength, and 5 bottles for Vitality.


    Like a man who wandered around in a scorching hot desert without drinking for days, Raven chugged down all bottles, until the veryst drop.


    Whoosh!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 65 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 50 [5]


    ¡ã Strength: 66 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 87 [6]


    ¡ã Constitution: 81 [6]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 51 [0]


    ~~~


    Closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation going through his body, a small and satisfying grin grew on Raven''s face uncontrobly.


    ''Right now, I feel like I could punch an entire mountain into dust!'' Raven thought inwardly as he opened his eyes and clenched his fingers, causing his bones to crack loudly.


    Hell, he didn''t if he was hallucinating or not, he felt as if his skin became harder and every around him happened to be way clearer than they were before!


    After enjoying his newly acquired strength for a little while longer,pletely ignoring his little sister''s weird gaze on his skin, Raven walked before a pile of pouches and touched them.


    Whoosh!


    -------------<sub> </sub>


    ? Astral Cores: 7,003


    -------------


    "That''s a lot of money. I hope you will buy me something great from it once you go back to the Backrooms." Luna eximed out indifferently, making the corner of Raven''s mouth twitch a little.


    After collecting the Astral Cores, Raven went and walked before thest section of the table, his gaze falling on 4 Items, a small wooden b with a weird carving on it, and two small pills.


    Except for the pills, these were the only rewards he was unable to enhance and duplicate for some reason.


    First, Raven grabbed the b and once it became one with him by creating a small ck tattoo on his left shoulder, he quickly checked the description it showed.


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, 1 random Avatar Traits of yours gets increased by +10!


    ---------


    "Oh?" Raven was pleasantly surprised by this Rune Mark as it was incredibly useful.


    Thus, without hesitation, he used both Rune Pills on the Rune Mark.


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve] (+1)


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, 2 random Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +20!


    ---------


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve] (+2)


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, 3 random Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +30!


    ---------


    "Haha, this is slowly getting ridiculous but I like it!" Raven smiled softly, slowly feeling the urge to startughing like a maniac from the pure joy he felt at the moment.


    As for Luna on his side, she just simply rolled her eyes.


    After the Rune Mark Raven went and shifted his gaze to the items on the table.


    "1 Rare Item, 2 Epic Grade Relics, and 1 ''Unique'' Legendary Item. Let''s start with the Rare one."


    ---------


    [Item: Steel Coat Crafting Receipt]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Description: A somewhatplex crafting receipt about a piece of clothing that can defend its wearer even from sharp swords!


    ----------


    "This looks pretty useful, we should hand this over to dad or Thomas." Luna pointed at the small scroll in her brother''s hands to which Raven nodded and handed it over.


    "You give them. If I do they will immediately start to ask about it, but as you have been clearing Realm Domains andpleting Realm Games, you can just say you have obtained from there."


    "Okay." Luna nodded, understanding the logic behind Raven''s words.


    After giving the scroll to Luna, Raven turned to look at the two, seemingly identical Items on the table, and felt confused about what they did.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Restriction Halo]


    ? Grade: Epic


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: A small ring, which if thrown at your enemy will restrict their Avatar Traits by a considerable margin!


    <Activation: It can be activated for 1,000 units of Mystique and its effectst for 10 seconds!>


    <Avatar Trait Restriction: by 60%>


    --------------


    "60% of restriction? Used on someone their Avatar Traits will be more than halved!" both Luna and Raven felt stupified as this Relic was insanely powerful!


    With this Relic alone any weakling could challenge someone more powerful than them, having a huge chance to emerge as the victor in the end!


    "Take one. This thing equals a life-saving item." Raven said and handed one of the small golden rings to Luna.


    Then, once he put his away too he looked at thest item on the table, however, instead of grabbing it right away he swallowed nervously and thought;


    ''If this thing is really is what I think it is, I have truly hit the jackpot today.''

 Chapter 77 Back Again

    The item in front of Raven was a small silver crown, seemingly made out of a unique silver alloy that glowed with a gentle silver light akin to a star.


    Just looking at it made one feel that whatever power it seemed to grant to its wearer was anything but weak!


    "Isn''t that the same..." Luna beside Raven nced at her brother, thinking about the same thing as him.


    "Very likely, yeah." Raven nodded and grabbed the crown, watching as its description popped up before his line of sight.


    -------------------------


    [Fragmented Artifact: Monarch''s Crown]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Shattered


    ? Description: A fractured Artifact that now only holds just a fraction of its true power. Once whole again, it can grant its wearer strengths akin to a real Monarch!


    <You need to wear the crown to gain ess to its abilities!>


    <You need Artifact Fragments (4) to restore all the Artifacts'' abilities!>


    ~~~


    ¡ã Monarch''s Domain: Anyoneing closer than 50 meters to you with a wicked intention will feel immense pressure.


    -------------------------


    "Huh?" Once Raven finished reading the description of the crown his body froze and his eyes widened.


    Fragmented Artifact? Wasn''t the Monarch''s Crown when he first used it a Relic. Also, didn''t it possess more and different abilities than what it was currently showing?


    This just made no sense at all.


    "This is not the Relic you have used that time, is it?" Luna seemed to immediately tell from Raven''s puzzled look the crown was not the same one he used during the Special Event.


    Raven shook his head before nodding and saying, "It is the same yet at the same time not the same."


    Then, after taking a deep breath he exined, "The previous crown allowed me to summon a knight. With it, in exchange for some Mystique, I was able to y anyone within a 50 meters radius."


    "Its first ability was the same as now, Monarch''s Domain, but the power it granted me was different. Furthermore, it was a Relic, not a Fragmented Artifact."


    "What is a Fragmented Artifact, to begin with?" Luna frowned as this was her first time also hearing about that concept.


    Raven shrugged, but when he felt a little trembling in his pocket he took out his small book and opened it.


    -------------------------


    [Artifact Information]


    ...


    ? Fragmented Artifact: True Artifacts that in the past through unknown means were either shattered or were stopped created! With enough Artifact Fragments, it is possible to repair thempletely!


    ^ Artifact Fragments can be obtained through either Realm Games, Realm Domains, or by shattering others'' Artifacts!


    -------------------------


    After reading the description of Fragmented Artifacts Luna and Raven looked at each other, none of them talking for a small while.


    "...Why don''t you try it out?" Luna proposed the idea after a few seconds of silence.


    "On you?" Raven raised a brow.


    "Why? It says it is just pressure. Even so of it pensions the word immense, it can''t be that ''immense'', can it?"


    Raven felt a little hesitant, but he was also curious to see just what his Fragmented Artifact was truly capable of doing, he sighed and ced the crown on his head.


    Bam!


    In the very instant, the crown was ced on his head, Luna''s face wentpletely pale, and even before Raven could have reacted she fell to the ground.


    "Lulu!" quickly taking the crown off, Raven jumped beside his little sister and watched with anxiety as her body trembled while her skin lost all color.


    "HAAAA!!!" gasping for air as if she had just emerged from deep below the sea, almost suffocating, Luna started to breathe quickly while her beautiful face slowly regained its natural colors.<sub> </sub>


    "Lulu... How are you feeling? Do you need me to call for help?" Raven felt guilty and worried both at the same time as he watched his little sister lying on the ground with a face holding scarce pain.


    After breathing heavily for several seconds which included a few rough coughs Luna sighed deeply and looked up at Raven before she pushed herself up.


    "I-I am fine..."


    "You sure? You didn''t look like you were fine just a few moments ago." Raven asked Luna as he helped her gently up.


    "I am really fine. It''s just, the moment you have put the crown on I felt as if... as if someone just began to choke me. It felt hard to breathe and even my body became cold for some reason."


    "Choked?" Raven raised a brow to which Luna nodded.


    "Yeah. It became even worse the longer you stared at me, but luckily you didn''t kill me." Lunaughed awkwardly, touching her throat to make sure she just hallucinated being strangled.


    Hearing Luna trying to break a tense atmosphere sighed and looked at the crown.


    ''Is this thing that powerful?'' Raven thought inwardly before he shook his head, ''No, I bet it highly depends who I try to use it on.''


    Like, For Luna currently was below him in Rank and overall strength, so Raven believed if he were to use the crown on others with either a higher Rank or an Artifact that protected them from the pressure things will be different.


    Of course, there was also the possibility that the crown was truly this powerful, but he didn''t put so much hope into it. He had to first test it to see.


    ''However, as literally, everyone watched the Special Event it is not hard at all to identify this item. I should be careful when I use it.'' Raven sighed and put it into the small bag he brought with him beforehand.


    "Now then, there is only onest thing I have to do." Raven showed a small smile and grabbed the thin strong around his neck, pulling out a unique-looking key.l from below his shirt.


    [Backroom Key had been recharged!]


    Looking at the appearing panel beside the key, Raven shifted his gaze to the side where a door was located and walked before it.


    Seemingly, the door was the entrance into a small storage room of some sort.


    "What kind of item do you want me to bring you?" standing before the door, Raven nced at Luna beside him and asked.


    "I don''t have anything specific in mind, but if you what have just said is true and the items from the Backrooms can indeed be used in real life, something that I can wield to protect myself."


    She then quickly added, "Yeah, especially how more and more people gain powers through these Avatar Imprints, I think something that can protect my safety is a must."


    "Understood." Raven nodded and once he ced the key into the keyhole he turned it clockwise, immediately causing his body to be engulfed in ck light and vanish from sight.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the scenery around Raven changed and he quickly found himself in the familiar environment of the Backrooms, a massive room filled with various objects and items.


    "What a surprise indeed. So it seems it was you who have killed that poor Guardian all along, huh?" Dinas'' usually calm and yful voice appeared in the air, seemingly happy to see Raven again.


    As for Raven, while he felt rxed upon hearing the familiar and friendly voice of Dinas, his brows still furrowed with confusion.


    "Guardian? Are you talking about that ck statue?"


    Dinasughed softly and giving Raven a feeling as if he was nodding he replied, "Yes, that ck statue."


    "And why is it called a Guardian? I thought it was just like any other creature from Realm Games and Realm Domains." Raven asked while his eyes began to examine items around him.


    For some reason, he became carefree around Dinas despite the two of them only meeting for a single hour in total!


    "As always, you are curious as ever, which can be both good and bad." Dinasughed and after remaining silent for a split second he continued, "Artifact Keepers or on their other names, Guardians. They are usually found in the depth ofrge andplex Realm Domains, also known as Realm Dungeons."


    "But wasn''t the Special Event in fact a Realm Game?" Raven asked, raising a single brow at that statement.


    "Oh, you know so little, no wonder you are thirsty for knowledge." Dinasughed and added, "Realm Games are happening within Realm Domains to which you can gain ess only if you or others havepleted the challenge."


    "Also, just because we''ve known each other for quite a while and I somewhat like you, let me share with you a piece of little interesting information."


    Holding a small silver mirror in hand Raven raised his head and perked his ears, waiting for Dinas to continue.


    "Haha, good! Well then, listen carefully..." Dinas spoke and after clearing his throat he spoke, "Have you ever wondered if there is any other life outside in the cosmos?"


    Raven was confused by the sudden question, but still nodded and said indifferently, "Yeah, I did. Even before you guys ''invaded'' our I still believed that there are other beings out there. Like, For the cosmos is just too vast for us being the only ones alive."


    "Exactly!" Dinas eximed out with joy before his voice became excited and asked, "And what if I say that the Realm Gates are in truth bridges, actual portals between your world and others, ones that exist somewhere outside there in the vast cosmos? Would you believe that?"

 Chapter 78 Crystal Bell

    When Raven heard Dinas'' words his whole body tensed up before he rxed again. However, from the way how his fingers were clenched into tight fists, it was pretty much obvious that he was far from being calm.


    Every Realm Gate was a bridge, a portal into another world where everything they encountered was real beings?


    That faceless creature he ran away from, the enormous snakes he has just killed, and the rest of the beasts other humans encountered... Those were not just a part of a sort of simtion nor an illusion, but were actual living beings?


    Although Raven somewhat expected this to be the truth, it was hard to ept it when a ''deity'' confirmed his beliefs.


    After all, believing in something or at least having a rough guess about it and getting told the truth by a higher existence were twopletely different things.


    "But wait... If this is indeed the truth, howe it is just a one-way tunnel where we cannot go to the other world but they can travel to ours? It just makes no sense." Raven asked once he thought about it a little.


    "Who said you can''t travel there?" Dinas'' voice resounded with a hint of glee in the air.


    "But, how?" Raven frowned with puzzlement, "If one touches the gate they will be teleported away toplete a Realm Game, which if they seed, will cause the Realm Gate to open and form its Realm Domain."


    "Once the Realm Domain had been formed the Realm Gate will vanish. There is just no way for us to travel between worlds."


    "And this is where you are wrong." Dinas suddenly spoke, his voice sounding both serious and yful, "Just what do you think Realm Cores are?"


    "Huh? What do mean by..." Raven raised a brow when suddenly his eyes widened.


    "Exactly what you think! Realm Cores are, in fact, fractions of Realm Gates. However, if you wish to use them, you first need to make them whole again."


    "Which can only be achieved if we clear the Domains and let them Evolve from time to time," Raven mumbled.


    "Exactly! Haha, you are quick to catch up. I start to like you more and more!" Dinasughed with joy while the sound of someone pping their thighs resounded in the backrooms.


    Raven stood motionlessly and after he waited for Dinas to calm down he ced the mirror in his hand slowly back onto the table, and asked, "But why are you telling me all this? Is there a reason or do you simply wish something from me?"


    Dinas fell silent before another wave of his ringingughter reverberated in the room.


    "Little bird, not all kindness in the world is done to get something back in exchange. Someone just likes to help others because of pure boredom or because they feel like it."


    Then, afterughing softly for another time Dinas added, "But if I have to give you a reason, it is because you have earned to know this information. You deserve it."


    ''Little bird?'' Raven felt particrly strange when he heard Dinas calling him like that before he decided to ignore it.


    "I see." with just that and nothing else, Raven kept looking at the items.


    However, as there were tens if not hundreds of thousands of items in the backroom, he asked Dinas to make everything below 4,000 and above 7,000 Astral Cores vanish.


    After that, he started to inspect each and every item.


    There were weapons allowing him to have a limited amount of maniption over elements such as the air or fire, shields that could protect him even from sniper bullets, and other essories that granted him a small number of supernatural abilities.


    There were all kinds of unique items that Raven didn''t doubt people would die for to acquire.


    After walking around for almost an hour, Raven stopped before an open crate that had only a single item within.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Crystal Bell]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Completed


    ? Description: An archaic bell made by a skilled craftsperson and from the crystal essence of an ancient spirit. Rumors say if the bell was rung in the need of protection, the ancient spirit will emerge.


    <Cooldown: 24 hours once the ancient spirit was either killed or vanished.>


    ¡ã Price: 4,500 Astral Cores


    --------------


    ? "Crystal Bell?" Raven mumbled as he took the small, somewhat bluish and silverish bell into his hands, feeling the cold and smooth surface of it against his skin.


    The bell was small, about the size of an average human fist while it had a ring-shaped handle attached to its top, just like those oldnterns.


    "The Crystal Bell. I can remember the day when a young man walked into my shop and handed me this piece of artwork." Dinas exined calmly, his voice giving one a feeling he was currently thinking back.


    "I have even tried to use it once, but just as its description states it can only be used if the holder of it is in danger. The ancient spirit will only protect not attack."<sub> </sub>


    "This will be perfect for her," Raven mumbled and without hesitation spent over four thousand Astral Cores to buy it, leaving him with only 2,503 Astral Cores.


    "Oh, so you are buying it for someone else, huh? Is she perhaps your girlfriend?" Dinas asked with a slightly teasing voice to which Raven rolled his eyes.


    "She is my little sister."


    "Oh? I didn''t know you had a sibling." Dinas eximed with surprise.


    "Well, she is not my real sibling, but I am looking at her like a real brother would look at his real little sister."


    "I can see just from the way you are talking about her that you are cherishing her a lot."


    Raven smiled and as he put the bell into his pocket he nodded, "We are pretty close to each other."


    After saying that, Raven asked Dinas to make all items below 1,500 Astral Cores appear while making anything above that price vanish.


    Now that he had bought Luna her item as he promised, it was time for him to look for something for himself.


    And soon enough, he found something rather interesting.


    -------------------------


    [Weapon: Serpent Poison de]


    ? Rarity: Rare


    ? Description: A unique shortsword crafted out of Poison Steel and modified by a Symbol Carver, granting it special traits that only a few short swords possess.


    ~~~


    [Special Traits]


    - Serpent''s Toxin: A highly toxic poison that can either kill, paralyze, or weaken your enemies depending on their Constitution after injuring them!


    - Poison Enhancement: In exchange for Mystique, the effect of the Serpent''s Toxin can be enhanced temporarily!


    - Passive Blessing: While wielding the Serpent Poison de inside Realms, your Constitution and Strength gets increased by 10! If used outside, you gain minor poison immunity!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Price: 2,450 Astra Cores


    --------------


    The de before Raven was a shortsword with a size of about 15 inches. Its de was wavy and had a deep green cluster, giving one a rather dangerous aura when looking at it. Furthermore, its handle was deep ck with its pommel having the shape of a hissing snake.


    "That de is truly a masterpiece, one that can either save or take lives with ease, depending on the person wielding it," Dinas exined to which Raven nodded with agreement.


    After all, this de was truly a frightening weapon, one which depending on the hand it falls into could either save or im lives!


    "I will buy it," Raven mumbled and without hesitation spend the rest of his health on the shortsword, leaving him with only 53 Astral Cores in total which he quickly spend on two Avatar sks, one raising his Dexterity by 4 points while the other boosting his Mystique by 3.


    Of course, once he leaves the Backrooms he will enhance them, so instead of 4 and 3 points, they will grant him 8 and 9!


    "And it seems all of my wealth had been spent..." Raven sighed with a hint of bitterness, but when he saw the four items in his possession his mood seemed to elevate a little at least.


    "It''s always great to do business with you." Dinasughed softly to which Raven just smiled and after saying his goodbye teleported himself back to the Realm Domain.


    Whoosh!


    "You are back!" upon seeing Raven''s finally emerging figure, Luna, who all this time sat on a chair with a hint of boredom, jumped up onto her feet and appears before her brother with eyes holding nothing but anticipation.


    Raven smiled, knowing she was excited to see what he bought for her, thus without any hesitancy pulled the beautiful crystal bell out of his pocket and handed it over to her.


    At first, Luna was confused, however, when she grabbed the bell in her hands and saw its description, her pretty eyes widened from shock and her small cherry lips parted slightly.


    Then, a few secondster, without saying anything else she hugged Raven tightly before taking a step back and showing a delighted smile.


    "You are truly the best! Thank you!"


    "Just the best for you." Raven smiled, feeling rather satisfied after seeing his little sister''s genuine happiness.

 Chapter 79 True Domain

    Luna''s smile widened when she heard her brother''s words before she put the bell away and asked, "Should we go then?"


    "Not yet. There is something I want to check." Raven shook his head and turned around, walking toward seemingly the center of the Realm Domain.


    Luna, obviously was confused but still walked after him, somewhat also curious to see where Raven wished to go.


    While walking through the hallways Raven enhanced both Avatar sks he bought and drank before allocating his 9 Avatar Points; 2 to his Mystique, 4 to his Strength, and 3 to his Speed.


    Like this, he was able to finally push all his Traits above 60 points while also reaching Rank 9!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 65 [0]


    ¡ã Mystique: 60 [5]


    ¡ã Strength: 70 [0]


    ¡ã Speed: 90 [6]


    ¡ã Constitution: 81 [6]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 60 [0]


    ~~~


    "Your strength is just ridiculous..." Luna eximed out loud, her voice holding both a hint of awe and jealousy.


    "Maybe among other humans, yes, it is ridiculously high and I can be considered as an invincible being. However, considering I was almost killed by another being just by a single stomp, they are nothing but mere numbers, a joke." Raven stated indifferently as he opened his status and checked the two newly obtained Avatar Titles.


    "If I truly wish to be strong, I need even more than this."


    Whoosh!


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: Death Defier]


    ? Status: Dormant


    ? Description: A unique title given only to those who faced their death for the first time and emerged as the victor in the very end!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  Single Active Effect: In the face of a life and death situation, all of your Avatar Traits will be doubled for 1 minute!


    <This Title will be automatically activated once its Effect is triggered!>


    <This Title will not rece your currently Active Title once it had been activated!>


    <After the time limit, the Avatar Title will stay Dormant for 72 hours while you will experience a massive bacsh also!>


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    ...


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: The Blessed Prodigy]


    ? Status: Inactive


    ? Description: This Title can be possessed by only a single individual in each race; only the best of the best!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  First Passive Effect: All Avatar Traits +20!


    -> Second Passive Effect: All Rune Marks +2!


    -> First Active Effect: Whenever you fight, all of your Avatar Traits will be increased +10!


    -> Second Active Effect: Every Reward you gain gets doubled!


    -> Unique Effect: Whenever you sessfullyplete/ clear a Realm Game/ Realm Domain one of your Avatar Traits gets increased by +1 permanently!


    <Upon sustaining defeat, this Title will immediately vanish and will be given to someone more worthy!>


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    Cough!


    After reaching the end of the description, Raven almost stumbled and choked on his own saliva, forcing him to halt his steps.


    "W-WHAT!?" blurting out with shock, Raven read both Titles'' descriptions once again, even closing his eyes for several seconds and opening them, feeling as if he was hallucinating.


    Even Luna beside him looked bbergasted, her small cherry lips closing and opening as if she was a little fish.


    "You see what I see, right?"


    "Um..."


    "So we are not seeing an illusion nor are we hallucinating, right?"


    "N-No..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Both Raven and Luna stood motionlessly next to each other, looking at two floating panels before their line of sights with faces full of disbelief.<sub> </sub>


    Then, as if thinking about something, Raven quickly equipped the second Title and opened his Avatar Status, checking something.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 65 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 60 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 70 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 90 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 81 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 60 [20]


    ~~~


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve]


    ? Grade: Arcane (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, 5 random Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +50!


    ---------


    "Holy... f*ck!" Raven mumbled with utter disbelief, slowly feeling as if a headache was starting to assault his brain.


    Both Titles were just simply too overpowered, so much that it made him invincible among humans!


    Not only is his Traits got increased by 20 points passively and another 10 actively if he fought thanks to his Blessed Prodigy Title, but he would even gain another extra 50 points for almost all of his Traits if he were to fight someone above him in Rank!


    That was 7 Ranks! He could jump 8 Rank under one single second and he didn''t even talk about his Death Defier Title which if his life was pushed to the brink of death will cause his Traits to double!


    "This is just ridiculous..." Raven mumbled, swallowing nervously before a grin slowly crept its way up onto his face.


    p~!


    "H-Hey! Why did you hit me?" surprised to see how his little sister pped him in the back of his head, Raven red at her with a deep frown, looking at her questioningly.


    Luna, just stared at Raven in silence before she crossed her arms just below her bosom and said, "Just a little p back to reality."


    "p back to reality?" Raven raised a brow, but soon enough seemed to understand her little sister''s thoughts.


    She was right. Although it was great that he had gained more strength, it didn''t mean he was invincible. In fact, it was far from that.


    Just like how he almost lost his life when he faced that Guardian during the Special Event despite being stronger than other humans, he could still end up dying with his current, seemingly ridiculous strength if he happened to face a stronger foe than that statue.


    And that is why, just because he gained a little strength, it didn''t mean he should start to behave cocky or arrogant. No, it was, in fact, theplete opposite of it; he should stay humble with a collected head.


    As he thought about this, Raven closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    "Thank you."


    Seeing that the ''I am so full of myself'' grin was wiped off his face, Luna giggled softly and lowered her arms before following after Raven.


    The two walked through several hallways and after walking for close to 20 minutes they finally reached the middle section of the Realm Domain where the Realm Core was located.


    "Mdy, Young Master... What brings the two of you here?" the two recruits that were ordered to stay on guard around the Realm Core quickly straightened their posture and looked at Luna and Raven.


    Walking before the two, Raven looked at the spot where the two corpses of the beasts had been and said, "We are here to collect the Realm Core."


    The two recruits looked at each other and a few secondster both of them shrugged and took a step to the side, giving enough space for Raven to approach the floating orb inside the small altar.


    [The whole Realm Domain had been cleared!]


    [The Preliminary Realm Core is ready to Evolve!]


    [Will you collect it or initiate its Evolution?]


    [Warning! If you wish to collect it, the Realm Domain will copse and vanish!]


    Three different panels popped up before Raven the very second he touched the floating orb, feeling its emanating warmness on his skin.


    Then, after enjoying the warm sensation around his hand, Raven nodded and decided to initiate the Realm Core''s Evolution.


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, all four of them were teleported outside the Realm Domain, while the barrier of it began to light up and pulsate with deep crimson light, quickly attracting any attention from the ck Moon Guild.


    "What is happening here?" running beside Raven and Luna together with other members of the ck Moon Guild, Thomas stared at the pulsating crimson barrier with a grave facade and a hint of worry.


    "The Domain is evolving, just likest time," Raven exined calmly and watched as the pulsating began to slow down while the crimson color began to fade away bit by bit.


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully cleared the Realm Domain and it had undergo Evolution!]


    [Realm Domain sessfully Evolved from Advanced Phase to True Phase!]


    After that, everything became normal once again.


    ''That''s it?'' Raven felt a little disappointed when he didn''t see a gate into another world, just as Dinas told him, and sighed a little.


    "Care to exin to me what happened here exactly?" Thomas looked at Raven and Luna, from which the former quickly exined Thomas everything, obviously missing out on the part where they have collected his rewards earned from the Special Event and his little travel back to the Backrooms.


    "I see..." Thomas sighed, feeling somewhat rxed before he looked at the two guards and stated with gravity, "From now on, until either Master Dan or I don''t say so, no one is allowed to enter this Domain. Understood?"


    "Yes, sir!" both recruits saluted with respect and after bowing politely they walked away.


    "This also applies to the two of you." Thomas shifted his gaze at Raven and Luna, his eyes scarcely narrowed.


    Of course, the reason why he was so strict all of a sudden was understandable for obvious reasons. After all, now that the Realm Domain has evolved once again, it waspletely unknown just how dangerous it was to enter.


    And for that reason, until they didn''t understand what changed in there, it was a must to prohibit others from entering the Realm Domain, no matter what!

 Chapter 80 Start Of The First Round!

    "Thomas, you don''t have to look at us like that. We are well aware of just how risky it is to enter that Domain now that it has evolved." Raven asserted to which Thomas seemingly calmed down.


    "Good." Thomas sighed softly before he shifted his now usually collected gaze at Luna and raised a brow, "Shouldn''t you be in-"


    "Raven asked my help that is why I havee back." Luna quickly said, already knowing what Thomas wished to ask.


    Thomas'' brow raised even more, but when he saw Raven nodding he sighed and said, "I see, so that''s how it is. Well, at least now that you are here I need to ask for your help. Another Realm Gate appeared in the proximity which waits to be cleared."


    "I can help with that if you want." Raven offered him, but surprisingly Thomas shook his head.


    "Although I appreciate your offer, I need your help somewhere else. We need your gloves'' ability to duplicate and enhance the treasures we have collected and umted so far."


    Raven felt slightly disappointed as he wished to test out his newfound strength at least a little bit, but as he knew with his help the ck Moon Guild could be even stronger than before he just nodded.


    "Perfect. Then, please, follow me." Thomas smiled and brought the two before the entrance of the ck Moon Guild where he sent Luna away before bringing Raven to the warehouse.


    At the moment the doors were opened and the light was turned on, a massive room filled with thousands of items presented itself before Raven, showing Raven the wealth the ck Moon Guild possessed was by no means small.


    Hell, there were even numerous crates on the sides, unknown just how many more treasures were ced in them!


    "Umm... I hope you can remember that if we want to use the full potential of my gloves we have to bring all these into a Realm Domain." after walking inside, Raven nced at Thomas and pointed out.


    "I know, that is why we will transport all these to the second closest Realm Domain from us." Thomas smiled and pped his hands, immediately causing people to walk inside and start bringing things outside.


    "Let us help them, shall we?" Thomas smiled and quickly picked up a small crate which he instantly handed over to Raven.


    Raven, of course, sighed and with a forced smile began to bring the things outside, cing them on trucks, and going back inside.


    He repeated this about a hundred times over and after 30 minutes they were on their way to the Realm Domain.


    Soon enough, after about an hour of travel, they finally reached the Realm Domain, which surprisingly was at the bottom of arge crater.


    The crater was not deep at all, but was incredibly massive, to say the least. While it was around a hundred meters or so in-depth, its radius was several miles!


    It was called the Crimson Pit, an area that was formed during the Third World War and where hundreds of thousands lost their lives.


    The ce was literally filled with rivers of blood and piles of corpses, painting the whole crater in crimson and filling the air with the putrid smell of iron and rotted flesh!


    Even at this very moment, Raven could see how the rocks were crimson while the air for some reason felt heavy and suffocating.


    Stopping the vehicles about a hundred meters away from the edge of the pit, Thomas jumped out of the truck in the front and signaled for everyone to start working.


    In a sh, hundreds of crates were ced onto the ground from where they were brought inside the Realm Domain, which, in fact, made every hair on Raven''s body stand to end.


    Once he stepped through the almost invisible barrier around the pit, the sight before Raven changedpletely.


    Whaty before his eyes now was not a massive empty crater, but an almost seemingly endlesske with a single ind visible somewhere in its center in the far distance.


    However, it was by no means any ordinaryke.


    First of all, the moment Raven stepped through the dome, he found himself on a small shore where instead of sand, what was below his feet was shattered and almostpletely smashed bones.


    Secondly, theke in front of him was not crystal clear water; it was crimson blood, so thick that it was almost akin to mud!


    Furthermore, to make the whole scenery even more bizarre, there was a single bridge connecting the ind and the shore, one that instead of wood or perhaps bones, was made out of rotten flesh!


    The whole Realm Domain looked so terrifying and disturbing that one would rather throw up right on the spot before turning around and running away than stay there!


    "This ce still gives me the chill, no matter how many times I have seen it." walking beside Raven and cing down several crates, Thomas sighed and shook his head.


    "Though, you don''t have to worry. Until you stay here on the shore and don''t try to cross that bridge, if you can even call that as such, you will be safe."


    "Why? What will happen if I do?" Raven asked despite already knowing the answer.


    Thomas gave Raven a sideways nce before he chuckled coldly and said, "Well, unless you are not above Rank 10 and possess a unique artifact that grants you the ability to breathe freely underwater, I would not rmend you try."<sub> </sub>


    Then, he quietly added, "There are hundreds of creatures deep below the bloodke, so once you fall into it, you''re as good as dead."


    Upon hearing Thomas'' words Raven swallowed nervously and nodded before proceeding to help bring all the crates inside the Realm Domain.


    Once everything was inside, Raven summoned his gloves and began to work.


    Time passed slowly, and hours were spent inside the Realm Domain with nothing but Raven walking around and touching things, either duplicating or enhancing them.


    There were only a few times when he failed to do either of both, but it was so incredibly minuscule that it was literally pointless to care about it.


    "Was this thest one?" grabbing a small crystal to enhance its effects once wielded, Raven raised his head and looked at Thomas beside him.


    "Yes, it seems so. Thank you very much." handing a crate to the recruit standing beside him, Thomas looked at Raven and bowed.


    Raven just smiled and after he gave a final nce at the bloodke behind his back, he shuddered a little and said, "Let''s go home. I am beat as hell..."


    Thomas nodded and after checking that they have left behind nothing quickly walked out of the Realm Domain before ordering the recruits to steer away.


    "Sigh... Finally! Some rest!" falling on the bed once he was back home, Raven buried his face into his pillow and in just mere seconds he fell asleep.


    -


    -


    -


    A dayter.


    After finally getting time to rest, Raven slept through an entire day, waking up with his pillow and sheet covered in a mixture of alive and sweat.


    "Damn... I think this was the best sleep I have so far ever had." standing up after a big yawn, Raven walked into the bathroom and once he washed himself and brushed his teeth he decided to practice a little.


    Of course, now that he was prohibited from entering the Realm Domain he could only use the facility he used with Kayn for the first time.


    And to his surprise, when he entered the building he was surprised to see that Kayn was there, kicking and boxing a punching bag with Luna doing the same beside him.


    "Look who decided toe back." halting his training after punching the equipment in front of him with great power, Kayn turned around and grabbed the towel beside him.


    Luna also stopped, but instead of standing idly she ran before Raven and threw out a punch.


    "!?"


    Raven was surprised at first before he quickly snapped out of his daze and with swift motion stepped to the side, grabbed Luna''s wrist, and twisted it behind her back.


    "Oh? It seems like your reaction and body coordination became better. Good." Kayn smiled with satisfaction to which Raven smiled and let his little sister go.


    However, just as he did, Luna immidieatly leaned forward and kicked backward which although caught Raven by surprise could still react in time and dodge.


    "Good. Let me see what the two of you can do." Kayn smiled to which the two immidieatly began to spar with each other, improving their fighting skills and strength slowly but surely.


    And just like that, several days have passed and the day that everyone has waited for finally arrived.


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:03]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:02]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:01]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:00]


    ...


    END OF Volume. 1!

 Chapter 81 First Challenge

    Everyone felt uneasy and tense, not knowing what to expect.


    Currently, the whole world was in silence, no vehicle moved on the streets and only a few individuals were visible walking around.


    Of course, the reason for that was pretty much obvious.


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:03]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:02]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:01]


    [Worlds'' sh [First Round] countdown: 00:00:00]


    Whoosh!


    In that very instant, the moment the countdown reached zero, the whole world seemed to undergo a massive change.


    Suddenly, the air felt a little heavier than usual, giving one a hard time breathing normally, while the ground descended into darkness despite the sky being perfectly clear!


    A massive object appeared above every city!


    "What the hell is that thing?" standing either outside on the streets or before their windows, people looked toward the sky with both into of dread and anxiety.


    The object floating and slowly rotating counterclockwise just a few miles above the head of people was a massive cube, so huge that even others several miles away from cities could inspect it with ease!


    The cube was made out of some mysterious ck material while the surface of it shone with gentle white light from time to time.


    However, except for that and its ridiculously colossal size, nothing seemed to happen even after 5 full minutes.


    "That''s it? Cubes appearing out of empty air and floating above our heads?" a recruit of the ck Moon Guild stood calmly outside, his gaze staring at therge object in the sky despite it being rather far away!


    "The fuck? You are not scared at all? Do you have any idea what kind of chaos those things could achieve if they were to fall?! We would all die you dumbfuck!" another recruit eximed, his eyes fixed on hisrade as he was looking at a retard.


    Meanwhile, standing outside the mansion, Old Dan, Luna, Thomas, Kayn, Raven, and a few recruits from the ck Moon Guild stood still, their eyes fixed on the floating object in the distance.


    "Any bright idea what that thing could be?" standing still for several minutes, Old Dan finally decided to talk, his question directed toward everyone.


    "No idea." everyone shook their heads, only to see that the next second finally things seemed to change.


    The cubes that so far only floated in the sky finally stopped rotation, with one of their edges pointing perfectly toward the ground, and under everyone''s gazes the surface of it lit up.


    Whoosh!


    "Heyoo everyone~! Etia, your lovely goddess is here! Hope you haven''t forgotten about me!"


    Just like akin to turning on the television, on the cubes'' surface, suddenly the figure of an inhumanly beautiful woman, or to be a more exact girl, popped up, her face holding a wide grin full of glee.


    On the other hand, everyone who saw her face immediately became either pale or dark, their eyes holding a storm of negative emotions within.


    Rage, hatred, sorrow, pain, killing intent...


    Emotions akin to the ones mentioned above we''re the only things that upied the hearts of the people currently looking at Etia''s figure, who at this moment was sitting on a golden throne with nothing but a lollipop in hand!


    There was also a figure standing beside her, but as the individual was too tall, even taller than the throne, his or her face waspletely out of view with only the area below their chest visible.


    Waiting for a second or two after his intro, Etia sucked on the lollipop and with a smile continued to speak;


    "It''s so good to see all of you grow this much just in the short span of a month. Haa~... Just remembering how you all were struggling to stay alive a few weeks ago makes me feel so proud."


    Etia sighed with a soft smile, looking almost like a mother would look at her children with pride.


    However, that soft smile quickly vanished, and what reced it was a smile full of anticipation and excitement, which could be felt even in her following words.


    "And exactly for that reason, we are going to celebrate!"


    Whoosh!


    Right after Etia said those words, her figure vanished from the cubes'' surface before a massive scoreboard appeared on it.


    ----------------


    [Worlds'' sh Leaderboard]


    ? Race: Humans


    ? Average Rank: 4.2


    ? Number of humans with True Rank: 21,792


    ? Average True Rank: 1.4


    ? Universal Rank out of over 1,000: 666


    ? First Round Challenge: Not yet specified!


    ----------------


    "Not bad, but not good either." Etia''s humming voice with mixed emotions could be heard in the air before the image changed once again.


    Whoosh!


    [Starting of the draw!]<sub> </sub>


    [Humans vs....]


    At that very moment, characters began to blur after another and after beside the word ''Humans'', making everyone''s heart beat faster and stomach tighten.


    Although no one knew what will happen and even felt confused, for some weird reason they all had a feeling about what will happen once the blurring stop.


    And just as when everyone was on the verge of screaming out things like ''Come one!'' or ''Let''s get this fucking over with already!'' the draw finally came to an end.


    [Humans vs Rotrids]


    ----------------


    [Worlds'' sh Leaderboard]


    ? Race: Rotrids


    ? Average Rank: 6.7


    ? Number of rotrids with True Rank: 113,398


    ? Average True Rank: 2.7


    ? Universal Rank out of over 1,000: 201


    ? First Round Challenge: Not yet specified!


    ----------------


    [Choosing Random Challenge!]


    [First Round Challenge:...]


    Whoosh!


    This time, there was no blur of various names or titles, the name of the first challenge immediately appeared right below the information about the Rotrids.


    [First Round Challenge: Heaven or Hell]


    ----------------


    [Heaven or Hell]


    ? Difficulty: ck


    ? Description: The strongest individual from both races with the weight of their race''s fate at stake will sh against each other!


    ~~~


    [Rules]


    ¡ã Will be specified in 24 hours!


    ----------------


    [Start of the Challenge: 23:59:22]


    "Woah~! Well, that is unexpected indeed!" suddenly Etia''s shock-filled voice resounded in everyone''s ear before she sighed with a hint of sorrow, "To think you all will be given such a challenge right from the start... Your luck is truly cursed."


    Then, after another sigh and when her figure was visible to everyone once again, she continued, "I will be honest with you guys, you all are in a very tough spot. As for the reason?"


    When Etia asked that question, she started to chuckle with a hint of sorrow and said, "It is because whoever loses this fight, will die. And when I say die, I don''t mean just a single soul, but all of you. If your strongest member is killed, it means all of you will die. Your race, as a whole, will cease to exist...pletely!"


    The moment she said those words, everyone fell into silence with the majority of them losing all the color from their faces!


    Some even became so frightened that they lost consciousness while others lost their strength and fell on their butts because of his weak their legs became.


    The feeling of helplessness now truly crept its way into everyone''s heart, except for a single individual, Raven.


    While others felt dread, anxiety, panic, and other simr emotions, which was understandable, after all, they just happened to learn that the fate of their lives now was in the hands of a stranger, until then Raven stood motionlessly, his face as dark as if clouds have appeared above his head!


    However, this was just the beginning. Once hepletely understood just what kind of weight had fallen on his shoulder, it felt almost as if a bomb had been detonated within his body.


    Everything around him became silent, his vision turned blurry, and his body became colder while thick drops of seat began to roll down his face.


    Furthermore, to make things even worse, he felt as if the air around him became thicker, making his breathing so heavy that slowly the world around him began to spin, and in the end, he fell to the ground.


    Thest thing he saw before everything wentpletely ck was Luna''s and his father''s figures running toward him, each holding faces as pale as ghosts.


    Meanwhile, in Nova City, within the Star Pce, President Bai with the rest of the members of the United World League sat around a table, their faces holding deep gravity.


    The only thing that could be felt and heard in that room was a heavy silence, whichsted for several minutes before President Bai lowered his hands and stated with a cold tone, "Who has the highest Rank?"


    A young man standing beside President Bai flinched scarcely when he felt all the eyes falling on him before he raised the device in his hand and began to speak;


    "ording to the database, we have 4 individuals who had already reached Rank 8, each with unique abilities, Sir."


    President Bai nodded and with a heavy tone he ordered, "Bring them all here, now!"


    "Y-Yes, Sir! Right away!" the young man saluted and without any hesitancy dashed out of the room, not daring nor wishing to stay there even for a second longer.

 Chapter 82 The Weight Of The World

    Once the young man walked out hurriedly, closing the door behind his back, everyone within the room shifted their gaze at President Bai with almost identical faces.


    It was needless to say, they were in deep shit right now.


    "Sir... if I may..." after a lengthy silence, a man having a long beard pushed hisrge circr sses up scarcely shaking, and raised a hand.


    President Bai, just like the rest in the room, slowly directed their attention at the man and gestured at him to talk.


    "I... I don''t wish to worsen our current situation even more, but what if those four candidates are not the strongest?"


    The question that the man asked was indeed correct. After all, while there were millions of people''s data recorded already in their system, there were still many who decided not to share their information.


    Furthermore, as people who had been recorded in the system had to refresh their data every week, there was also the possibility of others secretly getting a huge leap in strength.


    It was not impossible to assume that there were others out there with either simr strengths to the 4 candidates or stronger powers and Traits than them!


    When this seed of thought reached the minds of everyone within the room, in a sh, almost all of them thought about a single individual.


    "That masked man... What do we know about him?" with a grave and dark face President Bai looked at a man on the other side of the table.


    He was none other than Goran Vernize, current chairman of the Star Treasury, and also the one who ordered his men, including Alexios to find the mysterious man that fought against the ck statue during the Special Event.


    With a grim expression and clenched teeth, Goran lowered his gaze and shook his head.


    "I apologize, Sir, we have yet to find him."


    "How is that even possible? Couldn''t you track him back through the address he had given you when you shipped that Avatar sk?" a young woman beside Goran frowned dubiously, earning intense stares from the rest.


    "Lady Dana is right. It is just impossible for you not to find that individual, even so, if he has registered anonymously." a fat man nodded with anger and doubt stered on his chubby face.


    However, despite getting intense stares akin to sharp des, Goran still sighed and shook his head helplessly.


    "We did, in fact, we have already found out that the sk was shipped to the headquarters of the ck Moon Guild, and was a young individual that took it away."


    "Huh? Then how could you not find him?" the fat man inquired again which made everyone in the room nod and frown deeply.


    Goran looked at everyone one by one before he closed his eyes and said, "The young woman who handed the package over to him can''t seem to remember his face as she didn''t pay any attention at that moment."


    "That is the biggest bullshit I have ever heard!" not caring the stare he got from President Bai, the fat man mmed his fist onto the table and continued, "There must be at least a small detail she could remember! But even if there is none, what about the video recording within the facility? They must have recorded the individual''s face, right?"


    However, Goran shook his head once again, "Although it will sound ridiculous, for some unknown reasons, during that exact moment the young man received the package all the cameras were malfunctioning."


    "How the hell is that even possible?" everyone felt dumbstruck, including President Bai himself.


    Everyone knew that technology in the current era was so advanced that devices were not going to malfunction for no reason. Thus, if one says they do, the reason is either it got hacked or got destroyed.


    "Whoever that masked man is, it is pretty much obvious he doesn''t wish us to know who he is."


    After that, silence descended on the room whichsted for several minutes before President Bai finally decided to talk;


    "We have no other choice but to use ''that'' to find him. Also, find out if there are people unregistered on or even above Rank 8. If there are, bring them here at all cost!"


    "Understood!"


    With those words, everyone stood up from their seats and hurried out of the room, some already holding phones, either texting people or calling.


    As for President Bai, once the door was closed and was left alone, his previously grave and dark expression became weak and exhausted, looking almost as if he had just gotten a decade older just in a single second!


    Then, after remaining in his seat for a long while, he sighed deeply and looked outside the window beside him.


    "...A single soul deciding the fate of billions of lives. It is truly a question of heaven or hell, whether to live or die huh?"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside Old Dan''s mansion, in the living room, Raveny on the soft and long couch with closed eyes, his body as motionless as a doll.


    Time ticked by seconds and after an unknown amount of time the. The eyelids of Raven finally fluttered, indicating he was about to take up.


    "Raven!" sitting right beside Raven, Luna quickly jumped onto her feet and looked at her brother with worry.


    Next to her, Old Dan, Thomas, and even Kayn stood, all three of them looking at Raven with eyes full of nervousness.


    With a pained groan and a deep scowl on his face, Raven pushed himself up and slowly opened his eyes, looking at everyone with a hint of puzzlement.<sub> </sub>


    From his eyes, it was obvious at the moment he fell rather dizzy and was confused about what happened to him and where he was at the moment.


    "Young Master, how are you feeling?" taking a step closer while extending a cup of water forward, Thomas asked with a soothing voice.


    ncing at the cup of water, Raven hesitated for a second before he epted and drank it. It seems the way he instantly gulped down therge cup of water has pretty thirsty.


    But soon enough, perhaps because of the refreshing feeling of the water, memories of what happened quickly emerged within Raven''s head, freezing his whole body and causing his face to go pale.


    All of a sudden, he felt sick and wished to throw up, but for some weird reason, he couldn''t.


    "Raven? Are you ok-" Old Dan was ready to give him a hand to support his body as he seemed to sway, but Raven quickly raised his palm and showed he was okay.


    Of course, he needed about 5 minutes to be fine, which in truth only meant he didn''t have to throw up. As for his feeling of sickness, cold body, pale face, and scarcely trembling body, all those things still assaulted his whole being mercilessly.


    ''Come one... It is not you at all! Just take a deep breath and calm down!'' thinking to himself inwardly, Raven closed his eyes and began to force himself to calm down.


    Thest thing he wished right now was to get sick or faint again.


    Taking in and out of deep breaths, it seemed Raven''s condition began to undergo visible changes as his trembling finally stopped while his pale face was slowly regaining its natural colors.


    "How long have I been unconscious?" once calm again, Raven opened his eyes and looked at the four standing in front of him.


    Seeing that Raven was fine, everyone sighed with relief before Kayn on the side answered with his usually indifferent voice, "Just about 45 minutes."


    "45 minutes..." Raven mumbled quietly, "Then that means I have only 23 hours to prepare."


    "Prepare? For what?" both Thomas, Kayn, and Old Dan looked confused while Luna beside him had a stiff expression, her slim and delicate fingers tightened into firm fists.


    Raven seeing her little sister like this sighed and shook his head helplessly before he waved his hand and immediately summoned his Avatar Status.


    ------------------


    [Avatar Status]


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: 9


    ? True Rank: 6


    ? Avatar Title/s: The Blessed Prodigy (Active), Death Defier (Dormant), Chaotic Survivor (Inactive), Beast yer (Inactive)


    ? Avatar ss: None


    ? Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost (1st Layer)


    ? True Artifacts: Dice of Fate


    ? Fragmented Artifacts: Monarch''s Crown


    ? Rune Marks: Death Runner (+3), True Heir''s Resolve (+4)


    ~~~


    ¡ã  Vitality: 65 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 60 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 70 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 90 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 81 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 60 [20]


    ------------------


    The moment the floating panel appeared, everyone except Luna froze and soon theirplexion paled, the harsh realization dawning on their faces in a sh.


    As for Raven, he just sighed and shook his head before he showed a wry smile, "Now you understand what I have meant, right? I don''t really have a choice."


    The living room fell into a heavy silence, no one talking, deep in thought. Raven, on the other hand, justughed bitterly in his heart, cackling at both his cursed luck and fate.


    Now he really understood what it meant to carry the weight of the world...

 Chapter 83 Luck

    The silence inside the mansion was heavier than words could ever describe it.


    No one talked. In fact, Old Dan was in so much shock that he had to sit down while Kayn and Thomas just stared at the empty air. And from their pale faces, even a fool would know there wasplete chaos both inside their minds and hearts for obvious reasons.


    The one looking the worst of all of them was, surprisingly, Luna. Her expression was stiff, her fingers clenched into tight fists, and her eyes mixed in both helplessness, anger, and deep worry. She was even hitting on her lower lip, seemingly trying to think of ways to help Raven.


    However, there was just simply nothing she could think about. Not because she couldn''t think any, but because her hands were tied, rendering her both hopeless and powerless!


    Seeing her like this made Raven''s heart clench before he sighed and stood up, immediately attracting everyone''s attention.


    "We have to go to the Realm Association."


    "Huh? Why?" Luna raised a brow, but the other three immediately seemed to understand Raven''s thought.


    "You wish to ask them to hand you all the Avatar sks?" Thomas asked, his face heavy and grim.


    Raven, ncing at his father''s butler nodded softly and exined, "That is the only chance we have if we wish to seed. Furthermore, I bet these Rotrids or whatever they are called, they will do the same."


    After all, no matter how much. one wished to deny it, it was an absolute fact that in 24 hours the fate of every soul living on Earth will be on the line!


    "But maybe... But maybe they won''t even choose to nurture you at all!" Luna suddenly stated with little hope shing in her beautiful eyes, which, unfortunately, were immidieatly shattered by Raven.


    "Lulu, do you really think there is anyone else on this with as high Avatar Traits as me? Let alone my Title, which directly grants me 20 points for each of my Traits, but all of my Avatar Traits are above 60!"


    "There is just no one who canpete with me when ites to pure overall strength, this is a fact."


    On the side, Old Dan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "Although I don''t wish to admit this, he is right. Not only is he at Rank 9, which is a whole Rank above the currently known strongest human on our, but all of his Traits had reached 60 points or above."


    Kayn on the side nodded heavily and sighed, "The right thing to do should be to nurture you with as many Avatar sks and Relics as we can and hope for the best."


    Upon hearing this, Luna clenched her teeth and with teary eyes, she jumped onto her feet and ran away.


    "Just let her." Old Dan shook his head when he saw Raven was about to go after her, "We should not waste any more time. I will call Bai right this instant."


    "Wait! Don''t."


    Just as Old Dan was ready to press call on his phone, his fingers froze and he nced at Raven, one of his brows raised upward.


    "Why?" Kayn and Thomas were confused also.


    "Just give me a minute." Raven raised his index finger and ran away, only toe back now in apletely new set of suits.


    He was wearing the same suit he wore during the Special Event, which although damaged because of the fight still looked cool.


    Of course, Old Dan and the rest have already figured out it was Raven during that time, however, this time their confusion was because of something else.


    "Why do you wish to keep your identity still hidden?" Thomas was the first one who decided to ask his doubt.


    "It is because I wish to avoid unnecessary problems," Raven replied before he proceeded on exining, "First of all, I don''t wish to bring suspicion onto the ck Moon Guild once they see my insanely high Avatar Trait."


    "Secondly, if I happen to fail this challenge, both our guild and family will be in immense danger and that is the least I wish when everything goes from bad to worse."


    "Lastly, if I somehow still end up emerging as the victor, the rewards of this challenge will definitely be immense in both amount and quality. You all know what greed can do to people, so that is a reason why it should be better to keep my identity hidden than let the world know."


    When he finished talking, Kayn on the side nodded, "I have to agree with the brat. No matter what the oue will happen from now on, it is better to keep his identity unknown, for both his and all of our safety."


    "Also, I am pretty sure if I show them my Avatar Status, they will immidieatly start asking how I did it which if not from me, they will find the answer from someone else." Raven quickly added.


    "And if that happens, it is possible that when everything is over both the Realm Association and the United World League will take everything away from us, or at least force us to do so."


    Thomas and Old Dan looked at each other when they heard thest part from Raven and seemed to agree with that statement.


    It was because the Realm Association didn''t know they could duplicate and enhance their resources, which if happened to get to them would definitely bring huge trouble.


    Naturally, this is the reason why Thomas gathered only loyal and trusted people during the time when he asked Raven to use his Relic on the guild''s resources.


    He was confident and also made sure they were not talking.


    "Okay, and how do you wish to go to Nova City? I hope you don''t wish us to take you there, right?" Kayn asked with a frown.


    Hearing Kayn''s question, Raven wished to say something when suddenly Thomas spoke;


    "While the Young Master was unconscious, I heard from Darwin they are searching for the masked individual. It turns out he ordered an Avatar sk here."


    Old Dan raised a brow and nced at Raven, hoping to get answers.<sub> </sub>


    Raven just smiled warily and said, "I indeed did."


    "Then you must have been recorded by the security cameras. Wait... Then howe they don''t know it is you?" Kayn asked with furrowed brows.


    "I have already checked it, it seems the security cameras were malfunctioning at that time," Thomas exined.


    Once again, Old Dan looked puzzled but soon enough just sighed helplessly and said, "Then let''s call the Realm Association and tell them he i-"


    "No, that would bring suspicion also." Raven quickly shook his head and with a smile said, "I have a better idea."


    Kayn, Thomas, and Old Dan raised a brow, looking at each other in confusion.


    -


    -


    -


    Sitting inside the headquarters of the Star Treasury, a young woman with an exhausted expression stared at her screen when suddenly something popped up on it.


    "Now what is th-" the woman began to read the message, however, when she saw the one sending it her expression froze before she quickly grabbed the device beside her and dialed a number.


    Alexios, meanwhile, sitting in his room while hitting his fingernail picked up his phone, and with a somewhat annoyed voice asked, "What?"


    "Sir, it''s him."


    Freezing momentarily, Alexios stared into empty air when suddenly he leaped onto his feet and asked, "Where? Where is he?"


    "I-I don''t know, Sir. He just wishes to buy another Unique Item. Just likest time, it is also an Avatar sk, increase-"


    "I don''t care about the item!" Alexios shouted and quickly asked, "Just tell me where he wishes the item to be shipped!"


    "I-It is also the same address as previously, Sir."


    When Alexios heard this, a wide smile appeared on his face before he turned serious and collected.


    "Don''t reply to him just yet. I will get in touch with you soon. Understood?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    After that, Alexios quickly dialed another number which after a few rings got connected to the other side.


    "Sir, it is me Alexios. I have found him."


    -


    -


    -


    Walking on a beautiful silver pavement, a young man wearing a scarcely damaged white suit with a golden polygon mask approached the ck Moon Guild, quickly drawing everyone''s attention.


    "C-Can you see him? Isn''t he the one-"


    "I think so, yeah... But what is he doing here?"


    "He seems to head over to the ck Moon Guild... Maybe he will join us?"


    "You really think so?"


    While recruits and people were whispering among each other, the young man followed the pavement with slow but steady steps, and soon he was right in front of the entrance of the ck Moon Guild.


    However, just as he could have taken a step forward, suddenly several individuals wearing ck suits appeared around and in front of him, blocking his path.


    "I apologize Sir, but you have toe with us."


    Turning around, the young man nced at the man just speaking and with a low and somewhat annoyed tone of voice asked, "And who are you?"


    The man seemed surprised before he bowed politely, "I apologize again, I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Goran Vernize, the chairman of the Star Treasury. It is a pleasure to meet you... Umm..."


    "Just call me Luck." the young man talked, his hand extended forward for a handshake, which, although a bit shocked, was epted by Goran with a wide grin.

 Chapter 84 Unable To Grow Stronger! (1)

    The young man in the white dress and with the golden polygon mask, was, without any need to say it, Raven or also known as Luck as he just called himself.


    Goran, just like everyone else, raised a brow when he heard Raven''s deep voice and the way he addressed himself, but quickly snapped out of his surprise and showed a friendly smile.


    "I see, so it is Sir Luck."


    "Just Luck. It feels weird if they call me Sir." Raven started indifferently, quickly earning a nod from Goran.


    "As you wish. Then, Luck, please follow me." Goran gestured toward a rather luxurious vehicle in the distance and was ready to walk toward there, but shockingly, his steps were halted when he saw that the young man didn''t move.


    "Is there perhaps a problem?" with a frown filled with puzzlement, Goran looked at Raven.


    Standing still, Raven crossed his arms before his chest and nodded.


    "There is." Raven spoke coldly before he said, "What is the reason I have to go with you? If I remember it correctly, I have not offended the Star Treasury much less its chairman, so I don''t seem to understand why I''m being taken away."


    Of course, the reason Raven acted offended and asked such questions was to avoid the slightest suspicion that his goal from the start was to be taken away.


    Like this, he could pretend he was indeed just a mysterious guy with no connections whatsoever with the ck Moon Guild, or with the Wright Family and Old Dan no less.


    Goran seemed to be at a loss for words for a few seconds and wished to say something, when suddenly three figures approached them from the side with hurried steps.


    They were, naturally, Kayn, Thomas, and Old Dan.


    "Goran, my old friend! What brings you here to our humble ho-" Old Dan began to smile andugh with joy, only for his words to be stuck the next moment his eyes, filled with surprise, fell on Raven''s figure.


    This, of course, was also just an act.


    "Dan? Do you perhaps know each other?" Goran, seeing Old Dan''s surprising re frowned, but just as he could have suspected something Raven''s father quicklyughed.


    "Know him? Haha! Just which fool would not know him, huh? He is the one who killed that bastard within the Blue Gate that no one was capable of even touching! Of course, I know him! Everyone knows him!"


    Goran raised a brow and shook his head, "No, what I have meant, do you know him personally?"


    "Huh? Why would I?" the head of the ck Moon Guild frowned before a confident smile appeared on his face and said, "Though, now that he is here, I bet I will have the chance! Hell, perhaps I will even have the chance to bring him into my guild! Haha! Just how great would that be?"


    Saying that Old Dan wished to take a step forward to shake hands with Raven, s Luck, and start a conversation, but just as he could have he was stopped by one of Goran''s bodyguards.


    This, naturally, quickly earned a puzzled and even a somewhat annoyed look from Old Dan.


    "I have to apologize, but we are in a hurry." Goran said before turning to face Raven and saying, "As for your previous question, while it is true that you have not offended us, considering our current situation considering the approaching disaster, we must bring anyone on or above Rank 8 to the Star Pce."


    Upon hearing this, a frown appeared on Raven''s mask which soon earned him to ask his doubts.


    "And how do you even know I have reached Rank 8?"


    "Everyone knows it. After all, it was stated during the Special Event." Goran quickly answered.


    ''It was stated?'' Raven''s frown deepened when suddenly the memory of Felix stating his strength was equal to a Rank 10 popped up in his mind.


    "Do you really believe the words of a brat without any evidence?" Raven asked, showing no signs he wished to move.


    "Why, was he lying perhaps?" Goran asked with a small smile, looking at Raven curiously and somewhat mysteriously.


    Raven felt weird when he saw Goran''s smile, but soon enough he sighed and dropped his hands.


    "No, he was not."


    "Then I hope you wille with us. And not just for your own sake, but for everyone''s."


    Raven nodded, and before walking toward the floating vehicle parking just 50 meters away, he turned to look at Old Dan and said, "Although only for a short duration, it was a pleasure to meet with you."


    Old Dan smiled bitterly, and with a nod watched as Raven with Goran and his bodyguards walked away, heading back to Nova City.<sub> </sub>


    -


    -


    -


    Before the Star Pce.


    Outside therge pce, thousands of people stood behind fences and rows of policemen, their eyes fixed on the moving vehicles that approached the Star Pce with great speed.


    Then, once they came to a halt, people one after another stepped out of them, the majority of them wearing ck suits and sunsses while the minority of them wore luxurious dresses, each varying in style and charm.


    However, none of them were as simple, yet at the same time eye-catching as a single individual''s... Raven''s.


    In the very instant as Raven put his feet outside of the vehicle, like moths attracted to light everyone glued their attention to him, their eyes wide and jaws dropped.


    The mysterious warrior, the one who killed the terrifying knight within the Blue Realm Gate, which shockingly vanished by now, right now stood before everyone, earning whispers from the people in a sh.


    "Show off..." looking at Raven with disdain, a bulky man wearing nothing but a seemingly luxurious crimson robe sneered coldly and walked inside the Star Pce, quickly followed by a few others.


    ''...Show off? Pretty bold words from someone who walks around in nothing but a bathrobe under fricking daylight!'' Raven sneered coldly in his heart and was ready to follow after him inside the Star Pce when suddenly someone stepped before him.


    It was a young woman, around the same age as Raven, but at the same time several times more beautiful than any female around his age!


    Hell, he could almost swear that she looked more beautiful than Luna, who in his eyes already looked as gorgeous as a goddess!


    The young woman in front of him had long, auburn hair that surprisingly toward the end almost approached the burning crimson color. Her small eyes below her sharp eyebrows were light amber while her cherry lips were burning red.


    As for her skin, well, it was needless to say the former one was wless without any imperfections while her body was exactly like an hourss; wide andrge both on the top and bottom while slim and small in the middle, just as it should be.


    Watching as his path was blocked by this beauty, who surprisingly wore a Chinese dress with both of her long and slim legs visible to all eyes, Raven kept hisposure and asked;


    "And you are...?"


    The young woman stared at Raven in silence for a long while before her lips curved upward into an insanely charming smile, and extended her delicate right hand forward.


    "My name is Min Chen, from the Immortal Guild. It is a pleasure to meet you... Umm..."


    "Luck. They call me Luck." trying to sound indifferent, Raven spoke calmly and epted the handshake.


    ''Immortal Guild, huh? If I am right, they are currently the 4th best guild with their wealth and power continuously growing.'' Raven thought to himself as he withdrew his hand.


    As for Min Chen, she smiled sweetly, and walking beside Raven she began to speak, "Say, Luck, have you joined any guild already? If not, if you want, you cane to our Immortal Guild, not for free of course."


    ''Straight to the point, huh?'' Raven thought inwardly before he shook his head, "As you have already guessed, I''m not part of any guild right now."


    Upon hearing his words, Min Chen''s eyes sparkled like small stars, but even before she could have said anything Raven interrupted her.


    "And I don''t wish to join any, or at least not now."


    "Oh... I see." Min Chen''s excitement quickly turned into sorrow and a hint of disappointment before her previous smile appeared again on her face and took out a small piece of paper from her pocket.


    "Well, in case you wish to join any in the future, please consider my guild. I am pretty sure you will not regret joining us if you do."


    ncing at the small piece of paper with the emblem of the Immortal Guild and contact information on it, Raven nodded and put it away.


    And just like that, the two of them walked inside the main hall of the Star Pce, where several figures seemed to be already waiting, either talking with each other with smiles or simply just standing on the side.


    People from all the top guilds were here, every one of them brimming with pride and arrogance that for some reason caused Raven to feel a hint of disdain.

 Chapter 85 Unable To Grow Stronger! (2)

    Although he had pride and great confidence, Raven never believed himself to be an arrogant person nor did he allow cockiness to grow over his head for more than a few seconds when it arose.


    In fact, because of his cursed luck, what he had learned throughout his life was that no matter what happens, he must never allow himself to get full of arrogance or karma will teach him a great lesson fairly soon.


    For instance, there was that time in the past when, through Lady Luck''s massive blessing, he won several grand just under a single night. He became so happy or could be said cocky, that he began to mock those who lost, only to be beaten up and get robbed the very second he left the building...


    Even right now, if Raven thought back about that moment, he felt both shame and anger for being so ridiculously stupid!


    Ever since then, he had been forced to learn to be always humble or at least control his behavior before others and never get ahead of himself, or else things could go south rather quickly.


    Though, looking at the way everyone stood and talked, it seemed they were not taught such a lesson as Raven, which made him feel sick. Luckily, he had a mask on his face, or else people would be surprised to see the way he looked at the moment.


    No, in truth, the reason why Raven felt so much disgust toward the people before him was because of their behavior.


    Like, for fuck''s sake!


    In less than a day, a single human''s rise or fall will decide whether humanity will experience either salvation or total annihtion!


    Of course, Raven could see some indication that the people within this hall felt nervous with a hint of fear, but in reality, they looked almost as if...


    They didn''t ept the truth... No, it was better to say they didn''t want to ept the truth!


    It was almost like they didn''t believe that a single fight can decide the fate of billions of lives, hence why they were acting so carefree.


    ''...Fucking clowns.''


    The disdain and fury within Raven''s heart became only more intense than before.


    Massive gates appearing out of nowhere, Artifacts, items, and other magical stuff granting supernatural powers, mysterious deities whose names spoken out loud could kill people alone, and beasts that so far had been only a part of myths and legends...


    After witnessing and even getting used to all these things, these fools really belived there was no supernatural force that could erase the entire humanity out of existence?


    How naive...


    After walking inside the hall, everyone stopped talking and shifted their gaze at the duo at the door.


    At first, Raven believed everyone was looking at Min Chen beside him, after all, she was like a goddess with a beauty that was enough to start wars between nations.


    <o>,m However, he soon had to realize he was wrong.</o>


    Not even a second after he entered the hall, shocked murmurs started to spread to every corner while eyes filled with awe, jealousy, wonder, and even greed got glued to his figure.


    For a second, Raven felt almost as if he was getting stripped before everyone.


    "Thanks to your little show during the Special Event, you have be like a star, so it is no wonder they are all shocked to see you here." Min Chen exined with a soft smile while Goran behind the two of them nodded.


    "I see..." Raven mumbled and after lingering at the entrance for a few seconds he walked to the side. Goran followed him there also, making him feel almost as if he all of a sudden earned a bodyguard.


    As for Min Chen, although seemingly reluctant, when she saw a few familiar faces among the crowd she sighed and decided to greet them.


    Naturally, Raven could still see her ncing in his direction, looking at him almost as if she feared he will vanish before she could have the chance to talk with him at least one more time.


    Time passed slowly, people with seemingly high ranks and prestige walked inside the hall one after another, from which Raven was able to recognize Lucas and Darwin.


    He even saw his father, Old Dan together with Kayn, Thomas, and even Luna enter the hall, thetter not so surprisingly spotting him in less than two seconds. However, as they had to act as if they didn''t know each other neither of them approached him.


    This, of course, earned a soft sigh from Raven, which unfortunately didn''t go unnoticed.


    "That sigh... I know it way too well. You are sad and worried."


    "Huh?" turning his head to the side, Raven watched as the crimson-haired beauty at some point in time arrived beside him without his notice, her delicate hands holding a small te with a piece of white cake on it.<sub> </sub>


    Looking at the beauty for a few seconds with aplicated look, Raven shook his head and turned his attention back to the crowd, only to see his little sister staring at Min Chen with an intense stare for some reason.


    "Sad? Not really. I would say disappointed instead. As for worried? Perhaps that is true. After all, who would not feel worry at the moment? Only fools."


    "Disappointed? Why?" slicing a small piece off of the cake from his ce and putting it into her mouth delicately, Min Chen looked at Raven curiously.


    Raven looked at the young goddess beside him once again, and after pondering for a while he just shook his head helplessly, "You would not understand it."


    "Really? Well, try me then." Min Chen smiled as she put another slice of cake into her mouth.


    Raven looked at the beauty beside him for a few seconds and wished to exin it, when suddenly the doors through where they came in closed, and a figure at the other side of the hall appeared.


    That figure, was none other than President Bai.


    "Wee everyone, it is good to see that all of you are safe and sound." President Bai smiled, which looked a bit exhausted before his face turned grave and said, "Although I wish nothing more than to start a toast and talk with each of you, knowing everything you all have gone through in the past few weeks, as we are short in time I will not waste any time."


    After saying those words, a maid from beside President Bai took a step forward and taking out a piece of paper she began to talk;


    "Please, those of you who hear their name step forth. Canwin Lowarm, Roven Dustorb, Min Chen, Cassie Goldstone, Felix Vaincor, and Luck."


    ''Felix?'' surprised, Raven began to look around, trying to find someone among the crowd.


    And soon enough, there he was, the pale young man he was so familiar with, Felix.


    ''So it seems he also reached Rank 8, huh?'' Raven thought in his heart as he walked forward, quickly reaching the front of the crowd with the rest whose names had been mentioned.


    Canwin Lowarm, the strongest member and also founder of the Ascended Gods Guild, is also known as the Bright God because of his unique Artifact.


    He had a small but strong frame with short blond hair, blue eyes, and almost snow white and smooth skin that even women would get jealous over. He was the typical yboy, one who could get any woman drooling just by showing his smile.


    Rovan Dustorb, on the other hand, was almost theplete opposite of him. He had a big, bulky frame, ck tattoos running visibly everywhere on his chest, shoulders, and even at the side of his bald head!


    Furthermore, to make his appearance even more bizarre, he was wearing nothing but a luxurious bathrobe.


    Yes, he was the guy who sneered at Raven the moment he stepped out of the vehicle.


    However, even that bastard''s appearance paled inparison when Raven''s eyes fell on the figure of Cassie Goldstone, a woman who seemed to be in her early thirties.


    ''Holy crap!''


    Raven''s eyes almost fell out of their sockets when he saw the woman because she was almost naked!


    Yes! Almost naked!


    The woman in front of him wore a single ck, sheer dress, allowing everyone to see her almostpletely naked body below! The only parts that were covered with beautiful jewelry, of course, were the intimate parts, so she wasn''tpletely naked.


    Unfortunately...


    After all, while being in her early thirties, she was like a bombshell, immediately attracting all eyes to her seductive body let it be from males or females.


    ''...She is really something else.'' Raven swallowed nervously, trying to not feast his eyes on Cassie''s body, with which he surprisingly seeded when suddenly a cold shiver ran down his spine, making him feel almost as if someone stared at him with dagger-like eyes.


    "Good. It seems everyone is here." the maid stated to which President Bai nodded, and without further hesitation gestured at the six to follow him before walking away.


    As for the rest of the people within the hall, they were asked to wait patiently and enjoy the food and drink.


    Which, just as Raven has guessed it, they did, with the same carefree attitude as before...

 Chapter 86 Unable To Grow Stronger! (3)

    Once the six, including Raven, were brought away by President Bai and several other members of the United World League, several people within the hall were approached by people from the Realm Association.


    Those who were approached were either the heads of those powerful guilds at the top or individuals with so far great achievements and umted wealth.


    Thus, it was not so shocking to see that Old Dan was talking with a member of the Realm Association, his face holding a mix of gravity and indifference.


    "You wish to see a record about all the items we have so far collected from Realms, including their names and effects?" Old Dan asked, hiding his nervousness behind a calm facade.


    "Yes, Sir, if you could." the young man with the Realm Association uniform on nodded politely before continuing, "Normally we would not ask anyone to do something like this, but considering our current situation this is a must."


    ''Just as I have thought. They will really use all means, including the resources of all guilds'' to nurture a single human.'' Old Dan thought to himself before he nodded and said, "Sure, I will hand in all of our data to the Realm Association in half an hour."


    "Thank you very much. We will make sure topensate the ck Moon Guild if all this had finallye to an end." the young man bowed politely, hurriedly walking toward the next person closest to him.


    As for Old Dan, he just sighed helplessly and shook his head, ''If you will even have the chance to do so.''


    With that thought, Old Dan walked before Thomas and with a lowered voice he said, "Go and collect all the ''important'' data we have all of our items from the warehouse."


    Upon hearing what his master told him, especially with the ''important'' part, Thomas immediately understood what he had to do hence after a nod excused himself and walked away.


    "How is she doing?" once Thomas was seen leaving the hall, Old Dan turned at Kayn who seemed to keep an eye on the silver-haired beauty like a guard.


    "Just like the way here. Showing she is fine on the surface but even a fool can see she is troubled." Kayn replied nonchntly.


    Then, after thinking for a few seconds Kayn sighed deeply and turned to face Old Dan, "Look, I don''t want to say this, but if she stays like this and something unexpected happens, she likely will-"


    "I know, you don''t have to say that to me." Old Dan shook his hand around, knowing way too well just what kind of fate waited for those in a chaotic world whose minds were filled with nothing but turmoil.


    "I will go and talk with her." Old Dan stated and without any further hesitation approached his daughter who seemed to gaze in the direction where Raven had just walked away.


    Kayn nodded, and after looking at Luna''s figure beside the table on the side he turned around and walked away too.


    It seemed just like Thomas, he had a few things to do before hell descended onto Earth.


    Meanwhile, inside a separate room, President Bai with the other members of the United World League and a few others from the Realm Association sat on sofas while before them stood six individuals; four males and two females, each with outstanding strength.


    "It''s good to see you again... Luck." showing a wide grin, Felix gave a sideways nce at the masked young man beside him.


    Raven, shifting his head at Felix as he could not nce sideways just like the pale friend of his, nodded and said, "I see you have be stronger."


    Felixughed and shrugged, "Well, you see, I happened to hit the jackpot with one of the Realm Games after the Special Events."


    Then, his grin widened and turned into a mysterious one, and as he examined Raven up and down he stated, "Though, it seems it is not only me who has gained a little ''blessing''."<sub> </sub>


    ''So I was right. He really can inspect one''s Avatar Traits, just like Kayn. But he is doing it differently... How?'' Raven narrowed his eyes, just a second before the young maid who named them stepped forth from beside President Bai and with a tablet in hand began to speak.


    "Hello, it is a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Rose and I will be the one evaluating all of you. I will record all of your information, including names, Avatar Traits, Artifacts, Relics, Rune Mark-"


    "I think all of that is needless to do." suddenly Raven interrupted the young maid, instantly attracting everyone''s attention within the room.


    The young maid showed a frown and lowering the device in her hand slightly she inquired, "And why is that, if I may ask?"


    Raven wished tough but decided not to and said nonchntly, "There are two reasons, in fact."


    Then, ignoring the frowns from almost everyone, he continued;


    "First of all, it is pointless to share our strength with each other, as we all know who is the strongest among all of us."


    "Oh? You are pretty confident in your strength shorty." Roven suddenly took a step forward and with a cold sneer stared down at Raven from above.


    ''Shorty my ass... Next to you, everyone is a frickin'' shorty.'' Raven frowned before heughed coldly, "Confident? Yeah, I am more than confident. After all, I have already reached Rank 9!"


    And to prove a point, Raven showed only his Avatar Traits, instantly dumbfounding everyone in the room.


    "I-Impossible! How did you push all of your Traits above 60 points?! Shouldn''t that mean you must have..." Min Chen asked with a startled expression to which everyone looked at Raven with doubt, some of the members of the Realm Association even with anger.


    Naturally, Raven understood what they were thinking as he heard rumors about how people could gain Trait points if they kill other humans, but he had not done anything like that.


    "You can be at ease, I have not killed anyone to achive this kind of strength."


    "That''s just absurd!" one of the members beside President Bai stated, urging everyone to nod.


    "How did you do it?" Canwin asked, his eyes filled with deep curiosity instead of doubt.


    However, Raven didn''t wish to tell all of his secrets, thus he just shrugged, and with a casual shrug he imed a big fat lie, "Clearing numerous hidden Realm Gates and Domains,pleting Hidden Quests, and earning great rewards."


    Rose on the side narrowed her eyes before with her usual cold attitude asked, "And what about the second reason?


    "Oh about that?" Raven turned to face the young maid and with a smile hidden behind his mask, he said, "It is even more simple than the first reason. It is because it is not up to you who fights the approaching battle, so all this..."


    Opening his arms as he looked around, Raven expressed indifferently;


    "Is nothing but a huge waste of time. Both yours and especially mine."

 Chapter 87 Unable To Grow Stronger! (4-Last)

    After Raven finished talking now for real, the silence in the room was so great that if a small ss would have happened to fall and shatter it would have thundered like lightning!


    Of course, it was understandable. After all, while what Raven said was hard and a little bit offending, his words were true.


    Especially the second part. Like, what was this? An interrogation?


    Please state your name, birthce, date, talent, and passion...


    Fuck all that!


    All of these were nothing but a huge waste of time! What they should be doing right now was to bring all the Avatar sks to Raven and allow him to consume them, giving more chance to both him and humanity to survive the following sh!


    Of course, he understood that all of this ''interrogation'' was to see who possessed the greatest potential among all of them, such as their Artifacts powers or Rune Marks they possessed, but all of that was pointless.


    After all, with his Death Defier Title alone Raven was confident he could beat everyone in this room even if his Artifact happened to be a pile of shit!


    And just as he thought, Roven, the big bastard, stated the same thing he had been thinking with nothing but a mocking snort.


    "Brat, I hope you understand that with all of the Avatar sks in the world, we can easily surpass you in Rank."


    ''Guessed so...'' Raven sighed and after he crossed his arms he said, "While that is true, it would be a foolish attempt."


    "Why so?" Roven asked with a deep frown.


    "Well, let''s see..." pretending to be thinking, Raven nced at President Bai and asked, "How many Avatar sk did the Realm Association umte so far?"


    President Bai frowned also when he heard Raven''s question but soon nced at a man beside him who after checking the data on his device he said, "142."


    ''Just that much?'' Raven was surprised just as everyone else before he calmed down and said, "Well, let''s say those 142 sks give one an average of 5 points. That would be around 118 points for each Trait, which, if we give it to one of you, would be a huge waste."


    "It would be like crafting the best sword in the world that can cut through anything in the right hands, yet, instead of giving it to a master swordsman you give it a novice."


    "What the fuck are you bbering about?" Roven frowned to which Raven sighed and shook his head.


    "I see you are not a bright one so let me exin it again but this time in a way that even you can understand it."


    Raven cleared his throat and ignoring the dagger-like stare from the goliath he went on;


    "While you can indeed surpass me with all those sks, making you Rank 20 with your True Rank being 12 or perhaps 13, it would still pale inparison if you give all of that to me."


    "With the current 142 Avatar sks, I would be able to reach Rank 21 with each of my Traits surpassing 180 points, making my True Rank 18 or even possibly 19!"


    Also, what Raven didn''t mention was that he can literally double his Rank with his Collector''s glove, making all his Traits go beyond 350 points with one or two of the possible even reaching 400!


    That would make him Rank 40 with a True Rank of 35! That was just ridiculous!


    "I have to agree with Luck." suddenly, an old man with grey hair and beard beside President Bai raised a hand.


    Considering the uniform he was wearing, he seemed to be a part of the United World League.


    ''Finally, someone with a brain!'' Raven sighed with relief in his heart.


    "I have to agree also." an old woman also raised a hand. She seemed to be from the Realm Association.<sub> </sub>


    "Me too."


    "I vote for him."


    "Same."


    One by one, people began to agree with Raven, stating he was the best candidate to nurture and to trust the approaching sh.


    "Fucking bullshit!" Roven cursed out, but from the way he looked, he seemed to have... rxed?


    ''Well, considering the fate of billions will not weigh on his shoulders, it is understandable.'' Raven thought as he watched how the same attitude was shown on the faces of everyone else beside him.


    Meanwhile, President Bai stared at Luck in silence. This, naturally, earned the attention of everyone and soon enough everyone was looking at him.


    Once everyone became silent, President Bai looked at Raven with a grave expression and asked, "Your Artifact... How strong it is?"


    ''Well, it was kind of expected.'' Raven thought and without hesitation summoned an item into his hands.


    Of course, because he didn''t wish others to know what his real Artifact was, he decided to summon his Serpent Poison Dagger that no one really knew was just a Rare Item.


    "My Artifact is called Serpent Poison Dagger that can either kill, paralyzed, or weaken my enemies depending on their Constitution. That Effect can also be enhanced if I use my Mystique so another reason why I am the best choice."


    Everyone was left shocked. Roven even swallowed nervously while Cassie just looked at Luck with growing interest.


    As for President Bai, he started at the green dagger in Raven''s hand with a pondering look before he sighed and nodded.


    "Bring all the sk and other items. Now!"


    Upon hearing President Bai''s words Raven smiled and watched as the young maid bowed and walked out of the room, only to see several people walking inside, each holding small crates filled with Avatar sks.


    The sight of several tens of Avatar sks, naturally, made everyone in the room drool with greed, which quickly turned into sighs of helplessness the moment they watched Raven grabbing the first bottle, ready to drink it.


    However, before he opened the lid, he looked up and said, "Umm... I don''t want to say this, but you know..."


    Seeing him gesturing at his face, everyone seemed to understand what he wished to say which earned a heavy sigh from President Bai.


    "Everyone, please, leave the room for a while."


    Everyone looked surprised, but when they saw the sharp look from President Bai they had no other choice but to walk out.


    And just like that, only two individuals stayed in the room; President Bai and Raven.


    "Go on."


    Looking at President Bai for several seconds in silence, Raven turned around and took the mask off. Of course, before doing that he made sure to check if there were any cameras, but luckily there were none so he was free to go.


    Then, once his face was freed, he raised the bottle from his hand and poured its content down his throat, only to freeze motionless the very next second.


    [Warning! The effect of the Avatar sk had been erased!]


    [You have been temporarily prohibited to consume any Avatar sk!]

 Chapter 88 Last Dinner

    When the familiar magic panel popped up in Raven''s vision it was as if the world around him froze, including time itself.


    However, as if by magic, when the bottle in his hand got refilled, Raven was pped right back to reality.


    "Is there a problem?" President Bai, who saw neither the magic panels nor the magical sight of the Avatar sk getting refilled frowned and asked with doubt.


    Raven, who although at his senses but still perplexed, put his mask back onto his face and turned around slowly.


    "...I think, there is. And a huge one at that."


    ...


    Seconds after the unexpected change of events, everyone was back inside the room, puzzled to see that in the end, Raven had not consumed even a single bottle.


    Grabbing one of the bottles from the crate, President Bai walked before Canwin and handed it to him.


    "Drink it."


    Canwin, just like everyone else felt confused. Even so, when he saw President Bai''s urging and grave expression he nodded and drank it.


    However, just what happened with Raven, two panels popped up before his face while the empty bottle in his hand magically got refilled.


    "What?!" everyone''s eyes widened in awe while President Bai sighed.


    "I see..."


    "Let me try it!" grabbing the bottle from Canwin''s hand without caring the young man just drank from it, Roven poured its content down his throat.


    But not even a secondter the same fate waited for him, just like with Luck and the Bright God.


    "What about Artifact Crystals?" Cassie asked to which President Bai ordered his maid to bring a few which she did, but the moment Cassie tried to break it above her Artifact, which seemed to be an earring, she failed.


    [Warning! The effect of the Artifact Crystal cannot be used at the moment!]


    [You have been temporarily prohibited to use any Artifact Crystals!]


    "What is happening? What about Rune Marks or Rune Pills?" Min Chen quickly inquired, only to be shocked and speechless the moment she witnessed how nothing seemed to be working.


    Let it be any item that increased one''s strength seemed to fail to work. They were all temporarily prohibited from usage!


    ''Well, there goes n A...'' Ravenughed darkly, knowing he has no other choice but to fight this war with his current strength.


    ''...Which considering how many aces I have up in my sleeves, is not impossible to win.''


    Naturally, Raven was not a fool to believe that his enemy will be weak at all. After all, just like him, he or she... They will be the strongest ones out of their kind which means the possibility that they also possess numerous deadly weapons in their pockets was very high.


    ''Argh... My head starts to hurt again...'' holding his head Raven sighed softly, quickly attracting many stares.


    "...So what now?" after a lengthy silence, Roven shifted his gaze away from Raven''s figure at President Bai, looking for answers.


    "What now? Isn''t it obvious already?" lowering his hands, Ravenughed coldly and said, "You can all go home."


    And with those words, Raven turned around, ready to walk away.<sub> </sub>


    "And where do you think you are going?" one of the members of the Realm Association stood up with a pale face, causing two bodyguards to block Raven''s path.


    Frowning with a hint of irritation, Raven turned around and said, "I will go and rest before I practice a little. I think that is the best I can do right now."


    "That..."


    "Let him be." President Bai stopped the man from talking before he looked at Raven and asked, "If you have any questions or anything you want, please don''t hesitate to ask. The least we can do is to help you in whatever you need us for."


    ''Now that is what I like to hear.'' Raven thought with pleasant surprise before he said, "Well, now that you say it, I am rather hungry so I would like to eat."


    -


    -


    -


    Inside arge and luxurious restaurant, sitting before arge circr table filled with numerous delicious food, Raven stuffed meat after meat into his mouth while beside him President Bai watched him with utter disbelief.


    Of course, at the moment Raven still had his mask on, but it was a different one, one that allowed him to eat freely while it hid more than half of his face.


    He asked for it not long after he left the Star Pce, which he surprisingly got in less than 5 minutes!


    Now he truly understood just what kind of privilege did President Bai experience.


    ''Is he not nervous at all? How can he eat so much even at a time like this?'' President Bai was shocked.


    But truth to be told, Raven was anything but calm. In fact, he was insanely nervous, that is why he was eating like a glutton.


    It was his way of showing how anxious he really was at the moment.


    As Raven was eating, President Bai looked at him and after a small cough he asked, "How confident are you?"


    Upon hearing the question, Raven froze for a second before he proceeded on eating, however this time at a much slower pace.


    "I don''t know. If my enemy would have turned out to be a human I would say with confidence that 100%, but sadly, this is not the case."


    Then, cing down the food from his hands, Raven sighed and shook his head.


    "The one who I need to face is not even a human. We don''t know anything about these Rotrids, if they are stronger or smarter than us humans without Avatar Traits or magical items."


    "Furthermore, we don''t even know how strong my enemy will be, how many Relics and Items he will and can use, how many Rune Marks he possesses, and what kind of Artifact he has. And I have not even mentioned the Avatar Titles..."


    Reaching that point in his speech, Raven wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and nced at President Bai beside him.


    "So asking me something like whether I am confident or not is not the right question to ask. Instead, it is whether I am prepared to fight with my all and die or not."


    "...And are you?" President Bai asked, his voice heavy.


    Staring at the half-eaten meat on his te, Raven thought for a while before he nced at the man beside him and with a wry smile he asked, "Do I even have any other choice?"

 Chapter 89 Heaven Or Hell

    Inside a luxurious room, lying on arge bed with his mask still on, Raven sighed deeply and sat up.


    [Start of the Challenge: 00:15:43]


    Looking at the floating panel in his line of sight, Raven stayed silent for a few seconds before he pped his thighs with great force and jumped onto his feet.


    "It''s show time."


    -


    -


    -


    Escorted out of his hotel with President Bai himself and his guards, Raven was brought back inside the Star Pce where everyone he once saw half a day ago could be seen gathered.


    Members from both the United World League and the Realm Association, heads of each major and smaller guilds, the few individuals from top guilds, and people who enjoyed special privilegepared to the rest.


    Naturally, among the crowd, Raven was able to spot numerous familiar faces such as Felix, Canwin, Roven, Cassie, Min Chen, Old Dan, Kayn, Lucas, Darwin, and even Luna.


    However, not so surprisingly, different from about half a day ago, right now Raven could notice that everyone had a dark and grim face, some even so pale that they looked ghastly, almost on the verge of copsing!


    Luna looked the worst out of all of them, as despite her looking collected with an indifferent face, Raven knew her way too well and understood that was just a mask.


    Especially from the way the corner of her eyes were teary and the way the ss of wine in her hands shook because of her trembling fingers.


    Seeing her like this made Raven''s heart clench in pain, wishing he could run up to her and give her a big and caring hug.


    ''But I can''t...'' sighing inwardly, Raven shook his head softly while he recalled theirst conversation with each other before he allowed the Star Treasury to track him down.


    That was the only thing he could reassure himself with until all this hell won''te to an end.


    Walking beside President Bai, Raven stepped onto the small podium erected at the end of the hall and stood before everyone.


    Right now, he was standing before hundreds of people while cameras recorded his figure, broadcasting it worldwide live for every human to see it.


    [Start of the Challenge: 00:03:11]


    ''...Three minutes, huh?'' Raven thought inwardly, wondering what he should say.


    President Bai told him it would be the best he could reassure everyone, that everything will be fine.


    ''But how could I convince others if even I am not convinced about the future?'' Raven sneered silently, his decision on what to say set in mind.


    He won''t lie nor raise others'' hope.


    Silence filled the room which grew heavier and heavier with each passing second, but just as it was ready to turn unbearable, Raven cleared his throat and began to speak.


    "As you all may have realized already, our future is not bright. We all have been pushed to the edge of a bottomless abyss where if we happen to fall will never crawl out ever again."


    When Raven began to speak, the people began to whisper to each other, the atmosphere turning gloomy right at that instant.<sub> </sub>


    President Vai and many higher-ups frowned when they saw this as this was not what they expected to hear. They even decided to drag him away when suddenly Raven continued to talk.


    "However, just as our history left behind us has proven it numerous times already, no matter what obstacles have crossed our paths or dire situations we have fallen into, we have always found ways to adapt, survive, and rise to the top!"


    The moment Raven''s voice fell, it seemed the gloomy atmosphere inside the room seemed to shift, bing elevated with little hope and strong emotions.


    Seeing this, Raven smiled and resumed;


    "Yes, I also know this ispletely different from those times, after all now it''s up to a single individual to determine whether billions could keep living or die. I know."


    "I also know that there is nothing worse in the world than the feeling of being helpless and powerless. As for watching our fate be decided by someone else, believe me, that is the worst feeling ever."


    When Raven said those words, a distant memory he wished to never remember again resurfaced in his mind, only to be pushed back in the very next second.


    After a deep sigh, he continued;


    "However, as we have no other choice but to flow with the tide and ept all this, the harsh reality, there is only one thing I can say to all of you... No, ask instead..."


    "I want all of you to believe in me... Believe in me and have faith in my strength as just only then I can promise you that no matter what, even if it is thest thing I have to do, I will struggle with everything I have to save all of us!"


    [Start of the Challenge: 00:00:01]


    [Start of the Challenge: 00:00:00]


    [Initiating Challenge, Heaven or Hell, right away!]


    "And for that, you have my wo-"


    However, Raven couldn''t finish his sentence as suddenly silver light enveloped his body, instantly causing his body to vanish from sight.


    As for the rest of the people, among quiet sobs and shocked gasps, suddenly several panels popped up, each showing the same image.


    "What the hell is that thing?!"


    "Oh, please no!"


    "Behind you!"


    Everyone''s face paled the moment they saw how a massive creature, seemingly a huge centipede plunging itself at Raven from behind him, its opened maw full of razor-sharp teeth ready to bite his head off.


    "That''s it... He is dead..." many fell to their knees with tears flowing down their cheeks, only to be shocked the very next second.


    Just a second before the creature was ready to fall on its seemingly oblivious prey, Raven''s body shed, and in less than a second he appeared several meters behind the centipede with a green dagger in hand.


    As for the creature, like a puppet whose string had been just cut fell on the ground, twitching and shrieking in pain before its body stiffened, no longer moving or breathing.


    It was dead.

 Chapter 90 Beacon Of Light

    "And for that, you have my wo-" Raising his hand as he was ready to clench it into a fist, the sight around Raven changed and a panel popped up before his face.


    Whoosh!


    [Title: The Blessed Prodigy First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +10!]


    "-Rd... Fuck!" with a loud cuss, Raven summoned his Serpent Poison Dagger into his hand, and pushing his feet against the ground below his body he turned into a blur.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    With a loud st that was akin to a smaller detonation, Raven''s body appeared several meters in the distance while on the spot where he just stood a few moments a massive creature with a long and bloody gash on its skin shivered and shrieked in pain before it stiffened and froze.


    It was dead.


    Raven stood still and stared at the beast, when suddenly a weird, ck liquid came out of it and shot at him, taking him by surprise and melting into his body.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 6 Razer Maw Centipede!]


    [Your Dexterity has gained +2 points!]


    ''What!?''


    Raven''s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw what popped up before his face and quickly summoned his Avatar Status.


    ...


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 65 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 60 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 70 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 90 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 81 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 62 [20]


    ~~~


    ...


    ''...This must be a joke, right?'' Raven felt dumbstruck as he stared at his Dexterity Trait, feeling utter shock as he noticed it has indeed got increased by 2 points!


    Without him consuming an Avatar sk at that!


    And in fact, what he didn''t know was that the moment his Dexterity got increased, every human Dexterity got increased by 2 points also, shocking everyone.


    "My... My Dexterity... It increased!"


    "M-Mine also! It grew by 2 points!"


    "...But how is this even possible?!"


    Humans were confused which soon turned into joy, outgrowing their fear slowly but surely!


    "Haha! Look at them! They should see the faces they are making. It is just too wonderful!" sitting inside therge room with the floating orb above the circr table, Etiaughed, her short legs waving with glee.


    The other gods and goddesses around her alsoughed, enjoying the stupified and seemingly stupid expressions of the humans.


    "Well, at least they will experience a little happiness." Worus sneered with a mocking smile and said, "The only thing they can enjoy considering that this is the only good side of their challenge."


    "I am more curious how that human will fight that warrior once he faces her. She is a true beast with a very powerful Artifact." a beautiful goddess with a crystal-like body mumbled silently, earning numerous nods from others around her.


    Meanwhile, back in the unknown space,ing back to his senses, Raven raised his dagger a little higher and looked around.


    Because everything happened so fast while he was also attacked the very first second after he had been teleported, only now could he make himself look around.


    With raised guard and narrowed eyes that burned with caution, Raven nced around, and soon came to a surprising conclusion that he was inside an... old and abandoned building?


    The room where he was inside currently was old with almost rotten wooden walls surrounding him from every direction. The air was filled with dense dust and the smell of... rot? while from the ceiling, some sort of slimy substance seeped down onto the floor.


    In the gentle light that seeped through the small gaps from the wooden walls, it looked way more disgusting.


    ''It seems only this thing dwelled here...'' Raven sighed with relief and slowly, but with his guard still raised, walked toward the entrance.


    Then, once he was before the door, he grabbed the handle and opened it slowly, taking a nce outside.


    However, what he saw on the other side of the door was nothing he had ever expected to see.


    "What... the... Fu-" Raven mumbled with rm, earning several puzzled whispers from the humans back on Earth.


    Nevertheless, the moment he opened the door, those confused murmurs turned into startled gasps and quiet but disturbed yelps.


    Outside, a sight that was both rming and astonishing spread before everyone''s sight.


    In front of Raven, whaty in its full glory was a massive abandoned city with maze-like streets. The majority of the buildings were almostpletely demolished while those that still stood through some miracle were covered in that greenish substance together with spreading vines akin to the roots of trees!


    There was even arge skyscraper visible in the distance which was half swallowed by that sticky matter!<sub> </sub>


    As for its other side, just like buildings that were simrly not covered in that green slime, it was surrounded by thick roots that moved as if they had their own minds!


    However, these things were the least disturbing sight to behold.


    In the very far distance, even further behind the tall skyscraper, a gigantic beam of ck light pir soared toward the sky, only to melt into therge ck hole floating high up there!


    Just looking at the colossal size of that thing sent a cold shiver down Raven''s spine, making him wonder just how the he was standing on had not been swallowed yet.


    Wait...


    ck hole?


    Since when did ck holes have a characteristic of an orangish or yellowish edge?


    When Raven thought about this, his eyes immidieatly widened and as a not-so-distant memory shed in his head he mumbled;


    "Eclipse... That is not a ck hole. That is just the sun simply hidden behind the moon!"


    ''Eclipse... A beam of light... Breaking the seal...''


    Repeating the words the mysterious man told him in his vision, Raven looked at the sight in front of him with a mesmerizing gaze, only to be snapped out of it the very next second.


    Rustle!


    "!?"


    Turning his attention to the side from where the rustling sound came, Raven raised his dagger and watched with a stiff expression as a beast, about just as tall as him, walked out from the bushes, its crimson eyes staring at him with burning bloodlust.


    It was a weird hybrid, a mix between a wolf and a scorpion with the front of it representing the former while the back and its tail have the characteristics of thetter.


    Moreover, to make its appearance even more chilling, both its fur and shell were deep ck, like ink, while from the tip of its tail and mouth, that same green slime fell out and onto the grass below.


    It was like... It was infected by some sort of disease.


    ''Just what the hell is this ce?'' Raven felt more and more confused and was ready to attack, when suddenly the beast before him howled toward the sky.


    And a secondter...


    "Awoooo!"


    "Awoooo!"


    "Awoooo!"


    "What!?" frightened by the sudden change of events, Raven quickly stopped himself from moving and watched as another 4 beasts, simr appeared from the shadows, surrounding him from all directions.


    And this was just the beginning.


    Once he was surrounded with the only safety being the building behind his back, which if he decided to choose would mean he gets trapped inside, another figure appeared from the shadows.


    However, different from the other 5 around him, this one was muchrger, about twice as big as the rest, while its fur and shell instead of being ink ck was purplish-ck!


    Without any shadow of a doubt, that beast was the leader of the pack, the Alpha!


    "Grrrrrr!"


    With slow but firm steps, the Alpha approached Raven with a deep thirst for blood, its maw drooling with that greenish, and slimy substance akin to saliva.


    Anyone seeing such a sight in person would have definitely peed their pants and fainted on the spot, however, surprisingly Raven didn''t.


    No, in fact, he was not even trembling, and if one would be able to see his face through his mask, one would find out with utter disbelief that he was... Smiling!


    Yes! He was smiling like aplete idiot!


    As for the reason?


    [Title: The Blessed Prodigy had been reced by Title: Beast yer!]


    Whoosh!


    [Title: Beast yer First Effect had been triggered!]


    [Your Strength, Speed, and Vitality had increased by +10!]


    [Title: Beast yer Second Effect had been triggered!]


    [You are facing a total of six beasts! All of your Avatar Traits had increased by +18!]


    [Title: Beast yer Unique Effect had been triggered!]


    [You are facing an Alpha! All of your Avatar Traits had increased by +25!]


    A total of 53 points which was equivalent to 5 Ranks!


    Just like that, from Rank 9, Raven''s strength jumped leaps and bounds in a split second, quickly pushing all his Traits beyond 100 points and his Rank to 14!


    The sensation he was currently feeling was just simply too wonderful!


    It was almost as if every cell, bone, muscle, and vein in his body was filled with vigor and power almost to the brim, giving him a kind of sensation as if he all of a sudden became invincible!


    Of course, he knew it was just a feeling, a temporary illusion, so he didn''t let it get over his head.


    "Now this is what I am talking about!" Raven mumbled with a soft grin as he raised his weapon and stomped on the ground with so much power that it cracked in the process!

 Chapter 91 Clash Of Two Monsters

    Bam!


    With a loud st that thundered in arge area, definitely reaching the perimeters of the city at the feet of the mountain, Raven''s body flickered and appeared before the closest beast to him.


    "Die." with his serpent dagger already raised high above his head, Raven''s eyes shed coldly and without any hesitancy swung his arm downward.


    As for the poor trembling beast, which a few seconds ago was full of pride and bloodlust, didn''t even have time to react before its head was cleanly sliced off of its body.


    Paff!


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 7 Stinger Wolf!]


    [Your Strength has gained +1 point!]


    "One down, 5 more to go..." Raven mumbled while he also felt as if his body became a little weaker after killing the beast.


    It seemed because of the death of the Stinger Wolf, now instead of getting 18 points from his Title''s second effect he only got 15. Although that 3 points were not something of a huge difference because it has happened instantaneously it was something rather noticeable.


    "Two!"


    While Raven was standing before the beast''s corpse, the Alpha finally snapped out of its initial shock and quickly howled toward the sky, to which the rest reacted the same way before lunging themselves at Raven.


    However, unfortunately, in the face of someone whose Speed alone was twice as fast as that yours, none of the Rank 7 Stinger Wolves stood a chance before Raven.


    Also, let''s not mention that because of his continuous practice, Raven was way stronger than an average Rank 14.


    Poor bastards... Their fate had been sealed the very moment they decided to ambush Raven.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    With fast movement and a calm mind, Raven stepped from side to side and like the reaper severed the heads off of each beast, iming their lives in mere seconds!


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 7 Stinger Wolf!]


    [Your Strength has gained +1 point!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 7 Stinger Wolf!]


    [Your Speed has gained +1 point!]


    [Congrattions! You have in...]


    In just one minute, Raven sent 5 ferocious beasts, ones that could easily shred any average human from Earth apart in seconds to the afterlife, gaining 3 points to his Strength and 2 points to his Speed!


    Which, just like previously, happened with every human back on Earth also!


    "My... My Speed and Strength have increased!"


    "M-Mine also! But how is this even possible!?"


    "I-I don''t... know..."


    People were even more confused than ever, yet, at the same time, in their eyes, that small flickering of hope slowly but surely began to burn brighter, their faith in Raven growing stronger with each passing second.


    "Master Dan... Since when did the Young Master be... This strong?" leaning closer to Old Dan, Thomas stared at the floating panel in front of him with widened eyes, hardly believing that Raven was this strong.


    Of course, both he and Old Dan understood that Raven possessed great strength, after all, he was able to kill tworge snakes alone, but they would have never expected him to be this strong.


    It seemed they have focused so much of their attention to find great Talents for their Guilds that they havepletely neglected the possibility of the one closest to them being one!


    "We should have noticed it way sooner..." Old Dan sighed deeply, regretting that he didn''t notice it despite everything was as clear as day


    The time Raven gained his Avatar Imprint, the moment he gained ess to the Realm Shop, when he happened to buy his Collector''s Gloves from that mysterious god when he got his hands on the Backroom Keys, and his feats when he entered the Realm Games and Domains.


    Everything indicated he was a unique individual with feats that no one else have ever achieved before, yet, because he didn''t notice them... because he was ignorant this fate fell on his son.<sub> </sub>


    A fate that was so heavy that Old Dan knew clearly that it weighed on Raven like a mountain despite him not showing it.


    Meanwhile, inside therge hall where all the gods and goddesses are gathered, a God with a bestial body leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowed to a slit.


    "That human... How interesting."


    "You seem to have noticed something, Oragi. Why don''t you share it with us?" a beautiful goddess with skin covered in flowers smiled sweetly, quickly earning the attention of the rest of the hall.


    Oragi, who held the name of God of Beasts, leaned back into his chair and after crossing his arms he said, "It is nothing, really. It is just that human possesses a special title."


    "So he is sort of a nemesis to you, huh?" the beautiful goddess asked, her smile as sweet and charming as ever.


    Upon hearing the question, Oragi''s mouth turned into a wide grin, revealing his razor-sharp teeth, and let out boisterousughter.


    "You are really funny, woman! Hahaha!"


    ...


    Standing still with six corpses around him and with a dagger covered in green blood, Raven stared calmly at the city in the distance.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 8 Mutated Stinger Wolf!]


    [Your Speed has gained +1 point!]


    ''Even an Alpha grants a single point?'' staring down at the now headless corpse of the Alpha Stinger Wolf, Raven sighed with disappointment and shook his head.


    He at least hoped he could gain more than that, but well...


    The reality, as always, was disappointing. It was nothing new for him.


    After examining the bodies of the beasts, Raven concluded that it was better not to try and eat their flesh nor to touch that weird slimy substance. He had this weird instinct that if he does, he would die even without knowing what happened.


    Thus, after making sure no more beasts or abominations were trying to ambush him from the shadows, Raven shifted his gaze at the beam of light in the distance, and after a few seconds of pondering he began to walk toward it.


    Descending from the top of the small mountain he had been teleported onto, Raven quickly reached the perimeter of the city.


    Broken windows and walls, entirely demolished buildings now in the images of piles of debris, while the streets and constructions that were lucky enough to keep standing were covered in thick and long roots that if one looked at closely were moving!


    ''Jesus... What the hell is this smell?'' frowning the moment the putrid smell hit his face, Raven wished to grab his nose, but unfortunately, as he had a mask on his head he could only endure.


    Traversing through the streets while avoiding stepping onto the moving roots and the puddle of slimy substance, Raven walked with caution with his weapon ready to be used at any given second.


    And soon enough, after walking through the streets of the maze-like city, Raven finally crossed paths with his first enemy...


    It was a creature.


    However, different from the centipede or the scorpion wolves, this one looked way more... eerie... and huge...


    Currently, Raven was hiding behind the corner of an almost destroyed building, looking at the monstrosity from there.


    The monster was massive in size, like, why wouldn''t it? It was about 5 meters in height and at least three, but it can be four adult humans in width. It had a massive figure with a huge and fat stomach,rge and chubby arms, and a neckless head resting directly on its torso!


    Moreover, its skin was deep crimson with greenish saliva continuously falling out of its open jaw onto his huge belly, while the massive mace in its hands was dragged behind it as it slowly walked in the opposite direction from Raven.


    And to make things even worse, the huge pig was also wearing thick armor on its already massive frame, making it look like a living tank!


    ''That thing definitely weighs close to 500 kilos!'' Raven thought inwardly, swallowing a little nervously as he tried to figure out how to kill that bastard.


    At the moment, as he had already switched back to his Blessed Prodigy Title, his strength was equal to that of someone on Rank 12, perhaps 13. However, when he looked at the creature in front of him, Raven had a bad feeling if he were to fight with it, although he would be the one gaining victory, he would have to sacrifice a limb or at least a grave injury!


    Which, considering that he still had to fight with a being from another race, after all, that is the reason why he is here, he wished to avoid.


    ''What should I do then...?'' while pondering whether he should use his trump cards so soon despite he didn''t even meet the real threat yet, suddenly another shadow emerged from beside the monster, making Raven''s eyes widen.


    It was another creature, one with a simr appearance to the first one with the only difference that this one carried a huge hammer in its hand than a mace.


    ''Nah, I should search for another way...'' knowing way too well he had no chance to win against those two, at least not with his current strength and fighting experience, Raven was ready to leave when suddenly a loud explosion happened, filling the air with the sound of metal shing against metal.


    ''What!?''

 Chapter 92 First Encounter

    A powerful ripple swept through the streets, sending chinks of debris flying in all directions while the ground below and around the feet of the two behemoths cracked, threatening to turn into dust!


    ''What!?''


    Dumbfounded by the sudden change of events, Raven pushed his head out from behind the corner to get a better look, only to pull it back with all his speed, barely avoiding arge piece of stone crashing into his head!


    ''That... That was a close one...'' swallowing nervously as he watched how the piece of debris struck a metal pole in the distance, making it bend almost 90 degrees!


    After calming down and thanking his gods that he was still alive, Raven decided to take a peek at the two monsters from behind his cover, this time with more caution than before.


    And just as he did, he was able to witness another sh between the two abominations.


    BAM!


    Another tremor shook the streets as the massive hammer of the second fat avatar fell on the mace, this time also creating long cracks on both the armor and weapon of the first monster.


    "Ghrooar!!"


    With a thunderous roar as its armor and weapon were ready to submit to the tremendous force falling on it, the fat bastard with its mace shifted its body with a rather fast movement and spun around, its weapon targeting its enemy''s face from the side.


    Taken by surprise because not expecting such a thing, the creature with the hammer tried to raise its weapon back up and deflect the iing attack, but unfortunately, it was already toote.


    With a loud bang, as if smashing a watermelon into bits, the monster''s head exploded in a split second, brain matter and blood flying everywhere before painting the ground red!


    Bam!


    With a heavy sound, the now headless creature fell onto the ground lifelessly, sending a tiny tremor through the earth that shook the walls of the buildings on the side softly.


    ''It''s over...'' letting out a sigh of relief as he felt at ease for not needing to fight those two abominations, Raven grabbed his dagger tightly and narrowed his eyes.


    Although he was stunned by the short but same time fierce sh of those two colossal, he didn''t just watch around idly, enjoying the show presented in front of him with a wide open jaw. No, instead he made sure to evaluate the strength of the two while also discerning what their weakness and strength were.


    And while it was true that the fight onlysted for less than 30 seconds, Raven was able to learn a lot of things.


    First of all, he learned that while the bastard looked massive, it, in truth, possessed the Strength of a Rank 10, perhaps Rank 12 but not above that.


    As for its Speed, it was ridiculously low, somewhere between 30 and 50 points.


    Secondly, it turns out that while the armor granted it a great amount of protection, its body was fragile. Just a single strike from the other bastard with the hammer, its right hand got broken, hanging down beside its fat body limply.


    Raven guessed the bones inside it got broken the moment it defended against the hammer. Poor bastard...


    Lastly, which was the most important, the fatty despite having a fair amount of points in its Speed Trait, with its even lower amount of Constitution it could not move fast at all.


    Hell, it could only raise its hands and spin around fast, but as for running... Haha, that was out of the question.


    However, even with all these things together, Raven knew it didn''t mean the creature was weak. In fact, with its Rank 10 Strength alone it was enough to kill him with a single strike.


    And for that reason, he knew he should not underestimate that thing.


    ''Luckily, it had been injured. I can kill it no problem.'' Raven thought to himself and once the monstrosity turned its back to him he dashed forward.


    With his 90 points of Speed and the 30 points of passive points his Title, The Blessed Prodigy granted him, he almost instantly traveled the 100 meters of distance.


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve activated!]


    [5 Random Avatar Traits will be increased +50!]<sub> </sub>


    ''Oh... I havepletely forgotten about this one...'' feeling as all of his Traits except for his Mystique jumped 5 Ranks in an instant, a wide grin formed on Raven''s face, and decided to put his weapon away and clench his fingers into a tight fist instead.


    This, obviously, confused every human who witnessed it. However, not even a secondter they witnessed a sight they have never expected to see.


    The very moment Raven appeared behind the colossal thing, which seemed to have already noticed him as it was already turning around with swinging its mace backward, he pulled his hand back, ready to throw out a punch just the way he had practiced it for weeks!


    "Let''s see what 150 points of Strength and a little over 180points of Speed can really do," Raven mumbled and grinned with excitement, and without holding back at all threw out a punch.


    The fat bastard and all the humans only saw a white sh before the colossal titan exploded like an inted balloon, its inside sttering everywhere, even covering Raven''s snow-white suit in crimson red and pieces of shredded organs!


    ''My suit...'' Raven felt like crying as this is not how he expected things to turn out.


    Or to be more specific, this was exactly how he expected the creature to die, but he didn''t expect its insides to stter on him also.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 11 Flesh Eater!]


    [Your Vitality has gained +2 points!]


    ''Hmm... So it seems every creature grants me 1 point but when I have my Blessed Prodigy active I gain 2? Interesting.''


    Unfortunately, when he fought against those Stinger Wolves, he needed to use his Beast yer Title to finish the fight as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary crisis.


    ''Well... Whatever.'' Raven sighed with a casual shrug and directed his gaze at the pir of ck light in the distance before he began to walk toward it.


    On his way, he crossed paths with all kinds of abominations. There were creatures representing rats with rotten flesh and skins, centipedes as long as smaller trains, cockroaches the size of cars, mutated humanoid monsters wearing weapons and armors, and many more.


    All kinds of monstrosities walked the streets of the city, each looking more terrifying than the other one and possessing the strength to easily crush any humans if happened to get onto Earth!


    However, as Raven took his time to observe each of them, making sure not to rush into his demise identally, none of them posed a threat to him. In fact, each of them was between Rank 8 and Rank 12, and none of them were stronger than that.


    The only creature that gave him a little headache was a monster with an appearance of arge mantis, that not only was capable of flight but was also incredibly fast and had scythes as sharp as razors!


    Luckily, with the passive blessing of his Rune Mark and Title, alongside his weapon''s toxic effects, with smaller injuries and cuts on his chest and arms, he was able to gain victory.


    Of course, he could have avoided wounds and scars with ease if he would have used his Monarch''s Crown or the Restriction Halo, but as he didn''t wish to use his aces so soon he decided not to.


    After all, this way besides Trait points he can also gain experience and also hone his fighting skills so it was not for nothing.


    About four hours have passed since he started to cross the city, yet, even after such a long time Raven was nowhere near getting close to the beam of light.


    Hell, it looked as if he didn''t even walk a single meter! It was annoying as hell!


    Pulling his dagger out of a corpse that seemed to belong to a Mutated Dweller, which in fact was arge snake capable of spittingrge amounts of acid, Raven sighed and shook his head.


    ''I can''t go on like this.'' thinking to himself, Raven nced at the ck sun in the sky and sighed once again, ''While I don''t need food, as I have eaten a lot beforeing here, I need to find water. However...''


    However, as far as he could see it, there was not even a single area where he could extinguish his thirst as everything was seemingly infected by this green slimy substance.


    He even found a small fountain, but while it was filled with water it also had a greenish color so Raven decided it was better not to drink from it.


    While pondering from where he could find water, suddenly Raven caught the shadow of someone from the corner of his eye, quickly urging him to shift his position and raise his weapon.


    ''Monster!''


    Raven raised his guard in a sh and was ready to dash forward, when suddenly his body froze and his eyes widened.

 Chapter 93 Two Against One; An Unfair Fight (1)

    The moment Raven noticed that something, or rather someone, was approaching the location where he was, he quickly raised his guard. However, once his eyes fell on the nearing figure of the monster, Raven''s eyes widened and his body froze.


    That was not a monster, that was his enemy he must defeat to get out of this nightmare... The Rotrid!


    A tall and well-refined figure with a thin and long weapon in hand, seemingly a spear, and a long coat reaching the ankles of its wearer. These were the only things Raven could see for the time being as dust blocked his view, but from this alone, he was sure it was the Rotrid.


    What''s more, for the first time in his life, Raven felt truly scared just by looking at another individual. He didn''t feel like this when he was surrounded by those beasts or when he had to face those two colossal snakes...


    His hands, just as his legs and body, were trembling scarcely from fear! Which meant...


    ''Crap!'' cursing, Raven quickly moved and hid behind a pile of debris, using only his dagger''s polished de as a mirror to look at the Rotrid.


    And sure enough, as the dust settled, Raven was able to see the face of his fated enemy, causing him to suck in a mouthful of cold air.


    The Rotrid, while having a humanoid appearance, in reality, looked nothing akin to a human.


    First of all, her skin was deep red with shades of dark green like that of rotten flesh while purplish-blue veins could be seen snaking through every inch of her body, pulsating and threatening to explode whenever she took a step.


    Secondly, her hair which reached the middle of her back in contrast to humans were tentacles akin to squids. It had the same rotten flesh color as her skin.


    Lastly, which was also the most disturbing one, was her lower abdomen and the left area of her chest. There, where humans had their indispensable organs, such as guts and heart, was nothing but arge gaping hole, allowing one to gaze through it and see the other side!


    ''How is she even alive at this point!?'' Raven almost cried out, not believing that such a thing was even possible.


    A living being without a heart... What ridiculous shit was that!?


    ''No... Calm down. Remember, she is not a human but a Rotrid, one from a race you don''t know anything.'' Raven took a deep breath.


    ''Yeah, that is right. She has a heart, I just need to figure out where.'' Raven thought to himself, now with newer resolve and a smile.


    However, soon his smile froze and his eyes widened as every hair on his body stood up.


    "Fuck!"


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    With a loud explosion that sent debris and chunks of huge stone flying in all directions, a long silver spear crashed into the spot where Raven had been a second ago before soaring into the air and flying back into the hands of the Rotrid.


    ''How did she do that?'' squinting his eyes, Raven stared at the spear in the hands of the Rotrid, trying to figure out how it was capable of flight despite no strings attached to it.


    ''Her Artifact? An ability simr to telekinesis?'' Raven used his brain, but as everything happened just way too fast he had no time to figure it out... yet.


    "So you are the human I have to fight?" halting her steps and mming the end of her weapon into the ground, cracking the concrete below it deeply, the Rotrid stared at Raven with flickering disgust in her crimson eyes.


    ''Wait... I can understand what she says?'' Raven pondered dumbstruck, only to get the answer a secondter.


    [Language Barrier had been erased!]


    [Instantaneous trantion had been activated!]


    ''So that''s how...'' Raven sighed inwardly before he straightened his posture, his dagger tightly clenched in his hand.


    "Have youe asking questions or to fight?" Raven asked indifferently, but his slightly trembling hand sold how he truly felt, which, didn''t go unnoticed by the Rotrid.


    "Trying to act tough despite shivering like a dog..." the Rotrid sneered coldly and raised her weapon.


    "But as you wish. Let''s end this right now and here."


    With those words, the Rotrid grabbed his spear with both hands and...


    It vanished!?


    Raven''s eyes widened and could only raise his dagger, blocking the tip of the Rotrid''s spear from drilling a hole into his chest at the veryst second!


    "Urgh...!" with a loud groan as he felt pain sweep through his body, Raven felt as if his body was sent flying, crashing against one of the building''s walls in the distance.


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve activated!]


    [5 Random Avatar Traits will be increased +50!]


    [Title: The Blessed Prodigy First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +10!]


    ''Fuck! I feel as if a train had crashed into me!'' spitting out blood from his mouth while feeling his arm numb, Raven quickly jumped onto his feet and was ready to dash forward.


    However, just as he did his leg got stuck in a stone, forcing him to fall forward.<sub> </sub>


    Swish!


    Bam!


    ''What!?'' although angry because he had just fallen identally, looking like a retard, Raven was also shocked as he seeded in avoiding a fatal strike from his enemy.


    However, unknown to him, the ne hanging from his neck at this time glowed with a gentle silver light, indicating his survival was more than sheer luck.


    Whoosh!


    With the same magical trick, the spear that could have imed his life and now was pierced deeply into the wall above him, moved on its own ord, and flew back into the hands of the Rotrid.


    "Hmph... How unlucky..." the Rotrid sneered softly and raised her weapon, ready to throw it at the still lying Raven on the ground.


    ''Crap!'' cursing inwardly as all hair on his body stood straight, Raven pushed himself onto the side with all his Strength, just a second before the spot where he had been lying now was just a small pit!


    ''Chance!'' seeing that now dense wall of dust covered his figure, Raven jumped onto his feet and with all his Speed he dashed away.


    Right now, even with his Title and Rune Mark, he was several Ranks weaker than that Rotrid. He was also pretty sure that not even his Monarch Crown could help him against that monster, so what he had to do now was to retreat and think of a way he could win this battle.


    "Running away like a rat? How annoying..." spitting on the ground with disgust, the Rotrid extended her hand toward the spear and once it flew back into her hold she started to follow after Raven with calm and steady steps.


    It seemed after their first sh, she was in no hurry to kill Raven as she understoodpletely that the gap between the two of them was huge.


    In her mind, this fight has already ended with her being the one emerging on the top...


    Meanwhile, back on Earth, the atmosphere in every corner, let it be on the streets or inside buildings, was insanely grim and depressing.


    "That... That is who Luck has to kill?"


    "This is just unfair... Also, what is that spear in her possession? Is that her Artifact?"


    "We are doomed..."


    People began to mumble with pale faces and drop onto their knees with almost hollow eyes, slowly losing all hope that Luck could win against his enemy.


    After all, everyone had seen it with their own two eyes. He had stood no chance against that monstrosity! Both her strength and abilities were superior to him!


    Only a few remained standing straight with hope burning in their eyes and hearts, however, it was not even a minute before even they began to lose their faith in obtaining victory.


    As for the reason?


    -------------------


    [Opponent Data]


    ? Name: Khushcev Paloma


    ? Race: Rotrid


    ? Rank: 19


    ? True Rank: 9


    ? Artifact: Dual Core


    ? Current Title: The Blessed Prodigy


    ? Current Relic: Ghost Trident


    -------------------


    The moment Paloma''s figure appeared on the floating panel, information about her also popped up, causing even more humans to lose hope.


    "Rank 19... This is just ridiculous..."ughing with a wry smile, Lucas shook his head and looked at Paloma''s walking figure on the panel.


    "Not only that, but it seems that spear in her hands is not her Artifact at all..." Darwin said with a low voice and a scarcely dark face.


    "Fuck! Fuck all this!" not bearing any longer, some people smashed their sses onto the ground, and with fuming anger, which in truth was their helplessness and fear disguised as such, they stormed out of the hall.


    And just like that, those who lost all hope, even after witnessing how Raven killed several monsters with ease, all rushed out of the room with now only a few staying behind.


    "Things are not looking good for us..." sighing deeply, a young man beside President Bai grabbed his trembling hand and sighed.


    "That is true, but we must still believe. After all, these data mean nothing." President Bai stated gravely before shifting his gaze at the young man and adding, "And exactly for that reason, we must not allow chaos to rule over us, or at least not yet. So I hope you know what you have to do."


    Surprised at first before bing serious, the young man nodded and, although a little pale, straightened his posture and said, "Leave everything to me, Sir!"

 Chapter 94 Two Against One: An Unfair Fight (2)

    While President Bai made sure to keep everything in order on Earth and to avoid all hell to break loose, Raven ran through the streets of the abandoned city, killing all the monsters that tried to stop him.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 10 Steel Hound!]


    [Your Dexterity has gained +2 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 9 Crawler!]


    [Your Constitution has gained +2 points!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 11...]


    [Your Mystique has...]


    Quickly, not caring about the panels popping up in his line of sight or the corpses he left behind, Raven ran without slowing down, his eyes fixed on only one thing.


    The ck pir of light.


    Yes!


    Because understanding that at the moment he stood no chance against the Rotrid, not even with all the things he currently had, the only thing he could do was to reach the ck pir of light in the far distance.


    At least, if what his vision told him was the truth and he really had a seal on or inside his body, that could grant him a chance. As for what kind of chance that was, he had no idea.


    ''Considering the size of that thing, I still have a long way to go. Perhaps around fifty miles?'' killing a flying beast that tried to assault him from the sky, Raven sighed inwardly and picked up his speed by a notch.


    Fifty miles in the past was an insanelyrge distance to travel, especially if one decided to do it on foot. Even a professional athlete needed around 13 hours to aplish such a long-distance run, much less an average human.


    Of course, with the appearances of all kinds of Relics, Rune Marks, Artifacts, and Avatar Traits, that amount of time one needed to run such a long distance got dipped drastically but was notpletely reduced.


    For instance, if one takes Raven''s close to 130 points of Speed, running fifty miles could be easily done in less than one and a half an hour, or two hours at most considering how high his stamina is. However, that was only possible if he was running in a straight line, which, currently, was not the case at all.


    Zig-zagged through streets that had ayout akin to a maze, fighting and killing monsters from time to time, and sometimes even forced to go on a detour when he crossed paths with creatures that gave him a feeling they were either dangerous or were inrge numbers.


    <o>,m With all these things being obstacles, things that slowed him down from time to time, it was not a huge surprise to realize the amount of time needed for Raven to reach his destination was around 3 to 4 hours, which was an insanely long time, especially in this kind of environment!</o>


    Naturally, with his refined strength, his Rune Marks, and his Title, he could skillfully take care of any creature under Rank 16 or perhaps Rank 17, but considering he was chased by something even stronger than that, he knew it was better not to stop.


    He must save his energy if things happened to turn from bad to worse.


    After running for an hour straight and killing a dozen creatures, Raven looked behind him and decided to take a rest.


    "Fuck... Although my stamina is considerably higher than in the past, sprinting with all my speed and fighting several creatures for an hour straight is still taking a toll on my body..."


    Once he made sure no monsters tried to ambush him, Raven found a good hiding spot inside a building, he sat down and opened his Avatar Status.


    ------------------


    [Avatar Status]


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: 9


    ? True Rank: 6


    ? Avatar Title/s: The Blessed Prodigy (Active), Death Defier (Dormant), Chaotic Survivor (Inactive), Beast yer (Inactive)


    ? Avatar ss: None


    ? Avatar Imprint: Luck Boost (1st Layer)


    ? True Artifacts: Dice of Fate


    ? Fragmented Artifacts: Monarch''s Crown


    ? Rune Marks: Death Runner (+3), True Heir''s Resolve (+4)


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 71 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 64 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 77 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 99 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 86 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 66 [20]


    ------------------


    ''All of my Traits have increased a bit with my speed just 1 point away from breaking the 100 mark.'' Raven thought as he looked at his Traits.<sub> </sub>


    Then, he slowly shifted his gaze upward, resting his eyes on a single piece of information.


    ''I should use my Artifact and see what I can get. But before that...'' thinking about something, Raven summoned his dice together with a few smaller crystals into his hand.


    And a momentter, he shattered one of the crystals above his dice... Or at least tried, but failed.


    "Huh? Why is it not working?" feeling confused, Raven frowned deeply and tried again, but once again, he failed to break it.


    [Warning! Your Artifact no longer can be enhanced with Small Piece Artifact Crystals!]


    ''What?'' Raven was surprised before he seemed to understand what happened and summoned two bigger crystals into his hand.


    And just as he thought, when he tried to break them, they shattered with ease, increasing his Artifact''s Form from Initial to Complete!


    ''Now it''s time to see what I will get.'' Raven smiled behind his mask and threw the dice which not so surprisingly, as his ne lit up slightly, ended up being a 3 star.


    Whoosh!


    ''This...''


    Raven widened his eyes the moment he saw what the item in front of him was before he showed a wide grin filled with glee.


    "Now this is what I am talking about!"


    -


    -


    -


    Running through numerous streets while iming the lives of dozens of monstrosities, which eventually pushed him beyond Rank 10, Raven finally reached the other side of the city.


    "So this is the other side, huh?" mumbling with awe softly, Raven stared at the sight in front of him and slowed down his speed.


    Currently, he was standing at the perimeter of the city with nothing in front of him but a vast clearing. However, different from normal clearings where tall emerald green grass grew everywhere with small hills going up and down here and there, this one looked more like a wastnd instead.


    Dried grass, withered flowers, grey soil, pits of various sizes filled with that greenish slimy substance, and moving roots covering almost 70% of the whole clearing!


    The entire scenery before Raven looked simr to a wastnd from an apocalyptic movie. And tight at the end of this vast wastnd, a massive crater could be seen from where the pir of ck light soared toward the sky!


    ''This whole ce gives me the chills...'' Raven thought inwardly, feeling as a cold shiver ran down his spine.


    BOOOM!


    As Raven was staring at the scenery before him with both awe and a little fear, suddenly a loud explosioning from behind his back shook the ground below his feet.


    ''She is close.'' looking at the cloud of dust rising from somewhere in the city, Raven tightened his fingers around his weapon and quickly started to run.


    However, not even after he took more than 10 steps, suddenly something shed in the sky before it plummeted toward the ground, crashing into it with so much force that it formed arge pit and sentrge cracks in all directions as a result!


    "And where do you think you are running, littlemb?" talking with a cold voice, the Rotrid swung her spear from side to side, revealing her figure from the cloud of dust in a sh!


    ''She still looks ugly as hell...'' Raven grimaced before he raised his weapon and said, "I am sorry to say this, I am kind of in a hurry, so if you could..."


    As he reached that point in his speech, Raven summoned a small circr item into his hand, and after channeling arge amount of his Mystique into it he was there forward.


    "Please don''t waste my time!"


    Whoosh!


    With a ck sh, the small ring left Raven''s hand and appeared right before the Rotrid, who although has already swung her spear could do nothing but watch with widened eyes as her weapon passed right through the ring and attached itself around her neck.


    [Restriction Halo had been activated!]


    [Remaining time: 10 seconds!]


    "Eh?" the Rotrid was rmed the moment she felt how her strength was halved and was ready to see if she could tear it down when suddenly Raven''s figure appeared before her, his dagger already raised.


    "Surprise, bitch!"


    Swish!


    ng!


    "If you really think you can kill me with such a pathetic trick, you are so fucking damn wrong!" hissing through her teeth as she used her spear as a shield while her legs sunk into the ground, the Rotrid stared at Raven with both hatred and disgust.


    [Remaining time: 7 seconds!]


    Looking at the small panel floating beside him, Raven curved the corner of his lips upward into a soft smile and asked, "Who said I wanted to kill you?"


    "Wha-" the Rotrid was confused and wished to say something, however, just as she opened her mouth a sharp pain assaulted her body before she was sent flying.


    Bam!

 Chapter 95 Two Against One; An Unfair Fight (3-Last)

    Like a helpless ragdoll, the Rotrid''s body was sent flying with a powerful kick from the side, allowing Raven to keep running forward.


    [Remaining time: 4 seconds!]


    ''I should not waste any more time.'' Raven thought and without hesitation began to dash toward the pir of darkness, quickly leaving behind Paloma''s figure in a cloud of dust.


    "You fucker..." struggling onto her feet, the Rotrid wiped the purplish blood away from the corner of her mouth and quickly began to chase after Raven.


    However, as the Restriction Halo was still active, decreasing her Avatar Traits by 60%, her speed became drastically slower, but not so slow enough that it did not allow her to get closer to Raven with each passing second!


    ''Just how many points does this bitch have in her Speed Trait!?'' feeling shocked as even with a 60% restriction the Rotrid seemed to be just a little bit faster than him, Raven quickly extended his hand to the side.


    And a secondter, the ring attached to Paloma''s neck shed and appeared in his hand, instantly giving her back her powers.


    "Now you are dead!" a scary smile appeared on Paloma''s face as she raised her weapon and threw it.


    Upon seeing the harpoon whistling at him, ready to drill a hole through his torso and shred his organs, a smile formed and Raven''s face before he jumped up and spun around.


    "I think this is yours, fugs," Raven said coldly and as the silver spear whisked away just an inch below his feet, he swung his arm and threw his Restriction Halo back at Paloma.


    "Wha-" the Rotrid''s eyes widened and tried to dodge, however, as if the ring had its own consciousness it followed her and in a sh attached itself around her neck once again.


    [Restriction Halo had been activated!]


    [Remaining time: 10 seconds!]


    "Fucking again!?" Paloma hissed with fury and raised her head, just to be weed by Raven''s fist.


    "Yes, fucking again!" Ravenughed coldly and without holding back punched the Rotrid right square on her face, once again sending her body flying.


    ''Chance!'' watching as the Rotrid was still lying on the ground, Raven bent his knees and like a rocket burst forward while he summoned his Monarch''s Crown and ced it on his head.


    In a sh, a massive pressure fell on his surroundings within a 50 meters radius, that invisible weight clearly pressing down on Paloma as she all of a sudden struggled a little bit to stand up!


    ''It''s working!'' Raven felt exhrated.


    Everything he has done so far was going ording to his n.


    Starting with the fact that he made the Rotrid believe he didn''t want to fight at all through the point where he caught her off guard with his Restriction Halo all the way to force her to throw her spear, everything was going perfectly


    Like this, Raven did not doubt that he could win,  which seemingly gave every human back on Earth a sparkle of hope after the first encounter.


    ''I can do it! I will kill her and put an end to all this right here and now!'' Raven thought coldly in his heart, and once he was beside the Rotrid he summoned his dagger and swung it downward, right at her neck!


    "This is the en-" just as Raven''s dagger was ready to slice through Paloma''s neck, suddenly a dark dot was spotted by him from the corner of his eyes, forcing him to quickly change target.


    Swish!


    ng!


    ''Curse this! From where did this thinge from?'' cursing inwardly with clenched teeth as he shoved a sharp w away from his face with his dagger, Raven was forced to jump to the side, staring at the abomination circling in the sky above his head!


    Moreover, just a second after he did jump, a silver spear came soaring from the other direction, impaling itself into the spot where he had been standing!


    Unbeknownst to him, the ne around his neck was shining with gentle silver light once again.


    "Now you have really done it, human..." pushing herself up from the ground, Paloma extended her hand, and just as the Restriction Halo from around her neck flew back to Raven, the spear also zoomed back into her grasp.


    Then, even before Raven could have reacted, the winged monster in the sky exploded into thousands of pieces, blood, shattered bones, and shredded organs starting to fall from above like rain!


    And right in the sky, where the flying abomination had been hovering, the figure of the rotrid could be seen, her hand holding the spear visibly raised toward the sky.


    Wait...


    In the sky? But she is still standing in front of me!


    Dumbfounded, Raven''s face behind his mask paled when he realized that there was now not one but two Rotrids in the distance!<sub> </sub>


    Two,pletely simr-looking Rotrid, each wielding the same spear and emitting the same strength!


    ''So this was her Artifact''s ability all along? Perfect Duplication?''


    "You must be fucking kidding me! How is this even fair?" Raven yelled with anger, but not even a secondter he saw something sh in his eyes, forcing him to raise his dagger to deflect the assault.


    ng!


    ''Although my Monarch''s Crown is working, slowing her movements down greatly, the gap between the two of us is still huge!'' Raven clenched his teeth as he pushed himself away, only to see the Rotrid from the sky throwing her spear at him, the sharp weapon now only inches away from drilling a hole through his skull!


    "Fuck!"


    With a loud curse, Raven waved his dagger, hitting the spear and steering it to the side, forcing it to miss his head and whistle away by his ear, leaving a deep wound through his right cheek and ear!


    "This is just the beginning, trash!" the original Rotrid spoke coldly as she appeared a meter away from Raven, her spear already thrust forward and drilled right through Raven''s left shoulder!


    "Urgh!" feeling the pain assaulting his shoulder and going through his body, Raven tried to move away, but it was pointless.


    Just as he did try to move while also nning to throw his Restriction Halo, the spear that was thrown by the copy flew back, drilling right through his other shoulder from behind!


    "Bleargh!"


    Throwing uprge amounts of blood as he was drilled through both his shoulders, Raven wished to move but both his hands now were a waste. He couldn''t make them move at all!


    ''F...uck! I was so close!'' ncing behind, Raven watched as he was less than a mile away from the crater where the pir of ck light was, yet he failed to reach it.


    Will he really die like this?


    As he pondered upon this question, the copy of the Rotrid appeared in front of him and ced her weapon''s tip before his neck while the original pushed her spear even deeper into his shoulder.


    "Argh!"


    Ignoring the painful scream, Paloma, the real one, raised her weapon together with Raven drilled on it like a piece of meat, and with a nonchnt swing, threw him into the far distance.


    "Urgh..." groaning with pain as he felt his body drifting through the air, Raven opened his eyes tightly shut eyes, only to watch as the copy of the Rotrid descended upon him from above with a straight leg.


    BAM!


    Feeling as if several bones in his body cracked and groaned with pain even with his more than 110 points of Constitution the moment he crashed into the ground, Raven coughed up another wave of blood.


    ''So this is how it alles to an end, huh?'' Ravenughed with irony inwardly.


    [Title: Death Defier had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits had been doubled!]


    "Urgh!" feeling as his wound began to heal on its own, Raven struggled onto his feet.


    However, even though all of his strength had been doubled, it all meant nothing if he couldn''t use his hands. They were crippled.


    "Just give up already." walking toward him with confident steps, Paloma and her copy stopped only a few meters away from Raven and stared at him with visible contempt.


    "You can no longer win."


    "Urgh... We will see about tha-, cough! Cough! COUGH!" just as Raven wished to speak, suddenly blood surged into his mouth, forcing him to fall on his knees and cough wildly


    And exactly as this happened, the ne around his neck began to glow, just a second before a massive explosion resounded behind his back and something whistled through the air right above his head.


    "Watch ou-" Paloma was taken off guard by the sudden change of events and wished to order her copy to dodge, but it was already toote.


    Like lightning crashing into an iron pole, a ck sh hit the fake Rotrid and melted into her body.


    Then, under the dreadful eyes of both Raven and Paloma, the copy began to swell like a swollen balloon before exploding into thousands of pieces!


    Just like that, a powerful being with an aura and strength that was close to surpassing Rank 20 died, without any hope to survive!

 Chapter 96 Eternal Darkness (1)

    Several minutes before...


    Standing inside the main hall of Star Pce, everyone stared at the floating panel in front of them with mixed emotions.


    People looked excited, furious, happy, and most importantly... hopeful!


    After witnessing the strength of the Rotrid and also getting to see her current Avatar Status, people seemed to lose hope and were even ready to cause ruckus and chaos all around the world.


    Some even began to do so by robbing shops, beating up others, or simply destroying buildings, but luckily, because President Bai seemed to predict that things at some point in time will escte to such heights, he was able to keep things under his control.


    Or at least, to be more precise, prevent them from escting even further.


    However, there was no such thing as absolute, especially not when the world seemed toe to an end.


    After the initial state of where things seemed to be under President Bai''s control, more people started to lose their faith and start mayhem, giving the United World League more and more headaches.


    However, just when things seemed to be getting out of hand and all hell was on the verge of breaking loose, a miracle happened.


    Raven, who all this time seemed to have no chance against his enemy, after all, their difference in Rank and the fighting experience was massive, was able to showcase a strength that told everyone that sess perhaps was truly not that impossible!


    Once again, people began to believe and hope, some going all the way to start praying as if he was a God or a messiah who could save them.


    And it seemed their prayers worked as not long after Raven met with the Rotrid for the second time, he was almost able to im victory!


    At that point, a lot of people started to cheer and cry tears of happiness... only to be faced with the harsh reality just a secondter.


    The very moment Raven failed tond his finishing blow, everything turned upside down.


    In just a matter of a few seconds, Raven lost his two arms, lost his weapon, and sustained several broken bones, while he was also thrown and cornered at the edge of a massive pit from where he could not run anywhere.


    Just in that short duration, he lost miserably...


    Of course, while people knew deep within that it was not Raven''s fault that he lost, since the gap in both their Ranks, Artifacts, and especially in the amount of fighting experience they had was just massive, people still cursed him and began to hate him.


    After all, such behavior was only the nature of humans...


    Naturally, some people didn''t do such things. Others, like Luna or Old Dan, still tried to hope, but from their teary eyes even a fool could understand that they clearly knew what reality was, they were just stubborn to ept it.


    "...So this is the end, huh?" leaning back into his chair, President Bai held his head with trembling hands and let out a heavy sigh.


    And just like that, for the first time in human history, a never before seen mayhem broke out between humans...


    People began to kill each other ormit suicide, women and men alike were raped, and buildings got robbed before being demolishedpletely!


    Complete chaos broke out at every point on Earth, and to make things even worse than they already were, wild and natural cmities swallowed the seemingly whole!


    Large tides, forest fires, avnches, lightning, and thunder-filled storms in hundreds of miles of radius appeared almost everywhere, thousands if not tens of thousands of people dying with each passing second!


    Things really seemed toe to an end, and humanity, now for real, was slowly but surely approaching the point of no return.


    "It''s... It''s not... It''s not over yet!" feeling mixed emotions such as fury, helplessness, and sorrow, Luna clenched her teeth and dig her nails into her palm, stubbornly trying to deny reality.


    ''This is not it! This can''t be it! It''s not the end! I refuse to ept it!''


    "Master Dan..." stepping beside Old Dan while looking at Luna with a sad look, Thomas sighed and said, "We should get going."


    ncing at his butler who served him for several decades, Old Dan nodded and ced a palm atop his daughter''s shoulder.


    "Luna... We must go. This ce is no longer safe and you know that too."


    Upon hearing her father''s words, Luna clenched her teeth and fingers even more, however, once she heard the screams andmissions outside the hall, she was forced to ept the truth.


    Raven has lost, and with his seemingly inevitable death, unknown how or when, they will be next.


    Thus, although it hurt to ept it, after all, there were still a lot of things she wished to say to him, if she wished to survive she had no choice but to do as her father said.


    ''Only if I could have helped him...''


    Meanwhile, inside the hall, Etia sucked on her lollipop with a rather intrigued expression, seemingly enjoying the show happening before her.<sub> </sub>


    "Haha! Look at all of them! Running around like rats on a sinking ship, trying to save their asses! Haha!"ughing with mockery, Worus pped the table while a wide grin formed on his face.


    "The only difference is, that rats won''t kill, much less **** each other when their lives are in danger." a beautiful goddess with a body covered in nts spoke, her gaze filled with contempt and disdain as he stared at the scenery presented within the floating orb.


    "Moreover, it is not like they will die right away if that human dies, right, Lady Etia?" another goddess, with a crystal-like body asked with a soothing voice, her calm and crystal clear eyes ncing toward Etia.


    Feeling the stares on her skin, Etia took her lollipop out of her mouth and nodded.


    "That is right. If that human dies, his race won''t die right away."


    "Then what will happen? Isn''t the core of this challenge salvation orplete annihtion?" another God, with a body that was half aze with blue fire while the other half was frozen in crimson ice asked with confusion.


    And it was not only him, but it seemed the majority of the Gods and Goddesses within the hall felt puzzled.


    After all, as far as they could understand it, the challenge of Heaven or Hell meant that only one race can remain alive.


    Yet, after hearing the words of both Etia and the beautiful goddess, it seemed it was not the case at all.


    Seeing the confusion in the eyes of the other gods, Etia sighed and said, "Heaven or Hell is a challenge where only one race can remain alive depending on the oue of the battle that is fought by the strongest individual from both sides. That is an absolute fact."


    "The victor will give their race another chance to keep living, just like one gets another chance in heaven after death."


    Then, showing a devilish smile, Etia continued, "However, the side which losses won''t die right away. No, they will die pathetically slow, just like in hell."


    Whispers broke out within the hall before a God with an octopus-like head asked, "And Lady Etia, how exactly will they die?"


    "How? It''s easy. All the Realm Gates and Realm Domain in their worlds will turn ck and open, through which waves of High Ranked monsters and beasts will rush in and wipe their numbers out."


    And just as she was ready to keep speaking, suddenly her body froze.


    "Huh?"


    -


    -


    -


    Back to the present.


    While kneeling on the ground with blood flowing down from his mouth and nostrils, Raven tried to process the things that happened, but he didn''t have to think for a long while.


    It was pretty much obvious what happened.


    With the pir of ck light behind his back, something exploded out from within it and that something crashed into Paloma''s copy.


    Whatever that something was, that was the thing that killed the copy and not him nor a monster.


    ''But if that is true... Why does she look so... Confused?'' Raven pondered silently as he tried to ignore the assaulting pain in his body.


    "I-Impossible... But... How?" Paloma began to murmur silently, but soon enough she shifted her gaze at Raven, now her eyes filled with fury.


    "Hey! fucking trash! What the hell did you do?!"


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t fucking ''huh'' to me!" Paloma yelled with anger and without hesitation three her spear at Raven, which as a result pierced his abdomen.


    "ergh!"


    Blood quickly surged out of his mouth inrge amounts right after that, however, unknown how he was still alive.


    "Y-You... Bitch... Bleargh!" trying to speak but to no avail, Raven watched as Paloma appeared before him like a ghost and after grabbing him by his cor, she lifted him from the ground.


    "Give it back! Give me back my Artifact right in this fucking instant!"

 Chapter 97 Eternal Darkness (2)

    "Give it back! My Artifact! Give it back to me right this instant!"


    "Huh?"


    Feeling startled, Raven wished to speak, but the only thing he could force out of his mouth was a painful groan together with arge amount of blood.


    "You like to y games, huh?" the Rotrid''s eyes shed menacingly, raising Raven''s body even higher.


    "Do you really think I won''t kill you just because of your little trick?"


    ''...What the fuck is she talking about? It was not me but the thing behind me!'' Raven clenched his teeth firmly, struggling to get free of Paloma''s iron grip.


    However, taking into consideration how he was unable to move both his arms and how the silver spear was still drilled through his abdomen, it was just a futile dream.


    Hell, it was already a miracle that he was still alive and breathing! Any other human would have died, there was no question about it.


    ''It seems both my Constitution and Vitality are showing their true worth now, huh...?'' Ravenughed with a wry grin, only causing even more blood to flow out from both his wounds and mouth.


    "So you really think this is funny." Paloma narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening before her furious expression turned into a wicked grin.


    ''I don''t like where this is all going...''


    "Fine, as you wish. I will not kill you... Instead, I will torture you until you won''t give what rightfully is mine."


    With that said, Paloma grabbed Raven''s right hand, which was already crippled but weirdly he could still feel, and with a swift move twisted around more than a hundred and eighty degrees!


    "AAAARRRGGGHbbleergh!! Cough! Cough!" screaming as the pain assaulted his body, just a second before the blood came rushing up into his mouth and forcing him to cough wildly, Raven stared at the Rotrid and wished to rip her apart.


    "...Cough! ...You fucking... Cough! Bitch! I don''t know wha-... Cough! Cough! I don''t know what you are talking about, but it was not me... It was the thing behind me!"


    Raising a brow, Paloma nced behind Raven before she said, "What? Thatrge pit? Do you really think I am that dumb!?"


    After she said that, she went and grabbed Raven''s other hand, and just as she had done with the other one, she twisted that also!


    "What are yo-, AAARRRGGGHH!!!"


    With a yell that could send shivers through any living being''s spine, Raven watched with both teary and bloodshot eyes as both his arms now were bent in angles that no human could mimic unless they tried to break their limbs.


    ''Fuck this! Is she a psychopath or what? I am telling the truth! It was not me but the...''


    As Raven reached that point, suddenly his eyes widened, realization dawning on him like a heavy curtain.


    ''Don''t tell me... Does this mean she can''t... She can''t see it? But how is that possible?''


    ncing over his shoulder, Raven looked at the massive pit behind him. And just as he thought, there it was, therge pir of ckness, soaring toward the sky in its full glory.


    ''...Only I can see it?''


    Raven was dumbfounded, which only grew a level deeper when suddenly a voice sounded in his head, one that he was awfully familiar with.


    ''Jump...''


    ''Do... it...''


    ''Jump? Where? In there!?'' Raven''s eyes widened before he shook his head and almostughed, ''Hell no! Whatever that pir is, it killed this bitch''s copy in seconds! There is no way I am doing it!''


    ''No... Instead, it is better to say that I can''t! After all, I am being strangled to my death!''


    ''Safe... do... it...''


    Upon hearing the whisper in his head once again, Raven frowned and shifted his gaze back at Paloma.


    Maybe he really will be fine if he is doing just what the voice is telling him.


    Thinking about the possibilities, Raven slowly felt unsure about what to do.


    ''...Oh, to hell with all this! What is the worst thing that can happen to me? Die? I am already dying, so I have nothing to lose!''


    With renewed determination, Raven''s eyes shed with a hint of hope and started straight into Paloma''s eyes.<sub> </sub>


    ''Although I hoped to use it in another situation, obviously I have no other choice...'' Raven thought, and after a small while he began to speak.


    "Sure... I will give it back to you..."


    "Oh? So you have finally decided to speak, huh? Good. Now give it back or you can also say goodbye to your right leg."


    After saying that, Paloma raised Raven even higher, to the point where she could grab his feet, ready to either tear them off or twist them just as she did with his two hands.


    "Argh... I... Can''t like... this..." struggling to get air, Raven struggled to speak as he swayed his free leg.


    "What the fuck does that mean, trash?" lowering Raven slightly to allow him to talk without any hindrance, Paloma narrowed her eyes menacingly.


    "I... Cough! Cough! I can''t give you your Artifact back this way... cause for that I need my hand... or at least needed it, however as you have broken both, you need to use yours."


    "Speak in a way I can understand! Or perhaps you wish to lose your leg too?!" Paloma squeezed Raven''s leg firmly, earning a groan from him.


    ''You will kill, either way, bitch!'' Raven clenched his teeth before he exined, "In my left pocket... I have a Relic... It''s a little object which activates and seals other''s Artifacts the moment my life is in grave danger."


    "It can be deactivated if you press the button on it..."


    Paloma raised a brow and directed her eyes at Raven''s left pocket. Then, after pondering for a while, she used her free hand and put it into there, quickly taking out a small item from there.


    It was a small, perfectly square box akin to that of a container of a wedding ring. The only difference is that it couldn''t be opened and the only thing on it that was functional was a tiny triangle that could be pressed.


    "You really think I have no brain, huh? This definitely is a trap. There is no way I can get back my Artifact this easily." Paloma narrowed her eyes with deep killing intent, her grip ready to twist Raven''s leg.


    "Urgh... It is not... It is not a trap! There are all kinds of Relics in existence, each weirder than another! I am pretty sure you have met with some too!"


    Paloma frowned softly, seemingly because she agreed with Raven. However, she soon added, "I will believe you if I see this thing''s description. Share it."


    ''Fuck... So she is smart...'' Raven thought but his mouth slowly curved upward.


    ''But unfortunately, it is already toote!''


    And with that very thought, with a mentalmand which was one of that Relic''s unique traits, he activated it.


    In an instant, the small object in Paloma''s hand exploded and crimson chains broke out of it, enveloping Paloma''s whole body while a small part of it was attached to Raven''s chest.


    "Do you really think these chains will save your ass!?" seeing the sudden change of events, Paloma sneered coldly and grabbed the chains around her neck, ready to shatter it.


    As for Raven, who was still held in the air, justughed and said, "I don''t think, I know!"


    After he said those words, Raven coughed massive amounts of blood onto the chain attached to his chest, causing them to glow up with deep crimson light.


    Whoosh!


    "Wha-!"


    Paloma felt dumbfounded when she saw how she was unable to shatter the chains, no matter how hard she struggled. Furthermore, it seemed the more she struggled the together the chains around her got, sealing her movements more and more.


    ''It worked!'' feeling joy the moment Paloma''s grip loosened around his cor, Raven kicked at her hand and got free in a sh.


    Of course, with both his hands crippled and with the spear in his abdomen, such a sudden movement sent massive waves of pain through his body and forced blood out of his wounds, but it was all worth it in the end!


    ''Life Blood Chains... In exchange for my blood and arge amount of my Mystique, it can seal the movements of others for a limited amount of time.''


    The only downfall of it, however, was that this Relic of his possessed a "special" ability called Life Bond, which meant he couldn''t kill the one he used this on or else he would get killed too.


    Initially, he wished to use this Relic to just simply drag Paloma to an area filled with abominations, where he could deplete her strength to the point where he could kill her with ease.


    After deactivating his Relic, of course.


    However, as things have escted to this point already, there was nothing he could do but...


    "Move forward..." mumbling, Raven turned around and faced the pir of darkness, staring at its massive form with both awe and fear.

 Chapter 98 Eternal Darkness (3-Last)

    What were illusions?


    If one were asked such a question the majority would immidieatly think about magic tricks or hallucinations. However, while magic tricks indeed stood close to illusions, hallucinations, on the other hand, did not.


    In fact, hallucinations and illusions although at first nce seem simr, in truth, werepletely different!


    So distinct thatparing both to each other was just great foolishness!


    After all, while illusions were based on the concept of misperception within reality, hallucinations were established on false perceptions that only happen in the mind!


    Now then, knowing all this, herees the real question... Was the pir of darkness before Raven something of an illusion or a false perception?


    At first, Raven believed it was thetter, after all, he was not only hearing voices that only he could hear but also seeing things, a massive one at that, that turns out only he could possibly perceive.


    This, logically speaking, meant he either was slowly going crazy or he, just like people in the desert after walking aimlessly and lost for a long while, was hallucinating, perhaps because of the loss ofrge amounts of blood and the grave injuries he had.


    However, after he thought about it for a little while, he had to realize all that was nothing but bullshit!


    First of all, he had been hearing voices way before he came to this ce. In truth, he had heard it twice already!


    Secondly, which was the most important, he had seen the pir of darkness the very first second he had been teleported to this pit of hell, meaning he was not hallucinating because of his grave condition.


    Lastly, he saw clearly with his own two eyes how a ck bolt of lightning killed Paloma''s copy, one that came from behind him, or in other words from the pir of dark mass!


    Hence, considering all these pieces of information, Raven was 99.99% sure what he was seeing was not a trick his mind was ying nor did he go crazy.


    Whaty before his eyes were reality, one that for some unknown reason was hidden away from the eyes of others and was only visible before him!


    ''Seal... Jump... Safe...''


    As Raven walked closer to the pir of ck light, the more he could hear the voice within his head, and weirdly... the more he felt at ease. Even his injuries felt less painful, making him feel weird.


    "Where the fuck are you taking me, trash! Let me go now! Do you really think you have wo-"


    "Can''t you just shut up already?" Raven barked at Paloma coldly, causing the chains on her body to move and tighten around her neck.


    Luckily, no matter how strong Paloma was unless Raven stopped channeling his Mystique and feeding the chains with his blood, she had no chance of escaping.


    This is how powerful his currently possessed Relic, one that was only half a step away from bing an Arcane Grade truly was!


    "Urgh! You... If I get out... you are dead..." still struggling only to no avail, Paloma bared her teeth at Raven as she was dragged behind him.


    ''Yeah, I know.'' Raven sighed inwardly and nced down at his body.


    Even a fool could tell that with how grim his physical condition was, he will die soon it was just a matter of time. The only reason he was still alive and conscious was because of hisrge Vitality and Constitution which were increased and doubled through both his Titles and Rune Mark.


    After walking through the clearing with slow but steady steps, Raven arrived at the edge of the massive pit and looked down.


    ''Quite steep and deep...''


    Below his feet, what Raven could see was how the crater extended several miles deep, its very bottom consumed by the base of the pir of darkness.


    And speaking about the pir of darkness...


    Raven raised his head and looked in front of him, staring right at the wall of ckness which was visibly swirling toward the sky silently but at the same time with great force, around its surface ck lightning snaking every direction.


    The sight was by no means calming to look at, yet, for some strange reason, a wide grin stered over Raven''s face behind his bloodsoaked mask.


    It was almost as if he felt... Excited?


    ''Weird... Even though I have never seen nor met with... this, I feel excited?'' Raven felt puzzled.


    Raven stood still for several seconds before he turned around and faced Paloma.


    "Let me go and fight like a real warrior!" Paloma hissed coldly, her eyes emitting rage and bloodlust.<sub> </sub>


    It was way too obvious she wished to rip Raven apart, perhaps because he made a fool out of her or simply because she regretted not killing him right off the bat when she had the chance.


    ''If I let her go I''m pretty sure she will not hesitate to rip my head off my shoulders.'' Raven sighed, however as he had no other choice and because he also felt how his body became weaker with each second, he had to do it.


    "Sure, I will. But before I do, I want to ask something."


    "Screw you and your questions, trash! Free me right this instant!" the rage in Paloma''s eyes grew several levels deeper, her grip around the chains tightening more and more.


    However, no matter how much strength she used, with the amount of Mystique Raven channeling into them she could not break them.


    Well, considering the Relic was channeled and fortified with over 280 points of Mystique it was no surprise she couldn''t break it.


    Ignoring Paloma''s struggle and her cursing, Raven pointed a finger behind his back and with an indifferent face asked, "What can you see behind me?"


    "What does it look like to you, trash? That is a fucking pit, what else?!" Paloma spit onto the ground and proceeded on, "Now let me go. I won''t say it again!"


    As she said those words, suddenly Paloma''s body lit up with a deep purplish light while the veins on her body began to pulsate even more than before, causing her body to grow in size bit by bit.


    It seemed she wished to use this trick of hers to make the chains shatter. However, as far as one could tell, it was not working at all. It just made the chains tighten around her body and strangle her even more than before!


    When Raven saw this he sighed and nodded.


    "I see... so it is not a hallucination."


    After he said that, he waved his hand and made the chains vanish.


    "NOW YOU ARE FUCKING DEAD!" Paloma howled toward the sky with bloodshot eyes, and with a frame that grew almost 50% in size, she pounced at Raven with incredible speed and momentum.


    Naturally Raven expected such a thing to happen, hence he had already leaped backward the moment he waved his hand, his figure already falling toward the bottom of the pit.


    ...And also toward the perimeter of the pir of darkness which he reached in less than 5 seconds.


    "It was a pleasure to meet with you." Raven grinned and even before he could have seen Paloma grabbing his neck his vision turnedpletely ck.


    He entered the pir of ck light... Now, he was surrounded by nothing but darkness. Cold and seemingly eternal darkness from where no one can escape...


    ''This feels weird yet calming...'' Raven thought to himself as he closed his eyes and waited for the moment he crashed into the ground.


    However, that moment, weirdly, never came.


    1 second... 5 seconds... 1 minute... 2 minutes...


    Hell, even after 5 minutes Raven felt no immense pain as he crashed into the bottom, making him feel scarcely ufortable.


    ''No, not that... I''m not even falling!'' realizing that, Raven tried to move, however, he was scared to find out he couldn''t move!


    Let alone his hands, which for obvious reasons he couldn''t lift or at least shift, even his legs felt stiff like a rock!


    ''What is happening?'' now slowly starting to feel dread, Raven wished to yell, only to be faced with the cold and harsh reality that he couldn''t even open his mouth!


    ''Not good!''


    Meanwhile, sitting on the shore of a small ind with legs crossed and eyes closed, a graceful individual wearing a beautiful white robe breathed slowly and calmly, both his hands flickering with golden light as they rested softly on either of his thighs.


    "So you have seeded in the end, huh? How delightful." speaking calmly without opening his eyes, the graceful figure grinned softly before it turned somewhat grim.


    "However, with this, things are bound to change. She now knows who you are and will do everything in her power to stop you. Your life will no longer be the same as it was before."


    After the mysterious individual said those words, he sighed and shook his head.


    "It will be worse than hell..."

 Chapter 99 Torture

    Floating in emptiness, Raven breathed slowly with both his mind and eyes being as calm as a pond of crystal clear water.


    Ever since he had jumped into the pir of darkness, he had been trapped in there without any chance to either move or talk.


    The feeling was weird, almost as if he was paralyzed, but in a way where he could still sense everything. He could feel the gentle breeze blowing against his skin, see the swirling and chaotic darkness around him, and smell the clear air.


    As for the pain in his arms, abdomen, and body... well, it faded away a very long time ago.


    And when Raven thought about "a very long time ago", he meant a really long time ago. As far as he could tell, he had been trapped in this eternal darkness for more than 3 months!


    3 months trapped in nothing butplete darkness...


    ''Well, at least I am not starving nor do I be thirsty...''


    Naturally, Raven has already thought about the possibility that perhaps in the end he really has died in the hands of Paloma and now was in the afterlife, but he quickly dismissed that possibility.


    As for the reason?


    It was just poor intuition.


    It was like when one had a hunch about something andter on it turned out it was true.


    ''Sigh... But still, 3 months is still not a small amount of time...'' Raven sighed inwardly, memories resurfaced in his mind.


    Luna, Old Dan, Thomas... Everyone that he held dear and was close to him... What were they doing at the moment? Did they survive? After all, logically speaking, he didn''t really die, meaning he didn''t lose the challenge thus Earth must be safe, right?


    ...Right?


    To be honest, Raven was not sure about it at all.


    3 months was a very long time, through which many things could happen. Hell, even if he considered that Earth survivedplete annihtion, there was still the possibility that humans faced another dire challenge in the second round of Worlds'' sh!


    Thinking about that, Raven wished to shake his head in helplessness, but ironically, he couldn''t.


    ''I have to get out of this ce, but how? I have already tried everything I could think of.''


    While spending over three months imprisoned in this cage of darkness, Raven didn''t just... sit?... Floated around idly waiting for a miracle to happen.


    No, not at all. In fact, he tried many things like meditating, forcing his body to move, trying to stop breathing, and many other ridiculous attempts he coulde up with.


    However, it was needless to say they were all futile.


    ''This just feels frustrating as hell!'' Raven felt like crying before bing nonchnt once again.


    It seemed, at least through these 3 months of imprisonment inplete darkness he learned something very important; how to stay calm all the time and how to control his emotions.


    After all, staying inplete darkness for several months was not something anyone could aplish without going insane.


    ''I have to think... I have jumped because of a seal... a seal to break. But how do I break it?''


    Raven has already guessed the key to his freedom was through breaking his seal, however, he couldn''te up with a way to break his seal. Hell, he didn''t even know what or where this seal of his was!


    It was a fucking joke! A joke which he sadly couldn''tugh at!


    Sigh...


    Time passed in utter silence as Raven kept thinking. Seconds turned into minutes which soon became hours that ended up in days.<sub> </sub>


    And then, suddenly, Raven noticed something.


    ''Huh?''


    While floating in the darkness, the only thing Raven could see was darkness. However, different from the usual darkness this one felt... alive.


    Yes, alive!


    Although it sounded weird, that is how Raven felt whenever he stared into it. This was the very first thing he had noticed at the very beginning of his imprisonment, yet, as he couldn''t do anything about it he decided to just get used to it.


    However, right now, unknown if because of an ident or through sheer luck, he discovered that within this swirling ckness, there moved something that was not darkness.


    ''Just now... What was that?''


    Forcing himself to focus on the spot where he saw the unusual phenomenon, Raven stared intently at the same area for several minutes in silence.


    Nevertheless, even after seemingly 15 minutes, nothing happened.


    ''...Nothing?''


    Raven felt confused, wondering if what he saw was just a trick of his mind.


    ''Perhaps it really was?'' Raven thought to himself and was ready to avert his gaze when suddenly he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eyes.


    ''There!''


    And sure enough, once he shifted his gaze with lightning speed, there it was, the thing he previously noticed yet failed to see properly.


    It was a thread, one that was not only thinner than a strand of hair but was also darker than the darkness around Raven, melting into the darkness almostpletely!


    ''What is that thing?'' Raven frowned inwardly as he examined the ck thread, watching as it became almost entirely imperceptible whenever it stopped moving.


    However, the next moment something that he wouldn''t have expected to happen happened.


    The thread, without any prior warning, shed like a bolt of lightning and drilled itself into his eye!


    Raven wished to scream but as he couldn''t open his mouth he had to bear with it silently, something that made the pain several notches worse!


    ''F...uck...''


    And unfortunately, it was only just the beginning.


    Shortly after the first thread pierced itself into his eye, Raven watched with horror as another thread appeared in his line of sight out of nowhere and shed, prating his other eye like a sharp needle!


    Then another one.


    And another one...


    And another...


    Almost as if starting an unstoppable avnche by spotting that first thread, one by one Raven felt his eyes getting pierced, making him wish he could scream.


    But he couldn''t.


    He could only helplessly mourn inwardly as hundreds of threads pierced his eyes, filling his whole body with nothing but merciless suffering and seemingly endless misery!

 Chapter 100 Broken Seal; Revealed Memory

    Standing at the edge of an eternal mountain from where the sea of clouds could be seen below and the eternal starry sky above, Etia gazed into the distance with a nonchnt expression, her beautiful colorful hair waving behind her back from the gentle breeze.


    "Goddess Etia..." suddenly, appearing out of empty air, a figure wearing a ck cloak and a mask that represented an eerily smiling clown knelt on the ground.


    "Have you found him?" without turning around, Etia asked quietly, her voice for some reason covered in coldness.


    "I have tried to find his whereabouts, but ever since that time it is almost as if he had been swallowed by the void."


    "Not even you were able to find a trace of him after such a long time?" Etia shifted her head slightly to the side, barely revealing her deeply scowling face.


    The masked individual lowered his head scarcely and sighed, "I fear it seems so..."


    Upon hearing those words, Etia fell into silence and shifted her gaze back to the front, staring at the endless sea of clouds right in front of her.


    Then, a long whileter she sneered coldly and began to mumble;


    "You are truly a pain in the ass, Leion."


    -


    -


    -


    Surrounded by endless darkness while sharp and thin threads drilled themselves into his eyes from all directions, Raven floated in the emptiness with a motionless body and empty mind.


    It seemed he had lost consciousness.


    After enduring the seemingly endless misery for several hours, which was a great achievement considering the amount of pain he had experienced during that time, he became senseless.


    ...


    ''What... What is this ce? Where am I?'' standing in the shade of a small tree, Raven looked around with confusion.


    He felt puzzled not because he was dreaming despite not having the ability to sleep for months in that darkness-swallowed void, but because this dream was not his!


    Everyone knew if one dreamt then their dreams would contain at least oneponent that was familiar to them. However, the spot he was standing on and the environment around him... Everything around him was foreign yet for some reason it made him feel as if he had been here before!


    ''Then perhaps a memory?''


    No, it was not a memory. If it would have been then he could have at least recollected a small detail, a little piece, but there was nothing like that. Except for this familiar feeling in his chest, he was pretty sure this was not a memory.


    ''Then what is this exactly?'' Raven felt even more puzzled which grew even stronger the moment he heard a soft cry from behind him.


    ''Huh?''


    Turning around as he was currently standing at the edge of a cliff, Raven opened his eyes wide and raised his head, almost forcing himself to fall into the abyss behind his back.


    Before him, a massive tree stood proudly in the center of the mountain peak, its size nothing he had ever seen before.


    Its top literally reached the stars above, its colorful leaves on its branches shining as if they were stars!


    ''...Beautiful.'' was the only thing Raven could think before the soft cry resounded once again, attracting his attention toward the bottom of the tree''s trunk.


    There, two individuals, a morous young man and an unnaturally gorgeous young woman sat beside each other, the former holding a newborn while thetter leaned against his shoulder, both looking at the crying baby with affection in their eyes.<sub> </sub>


    ''Who are they?'' the confusion in Raven''s heart became stronger and stronger while another emotion, from somewhere deep within his heart, slowly began to break onto the surface.


    It was... sorrow?


    Raven didn''t know for sure. The only thing he understood was that for some reason he knew those two despite never meeting with them ever in his life.


    While Raven struggled to understand what was really happening at the moment, suddenly the young woman moved and caressed gently the baby''s cheeks, earning a delighted giggle from the little tot.


    However, deep within the young woman''s eyes who seemingly had ears akin to a cat and hair as white as a snow, Raven could spot sadness and reluctance.


    "I don''t like this... What if he fails to seed?"


    Upon hearing the question, the young man''s passionate smile dwindled a little before he sighed.


    "To grow stronger and evolve into something even greater, there will be always the risk of failure."


    "But not here... The risk we are putting him out now is insanely high! He can die and you know that too!" she said.


    "We have no other choice." the young man sighed and said, "We, who have already touched our potential, formed our Cores, and had our True Bloodlines unlocked, bing True Gods, are chained by the shackles of this world and the "absolute"w sanctioned by that bastard."


    "If we wish to regain our freedom, then we have to risk everything and believe in him."


    "And what if she finds it out?" the young woman nced up at the young man, her eyes flickering with worry.


    The young man looked into the silver eyes of the young woman beside him and after a while, heughed softly and said;


    "She will definitely find it out, there is no doubt about it."


    "Then-"


    ? "However, it will take her time to figure outpletely what we are trying to do, and when she does, it will be already toote. She will be not only bound by her own rules in her own game but also by our oath."


    "And what about that bas-"


    "He won''t do anything. In fact, he will be more than d to enjoy the show, knowing there is nothing in existence that can possibly beat him."


    "However, he is very wrong because there is one thing that stands above everything, something that even he cannot control... Fate." he quickly added with a grin.


    "Are you really this confident that he will seed in grasping something we couldn''t for eons despite our powers standing the closest to it?" the young woman asked calmly, her eyes full of doubt.


    "I am more than confident. After all, it is our blood that runs through his veins." the young man smiled before he added, "And for that reason..."


    As he reached that point in time, suddenly a third figure appeared in front of him, immediately causing Raven''s pupils to shrink to the size of a needle.


    It was an incredibly beautiful woman with silver hair.


    "You know what to do." the young man gave the baby into the hands of the silver-haired beauty, who after looking at the newborn nodded and began to walk away.


    As for Raven, he raised his hand and wished to yell, however, just before he could have done so everything around him vanished and was swallowed by darkness.


    And a secondter, his eyes snapped wide open.

 Chapter 101 New Status

    With his eyes snapped wide open, Raven sat up in a sh and sucked in a mouthful of fresh air, almost as if he had been drowning under water for several minutes!


    "What... What?! I... I am alive?" breathing heavily as he touched his face, Raven''s eyes widened even more, and nced at his arms with shock.


    "Wait... My arms... I can move them! And..." as he reached that point, Raven lowered his gaze and touched his stomach, "Even my guts are not out! But how is this even possible?"


    While wondering what was happening with him and how he was able to move, Raven pushed himself up onto his feet and looked around.


    Currently, he was in the middle of a dark and narrow alley, one where even a single person could hardly walk through normally, let alone several at the same time.


    ''These walls... Don''t tell me.'' Raven''s face paled as he touched the solid surface in front of him, only to calm down and look nonchnt the very next second.


    ''Thank God... At least I am not there.'' taking a deep breath and sighing with relief when he noticed no slimy substance or moving roots around him, Raven directed his gaze to the right.


    There, what he could see was blinding whiteness and if he was right that was...


    Raven swallowed nervously as he forcefully surpassed his emotions, and was ready to start walking when suddenly above him began to rattle and break.


    Raising his head, what Raven saw was a thin steel pipe falling at him from somewhere above, only a few inches away from mming right into his head and very likely knocking him unconscious.


    Raven widened his eyes from shock, however not because of the unexpected sight of a broken steel pipe falling at his head, but because right above it he could see something that made him doubt his eyes.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to avoid: 11.05% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 100%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 10,000 units


    ----------------


    ''What the f-?''


    Raven was both confused and startled, which onlysted for a fraction of a second when something even more incredible happened.


    The moment he spotted the pipe and the floating panel above it, suddenly a thin ck thread thrived out of his left index finger and attached itself to the side of the panel.


    In that instant, time seemed to slow down while a bizarre sensation swept through his body, one that he had never met before yet for some reason knew how to use right away!


    And he did exactly that!


    Without any hesitancy, he flicked his left index finger and with wide eyes watched as the numbers began to grow while something from within his body was sucked away bit by bit.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to avoid: 100% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 11.05% (Cannot be used!)


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: None


    ----------------


    Crack!


    ''Wha-''


    Suddenly, the moment the number jumped all the way to 100%, suddenly a thick tube on the wall above Raven''s head, which looked a little too old already cracked and white steam broke out of it, crashing into the falling pipe and pushing it onto another trajectory.


    It missed Raven''s head just by an inch and fell right before his feet!


    As for Raven, he stood with a dumbfounded look on his face, his eyes glued on the ttering pipe before his feet.


    [Congrattions! Your Avatar Status had been sessfully updated!]


    Whoosh!


    ------------------


    [Avatar Status]


    ? Name: Raven


    ? Rank: 11


    ? True Rank: 8


    ? Avatar Title/s: The Blessed Prodigy (Active), Death Defier (Dormant), Chaotic Survivor (Inactive), Beast yer (Inactive)


    ? Avatar ss: Luck Cursed


    ? Avatar Imprint: Luck Enhancement (1st Layer)


    ? True Artifacts: Dice of Fate


    ? Fragmented Artifacts: Monarch''s Crown


    ? Rune Marks: Death Runner (+3), True Heir''s Resolve (+4)


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 84 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 83 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 89 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 113 [32]


    <o>,m ¡ã Constitution: 98 [32]</o>


    ¡ã Dexterity: 80 [20]


    ~~~


    [You have 50 unallocated Avatar Points!]


    [You have uncollected Rewards!]<sub> </sub>


    ------------------


    Raven''s mouth opened wide, feeling as if his head was starting to spin.


    "Luck Cursed... Luck Enhancement... My increased Avatar Traits, those notifications at the bottom, and this weird power of mine... Just what exactly is happening here?"


    Puzzled, Raven waved his hand and quickly opened the description of his Avatar ss and his seemingly different Avatar Imprint.


    ---------------


    [Avatar ss: Luck Cursed]


    ? Description: A mysterious ss given to only those who are blessed and cursed with both luck and misfortune at the same time, granting you the ability to sense fortune and misfortune alike!


    <Avatar ss can change ording to your achievements both outside and inside Realm Games and Realm Domains!>


    ---------------


    ...


    ---------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck Enhancement]


    ? Layer: First


    ? Description: A power born from your past deeds, your gained ss, and the awakened yet still lingering potential within your blood!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Luck Energy Boost: Whenever you encounter or experience misfortune, your Luck Energy will get a 1% boost!


    ¡ã Luck Enhancement: You can enhance anyone''s/anything''s luck in exchange for Luck Energy and Mystique!


    <Luck Enhancement is highly dependent on the surroundings and the events urring during its activation!>


    ---------------


    ''...''


    Once reading everything, Raven remained standing in a daze, trying to figure out how things havee to all this.


    However, he couldn''t really think for a very long time as he soon sighed and shook his head.


    ''It''s needless to think about it now. I have better things to do first.''


    After saying that, Raven nced at his Traits, and pondering for a few seconds he quickly distributed his 50 Avatar Points.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 92 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 100 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 100 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 113 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 100 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 92 [20]


    ~~~


    ''Perfect.'' nodding with a soft smile, Raven shifted his gaze at thest notification and after a soft sigh, he opened it.


    ------------


    [All Rewards]


    /Challenge Rewards/


    - 50 Avatar Points to distribute freely!


    - 25 Random variety Avatar sks


    /Worlds'' sh First Round Rewards/


    - 25 Avatar sks of your choice! (Each granting 9 points!)


    - 30,000 Astral Cores


    - 3 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 3 Rune Pills


    /Bonus Rewards/


    - Avatar ss <Collected>


    - 2 Avatar Titles


    - 2,000 Astral Cores


    - Charged Backroom Key


    /Special Reward/


    - 2 High-Grade Healing Pill


    - 1 [UNIQUE] Relic


    - 2 Artifact Fragments


    ------------

 Chapter 102 Shocking Revelation

    Staring at the floating panel before his face, Raven leaned against the wall behind him and slowly drop down until he was sitting on his butt.


    ''So many rewards...'' Raven mumbled with disbelief and couldn''t help but recall the previous time he got so many rewards.


    It was after hepleted the Special Events, butpared to this one, that paled inparison.


    Let alone the 50 Avatar Points he had already allocated, causing the majority of his Traits to jump and reach 100 points in an instant, but now he can also collect 50 Avatar sks from which 25 will definitely grant him 9 points!


    And he could also use his Collector''s Gloves to double all those numbers!


    "This is just ridiculous " mumbling with daze, Raven was ready to collect all the sks when suddenly his fingers froze.


    ''No, I should not do it here.'' withdrawing his hand, Raven shook his head and sighed deeply.


    ''Although I don''t have a clear idea how it is possible, now that my Avatar Imprint had been changed, outside Realms my luck is once again equivalent to zero so trying to duplicate my rewards would be pointless.''


    And it was exactly because of this reason why that pipe broke and fell almost on his head. It was not a coincidence, it was just that he once again became extremely unlucky and everything around him wished to hurt him.


    Also, now that he was once again cursed with bad luck just as he was in the past, his ne possessed greater power than before, which can be only used within Realms. Thus, this was another reason why he should not do it now.


    Naturally, there was still the possibility of him trying to use this new Luck Enhancement of his on his Collector''s Glove, but with his less than 12% of Luck Energy it was also out of question.


    ''Then, the only thing I can do is...'' as Raven reached that point with his line of thought, he turned his head to the side where the end of this dark alley was and pushed himself up onto his feet.


    ''To find a Realm Domain.''


    With those words in mind, Raven walked to the edge of the alley and after taking a deep breath and making sure he had no mask on, he took a step forward.


    ''Ugh... So bright.'' raising his hand above his eyes as he was not yet used to the rays of sunlight, Raven blinked a few times and nced around.


    However, once he was able to see properly and the rays of sunlight didn''t hurt his eyes, he frozepletely.


    Flying vehicles in the sky,rge buildings with modern designs, tall skyscrapers, and most importantly... humans!


    With this, he was now 100% sure about it. He was back on Earth!


    ''However... Something has changed.'' Raven muttered and watched as a humanoid figure with characteristics akin to a bull walked right before him, its frame as tall as three meters!


    There was also a young woman with white wingsing out of her back, her figure drifting away in the sky slowly while her cold eyes stared at the people below her almost as if they were ants!


    And it was not just the two of them. There were many more, each having their own unique appearance.


    "Just what the hell happened here...?" Raven mumbled and was ready to start walking when suddenly someone yelled at him from the side.


    "Hey, brat! Watch out!"


    "Huh?"


    Raven had no time to react to see who yelled at him when suddenly he felt as if something strong crashed into him, sending his body flying like a ragdoll through the air!


    Bam!


    "A-Argh... Fuck man! You can''t see or what? This is a fucking bikene! You can''t just stand here and daze off as if you were on the beach!" cursing out loud, the man jumped onto his feet and looked at his bicycle.


    "You are fucking lucky it didn''t break, or else..." the man shifted his gaze at Raven with fury, however, when his gaze met his the words he wished to say next stuck in his throat.


    There, lying on the ground with his already messed up white suit, filled in holes and covered in both dust and dried-up blood, Raven stared at the man with eyes as sharp as two daggers.<sub> </sub>


    "...J-Just makes sure you watch out the next time." the man stuttered before he jumped onto his bicycle and dashed away almost as if his life depended on it.


    "Sigh..."


    Standing up with a heavy sigh, Raven patted his cloth once before he let out another heavy sigh and shook his head helplessly.


    ''It''s already beyond saving...''


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 1%!]


    ''Great...'' Raven showed a wry smile and began to walk, seemingly having a destination in hand.


    "Well... It seems a lot of things have changed in these three months that I have been away." Raven mumbled as he looked around, only now realizing that many things have changed.


    So many, that for a split second he even doubted he was really back on Earth. Luckily, however, because he recognized the tall buildings around him, that doubt vanished just as fast as it appeared.


    ''But still... It is crazy to think so many things were able to change in just three months. Just what exactly happened while I was away?'' wondering, Raven began to walk while examining everything around him with both awe and shock.


    And sure enough, after walking for close to fifteen minutes straight, he finally reached the location he was so familiar with.


    The Star Pce.


    ''So I am really in Nova City...'' Raven sighed with relief.


    "Breaking News! The ck Moon Guild has done it again! Another Crimson Gate had been conquered!"


    ''Huh? The ck Moon Guild?'' hearing the familiar name, Raven quickly shifted his gaze to the side where arge hologram floated above arge circr device.


    However, his eyes couldn''t even reach the section where they talked about his father''s guild as they were stuck on something he didn''t wish to ept.


    "No, no, no, no... This must be just a glitch!"


    Raven''s face paled almost as if he had just seen a ghost and quickly ran before the closest man to him.


    "What''s the date?"


    "E-Excuse me?"


    "The date... What is the date today?"


    The man felt confused by Raven''s question and even a little scared after seeing his clothes, but after seeing the grave expression on his face he swallowed nervously and spoke;


    "I-It''s the 26th of July..."


    "What year?" Raven immediately asked, the color of his face turning even paler than before.


    "It''s... It''s 2058."


    ''...''


    ''...Impossible.''


    * * * * *


    End of Volume 2.

 Chapter 103 Shaped World

    Raven stood still in one ce with a hollow expression, his body frozen like an ice sculpture. As for the man he had just asked as if he had been scared after seeing his ghostly pale expression of Raven, yelped and ran away.


    "No... No... No... This can''t be true." Raven mumbled with a ssy face which quickly turned nonchnt.


    Luckily, after spending a massive amount of time in that eternal darkness, he was able to learn how to control both his mind and emotions, hence allowing him to quickly calm himself down whenever he was on the verge of panicking or breaking down.


    That is just how strong his mental strength has truly be.


    "So it was not three months but three years... Three years trapped in that pitch ck darkness." Raven wished tough out, however, the only thing that came out of his mouth was a deep sigh.


    Now he understood. Now it all made sense. Now everything was as clear as day.


    Why was that every building, every device, and every vehicle around him looked more advanced than what he could remember?


    Why was it that people had inhuman appearances despite clearly being humans?


    Why was that everyone around him emitted a stronger aura, one that before he had been teleported away was never there?


    It was because everything has changed, and not in just 3 months but 3 years!


    3 years!


    That was an insanely tremendous amount of time...


    ''So that''s how it is...'' Raven showed a wry smile before ncing to the side.


    There, on a restaurant''s window, he could see his own reflection, one that except for his now golden iris didn''t seem to have aged at all.


    Wait... what?


    Golden eyes?


    Raven''s eyes widened and stepped before the window, leaning closer to it to get a better look. And sure enough, there it was, his iris as golden in color as a well-polished gold!


    And if he leaned even closer, he was able to notice how the edge of his iris had deep ck color, one that swirled and moved.


    They were the ck threads that drilled themselves into his eyes and now we''re a part of his iris!


    ''How did this happen?'' Raven wondered dumbfoundedly before he concluded that this was very likely the result of his seal getting broken.


    ''That vision... So it was truly a memory of mine?'' Raven ced a finger below his chin as he fell into deep thoughts.


    ''If that is truly the case, then does that mean those two individuals are... my parents? After all, although for just a split second but I could see the mark on that newborn''s cheeks. It was the same as mine.''


    ''However, if that is true, does that mean I am not a human but a... god? But I clearly am a human. I have not had any godly powers, only those that are given to me through this Avatar Status.''


    ''But let''s say I am truly the child of two eternal existences. Why did they send me here? They have talked about this oath and something about that only through me can they regain their freedom...''


    ''Also, which also was the most important, why was... Why was mother there? She was the one who brought me here onto Earth? But then does that means she is also a...''


    ''AAARRRGH! Too many questions yet no answers at all!''


    Raven clenched his teeth as he felt both powerless, helpless, and mostly... lost.<sub> </sub>


    Lost because he didn''t know what to believe in or what to think.


    "Sigh..." taking in a deep breath before exhaling heavily, Raven regained hisposure and turned around.


    Whatever may be the truth, all of that does not matter right now as it was pointless to think about them. On the other hand, finding Luna and his fat-, Old Dan was something that truly mattered at the moment.


    ''I wonder just what kind of faces they will make once they see me alive...'' Raven smiled bitterly and quickly began to walk.


    As he had no money at him nor could he ask anyone to help him, he had no choice but to walk back to Old Dan''s mansion.


    ''What a pain in the ass...'' Raven clicked his tongue a little annoyed, but shortly after he began to walk his steps came to a halt and his eyes widened.


    >|Zeusbridge|<


    ''Huh?''


    Raven raised a brow before looking at a young woman beside him and pointed at the sign that floated above a medium-sized circr tform.


    "Excuse me. What is that?"


    Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, the young woman looked at Raven indifferently, only to be dazzled a secondter.


    "Umm... Excuse me?" Raven was confused when he saw how the woman stared straight into his eyes, making him feel slightly ufortable.


    "E...Eh!? Oh... I apologize, what was the question... again?" snapping out of her daze with a blush on her face, the woman quickly asked Raven to repeat his question. However, when her eyes fell on his dress, which was full of holes and covered in dried-up blood, her face instantly paled.


    Ignoring the face she made after seeing his suit, Raven kept a straight face and pointed at the sign, "Over there. What is that thing?"


    "Huh? The Zeusbridge?" the woman although scared a little still became confused and exined, "That is the new teleportation device, Lord Wright''s recent creation. With it, one can easily travel from one ce to another in an instant."


    ''What?'' Raven was surprised for a split second before a grin formed on his face, ''So you havee this far already, huh?''


    Then he asked, "I see, and do I need to pay to use it?"


    "Unless you wish to traverse further away than 50 miles or if you are carrying more than one piece of luggage with you, you don''t have to pay anything."


    "I see, thank you very much." Raven nodded and quickly walked over to the circr device, only to realize the circr tform was diverted into two parts.


    One for departure and one for arrival.


    Obviously, he quickly stood on the former, immediately causing his body to be enveloped in white light while a robotic voice sounded from somewhere under his feet.


    "Destination?"


    ''Destination?'' Raven thought and pondered silently before his lips curved upward and stated, "ck Moon City."


    And just as he thought, the very moment he has spoken those three words, the white light around his body grew brighter until it swallowed himpletely.


    And a secondter, he found himself right before the doors of the ck Moon Guild, causing him to close his eyes and take a deep breath.


    "...I am back."

 Chapter 104 Luna; Silver Death (1)

    ck Moon City.


    In the past Old Dan told Raven this was how he wished to name the onepleted city around the headquarters of the ck Moon Guild, that is how Raven knew what to say when he used Zeusbridge.


    Of course, he didn''t know if there will be any Zeusbridge transit within ck Moon City but considering that Old Dan''s guild was on the top and the Zeusbridge was his creation, Raven was confident that at least there will be one.


    And his confidence turned out to be right.


    Standing in the center of arge tform that seemed to be right in front of the ck Moon Guild, Raven could see buildings towering toward the sky in great numbers.


    Restaurants, various facilities, ordinary houses, and other buildings stood beside the wide and long silver streets. It seemed in the three years he had been away, ck Moon City grew not only in size but also advanced in technology, just like Nova City.


    After looking around in a daze for a few seconds, Raven shifted his gaze toward the north where the upper level of arge mansion could be seen, right behind a wide and tall silver building that seemed to be a hotel.


    "It changed nothing at all" Raven began to smile when he first spotted Old Dan''s mansion, however, his smile quickly froze when the Zeusbridge below his feet lit up.


    ''Crap!'' having a bad premonition in his heart about what was happening, Raven wished to jump to the side, but it was already toote.


    With a white sh, a humanoid figure popped out of nowhere where he was just standing, causing him to be knocked over and fall to the ground.


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 1%!]


    "Oi! Are you okay, pal? I didn''t mean to hurt you, sorry."


    Surprised, a tall but skinny figure with sharp ck horns protruding out from his forehead extended his hand toward Raven, who at the momenty on the ground with his butt pointing toward the sky and face buried in the tform.


    "...I-Its okay. I''m fine. I shouldn''t have dazed around for too long." pushing himself up from the ground before epting the man''s hand, Raven rubbed his nose and showed a wry smile.


    The tall man looked at Raven with a weird look before he nodded and walked away.


    As for Raven, he did the same, fearing if he lingered even a second longer there he will not only bump his face into the ground again but broke his nose too!


    ''I should watch out more...'' Raven sighed inwardly, feeling a little depressed.


    However, it onlysted for a few seconds before his mood got elevated and his eyes began to flicker with awe. And not because of just how much ck Moon City has developed, but because almost above everything around him he could see those floating panels, just like the one he saw above the pipe back then!


    For example, not far away from him on the other side of the street, there was a little girl with a small balloon in her right hand while waving a fake but sharp sword in her left. And right above that pink balloon, a panel floated.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to burst: 66.173% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 3,300 units


    ----------------


    There was also an olddy walking right in front of him, in her hand was a staff that helped her walk properly.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to break: 32.93% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 7,400 units


    ----------------<sub> </sub>


    However, there was also one that was different from the rest. It floated right above a little puppy.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to die: 3.67% (Max: 64%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 39,600 units


    <Not Possible to Enhance!>


    <o>,m ----------------</o>


    ''Max 64%?'' Raven raised a brow, but then he seemed to figure out the reason.


    ''Luck Enhancement is highly dependent on the surroundings, that''s why.'' Raven thought as he looked around, and indeed there were very few things that could possibly kill that puppy.


    Of course, for those things to really kill the little animal, numerous "coincidences" needed to happen one after another, or if he used his Luck Enhancement to increase the chances of those "coincidences" with his Luck Energy.


    Furthermore, there was one major thing that Raven was able to learn in these few minutes while he reached the mansion.


    It seemed the floating panels didn''t appear everywhere and around everything, only around things that he looked at while also having an "impression" in his mind about it.


    For instance, the little girl with the balloon. When he looked at her balloon and saw how she waved her toy sword around, the first impression or thought was that the balloon that way will burst.


    The same went for the olddy. When he saw her leaning on that very aged-looking staff, the first thing he wondered about was just how long it willst before breaking.


    As for the dog... Well, it looked a little simr to the beast he killed back during his challenge, thus perhaps why the panel showed how high its chances to die were.


    ''And what if I think about it barking?'' Raven wondered, and soon enough, the panel above it really changed.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to bark: 96% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 700 units


    ----------------


    ''96% and it has yet to bark?'' Raven raised a brow as for him 96% was such a high percentage that with that amount the dog should have braked already.


    Yet, it didn''t.


    ''Weird... What if I do this?'' Raven thought and used 0.01 Energy Luck to manipte.


    "Woof!"


    A loud bark resounded the very next second, earning a flinch from the young man walking beside it.


    As for Raven, a deep frown was visible on his face, seemingly in deep thought. Then, his eyes widened and a sh of realization appeared on his face.


    "I see. So that''s how it is!"

 Chapter 105 Luna; Silver Death (2)

    ''So that''s how it is!'' Raven''s eyes flickered as he finally realized just how his Luck Maniption truly worked.


    First of all, the amount of percentage that he could manipte with his Luck Energy. Those didn''t show the current chances of things happening but instead the chances once he decided to manipte them.


    For instance, let''s say the little puppy''s barking from before. At the start, it showed that it had a 96% chance of barking, yet even after 5 minutes of waiting, it didn''t.


    And why was that? It was because that 96% chance only became 96% if he used his Luck Enhancement, meaning if he triggered the chances!


    This meant no matter how high or low the chances of something happening were if he didn''t use his Luck Energy they meant nothing!


    Even if he saw that something had a 99.99% chance of happening, until he didn''t activate his Luck Enhancement and alter that number even a tiny bit, the chances would not get triggered at all!


    ''Interesting.'' Raven thought with a small grin.


    At the start, he wondered why his ability was named Luck Enhancement and not Chance Enhancement. After all, at first nce, he was manipting the chances of given things happening. However, after thinking about a small while he realized that was not truly the case at all.


    And it was because while luck happened unnoticed and one couldn''t really react to it, ending up either as good luck or bad luck, chances happened under the sight of everyone, meaning one could control it to a limited degree.


    To put it simply, while luck is an ident chance is an incident. The former cannot be controlled and is inevitable while thetter is optional, something that depends on how one uses it.


    And exactly because of this why his ability was Luck Maniption and not Chance Maniption.


    He could manipte both his and others'' luck in a way where they could end up being bad or good luck!


    ''The only downside is that I have to experience bad luck myself to increase my Luck Energy.'' Raven sighed helplessly and shook his head just as he arrived before therge entrance of Old Dan''s mansion.


    ''Well, I will figure something about itter. First, I have something more important to do.'' Raven took a deep breath and took a step forward, entering therge garden of the mansion through the open gate.


    For strangers, doing something like this without permission would immediately result in grave consequences, but this was his home so it was fine.


    Of course, despite this, he still got weird looks from people behind him, some even starting to run toward the ck Moon Guild to report.


    ''Here goes nothing...'' taking a deep breath as he stood before the door, Raven raised his hand and pressed the button on the side.


    Immediately after he did, he could hear the ring, and soon enough the silhouette of a figure was seen walking toward the door.


    "I deeply apologize, but I don''t remember that we should be waiting for any gue-" as the door opened Thomas'' figure with a cup of tea in hand appeared, his body instantly bing as stiff as a rock when his gaze fell on Raven.


    "Strawberry tea? It seems even after all these years you still love drinking it, huh?" Raven smiled softly, causing Thomas'' body to start to tremble and the cup to fall out of his hand.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to avoid it from shattering: 2.007% (Max: 22%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 77,900 units


    <Not Possible to Manipte!>


    ----------------<sub> </sub>


    ''Sigh...'' closing his eyes when seeing the panel, Raven sighed and listened helplessly as the beautiful jade cup, which was Thomas'' favorite, shattered into pieces on the ground.


    However, as if not caring about what happened just now, Thomas took a step forward and with trembling hands held Raven''s shoulder.


    "Y-Y-Young Master Raven... Y-You... You are alive..."


    Watching as tears began to flow down Thomas'' cheeks Raven felt his heart clench in pain and smiled wryly.


    "Yeah... I am."


    "Thomas! What happened? What was that sound just... now?" suddenly, another figure was seen popping out from behind Thomas, who at this moment seemed to struggle to keep his tears back but failed to do so.


    And just like how Thomas did, this figure also froze up, disbelief visible within his trembling eyes.


    Upon seeing the massive frame of this figure, Raven''s smile turned even more bitter than before.


    "...Dad. I am home."


    -


    -


    -


    Sitting inside the living that seemed to have not changed even a bit in the past 3 years, Raven, now in a fresh new and clean dress looked at the two figures in front of him, one sitting while the other one standing.


    Of course, it was needless to say these two were his father, or at least the one on Earth, Old Dan, and Thomas, the butler who took care of him ever since he knew himself.


    ''They have changed a lot too.'' Raven thought to himself as he examined both.


    First of all, the biggest change was present in Old Dan. In the past, because of his Artifact, his body underwent a huge change, bing extremely muscr. However, now that changed too.


    If in the past he looked like a professional bodybuilder now he looked like a gori on human skin, looking both intimidating, handsome, and fricking handsome!


    On the other hand, while Thomas looked exactly the same as in the past, with the slight differences of a few scar marks on his face, neck, and arms, Raven could also see how he wore numerous jewels and essories.


    Bracelets, nes, earrings, stylish gloves, and even small piercings, ones that boosted his charm a lot.


    ''Relics, huh?'' Raven didn''t need a lot of time to figure out why Thomas wore so many shiny things.


    However, even all these changes were not what made Raven surprised the most, but instead their aura. The aura around them felt insanely immense and strong, stronger than Paloma''s.


    ''I wonder what their Rank truly is.'' Raven pondered silently.


    After all, if humans could reach an average of Rank 4 in just a single month, just how far were they able to go in three entire years?


    Although a little nervous, Raven couldn''t wait to find it out.

 Chapter 106 Luna; Silver Death (3)

    The three of them sat in silence, seemingly none of them wanting to break the stillness in the room. However, this onlysted until Old Dan didn''t lean forward and ced his hands on his thigh.


    "...You haven''t changed at all. You look exactly just as I havest seen you. Well, except... that." Old Dan spoke calmly, clearly indicating at Raven''s golden eyes that flickered like two golden suns.


    "I would like to say the same, but unfortunately I can''t, dad." Ravenughed with a wry smile, earning a soft smile from both Old Dan and Thomas.


    Indeed, Old Dan has changed massively since thest time Raven had seen him.


    "Anyways... Can you please exin to us what happened? After you have jumped into that pit you have just vanished into empty air without any sign of showing up again."


    Raven nodded but instead of exining the things right away he asked, "Can we make this room soundproof?"


    Old Dan raised an eyebrow as he didn''t really understand why Raven asked about something like this, but seeing the grave expression he nodded and asked Thomas to activate the soundproof function that had been installed in the mansion several years ago yet had been used only once.


    "Thank you." Raven sighed and began to speak, "Before I tell you everything, I wish to ask something. How did you all survive? No, instead what happened with that Rotrid?"


    Although Raven had a guess he wished to hear it from someone who witnessed it with their own two eyes.


    "The Rotrid? You mean Paloma?" Old Dan mumbled and after frowning with confusion he asked, "Wasn''t you the one who killed her?"


    "Huh? No." Raven shook his head which further deepened the scowl on Old Dan''s and even on Thomas'' faces.


    "Hmm..." humming quietly Old Dan quickly took out his phone and after searching on it for a little while he ced it on the table between him and Raven.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, a hologram appeared floating in mid-air right above the table, showing the scene where Raven jumped off of the cliff into the empty pit, followed by Paloma closely after him not even a secondter.


    Raven watched as his figure descended into the seemingly empty pit rapidly, only to vanish into thin air the next second while Paloma just exploded into bits of flesh and shredded organs!


    ''As I have thought... Whatever that ck pir of light was, it was only harmless to me. Everyone else touching it oring into contact with it would die right away.''


    While Raven pondered Old Dan put his phone away and said, "We and everyone else thought at that time you have used a unique Artifact to defeat Paloma, but considering your previous reaction it is not the case."


    "Yeah." Raven nodded and after taking a deep breath he exined everything, not hiding a thing from Old Dan and Thomas.


    In the whole world Raven only trusted 3 people wholeheartedly with two being already before him while the third one seemingly being away on a mission ording to what he heard.


    That someone, it was needless to say, was Luna.


    Raven talked for over half an hour straight with a calm face while Old Dan and Thomas looked more dazed the longer they listened.


    "...This seal. Is the reason why your eyes turned golden." Old Dan asked to which Raven nodded.


    "I think so, yes."


    "And now that this seal is broken, your status had been modified and you have been granted a unique power?" Old Dan asked.


    "Yes. It is called Luck Enhancement. It seems I can increase the chances of things happening, attaining the power to alter one''s luck either in a good or bad way."<sub> </sub>


    Old Dan and Thomas looked at each other before the former swallowed nervously and asked, "Can... Can you show us how it works?"


    Raven nodded and looked around the room before his eyes shifted to the side where he could see two kids ying with a ser ball on the street while a third kid watched them with jealousy. l and anger.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances for the ball to shatter the window: 99% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 13.05%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Maniption: 100 units


    ----------------


    After seeing the panel, Raven pointed there and said, "What do you think, just how high is the chance for that ser ball breaking this window?"


    Old Dan followed Raven''s finger and raised a brow.


    "Well, considering how high this mansion''s fence is and how far away they are, I would say pretty much zero."


    "Zero?" Raven raised a brow but soon smiled as if he wouldn''t have possessed his Luck Maniption he would have said the same thing.


    After all, while it was true that the ser ball could be kicked at the mansion above the fence, it was very unlikely it wouldnd exactly in a way that it would shatter the window.


    One had to literally kick the ball with all their strength to even get the chance to break the window!


    "Then I apologize beforehand." Raven kept his smile, confusing both Old Dan and Thomas before he activated his Luck Maniption and used 0.5% Luck Energy.


    And in that very moment he did, the kid who all this time just sat around idly suddenly jumped onto his feet and with fury in his eyes run at the rolling ser ball before kicking it with all his might.


    And a secondter...


    Smash!


    With a loud burst, the window several meters away from Raven exploded, sending shattered sses in every direction while the ser ball bounced on the floor and...


    Bam!


    With a speed that didn''t let Raven react in time hence why he kept smiling, the ball flew through the living room and struck Raven right in the face, sending his body flying off the couch in an instant!


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 1%!]


    [Total Luck Energy: 14%]


    ''...''


    ''...''

 Chapter 107 Luna; Silver Death (4)

    The small ser ball bounced on the floor a few times beforeing to aplete stop while Raven, with a bleeding nose,y on the ground with a dazed expression.


    As for both Old Dan and Thomas, they just stared back and forth between Raven, the ball, and the shattered window on the side with stupified faces.


    "Y-Young Master! Are you okay?" being the first one to snap out of his daze, Thomas ran beside Raven and helped him up.


    "Yeah, I am fine. Thank you for the concern." holding his nose Raven showed a wry smile before he shifted his gaze at the fragments of shattered ss on the floor.


    ''Interesting... So I can raise my Luck Energy even this way?'' Raven thought, seemingly figuring out a way to increase his Luck Energy faster than originally!


    ''So if I use my Luck Maniption to increase the bad luck for others, which will also affect myself thanks to my insanely cursed luck, I can increase my Luck Energy.''


    However, that didn''t mean he could increase his Luck Energy everywhere. After all, as he had said, for his Luck Energy to be increased he needs to use his Luck Maniption, which also needed Luck Energy. Thus, it was very important to use his powers on things that had a high chance to happen that can be triggered with a minimal amount of Luck Energy!


    "So that was the power you have just talked about. The ability to manipte chances?" picking up the ball from the floor, Old Dan looked at Raven with a questioning look.


    "While it is true that I can increase the chances of given things happening, their impacts will result in either bad luck or a good look in the eyes of others," Raven exined calmly and pointed at the ball in Old Dan''s hand.


    "For instance, if I would have not told you what my ability was and what it could do, yet the same thing would have still happened, you would have been thinking just how bad your luck was."


    "So that is why it is better to say that what I truly manipte is not chances of things happening but instead the luck of others in either a good way or bad way."


    Old Dan remained silent and after pondering he nodded, seemingly only now understanding Raven''s power.


    "Anyways, as it is because of me that all of this happened, I will definitely pa-" Raven began to speak, however, he was quickly silenced by Old Dan.


    "Just forget about it. Thomas will take care of it."


    "But..."


    "I said just forget about it." Old Dan said and after handing Thomas the ball and asking him to take care of everything, he said, "Instead, let''s continue our conversation in my office, shall we?"


    "...Okay." knowing why his father said such things Raven nodded and followed after him while Thomas remained behind to clean up the mess and hand the ball back to the kids.


    Once inside the office, Old Dan looked at Raven and after pondering silently he said, "You have said after your seal had been broken, you saw a memory."


    "Yes, I did." Raven nodded and told his father everything which further deepened Old Dan''s shock.


    Of course, Raven missed out on the part on purpose where those two individuals mentioned how their blood flowed through his veins or that the newborn was him. In fact, he didn''t even mention the newborn for specific reasons.<sub> </sub>


    And once he finished talking Raven asked, "Dad, I have a question."


    "H-Huh? Sure, go ahead."


    "It''s about mum. How did the two of you meet?"


    Upon hearing this, Old Dan scowled deeply but still decided to reply with a nonchnt face, "That, I have already told you before. She and I met in a restaurant not shortly after I found you. Perhaps by fate."


    ''Figured.'' Raven sighed inwardly before he sighed and asked, "And have you ever thought about that perhaps the encounter of the two of you was... by coincidence not by fate?"


    The frown only deepened on Old Dan''s face and said, "I don''t get where you are trying to go with all this."


    Raven sighed again and with a grave face he said, "That third individual was... mother."


    "WHAT!?" jumping up from his seat Old Dan stared at Raven with both concussions, his eyes trembling visibly.


    ''So he really knew nothing, huh?'' Raven instantly concluded before confusion shed in his eyes.


    ''However, if that is the truth it just makes things even moreplicated. While I can understand her getting engaged with dad to protect me, why did she give birth to a child? Did she, a goddess, really fall in love with a mortal, or is this also just a "coincidence"?''


    And again, more and more questions appeared in Raven''s head without either of them getting any answer.


    While Raven pondered silently Old Dan seemed to calm down and sit back down. However, from the way he held his chin, Raven knew he was in deep thought.


    "... Anyways, that is everything I have seen and gone through." Raven then said before asking, "Now it is your turn to tell me everything. I am pretty sure a lot of things have happened in these past 3 years."


    Coming back to his senses Old Dan forced his slightly chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind and with a solemn face began to tell Raven everything.


    And indeed, just as Raven had guessed many things have happened, from which the least shocking was the average Rank a human had.


    It seemed throughout these three years every human grew in strength tremendous with the average Rank being between Rank 40 and Rank 45 while the strongest individual currently on Earth possessed a strength equivalent to over Rank 60!


    It was just simply ridiculous to think about it.


    ''And here I thought with almost all of my Traits above 100 points I was still at the apex among humans...'' Raven thought bitterly, only just now realizing just how utterly weak he was in this current world.

 Chapter 108 Luna; Silver Death (5-Last)

    After talking with Dan for several hours straight Raven was able to learn many things except for the average Rank of humans.


    First of all, it turned out that during his fight with Paloma the world was on the verge of total annihtion and chaos broke out everywhere. Things have escted to such heights that almost 70% of the world was engulfed in blood and mayhem!


    However, when Raven "killed" Paloma earning humanity to win their first World''s sh challenge, everything slowly began to calm down and in just over a month everything was back under control and at peace.


    Naturally, because of his victory, Raven became a legendary hero in the eyes of people to the point where statues representing his alias had been erected at numerous points on Earth, and anyone who tried to impersonate him while being a fake would end up severely punished!


    That''s just how much respect, honor, and admiration did he acquire just by defeating a single enemy.


    A feat that saved the lives of billions!


    After that, the world slowly began to change mainly because of the influence of Realm Gates and Realm Domains.


    The Realm Association began to gain more and more power every passing day while thepetition between guilds started to thrive rapidly, their rivalry primarily focusing on which one of them couldplete more Realm Games and clear more Realm Domains.


    There was alsopetition about who could umte more wealth, conquering Realm Domainspletely which meant clearing a specific Realm Domain three times and obtaining the Realm Core residing within, and recruiting talents with each day, increasing both their influence and manpower.


    Considering all of these and some minor ones, Raven learned from Old Dan that currently, ck Moon Guild was still at the very top with two other Guilds, the Immortal Guild and Hollowsmith Guild.


    ''So she came this far, huh?'' a small smile appeared on Raven''s face when he heard the Immortal Guild''s name.


    However, Raven was told that although their guild was at the top they didn''t have the most influence in the world when it came to Realm Domains, but the five Realm Families!


    ording to Old Dan, in the past, these five families already had a massive influence thanks to their wealth and many other things, but during and after the chaos they were able to live with various opportunities that pushed them to greater heights.


    Such heights where their individual strength, wealth, and influence alone could rival the entire Realm Association with ease!


    ''To think so much has changed...'' Raven sighed inwardly and shook his head as all of these things were just the tip of the iceberg!


    There was the news about two new gates appearing, red-colored Realm Gates known as Crimson Gates and ck-colored Realm Gates known as Cmity Gates, each varying in Rank Requirements and Difficulty!


    There were also things such as some Artifacts influencing people''s characteristics hence why some looked like humanoid monsters, or things about a few people acquiring their Avatar ss, which in truth except for a unique name gave no benefits at all.


    This piece of information naturally confused Raven as his Avatar ss was different as it granted him the ability to sense the luck of others.


    "Talking about Avatar ss, Luna was also lucky and hardworking enough to acquire one for herself." Old Dan said, his face holding a proud smile at the moment.


    "Really?" Raven asked, curious to know what Luna''s Avatar ss was. After all, one''s Avatar ss gave one a hint about a person''s abilities and strengths.<sub> </sub>


    "Her Avatar ss is called Silver Death."


    ''...''


    Raven became silent, his face bing slightly pale.


    Silver Death... Knowing just what her Artifact was and what its unique ability was, Raven could easily fathom just what kind of powerhouse her little sister was.


    Wait... Little sister? It felt weird saying that, after all, while it was true he went missing for 3 years he didn''t age at all while she did.


    It literally made her 22 years old while he still was 20!


    ''Well, although it is a little confusing, technically she is still my little sister.'' Raven smiled bitterly before his face turned calm and asked, "When will she be back?"


    "Currently she is clearing a Realm Domain that once belonged to a Blue Realm Gate with five ring marks so she must be back in three to four days."


    "Ring marks?" Raven raised a brow but quickly realized what Old Dan meant by that.


    Ring Marks. They were small ring-shaped symbols on the surface of Realm Gates, representing the Rank Requirements.


    For instance, 1 ring mark meant a Rank Requirement between Rank 1 and Rank 10 while five ring marks implied a Rank Requirement between Rank 40 and Rank 50.


    "I see, so she is clearing a Realm Domain that requires one being at least a Rank 40..." Raven mumbled quietly, feeling a little nervous just by imaging what kind of abominations lurked in such a domain.


    Hell, not only that, just how strong was a Rank 40 too? Considering just how fast he could run and how easily could he shatter boulders with bare fists with only being Rank 10, he could hardly imagine the strength of someone above Rank 40.


    Would they run as fast as the fastest trains on Earth and st mountains with punches? Although it was hard to believe, after thinking about it Raven didn''t really think it was something impossible.


    "...Rank 40, huh?" Raven mumbled and after pondering for a while he asked, "Where is the closest Realm Domain from us?"


    "It''s about a few miles away from here. But why? Don''t you want to visit your sister and surprise her?" Old Dan asked, slightly confused.


    "I can already imagine her face after she sees you. In fact, exactly because of that reason why we have yet to inform her about your arrival."


    Raven sighed and said, "I will visit her, but before that, I wish to do something."


    And as he said those words Raven brought up the panel listing he has yet to be collected rewards, massively shocking Old Dan.

 Chapter 109 Domain Mutation (1)

    While sitting inside a vehicle as it flew through the air with great speed, making the scenery outside turn into a blur, Raven stared at a floating panel in front of him with a nonchnt expression.


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: Savior]


    ? Status: Inactive


    ? Description: An incredibly rare and special title given only to those who are worthy enough of it.


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  Single Passive Effect: All of your Traits will be increased by +10!


    -> First Active Effect: The closer you get to victory, the faster and stronger your strikes will be!


    -> Second Active Effect: The more people witness your fight the faster your vigor and essence regenerates!


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    ...


    -----------------------


    [Avatar Title: World Destroyer]


    ? Status: Inactive


    ? Description: Forced to fight for billions, this Title is given only to those who seeded in sending another world to the pit of hell, annihting them.


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ->  Single Active Effect: Fighting against other beings that hail from another race, all of your Traits get increased by +20! If you seed in drawing blood and iming their lives, all of your Traits get increased by +5 permanently!


    <You can change your Titles at any time!>


    -----------------------


    ''...''


    Examining the two Avatar Traits he has gotten, Raven pondered silently and tried topare both of them with his currently active one.


    ''While both of them grant unique effects they are not good enough to use them. Or at least not right not.'' Raven thought as he waved his hand and made the panels vanish.


    After traveling for close to 10 minutes the vehicle finally came to a stop, allowing Raven to see where he had been brought.


    Currently, he was standing in front of arge corn field with only a path visibly leading the way toward an abandoned farmhouse in the distance.


    "This Realm Domain once belonged to a Heaven Gate with a two-ring mark. It is also a Harvester-type Domain where the beasts'' numbers are low but the amount of loot we can get is high." Old Dan exined calmly as he stepped out of the vehicle also.


    ''Heaven Gate and Azure Gate, the former one given to white Realm Gates while thetter given to blue Realm Gates.'' Raven thought, recalling things he has learned from Old Dan.


    He also got to learn that now Domains were categorized into different types, depending on theiryout, environment, and the ratio of goods and creatures found within.


    Considering all that there were all kinds of Realm Domains such as Labyrinth-type Domains, Dungeon-type Domains, or Harvester-type Domains.


    Naturally, various Realm Domains were extremely dangerous to enter such as Void-type Domain, Trap-type Domain, or Illusion-Type Domains, but luckily these types of Realm Domains were very rare.


    ''Well, considering my bad luck it is just a matter of time before I encounter one by "ident", right?'' Ravenughed bitterly inside as he took a step forward and entered the domain.


    However, to his surprise, different from the other Realm Domains that he entered in the past, the moment he walked through the almost invisible barrier of the Realm Domain the scenery in front of him didn''t change at all.


    Everything remained as it was from the outside, including the abandoned farmhouse in the distance and the vast cornfield everywhere around him.


    "Although it is true this Realm Domain is a Harvester-type Domain there are still creatures lurking around here, mainly inside the cornfield." Old Dan exined as he stood still and looked around with a calm gaze.


    "We are perfectly fine here. There is no point in going any deeper." Raven said nonchntly as he summoned his Collector''s Gloves and opened his panel.


    ------------


    [All Rewards]


    /Challenge Rewards/


    - 25 Random variety Avatar sks<sub> </sub>


    /Worlds'' sh First Round Rewards/


    - 25 Avatar sks of your choice! (Each granting 9 points!)


    - 30,000 Astral Cores


    - 3 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 3 Rune Pills


    /Bonus Rewards/


    - 2,000 Astral Cores


    - Charged Backroom Key


    /Special Reward/


    - 2 High-Grade Healing Pill


    - 1 [UNIQUE] Relic


    - 2 Artifact Fragments


    ------------


    "I will start now," Raven said calmly and the very first thing he did to collect the 25 random Avatar sks.


    However, when he did, something he didn''t expect to see happen.


    [Because of your Avatar Title: The Blessed Prodigy your Reward had been doubled!]


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, numerous bottles appeared on the ground before Raven''s feet, their number being 50 instead of 25!


    "What!?" both Raven''s and Old Dan''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ''So my rewards were not doubled already!?'' Raven felt shocked as he thought those rewards he saw were already doubles because of his Title.


    But it seemed they weren''t!


    "14 bottles of Vitality, 9 bottles of Mystique, 11 bottles of Strength, 7 bottles of Speed, 4 bottles of Constitution, and 5 bottles of Dexterity... This is just ridiculous." Old Dan mumbled, looking at the massive amounts of Avatar sks before him in a daze.


    Raven swallowed nervously also before a grin materialized on his face, "Which will get almost doubled right now."


    "Huh? Oh... Right..."


    Whoosh!


    Doubling those above 5 and enhancing those below that, Raven used his Collector''s Gloves and in a sh the 50 Avatar sk increased in number, reaching 78 in amount with each of them giving at least 6 points!


    "Now I have to drink all of them, huh?" Raven swallowed scarcely with an excited smile and after taking a deep breath began to gulp down the content of each bottle.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 211 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 220 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 198 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 213 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 159 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 203 [20]


    ~~~


    "Urgh..." after chugging down thest Dexterity sk Raven felt something in his chest burn for a few seconds, giving him a feeling almost as if he was ignited from within before that sensation vanished and what reced it was spreading warmness.


    ''This sensation...'' Raven felt a little surprised before a panel popped up before his face, earning a soft grin to appear on his face.


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 100 points!]


    [Congrattions! You will be now given your second Avatar Imprint!]

 Chapter 110 Domain Mutation (2-Last)

    [Congrattions! Avatar Imprint: Cursed Luck Boost acquired!]


    Upon seeing the floating panel before his face Raven raised a brow and waved his hand, summoning the newly acquire Avatar Imprint.


    Whoosh!


    ---------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck Energy Booster]


    ? Layer: Second


    ? Description: A power born from your past deeds, your gained ss, and the awakened yet still lingering potential within your blood!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Advanced Luck Energy Boost: Whenever you encounter or experience misfortune, your Luck Energy will get a 4% boost!


    ¡ã Special Luck Energy Boost: Whenever you encounter or experience misfortune through which you had been harmed, your Luck Energy will get a 5% boost!


    <Effect ''Luck Boost'' and Effect ''Advanced Luck Boost'' will activate at the same time!>


    ---------------


    ''Now this is something I like to see.'' Raven''s grin only widened as with this Avatar Imprint his Luck Energy could umte way faster than before.


    After examining his Avatar Imprint for a second longer, Raven directed his gaze back at the list of rewards.


    ''25 Avatar sks of my choice, huh?'' Raven touched his chin and after pondering for a while he decided to collect it.


    [Because of your Avatar Title: The Blessed Prodigy your Reward had been doubled!]


    Whoosh!


    --------------


    [Please select your Avatar sks!]


    ¡ã Vitality sk: 0


    ¡ã Mystique sk: 0


    ¡ã Strength sk: 0


    ¡ã Constitution sk: 0


    ¡ã Dexterity sk: 0


    <The number of sks you can choose: 50>


    --------------


    ''Hmm..." Raven began to ponder silently before he began to ce numbers beside each Trait.


    Then, once he confirmed it, causing 50 bottles to pop out of thin air once again, he used his gloves to double them without a second thought!


    In a sh, 100 bottlesy before Raven''s feet, each having the ability to increase one''s Trait by 9!


    "That glove of yours... I don''t even understand how something like that heaven-defying could even possibly exist." Old Dan sighed as he shook his head helplessly to which Raven just smiled and picked up the first bottle.


    Of course, his Collector''s Gloves looked ridiculously overpowered. It was because he was the one who used it with the help of his ne.  If he were to give it to anyone else they would quickly realize that, in truth, it was good for nothing and was just a piece of trash!


    Raven began to drink one bottle after another, and after spending close to 10 minutes doing nothing but drinking he finally swallowed the content of thest bottle!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 330 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 435 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 330 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 350 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 330 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 330 [20]


    ~~~


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 200 points!]<sub> </sub>


    [Congrattions! You will be now given your third Avatar Imprint!]


    [Congrattions! Avatar Imprint: Luck Energy Regeneration acquired!]


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 300 points!]


    [Congrattions! You will be now given your fourth Avatar Imprint!]


    [Congrattions! Avatar Imprint: Cursed Luck acquired!]


    ---------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Luck Energy Regeneration]


    ? Layer: Third


    ? Description: A power born from your past deeds, your gained ss, and the awakened yet still lingering potential within your blood!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Luck Energy Regeneration: Your Luck Energy gets increased by 0.25% every hour!


    ---------------


    ...


    ---------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Cursed Luck]


    ? Layer: Fourth


    ? Description: A power born from your previous Layer, your gained ss, and the awakened yet still lingering potential within your blood!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Advanced Luck Energy Regeneration: Your Luck Energy gets increased by 0.75% every hour!


    ¡ã Cursed Luck: Whenever you encounter or experience any form of fortune, misfortune will follow suit shortly after. The same effect applies the other way around!


    ---------------


    ''So my Luck Energy will be increased by 1% every hour? That is amazing!'' excitement shed within Raven''s eyes which quickly vanished once he spotted thest Effect.


    "Cursed Luck..." Raven mumbled quietly, feeling as if something ominous was growing stronger within his heart.


    And sure enough, it didn''t need a second to see how that feeling turned into reality!


    TREMBLE!!!


    "W-What is happening?" staggering a little Raven looked around with a stupified expression while Old Dan on his side paled.


    "Domain Mutation..."


    Immidieatly after he said those words, another tremor swept through the domain, and under the confused gaze of Raven and the grimplexion of Old Dan the sky, which in truth was the Domain''s barrier, turned blood red while powerful wind started to blow from every direction almost as if a storm was approaching!


    "Domain Mutation? What is that?" raising his hand before his face, Raven looked at Old Dan hoping to find answers.


    "Domain Mutation is an exceptionally rare phenomenon where the Realm Domain transforms and everything inside it mutates! The creatures thrive in strength and number, the environment bes more dangerous andplex, while the loot also bes better." Old Dan exined loudly because of the whistling wind.


    "The creatures... Just how strong will they be?" Raven asked as he suddenly spotted something tall approaching their location from the cornfield.


    "It always differs. Sometimes their strength increases by a few Ranks, however, there are asions where they rise several Ranks! The biggest Rank growth recorded during a Domain Mutation was a jump of 23!"


    "23!?" Raven''s eyes widened and as he realized they were in a Domain where creatures had an average of Rank 26 he quickly said, "We have to get out of here!"


    However, Old Dan shook his head and with a bitter smile pointed out, "We can''t. Once a Realm Domain starts to mutate it will immediately be a Trap-type Domain temporarily. Once entered, no one can leave."


    "So we will just stay here and wait?" Raven asked, knowing that was the worst thing they could do now.


    ''Why the hell did I get such an Avatar Imprint?! It literally is a double-edged sword!''


    Raven clenched his teeth as he had already figured out that the way his Avatar Imprints worked differed from others. While others could only use their Avatar Imprints outside Realms, he could use them both outside and inside of Realm Domains and Realm Games!


    He didn''t know how or why, but this was also something that he gained after his seal was broken.


    ''Well, what already happened can no longer be changed so...'' Raven took a deep breath, and once he summoned his weapon into his grasp he fixed his indifferent gaze at the approaching figure within the corn-field.

 Chapter 111 Watchers

    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 5%!]


    Raven stood motionlessly on the only clear path within the Realm Domain, his indifferent gaze staring coldly at the approaching figure among the tall crops with his dagger flickering with coldness under the crimson light.


    "What the hell is that thing?" raising his weapon scarcely as his dark hair and clothes fluttered wildly in the strong wind, Raven squinted his eyes.


    The figure in the cornfield was by no means small. Even from where Raven stood, which was about a hundred meters away, the creature looked incredibly tall, very likely having a height above three meters!


    As for its appearance, it looked insanely dreadful. The skin on its face was akin to a sack, its mouth was sewn shut with strings and stitches while where its eyes should have been there being only two gaping empty eye sockets filled with worms and maggots!


    Moreover, it also had insanely long hands made out of straws covered in shredded flesh that oozed blood almost infinitely. And to make its already gruesome image even more horrifying, the way it approached him looked almost as if it didn''t walk at all!


    It looked as though it just stood in one ce, gazing at him from afar, yet at the same time not!


    It was truly a sight that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    "They are called the Watchers. Before the Domain Mutation, they liked to lurk after others and only attacked if their prey was alone or got lost from their group."


    "Also, in the past, they had a very low Rank of 27, however assuming from the aura of this one, I must assume it should be between Rank 39 and Rank 42.'' Old Dan exined calmly, his gaze quickly spotting another Watcher.


    "Any special powers or characteristics?" Raven asked as he tightened his grip around the hilt of his dagger.


    "They have." Old Dan nodded and quickly exined, "Watchers although being incredibly slow if they catch up with you andnd a blow you are as good as dead. Their ability is called Soul Shred."


    "Soul Shred?" Raven frowned.


    "Yes. It is an ability that allows them to damage their prey''s soul directly if they injure them. Just a small scratch on your shoulder is enough to make you feel as if your entire arm had been torn off!"


    "That is quite a terrifying ability," Raven mumbled calmly, his gaze and posture not at all shaken after hearing what these Watchers could do.


    It seemed his tempered mind now yed a huge role to keep him calm and collected.


    "It seems there is a total of 7 Watchers. This is not good at all..." Old Dan clicked his tongue from irritation, knowing way too well that even with his Rank 41 this will be a dire battle not to mention for Raven.


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve activated!]


    [5 Random Avatar Traits will be increased +50!]


    [Title: The Blessed Prodigy First Effect had been triggered!]


    [All Avatar Traits +10!]


    Feeling as his Traits jumped by 60 points in an instant, a confident and at the same time cold smile formed on Raven''s face, and quickly summoned his Monarch''s Crown.


    "I will take care of them."


    Old Dan was confused when he heard Raven saying those words, but even before he could have said anything Raven turned into a blur, appearing right before the closest Watcher with his dagger already swung at its abdomen.


    Swish!


    Crack!


    With a sound that was akin to breaking a tree branch in two, the Watcher, which was ready to swing its insanely long hand at Raven, suddenly froze and fell to the ground in two pieces.


    ''A clean cut.'' Raven thought calmly while deep inside he was shocked beyond words.


    This speed and force just now... So this was how it felt moving and attacking someone with a Rank above 40?


    This was just simply too absurd!


    Even the ground where he stood a moment ago had cracked and turned into a medium-sized crater, that''s just how much momentum and force he could put into his leg in less than 1 second!


    ''I should start training again and refine my strength.'' Raven took a mental note and was ready to target the next Watcher when something unexpected happened.<sub> </sub>


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 40 Watcher!]


    [Your Mystique has increased by +2!]


    ''Huh?'' Raven felt confused, however, the next second he was forced to snap out of his daze as a sharp w flew straight at his throat from the side, belonging it to another Watcher that hid and lurked in the corn-field all this time.


    However, as he had dozed off and the attack had already been an inch away from his, while he had the chance to avoid it, he couldn''t do itpletely without sustaining at least a small scratch.


    And considering what these creatures'' ability was, that small scratch could be just as lethal as a dagger straight into his heart!


    But luckily, he had n B to save himself.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to safely avoid: 92.4% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 19%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 1,930 units


    ----------------


    Upon seeing the panel above the w of the Watcher, Raven didn''t hesitate at all and increased the chances by 7%.


    And just as he did, something shed in the corner of his mouth, and even before he could have blinked twice the hand of the Watcher was cleanly cut off, giving him the chance to avoid it safely!


    "If you doze off you are as good as dead, brat! Nowe and help me, will you?" in the distance surrounded by 3 Watchers while dodging their deadly ws, Old Dan shouted at Raven loudly.


    Looking at the small sharp object on the ground beside the cleanly severed arm that looked like a throwing star, Raven tightened his grip around his dagger and swung it.


    Swish!


    Paff!


    Once the Watcher that wished to see him dead was beheaded, causing his Vitality to increase by 2, Raven picked the throwing star up and nced at the three Watchers surrounding Old Dan.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to kill all enemies with one throw: 6.882% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 12%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 56,900 units


    <Not Possible to Manipte!>


    ----------------


    ''Tsk...'' clicking his tongue in frustration Raven threw the throwing star at the closest Watcher to him and quickly ran toward Old Dan.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 40 Watcher!]


    [Your Mystique has increased by +2!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 40 Watcher!]


    [Your Constitution has increased by +2!]


    [Congrattions! You have...]


    And just like that, all the Watchers had been killed.

 Chapter 112 Artifact Fragments

    "...That was just too close." wiping away the cold sweat from his forehead, Old Dan straightened his posture and looked at the still crimson sky.


    "It seems the mutation willst a little while longer so we have to wait."


    "Why don''t we just go and fetch the Realm Core?" Raven asked as he knew that way they would be able to leave this ce sooner.


    However, Old Dan just shook his head.


    "We can''t. First of all, this Realm Domain has already Evolved twice, meaning if we collect the Realm Core it will copse and the Realm Domain will vanish forever."


    "Secondly, while it is easy to say to collect the Realm Core, just because this domain is a Harvester-type of Domain it''s center still holdsrge dangers. In fact, within this whole domain, most Watchers are wandering around the Realm Core. With our current situation, it would be foolish for us to attempt collecting the Realm Core."


    Then, after taking a soft breath, he continued, "Lastly, without the Realm Association''s permission, we cannot collect the Realm Core, especially not because it is, once again, a Harvester-type Domain from whererge amounts of resources are collected monthly."


    "Then we will wait here?" Raven raised a brow.


    "Unless you have a special Relic that can let us leave we have no other choice." Old Dan shrugged.


    Raven upon seeing his father''s casual shrug and sighed before he decided to continue to collect his remaining rewards.


    ''128,000 Astral Cores, 12 Rune Pills, 12 Middle Piece Artifact Crystals, 8 High-Grade Healing Pills, 8 Artifact Fragments, and 1 Relic which couldn''t be duplicated.'' Raven thought and summoned 6 middle-sized crystals into his hand.


    Then, with a sudden move, he smashed three above his Artifact, increasing its Grade to Arcane and its form to Complete in a sh!


    [Warning! Your Artifact no longer can be enhanced with Middle Piece Artifact Crystals!]


    ''Thought so.'' Raven sighed when he saw how he failed to shatter the remaining 3 crystals.


    --------------


    [True Artifact: Dice of Fate]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: This allows you to gain 1 random relic with random characteristic/s after every throw!


    <The Grade of the relic depends on the number of stars gotten after the throw!>


    <The Form of the relic depends solely on the Artifact''s current Form!>


    <Blue Star Effect: If the star on the dice after the throw turns blue, the Relic bes a Permanent Item!>


    <Chances for [Blue Star Effect] to activate is 1%!>


    <Second Chance: If the star on the dice after the throw turns red, you will get a random Relic while also getting the chance to throw again!>


    <Chances for [Second Chance] to activate is 0.5%!>


    <Cooldown: Can be used once at the start of every Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    ? Relic Grade per Stars:


    -> 1 Star: Mortal


    -> 2 Stars: Epic


    -> 3 Stars: Legendary


    -> 4 Stars: Arcane


    -> 5 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 6 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    --------------


    ''Oh?'' upon seeing the new changes Raven felt pleasantly surprised which only grew bigger when he saw something even more interesting.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to trigger Blue Star Effect: 1% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13%<sub> </sub>


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 66,500 units


    <Not Possible to Manipte!>


    ----------------


    ...


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to trigger Second Chance Effect: 0.5% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 13%


    <o>,m ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 67,500 units</o>


    <Not Possible to Manipte!>


    ----------------


    ''My Mystique is still too low, huh?'' Raven showed a bittersweet smile before he summoned his 8 Artifact Fragments.


    ''A jigsaw piece?'' Raven raised a brow when he saw 8 jigsaw pieces lying in the middle of his palm.


    "You are truly something else..." Old Dan beside Raven sighed with a defeated smile and said, "With that Title and Relics of yours you can easily grow twice if not thrice faster than anyone else. Perhaps this is why you have been imprisoned for three years."


    Raven looked at Old Dan silently before he asked, "How do I use these?"


    "Just grab one and make it touch a Fragmented Artifact. Of course, if you have one.'' Old Dan quickly replied to which Raven nodded and did just as he was told, grabbing one Artifact Fragment and making it touch his Monarch''s Crown.


    Whoosh!


    [Fragmented Artifact: Monarch''s Crown gained one Artifact Fragment! (1/3)]


    ''So I need two more?'' Raven hummed with wonder and grabbed two more Artifact Fragments.


    Whoosh!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully mended your Fragmented Artifact, turning it into a True Artifact!]


    [Do you wish to choose True Artifact: Monarch''s Crown as your second True Artifact?]


    [Warning! You can only possess a total of 3 True Artifacts!]


    ''...''


    Both Raven and Old Dan stared at the floating panel in silence before thetter looked at the former and inquired, "So what will you do?"


    Raven remained still and pondered. After all, this was an incredibly tough choice to decide on.


    After contemting for minutes straight Raven sighed and asked, "Are there any Fragmented Artifacts that are sold in the Star Treasury?"


    "There are. However, their price is in the skies. They are insanely expensive." Old Dan replied with a wry smile.


    "I see. Then I will decide whether I should collect this as my second True Artifact or not." Raven waved his hand as he made the panel vanish, causing the Monarch''s Crown to disappear also.


    It seemed now he no longer will be able to use it.


    TREMBLE!!!


    "It seems the mutation has finally ended." Old Dan eximed out loud as the sky turned back to normal, no longer glowing with crimson color.


    "Let''s get out of here," Raven said to which Old Dan agreed with a firm nod.


    "I will bring you to Luna, however, as Domain Mutation happened just now I will have to go and report it to the Realm Association. Once I finish there I wille and pick you guys up." once inside the vehicle and starting the engine, Old Dan spoke to Raven calmly.


    "Sure. Maybe I can also help Lulu to clear the Realm Domain."


    "With your current strength?" Old Dan almostughed and shook his head, "Don''t get me wrong, the fact you were able to soar so many Ranks is truly terrifying, however,pared to Luna and the Rank Requirement of that Realm Domain, you are still too weak."


    "You would be just a hindrance to both her and her party."


    "Is that so?" Raven mumbled as he shifted his gaze at the scenery outside of the window that looked like a blur because of how fast they were traveling.


    ''Well, we will see about that.''

 Chapter 113 Guardian Summoner

    Flying through the air with great speed, Raven watched with an indifferent face as scenery after scenery vanished outside his window before they finally began to slow down.


    "We have arrived." stopping the vehicle right at the foot of a great mountain, Old Dan nced at Raven and climbed out.


    "This whole mountain is the Realm Domain?" Raven raised a brow before he asked, "But I can''t see any barrier. Why is that?"


    "It is because the Realm Domain is not this mountain nor it is on top of it. It''s inside it." Old Dan exined with a calm smile and pointed at something at the side.


    It was arge cave entrance, opening a wide and eerily dark path inside the massive mountain.


    "The Realm Domain is inside there?" Raven felt stupified as this was his first time seeing a Realm Domain located within a mountain.


    "Try and get used to such things. There are Realm Domains in all kinds of ces such as volcanos, deep under the earth, and even in the sky!" Old Dan said as he opened the vehicle''s door.


    "Anyways, as I said I have to report to the Realm Association about the Realm Mutation. You can decide to stay here and wait for Luna or enter the Realm Domain and remain at its entrance until they finish clearing it. It is your choice, just don''t go after them."


    And with a grim face, he said, "With your strength, you would die without knowing what imed your life."


    "Sure, I will be careful." Raven nodded nonchntly to which Old Dan narrowed his eyes before he sighed and shook his head.


    "Then I will be on my way. After I took care of everything I wille back and pick you guys up."


    After Old Dan sat inside the car and zoomed away with great speed, Raven shifted his gaze at the entrance of the cave and after pondering for a few seconds he decided to enter it.


    ''It is pretty dark in here.'' Raven thought once he was inside the cave and took out the shlight he got from his father.


    ''Much better.'' a smile formed on Raven''s face when he finally was able to see, however, not even after he took 3 steps the whole cave began to shake like crazy!


    TREMBLE!!!


    ''Wha-'' Raven staggered a little as he wished to keep his bnce, however, just as he was about to seedrge debris fell from above and crashed onto his head.


    Paff!


    Lying on the ground with a slightly bleeding head, Raven groaned in pain while a panel popped up in his line of sight.


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 10%!]


    ''Amazing...'' Raven groaned with pain as he stood, only to spot something shiny on the ground.


    ''What the hell is this?'' Raven frowned and picked the shiny thing up.


    ''It looks to be some sort of crystal.'' Raven thought to himself before he casually shrugged and put it into his pocket.


    Perhaps once he leaves this cave he can give it to his father and use it for something, maybe selling it for good money. After all, it looked quite pretty and shiny.


    Raven followed the path in silence and after walking for almost 30 minutes straight in silence he finally spotted the transparent barrier.


    He finally reached the perimeter of the Realm Domain.


    "Here I go..." after taking a deep breath as this will be his first time entering a Realm Domain that once belonged to an Azure Realm Gate, Raven took a step forward.


    And in a sh, the whole scenery changed in front of him.


    The path which was about three meters wide and about 5 meters tall broadened while instead of darkness what filled the ce was a gentle blue light that was emitted by both the beautiful blue crystals from the sides and the blue nts on the ground!


    There were even trees with gently flickering blue leaves, giving the whole environment a pleasant feeling.


    "Woah..." Raven let out an awed gasp before another tenor shook the earth below his feet.


    However, as this time he was on guard he didn''t stagger at all nor did he sustain a blow on his head because of a falling rock.


    "Now then, what should I do?" Raven thought to himself, pondering whether he should go and find Luna or not. After all, he was in a Realm Domain where creatures with a Rank between 40 and 50 lurked.


    "Let''s see what I get from my throw first and I will decide after that," Raven mumbled and once he held his dice in his hand threw it.


    Of course, it was needless to say it has immediately fallen on the four stars.


    Whoosh!


    -------------------------<sub> </sub>


    [Relic: Guardian Summoner]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: A unique Relic that can summon a single Guardian that obeys every word of its master.


    <Activation: 10,000 units of Mystique. After activation, the Guardian requires 100 units of Mystique every second!>


    <Cooldown: If the Guardian dies the Activation requirements double!>


    -------------------------


    "Oh?" a curious smile formed on Raven''s face as he held a small item in hand, one that had a simr appearance akin to a flute.


    "Do I have to blow in it to use it?" Raven mumbled, however, as 100 units of Mystique was not a small amount for every passing second he decided not to use it... yet.


    After inspecting the small white wooden flute that was covered in small petals, each having various colors, Raven began to walk, deciding to find Luna instead of waiting.


    ''Just as father said it, Territory-type Realm Domain are truly ces where one feels as if they are in a different world. This whole area is beautiful.''


    Walking in a straight line slowly with a raised guard, Raven watched as more and more trees, nts, and crystals appeared around him, each flickering with the gentle color of blue.


    The deeper he went the more he had this feeling of not walking inside a mountain but traveling in apletely different world, just like in all the other Territory-type Realm Domains.


    However, unfortunately, this sensation onlysted for 10 minutes as after that Raven finally met with his first enemy... if he could even say that.


    Standing still behind a tree, Raven watched coldly as about 50 meters away from him arge nt size of a truck and the appearance of a sunflower was visible. The only difference was that where its seeds should have been there was a massively gaping mouth while the petals around it had numerous small razor-sharp teeth.


    Even its roots were visible, seemingly using it as legs as Raven could see it slowly moving forward.


    ''Rank 46? No, maybe a little bit above it?'' Raven scowled before he raised his flute before his mouth.


    Although he was confident that he could take care of it as it didn''t seem to be able to move fast, he had no clue whatsoever what it was capable of doing. He had no information about it at all which included its weakness and of course its strengths and abilities.


    And for that reason, as it was too dangerous to fight something he didn''t know anything about yet, he will use his Relic and order he summon to fight it.


    With that in mind, Raven ced his lips before the flute and after taking in a deep breath he blew into it while also channeling his Mystique into it.


    Whoosh!


    At the very moment, as the sharp sound whistled through the air, attracting the attention of the nt in the distance, Raven watched as with a sh of crimson light a small figure materialized before him out of empty air.


    However, once the light vanished and he had a better look to see what it was, his face immidieatly stiffened.


    "What the... Hell?"


    Before him on the ground, a puffy little bird stood with a sleep face, its feathers ck as ink while the chest area of his... or her? had the color white.


    It was puffy, fluffy, and... cute?


    The hell!?


    Raven thought he would be able to summon something even more fierce-looking, and yet he got... this. Can this little thing even fight at all?


    As he thought about this he suddenly felt the urge to facepalm himself, however, when he noticed the nt in the distance approaching them he sighed deeply.


    ''Well, it is a creature summoned by an Arcane Grade Relic. It can''t be useless, can it?'' Raven thought and pointed at the nt.


    "Go and kill it."


    Upon hearing his voice, the puffy little thing nced at therge nt, and after a small while it fluttered its wings, flying toward it slowly andzily.


    Looking at it now, the way it struggled to fly made Raven facepalm himself even more.


    However, just when he was ready to ept reality and ept the worst, witnessing the little thing''s death, something he never in his wildest dream could have expected to see, happened.


    And in the most brutal way possible at that...

 Chapter 114 Unexpected Welcome

    As the little puffy thing fluttered its wings and approached the creature with slow and sluggish movements, the mutated nt opened its "mouth" wide and after leaning a little bit backward it gobbed out some substance with a deep blue color.


    Upon seeing this Raven''s face paled scarcely, thinking this really was the end of his summon, however, unexpectedly it wasn''t. In fact, it was the other way around!


    Just as the dark bluish substance, which seemed to be some kind of toxin was about to fall on the little bird and swallow it in a whole, suddenly the little thing vanished from its spot and appeared right above the mutated nt!


    "What!?" Raven''s eyes widened as he didn''t see anything. However, the next second something even more startling thing happened.


    Or to be more precise, something blood-chillingly terrifying.


    Once the little bird appeared above the creature, catching it out of its guard, the little thing opened its beak open which quickly grew in size and widened insanelyrge.


    Sorge that even a truck could easily fit in there!


    And once it was wide open, it didn''t even hesitate a second to bite into the nt, and with one fast and single movement, it swallowed it in whole!


    Blurp!


    ''...''


    Watching with a stupified expression as the little bird closed its beak and burped before it flew back andnded on his head, closing its eyes and seemingly falling asleep, Raven didn''t know what to say.


    Everything escted just way too... fast.


    However, soon an excited smile appeared on Raven''s face, and patted the little bird gently and said, "So you are not useless in the end, huh?"


    Of course, while it was true it really possessed terrific abilities, Raven still felt bitter inside.


    ''100 points of Mystique every passing second... This little thing truly is gluttony. I wonder if I summon it I do need another 10,000 units of Mystique to summon it.''


    As Raven pondered on such a question he shrugged and decided to try it out. And when he did, he was delighted to find out he didn''t have to spend another 10,000 to summon it.


    ''But still, even as it is unsummoned I can feel it consuming 1 unit of Mystique every second.'' Raven sighed and after looking at the spot where the mutated nt was just a few moments ago he decided to start walking again.


    And after walking for less than 1 minute straight, he crossed paths with another mutated nt, one that had the exact same appearance akin to the previous one.


    "I will take care of it," Raven said as he summoned his dagger, immediately triggering the effects of his Avatar Title and Rune Mark.


    Whoosh!


    Bam!


    Once his Strength and Speed soared above Rank 40 Raven pressed his feet firmly against the ground and dashed forward, appearing beside the mutated nt in less than a second.


    ''Die!'' Raven''s eyes shed coldly as he swung his weapon, however, just as his de was ready toe into contact with its stem, suddenly bluish pollens were released from its leaves.


    ''Crap!''


    Raven was caught off guard by this unexpected change of events and identally breathed in the pollen, instantly feeling pain assault his lungs that caused him to struggle to breathe.


    ''Not good!'' Raven''s face paled and quickly summoned 1 High-Grade Healing Pill and threw it into his mouth.


    And luckily, it worked.


    ''That was too close.'' wiping away the small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, Raven narrowed his mouth and watched as the mutated nt turned around.


    Then, once it faced himpletely, it started to lean backward, making Raven know what was about toe.


    ''Now!'' just a fraction of a second before the mutated nt spit its substance out Raven jumped far to the side, avoiding the attack just by an inch, before stomping on the ground and appearing beside it once again.


    And this time, he seeded in cleanly cutting its stem, sending it to its death!


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 44 Mutated Nightshade!]


    [Your Mystique has increased by +2!]


    ''So I can only gain points if I am the one whonds the finishing blow, huh?'' Raven thought to himself as he could remember how he got no Trait points when the little bird killed the other Mutated Nightshade.


    After killing the Mutated Nightshade Raven began walking once again, going deeper and deeper into the blue forest.


    However, after his first kill, he strangely met with not a second one.


    ''Perhaps those two were missed by Luna that''s why.'' Raven thought to himself as he knew the rest of the Mutated Nightshade were killed by his little sister and her party.<sub> </sub>


    ''I wonder just how strong she and her party truly is.'' a calm smile appeared on Raven''s face before suddenly he heard a loud explosion from not far away from him.


    Booom!


    A powerful ripple swept through the air as the ground shook like crazy while above the trees Raven could see a huge mushroom of dust soaring toward the sky.


    ''Over there.'' Raven quickly dashed toward that direction and shortly found himself in arge clearing that had arge crater with a tall bulky guy in its middle whose body was engulfed in zing crimson fire.


    "You have overdone it, Oliver... Again." a young woman in a rather revealing dress stood at the edge of the crater, in her right hand a long and beautiful rifle visible.


    On her right, a short guy holding arge shield that was twice his side nodded while on her left a handsome young man with a soft charming smile shook his head.


    Raven could immediately recognize thetter, he was the one who always ran after Luna, trying to make her his date.


    Of course, it was needless to say he always failed, yet he still kept going which was both annoying and respectful.


    ''I wonder if he was able to seed a little in these three years.'' Raven thought to himself, however, knowing his personality he hardly doubted it.


    ''And where is she?'' Raven pondered as he was unable to see Luna''s figure, however, he didn''t have to wait for a long time.


    Suddenly, as the dust settle down from the sky a figure was seen descending like a meteorite before crashing into the ground, sending another wave of tremor through the earth.


    "Good job, everyone." a cold and indifferent voice sounded the next second before something whistled through the air, sending the dust flying everywhere and revealing an immensely beautiful figure just beside the bulky man.


    "Luna..." Raven''s eyes widened when he saw just how mature her figure, demeanor, and breathtakingly beautiful she had be in the past three years.


    In the past, she has already considered a beauty with no one able to content against her, but now, she reached a whole another level. Even the young woman beside the shorty paled inparison!


    "Lady Luna, good job in killing that Nightshade." the young woman showed a smile to which everyone nodded in agreement.


    Luna just nodded and as she climbed out of the crater, with the help of the handsome young man, of course, she looked at everyone and said, "Now we only have to find the Realm Core and we are done here, so let''s do our best."


    Everyone showed a delighted smile and was ready to start walking when suddenly the young woman''s face stiffened and fired her rifle in a direction.


    BAM!


    "Mia, what the hell are you doing!?" everyone was stupified, but Mia decided to not say anything and just stared at the spot where she had just shot a bullet.


    Luna and the rest frowned, however, not even a secondter a figure appeared from behind the tree.


    "Who the hell is that? A human?" the bulky guy asked with a puzzled look despite the mes around his fist starting to dance fierier than before.


    "That is impossible. No one is allowed to enter this Realm Domain from the outside without permission and because we have been not notified this only means..." the shorty spoke nonchntly, raising his shield as if it weighed nothing.


    "It is a humanoid creature." Mia quickly said and was ready to fire again when Luna raised her hand which if one looked at closely trembled scarcely.


    "Wait. It is a human."


    "Huh? You sure?" everyone looked at her in confusion.


    "Yes. And I think I know who he is." Luna said and without hesitation began to walk forward.


    "He?" the confusion in everyone''s eyes only deepened a level, after all, that human''s face and body were still covered in the floating dust.


    However, as they trusted Luna they followed after her. Naturally, they kept their guards up just in case Luna was wrong.


    Luna walked quickly before the figure, and once she was only a few feet away from him she stopped.


    Raven, who was no longer hidden in the floating cloud of dust looked at his little sister with a small smile.


    "Hey, Lulu. Long time no se-"


    p!


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''...''

 Chapter 115 Waldell Johnson

    A sharp and loud sound of someone''s cheek getting pped with great force resounded in the air for several seconds before it vanished, sending the whole ce intoplete silence.


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''...''


    Raven, who was just pped with enough force to send an adult human flying in the past stared toward the side with utter disbelief, his cheek as red as a ripe apple!


    As for the members behind Luna, they looked at their leader and Raven in confusion and shock.


    After standing still for almost an entire minute in silence, Raven slowly shifted his head back and softly ced his fingers on the spot where his little sister just pped him.


    Then, showing a wry smile he asked, "Is this really how you wee your brother after three whole years?"


    "Brother?" something seemed to click in Mia''s and everyone''s heads the next second, their eyes widened with uttered disbelief.


    On the other hand, Luna''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle before tears began to flow out of her eyes like a tide. Right now, her previous cold and indifferent demeanor were nowhere to be seen, only a crying little girl who finally seemed relieved after being heartbroken for a very long time.


    When Raven saw his little sister like this, struggling to wipe her seemingly unstoppable tears flowing while sniffing cutely, he sighed and without saying a word took a step forward and hugged her tightly. This action of his immidieatly rewarded him with Luna''s tight grip around his body, which almost made him think his bones will break, while her crying became even more intense than before.


    He literally could feel as his chest became wetter with each passing second, showing just how much she was crying.


    "You... sniff... You are here... sniff... You are truly here... sniff..."


    Hearing as Luna mumbled quietly with her face pressed against his chest, Raven showed a bittersweet smile, his heart clenched with pain.


    Only now did he finally realize just how much did his little sister struggle while he was away, all because of him.


    While Raven and Luna hugged each other after being separated for three whole years, on the side the shorty with the shield leaned closer to Mia and asked, "Umm... I don''t want to sound dumb, but who is he again?"


    "Stupid! He is Raven Wright, Daniel Wright''s adopted son and also Lady Luna''s brother who had been gone missing for three years!" Mia immidieatly stated, her voice filled with shock and awe.


    "Everyone believed he has died during the Dawn of Chaos. ording to some, Lady Luna even went on a rampage out of anger and sorrow when she found out he died, and ever since then she changed drastically." Oliver added with a nod, the mes around his fists already starting to vanish.


    "Not only that." suddenly Mia curved the corner of her lips upward mysteriously and said in a low tone of voice;


    "There were also rumors about Lady Luna being head over heels for him which is not weird at all. After all, they are not blood-rted at all, and taking a look at him, he is quite the looker. Especially those eyes, they look incredibly charming."


    As she said those words, suddenly Mia narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lips softly. However, her weird look didn''tst long because suddenly she was shocked to see the handsome young man beside him begin to move, approaching the two in front of him with his gaze mainly being on Raven.


    Raven obviously felt the sharp and almost piercing re on his skin, hence why he raised his head, only to see the handsome young man approach them with an indifferent face and steady steps.


    ''Herees trouble...'' Raven sighed helplessly and patted Luna''s shoulder gently, indicating her to let go of him.


    However, she didn''t listen or it was better to say didn''t want to listen. Instead, her hands tightened even more around Raven''s body, almost as if she feared he would vanish if she let go of him.


    "Lu...Lu... I won''t go anywhere so please... let me go... Or you try to kill me?" Raven felt as if he was squeezed slowly, forced to realize that Luna''s Strength must have already reached Rank 45 or even Rank 50!


    "Huh?" surprised as only now did she realize that her brother could be weaker than her, Luna jerked a little and loosened her hug before she took a step back.


    However, she remained a foot close to him, not wanting to get even a meter away from him.


    Upon seeing this Raven just shook his head helpless before he nced at the handsome young man and extended his hand forward.


    "I don''t think we have met with each other yet, so let me introduce myself. My name is Rav-,"


    "Raven Wright, 23 years old, Luna''s older brother and also the son of Mister Wright who had been gone missing for three years. I know."<sub> </sub>


    ''He is prepared I see.'' Raven thought to himself and after he saw the young man didn''t ept his hand for a handshake he lowered his hand, "Well in some parts you are right but in some, you are not."


    "Oh? Care to borate?" the young man asked one of his brows raised toward the sky.


    "Nah." Raven shook his hand and proceeded to ignore the guy, which obviously earned a deep scowl from him.


    "What''s with the long face, huh, Johnny ~? Are you perhaps... Jealous?" Mia asked with a teasing smile once she arrived before Raven also.


    "You can think whatever you want, but I am not. Also, quit calling me Johnny already. It is annoying." John said with an indifferent face, his eyes still on Raven almost as if he wished to see right into his soul.


    ''Yeah, he definitely is jealous.'' Raven thought as she watched Mia extending her arm forward with a small smile.


    "Hello~, you can call me Mia just like the others."


    Raven looked at Mia''s smooth and delicate hands before he epted them and showed also a smile.


    "Nice to meet you."


    "So beautiful..."


    "Huh? Pardon?" Raven was surprised when he heard Mia mumbling something, while Luna beside him narrowed her eyes.


    Realizing that she has said something Mia''s cheeks blushed scarcely and after she narrowed her throat she said, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to, but your eyes... They are very beautiful."


    "Are they?" Raven raised a brow and nced at Luna, who when she met his stare became red like a tomato and shifted her gaze hurriedly.


    ''Weird...'' Raven felt a bit puzzled as he looked at Oliver and the rest, however, they were just as confused as him.


    "Anyway, are you really his older brother? You look so young, younger than her. You don''t look any older than 20." Mia then asked, her gaze looking up and down Raven with curious eyes.


    Upon hearing this question Raven showed a wry smile and said, "I am."


    "Hmm... I see." Mia nodded as she seemed to believe Raven''s words, but Luna on his side who knew him for years immidieatly noticed that something was off.


    However, as she had a guess she decided not to inquire about it now and instead ask about something else, "How did you find us?"


    "Dad told me you were clearing a Realm Domain. In fact, he was the one who brought me here."


    "What Rank are you? This is not a ce where anyone can enter, just you know. Creatures here are exceptionally terrifying." John asked.


    "I know just what kind of ce this Realm Domain is, you don''t have to worry about me. After all, as you can see, I have safely reached you guy, haven''t I?" Raven smiled, smoothly avoiding answering his Rank.


    Of course, his words only made John''s frown deepen, earning a soft chuckle from Mia on the side.


    "Anyways, have you guys find the Realm Core? I heard different from other Realm Domains, Territory-type Realm Domains have their Realm Core hidden which usually are not in the center." Raven asked as he looked at Luna.


    "We didn''t, but we have a rough guess where it could be." after taking a deep breath Luna said and pointed toward a specific direction.


    "We have cleared the other three directions, so obviously what remains is that one."


    "I see. Then we should get going." Raven nodded and was ready to start walking when John suddenly stopped him.


    ''Now what?''


    Staring at Raven indifferently for a few seconds John crossed his arms and said, "Before we go, we need to know your strength and capabilities so we can discuss what role is the best for you."


    "John has a point. After all, we have been alongside each other for almost a year by now and we are used to each other. If you wish to join us at least we have to know how you can help us so we can avoid unforeseen idents on the battlefield." Oliver nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 116 Mutated Nightshade Queen (1)

    Raven stared calmly at the two in front of him and pondered silently before he decided to retrieve a small item from his pocket.


    "A flute? What is it for?" Oliver raised a brow, trying to figure out the usage of Raven''s Artifact, which, in truth, was his Relic.


    The others were also curious, wondering just how powerful Raven''s "Artifact" was.


    "I can summon a creature that can fight."


    "How strong it is?" Mia asked quickly.


    "It was able to kill a Mutated Nightshade with ease," Raven said, not hiding the truth.


    "So you are a Summoner, huh?" Mia mumbled before adding, "I think you are more than wee as you can fill that small gap our partycks."


    ''Summoner?'' a soft frown appeared on Raven''s face before he happened to remember what his father told him about Roles.


    ''Depending on one''s Artifact, Relics, Rune Marks, Avatar Traits, and other minor things, everyone is categorized into different Roles within the Realm Association while also getting a Character Rank that can vary from F to S!''


    As Raven thought about this he quickly asked, "What are your Roles?"


    "Lady Luna is an Assassin, Oliver is a Berserker, Alex is both a Healer and a Tank, John is a Lancer, and I am a Ranger." Mia exined before winking at Raven and saying, "You can say we only needed a Summoner."


    Ignoring the wink from Mia and the cold stare from Lulu beside him, Raven frowned and asked, "And what about Caster or an Enhancer?"


    ? "You can say I am sort of a Caster as my bullets are capable of creating traps. As for an Enhancer, while it is true that one would not be a hindrance for us at all, they are extremely rare and many of them were already recruited by the Realm Families."


    "Hell, in truth none of the currently existing Guilds have an Enhancer! It sucks as hell! With one, our lives would be much easier!"


    "I see." Raven nodded softly.


    "Anyways, do you mind showing us your summon?" Mia suddenly asked, her pretty eyes flickering with both curiosity and excitement.


    Raven however shook his head and said, "I apologize, I can''t. Or at least not until we encounter a creature and are forced to fight. My summon consumes a massive amount of Mystique while it is summoned."


    "Is that so?" Mia seemed disappointed a little, her shoulders dropping scarcely.


    "Well, at least that means his summon is strong." Oliver started with a smile before showing a thumb up at Raven, "Wee to the group, kid."


    ''Kid? I am definitely the oldest one here.'' Raven raised a brow but decided not to say a thing. Instead, he started to follow Oliver and the rest from behind while Luna walked beside him so close that her shoulders touched his.


    In fact, if she could have, she would have told the rest to leave the Realm Domain as she wished to know everything Raven went through, however as they were tasked by the Realm Association itself she couldn''t do so.


    After all, if the Realm Association asked a Guild to clear a Realm Domain that must be done as soon as possible.


    While walking through the blue forest for more than 5 minutes without meeting any creature, Mia slowed down a little on purpose and once she was next to Raven, asked, "So, Raven, was it? Where have you been in these 3 years? Everyone thought you were dead."


    Upon hearing the question Raven flinched slightly before he showed a wry smile and said, "Well, it is quite a long story, one that is alsoplicated a little, so I would not like to talk about it now. Perhaps in another time."


    "Oh~? How mysterious." Mia narrowed her eyes as she chuckled softly.


    However, the next second her face became grim, and quickly raised her Artifact in her hand, "Enemy."


    The rest in the front halted their steps when they heard her voice and instantly stood into formation with Oliver and Alex in the front, John in the middle, and Raven, Luna, and Mia in the rear.


    "Where?" Oliver asked quietly while looking around.


    "There." pointing her rifle to the left, Mia said coldly.


    Following her Artifact everyone shifted their head to the left, only to see a Mutated Nightshade approaching them slowly.


    "Just a Mutated Nightshade? I will take care of i-" Oliver was about to dash forward and kill the creature when suddenly John stopped him.


    "Wait. Why don''t we let Raven show us what his summon can do? That way we can utilize it to our best need in this Domain."


    "Yeah, that makes sense." Oliver nodded and turned toward Raven, "What do you think, kid? Wish to show off a little?"


    Seeing everyone stare at him, especially John''s, Raven sighed and nodded.


    "Perfect! Then let''s retreat a bit."<sub> </sub>


    "Before that, I need to know if you guys wish to collect the remains of the creature after it does or not," Raven said as he watched that everyone retreated except for Luna; she stayed close to him as ever before.


    "Huh? Why? Your summon will make it vanish into thin air or what?" John asked with confusion.


    "Yeah, something like that." Raven nodded, earning a deeper frown from John.


    "Well, if you can save some parts of it, that would be the best. If not, that is not a problem either as we have already collected many." Mia said calmly, patting a small orb attached to her waist.


    "Sure. I will try my best then." Raven said and after he faced the Mutated Nightshade he brought the flute before his lips and blew it, quickly causing the fluffy little bird to appear.


    "What the hell is that? A bird? How can that even fly?" just like Raven when he first saw his Guardian, everyone felt puzzled which quickly became stronger the moment they saw how the little thing struggled to stay in the air as it flew toward the Mutated Nightshade.


    However, that onlysted for a few seconds, and what flowed next shocked them to their very core.


    Once the little bird was close to the creature and safely avoided its seemingly poisonous attack just like how it this previously, it opened its beak wide and with one swift motion swallowed the entire Mutated Nightshade.


    ''Leave behind some of it.'' Raven gave his summon a mentalmand to which the little bird trembled a little before it spat out several parts of the creature, each covered in massive amounts of saliva.


    ''...''


    Unsummoning the little bird, Raven looked at Mia and the rest only to see they stared at him with utter disbelief.


    "What?" Raven frowned, not understanding why they were so shocked.


    "Raven, that creature was a Mutated Nightshade," Luna spoke calmly.


    "Yeah, I know. And?"


    Now it was Luna''s turn to furrow her brows before exining, "Mutated Nightshades are incredibly poisonous, so much that just by touching it one can die almost instantly if their Constitution is not at least above 500 points."


    "As for their attacks, if you inhale their Poison Dust or get covered with their Acid Blood, not even good can save you."


    When Raven heard this he seemed to realize why everyone was so shocked and quickly exined, "You don''t have to worry, my summon has high poison tolerance. It will be fine."


    Luna wished to say something at that, however, soon she just shook her head and turned toward Mia.


    "Collect those and let''s go."


    Hearing Luna''s voice Mia snapped out of her daze and quickly walked beside the Mutated Nightshade''s carcass, or at least next to what remained of it. And once she was next to it, she grabbed the small orb hanging down her waist and shook it gently.


    Whoosh!


    ''Oh? It is quite the useful Relic.'' Raven thought as the remnants of the Mutated Nightshade vanished into the orb.


    "Let''s go." once everything was stored away, Luna looked at the rest and told them to start walking.


    However, not even a minute after they began to walk, the group crossed paths with another Mutated Nightshade, three to be exact.


    "I will take care of them," Oliver said with an excited smile, his fists already swallowed by zing crimson fire.


    "Just make sure to keep the valuable part intact." Mia started to which Oliver nodded and dashed forward.


    "Die, you bastards!"


    Appearing before the three Mutated Nightshades, Oliver nted both of his feet firmly into the ground and with one powerful move pped his palms together.


    BOOOOOM!


    In an instant, massive zing fireballs consumed each creature in their whole, quickly scorching their bodies and turning them into nothing but ash!


    Or at least every part of them except for a few.


    ''He has great control over his mes.'' Raven thought as he watched how some parts of the Mutated Nightshade didn''t get turned into ash and dust but simply fell on the ground without getting damaged!


    That was an incredibly hard thing to achive, that was for sure!

 Chapter 117 Mutated Nightshade Queen (2-Last)

    After using his mes to turn all the Mutated Nightshades into ash, only keeping their valuable remnants whichter on were stored in the orb hanging on Mia''s waist, the group proceeded on with their search.


    On their way, they crossed paths with numerous other Mutated Nightshades, however, they were all killed by one or two members of the team.


    ''They are truly strong.'' Raven thought to himself as he watched how Mia fired a bullet into a Mutated Nightshade''s gaping mouth which after a few seconds exploded into bits.


    ''Mia Draper... She possesses an incredible Artifact that lets her annihte her enemies from a great distance with outstanding uracy. Furthermore, she can also change her bullets'' characteristics which expands her Artifact''s potential even more.''


    After Raven thought about this his gaze fell on the shorty with the massive shield.


    ''Alex Caskrock. Although his frame is small his strength incredibly extraordinary. However, his greatest weapon is not his strength but his Artifact which is a unique one, capable of absorbingrge amounts of damage whichter on can be used to heal others.''


    ''The only downfall of his healing ability is that he cannot heal himself while also it requiresrge amounts of Mystique.''


    Then, he shifted his eyes at John before he shook his eyes and directed his attention at Oliver.


    The reason for that was because just like Luna, John didn''t fight yet so he had no idea what his Artifact was and what it was capable of doing.


    ''Oliver Stone, the typical big guy with arge frame and great strength. However,pared to others with simr characteristics, his Artifact makes him unique. It appears the more wounded he bes the wilder his mes be and the more destruction he can cause. No wonder his Role is a Berserker.''


    As Raven thought about this and the Roles everyone had, soon enough a soft frown appeared on his face.


    ''Now that I think about it, if I were to join a party, with my Artifact what kind of Role would I get?''


    Raven''s Artifact was a little bit different from others as it was ever-changing. Whenever he entered a Realm Domain he got a different Relic which hallways granted him different powers.


    While Raven followed after the group, Luna beside him looked up at him and after seeing his small scowl she asked, "Is there a problem?"


    "Hm? Oh, no, not really." Raven shook his head and after checking that no one was currently paying attention to them he asked in a lowered tone of voice, "I was just wondering what kind of Role I would get because of my True Artifact."


    Upon hearing Raven''s words Luna seemed to realize what he was talking about and quickly said, "Well, as far as I can tell, there is no one out there who possesses a simr Artifact to yours, so your case is a little special."


    "However, if I have to categorize you by your Artifact, I would give you a Role of an All-Rounder or a Role that has yet to be created, like a Jack-of-all-Trades."


    "Jack-of-all-Trades, huh?" Raven mumbled, agreeing with his little sister with a soft nod.


    Indeed, with his Artifact he was truly a master of none, focusing on everything instead of one thing. As for an All-Rounder, while he was far from being one in the future it was possible to gain that Role. After all, different from other humans his Avatar Traits are incredibly bnced.


    Hell, he was pretty sure that there were only a few who seeded to push all of their Avatar Traits above 300 points!


    "Right, what is your current Rank?" Raven asked Luna curiously, wondering just how strong she has be in the past 3 years.


    "Here. Let me show you." Luna said and summoned her Avatar Traits.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 377 [32]


    ¡ã Mystique: 225 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 384 [10]


    ¡ã Speed: 516 [55]


    ¡ã Constitution: 207 [9]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 369 [20]


    ~~~


    ''Rank 51... That''s just ridiculous.'' Raven thought while a small spurt of pride surfaced into his heart.


    After all, it was his little sister who seeded in breaking above Rank 50, something that only the top 0.1% of humanity was able to do!


    "And what about them? Are they also this strong?" Raven asked, gesturing toward the others before him.


    "No, they are not. Oliver is Rank 46, Alex is Rank 44, while Mia is only Rank 42."


    "What about John?"


    "He... He is Rank 49." Luna exined quietly.<sub> </sub>


    "I see." Raven nodded as he gazed at John, pondering whether he would be able to kill him if he were to sh with him or not.


    However, considering he couldn''t use his dagger, after all, it was his alter ego''s "Artifact", and that he only had his flute, he would very likely lose their fight.


    ''I should look for another weapon once this is all over.'' Raven though, subconsciously touching his chest where he could feel the shape of the Backroom Key.


    Now that he had a bunch of Astral Cores, he was pretty sure he could but a great weapon, one that was much better than his current one.


    The group walked through the blue forest while fighting Mutated Nightshades and after one and half an hourter they finally encountered a different type of creature.


    This one had the same appearance akin to a Mutated Nightshade, however, it was twice as big and seemingly was also faster than that of a Mutated Nightshade.


    Furthermore, it seems that its body was covered in something thick and hard, something akin to scales


    "What is that?" Raven frowned as this was his first time crossing paths with such a creature.


    "It is a Mutated Nightshade Soldier. Different from normal Mutated Nightshades their stems are thicker and harder, their poison more lethal, and their speed is higher." Mia exined as he looked at Oliver who nodded and extended his hand.


    "However, just like normal Mutated Nightshades, they are incredibly weak to fire." Mia smiled, and just as she finished talking the mes around Oliver''s first exploded, bursting at the Mutated Nightshade Soldier and engulfing it in whole.


    "It''s not dying," Raven said quietly as he watched the creature struggling but still alive.


    "It''s because we need to crack its thick armor a little," Mia said and raised her rifle before pulling its trigger.


    BAM!


    With a quick sh, arge bullet was fired at the creature with almost lightning speed, earning a loud crack sound in the air the very moment it crashed into the creature.


    And just as Mia told him, the moment the thickyer of the armor of the creature was cracked, Oliver''s me was able to prate through it and burn the poor master from the inside alive!


    "Good job." Mia smiled and once the Mutated Nightshade Soldier stopped moving she stored it in her magic orb.


    ''Does that Relic have infinite space within?'' Raven pondered as they continued to walk forward, only to cross paths with another Mutated Nightshade Soldier.


    However, just like how the previous one was killed, this one was in with ease with the teamwork of Mia and Oliver.


    The only time when Alex had to help them was when they met with more than 1 Mutated Nightshade Soldier. During those times hisrge shield came in perfectly, helping the others to kill each creature one by one.


    As for Luna, John, and Raven, they just remained in the rear, showing no signs of helping.


    "You know guys, we would be able to finish these off with more ease if you decide to help." after killing her 20th Mutated Nightshade Soldier, Mia looked at Luna and the others.


    "I think you guys are doing just fine without us." John started nonchntly before he added, "Furthermore, I''m still recovering my strength after the previous fight while Luna has to rest in case we encounter another abomination like that back there."


    "What is he talking about?" Raven asked Luna who looked at him in silence before exining.


    "Just before you have shown up, we have been fighting against a Mutated Nightshade Queen."


    "Mutated Nightshade Queen? An Alpha?"


    "Yeah. It''s not only stronger, faster, and more tenacious than other Mutated Nightshades but it also possesses insane regenerative abilities and the power to create numerous Mutated Nightshades in mere seconds!"


    "Sounds annoying." Raven showed a wry smile, feeling a headache just by imagining the chaos that could have transpired on that battlefield.


    Not only that, fighting against an enemy that not only was insanely poisonous, fast, and had a high defense but was also capable of spawning its minions that could fight, it was truly a dangerous being to fight against!


    "Yeah, that is why let''s hope we don''t meet one again. If it were not for Luna and John, we all would have died right there and then." Mia added a nod.


    "You guys don''t have to worry, we won''t have to fight another one." Oliver showed a confident smile, "A single Alpha is exceptionally rare in a Realm Domain much less two or more. Hell, they said the chances for two Alphas existing in the same Realm is less than 2%! You know just how low is that?"


    "We will be fine."


    When Raven heard Oliver say this he felt the urge to stop him from talking, however, it seemed it was already toote. Not even a secondter he finished talking the ground below their feet trembled and cracked, something seemingly wishing to emerge from below!


    ''Fucking hell! Why did he have to say that!?''


    Raven cursed inside and without hesitation grabbed Luna by her waist and jumped several meters backward, just a second before the ground where they stood shattered and a humungous figure slowly arose from below!

 Chapter 118 In A Dire Situation

    Debris and wrecked trees flew in every direction as the ground split and therge figure of the Mutated Nightshade Queen emerged from below the earth.


    Its size, just as Raven had thought and imagined it, was anything but small; it was ridiculously massive!


    The shape and appearance of the mutated creature were the same as any Mutated Nightshades with only a few differences visible here and there.


    First of all, the most eye-catching difference was the skin... shell? of the creature. Just like Mutated Nightshade Soldiers, it was covered in a thickyer of armor that had a deep bluish color and looked akin to dragon scales, but much smaller than them.


    Secondly, different from the creatures Raven and the others have already crossed paths with, this one possessed numerous tentacles that moved around like whips, each ending in a sharp and curved end!


    If one looked a little bit closer, one would be terrified to see as from them some sort of blush substance dripped slowly out onto the ground where the grass immediately withered in seconds!


    Lastly, it seemed the roots of the creature, which in the case of normal Mutated Nightshades only served as legs, could be also used as weapons as Raven saw how the Mutated Nightshade Queen used its roots to demolish an entire boulder beside it in a sh!


    "You fucking had to speak, huh?" Mia stared sternly at Oliver once she was also at a safe distance to which the bulky man could do nothing but show a wry smile.


    "Get in formation! We are gonna kill this bastard even before it can start moving!" John shouted as he waved his hand, quickly summoning a weapon into his grasp.


    ''So that is his Artifact, huh?'' Raven narrowed his eyes once he saw what Artifact the handsome yet arrogant young master held in his hand.


    It was a long scythe with a white handle, carved with golden symbols, and arge deep crimson de at its end, giving it an image as if it was soaked in blood. John only needed to wear a long ck coat that also hid his face then he would definitely look like the reaper itself from myths and legends!


    Luna, who all this time stood beside Raven took a step forward and stood beside John. As for Oliver, Alex, and Mia, the former two quickly appeared in the front while Mia jumped beside Raven in the rear.


    "If you don''t want to die I advise you to summon that little bird of yours," Mia said with half seriousness and half-jokingly, her rifle ready to be fired at any second.


    Raven upon hearing the seductive gal beside him nodded and quickly took his flute out, ready to summon his guardian when something neither he nor the rest of the party would have believed would happen.


    Tremble!


    With another powerful wave of tremor, the ground behind Raven and the rest split and shattered before the figure another abomination emerged from below.


    "What!?"


    "Fuck!"


    "You must be fucking kidding me!!"


    Everyone''s eyes widened and faces pales when they saw another Mutated Nightshade Queen appear, trapping them between each other.<sub> </sub>


    The palest and also the angriest among everyone was Raven as he knew all this was because of his Avatar Imprint.


    ''Curses!''


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 5%!]


    Raven clenched his teeth in anger and watched with shrunken pupils as the creature swung one of its vine-like tentacles at him at a ridiculous speed which even with his increased Dexterity felt like lightning!


    "Watch o-" Mia shouted at Raven when she saw he was targeted first out of everyone, however, just as she could have finished her sentence a silver sh appeared from the side.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    "You okay?"


    Watching as Luna appeared before him with her nails as long and sharp as des while the creature''s tentacle was shredded into pieces, Raven felt stupified which onlysted for a second.


    "Yeah, thank you." Raven nodded with a serious expression.


    "What now? While Oliver and I can keep one busy while you guys prepare for your strongest strikes, we can''t take care of two!" holding his shield firmly to defend against the barrage of attacks from the creature on the front Alex asked with a pale face.


    Firing several bullets at the Mutated Nightshade Queen at the rear that exploded like little bombs, Mia looked at John before she shifted her eyes at Luna who kept swinging her hands to shred all the iing tentacles.


    "What should we do? We are trapped in the middle and they have yet to create their minions. Even if we persist and wait for John to charge his strongest attack, unless we don''t put these two bastards next to each other he can only kill one of them!"


    After cutting a long tentacle into several pieces with lightning speed, Luna nced at John and clenched. At the moment, the young man had his eyes closed while the symbols on his Artifact were slowly lighting up with golden light.


    It was apparent he was charging one of his strongest attacks which required him a lot of preparation time. Luckily for him, Oliver was standing beside him to use his mes to protect him.


    "If you guys can buy me a little time, I think I can injure this one enough that we can kill it with a single strike," Raven said as he dodged a tentacle that aimed at his head.


    "How much time do you need?" Luna asked despite deep inside she doubted Raven could all of a sudden gain so much strength that could one shot a Mutated Nightshade Queen.


    After all, Raven was barely someone at Rank 44 which was all thanks to his Mystique Trait. The rest of his Trait didn''t even reach 350 points much less 400 points which was the minimum requirement to enter this Realm Domain!


    Raven had a hunch about what Luna was thinking but simply ignored it and said, "30 seconds. I need 30 seconds."

 Chapter 119 Primordial Rune Mark: True Emperors Will

    "30 seconds?" both Luna and Mia looked at each other before they nodded.


    "We will do our best then."


    Raven nodded and without hesitation stopped moving, only to see a tentacle appear from above, its sharp end ready to drill into his eyes!


    Whoosh?


    Swish!


    "30 seconds. We will protect you until then so hurry up." Luna said with an indifferent face as she cut the tentacle targeting Raven.


    "Sure." Raven hummed and quickly summoned 12 small pills into his hands.


    "Rune Pills? And so many?" Mia''s eyes widened when she saw the shiny pills in Raven''s hands, however, she soon was forced to jump backward and fire several bullets at the creature that just tried to kill her.


    "I will start now," Raven said and without waiting for a reply began to swallow each pill one by one, causing him to feel a warm sensation appear in his body which slowly became hotter with each passing second!


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve] (+1)


    ? Grade: Arcane (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +50!


    ---------


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Heir''s Resolve] (+3)


    ? Grade: Arcane (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +60!


    ---------


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Emperor''s Resolve] (+1)


    ? Grade: Divine (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +60 while 1 Random Avatar Trait gets a 10% boost for 1 minute!


    ---------


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Emperor''s Resolve] (+3)


    ? Grade: Divine (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +60 while 3 Random Avatar Traits get a 30% boost for 3 minutes!


    ---------


    ...


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Emperor''s Resolve] (+3)


    ? Grade: Celestial (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +60 while all of your Avatar Traits get a 60% boost until the end of the fight!


    ---------


    After swallowing down 11 pills and feeling how his chest was literally on fire, Raven clenched his teeth and looked down at his hand.<sub> </sub>


    ''Only 1 pill left.''


    Raven didn''t know how many seconds have passed, but considering how pale Luna''s and Mia''s expression was, he knew they could barely keep up with the assaults from both sides.


    "Watch out! It started to generate Nightshades!" suddenly, Alex''s voice was heard from the front, attracting everyone''s attention.


    And just as he said, the moment Raven turned around he saw as the Mutated Nightshade Queen on the front began to spit out smaller versions of itself, each seemingly being Mutated Mutated Nightshade Soldiers!


    "Raven, you must hurry up or we will all die here!" Luna hissed through her clenched teeth as she shed from side to side with her insane speed, cutting all the tentacles and roots of the creatures that came at her and her brother''s way.


    "I''m on it!" Raven said with a grim face and quickly showed thest pill into his mouth, pushing his Rune Mark to its absolute peak!


    ---------


    [Rune Mark: True Emperor''s Will] (Complete)


    ? Grade: Primordial (Temporary)


    ? Description: During a fierce battle against someone above your Rank, all 6 Avatar Traits of yours get increased by +60 while all of your Avatar Traits get a 60% boost until the end of the fight!


    Also, you can trigger the ability [Emperor''s Will] anytime no matter who you face!


    ? Emperor''s Will: For 1 minute you can force one of your Avatar Traits to switch with another, helping youpel your absolute will on others! After 1 minute this ability cannot be used for 24 hours!


    ---------


    Once Raven swallowed the final Rune Pill he widened his eyes before a confident smile appeared on his face.


    ''Now this is really something else.'' Raven thought to himself as he straightened his posture and looked at Luna.


    "Change of ns. I will kill both of them."


    [Rune Mark: True Emperor''s Will activated!]


    [All Effects triggered!]


    "What!?" both Luna and Mia looked dumbfounded when they heard Raven''s words, however, before they could even refute him both of their eyes widened with utter disbelief.


    BAM!


    In a single sh, suddenly the aura around Raven exploded tremendously, causing the ground below his feet to crack scarcely despite him not yet moving!


    An extra 60 points and another 60% boost for those pushed Raven''s strength to never before seen heights. Hell, his strength at the moment was so ridiculously high that if he now wished to he could easily solo all the strongest individuals on Earth without breaking a single sweat!


    "And now onto the fun part," Raven mumbled before he activated his newly acquired ability.


    Whoosh!


    [Your 793 points of Mystique and your 656 points of Speed had been swapped for 1 minute!]


    The very second the notification panel popped up in his line of sight Raven watched as a tentacle shed at him before he pressed his feet against the ground lightly and... vanished!


    Yes!


    He vanished almost as if the void has just swallowed him!


    "W-Where did he..." Mia and Luna, the two of them that saw this felt puzzled and startled before they heard a loud explosioning from the side, attracting their attention.


    However, the moment they turned their heads to the side the only thing they saw was a chain of shes around the Mutated Nightshade Queen before its humungous body was shredded into pieces in seconds!


    "Wha-" Mia and Luna were more than dumbfounded and tried to speak, but they couldn''t even mutter a single sound before the same sight happened in the front, earning shocked and confused gasps from Oliver, Alex, and even John who was ready to unleash his strongest strike.


    BAM!


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 50 Mutated Nightshade Queen!]


    [Your Constitution has increased by +2!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 50 Mutated Nightshade Queen!]


    [Your Constitution has increased by +2!]


    ''Nice.'' Raven''s lips curved upward when he saw he gained 4 points by ying the two creatures.


    However, his happiness didn''tst long as the very next second immense pain assaulted his whole body, especially his legs, causing him to groan in pain and fall to the ground right away!

 Chapter 120 Shopping Spree (1)

    "Urgh..."


    Falling to his knees with a pained grimace, Raven raised his hands only to watch as secondter blood came gushing out of his mouth.


    ''Wh... What the hell?''


    Raven scowled and tried to stand up, but failed to do so. His body, right now, was as stiff and heavy as a rock.


    What was happening with his body? Why does he feel as if his whole body had been wrapped in thousands of weight? Why was he feeling pain all of a sudden? Could it be that...


    Suddenly a thought popped up in Raven''s head which quickly vanished.


    No... He hadn''t been poisoned. He knew that for sure.


    Then the only usible exnation for this was...


    ''My Rune Mark... So that''s wh-, Cough!'' coughing uprge amounts of blood once again Raven painted the ground in the color of red.


    It turns out that while he really gained an insanely powerful Rune Mark that granted him the ability to overpower anyone that came against him, it also had a huge drawback.


    His body couldn''t handle the sudden jump in strength, hence once it gets deactivated his body will suffer a massive bacsh.


    One so huge that during that time he will be almostpletely vulnerable, allowing himself to get killed by even the weakest creature that tried to attack him!


    "Raven!"


    While Raven struggled on the ground not to suffocate in his own blood, a figure shed to his side and supported his body.


    "Alex! Heal him, now!" turning toward Alex who still stood in a daze, Luna shouted with a scarcely pale face.


    "ALEX!"


    "H-Huh? R-Roger!" snapping out of his shock, Alex quickly ran beside Raven, and after cing his palm atop his back a gentle white light quickly started to spread out of his hand.


    "Cough! Thank you." Raven looked at Alex as he felt how the pain within his body slowly started to disappear.


    Of course, he could have used his Healing Pill, however as it could heal even fatal wounds he didn''t wish to waste it.


    Meanwhile, Mia, Oliver, and especially John stood in the distance, both of them staring at Raven and the shredded carcass of the Mutated Nightshade Queen with stupified expressions.


    "Did... Did he just y two Alphas?" Oliver mumbled with disbelief flickering in his eyes.


    Mia next to him swallowed nervously and nodded. As for John, his startled expression soon turned serious and after putting his Artifact away he approached Raven.


    "How did you do it?"


    When Raven heard the familiar voice he raised his head scarcely and showed a somewhat cocky smile.


    "With skill."


    John frowned upon hearing those words before he said coldly, "Those Mutated Nightshade Queens were at Rank 50 while your aura is barely above 40. So I will ask again, how did you do it?"


    Raven, and also Luna beside him, frowned deeply before the former decided to stand up slowly and wipe the blood away from the corner of his mouth.


    "I don''t really think I need to exin everything to you, much less tell you all of my abilities."


    After saying that Raven ignored John''s piercing re and nced at Alex, "Thank you, I am fine now."


    "You don''t have to thank me. The one saying that should be me, not you. You have saved my and everyone''s life." Alex said with a wry smile, his exhausted and pale face slowly regaining its natural colors.


    "Anyways, we should take a rest and recover our strength before resuming our search." after making sure Raven was fine Luna stood up and looked at everyone one by one.


    Looking at them now, although they did have any fatal wounds they still looked exhausted and had small wounds that needed to be healed, or else they could get infected.


    Luckily, none of them were poisoned, but just in case to avoid the unexpected Luna gave several pills to everyone which were an antidote for lethal poison.<sub> </sub>


    The group after that decided to rest for 2 hours before resuming their search for the Realm Core. However, even after 5 hours of searching through which they killed many creatures and even reached the border of the Realm Domain, they found nothing.


    "This is weird. Even though we are inside a Territory-type Realm Domain that shouldn''t mean the Realm Core should bepletely hidden." Mia frowned as she looked around, "We have explored the whole Domain yet found nothing."


    Raven also looked around, trying to spot the Realm Core. However, except for the tall cave wall before him, that spread both directions and the vast blue forest behind him, he saw nothing.


    "The Realm Core is a floating orb, right?" Raven asked, making sure he was looking for the right thing. After all, although he once saw a Realm Core that didn''t mean every Realm Core looked the same.


    Especially not after that it turns out there are various types of Realm Domains, each varying from one another in several aspects such asyout, size, difficulty, and many more.


    "Orb?" Mia raised a brow before she seemed to realize something and said, "Oh, you must be talking about Preliminary Realm Cores. No, the Realm Core we are looking for is having more of a crystal-like appearance."


    "Yeah. It also emits a unique aura, so it is quite easy to spot even from far away." Alex added with a nod.


    "Wait, what?" Raven suddenly stopped walking, forcing the rest to look at him with puzzled looks.


    "You guys mean something like... this?" Raven asked, pulling out a piece of small, azure blue crystal from his pocket.


    "What!?"


    Everyone screamed out with shock and ran in front of him, their eyes glued to the small crystal as if it was an ancient treasure that was lost for centuries.


    "This... This is the Realm Core! But... But where did you find it?" Mia asked with utter disbelief once she confirmed that it really was what they were looking for.


    ''So this is what a fully evolved Realm Core looks like, huh?'' Raven thought to himself as he yed with the small crystal in his palm.


    "Believe it or not, I have found it outside the Realm Domain."


    "You have what!?" Mia almost screamed and said, "That is just impossible. Realm Core is-,"


    "No, it is not impossible." suddenly Alex began to speak, interrupting Mia and attracting everyone''s gaze.


    "My friends once told me that during their time clearing a Territory-type Realm Domain, they haven''t found the Realm Core inside, but instead outside of it!"


    "Huh? But how is that even possible? It is a known fact that Realm Cores can only exist within Realm Domains as they are the only source of energy that prevents Realms to copse." Oliver asked with a deep scowl on his head.


    "Don''t ask me why it how, this is something my friends told me. In fact, if you want you can ask about it within the Realm Association. It is in the official report." Alex shrugged casually.


    Mia and Oliver looked at each other with both shock and confusion while Luna and John kept frowning in silence as they gazed at the crystal in Raven''s hand.


    ''Weird... Maybe I should ask Dinas about it once I will have the chance.'' Raven thought to himself before he handed the Realm Core to Luna.


    "Then I think we can get going, right?"


    "If you would have told us sooner you had the Realm Core, we would have finished here a long time ago without risking our lives," John muttered with a hint of anger and without hesitation began to walk toward where the exit was.


    ''Like I would have known it was what we have been looking for.'' Raven sneered coldly before he followed after the brat of the Waldell family.


    And just like that, the group exited the Realm Domain.


    "And what now? What will happen with the Realm Domain?" Raven asked when he saw nothing happened the moment they exited the Realm Domain with the Realm Core.


    "Because this Realm Domain is a fully evolved one and now that we have the Realm Core, it will take a few days before it copsespletely," Luna exined calmly before adding, "We just have to report back to the Realm Association which will prohibit anyone entering the Realm Domain."


    "What if one remains inside the Realm Domain when it copses?" Raven asked curiously but in a tone of voice that only Luna heard.


    After all, if the others would hear he didn''t even know about such basic knowledge they would either think he was a retard or spent his previous three years under a rock.


    Or even worse, suspect something which was the least he needed at the moment.


    Luna looked at Raven from the corner of his eyes and after pondering for a while she said, "No one knows really, but it is very likely they all die."


    ''Or they are transported to another world.'' Raven thought calmly, the words Dinas once told him about Realm Cores resurfacing in his mind.

 Chapter 121 Shopping Spree (2)

    After exiting the underground Realm Domain and setting foot on green grass under the beautiful open sky, Raven let out a sigh of relief.


    "I will contact my father and let him know we have finished here," Luna said calmly as she took out her phone and dialed a number.


    After talking with Old Dan for several minutes Luna put her phone away and turned to face the rest.


    "My father has several things to take care of within the Realm Association so he won''t be able to pick us up. However, he said he will send Thomas here so we only have to wait."


    "Argh! Finally!" dropping down onto her butt, Mia showed an exhausted smile to which Oliver and Alex looked at each other andughed weakly before they too sat down.


    While Raven didn''t know this, Luna and her party had been inside the Realm Domain for almost over a week, collecting all kinds of goods while also fighting hundreds of Mutated Nightshades, each varying in Rank.


    During this time, except for stopping to rest for a few hours, they have barely slept. After all, if they failed to find the Realm Core in time, there was the risk of the Realm Domain opening, allowing every abomination within to get free and wander Earth''s surface which could lead to chaos with ease.


    Watching with a calm expression how everyone started to rest, Luna looked at Raven and tugged him gently.


    "Can we speak for a sec?"


    "Yeah, sure." Raven nodded and while ignoring the intense stare he got from John he followed after Luna under a tree where no one could hear them.


    "Sit here." Luna patted the spot beside her softly.


    Raven nodded and sat down, only to be surprised a little the next second. When he sat down, Luna ced her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.


    "I want to know everything. Let it be the smallest detail, I wish to know what happened." Luna mumbled quietly, her voice almost akin to a fly''s buzz.


    Upon hearing the soft voice with which Luna spoke and the rxed expression on her beautiful face Raven smiled and leaned against the tree behind his back, his golden eyes staring at the clear sky above.


    Time passed just like that and more than an hourter, he finished talking.


    "And that is how I havee back." Raven sighed and waited for his little sister to talk, however, even after waiting for several minutes he got no reply.


    "Lulu?" Raven lowered his gaze at his little sister, only to be shocked to see tears flowing down her cheeks in silence.


    "I... I thought you have died..." grabbing Raven''s arm and clenching it through which Raven was able to feel her sorrow, Luna cried and sobbed quietly.


    "...When I saw you like that... With those wounds, I wished nothing more but to help you. Yet... Yet I couldn''t."


    Raven listened in silence, his face is currently as calm as a crystal-clear pond of water. Then, after sighing deeply and pulling Luna closer, allowing her to cry even harder than before.


    Everything she had kept inside for three entire years now flooded out like a torrent, only bing stronger with each passing second.


    Meanwhile, Mia and the rest watched the two of them from the distance, the young woman''s eyes flickering with various emotions.


    "Who knew Lady Luna could show such a side of her," Oliver mumbled quietly.


    "She always shows she is cold and indifferent, not caring about anything and anybody. The only thing she has in her eyes is to be the strongest, so seeing her like this is truly something new." Alex nodded.


    "Well, considering her brother had gone missing for three years and how close she was with him, it is only natural for her ice mask to finally break." Mia sighed before a joyful smile appeared on her face.


    "Though, looking at them like this, I must admit they look cute together."


    "Tsk."


    "Oh? We are a little jelly, aren''t we~?" Mia looked at John who at the moment clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    Upon seeing John turning away and mumbling something under his breath Mia giggled softly before she shifted her attention back to Raven and Luna.


    Time passed just like that and after a few hourster Thomas finally arrived with arge but luxurious vehicle.


    "Lady Luna, Young Master Raven. It is time to go home." Thomas said to the two under the tree while he couldn''t help but show a soft and heartfelt smile.


    Finally, after three years, he was able to see Luna show other emotions except for coldness and indifference.


    ...


    After arriving before the ck Moon Guild Luna and the rest went to report back about their mission whichter on will be sent to the Realm Association, allowing them to collect their rewards in three days.


    "When will we do another mission?" once they took care of everything and were outside the guild, Oliver stretched his arms and asked as he looked at the rest beside him.


    "We will take a two days rest before we apply for our next mission," Luna stated calmly, her arms clinging to Raven''s.


    "I see. Then I will see you guys in two days!" Oliver waved his hand and without hesitation used the Zeusbridge to teleport away.<sub> </sub>


    Alex and Mia did the same a few momentster, from which thetter looked at John with a teasing look, who stated he will decide to stay in ck Moon City until the next mission.


    "See you, John." Luna smiled at John before she dragged Raven away, back to the mansion.


    "What will you do now?" once, inside the mansion, Luna looked at Raven curiously.


    Raven pondered for a few seconds before he took his Backroom Key out and said, "I will go and shop a little."


    Upon seeing the key in Raven''s hands Luna''s eyes brightened like stars before she raised a finger and as she pressed it against his chest she said, "Wait, please use my Astral Cores and buy me something good."


    "Huh?" Raven was surprised when he felt a warm sensation sweep through his body before something popped up before his line of sight.


    [Currency: 286,800 Astral Core]


    ''...''


    Seeing how the amount of his Astral Cores had literally doubled Raven felt stupified for a second before he asked;


    "What about the bell I have given you?"


    "Oh, that?" Luna lowered her gaze slightly as if she felt guilty, "During one of my fights, it had been broken..."


    "It... broke?" Raven was shocked as he didn''t expect such a thing.


    "But don''t worry. I made sure to cut the one who broke it into thousands of pieces when I had the chance." Luna quickly added, further dumbfounding Raven.


    "I-I see..." Raven mumbled and after clearing his throat he asked, "And what do you want me to buy?"


    Luna ced her index finger on her lips and after pondering for a few seconds she said, "Either something that can assist me in fights or an armor. If it is thetter, the lighter the better."


    "Noted." Raven nodded and was ready to use his key when Thomas appeared at the corner.


    "Young Master, please wait a second."


    "Thomas? Did something happen?" Raven asked, thinking something must have happened why his butlere at him so hurriedly.


    "No, in fact, I hope you can help us, the ck Moon Guild."


    Raven raised a brow, however, when he saw Thomas ce a finger on his chest he seemed to understand what was really going on.


    [Currency: 4,926,790 Astral Core]


    ''...''


    The fuck?


    Almost give million Astral Cores!?


    Raven felt the world spinning around him a little before realization dawned on him.


    ''Well, considering it had been collected under three years, it is not that of a huge surprise.''


    After calming down, which in realitysted for a single second, Raven looked at Thomas and asked, "What should I get from this amount of Astral Cores?"


    "Here. Everything you need to know is in this. Also, take this. It will help you store everything you buy." Thomas said as he handed Raven a small device and a small ring.


    "Huh? When did you have time to jot down all this?" Raven was shocked when he saw numerous item names within the device.


    "I had quite the time in the past three years." Thomas showed a soft smile to which Raven wished to reply but decided not to and instead nodded.


    "I see. Then I will be off." Raven said calmly and ced the key into the keyhole on the door.


    "Oh, I forgot to say, but please make sure you acquire the ones that are highlighted. The rest are all secondary and not that important." Thomas quickly added to which Raven nodded and turned the key.


    And just like that, the familiar feeling swept through his body before he found himself in therge room filled with all kinds of goods.


    "And here I thought I will never be able to see you again, Raven."


    Upon hearing the familiar voice Raven couldn''t help himself from showing a small smile and looking around.


    "It''s also good to see you again, Dinas. Or should I say hear you again?"

 Chapter 122 Shopping Spree (3-Last)

    "Oh? So you no longer fear saying my name out loud? Why is that?" Dinas asked, his voice full of surprise and awe.


    "You can say I somewhat had been enlightened." Raven showed a calm smile as he looked around.


    After breaking his seal and seeing that vision under that huge tree with those four individuals including the newborn, Raven really started to believe that he was the born child of two gods, which naturally made him also one.


    Thus, this meant that he shouldn''t be feared to say Dinas'' name out loud. As for Etia''s name, while he itched to try and say it he was not a fool to do so for different reasons.


    First of all, while now he was 99% sure he was the offspring of two higher existences with seemingly immense powers, he didn''t know if he was considered a Royal God or not.


    After all, ording to Etia, only those who had been given permission or were Royal Gods could say her name out loud without suffering any grave consequences.


    As for the other reason, if it turned out that he was a Royal God, he feared that status of his was also sealed away just like how his memories had been.


    ''Well, with time I am pretty sure everything wille to light, I just need to be patient.'' Raven thought to himself.


    "Hmm... Enlightenment, huh? I see you have sessfully broken your first seal." Dinas hummed quietly.


    "Huh? What?" now it was Raven''s turn to be shocked and quickly asked, "Wait... Do you mean you have known about my seal all this time? And also, what do you mean by the first seal? Is there more?"


    "Oh my... It seems I have spoken something I shouldn''t have done."


    Dinas remained silent for a few seconds before he hummed nonchntly, almost as if he was shrugging, and said, "Well, whatever. What has been said couldn''t be taken back so, yes, I have known about your seal a very long time ago. I have known about the very moment you had been taken to that called Earth."


    "As for your seals, I have to apologize, but I cannot talk about it. Just pretend as if I have not said anything."


    "Pretend as if you have not... Nah, even if you say that I can''t." Raven frowned to which Dinas just sighed helplessly.


    "I am truly sorry, little bird, despite I wish to tell you everything, I can''t. My hands are tied."


    The frown on Raven''s face just deepened even more, however, as he couldn''t force Dinas to tell him what he did not wish to he could do nothing.


    "And is there anything you can tell me?"


    "Unfortunately, not. In truth, we should stop talking about this matter or everything you have so far achieved will be in vain."


    "Is that so..." Raven sighed before he nodded and took out the device he had gotten from Thomas.


    Then, after checking the list on it he asked, "Do you have any of these items?"


    "Let me check it." Dinas'' voice immediately appeared and Raven felt a gentle breeze appear in the room for a split second, caressing his cheeks softly.


    "Hmm... You wish to buy all these?"


    "Yeah. Do you think I can find them here?" Raven asked calmly.


    "Well, many of them, yes, you can. However, some of them can only be purchased within my Realm Shop."


    "Then I will buy those that are currently avable," Raven stated with an indifferent face.


    "I hope that you realize that while these items are nothing special because you wish to buy many at once they will be rather expensive."


    "How much?"


    "Let''s see... a total of 3,894 items with a price varying between 500 and 1,500 Astral Cores... It should be around or at the very best a little over 4 million Astral Cores."


    "That is okay. I have that much." Raven stated calmly before he waved his hands and showed Dinas the number of Astral Cores he had.


    "Oh? How interesting? Perhaps it could be that you and your family wish to start world domination?" Dinas asked curiously and added, "After all, with all these items, that granted various powers which could be used outside Realms, you can form a smaller army and easily dominate the whole world."


    ''World domination?'' Raven raised a brow as now that he thought about it, why did Thomas ask him to buy all these items?


    However, he soon shook his head and said, "I know my father, he would not aim for world domination. I think, with more and more people gaining various abilities thanks to their Avatar Imprints, he wishes to make sure his guild and family are well protected."


    "Yeah, that makes sense," Dinas mumbled before he sighed and made the items Raven wished to buy appear in front of him inrge crates.


    [Price: 4,233,861 Astral Cores]


    [Do you wish to buy all of it?]


    As the small panels popped up in his line of sight Raven took a deep breath and nodded.


    Whoosh!


    [Currency: 692,929 Astral Core]


    ''I still have almost seven hundred thousand Astral Cores.'' Raven thought silently as he extended his hand and used it to store all the crates within.


    Just like Mia''s orb, his ring also possessed a massive space within, capable of storing thousands of things with ease.


    It was quite a useful thing.<sub> </sub>


    "That ring is not yours, is it? Do you wish to buy one for yourself?" almost as if knowing what he was thinking about Dinas hummed with curiosity.


    "Is there anything simr to this one?" Raven asked.


    "Simr? I have something much better than that junk of scrap." Dinasughed and quickly made a ring appear floating before Raven.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Void Ring]


    ? Rarity: Ultra Rare


    ? Description: An incredibly rare Relic, one that was forged for hundreds of nights and days in the depth of the Void Abyss, causing the Relic to absorb some of the lingering Void Essence there.


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Abyss Space: In exchange for a little bit of Mystique you can gain ess to the Abyss Ring''s almost infinite inner space, granting you the ability to store various things.


    ¡ã Void Domain: In exchange for a great amount of Mystique you can form a small domain around yourself. Within this domain, you can sense and attack anything in an instant.


    ¡ã Void Jump: After activating ability [Void Domain] you can teleport anywhere within the domain 5 times freely before you have to wait 5 hours to use this ability again.


    -> Price: 250,000 Astral Cores


    --------------


    "Look at this baby. Isn''t it gorgeous?" Dinas asked with a voice filled with affection while Raven stared at the beautiful ck ring with its purplish crystal embedded in its middle with just a slight surprise shing in his eyes.


    "250,000 Astral Cores?" Raven mumbled before he shrugged and decided to buy it.


    Now he had two rings on his left hand, one containing all the items he had bought for Thomas and his own which he had just bought.


    "I still have 442,929 Astral Cores," Raven said and asked Dinas if there were any armor for women which was light, granted great protection against attacks, and also provided its wearer some effects.


    "In fact, I have a few." Dinas stared and immidieatly brought 3 sets of armors before Raven.


    Raven checked each of them for several minutes before he decided to buy the second one as its name kind of reminded him about Luna and also had great effects.


    "Now with these 150,000 Astral Cores spent, I only have a little less than 300,000. Is there any good weapon that I can afford with this much?"


    "If there is any?" Dinas almostughed out loud when he heard the question and said, "There are only good weapons for that much money so say what kind of weapon you are looking for?"


    "Anything light, easy to use but also sharp enough to prate thick armors. Also, if there is any that can grant me passive abilities that would be the best."


    "Hmm, let me see if I find anything to your preference," Dinas muttered, and a small whileter he brought several weapons before Raven.


    There was a total of 5 weapons floating before him; A dagger, a shortsword, a pair of Pantera ws, a fan, and a... umbre.


    The hell?


    What was an umbre doing next to four lethal weapons?


    Unable to lessen his curiosity, Raven stepped before the beautiful white umbre and examined its description.


    --------------


    [Weapon: Celeste de]


    ? Rarity: Ultra Rare


    ? Description: An unusual weapon constructed, forged, and created by a nameless smith who wished to create a heavenly weapon that not only could im the lives of others but also save them!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Heavenly Cloak: In exchange for 100 units of Mystique every second, the umbre will serve as a thinyer of armor that is capable of defending its wearer from various attacks.


    ¡ã Cloak Shield: In exchange for 10,000 units of Mystique you can instantly order and make your cloak to form arge shield anywhere around you, capable of defending you from devastating attacks!


    ¡ã Armor Shattering: Your de has a 10% chance to pierce through any armor with ease and a 5% chance to shatter itpletely!


    ¡ã Shield Breaker: If you im the life of your enemy with [Armor Shattering], your following attack will have a 95% chance to pierce your next enemy''s shield, if they have one, and a 90% chance to shatter itpletely!


    -> Price: 275,000 Astral Cores


    --------------

 Chapter 123 Silent Zephyr

    Staring at the floating panel just a few inches above the umbre... above the weapon, Raven raised a brow.


    ''Celeste de. It is not only capable of granting great protection against both weak and lethal assaults but its other two abilities are also a huge boon during a battle, especially on arge scale one against many enemies.''


    ''Moreover, those chances with my Luck Enhancement could literally make all of my strikes lethal. I can easily shatter anyone''s defense in mere moments.''


    Thinking about this Raven took the umbre into his hands and inspected it.


    ''Light.'' that was the very first thing Raven thought about once the weapon was in his grasp.


    The umbre, currently in its closed state, was around 36-37 inches in length while its grip was that of a normal sword''s handle; perfect to hold and not hooked but straight.


    "How does this thing open?" Raven mumbled, and a secondter he indeed found two small switches.


    "Hm? Two switches?" Raven raised a brow and pressed the one on the top.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the umbre opened, looking just like any normal umbre would with the sole exception that the shaft was at least twice as thick as that of a normal umbre while Raven could easily see through the inner canopy and see the scenery behind it.


    ''Interesting.'' Raven thought and pressed the button again, watching as it immediately closed.


    "Now I wonder what the second switch does." with those words, Raven quickly pressed the second switch.


    Click!


    Whoosh!


    "What!?"


    Raven''s eyes widened the next second and with a tiny bit of awe watched as the umbre''s top fell off and started to float around him while what remained in his hands was the shaft of it which now from a closer look had an appearance akin to a scabbard!


    "This is nuts." Raven muttered and as he grabbed the "scabbard" he pulled on the handle.


    Swish!


    "Woah..." Raven''s shock only deepened more as he watched how now he held a straight and thin sword in his hand which looked like a mix between a katana and a rapier.


    And what made it look even cooler was that on both sides of the de''s snow-white surface Raven could spot several ck engravings, giving it a rather mysterious and overbearing aura.


    "This is... cool!" Ravenughed out loud as he swung the sword around, feeling with pleasant surprise how light it was and how easy it was to handle.


    Moreover, as he swung the sword around he also watched how the upper part of the umbre floated around him like a ghost, seemingly ready to protect him at any given moment!


    After swinging the weapon around for a few more minutes Raven pressed the second switch again and watched as the floating fabric around him attached itself back to the shaft.


    "This thing... I don''t even need to check the other four weapons out to know I will take this one with me." Raven said calmly, however, as he was curious about how strong the other weapons were he still checked their description out.


    And just as he thought, while their design was cool and they all possessed unique and quite powerful abilities, none of them caught Raven''s interest as the Celeste de did.


    "I will take this one," Raven stated once he finished.


    "Your taste... How should I say? It is quite interesting." Dinas said calmly but still allowed Raven to but it for 275,000 Astral Cores, leaving him with 17,929 Astral Cores.


    Naturally, from that much money, he still bought a set of armor for himself, which while not being as good as Luna''s as it granted him no special or passive abilities, was still good enough to protect him from beasts below Rank 50!


    "2,929... I should save these in case I can visit the Realm Shop again." Raven mumbled quietly.


    "Have you bought anything you have wanted?" Dina''s voice sounded the next second.


    "Yeah. So I guess it is time for me to go." Raven sighed.


    "Before you go, there is something I have to say."


    "Hm?" Raven raised a brow curiously and perked his ears, knowing that if Dinas wished to say something to him that was definitely important.


    "I''m all ears."


    -


    -


    -


    After exiting the Backrooms, the very first thing Raven saw was two figures standing before him. Those two, naturally, were Thomas and Luna. It seemed they have not moved from their spot even for a moment and kept waiting for him all this time.


    "Raven!"


    Watching as Luna appeared before him with sparkling eyes, looking almost like an excited little girl who couldn''t wait to get her birthday present, Raven showed a soft smile and waved his hand.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    In a sh, a beautiful and stylish silver armor appeared on the ground, one that seemed to be light enough to allow its wearer to move without any obstruction while also granting high defense.


    -------------------------


    [Armor: Silent Zephyr]


    ? Rarity: Very Rare


    ? Description: The perfect armor for those who want high defense without losing any of their natural movement speed!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Silent Steps: While wearing this armor your steps bespletely silent! Only those with superior senses or special Relics/Artifacts can detect the sound of your movement!


    ¡ã Light as Feather: In exchange for 1,000 units of Mystique for every second, your body weight gets halved, granting you improved momentum and movement!


    ¡ã Blessing of Zephyr: During any type of storm, your Speed, Constitution, and Dexterity gets increased by 30 points!


    ¡ã Damage Absorption: 25% of any direct or indirect damage your armor receives while you are on the move will be absorbed.


    --------------


    When Luna saw the armor her eyes already sparkled with awe, however, when her gaze fell on its description they became like dancing stars and quickly hopped at Raven.


    "You are the best! I love you!" with those words she quickly kissed Raven on the cheek before she ran away with the set of armor, probably to try it on.


    ''...''


    Raven was surprised a little bit as he kind of expected such a thing to happen he just smiled and looked at Thomas.


    "Here. Except for a few things as they are only avable within the Realm Shop I was able to buy everything."


    "Thank you very much, Young Master. You helped us, once again." Thomas showed a heartfelt smile as he epted the ring from Raven.


    "Though, why does my father want so many things? With those items, we could easily create a smaller army that only a few could oppose."


    "Army?" putting the ring on his finger, Thomas raised a brow before heughed softly, "Well, you can say that is exactly what we are trying to do."


    When Raven heard this he frowned. Perhaps his father really wished to aim for world domination? No, that was very unlikely.


    Then, the only usible exnation would be...


    "You need all this for the uing World''s sh round, right?" Raven asked calmly as he knew that while he was away, trapped in that eternal darkness, humanity was forced to y 2 more rounds of World''s sh, each of them giving rise to smaller and bigger chaos among humans.


    And knowing that the next round was slowly approaching, Raven could understand why his father wished to buy those things. That way, he could protect both his guild and his family if things happened to get out of hand once again as they did in the past three times already.


    Thomas smiled and nodded, "I see you are as quick to understand things as ever."


    "Anyways, Young Master, now that you are finally back what will you do?"


    "What will I do?" Raven mumbled before he scowled and said, "To be honest, I didn''t really think about this matter yet."


    "Then why don''t you first go to the Realm Association and get yourself evaluated? That way you can not only startpleting missions and collect various rewards but also gain many benefits depending on what kind of Role and Character Rank you get."


    "For example, Lady Luna gains weekly benefit because of her S Rank within the Realm Association and collects extra rewards for eachpleted mission."


    "Is that so?" Raven rubbed his chin softly as he pondered for a few minutes and nodded.


    "Sure, I will do that."


    "I wille with you too!"


    Suddenly, Luna appeared at the corner, currently wearing the silver armor she got from Raven, dumbfounding both Raven and Thomas.


    "How do you like it?" giggling softly upon seeing both of their reaction, Luna straightened her back and nced at Raven.


    "You look stunning."


    "Right?" Luna''s smile widened even more when she heard Raven''spliment before she walked before Raven and asked, "So? When do you want to go?"


    "Huh? Don''t tell me... You want toe to Nova City while wearing that?"


    "Why? Is there a problem with it?"


    Raven was ready to answer, however, after remembering how several people walked around while wearing armors he decided not to.


    "No. Not at all." Raven shook his head and after saying goodbye to Thomas he walked away with Luna beside him.

 Chapter 124 Evaluation Hall

    In the center of Nova City.


    Standing in front of arge skyscraper with a helical shape that spun counterclockwise slowly, Raven stared toward the top with an awed expression.


    "So this is the Realm Association, huh?" Raven mumbled as he lowered his gaze down at the entrance.


    After the first round of the World''s sh, the world descended intoplete chaos whichsted for an entire month. Buildings were demolished, cities were burnt, environments were razed, and people were killed daily.


    However, luckily after witnessing how Raven won the first round of the World''s sh for humanity, things slowly started to calm down and get back under control while the United World League decided to renovate all the cities that were almostpletely destroyed.


    This, naturally, included the headquarters of the Realm Association as that was one of the main targets of all the people during the Dawn of Chaos.


    "Let''s not just stand around, let''s go inside." grabbing his hand the next second, Luna dragged Raven inside the Realm Association, immediately attracting the attention of everyone inside.


    "Hey, check that out! Isn''t that Silver Death Luna?"


    "Where? Truly! It is really her! Wait... Who is that guy beside her? They are even holding hands, what the hell?! Is that her boyfriend?"


    "Boyfriend? Are you dumb or what? That is her brother!"


    "Her brother? Do you mean Raven Wright who had been gone missing for three years?"


    "Yeah, him. Though, who cares about him? Instead, look at her armor! She looks just like a war goddess from a myth!"


    "She had always looked like a war goddess to me. It''s just that her beauty now seems to be enhanced several folds because of that silver armor! I wonder who made it for her."


    As Luna and Raven walked toward the desk at the center of the hall, people staring at her started to murmur between each other, mostly wondering where she got her armor and admiring her mour.


    Upon seeing the lustful eyes directed at her little sister Raven narrowed his eyes scarcely, his eyes emitting a hint of chilling coldness.


    "Lady Luna, wee back. What brings you here today? Applying for another mission?" a beautifuldy in her mid-thirties with blond hair tied into a ponytail smiled sweetly at Luna before she shifted her gaze at Raven and then at their hands.


    ''So he must be him, hu...h?''


    The youngdy seemed to put the pieces together and recognize Raven, however, when her gaze met Raven''s suddenly the words she wished to ask next stuck in her throat, and her cheeks got flushed a little.


    ''Weird... Why do I feel like this? My heart feels like it will jump out of my chest.''


    "Miss E, I see you are as cheerful as always." Luna chuckled softly, surprising many around her as in the past her image was that of a cold and merciless goddess who rarely smiled and neverughed.


    "Am I seeing things or did sheugh just now?"


    "No... She did..."


    "My God... That smile... I think I have just fallen in love with her even more."


    "...Me too."


    Happened to hear what the people around him muttered, Raven raised a brow and looked around.


    Meanwhile, seeminglypletely oblivious about what others talked about around here, Luna looked at Miss E and said;


    "Though, today I am not here to assign for a mission. I just simply decided to apany my brother who wishes to take the evaluation test."


    "Oh?" Miss E raised a brow, but as she knew Raven was gone missing for several years she understood the reason why he was taking the test only now.


    "I see. Then please follow me."


    Shortly after that, Raven and Luna were brought before a door.


    "Sir, please go inside. Once you are inside just follow the instructions."


    Raven after looking at Luna, who stared at him with sparkling eyes nodded and walked inside.


    ''Prettyrge for a room.'' Raven thought to himself as he watched that he stood at the edge of a massive room, one so big that it almost had the size of an entire football stadium!


    "Wee, to the Evaluation Hall! Here, you will be able to create your Avatar ID. First, please fill out the following questionnaire ."


    ''Questions?'' Raven frowned and watched as several holographic panels appeared before him.


    ----------------


    <o>,m [Questionnarie]</o>


    1. Name:


    2. Age:


    3. Rank:


    4. True Rank:


    5. Artifact Name:


    6. Artifact Grade and Form:


    7. Number of Avatar Imprints:


    8. Avatar ss: (Only fill out if you have one)


    9. Guild: (Only fill out if you have one)


    -----------------


    ''Basic questions without trying to unearth people''s secrets and powers, huh?'' Raven rubbed his chin before he shrugged and answered all of them without lying.


    ----------------<sub> </sub>


    [Questionnarie]


    1. Name: Raven Wright


    2. Age: 23


    3. Rank: 43


    4. True Rank: 33


    5. Artifact Name: Dice of Fate


    6. Artifact Grade/ Form: Arcane/ Complete


    7. Number of Avatar Imprints: 4


    8. Avatar ss: Luck Cursed


    9. Guild: ck Moon Guild


    -----------------


    After filling out the form, Raven watched as the hologram vanished and the robotic voice once again began to speak.


    "Your data had been saved. Evaluation Difficulty now will be set to Rank 43!"


    ''What?'' Raven''s eyes widened and watched as suddenly something materialized not far away from him.


    It was a giant creature, one that had the appearance of a white rabbit with two ck mantis-like scythesing out of its chest. Just taking one nce at it, Raven knew it was a dangerous creature that could im the lives of others in seconds!


    "Please defeat your enemy in the fastest way possible! During the fight, you are not forced to use your Artifact if you don''t want to."


    ''Oh, that is good to hear. Then I can use my new weapon, right?'' Raven thought as he summoned his Celeste de.


    ''Though, it said I am not forced to use my Artifact. Does that mean if I want I can? But currently, we are outside of Realms, so how could I even use it?'' Raven felt confused, however, it onlysted for a few seconds before he turned serious and pressed the switch on his weapon.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, the upper part of his umbre flew down and floated beside him while what remained in his hand was its shaft with the de in it.


    ''Well, I won''t use my Artifact at all so there is no point in thinking about it right now. Instead, I should focus on that creature.''


    "The fight willmence once you say ''ready''."


    Upon hearing the robotic voice Raven took a deep breath and nodded.


    "I''m ready."


    The very moment he said those words, the beast about a hundred meters away from him vanished and reappeared only a meter away from him, its left scythe gliding at his throat from the side like a bolt of lightning!


    ''Fast!''


    Although foreseeing that the beast will move at high speed, Raven was still caught out of his guard and failed to react in time.


    However, he didn''t even have to as the fabric floating beside him shed and appeared right between him and the assault, protecting him from getting his throat getting sliced wide open!


    ng!


    "Great job!" despite knowing the fabric was just an object and didn''t understand him, Ravens still praised it for saving him and without even wasting a second he grabbed his sword''s hilt.


    Swish!


    With one single and fast swing, Raven''s de sliced through the beast''s body diagonally, immidieatly causing its body to disperse into white particles.


    "Congrattions! You have in your enemy!"


    Whoosh!


    "Eh?" Raven''s eyes widened slightly when he watched as now there were six creatures in the distance while on either side of him two individuals appeared, one holding a bow while the other a dagger.


    "Evaluation Difficulty now will be set to Rank 44!"


    "Please defeat your enemies in the fastest way possible!"


    "The fight willmence once you say ''ready''."


    ''Rank 44, increased amount of enemies and two helpers?'' Raven frowned before realization dawned on him.


    ''So that''s how it is. Now I understand.'' Raven thought to himself but to make sure he was right he looked at the figure holding the dagger beside him.


    "Straighten your posture."


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the figure did just what he was told, straightening his back in a way that he looked almost as if he was saluting.


    ''As I have thought. This test is way moreplex than others would think. It not only evaluates one''s strength and abilities but also other skills too such asmanding skill, ability to protect one''srades and the way one can fight against more than one enemy.''


    ''Everything I do here, including the smallest detail will define my Character Rank. As for my Role, I guess it will be determined depending on my fighting style.''


    Coming to such a conclusion in just a few seconds, Raven raised his weapon scarcely while the corner of his lips curved upward.


    ''Now, this is what I call interesting!''

 Chapter 125 Special Role And Character Rank (1)

    Sitting inside a small room filled with various monitors, a young man leaned back in his chair with a bored expression, on hisp was a bag of chips visible.


    He sat like that for several minutes when suddenly one of the monitors on the side flickered, attracting his attention right away.


    "Hm? Oh? It seems someone has started their avatar test?" the young man mumbled and rolled his chair closer to the monitor.


    "Let''s see... His name is... Raven Wright? Huh? Why does it sound so familiar?" the young man scowled deeply before he shrugged and quickly threw several pieces of chips into his mouth.


    "His Rank is 43? Quite average. True Rank 33... Hmm... Now that is something worth praising. His strength must be quite bnced, focusing on everything."


    After throwing another handful of chips into his mouth and also taking a sip from the soda can found beside him, the young man wiped his mouth and narrowed his eyes.


    "Dice of Fate... Arcane Grade and Complete Form? Hmm... How interesting." the guy hummed, his eyes shimmering with a hint of curiosity.


    However, when he spotted which guild Raven was a part of, his hand which was ready to stuff more chips into his mouth froze and suddenly his eyes widened, seemingly realization dawning down on him.


    "ck Moon Guild... Raven Wright... Wright... Don''t tell me... Is he the son of Lord Wright? But wasn''t he reported as someone who had gone missing, for three years no less?"


    Thinking about this the guy quickly opened the database on another monitor and typed on the hologram keyboard for a few seconds before the image of a ck-haired young man appeared.


    "It''s definitely him. So after three years, he had been finally found. I wonder where he was all this time. Perhaps he got stuck in a Trap-type Realm Domain? Nah, no one had ever been stuck in one for three years. Then the only usible exnation would be a Special-type Realm Domain."


    Special-type Realm Domains were usually very dangerous to enter because inside them time and space were usually disordered, to the point where one could either get lostpletely because of the seemingly limitless space within or die from old age in split seconds because of the elerated time.


    Of course, there existed Special-type Realm Domains where time moved so differently that 1 hour inside there equaled several days outside or the other way around, but luckily those were very few.


    "I see. So he must have gone inside such a Realm Domain. That would exin why he had been gone missing for three whole years." the young guy mumbled as he watched Raven summoning his weapon.


    "What the hell is that thing? His Artifact? No. It must be a Relic. But why is he not using his Artifact? This way he just risks getting a bad score in the end."


    The young guy frowned, however, the very second he witnessed how Raven deflected the beast''s assault and killed it with one single strike he froze up.


    "That Relic... He can use it for both offense and defense!?"


    Shock swept through the young guy before he calmed down and shook his head.


    "Well, although that Relic seems to be unique, I doubt it is durable enough to defend against several attacks at the same time. Much less from Strength-type beasts that are a whole Rank above him."


    As the young guy said those words his gaze fell on the six beasts before Raven, each having the appearance of a bull with zing fire visible around their horns and hoofs!


    "Six Rank 44 zing Oxen. Alone they are easy to kill, however, if there are more than 5 they can easily eradicate smaller groups. Furthermore, with their special trait of zing Horns, they can run through and crash their enemy''s defenses with ease."


    "I wonder if he will be able to pull this of-" the young man didn''t even finish his sentence when suddenly his body stiffened and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle.


    Then, after a secondter he jumped up onto his feet, ignoring how the tasty chips from the bag fell out onto the ground and stared at the monitor with wide eyes filled with disbelief.


    "Impossible! H-How did he do it!?"


    Meanwhile, inside the Evaluation Hall Raven stared at the now six headless zing Oxen on the ground with a nonchnt look and ced his de back into its scabbard.


    ''Hmm... I somewhat feel like I am cheating.''


    Because of his Primordial Grade Rune Mark, Raven''s strength skyrocketed and exploded through the roof, making those Rank 44 zing Oxen look like small ants before him.


    ''No matter if the difference is one or ten Ranks, until someone is above me in Rank my Rune Mark will automatically get triggered. And the worst is that I can''t even decide when it should get activated.''


    Raven sighed softly.


    ''Well, at least I can somewhat control myself and decide just how much strength I wish to use so I won''t go over my limits as I have done so duringst time.''


    Once he finished his line of thought, Raven watched as the six carcasses before him vanished together with the two helpers and the robotic voice sounded in the air.


    "Evaluation Difficulty now will be set to Rank 50!"


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, before Raven 28 beasts appeared, this time each varying in size and shape, seemingly each of them focusing on different Traits.


    As for beside him, 4 other individuals appeared, one holding a shield, another a great sword, the third one a longbow, while thest one held two daggers, one in each hand.<sub> </sub>


    "Please defeat your enemies in the fastest way possible!"


    "The fight willmence once you say ''ready''."


    ''Let''s change tactics a little.'' Raven thought and quickly ordered the four helpers beside him to stand into formation.


    The one with the shield together with the one with the great sword stood at the front, he stood on the right side while the one with the two daggers stood on the left side. As for the archer, he ordered him to remain in the back.


    ''Looks great.'' Raven showed a smile and quickly started to battle.


    Swish!


    "Protect him!" seeing as something shed past him, targeting the archer, Raven ordered his cloak to move while he swung his de horizontally, beheading arge serpent that wished to swallow him in a whole.


    ng!


    "Great job!"


    After killing the creature Raven stomped on the ground and as he dodged therge hammer of a creature that looked like an ugly ogre he appeared beside the archer.


    Whoosh!


    Raven''s eyes shed coldly as he pushed his weapon forward like a rapier and quickly pierced the flying creature in the heart that tried to ambush the archer.


    "Just focus on the ones in the sky!" Raven ordered the archer and without hesitation dashed to the front while leaving his cloak behind.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    "You two! Try and take down the big ones


    As for the rest, just leave them to us." Raven said loudly as he decapitated a creature with four arms and began to attract the attention of the smaller ones.


    ''Good! It''s working!'' Raven showed a smile as he watched how he seeded in separating the creatures into different groups, helping hisrades to focus on enemies that they could kill with more ease.


    With the archer focusing on anything capable of flight he and the rest of hisrades didn''t have to fear getting ambushed from the sky. Also, with him and the one with the two daggers taking care of the smaller and more agile abominations on the ground, they lessened the pressure falling on the two on the front, helping them to slowly but surely overwhelm the bigger foes.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    Severing the arms of arge gori with white furs before piercing his de into his heart, Raven looked around and watched as now only a single creature remained alive.


    The creature, in fact, was arge tree with a massive gaping hole in the middle of its trunk serving as its mouth and several long roots that it used as both its legs and arms, helping it in both movement and attacks!


    However, considering how his four helpers joined hands with his cloak seemingly working as a fifth helper, Raven knew it was only a matter of time before the tree was killed.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    And sure enough, after 2 minutes the creature was unable to stand its ground anymore and with a heavy sound fell onto the ground where it was split into half by arge great sword!


    "Great job!" Raven showed a wide grin as he watched how all the creatures and beasts that they have killed turned into fragments of white light.


    "Evaluation Difficulty now will be set to Rank 55!"


    "Please defeat your enemy in the fastest way possible!"


    "The fight willmence once you say ''ready''."


    ''Enemy?'' Raven raised a brow, however, to his absolute surprise this time no helpers appeared beside him nor hordes of creatures, but only a single entity.


    One that he was very familiar with.


    "So it''s that bastard, huh?" Raven mumbled, his grip around his weapon''s hilt tightening scarcely.

 Chapter 126 Special Role And Character Rank (2-Last)

    The creature before Raven was the samerge and fat abomination he had once seen during his time in that abandoned and demolished city.


    In fact, he had seen two of them at that time and even witnessed their battle against each other which naturally ended up in one of them losing their life.


    ''I guess this is the perfect time for me to try these two out.'' Raven thought to himself as he nced at his de and his ring before he took a deep breath and initiated the fight.


    "Ghrrrkk..."


    Letting out a deep and disgusting groan, the creature in the distance raised itsrge heavynce, and after bending its knees scarcely it... Jumped!?


    Raven''s eyes widened upon seeing how the creature that seemingly weighed more than half a ton soared into the sky and descended on him from above like a meteorite, its weapon already raised above its head.


    BOOOOOM!


    The ground trembled and dust flew everywhere the second the creaturended on the spot where Raven stood.


    ''So this is how it feels to use this Relic?'' Raven felt pleasantly surprised as he ignored the creature and examined the ring that glowed with a gentle purplish light.


    Right, a second before the creature could havended its blow on him, Raven while. would have easily dodged the assault with his Rune Mark alone still decided to risk it all and use his Relic, which turned out to exceed his expectations greatly.


    First of all, he belived the amount of Mystique it will require him to use if he wished to activate the Void Domain would be around 10,000 units or more, but he was wrong.


    It didn''t even require him more than 1,000 units!


    Secondly, the radius of his Void Domain. He thought its radius will be just around 50 meters, after all, its description said it will be a small domain. However, it seemed that the small domain was not 50 meters but 500!


    That was not fricking small at all!


    Lastly, what shocked Raven the most, was the time needed for his Void Jump to activate. It seemed what he had read in the description about immediate teleportation was not a fib at all.


    ''The only downside of this Relic is that it cannot be used continuously. This is more of a life-saving token than a weapon that can support me in a fight in the long run.'' Raven thought and shifted his gaze at the creature in front of him.


    Right at the spot where he had just stood a moment ago, therge abomination stared angrily at him, its weapon deeply pierced into the ground with cracks spread everywhere around it.


    "Ghrrrkk!!!"


    Watching as the creature pulled its weapon out from the ground and began to dash toward him, Raven raised his weapon calmly and focused on the armor thick ck armor.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to pierce through the armor: 10% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to enhance: 49%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 33,000 units


    ----------------


    Upon seeing the piece of information popping up in his line of sight Raven sighed softly and while limiting his strength to Rank 55 he silently used 40% of his Luck Energy, enhancing his chances from 10% to 50% in an instant.


    Swish!


    Two shes, one small and one big appeared the following second before the sound of metal shing against metal thundered across the room.


    ''Even with a 50% of chance I have failed, huh?'' Raven clenched his teeth as he watched how the tip of his de failed to cut through the creature''s armor even after he enhanced his chances before he lowered his gaze.


    ''But the same goes for this bastard too.'' Raven added as he felt his cloak wrapping around his body tightly, saving him from getting his chest getting drilled through by the sharpnce of the abomination.


    ''I should end this quickly.'' Raven sighed and without hesitation blurred from his spot and appeared behind the creature, which a secondter fell on the ground with a wide hole in the middle of its forehead!


    "Congrattions! You havepleted your trial!"


    "All of your achievements now will be evaluated!"


    ''That was it?'' Raven raised a brow. He thought that after this there will be another level, however, it seemed he was wrong.


    ''Maybe I have overdone it?'' such a question only now appeared in Raven''s mind, however, after thinking about it for a while he just shrugged.


    While it was true that it could raise many questions about how a Rank 43 individual was capable of killing a Rank 55 creature with a single strike, he didn''t really care about it. He could just lie that he possessed a powerful Relic or Rune Mark that boosted his strength for a limited amount of time.


    As for whether they believed it or not, it was none of his business. It''s not like they could force him to tell the truth.


    After standing in one ce for several seconds, suddenly Raven watched as something materialized in front of him out of empty air.


    It was a small silver car with various data carved on it.<sub> </sub>


    ----------------


    [Avatar ID - Raven Wright]


    ¡ã R/ TR: 43/33


    ¡ã Artifact Grade: Arcane +


    ¡ã Avatar ss: Luck Cursed


    ¡ã Role: Warlord


    ¡ã Character Rank: SS


    -----------------


    ''Warlord? SS Character Rank? Wasn''t the highest Rank only S? Or at least that is what Thomas told me before we came here.'' Raven scowled softly as he massaged his neck.


    Soon, however, he just shrugged and turned around, ready to leave, when he suddenly noticed three individuals walking inside the Evaluation Hall.


    ''Luna? Also... who are those two beside her?'' Raven narrowed his eyes scarcely and watched as the three stopped a meter away from him.


    Beside Luna, the two individuals, one man in histe thirties and a young woman in her early thirties stood with calm expressions, both of them wearing the official uniforms of the Realm Association.


    After remaining silent for several seconds the man with short ck hair, a ss on, and a well-defined physique examined Raven from top to bottom and asked;


    "So you are Raven Wright, correct?"


    Although still feeling puzzled, Raven nodded, "Yeah, that is me."


    "I see. Care if I take a look at your Avatar ID for a second?"


    "Sure." Raven nodded and handed the man the silver card.


    "So you are at Rank 43 with a True Rank of 33, huh? I see that you also possess an Avatar ss. How interesting." the man mumbled before he shifted his gaze at thest two pieces of information and widened his eyes slightly.


    "A Warlord with an SS Character Rank."


    "Master Ansell, do you think the AI had an error during the evaluation?" thedy beside Master Ansell asked with a hint of doubt, her eyes just as wide with surprise.


    Master Ansell after staring at the card for a few more seconds shook his head and stated, "No, I highly doubt it."


    "But an SS Character Rank... While I can ept his Role being a Warlord, I think giving him an SS Character Rank is a little too much."


    "In this case, you are wrong, Lia." Master Ansell shook his head while he handed the card back to Raven.


    "How so?" Lisa raised a brow in confusion.


    "You have also seen it with your two eyes. Despite being Rank 43 he easily defeated an abomination that was above him with twelve whole Ranks. That is something only those with an SS Character Rank can achieve."


    Then he quickly added, "Of course, I don''t mean that there is no one out there who could fight creatures several Ranks above theirs, it''s just fighting and killing, in one strike no less, are twopletely different things."


    "So when I say he deserves to hold that SS Character Rank, I truly mean it."


    Lia showed a soft frown but soon seemed to understand what Master Ansell was talking about and sighed.


    "I see," Lia mumbled before she took out a small device from her pocket and asked, "Then should I ssify all his data for the time being?"


    "Yeah, that would be the best for now." Master Ansell nodded without hesitation, "As for you, please follow me."


    Knowing Master Ansell was talking to him Raven nced at Luna who nodded, even looking a little excited as she did that.


    ''Just who is this guy? Master Ansell... I have never heard about him.'' Raven thought silently as he followed after the man and the woman with Luna walking beside him.


    "He is Master Ansell, the current chairman of the Realm Association. As for Lady Lia beside him, that is his secretary." Luna exined quietly.


    ''He is the chairman of the Realm Association? I thought it was someone else.'' Raven thought with a slight hum, ''I wonder what he wants to talk about.''


    However, strangely enough, he was not brought inside an office where he thought he will be interrogated as he expected. No, instead, he was brought inside arge room where several figures were already waiting for something or someone.


    And among these individuals, Raven was shocked to see not one, not two, but three familiar faces!


    ''Okay. For real... What the hell is happening here?''

 Chapter 127 Bonus

    In front of Raven, a total of six individuals stood next to each other, four men and two women, each of them seemingly being in their mid orte twenties.


    And out of these six individuals, Raven could recognize three of them.


    ''These three... Why are they here?''


    Before Raven, the three individuals he had immidieatly identified were none other than a young man with ghostly pale skin, a beautiful young woman wearing an elegant crimson qipao, and a young man with a handsome face.


    Those three were surprisingly none other than Felix, Min Chen, and Canwin, thetter two being one of the main pirs of top guilds while Felix was the heir of the Vaincor Family, the only family that can rival any of the Realm Families despite not holding the title of Realm Family!


    As for the other three individuals, Raven had no idea at all who they were, but considering the aura around their bodies he knew they must be someone pretty strong.


    "Okay, everyone. Pleasee a bit closer. I have an announcement to make." once inside the room Master Ansell pped twice softly and watched the six individuals step closer to him, their attention on both Raven and Luna.


    "Good. Now then, although you may know who they are, please let me introduce them to you." Master Ansell gestured at the two beside him and continued, "Luna and Raven Wright from the ck Moon Guild. They are here to help you sixplete your mission."


    "Silver Death Luna will help us? Haha! That is some great news!" a man with a long beard, a bald head, and a long cigarette in his mouthughed.


    "At least this way we don''t have to fear getting swarmed and killed by hundreds of creatures. With Lady Luna here our strength will definitely skyrocket." a youngdy with a rather chubby look nodded, in her hand a box of candy visible.


    "Raven Wright... Why does it sound so familiar?" a skinny guy with many tattoos all over his body touched his chin, a small frown seemingly apparent on his face as he stared at Raven.


    Then, as if he remembered something he quickly snapped his finger and said, "Oh, I know! He is Lady Luna''s older brother, isn''t he?"


    "The one who had gone missing for three years?" Min Chen raised a brow and examined Raven with curiosity.


    "Yep, him!"


    Upon hearing this everyone directed their gaze at Raven, who frowned softly before watching as someone stepped before him and extended a hand for a handshake.


    Looking at the young man calmly who still looked as if he was suffering from some sort of rare disease, Raven epted the hand and smiled.


    "It''s good to see you safe and alive, Raven."


    "I should be the one saying that. You look even more ghastly thanst time." Ravenughed with a wry smile.


    "You two know each other? Since when?" Canwin took a step closer, looking at Raven and Felix with curiosity.


    "It was during the start of the Great Change where everyone was forced to y their First Realm Game. He and I had to survive in the same game." Felix exined calmly as he let Raven''s hands go.


    "Oh? I see." Canwin hummed before he examined Raven and raised a brow, "Rank 43? Can he really help us?"


    "He can. In fact, although it has not yet been announced officially for several reasons, his Character Rank had been evaluated as SS." Master Ansell pointed out with a nonchnt look.


    "What!?"


    Everyone''s eyes widened and now looked at Raven in apletely new light.


    "Please, wait for a second. Master Ansell, Sir, you really wish to tell us that he is someone who can jump not one, not two, but more than 10 Ranks during fights!?" the skinny guy with tons of tattoos asked with utter disbelief.


    "That is right." Master Ansell nodded.


    "But wouldn''t that mean if this gets out then..."


    "The five Realm Families will do anything in their powers to get their hands on him and use him to break the bnce." Min Chen mumbled quietly as she finished the chubby woman''s sentence.


    "Exactly. And that is why I have asked Lia to ssify and keep all his data confidential for the time being." Master Ansell said.


    Then he quickly added, "So you don''t have to worry and just concentrate on your mission for the time being. With him here, I am more than confident in your abilities to ovee that seemingly impossible challenge presented by that Crimson Gate!"


    "Wait... Since when did I have agreed on all this?" suddenly Raven asked with a frown.


    Although he had shown kindness to the six individuals in front of him and he didn''t mind getting introduced to them, after all, they all were powerful individuals with great influence, he never agreed to help them in their mission.<sub> </sub>


    Hell, he didn''t even know what the mission was all about!


    Master Ansell raised a brow before realization hit him like a train and pped himself on the forehead.


    "Oh, true, I havepletely forgotten about it. Lisa, please exin to him."


    Lia, standing beside Master Ansell nodded and took a step forward.


    "As you may have known this, but depending on your Character Rank you can gain bonus rewards after all of yourpleted missions."


    "For instance, let''s say you apply for a mission that gives you 1,000 Novas as a reward. If your Character Rank is "B" then afterpleting your mission you get 1,200 Novas. However, if your Character Rank is "A" then that goes up to 1,300 Novas."


    ''A 20% bonus for B Rank and a 30% bonus for A Rank. I guess it is a 40% bonus for those with an A Rank and only a 10% bonus for anyone with a C Rank.'' Raven thought as he came to such a conclusion.


    "However, you only get to live with this privilege if you fulfill your assigned mission by the Realm Association every month, which difficulty varies depending on your Role, Avatar Rank, True Rank, and Character Rank."


    "Oh? So I have toplete this mission if I want to earn that benefit?" Raven asked despite already knowing the answer.


    Lia nodded.


    "Exactly. That way you will earn the right to gain a 50% bonus after all of yourpleted missions."


    "50%... It''s because my Character Rank is SS, right?"


    "That is correct." Lia nodded once again.


    Raven hummed quietly and after a second or two he asked, "I see, then I guess I have to ept this mission. However, while I can understand why I have to help, what about my little sister?"


    "Lady Luna has alreadypleted her monthly mission assigned by the Realm Associationst week. She is here because she wants to assist this mission."


    "Is that so?" Raven nced at Luna who just smiled cutely at him.


    "Anyways, now that your doubts had been cleared let me exin what your mission will be about." Master Ansell said and after clearing his throat he gestured at Lia who nodded and pressed a button on her device.


    In a sh, the room darkened scarcely and in the middle a small hologram appeared, showcasing a massive Realm Gate with a color of deep crimson and 6 golden rings on it.


    "As you may already know, your task will be toplete the Realm Game within this Crimson Gate with six Ring Marks."


    Everyone stared at the Crimson Gate in the middle of the vast desert with grim faces, each of them knowing just how dangerous it was to enter such a thing.


    ''Crimson Gate. ording to what dad said, if one dies inside they not only lose their Artifacts, Relics, and Rune Marks, but all of their Traits get erased, falling to 0 while their bodies will be permanently crippled in the real world.''


    It was no wonder why it was such a huge feat toplete and conquer Crimson Gates. After all, just a single mistake was enough for one to lose everything they have obtained for years through both tears, sweat, and blood!


    "Do we know what kind of Realm Game we have to y in there?" Canwin suddenly asked.


    Master Ansell nced at the handsome young man before he sighed and said, "Unfortunately, we don''t. Everyone who entered the Crimson Gate is now unable to move, see, and hear."


    "What cruelty..." Min Chen sighed, her beautiful face holding both pity and a hint of sorrow.


    The rest nodded in agreement with her, their faces as pale as a sheet of paper.


    Upon seeing their faces Master Ansell showed a soft smile and said, "I know how you are feeling right now, but you don''t have to worry."


    And as he said those words, Master Ansell waved his hand, causing something golden to sh and appear before everyone in mid-air and remain there floating.


    "This..."


    Everyone widened their eyes with utter disbelief the moment they recognized the small item while Raven raised a brow in confusion and decided to read the description instead.

 Chapter 128 Powerful Individuals

    --------------


    [Relic: Avatar Totem]


    ? Rarity: Very Rare


    ? Description: An incredibly rare item that can save the life of its wearer from death.


    <This Relic can be used only once!>


    --------------


    ''Avatar Totem?'' Raven raised a brow when he saw the name of the Relic and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle when he reached the end of the description.


    A Relic that can save the lives of those who wore it? That was equivalent to a second life! A cheat-like ability!


    ''And there are 8 from them? Just from where did the chairman of the Realm Association get his hands on so many rare Relics?'' Raven pondered with disbelief.


    However, he didn''t have to think for too long to figure out the answer.


    ''Three years... During that time hundreds of thousands of Realm Gates and Realm Domains must have beenpleted and cleared. Let alone 8, I bet the Realm Association possesses hundreds of such Relics.''


    As Raven thought about this in silence, the rest of the group stared at the small talisman floating before them with utter disbelief.


    "Master Ansell... Do we really get these for free?" the young guy with lots of tattoos asked with wide eyes and trembling hands.


    Master Ansell before the 8 nodded softly and said, "Considering your worth and how dangerous the Realm Gate you are about to conquer truly is, this is the least I can do for all of you."


    Then, with a grin he added;


    "And, if you seed inpleting your task without losing your Avatar Totems, you all will be free to keep them."


    "What!?"


    Almost everyone screamed out with another wave of shock, however, soon all of their expressions became excited ad full of confidence.


    "Sir, you can rest assured. We will definitely conquer that Realm Gate!" the guy with tattoos said with a confident and somewhat arrogant smile.


    "That is good to hear, Arthur." Master Ansell smiled before he nced at the digital watch on his wrist.


    "Now then, you will be brought to the site tomorrow morning. Until then, you are all free to do whatever you want."


    And with those words, Master Ansell turned around and left the room, leaving the group of youngsters behind.


    "Hey, Raven, right? What Role did you get?"


    Once the door closed the chubby woman nced at Raven with curiosity, currently throwing a handful of candies into her mouth.


    Seeing as everyone nced at him, obviously as everyone was also curious to know the answer to that question, Raven straightened his posture scarcely and replied calmly;


    "Warlord."


    "Huh? Wait... You are kidding, right?" Min Chen asked with widened eyes, however whe she saw Raven''s puzzled look she subconsciously let out an awed gasp.


    "A Warlord with a Character Rank of SS? That''s nuts!" Arthurughed and began to walk around Raven as if he was some sort of ancient statue.


    "Hahaha! Now I really can''t wait to see the faces those bastards will make once news about you gets out!" the guy with the cigarette in his mouthughed, even pping his thigh to show his delight and anticipation.


    "Bastards?" Raven raised a brow.


    "He is talking about the leaders of each Realm Family. Dax sort of... Um.... hates them for various reasons." Canwin exined with a wry smile.


    "Hate? It''s more than that, I dispase them. All of them." Dax''s smile vanished and if it wasn''t for the cigarette in his mouth Raven would have thought he will spit on the ground right then and there.


    "Is that so...?" Raven hummed slightly before he asked, "Anyways, now that we will work together, why don''t we discuss ns?"


    "That sounds right." Min Chen nodded, "After all, we all are part of different guilds and while we know a few things about each other it''s better to share a few things about each other."


    Canwin nodded and said, "I agree. This way we can think about tactics that not only help us cooperate better and smoother but also grants us a better chance to conquer the Realm Gate."


    "Okay! Then I will go first." Arthur raised his hand and quickly proceeded on, "My Character Rank is S and my Role is Caster. I can create special domains in which  have limited control over things such as the temperature, gravity, or the elements, however thetter is highly dependent on the environment."<sub> </sub>


    ''Sounds powerful.'' Raven nodded, truly admiring the unique power Arthur possessed.


    After Arthur finished talking, Dax crossed his arms before his chest and began to speak.


    "My Character Rank is the same, S Rank, while the Role I have is Support. However, different from normal Supports my Artifact is a little unique."


    "Oh?" Raven raised a brow curiously and kept listening.


    "My Artifact is sound-type, or to be more precise instrument-type Artifact which if I use I can create barriers, defending against attacks. The moreplex the music I y is, the stronger my barrier can be."


    "Yeah, I heard you have once defended against a Rank 37 Steel Rhino''s attack when you were at just Rank 31! That is truly terrifying." Arthur eximed with sparkling eyes.


    "Well, that bastard was Rank 38, but yeah. Haha!" Daxughed loudly before his gaze shifted to the chubby girl beside him.


    "What about you, sparkles?"


    "My name is Helena, and not sparkles," Helena stated with a hint of annoyance before continuing, "Though, my Rank is also S. As for my Artifact, well... it allows me to turn my fat into strength for a limited time to gain massive power."


    "So you are a Warrior? Cool!" Arthur said excitedly, however, Helena strangely shook her head.


    "No, my Role is called Berserker."


    "Huh? But how?" everyone looked confused.


    Helena just shrugged and said, "Just like how normal humans can burn their fat, I can burn my muscles too, gaining even more extra strength during battle."


    ''But if she does that, once the fight is over or itsts for a long time, she bes extremely vulnerable and weak. Now I see why her Role is Berserker.'' Raven thought to himself.


    After Helena, the next one who introduced himself was Canwin.


    "My CR is also S. As for my Role, I am a Blesser."


    Blesser. Raven heard about this one from Luna when he gave him a brief exnation about different Roles before they came to the Realm Association.


    Blessers were unique as they had simrities to Enhancers with the single difference that instead of others they could only Bless, or to say it otherwise, buff themselves, mainly their weapons.


    However, Canwin was different as he not only could enhance his weapons but also his body, allowing him to give an extra boost to his Traits for a limited amount of time.


    Once Canwin finished talking it was Min Chen''s turn to speak.


    "Well, I don''t think I have to introduce myself as you all may know me thanks to my Guild''s reputation, but I will still do it. I have an S Character Rank with my Role being a Summoner. I can summon up to 5 beasts to assist me and myrades in battle."


    Felix seeing that Min Chen nced at him after she finished talking sighed and said;


    "My Character Rank is the same as for everyone while my Role is the same as Lady Luna''s. However, different from her I can also be a Scout if I want to."


    ''Exining his Artifact''s ability without saying anything substantial. He wants to keep his abilities as a secret as much as he can, huh?'' Raven thought, quickly realizing not everyone wants to share their abilities.


    "What about you, Raven? Although we know your Character Rank and Role, we have yet to understand what you are good at." suddenly Min Chen asked.


    "Well, I can both fight strong foes while supporting others at the same time. I can also act as an assassin if I need to, attracting the attention of numerous enemies and even annihting them if needed."


    "No wonder you have been given the Role of Warlord. I wonder just how many Ranks you can skip." Arthur mumbled with admiration to which Raven just smiled sheepishly.


    If he were to say the honest truth, he was sure not only Arthur but everyone in the room would start eitherughing, thinking he was exaggerating things, or simply bing dumbstruck.


    "So we have a Caster, a Summoner, a Berserker, a Supporter, two Assassins from which one is also a Scout, a Blesser, and a Warlord. No matter how one looks at it, we are a solid team with literally no weakness. Also, like this, we don''t really have to discuss any tactics at all as we all know who has to do what." Arthur said, barely keeping hisughter inside.


    "While that is true, we still have to be careful. After all, the Realm Gate we wish to conquer is a Crimson Gate which imed the lives of hundreds already." Helena said with a serious face to which everyone nodded in agreement.


    The group kept talking to each other for a few more minutes before they decided to go on their separate ways and meet tomorrow morning.


    "What do you want to do now?" clinging to Raven''s arm as they walked out of the Realm Association, Luna looked at her brother and asked sweetly.


    Raven pondered silently for a bit before he grinned and said, "Let''s eat something. I am starving as hell!"


    "Okay~!"

 Chapter 129 Entering The Crimson Gate

    Sitting inside a luxurious restaurant, two individuals could be seen before arge table filled with piles of empty tes.


    "Sweet Jesus... Is that guy has a bottomless stomach or what?"


    "I-I have no idea... How many tes did he eat so far? 50? 60?"


    "Perhaps it was 70."


    "Damn... Just how is he not exploding after eating all that food?"


    People around the two murmured with both awe and shock, their eyes fixed on the figure of Raven who even at this moment stuffed a whole pork chop into his mouth only to throw the bone to the side.


    "You... Are you sure you will be okay?" Luna, who sat beside Raven looked at her brother with utter disbelief, hardly believing that the one next to her was really Raven.


    Hell, she even believed a gluttonous ghost possessed him hence why he was eating so much!


    cing the bone from his hand onto an empty te, Raven grabbed the handkerchief from the side and cleaned his mouth.


    "Phew... Damn! The food here is truly heavenly! I''m fully satisfied!" letting out a soft sigh, Raven leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.


    Although it was true he was not starving or getting thirsty within that eternal darkness, the same couldn''t be said once he was freed.


    ''Hell, I have really thought I will die in starvation...'' Raven thought to himself as he recalled how his stomach began to hurt right after he received his Avatar ID.


    Damn, if it weren''t for Master Ansell who had great authority and influence, he would have simply ignored everyone else and ran here right away!


    ''But almost 70 tes of food? Even I am surprised.'' Raven ced a hand on his stomach, wondering just where all the food he ate had gone.


    After sitting still for a few minutes, enjoying the refreshing feeling throughout his body, Raven slowly opened his eyes and nced at the young man standing beside their table.


    "I would like to pay."


    The young waiter upon hearing Raven''s voice snapped out of his daze and after swallowing nervously he nodded and quickly ran away before a few secondster appeared with a bill in hand.


    "Here you go. Also, tell your chef he knows what he is doing. His food was wonderful." after using his credit card to pay for the food while also leaving behind arge amount of tip, Raven stood up and walked out of the building with Luna following him closely behind.


    "I''m actually impressed. After eating all that and you still can walk around as if you have done and are nothing... I wonder if one of your Avatar Imprints increases your appetite?" Luna muttered under her breath.


    However, soon her eyes shed, and even before Raven could have reacted she grabbed his hand and pulled him back.


    Whoosh!


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 5%!]


    ''...''


    Watching as a vehicle zoomed by the spot where he stood just a second ago, Raven swallowed nervously and looked at Luna.


    "Thank you... You saved me there." Raven showed a wry smile as cold sweat rolled down his forehead.


    "Your wee, but next time please be more careful. You have almost crossed the road despite themp being red." Luna said softly as she pointed down at the ground.


    Raven followed her finger and noticed that now themps for crosswalks were not on poles but instead on the ground.


    "I see... I will try to get used to it." Raven sighed, however, his eyes suddenly noticed something on the ground.


    "Hm? What''s that?" raising a brow Raven picked up a shiny silver card from the ground, quickly attracting Luna''s attention.


    "A credit card?" Raven asked as he turned the card around, however, he found no name on it not any number.


    The only thing on it was a small gold star in its middle.


    "It''s..." Luna showed a soft frown before her eyes widened and said, "That is a Luminary Card. With that, you can get into the VIP section within the Star Treasury with no problem and you even get a 2% discount for every bet you won during an auction!"


    "Huh? Then doesn''t that mean someone is searching for it? We should go and find its owner or at least hand it to someone within the Star Treasury." Raven said quickly.


    "Thest thing I want right now is to get into trouble."


    "Yeah, you can do that. However..." Luna nodded before a sly smile appeared on her face, making Raven feel something ominous.


    ''I don''t like that smile.''


    "Luminary Cards are given as gifts to people and they don''t really belong to anyone which means..."


    "It is actually no one''s and whoever holds it has the right to use it," Raven muttered to which Luna nodded like a little fox.


    "In fact, dad has one too. However, as he fears losing it he never hands it to anyone except for Thomas."


    "Not even you?"


    "No. However, with a Luminary Card, one is allowed to bring a single individual along with them when there is an auction, so whenever Thomas goes I usually go with him." Luna said calmly.<sub> </sub>


    "Is that so?" Raven hummed before he asked, "Auctions are every two weeks, right? When will be the next one held?"


    "Well, actually, now auctions are held every week, so the next one will be on Sunday evening."


    "So in four days, huh?"


    "Why? Do you want to go?" Luna asked curiously.


    Raven nced at his little sister and for some reason, he felt as of he could guess her current thoughts.


    "I have never been on an auction before, so I am a bit curious."


    "So is that a yes?" Luna asked with a little too much enthusiasm.


    "Yeah, I guess. Do you want to co-"


    "Yes!"


    Feeling a little surprised even though he expected that answer Raven nodded before he put the card away into his Void Ring.


    "It is settled then."


    "Yep!" Luna''s smile grew wider as her joy increased several levels, and just as the red light on the crosswalk turned green she clung to Raven''s hand tightly.


    -


    -


    -


    After getting back from Nova City Raven decided to take a rest, which he did and literally slept through the whole day until it was morning the next day.


    "Let''s take a bath first before I go and eat," Raven mumbled after a big yawn and went into his bathroom and took a quick shower.


    However, his shower was not peaceful at all as not only did the showerhead fall on his head during he washed his hair but he also slipped and fall on his way out.


    ''Argh... What a way to wake up...'' Raven groaned with pain as he watched how his Luck Energy got increased by 20%, increasing it almost up to 60%.


    ''I wonder if 100% is the maximum amount of Luck Energy I can possess or if there is any limit to it.'' Raven thought in his heart as dressed up and walked out of his room.


    However, just a second after he stepped outside he was immediately weed by Luna, who jumped at him from the side and clung to his body with both hands and legs like a ko.


    "Good morning~!" showing a happy smile Luna kissed Raven on the cheeks and jumped down.


    "...Good morning." Raven was dumbfounded but seeing as his little sister began to giggle and ran down the stairs like a little kid he couldn''t help but smile too and shook his head helplessly.


    Although Luna sometimes was a little too clingy and hyperactive when with him, he has missed her.


    ''No, not only her but everything else too.'' Raven thought to himself as he walked after Luna.


    After eating his breakfast Raven and Luna went back to Nova City and waited inside the Realm Association as Master Ansell told them.


    There, they had to wait for half an hour before they finally watched as the rest of the group finally arrived.


    Dax, Arthur, Canwin, Felix, Helena, and Min Chen. All six of them attracted the attention of everyone, but as they were already used to it they just ignored it.


    "Ready?" once Master Ansell was present he looked at the right of them, who only nodded to his question.


    "Good. Then follow me."


    And just like that, the eight of them climbed into arge vehicle which after close to 4 hours of travel brought them to the edge of arge desert.


    "So that is what a Crimson Gate looks like?" Raven muttered as even from several miles away he could easily see the massive crimson gate with the 6 golden rings carved onto its surface.


    "Just looking at it I feel like I have be an ant," Arthur eximed after swallowing nervously.


    Once the vehicle halted the eight climbed out of it and stood before the Crimson Gate.


    "When will we enter?" after starting at the humungous thing for several minutes in silence, Raven decided to ask.


    "Now," Canwin stated with a serious face and ced his hand onto the gate''s surface before his body vanished.


    The rest quickly followed after him, even Luna too, making Raven take a deep breath and nod.


    "Here we go then, I guess..." Raven mumbled and ced his palm onto the cold surface of the gate, only to vanish the next second.


    As for Master Ansell, he just stood calmly next to the vehicle, his hand holding a small watch.


    "Good luck, kids. I wish for the best."

 Chapter 130 World Of Reflection

    Once Raven touched the Crimson Gate and agreed on challenging the Realm Game within, he felt as space around him twisted before he was teleported away.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh that made his head feel scarcely dizzy, the sight around Raven changed and he quickly found himself in a familiar region.


    The Empty World.


    ''It has been quite a long time since I have been here.'' Raven thought silently but quickly noticed that there was one small difference between this Empty World and the one he knew.


    ''The clouds are... crimson?'' Raven scowled softly, feeling a little weird upon seeing the deep red clouds below his feet.


    "Get ready. It''s about to start." with a shortsword in one hand and a longsword in the other, Canwin spoke calmly, warning the others about the obvious.


    And just a secondter as his voice fell, the Empty World around the eight of them shifted and altered, quickly bing apletely new world.


    Or to be more precise, apletely new location.


    "The hell is this ce? Why is everything made out of ss?" Arthur eximed out loud with a deep frown as he tightened his grip around a small wooden wand.


    Raven frowned also as he looked around, at the unusual scenery around him.


    Currently, he was standing in the middle of a massivelyrge and t tform that had a circr shape while around him everywhere viewing-area was visible with at least a hundred levels!


    The whole ce looked like an ancient colosseum, one big enough to amodate at least half a million individuals!


    However, there was one single thing that made this whole stadium different from the rest Raven and the others have seen either in person or online back on Earth...


    It was that the whole ce was made out of transparent ss that was akin to a mirror!


    Hell, it was better to call the material a mirror as Raven could clearly see his reflection on the ground and almost everywhere in the distance on the walls and stands!


    ''A world of mirrors?'' Raven raised a brow and watched as a small panel appeared floating in front of his face.


    It was the panel describing the challenge of the Realm Game.


    ---------------


    [Realm Game: Broken Reflection]


    ¡ã Difficulty: Red Realm


    ¡ã Rank Requirements: Above Rank 50!


    ¡ã Rules: Fight and kill your enemy within the World of Reflection.


    ~~~


    [Rewards]


    - 5 Random Avatar sks


    - 1 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1,000 Astral Cores


    - 1 Random Bluprint Scroll


    - 1 Rune Pill


    ----------------


    "We just have to fight? I thought this Realm Game will be a little harder than that." Arthur eximed out loud, immediately making Dax beside him swing a hand and p him on the neck.


    "Argh! Hey! What was that for?" Arthur frowned as he held his neck with a deep frown.


    Dax, who at the moment held a beautiful violin in his hand stared at Arthur coldly and snorted softly.


    "Dumbass, exactly because of that statement of yours why we will be damned."


    "Dax is right. We are in a Crimson Gate which had yet been conquered despite hundreds trying to do so." Canwin stated calmly as he studied the surroundings, "Thinking that this Realm Game will be easy and even lowering your guard is equal to courting death."


    Massaging his sore neck with a somewhat remorseful, Arthur sighed and apologized.


    "Though, the description here says we have to fight an enemy yet I see none. What exactly is happening here?" Arthur mumbled softly, earning puzzled frowns from the rest too.


    He was right.


    Despite standing where they were for now 5 minutes they noticed no movement at all much less the figure of the creature or beast they should at the moment fight with.<sub> </sub>


    The whole ce, the whole colosseum was as empty as if it was abandoned.


    ''I don''t like this...'' showing a deep frown, Raven tightened his grip around his Celeste de, his eyes slowly moving from side to side.


    Then, the next second his eyes widened.


    "Felix! To the side!"


    Felix, just as everyone else was surprised by Raven''s sudden shout, however, as he had a small amount of trust in him and noticed the fear in his voice, he didn''t hesitate to jump to the side.


    "What happened?" everyone looked around with rm the next second, however, their shock only grew when they saw Raven sh like lightning and appear at the spot where Felix stood a moment ago.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    With a sound of a great explosion that mixed with the sound of shattered ss, Raven pierced the spot where Felix stood with his de, dumbfounding the rest.


    "Hey! Raven! What the hell ar-"


    "The ground! Keep your eyes on the ground and on your reflections!" Raven quickly shouted, silencing Arthur.


    Luna frowned when she noticed Raven''s serious face, but the next second her expression changed too and vanished from her spot.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    The sound of another explosion swept through the air the following moment and this time it was Luna who attack a spot not far away from Helena.


    "Camouge-type enemy! It bends itself inside the reflections!" Luna quickly exined, making everyone else turn serious and keep their eyes on the ground.


    "While Camouge-type enemies are not hard to kill as their defense is pretty low, they are a total pain in the ass as they are insanely tricky to lure out of their hiding spot andnd a direct hit on their bodies." Dax groaned with irritation as he realized his Role as a Supporter became tremendously harder than before.


    "Why don''t we just shatter the whole ground? With no ground, there is no ce for it to hide. I bet after that it will have no choice but toe out." Helena asked. her chubby body slowly undergoing a change, bing more and more thinner while the muscles on her body grew bigger with each second as if they were balloons getting inted.


    Even Canwin''s weapons started to glow brighter while around Min Chen small circles began to form, possibly because she was ready to summon her helpers.


    "That would be a foolish idea." Raven suddenly said, confusing everyone.


    "I agree..." Luna mumbled as she pulled her fist out of the ground, blood trickling down her knuckles that slowly began to heal.


    "Huh? Why?" everyone furrowed their brows before Felix''s eyes widened, seemingly realization dawning down on him as his gaze fell on his own reflection.


    "So you have figured it out, huh?" Raven mumbled as he raised his hand and wiped his blood away from the corner of his mouth despite he had been not attacked.


    "Now understand how those hundred died. This whole ce has its ownw." Felix muttered as he looked at his own reflection.


    "It seems if your reflection is shattered or attacked, your physical body gains a limited amount of damage also."


    Raven nodded gently and spoke, "The moment I stabbed the spot where that thing was, my body was reflected there too making me feel as if I was the one who got stabbed."


    "This ce is akin to a Cursed-type Domain but much more dangerous as our reflections everywhere, meaning we can be attacked from everywhere," Luna added, helping te rest to quickly realize just how dire their situation was.


    "Though, if that is true why didn''t the thing attack our reflections in the distance and kill us that way? It would have been able to kill us much faster that way." Arthur frowned as he didn''t take his eyes off his reflection on the ground.


    "That is easy to guess. Therger our reflection the bigger the damage we sustain if it gets shattered." Dax said, his face both dark and grim.


    "Argh! This is annoying as hell! What should we do then?" Arthur asked, using his hands to make a mess of his hair.


    Raven, Luna, and Felix nced at each other, trying to find an answer. However, no matter how long they pondered there was only a single answer for their trouble.


    ''We have to fight while making sure our reflection is not hit at all.'' Raven, just like the rest thought silently and watched as something not far away from him moved within the ground.


    It was like a mass of white light with the difference that it was quite dim and even moved from side to side with great speed.


    Whatever that thing was, it was that they had to kill without allowing it tond a blow on any of their reflection, or else it was game over for them.


    ''What should we do?'' Raven pondered as he watched the mass of light swirl around the eight of them, seemingly thinking who it should attack first.


    Then, as if something snapped inside his head, Raven quickly summoned his Artifact and looked at it.


    ''Although I don''t know if it can be done, I should give it a try.''


    And with that in mind, Raven took a deep breath and thought about something, causing his Luck Enhancement to create a panel right above his dice.


    And when it appeared, Raven''s expression froze a little before a wide grin appeared on his face.

 Chapter 131 Twilight Seed

    While everyone was focused on the moving mass of light, pondering how they should kill it, Raven stared at his Artifact with an almost stupid grin on his face.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to summon an item that can aid you in battle: 73% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 59%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Maniption: 13,500 units


    ----------------


    ''So I can use my power in such a way too, huh?'' Raven thought, and quickly tonight about something else.


    Whoosh!


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to summon an item that can make your reflection vanish from sses and mirrors: 4.003% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 59%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Maniption: 51,100 units


    <Not possible!>


    ----------------


    ''How interesting. I can manipte what item I wish to get from my Artifact, however, if I am too specific the chances will drop drastically.''


    This discovery helped Raven look at his ability in apletely new light.


    Like this, if he saves up enough Luck Energy and if he has enough Mystique he will be able to get whatever item he wished for! The only thing he has to do was to think about what he wanted and the rest will be done by a simple throw!


    ''Wait, now that I think about it, there is another way I can use my Luck Enhancement except for increasing the chances of things happening through luck.'' Raven thought as a specific memory resurfaced in his mind.


    ''No, this is not the right time to think about that. Focus and kill that thing first!''


    Raven quickly pushed all the unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on his dice.


    ''I will go with the first option.'' Raven thought and after a second he threw the dice, attracting the attention of Luna and the rest while also causing 22% of his Luck Energy to vanish.


    Whoosh!


    "Huh? What kind of Relic was that?" Arthur mumbled as he, just like everyone else, failed to see the thing Raven threw.


    -------------------------


    [Relic: Twilight Seed]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: Seed of the Great Twilight Tree that has been born from nothing but pure darkness!


    <Only can be used once!>


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Dusk Bringer: Upon pouring water on the Twilight Seed, Dusk Mist will be formed in a small area where one''s vision is obstructed greatly but notpletely! Dusk Mist will remain until no water is poured on the Twilight Seed!


    ¡ã Great Darkness: If the Twilight Seed is fed with enough Mystique, it will sprout and grow into a sapling that can summon the Great Darkness in arge area. Within the Great Darkness, sight ispletely obstructed!


    ¡ã Curse of the Great Twilight Tree: Anyone within the Great Darkness will have their Mystique consumed by the sapling of the Great Twilight Tree!


    -------------------------


    "Twilight Seed... So even such a thing can be a Relic.'' Raven thought silently as in his hand he held a small purplish-ck seed that had this smallyer of darkness swirling around it.


    It seemed this little thing is what can aid and help them kill that thing lurking in the reflections.


    "Hey guys, I think I have a way to kill that thing. However, it can be a little risky as I don''t know if it will work." Raven suddenly said as he kept his gaze on the creature hidden within the reflection.


    Ever since it attacked them it did nothing but move in circles around them, acting as if it was a shark swimming around its prey, waiting for the best moment to strike.


    "What do you have in mind?" Felix asked calmly, his eyes resting on the purplish ck seed in Raven''s hand.


    Ravn nodded and quickly described the seed''s use while he also exined the n he had in mind.


    "What do you guys think?" Raven asked after he finished talking.


    "As you said, it is quite risky to do but as we have our Avatar Totem it is doable," Canwin mumbled.<sub> </sub>


    "I have to agree. However, who will act as the bait?" Arthur asked before Luna raised a hand gently.


    "I will do i-"


    "No. It''s better if I do it." Felix quickly cut Luna off and said, "With my Artifact, even if things go south I can escape in time without losing my Avatar Totem. As for you, if things turn from bad to worst your only chance to survive is your Avatar Totem which although can save your life cannot do it twice."


    Luna wished to say something, but as she knew Felix spoke logically she agreed with a nod and remained silent.


    "Then let''s do it!" Raven said as he looked at the handsome guy beside him while Felix dashed into the distance like a bolt of lightning


    The creature, seeing that one of its prey wished to escape quickly made a sharp turn and wished to stop him by assaulting Felix''s reflection, but weirdly was forced to stop and dodge to the side by a glowing throwing star thrown by Canwin.


    "Now!" Raven shouted which resulted in the group around him scattering in every direction with great speed without a second thought.


    The creature seeing as its prey happened to escape became agitated and with great speed zoomed after the one who attacked him first; Canwin.


    "And where do you think you are going, huh?" Felix, who just a moment ago was several hundred meters away suddenly appeared right above the mass of light and swung his hand.


    Swish!


    Crack!


    With a silver sh, Felix''s weapon cut the spot where the creature was, shattering the ground in the process without damaging his own reflection in the process!


    "Tsk!"


    Watching as the creature sessfully dodged his attack Felix clicked his tongue in annoyance before he swung his weapon once again, targeting the creature several meters away from him once again, just as his previous attempt failed tond on its target.


    However, despite failing on killing the creature, a smile still formed on Felix''s face, and without a second thought began to run into the distance.


    ''Good! It fell for it!'' Raven felt delighted and looked at Dax.


    "Just leave this to me."


    Luna, who stood not far away from Raven spoke softly and once the nail on her right index finger grew in size to the point it looked like a thin and long de, she leaned scarcely forward and with a powerful stomp dashed after Felix.


    Whoosh!


    With a speed that was hard to follow with the naked eye,e Luna appeared near the still running Felix and the chasing mass of light, and once she was less than fifty meters away from the two she pierced her sharp nail into the ground, which strangely didn''t shatter.


    Upon seeing this a smile formed on Luna''s beautiful face and with a speed that was twice as fast as before she turned into a blur, instantly circling Felix and the chasing creature.


    "Done." appearing next to Raven, Luna nodded softly while her armor''s chest te heaved up and down slightly.


    ncing at his little sister with a serious face Raven nodded and shifted his attention to Arthur and Dax.


    "Do it!"


    "Roger!" both Arthur and Dax nodded with a grim expression before the two raised their Artifact.


    "Domain Creation; Zero Gravity!" Arthur pointed his wand toward the sky and in the next second, arge circle akin to a magic circle from fantasy novels appeared right above Felix, who still dodged the creature''s attacks without leaving the line made by Luna ok the ground!


    And once the circle was perfectly formed, the tform which on Felix stood began to slowly ascend toward the sky!


    It seemed Luna not only cut the ssy surface of the ground but also sliced deep into the ground below which was terrifying to think about! Such a feat required great control over one''s strength, incredible precision, and a powerful ability to cut through solid surfaces like tofu!


    Now Raven understood why Luna became so exhausted despite just running for a few seconds!


    "Let''s dance!" Daxughed and with a swift and smooth motion began to y his violin, filling the air with the sound of heavenly music that felt both pleasant to one''s ear and also created a dome around the now floating small "ind" in the sky!


    "This way that bastard won''t be able to escape unless it can go through solid materials!" Dax showed a cunning smile as he kept ying his violin as if he was in a concert with hundreds of thousands of fans around.


    "Let''s finish this!" Raven shouted as he leaped into the air and once he was above the barrier, which had a small gap at the top, he threw his already sprouting Twilight Seed through it.


    [Mystique: 304 -> 42]


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    <o>,m Watching as the Twilight Seed turned into a small ck tree that began to emit ink ck mist from its leaves, quickly filling the enclosed space within the barrier with deep darkness where no light seemed to be able to exist, Raven clenched his fingers into a tight fist.</o>


    "NOW!"


    And exactly a second after his voice fell, Helena''s figure materialized at the bottom of the floating tform out of nowhere and flexed her first, causing her muscles to bulge with great power.


    BOOOOOOOM!


    "Burn!"


    After the whole thing exploded into bits thanks to Helena''s punch, Min Chen summoned a massive dragon to her side which at hermand spit out arge pir of lighting that turned all the chunks of debris into nothing but dust!

 Chapter 132 Going All Out

    Outside the Crimson Gate.


    Leaning against the parking vehicle in the vast desert, Master Ansell stared at the massive and towering gate with a nonchnt look, his eyes asionally falling on the small watch in his hand.


    "It has been already 30 minutes. They are definitely doing much better than anyone else, but then..." the chairman of the Realm Association mumbled before his brows furrowed tightly, "Why do I have this feeling of uneasiness?"


    And just as his voice fell, suddenly a sh appeared before the Crimson Gate, attracting Master Ansell''s attention right away.


    "Arthur?"


    Master Ansell felt something was amiss when he saw Arthur''s figure kneeling on the ground and quickly ran beside him, cing a hand on the youngster''s shoulder. Or at least tried to, however, just as his hand was ready to touch Arthur''s shoulder, the tattooed guy suddenly gasped deeply for air while his hand jumped to his chest.


    "Wh-What?!"


    With a face as pale as if he had just seen a ghost Arthur breathed hastily and heavily, forcing Master Ansell to act quickly and calm him down.


    "Arthur! Just take a deep breath and calm down. Everything is okay, you are fine."


    "H-Huh?"


    Upon hearing Master Ansell''s voice Arthur seemed to calm down and shift his gaze to the side before his hands slowly began to get lowered and his breathing went back to normal.


    "I... am alive? But ho-," Arthur wished to ask how he was still alive, however, the next second he realized the item Master Ansell gave him and the rest of the group.


    "The Avatar Totem... So that''s why..." Arthur mumbled quietly, his face gradually starting to gain its natural colors back.


    Master Ansell, who watched Arthur from start to finish deepened his frown even more and quickly asked, "Hey, Arthur, care to exin to me what happened? Where are the rest? Are they in danger also?"


    Seeing that only Arthur appeared from the Crimson Gate Master Ansell instantly understood what was happening. After all, if only one individual was leaving a Realm Gate, a Crimson Gate at that, and in one piece no less, it meant only one thing.


    ''He had been killed in there and was saved by the Avatar Totem in the veryst second.''


    If one was killed during a Realm Game with an Avatar Totem in possession, then that individual was able to escape the consequences of the given Realm Gate, however, with the cost of getting kicked out of the Realm Games. This meant if such a thing happened then that individual will not only fail to keep helping his or herrades but also lose the chance to gain rewards if the Realm Game had been sessfullypleted!


    Arthur, upon hearing Master Ansell''s question shifted his gaze at therge Crimson Gate before him that towered above him like a skyscraper, and slowly began to narrate everything that happened inside.


    "A camouge-type enemy with a curse-type environment?"


    Master Ansell frowned, slowly figuring out why he felt so uneasy in the past half an hour.


    ''So that''s why. No wonder hundreds were killed in minutes. Such an enemy would give even the top Rankers heavy headaches, no question about it.''


    After thinking for a while, Master Ansell looked at Arthur and with a soft frown asked;


    "Though, there is something I don''t seem to understand. If you sessfully annihted the creature as you have told me, how did you die? Could it b that..."


    The frown on Master Ansell''s face only deepened as a scary possibility appeared in his head.


    ''Assassination.''


    It wasmon knowledge that except for Avatar Traits people could increase their Traits bit by bit if they killed other humans within Realm Games. Such a thing was not rare around the world as people in secret used such a method to either gain more strength or just simply put anyone that they wished to see dead out of the way.


    However, there was something Master Ansell didn''t really understand.


    If someone among the 8 he asked to conquer the Crimson Gate was a traitor and truly wished to assassinate someone or perhaps every member of the group, why has he or she decided to assassinate now? After all, everyone has seen that he has given everyone an Avatar Totem, and knowing what that item could do it was foolish to attempt an assassination right now.


    It just made zero sense.


    Arthur somehow seemed to have understood what the chairman of the Realm Association was thinking about as hisplexion was rather scary and dark at the moment, hence why h quickly shook his head.


    "Sir, nothing like that has happened. In fact, we really have killed the creature, but..."


    And when he reached that point in his speech Arthur''s face turned a little pale once again and swallowed nervously.


    "Several others appeared after that. Not only that but they were made out of the same material as the whole ce and they began to..."


    "Target our reflections on their own body and kill each other!"


    "Huh?"<sub> </sub>


    Master Ansell raised a brow and wished to ask Arthur to tell him more, however, just as he could have opened his mouth suddenly something shed beside him and the figure of Dax appeared, with the same expression as Arthur had when he appeared.


    And a secondter another figure emerged from out of nowhere.


    Then another.


    And another...


    In less than a few minutes everyone that entered the Crimson Gate was now kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily with a pale face and clenching either their heads, chest, or throat as if to make sure it was intact.


    "Ethereal Musician... Ancient Summoner... White Pdin... What is happening here?"


    Watching as all the Rankers with an S Character Rank were thrown out of the Realm Game, Master Ansell felt stupefied and became speechless.


    Dax, Helena, Min Chen, Canwin, Arthur, Felix, and even Silver Death Luna was kneeling on the ground, their expression full of disbelief, dread, and shock!


    "Wait, someone is missing." Master Ansell quickly noticed that there was only one individual who has yet to appear before his face turned serious.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the World of Reflections.


    Standing in the middle of the colosseum with his cloak forming a small barrier around him so he was defended from all directions, Raven remained motionless with a grim expression.


    ''Curse this!''


    After using his n to kill that creature, literally obliterating it from existence with almost wless cooperation, he thought they won the fight andpleted the challenge of the Realm Game just like that.


    However, he couldn''t have been further away from the truth.


    Right after Min Chen used her summon to turn all the debris into dust with its cadaverous lightning, which Felix seeded in dodging thest time with his Artifact that seemingly allowed him to be one with the air itself for a limited time, hence rendering him invulnerable for a short period of time against all kinds of physical attacks, all hell broke loose.


    Just as they lowered their guards, thinking that the fight was over, creatures made out of the same material as the whole colosseum emerged from the ground close to each of them and shattered themselves including their own reflections too!


    Which, in this case, meant their death too!


    Arthur, Dax, Helena, and Canwin, the ones with low Dexterity and Speed all failed to react and move in time, hence causing them to die right on the spot and turn into sparkles of crimson light, indicating that they have died.


    As for Luna, and Felix, while they were able to dodge in time, as the creatures'' whole skin was covered in that mirror-like material they couldn''t make their reflection vanish, thus they were killed also.


    The only one who was able to survive was him and it was only because he had his Celeste de''s cloak that wrapped itself around himself the very moment the creature emerged from the ground, hiding and protecting both his reflections and body at the same time!


    ''At least it seems this reflection curse or whatever doesn''t apply to objects nor affect them.'' Raven thought as even after 5 minutes of waiting, except for the punches from outside te creatures the cloak stood firmly.


    It turns out that breaking a reflection only affects living beings and not inanimate objects such as the cloak that only followed orders and only acted if his life was in immediate crisis.


    ''Though, still, I can''t keep staying like this forever. Whenever those bastardsnd a strike on my Relic, my Mystique drops toward zero rapidly.


    [Mystique: 431 -> 421]


    [Mystique: 421 -> 411]


    [Mystique: 411 -> 401]


    ...


    Even with his Primordial Grade Rune Mark and his Title''s passive and active blessing, that pushed his Mystique above 450 points, which originally would have been above 750 if it would have been not for him using his Luck Enhancement and the Twilight seed, he knew it was only a matter of time before he runs out of Mystique.


    ''I guess I will have no other choice, huh?'' Raven sighed helplessly and took a deep breath.


    "Let''s do this then." his face turned serious and as he ordered his cloak to wrap itself around his body like armor instead of covering him like a nket, he activated his Emperor''s Will silently.


    [Your 640 points of Constitution and your 391 points of Mystique had been swapped for 1 minute!]

 Chapter 133 As Fragile As Glass

    What was the best way to make one''s reflectionpletely vanish?


    When one heard such a question one would either start to scowl deeply as they would fail toe up with a proper answer or would immidieatly reply that there was no way a reflection could possibly vanish.


    However, in truth, there was an answer, and in fact, not one but many!


    For instance, the most basic answer was to exterminate the very reason that formed reflections which were...


    Light.


    As it wasmon knowledge, reflections could only form because light falls on surfaces that do not absorb energy and instead force them to bounce away.


    Knowing something like that, one would immidieatly understand that one should first attempt to stop light from falling on the surface where reflections could appear, or better,pletely make light itself vanish!


    And what was the best way to do such a thing?


    Of course, it was to use darkness!


    After all, inplete darkness, no light existed and without any light, there was no possible way a reflection could materialize and form.


    Exactly because of knowing this reason why Raven decided to manipte his Artifact to summon an item that could annihte the reason why reflections could exist at all; the Twilight Seed that could summon darkness and annihte light itself!


    However, as it was a Relic that could have been used only once so now he had to find another way to make his reflection vanish to avoid killing himself.


    Currently, Raven could only think about one way through which he could make his reflection vanish temporarily, which was to move so fast that his reflection had no time to materialize on the creature''s mirror-like skin.


    Naturally, saying such a thing would be akin to saying Raven should move faster than light itself, however, that was not the case. While it was true he couldn''t move faster than light, in reality, he didn''t have to.


    He just simply had to run so fast that his reflection became nothing but aplete blur that if shattered would not cause his physical body to sustain any damage.


    ''Though, it is easier said than done...'' Raven sighed as he ordered his Heavenly Cloak to wrap itself around his whole body as much as it could, which at the moment wore the set of armor he had bought from the Backrooms, further increasing his defense in case a direct attack happened tond on him.


    ''Damn... There is even more than before!'' Raven''s face changed scarcely when he saw how several tens of those mirror creatures stood around him.


    ''Let''s do this...''


    With such words in mind and with his Emperor''s Will already activated, swapping his Constitution points with his Mystique to keep his Heavenly Cloak functioning, Raven leaned scarcely forward, and the next second...


    BAM!


    With a great momentum that sent ripples through the air but luckily was not strong enough to shatter the mirror-like ground, Raven began to dash into the distance while he continuously increased his speed.


    At the start, he ran as fast as a Ranker with 500 points of Speed, however, after 5 seconds his movements became so fast that he easily surpassed 600 points, reaching a level that only those above Rank 64 could achieve!


    Hell, with his Title''s passive blessing and the small amount of refinement he has gained after practicing with Kayn in the past, his speed could easily rival anyone close to Rank 70 which was ridiculous!


    And he has not even considered his Death Defier Title, which if happened to get triggered would definitely cause his body to break down in seconds and send him right into his death!


    After all, even now he could feel how the sudden jump in Speed took a heavy toll on his body. It felt like his muscles and tendons were stretched and torn apart mercilessly one by one, almost as if someone or something wished to shred him into pieces from the inside!


    The feeling was close to hellish torture, however...


    ''It is nothingpared to tha pain I have felt before my seal had been broken. Also, it seems with this speed I have achieved what I have wanted.'' Raven thought with clenched teeth as he zigzagged between the creatures, his Celeste de severing their head one by one without him sustaining any damage.


    It seemed that because now his speed was akin to a Ranker who had his Speed Trait almost above 700 points, he was able to move just fast enough to avoid his reflection frompletely forming.


    And as there was no entirely formed reflection, the curse-type ability couldn''t affect him at all. However, in exchange to achive something as ridiculous as that he had no other choice but to pay with his own body!


    "Cough!"


    Coughing uprge amounts of blood despite just running for less than 20 seconds, Raven clenched his teeth and kept going, ignoring the pain in his body as much as he could.


    ''Only 20 more!''


    Whoosh!


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    Like a phantom that imed the lives of its prey from the shadows, Raven slew all the creatures without holding back anything.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 57 Reflector!]


    [Your Vitality has increased by +2!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 57 Reflector!]


    [Your Vitality has increased by +2!]


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 57 Reflector!]


    [Your Vitality has increased by +2!]


    ...


    Swish!


    Crack!


    With a powerful swing of his de, Raven sliced thest Reflector alive in two which once it fell on the ground shattered like ss, allowing him to finally stop running.<sub> </sub>


    "Bleargh!"


    Throwing out a massive amount of blood once he was on his knees, Raven felt his mind bing dizzy while his sight began to spin around.


    "F...Uck..." cursing out through his clenched teeth as he felt he was on the verge of fainting, Raven quickly took out a Healing Pill from his Void Ring and threw it into his mouth.


    Whoosh!


    "Urgh..."


    Feeling as if every muscle within his body was set on fire while being pierced by thousands of needles, Raven showed a deep scowl and let out a pained groan.


    However, after 5 full minutes his frown gradually began to vanish and what reced it was a surge of warmness that caused him to subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.


    [Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted Realm Game [World of Reflections], Main Quest [Defeat all Enemies!], Hidden Quest 1/2 [Formless Reflection!]]


    [Recive rewards now orter?]


    [The Backroom has been charged by 20%! Current state: 40%]


    Upon seeing the floating panels in his line of sight while also watching how everything around him shifted back to being the Empty World, Raven let out another sigh of relief and decided to collect the rewardster.


    However, just out of curiosity, he took a quick nce at the list of rewards he will be able to collect in the not-so-distant future.


    ------------


    [All Rewards]


    /Challenge Rewards/


    - 5 Random Avatar sks


    - 1 Middle Piece Artifact Crystal


    - 1,000 Astral Cores


    - 1 Random Blueprint Scroll


    - 1 Rune Pill


    /Hidden Quest Rewards/


    - 2 Random Avatar sks


    - 1 Arcane Grade Relic


    /Special Reward/


    <o>,m - Realm Shop Ticket</o>


    ------------


    ''An Arcane Grade Relic?'' Raven''s eyes lit up scarcely when he noticed the Hidden Quest Reward before his expression turned into confusion.


    ''Realm Shop Ticket? What the hell is that?''


    Raven knew what a Realm Shop was as he was ''lucky'' enough to be among the first to enter the first floor of the Realm Shop in the past, however, he had never heard about such a reward as a Realm Shop Ticket.


    Was it a like the Backroom Key that allowed one to enter the Realm Shop if used?


    Well, whatever it was Raven will find out once he leaves the Empty World and will have time to check it out.


    ''I should leave.''


    Raven looked around himself as he was ready to leave the Empty World and the Crimson Gate, however, a few secondster he realized a problem.


    He couldn''t leave.


    ''I don''t like this...''


    Raven raised his guard when he felt something was amiss, however, not even a secondter as he did something he didn''t expect would happen happened.


    BAM!


    With a force that was enough to crush boulders into debris, Raven felt as if some sort of invisible power fell on his body from above,pelling him to fall on his knee and struggle not to be mashed into meat paste!


    [Only if you were able to see yourself... Even such a tiny amount of pressure was enough to push you down on your knees.]


    As the cold and indifferent voice thundered through the air from all directions, the pressure on Raven''s body only grew denser and heavier, earning a deep groan to escape through his clenched teeth.


    Even the cracking sound of his bones from within his body was heard from time to time, sending cold chills down anyone''s spine who would hear it.


    [Hmph... I feel sick just by looking at you and knowing that you and I have the same celestial blood running through our veins.]


    [You are nothing but a disgrace to us, Gods!]

 Chapter 134 Unknown Voice

    An unknown amount of time before.


    Inside an ancient great hall with arge circr table standing in its middle, a single individual sat lonely on a chair, her colorful hair cascading down her slim shoulders akin to rainbows.


    This individual was none other than Etia, Goddess of Rivalry and Contests, or shortly, Goddess of Games.


    Whoosh!


    While Etia was sitting in silence on a small golden chair with her eyes closed, suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows behind her.


    "Have you found anything?"


    The masked figure standing behind Etia, named Enas, slowly fell to one knee and lowered his head. Then, in a voice that was neither feminine nor masculine, it began to speak;


    "My Master, he is back."


    In that very instant as Enas'' words fell, Etia''s eyes snapped wide open and appeared before the kneeling servant with a face as serious as death.


    "Where?"


    "As far as I can tell, he is back to his world, Earth, my Master."


    "Earth?" Etia narrowed her eyes before she spun around and waved her hand.


    Whoosh!


    With a white sh, suddenly an orb appeared floating right above the wooden table before Etia, its body glowing with gentle white light akin to a star.


    "Show me Area E-09223."


    Whoosh!


    In the next second, the beautiful sight of Earth in the middle of space materialized on the orb''s surface.


    "Locate Participant Number 69,311,011,369," Etia spoke with indifference and watched as the image began to zoom, and quickly, the figure of a handsome individual standing before a massive red gate in the middle of a vast desert appeared.


    "Found you!" Etia''s eyes narrowed even more and watched as Raven, alongside 7 other individuals entered the Crimson Gate.


    "World of Reflections, huh? Despite not having the qualification to challenge that Realm Game, you are still stubborn to do so. Courting death!" Etia snorted coldly as she decided to watch Raven''s performance with contempt in her eyes.


    However, the moment she noticed Raven throwing his dice, coincidentally getting an item that put him at a great advantage against the creatures within that Realm Game, her expression quickly changed.


    "Don''t tell me..." with shock, Etia stared at Raven with utter disbelief before her face contorted into great anger.


    "That bastard... Does he even have any idea what he has done?! He is gambling everything on something he has no chance to win!"


    With those words, Etia closed her eyes before she filled her lungs with air and exhaled deeply.


    "Enas, go and find that bastard. I don''t care whether you have to force him or not, bring him here!"


    "I will do my best, my Master." Enas nodded and like a ghost who was not even there a second ago vanished into empty air.


    "As for you... You have made the biggest mistake you could have ever done in your life." Etia hissed coldly, her body slowly breaking and scattering into fragments, which if one took a closer look would realize were little and colorful butterflies.


    -


    -


    -


    [You are nothing but a disgrace to us, Gods!]


    Upon hearing the cold but at the same time familiar voice, Raven''s already pale face turned even paler.


    ''Curse this! I must get out of here!''


    Raven immediately understood things have turned from bad to worse and that he has to escape no matter what or else he will be dead in seconds!


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to escape: 0.00001% (Max: 1%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 37%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Maniption: Too many units to count


    <Not Possible!>


    ----------------


    ''...''


    Hope that still lingered within Raven nowpletely got shattered, losing itpletely.


    [I see. So that is his aim. A modified bloodline that grants you this kind of power.]


    Etia''s voice rang quietly in the Empty World before she snorted coldly again.


    [Too bad. Not only do youck any God Core but your modified bloodline is not evenplete yet!]


    [No wonder you are this weak despite being one of us. You are nothing but a disgrace, worse than a mortal. No, you are lesser than that, a mongrel.]


    [And for that reason, you deserve nothing else but... death!]


    At that very moment, as Etia said those words, Raven felt the pressure falling on his body triple, instantly causing his body to give up all resistance and fall, getting pressed to the ground t like a frog!<sub> </sub>


    ''F...ucking... bitch...'' Raven wished to curse out loud, however, as he was unable to open his mouth he couldn''t.


    No, even if he would have been able to open his mouth, the only thinging out of his mouth would have been a deep groan filled with nothing but pain!


    [Etia, that is enough.]


    [Huh?]


    Suddenly, just as Raven thought that all his bones will be crushed and his body will turn into meat paste, suddenly another voice appeared in the sky, one that despite sounding calm and soothing carried firmness that for some reason no one dared to disobey.


    It felt like whatever that voice told was absolute and must be followed just like an eternal oath that if one broke must face the grave consequences!


    [M-My Lord... Why-]


    Etia''s eyes widened when she recognized the voice, her whole body trembling from both fear and excitement.


    [Etia, I said that is enough. Let him go.]


    [But... My Lord, he is...]


    [I know what you may think, but I don''t care. So please, don''t make me repeat myself for the third time... Let him go.]


    Sensing the hint of annoyance and anger in the voice that spoke, Etia clenched her teeth and with eyes filled with reluctance, she waved her hand like an angry child, causing Raven, who at the moment was both puzzled and shocked, to vanish from sight.


    [Good. Also, I prohibit you and everyone else tot even a single finger on that boy, understood?]


    [...]


    Etia stood in one ce without replying, however, once she felt a distinctive sensation sweep through her body, her face paled as if she had just seen a ghost, and quickly nodded her head.


    [I-I promise...]


    [Promise what?]


    The voice asked, this time for some reason filled with a hint of chilling coldness.


    [I... I promise that none, including myself, willy a finger on him and if I dare to break my promise, I will end my life with my own hands!]


    [Good, much better.]


    The voice hummed with satisfaction and the whole Empty World became silent once again.


    When feeling the invisible power that assaulted her body finally vanishing, Etia raised her hands before her chest and sighed with relief.


    However, soon her face changed into anger once again and starting at the spot where Raven had been a moment ago she clenched her fingers into fists.


    "Mongrel..."


    -


    -


    -


    Feeling as the space twisted around his body, teleporting him outside the Empty World, Raven watched as the scenery around him suddenly changed, turning into arge clearing with a vast desert visible in the distance.


    "Raven!"


    While lying on the ground motionlessly with every part of his body aching with pain, Raven watched as a beautiful figure wearing stylish silver armor ran beside him, looking at him with eyes full of worry.


    However, once she noticed he was fine, and even was able to push himself up slowly from the ground, the worry quickly vanished and turned into relief.


    "I will help you,e." Luna gently grabbed Raven by his arm and helped him up.


    "Thank you." Raven showed a weak smile before he directed his gaze at the 8 individuals standing not far away from him, each of them staring at him with utter disbelief.


    "What?" looking at the faces of the 8, Raven felt confused only te realize why they were staring at him the way they did.


    ''Oh... That''s why.''


    "Raven... You... How... How did you do it?"


    ''Thought so.'' Raven sighed silently when he heard Arthur''s question before he shrugged and said, "I had a powerful Relic that granted me invincibility for a short period, allowing me to kill those bastards."


    "Had?" Canwin raised a brow when he noticed Raven spoke in the past tense.


    "Yeah, had." Raven nodded and continued to spit bullshit, "It was a Relic I have obtained afterpleting a Hidden Quest in the past. However, unfortunately, it could be used only once, so even if you ask me to show you I can''t do it."


    And to further make them believe his lie, he changed his expression and sighed with grief, almost as if he had just lost something very important to him.


    The only one who was not buying his act was Luna, who secretly even rolled her eyes and if it were not for the others being there she would have even busted Raven.


    "But you had your Avatar Totem. Using such a rare Relic, and a powerful one at that... what a waste." Dax sighed softly before his expression turned into admiration.


    "However, because of you, we have conquered another Crimson Gate. We will definitely get a hefty amount for this, haha!"


    "Yeah, so we are all grateful to you. We owe you one." Min Chen nodded, currently smiling at Raven charmingly.


    As for the rest, they just simply nodded in agreement, expressing their gratitude toward Raven with words full of admiration and appreciation.


    After all, the number of rewards and bonuses they will be able to get now will be tremendous!

 Chapter 135 Practice Grounds

    After conquering the Crimson Gate, Raven and the rest were brought back to Nova City where they were able to report back everything that happened during their mission while also collecting their rewards.


    As for the news about a Crimson Gate getting conquered and turned into a Realm Domain, was needless to say, spread every direction like wildfire, allowing the whole world to know about the feat Raven and the rest has achieved!


    "What? Another Crimson Gate had been conquered? Where?"


    "In the Southern Fields!"


    "What?! Did they conquer a Crimson Gate within the Abandoned Desert? I thought that ce was forbidden to enter because of howrge the number of Realm Gates and Realm Domains located there truly is."


    "It was the Realm Association who conquered the Crimson Gate and not any of the top guilds. Here, check the Rankers'' names out."


    "Ethereal Musician Dax, Ancient Summoner Min Chen, White Pdin Canwin... These names... They are all S Rank and from the top Guilds! Hell, even Silver Death Luna and Formless Spirit Felix are listed here."


    "Yeah. Though, look at the bottom."


    "Hm? Luck Cursed... Luck Cursed? Who the hell is he?"


    "Dunno, but ording to some rumors he was the one who truly conquered the Realm Gate, and all alone at that!"


    "What? From where did you take that bullshit?"


    "...The inte?"


    Simr conversations to these happened all around the world, however, the majority just ignored the rumors. As for the lesser, while they tried to believe in them they hardly doubted that there really was an individual who could single-handedly conquer a Crimson Gate with six Ring Marks.


    "What do you think?"


    Sitting on arge sofa with a calm expression, a man stared at the holographic image of Raven while beside him on a device a woman could be seen. However, as there was almost no light around her, her facial expression and face were hiddenpletely.


    "It''s hard to tell, but he is definitely someone with an S Rank candidate."


    "And what about the rumors?"


    Upon hearing the question, the woman fell into silence before she giggled softly, "If what they say is really true, then there is a very high possibility he is an SS Rank candidate."


    "Have you checked his data within the Realm Association?"


    "I did, however, there is nothing about him despite many asserting him they have seen him taking the Evaluation Test."


    "So those old geezers have ssified his data, huh?"


    "It seems so," the woman nodded softly, earning another hum from the man.


    "Well, let''s wait for the time being, and let''s decide once we see his true worth."


    "Understood."


    -


    -<sub> </sub>


    -


    Inside a luxurious restaurant.


    "Hey, slow down a little will you?" staring at Raven with a dumbfounded look, Luna was ready to pull the te away from his brother.


    "I''m... I''m sorry." showing a wry smile as he swallowed the food, Raven looked at the food in front of him and said, "Though, I just can''t help it. The food here is just simply too delicious."


    "I know, but this way you will only choke to death." Luna sighed helplessly to which Raven justughed and stuffed more food into his mouth.


    It seemed that ever since he unlocked his seal, for some reason his appetite increased several folds and he could easily eat 10 times more than an average human.


    After eating several tes under the disbelieving eyes of both the waitresses and guests, Raven paid for the food and shortly after left the restaurant.


    "What should we do now?" walking on the street, Luna nced at Raven curiously.


    "First, I want to collect my rewards. But for that, we have to find a Realm Domain,


    "A Realm Domain? That won''t be necessary." Luna suddenly said, surprising Raven.


    Upon seeing Raven''s eyes Luna chuckled softly and exined, "Instead of going into Realm Domains, we can just simply go and find a Practice Ground."


    "A Practice Ground?" Raven raised a brow.


    "Yes. Just like the Evaluation Hall within the Realm Association, Practice Grounds are areas where one can get ess to their Avatar Status, including their Artifact, Rune Marks, Relics, and Traits."


    "Yeah, now that you say it, I felt a little confused about why and how I was able to use my strength as if I was within a Realm Domain." Raven hummed quietly, now finally understanding the reason.


    It seemed there actually existed special Items or Relics that could create a small "domain" where one could use their powers as if they were within either Realm Domains or Realm Games!


    With this in mind, Raven was quickly brought to a Practice Ground by Luna, where not so surprisingly they had to pay for their stay.


    "One hour please." once inside arge building, Luna handed her credit card to the young woman behind the desk, who epted it with a gentle smile.


    "Once your time is up, you will be notified to leave through this. Of course, you can always decide to extend your stay whenever you want." the youngdy exined with a smile as she handed Luna a small circr device with a timer on it.


    "Sure. Thank you." Luna nodded and walked away with Raven.


    "Practice Ground Number 11... Practice Ground Number 11... Practice Grou-, found it! It''s this one!" arriving before a ss door with arge number 11 on it, Luna opened it and walked inside.


    Raven followed after her closely, however, when he was inside was surprised to see that the interior of the room was by no means small. It was at least the size of a basketball court with the walls and ceiling fortified by alloys.


    Furthermore, the moment he stepped through the door, he felt how his temporarily sealed power got unsealed, just like when he used to enter Realms.


    "See? I told you. It would have been just a waste of time searching for a Realm Domain."


    "Yeah, you''re right." Raven nodded and once he made sure there were no security cameras inside, he summoned his Collector''s Gloves and began to collect his rewards.

 Chapter 136 Practicing

    [Because of your Avatar Title: The Blessed Prodigy your Reward had been doubled!]


    Whoosh!


    With a silver sh, numerous items inrge numbers appeared before Raven, scarcely shocking Luna.


    "Now I understand how you were able to reach Rank 43 despite going missing for three years."


    "Three months to be exact, but yeah." Raven sighed as he quickly used his Collecters gloves, doubling and enhancing the rewards that had been already doubled thanks to his Title.


    21 Random Avatar sks, 4 Middle Piece Artifact Crystals, 4,000 Astral Cores, 2 Blueprint Scrolls, 2 Relics that had been enhanced,


    4 Rune Pills, and 4 Realm Shop Tickets.


    After collecting his rewards, these items were the things Raven gained just because he has conquered a Crimson Gate!


    As for the 50% bonus, that he gained thanks to his SS Character Rank, it made Raven a little disappointed as it was only Novas and Realm Points that he,ter on, could exchange for various items.


    There was no Avatar sks, no Relics, no Rune Marks, no nothing.


    With a sigh, Raven quickly drank all the Avatar sks and check out his Avatar Traits.


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 434 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 460 [25]


    ¡ã Strength: 360 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 368 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 372 [32]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 357 [20]


    ~~~


    "Rank 46... Just like that." upon seeing Raven''s current strength Luna sighed defeatedly, wondering just where would Raven be today if he would have not gone missing.


    This speed of growth was just simply too ridiculous.


    Showing a wry smile, Raven grabbed the four almost transparent crystals and handed them to Luna.


    "Here, take these. They are no use to me now that my Artifact has reached Arcane Grade."


    "They are useless to me also. Just sell them to someone or put them in an auction. They will earn a great sum." Luna exined calmly.


    "Is that so? Maybe I will do just that." Raven mumbled as an idea shed in his eyes and put the Artifact Crystals away.


    He also put away the 4 Rune Pills, the 4,000 Astral Cores, and the 2 Blueprint Scrolls before he decided to check out the two Relics.


    --------------


    [Relic: Frostbite Trap]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: This trap can be ced anywhere let it be on a solid surface or in water, if triggered will explode and freeze arge area!


    <Can be used only once!>


    --------------


    ...


    --------------<sub> </sub>


    [Relic: Six Colored Devil Flower]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: This little nt''s petals are so unique that they are edible and upon consumption, they can enhance different senses such as hearing, smell, touch, taste, sight, and instinct!


    <The flower blooms one new petal every month whichsts for 6 minutes! You can also urge it to blossom one in exchange for 10,000 units of Mystique!>


    <Warning, petals born through Mystique have weaker effects andst for a shorter duration!>


    --------------


    "This one looks interesting," Raven mumbled as he held a small flower in his hand with it only having a single petal on with the color white.


    "Will you try it out?" Luna asked curiously, to which Raven just shook his head and put it into his Void Ring.


    "Although I wish to, it is better to save it forter. Using it now would be just a waste of time."


    "Yeah, you''re right." Luna hummed and watched as Raven grabbed a small red ticket from the four floating before him.


    --------------


    [Item: Realm Shop Ticket]


    ? Rarity: Very Rare


    ? Type: Red


    ? Description: This small ticket can be used to gain ess to the 5th and 6th Floors of the Realm Shop for 10 minutes!


    <Can be used only once!>


    --------------


    "Realm Shop Tickets are incredibly rare and people would start killing for it much less for four. If I were you, I would not show anyone that I have any." Luna said to which Raven nodded and handed one to his little sister.


    "Take it. I will give one to dad and Thomas too." Raven exined when he saw the confusion within Luna''s eyes.


    Seeing this kind act of her brother, Luna''s eyes sparkled like little stars, and quickly jumped at Raven, nting a firm kiss on his cheeks lovingly.


    "You are the best!"


    Raven just smiled at that and shook his head before he put the remaining Realm Shop Tickets away and looked at the timer in Luna''s hand.


    "We still have a little over half an hour. What should we do?" Luna asked when she saw where Raven was looking at.


    "Let''s practice a little. I want to sharpen my skills with my de."


    Although Raven was confident he can literally overpower anyone thanks to his Rune Mark, he understood he couldn''t always use that as it not only put a huge toll on his body but also could be used for a very short time.


    And exactly for this reason why he wished to at least master a basic level with his de as at the moment the only thing he could do was to swing it around. However, if he were to fight someone without his Rune Mark''s boost, he would be crushed in seconds!


    That''s just how weak he really was both with and without the sword.


    "Do you want me to be your sparring partner?" Luna asked as she saw Raven summoning his Celeste de into his hand.


    "For now, I would prefer it if I can practice alone. Sorry..." Raven smiled bitterly before he took up a stance, ready to swing his sword.


    "It''s okay. I will watch from the side then." Luna smiled sweetly and sat down, her pretty violet eyes following Raven''s de, asionally shifting at his face that was full of concentration at the moment.


    And just like that, 5 hours passed in a blink of an eye with Raven practicing with his Celeste de while Luna doing nothing but staring at him from the side with a small smile on the corner of her lips.


    As for the extra 4 hours they spent there, Raven naturally made sure to pay for it just before they left the Practice Grounds.

 Chapter 137 Star Treasury Auction

    Once Raven and Luna left the Practice Grounds they both decided to go back to ck Moon City and take a good rest.


    And just like that, two days have flown by in a blink.


    ...


    [Luck Energy: 99%]


    ''...''


    Sitting on the cold floor with his back leaned against the wall behind him, Raven stared at the floating panel before him with a calm expression.


    He was currently inside a small facility that was designed to allow one to practice with weapons, a special gym developed for Rankers where one could use their Artifacts and Relics as if they were inside a Realm Domain or Realm Game!


    Ever since Raven was within that Practice Ground in Nova City and realized how useful it was, he as Thomas and his father to install one in ck Moon City also. However, it seemed there was no need to do such a thing as, although not as modern as the one in Nova City, there already was one.


    And ever since then, Raven did nothing but practice his skills while also making sure to refine his physical body. That way he will not only be able to fight like a normal warrior with the sword but also be a Ranker who had more strength than what his status showed!


    ''It should be around now...'' Raven tonight silently and just as the clock hit 5:11 his panel underwent a small change.


    Whoosh!


    [Luck Energy: 100%]


    Watching as his Luck Energy went from 99% to 100% without anything else appearing, Raven hummed softly and pushed himself up from the ground.


    ''It seems I was right. I can umte more than 100% of Luck Energy.''


    And with that thought, Raven put the towel around his neck and walked toward the exit. However, just as he was ready to grab the handle and walk out the door flung wide open, causing it to crash into his face.


    Bam!


    Raven staggered back a few steps in that instant and grabbed his nose, which at the moment, because of the force with which the door had been kicked open, was bleeding quite badly.


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 10%!]


    "Urgh..." holding his nose with a pained expression, Raven opened one eye and watched as Luna put her head through the door gap, her fave showing scare, and a little panic.


    "Raven? I am so sorry! Are you okay?"


    "Y-Yeah... I''m fine." Raven nodded as he lowered his hand and shifted his gaze at the floating panel beside him.


    It seemed his Luck Energy really could be umted above 100% which was a good thing. Like this, if he didn''t use his Luck Enhancement for quite a time he will be able to amass so much Luck Energy that he could manipte more chances in less time!


    ''The only problem with this is that I stillck Mystique.''


    Indeed, there was not once when Raven failed to use his power because the Mystique needed was ridiculously high.


    ''Should I use this?'' Raven thought silently as he wiped his bleeding bose and took out a small red ticket from his Void Ring.


    It was, naturally the Realm Shop Ticket that he had yet to use. The reason why, even though he had 2 whole days to use it, was because he had been practicing nonstop.


    ''No, I will use it once we are back. Now, I should get ready for the auction.'' Raven showed a smile and after putting the small red ticket away he walked toward the exit with Luna following after him with a still guilty and apologetic look.


    -


    -


    -


    Star Treasury.<sub> </sub>


    After the first round of the Worlds'' sh the Star Treasury''s fame, influence, and especially business, all thanks to the rewards collected from the Realm Games and Realm Domains, skyrocketed so much that literally, no one couldpete with them.


    They were the absolute first in the case of selling thousands of goods and earning ridiculous amounts of wealth just in a single day!


    And during weekends, when the Star Treasury finally opens the doors of their Auction House, their earnings only grow even more, almost getting doubled as the things auctioned there are all special and outstanding items with no ordinary ones being sold there!


    For that reason why tens of thousands of people decided to leave their homes and visit Star Night City, no matter if it was 1 hour or 10 hours away!


    Of course, with the Zeusbridge one could easily reach Night Star City in a blink, however, as it was not healthy to use Old Dan''s invention so much in a short amount of time one still had to travel around 1-2 hours with a vehicle to reach the destination without any problems.


    "This ce looks just as majestic as thest time I have been here." letting out a softugh Old Dan looked at the building before him with a smile while Raven, Luna, and Thomas stepped out of the vehicle.


    Currently, they were standing before arge facility that looked more like a luxurious mansion that flickered gently from time to time almost as if the material it had been built from had stars trapped in them!


    "Majestic indeed." Thomas nodded in agreement as he approached the entrance after Old Dan and with Luna and Raven beside him.


    "Dear Guests, wee to the Star Treasury Auction House. May I see your identification card?"


    A young woman wearing a beautiful and stylish purplish silver dress with her arms and right legpletely bare smiled at the four politely.


    Raven and the rest nodded and took their ID out and handed them to the woman together with the two Luminary Cards.


    "Everything seems to be fine. Please follow thedy over there, she will bring the four of you to your seats in the VIP section."


    "Thank you very much." Old Dan showed a smile and walked away, following after the seconddy who brought them to the 4th floor and into a spacious room.


    "The food on the right and the drinks on the left are all free of charge. Also, if you have any questions please don''t hesitate to find me. I will be right outside at the end of the hallway."


    "Thank you very much." Old Dan thank thedy, who bowed politely and left the room, making sure to close the door behind her on her way out.


    "The auction hall is muchrger than I have expected it to be," Raven mumbled as he walked before therge window and looked down at the scenery outside.


    There, what he could see was a massive circr hall with thousands of seats around arge tform. And naturally, on all of those seats, people were sitting, eagerly waiting for the start of the auction.


    He could also see several ck windows at the level to them, each of them seemingly a separate room for those who had the Luminary Card just like them.


    "Mhmm... This vani pudding is just as heavenly as always!"


    ncing behind over his shoulder, Raven watched with a helpless sigh as his father stuffed spoon after spoon of vani pudding into his mouth before he shifted his gaze at the small panel in front of him.


    There, on it, he could see numerous buttons that seem to have various uses. He just didn''t know which button did what.


    "Do you want me to show you what they can do?" seeing her brother''s pondering look Luna stepped closer to him and once she saw him nod she began to exin the buttons'' use.


    "With this, you can bid openly, with this one you can bid anonymously, with this one you can ask for help, with this you canmunicate with others in other VIP rooms, with this..."


    While Raven listened closely to Luna''s exnation and secretly felt shocked because the panel before him had so many functions, more and more people entered the auction hall and sat down, filling the whole ce with people.


    If Raven had to guess just how many people were present at the moment, he would have definitely said over ten thousand which didn''t even include the people inside the VIP rooms!


    Time passed in a blink and after waiting for close to half an hour, the light finally dimmed above the people while the opposite happened right above the tform.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! It fills me with so much joy to see so many of you gathering here on this beautiful night! I am truly humbled!"


    With a loud voice that reached everyone''s ear no matter where they sat, a man wearing a stylish suit with the Star Treasuries emblem on the left side of his chest appeared in the middle of the tform and extended his arms to both sides before cing one before his chest and the other behind his back.


    Then, once he bowed politely he straightened his back and while fixing his tie he continued to speak;


    "My name is Alexios, and today it is my pleasure to be your Auctioneer!"

 Chapter 138 Crazy People

    Inside the Star Treasury Auction House people sat in silence, staring at Alexios with eyes full of admiration before... they all broke into thunderous apuse!


    Watching as thousands of people pped their hands as if he was some kind of celebrity, the corner of Alexios'' lips curved upward and bowed like a true noble.


    "I am truly humbled indeed! And for that reason, I will open this amazing auction night with nothing but an amazing item, with an Arcane Grade Relic!"


    Whoosh!


    At that very moment as Alexios spoke those words, as if by magic, in the middle of the tform on a small raised section, a pair of beautiful boots rested neatly, shining with a mesmerizing crimson color under the light that fell on it.


    When people''s eyes fell on the crimson boots that gave one a feeling of both danger and strength, the whole auction hall got filled with gasps of shock and awe, some even starting to murmur between each other, eximing their thoughts quietly.


    A smile immediately formed on Alexios'' face when he saw the expressions around him and quickly stepped beside the Relic which was contained behind seemingly fortified ss.


    "The name of this Relic is called Bloodcursed Walkers, a unique Relic that not only boosts one Speed and Dexterity passively by 12 points but also grants its wearer a special skill known as Blood Curse."


    As he reached that point with his speech Alexios ced a hand on the ss container and with a faint smile he continued;


    "In exchange for a little amount of Mystique and Vitality, the wearer of these majestic boots will experience another 12 points of increase in their Speed and Dexterity while they will be also granted the ability to use these as weapons."


    "And when I say weapon, I don''t only mean to be able to injure others with kicks but also ce a special type of curse on others with which one can corrode their targets'' blood under minutes!"


    Once Alexios stopped talking, the auction hall once again broke into murmurs of awe, shock, and a little fear.


    Meanwhile, inside one of the VIP rooms, Raven stared at the boots with a pondering look before he let out a soft sigh.


    "Arcane Grade Relics are truly something else. I can hardly imagine just how strong Divine Grade Relics and above can truly be."


    After all, even his Primordial Grade Rune Mark granted him powers that no one on Earth possibly possessed, so he could hardly imagine just how strong Relics above the Arcane Grade could be.


    Hell, if he could remember right, currently on Earth there was only a single individual with a Divine Grade Artifact that was still in its Initial Form. Naturally, that individual was the strongest human alive.


    As for why there was only a single human with such an Artifact despite three years having passed, it was because Large Piece Artifact Crystals were extremely rare and insanely hard to collect!


    They say to upgrade an Arcane Grade Relic to Divine Grade one has to collect 4 Large Pieces of Artifact Crystals that so far only appeared inside Crimson Gates with 6 Ring Marks or inside ck Realm Gates, which so far 3 appeared and only 1 had been conquered in exchange for the lives of hundreds of powerful Rankers!


    It could be said that the jump between Arcane Grade and Divine Grade was the true threshold between Grades, a boundary that only the strongest could traverse.


    While Raven thought all about that in silence with a small bowl of chocte pudding in hand, Alexios, on therge tform took a step forward and pped softly.


    "Now then, describing what this great Relic can do, let us start bidding, shall we? The starting price will be 5,000,000 Novas with a minimum bid of 100,000 Novas and no barrier!"<sub> </sub>


    "Cough!"


    Almost choking on the chocte pudding when hearing the minimum price of the Relic, Raven stared with wide eyes at Alexios and watched as people began to raise their hands one by one.


    "5,100,000 Novas!"


    "5,200,000 Novas!"


    "5,700,000 Novas!"


    ''...''


    The spoon in Raven''s hand almost fell out as he watched how the minimum price skyrocketed and reached 7,000,000 Novas in a blink with no signs of slowing down at all!


    ''...This is insane.''


    "They are all nuts, huh? Spending so much money on a single item." stepping beside Raven with his muscr figure, Old Dan showed a joyful smile andughed.


    "In the past, before the Great Change, only a few people would be willing to spend this much money, yet now, almost anyone who has enough wealth would do whatever they could do to acquire items such as that one."


    "They are all crazy... Don''t they fear going broke?" Raven asked with disbelief.


    "Oh? Look who talks, someone who has thousands of bets because of gambling addiction." Old Dan nced at Raven with amusement before he shook his head and said, "Though, the answer to that question of yours is no, they are not."


    "Even if they spend all of their fortunes here on a single item,pleting missions through Guilds or the Realm Association, one can easily earn millions, it was just a matter of time."


    "Is that so?" Raven hummed quietly, but when he remembered the amount of Novas he gained after conquering the Crimson Gate he had to ept the truth.


    Even if one had an F Character Rank, which was considered trash, under a few weeks of hard work one could amass enough wealth to afford a lot of things without any problems.


    In the past, such a thing was simply impossible to think of.


    ''The world has truly changed.'' Raven thought silently and watched as the bidding for the Bloodcursed Wanderers began to slow down.


    "With another 100,000 Novas from the gentleman over there with number 1,778 we are currently at 11,600,000 Novas! Does anyone wish to bid more? Anyone?" Alexis looked around, curious to see whether there will be someone to raise the bid more.


    However, as there were none he showed a smile and pped his hands.


    "Then it is decided... Sold!"

 Chapter 139 An Item That Must Be Obtained!

    Once the Bloodcursed Wanderers had been sold, the Relic was taken away and a new one was brought inside.


    This time, it was a small and beautiful ne with a pendant that seemed to be the sharp tooth of a beast.


    The ne was called the Berserk Wolf''s Talisman, a Rare Item that granted its wearer a unique ability to bite through even steel! It was quite a special item, and at the end of the bidding, it had been sold for close to 700,000 Novas!


    "This is just simply ridiculous." Ravenughed bitterly as he watched how various Relics and Items had been sold for insane amounts of money one after another as if they were nothing but candy.


    It seemed people didn''t care how much they spent if what they gained from it was more power.


    "I wonder what thest item will be." standing beside Raven, Luna mumbled quietly as she watched as a beautiful set of armor was sold for over 37 million Novas after close to half an hour of bidding!


    "Thest item?" Raven raised a brow as he ced his right index finger under his chin while supporting his right elbow with his left hand.


    So far 24 items had been sold and ording to what he has learned from his little sister and father, the Star Treasury only sold 25 items every weekend.


    No more, no less than that.


    Thus, knowing this piece of information Raven understood that the next item not only will be thest one but also the best one too as the Star Treasury always loved to keep the people eagerly waiting and raising their anticipation.


    Like during a great movie where the action on the screen made viewers sit at the edge of their seats, waiting for the climax of the story with beating hearts and sweating faces!


    Oh, the exhration! That feeling was something only a few things could beat!


    "Well, as this is my first time here I don''t know what to expect. However, knowing the Star Treasury and seeing the items they have sold so far, I bet it will be an item incredibly rare and powerful."


    "You think so?" Luna mumbled and just as her voice fell watched as Alexios extended his hand to both sides and his lips curved into a wide grin.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! We have finally arrived at the best point in tonight''s auction! Oh, how excited I truly am, I can hardly control myself so let us not wait any longer and see what tonight''sst item is!"


    And right after he said those words, in the middle of the tform a small section rose into the sky with a small item on it.


    Everyone eximed out loud with surprise and confusion as the little thing on the raised section was a beautiful coin with one half being golden while the other being ck, almost as if it had been made out of obsidian.


    However, the only one who didn''t look confused or surprised was Raven, who as if getting some sort of stimtion dropped the bowl of the pudding out of his hands and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle!


    "Raven?" both Luna, Thomas, and Old Dan flinched and shifted their gaze at Raven with both rm and a little panic.<sub> </sub>


    After all, the way Raven stared before him at the moment with a grave expression was nothingforting.


    Meanwhile, on the tform, Alexios looked at the small coin with flickering eyes before he began to exin what it could do.


    "This little thing is called the Fortune''s Coin, a Fragmented Artifact with a Legendary Grade."


    "Huh? A Legendary Relic is thest item? And a Fragmented at that?"


    "What a bizarre name... Fortune''s Coin. I wonder what it can do."


    "I mean, if they decided to put it out as thest item its abilities must be powerful, right?"


    People began to murmur between each other, which earned an even wider grin to form on Alexios'' face.


    "I know what all of you dear Guests think at the moment, like how could such an item, a Legendary Grade item at that be thest item on tonight''s auction, right? But let me say this, this coin despite only being a Legendary Grade item, a Fragmented Artifact at that which has yet to awaken its true abilities, can allow one to fight others even if the Rank difference is over 5!"


    "WHAT!?"


    Many broke into an uproar when they heard Alexios'' words, some even standing up with utter disbelief stered all over their faces, hardly believing whether what Alexios had told them was indeed the truth or not.


    "Now then, with that in mind, I will begin the final bidding of tonight''s auction with a starting price of 1,000,000 Novas and a minimum amount of bid being 200,000 Novas with no upper limit!"


    "Huh? We won''t even be told what that coin can do?"


    "Yeah, although we had been told what Grade it is, we still don''t know what kind of abilities it can grant, especially when you started it can allow one to skip 5 whole Ranks!"


    "Yeah! That is just ridiculous! We are talking about a Fragmented Artifact here which has yet to reach the Arcane Grade!"


    People began to express theirints one by one quickly filling the hall with loud yells and cries. However, that onlysted for a few seconds as just before things were on the verge of getting out of hand Alexios pped his hands, sending a ripple flying in every direction that silenced everyone in a blink.


    Upon seeing that everyone was bewildered and confused about what just happened, Alexios'' previously serious expression turned carefree again and showed a faint smile as he quickly exined his reason why he didn''t mention the item''s abilities.


    Meanwhile, inside the VIP room, Raven still stared at the coin behind the ss container with trembling eyes before his fingers clenched into tight fists and his expression became extremely serious.


    ''That coin... I don''t care whether I have to spend ten million or a hundred, I have to acquire it no matter how much it will cost!''

 Chapter 140 Bidding War

    Currently standing before therge window with a serious face, Raven stared at the small coin with burning eyes,pletely ignoring that the bowl of chocte pudding he held moments ago nowy on the ground in a mess!


    As for Luna, Old Dan, and Thomas beside him, they all looked at him with startled faces, not knowing why Raven acted the way he did.


    "B-Brother... You... What-"


    Luna wished to ask her doubts, but just as she reached the middle of her question Raven suddenly turned toward Old Dan and put his hands together.


    "Father, please, I need your help."


    "Huh?"


    Old Dan, just like everyone in the room became stupified and didn''t know how to react at first. However, a secondter he snapped back to reality and raised a brow.


    "Brat, what the hell is going on with you? You scared me so much that you have almost made my heart skip two beats."


    Raven, who even went so far as to bow with respect straightened his back, and with his face still incredibly serious he pointed at the coin.


    "That Fragmented Artifact, I have to obtain it."


    "Have to?" the raised brow of Old Dan quickly lowered into a deep frown as he didn''t really understand what his son was talking about.


    "Yes, I have to. I don''t know why or for what reason, but I just have this feeling I have to get my hands on that item no matter what."


    Then, after lowering his hands he added;


    "Currently, thanks to me clearing that Crimson Gate and my 50% bonus I have a little over 7 million Novas, however, considering all the previous items and the amount of Novas they had been sold, this one too will very likely exceed the amount I have. And for that reason, I hope you can help me, please."


    Upon hearing Raven''s words Old Dan''s scowl gradually vanished and hummed softly.


    "Young Master, are you really sure you want that item?" Thomas asked with a serious face, "While it is true that item can be a great boon to your strength, if what Sir Alexios said was true at all, it is still a Fragmented Artifact."


    "And?" now it was Raven''s turn to raise a brow, somewhat confused about what his father''s butler wished to say.


    As if realizing something, Luna stepped beside Raven, and with a hand gently resting on his shoulder she said;


    "Raven, you may don''t know this but just as Realm Shop Tickets or Avatar Totems, Artifact Fragments are extremely rare. So rare that no one really wishes to use them on Fragmented Artifacts unless that kind of Artifacts will grant great powers once they are restored to be True Artifacts."


    "Oh, I see..." Raven eximed out with a hi to of shock, now realizing why his father was so surprised when he used three Artifact Fragments on his Monarch''s Crown.


    ''It seems I have to be careful in the future or else I can easily waste really useful materials.''


    With that in mind, Raven turned to look at the half gold and half obsidian coin and asked, "However, if that really is the case, then I think I won''t need any help. After all, if what you have said is true then only a few people will bid on it."


    However, it seemed he was wrong as Old Dan shook his head and said, "No, in fact, it will be theplete opposite of that. Because that thing can allow one to fight others even if they are 5 whole Ranks above despite being just a Fragmented Artifact, many will try to get their hands on it."


    Raven seemed to realize that too and with a helpless sigh, he asked, "Then, will you help me, please? I am sure that with my strength I can easily clear several Realm Domains andplete Realm Games, so paying you back the money won''t be an issue at all."


    Old Dan looked into Raven''s firm golden eyes and after a few seconds of contemtion, he nodded.


    "To tell you the truth, if you would have not said that you will pay me back I would have helped you. After all, at the end of the day, you are still my son."


    When hearing Old Dan''s words Raven felt as if his chest got filled with mixed emotions before he showed a gratified smile and nodded.


    "Thank you."


    And just as he said those words, suddenly Alexios'' voice sounded from the middle of the hall.


    "Now then, if everyone has finally calmed down, let''s start tonight''sst auction, shall we? The starting price is 1,000,000 Novas with a minimum of 200,000 Nova-"


    "10,000,000 Novas!"


    Not even before Alexios could have finished his sentence suddenly one of the VIP rooms lit up with crimson light and a robotic voice resounded from the small speakers around it, indicating someone has just raised the price anonymously.


    However, the biggest shock was not that someone just bid anonymously, but instead that they raised the starting price from 1 to 10 million Novas!!


    That was just ridiculous and crazy!


    ''...''


    The entirety of the gallery fell intoplete silence whichsted for several seconds before another VIP room lit up not far away from Raven''s, and the same robotic voice thundered through the hall.<sub> </sub>


    "15,000,000 Novas!"


    ''...''


    And again, the whole auction hall became as silent as a graveyard during the night.


    The only one who didn''t look shocked or stared was Alexios before his face showed a wide grin and said;


    "Room Number 21 has just raised the bid by 5 million! Anyone more than tha-"


    "16,000,000 Novas!"


    The speakers around the first VIP room spoke again, earning a wave of gasps to sweep through the spectators in the auditorium.


    "Room Number 9 increased the bid by another 1 million, pushing this great item''s price all the way to 16 million Novas! Anyone here who wishes t-"


    "17,000,000 Novas!"


    The speakers around Room Number 21 spoke once again.


    ''Crap!''


    Raven, who just snapped out of his clenched his fingers into fists, and after dialing an amount on the panel before him he pressed a button.


    "20,000,000 Novas!"


    Upon hearing therge jump in Novas another wave of shock swept through the hall while the smile on Alexios'' face grew even wider than before.


    Hell, his face at the moment held such a wide grin that instead of looking joyful it looked practically blood-chillingly creepy!


    "Twenty million Novas from Room Number 11! Oh, my! Another participant in tonight''s greatest bidding war! Anyone more than twent-"


    "21,000,000 Novas!"


    "Haha! Room Number 21 increased the bid once again! Now it is twenty-one million Novas!"


    Staring at the window which belonged to Room Number 21, Raven narrowed his eyes before suddenly an idea shed through his mind.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances for the speakers to malfunction: 88.88% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 116%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement:  21,000 units


    ----------------


    ''Good.''


    Although he knew that what he was about to do was not right, Raven still flicked his finger and used 11% of his Luck Energy to activate his ability before he increased the bidding amount, surprisingly, by only 200,000 Novas.


    As for why the chances were 88.88%, while he had a guess, he, in truth, didn''t know nor did he care. What mattered for him right now was to get his hands on the coin no matter what.


    And to make sure he did, he directed his gaze at the window that belonged to Room 9 and flicked his fingers again, this time depleting his  Luck Energy by another 53%, leaving him with only 52%!


    "21,200,000 Novas from Room Number 11! How interesting! Anyone more than that?" Alexis asked loudly, however, a few secondster his joy diminished a little.


    Even after waiting for 5 whole seconds, neither Room Number 9 nor Room Number 21 seemed to wish to bid more which was confusing considering just how much they wanted to get their hands on the coin a few moments ago.


    "No one? 21,200,000 million Novas first? Second? Well, if no one wishes to bid more then..." Alexios raised a hand and waited for a few seconds before he sighed helplessly and lowered it as if he wished to chop the empty air.


    "Sold!"


    Upon hearing that single word Raven let out a sigh of relief and rxed slightly while Luna, Old Dan, and Thomas, although happy they won the bidding despite thinking the price of the coin will be much, much higher than it was sold, they felt puzzled.


    Especially Old Dan. Knowing Raven possessed a special ability that could be used even in real life he couldn''t help but believe his son just used it to win this war.


    As for the people inside Room Number 9 and Room Number 21, they went on a total rampage as they didn''t wish to ept this oue and immediately requested a proper exnation andpensation from the higher-ups.

 Chapter 141 Fortunes Coin

    "Bullsh*t!"


    BAM!


    With a loud st which was pretty simr to a heavy gun getting fired, a small table inside a spacious room was shattered into splinters just by a m.


    "S-Sir... Please calm dow-"


    "NO! I won''t fucking calm down! I want to see your boss even if it means for me to turn this whole ce upside down!!"


    A rather chubby man wearing a luxurious suit and with a scarcely bleeding hand turned away from the destroyed table and began to yell from the top of his lungs with bloodshot eyes,rge drops of his saliva flying in all directions almost as if he had just gone insane.


    On the other hand, the youngdy wearing the Star Treasury''s uniform stood at the door with a ghostly pale face, her seemingly fragile body trembling in fear that she will be the next target for the man in front of her.


    "P-Please... Sir... As I have alre-"


    "I DON''T FUCKING CARE!"


    BAM!


    Another loud bang resounded in the room the next second as the man grabbed the chair beside him and threw it at the window beside him, which shockingly, didn''t even crack much less shatter under the great force!


    "It seems despite having a pretty face youck brains, so I will repeat myself once again." the fat man hissed angrily and as he walked before the youngdy, who didn''t look older than 21, he said coldly, "Call for your superiors or else I will break everything in this whole damn ce and turn it into a fucking junkyard!"


    The youngdy flinched with fear when she heard the man''s words and her beautiful face paled even more.


    "My, My... What a mess. Just what exactly happened here?"


    Suddenly, just as the youngdy was on the verge of crying and turning around to run away, calling for help, a charming woman with blond hair tied into a long ponytail walked inside the room, her flickering emerald eyes looking at the destruction around her that the man just caused.


    "Madam Alia!"


    The youngdy''s teary eyes lit up like stars and a sigh of relief escaped her mouth.


    As for the fat man, upon seeing the curvaceous and tempting body of this woman his anger seemed to diminish a little before it exploded once again.


    "Hmph, it seems one of your superiors happened to hear themission I caused and decided toe and see what was happening."<sub> </sub>


    After saying those words the man directed his gaze at the woman named Madam Alia and with a cold snort he said, "As for you, while your status seems to be higher than that wench''s you are still not the one who I want to talk with, so don''t make waste my time and bring me your boss or else..."


    And as to make sure he showed Madam Alia what he meant, the man grabbed another chair from the side, ready to use it to continue on with his rampage.


    However, it seemed it had no effect on the woman before him as Madam Alia just stood calmly at the entrance with the slightly trembling youngdy behind her back before a faint grin formed on her face that looked both mocking and charming.


    "Huh?" the fat man seemed perplexed for a second, only to be enraged the next and raise the chair while yelling, "Do you really think I am fucking kidding? I am not!"


    And with those words, the man threw the chair forward without thinking about the consequences, mming it into the wall only a meter away from Madam Alia and thedy behind her.


    "7"


    The man, who was ready to go on a rampage again halted his steps and looked at the woman in front of him in confusion. Then, after a few seconds, something seemed to click in his head, and augh full of ridicule escaped his mouth.


    "7? Do you really think I can''t afford 7 million to pay for all the damages here? How ridic-"


    "7 months. What I meant by that was 7 months sentence for the damages, threats, and attempts to hurt both of us. Furthermore, the amount of fine you will have to pay for all the damages you have done will be not 7 million Novas but over 30 million Novas which will very likely increase if we include the injuries you have caused to my junior."


    "Injures?" the man scowled before heughed coldly and said, "Haha! Nice try, but while I admit I have broken a few things and said words normally I would not, I have not raised a hand at that wench even once, much less hurt her!"


    "Are you sure about that?" Madam Alia asked with an amused look and took a step to the side while she raised thedy''s hand gently, which thedy tried to hide greatly, revealing a long wound that was bleeding, seemingly from something sharp.


    "Then what exactly is this if I may ask?"


    The moment the fat man rested his eyes on the wound his face became as pale as a sheet of paper, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he tried to find excuses but couldn''t.


    On the other hand, Madam Alia''s smile only grew wider, as well as colder, and stated, "So I hope, just like two grown-up adults, we can talk through this peacefully without the need to use force or any unnecessary means."


    ''Curse this bitch!''


    The fat man clenched his teeth firmly while anger deeply burned in his eyes.


    Meanwhile, inside another room which surprisingly was not a VIP room, Raven together with Old Dan, Thomas, and Luna stood calmly before Alexios, who currently held a small box in hand.


    "Here it is... The Fortune''s Coin." with a faint smile Alexios handed the little box to Raven, who quickly epted the box and opened it, revealing a beautiful coin with two different sides, one being gold while the other one being ck as obsidian!

 Chapter 142 Artifact Resonance

    Holding the small box with both hands, Raven stared at the Fragmented Artifact with flickering eyes full of excitement.


    The little coin, from a closer look, turned out to be muchrger than a normal coin, about twice the size of any ordinary golden coin. Furthermore, now that he had the chance to examine it with his own hands, Raven realized that on both sides of it symbols were carved.


    Symbols that he immediately recognized and made him feel a little... shook.


    On the golden side of the coin, what Raven could see were seven beautiful stars, their edges colored with whiteness that gave one an illusion as if they were shining, just like any normal stars would in the sky... or on his Fate of Dice...


    As for its other side, instead of having seven stars it only had a single one, however, this one not only had its edges curved to the left but also had an S-shaped crack running through its middle, making it look like a star that had been broken into two!


    ''Just like the pedant on my ne...'' Raven thought silently, feeling even more shaken than before.


    However, that feeling onlysted for a few moments before curiosity took over him, making him unable to resist the urge to get a look at the description of this little item that made him feel so weird ever since his eyes fell on it.


    --------------------------


    [Fragmented Artifact: Fortune''s Coin]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Shattered


    ? Description: A fractured Artifact that now only holds just a fraction of its true power. Once whole again, it can grant its user the power to have a spark of authority over both fortune and misfortune.


    <You need to flip the coin to gain ess to its abilities!>


    <You need Artifact Fragments (4) to restore all the Artifact''s abilities!>


    ~~~


    ? Fortune''s Blessing: After flipping the coin, if itnds on its light side, all of your Traits will be increased by 50 points for 1 minute!


    ? Fortune''s Curse: After flipping the coin, if itnds on its dark side, all Traits of those who you injure will be decreased by 50 points for 1 minute!


    <Effects only work once per target, including the user of the Fragmented Artifact!>


    --------------------------


    When Raven''s eyes finished reading everything on the panel, he sucked in a mouthful of fresh air and his eyes widening scarcely.


    He was right.


    He didn''t know how or why, but this coin was something that was in great connection with both his current abilities and Artifact.


    ''I feel a little creeped out...''


    Raven swallowed nervously as he subconsciously went and touched his pedant.


    ''Dice of Fate that requires luck, Reverse Star-Crossed Ne that reverses my luck and misfortune, my Avatar Imprints that had been modified to grant me the power to slightly manipte one''s luck, and now this..."


    The more Raven thought about how he got his hands on all of those things, the more he felt frightened which only be worse when the conversation he listened to in his sealed memory resurfaced in his mind.


    It was almost as if...


    "A wonderful item, isn''t it?"


    Suddenly, Alexios'' voice snapped Raven out of his line of thoughts, forcing Raven to shift his gaze away from the coin and onto Alexios, who at this moment smiled at him with joy.<sub> </sub>


    "Though, to think I will be lucky enough to meet with the founder of the legendary ck Moon Guild himself, I am truly humbled." Alexios showed a friendly smile when his eyes were directed from Raven onto Old Dan.


    "Haha! While it is true we have achieved a lot of things, we are still very far from reaching a status to be called legendary. Though, I am truly grateful for your kind words." Old Danughed, however, from the way he smiled it was obvious that he enjoyed the praise, especially from someone like Alexios who currently had great influence thanks to him being one of, if not the best auctioneer Star Treasury has ever had!


    "Sir, the transaction was sessful." meanwhile, one of the staff members behind Alexios spoke.


    "I see..." Alexios nodded and with a soft sigh that even sounded a little sorrowful, he said, "Now then, although I wish to talk a little while longer, unfortunately, I can''t as I still have to take care of a few things. Thus, I have to apologize, but..."


    "It''s okay. We understand." Old Danughed and after bowing a little he left the hall together with Thomas and two children.


    As for Alexios, he watched with a calm smile as Raven and the rest walked away before he was approached by a staff member who whispered something into his ear, immediately causing his expression to change and snap his gaze at the spot where Raven''s shadow wasst seen.


    "This is not good news at all..."


    ...


    Walking out of therge and luxurious mansion before climbing inside a vehicle with the coin in his hand, Raven sighed and summoned for 4 jigsaw pieces.


    "You have 4 Artifact Fragments?" Luna eximed in surprise before she asked, "You really wish to turn that coin into your True Artifact?"


    Upon seeing the gazes he got from Luna, his father, and even from Thomas from the rearview mirror, Raven sighed and nodded.


    "After all, why would I go all the way to use my powers to get my hands on this thing?"


    "So that''s how it is." Old Dan sighed.


    "I''m sorry." Raven showed a wry smile and quickly used the four Artifact Fragments on the coin.


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully mended your Fragmented Artifact, turning it into a True Artifact!]


    [Do you wish to choose True Artifact: Fortune''s Coin as your second True Artifact?]


    [Warning! You can only possess a total of 3 True Artifacts!]


    When Raven noticed the simr panels in his line of sight a soft sigh escaped his mouth and nodded.


    "Yes, I do."


    [Understood.]


    [True Artifact: Fortune''s Coin had been sessfully turned into your second True Artifact!]


    ''Perfect.''


    A smile formed on Raven''s face when he watched as the coin shed and vanished from sight, bing a part of him just like his other Artifact.


    However, the next second his smile froze...


    [Warning! Artifact Resonance appeared between your two True Artifacts!]


    [Because of that now your two True Artifacts will be upgraded!]


    ''Huh?''

 Chapter 143 Arcane Grade Fortunes Coin

    ''...Huh?''


    Perplexed, Raven stared at the two floating panels in his line of sight for a few seconds before he watched with utter disbelief as his two Artifacts, both his dice and coin appeared before him and...


    Exploded with blinding golden light!


    "Ah!"


    "What!?"


    "H-Hey! What is happeni-, Fuck!"


    With surprised cries, everyone in the vehicle subconsciously closed their eyes while Thomas without any hesitation stomped on the brake to avoid steering into the oppositene and causing idents!


    However, although they have sessfully avoided tragedy to happen, a single ident that Raven didn''t foresee in time still happened.


    With a speed and force that was simr to a cannonball, the moment the car came to an abrupt halt Raven''s figure, who forgot to fasten his seat belt, flew forward and mmed into the seat before him, head first.


    Bam!


    "Urg...Fu..ck...ing shit... My neck..."


    For the first time in a very long time, Raven cursed out loud while silently he med himself for this misfortune.


    On the other hand, Old Dan, Thomas, and Luna, once the light finally seemed to vanish from the vehicle all looked at Raven on the ground with a startle, thetter even panicking a little and helping him up.


    "I''m fine, you don''t have to worry. Though, thank you." Raven sighed as he massaged his now sore neck, feeling a little lucky that his spine didn''t break just now.


    "What was that just now? Where did that lighte from?"


    After making sure everyone was safe and no one was heavily hurt, Thomas looked behind, his gaze mainly on Raven. Although he didn''t really see what happened, from the rearview window he saw the shape of the coin that belonged to him.


    "I..." Raven was a little confused also as he didn''t know either, however, the next second a small panel appeared in his line of sight.


    [Your Artifacts had been sessfully upgraded!]


    "Upgrade?" Luna and the rest were confused when they saw the panel and nced at Raven questioningly.


    "Don''t look at me like that. Seeing something like this is also the first for me!" Raven expressed and quickly summoned both of his Artifacts into his hands and checked their description.


    --------------


    [True Artifact: Dice of Fate]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: This allows you to gain 1 random relic with random characteristic/s after every throw!


    <The Grade of the relic depends on the number of stars gotten after the throw!>


    <The Form of the relic depends solely on the Artifact''s current Form!>


    <Blue Star Effect: If the star on the dice after the throw turns blue, the Relic bes a Permanent Item!>


    <Chances for [Blue Star Effect] to activate is 10%!>


    <Second Chance: If the star on the dice after the throw turns red, you will get a random Relic while also getting the chance to throw again!>


    <Chances for [Second Chance] to activate is 5%!>


    <Cooldown: Can be used once at the start of every Realm Game!>


    ~~~


    ? Relic Grade per Stars:


    -> 1 Star: Mortal


    -> 2 Stars: Epic


    -> 3 Stars: Legendary


    -> 4 Stars: Arcane


    -> 5 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 6 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    -> 7 Stars: Yet to be unlocked!


    --------------


    ...


    --------------


    [True Artifact: Fortune''s Coin]


    ? Grade: Legendary


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: An ancient Artifact with a hint of fate that had been shattered and abandoned by its previous owner in the past for a greater purpose!


    <You need to flip the coin to gain ess to its abilities!>


    ~~~


    ? Fortune''s Blessed Domain: After flipping the coin and itnds on the golden side, the following effects will be applied within the Domain;


    -> All of your Traits will be increased by 50 points!


    -> Your Luck within the domain will be temporarily increased if you have no Luck-associated powers/abilities. However, if you have, then those will be enhanced instead!


    ? Fortune''s Cursed Domain: After flipping the coin and itnds on the golden side, the following effects will be applied within the Domain;


    -> All Traits of those who are within your domain will be decreased by 50 points!


    -> The Luck of your enemies within the domain will be temporarily decreased if they have no Luck-associated powers/abilities. However, if they have, then those will be weakened instead!<sub> </sub>


    <Each Domain consumes 1,000 Mystique per second and can be deactivated at will anytime!>


    <Warning! If the Domain gets deactivated, you have to flip the coin once again!>


    --------------


    Raven feltpletely stupified when he finished reading the description of both of his Artifacts.


    "So is this what Artifact Resonance causes?" Raven sucked in a mouthful of air before his shock turned into awe then into excitement.


    10%! 10%!!!


    That literally meant his every tenth throw will be a permanent Relic, each on the Arcane Grade! And not only that, but every time he throws his dice, he will now have a 5% chance to throw again instead of 0.5%!


    Furthermore, if he used his Fortune''s Coin before he used his first Artifact, that two % will very likely rise once again! After all, they were associated with Luck, right?


    ''Also...''


    When Raven thought about his second Artifact, he couldn''t help but swallow a huge and look at it with eyes filled with excitement.


    That thing was still at the Legendary Grade, for god''s sake! Yet, it was already this powerful! Just how powerful an item will it be once he raises its Grade?


    Luckily, he still had 5 Middle Piece Artifacts, which was more than enough for him to raise its Grade to Arcane and its Form to Complete!


    ''Let''s find it out then.'' Raven thought and without any hesitation, under the watchful eyes of his family, he broke 3 Middle Piece Artifact Crystals right above his Fortune''s Coin.


    Whoosh!


    --------------


    [True Artifact: Fortune''s Coin]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: An ancient Artifact with a hint of fate that had been shattered and abandoned by its previous owner in the past for a greater purpose!


    <You need to flip the coin to gain ess to its abilities!>


    ~~~


    ? Fortune''s Blessed Domain: After flipping the coin and itnds on the golden side, the following effects will be applied within the Domain;


    -> All of your Traits will be increased by 50 points!


    -> Your Luck within the domain will be temporarily increased if you have no Luck-associated powers/abilities. However, if you have, then those will be enhanced instead!


    -> Within the Domain, all of your Relics will be enhanced!


    ? Fortune''s Cursed Domain: After flipping the coin and itnds on the golden side, the following effects will be applied within the Domain;


    -> All Traits of those who are within your domain will be decreased by 50 points!


    -> The Luck of your enemies within the domain will be temporarily decreased if they have no Luck-associated powers/abilities. However, if they have, then those will be weakened instead!


    -> Within the Domain, all Relics of your enemies will deteriorate!


    <Each Domain consumes 500 Mystique per second and can be deactivated at will anytime!>


    <Warning! If the Domain gets deactivated, you have to flip the coin once again!>


    --------------


    ''Two new abilities and lessened requirement for my Domain to keep functioning. Perfect!''


    Now Raven truly felt joy rushing through his body, and could hardly resist the urge to jump out of the vehicle right there and then to find a Realm Domain to test his new Artifact out.


    But unfortunately, he couldn''t. Not only because they were currently in the middle of nowhere, but also because he had to do something first before he could finally startpleting missions and clear Realms.


    "Thomas, everything is fine so let''s go home." Raven sighed softly, to which Thomas nced at Old Dan questioning who just nodded.


    "Okay."


    -


    -


    -


    "Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? After all, they think you are dead."


    Leaning against the trunk of arge tree with her charming body, Luna stared at her brother''s figure with a soft frown on her face.


    "Don''t worry, it''s fine," Raven asserted with confidence as he currently was sitting on the ground while typing on a smallptop with his fingers.


    "Also, the items I wish to sell are way too renowned, everyone can easily recognize them just with a nce."


    "I know, but..." Luna sighed and shook her head gently, "I still think it''s a little risky. What if they will decide to track you back?"


    "That''s why we have decided toe here instead of doing it inside." Raven showed a faint smile and raised his head, staring at the breathtaking scenery both below and before him.


    ''Beautiful...''


    Raven expressed his thoughts silently as he sat calmly at the edge of a cliff before he shifted his attention back to the screen of hisptop on hisp.


    Then, after typing on his keyboard for several seconds, he took a deep breath, and with a serious face, he nodded and pressed enter.


    "Here we go..."


    Whoosh!


    [Searching for connection... Connection found!]


    [Now joining online server... Complete!]


    [Congrattions! You have been sessfully logged in to your ount!]


    [Wee back to the Star Treasury, AnonyMouse!]

 Chapter 144 Realm Shop

    Once Raven was sessfully connected to the Star Treasury''s online server and logged in, he didn''t waste any time and quickly clicked on the [Start Auction] section.


    Whoosh!


    "Let''s see..." Raven squinted his eyes scarcely and after reading for a while he began to type on the keyboard, filling in the empty columns.


    It was a necessary step if he wished to start an auction and sell items. Luckily, it didn''tst more than 3 minutes to fill in everything.


    -----------


    [Item Information]


    ? Auctioned Item''s Name: Ghost Trident


    ? Auctioned Item''s Type: Relic


    ? Auctioned Item''s Grade: Legendary


    ? Auctioned Item''s Form: Initial


    ? Number of Effects: 3


    ? Number of Uploaded Pictures: 1


    ~~~


    ¡ã Starting Price: 10,000,000 Novas


    ¡ã Minimum Bid: 100,000 Novas


    ¡ã Maximum Bidding Limit: None


    ¡ã Time Limit: 3 days


    ~~~


    ¡ã Description: This Relic once belonged to the Rotrid, Paloma.


    -----------


    Looking at the screen when he finished typing Raven nodded with satisfaction and smiled.


    "Done."


    "Let''s just hope you won''t regret this." Luna, who now sat beside Raven sighed softly and watched as the Ghost Trident became an auctioned item.


    "Though, ten million Novas for a Legendary Grade Relic... Don''t you think it''s a little too much?" Luna asked with worry.


    Giving a sideways nce at his little sister, Raven curved his lips with amusement and shook his head.


    "Too much? Did you perhaps forget that the item we wish to sell is no ordinary Legendary Grade Relic but one that once belonged to Paloma, a legendary existence that almost killed Luck?"


    "Yeah, I know that, but both her and you... Luck is considered dead. Even if you write that it once belonged to that Rotrid they will just think it''s a fool''s prank andugh at it."


    Raven showed a troubled expression when he thought about it and after a few seconds of contemtion, he nodded.


    "You''re right. Then I will do this."


    Quickly, Raven typed on the keyboard and 3 secondster he nced at his little sister.


    "Opinion?"


    "Umm... I don''t really understand it." Luna raised a brow as she stared at the area where the item''s description was.


    "Also, why did you change the Time Limit from 3 days to 5?"


    "You will see the reason, don''t worry." Ravenughed and clicked on the [Comfirm] button.


    Whoosh!


    [Your Auctioned Item: Ghost Trident had been sessfully ced in our market!]


    "Perfect."


    Raven stood up after seeing the notification and after logging out and shutting off hisptop he used his knee to break the device into two and throw it off the cliff.


    Luna watched with her beautiful violet eyes the falling of the now broken device and once it vanished from sight she looked at Raven.


    "What now? Do you want toplete some missions and test your new Artifact out?"


    "I want, but before that, I still have a few things to do," Raven stated as he took out a small red ticket from his Void Ring.


    "I will go and do a little "business" with a friend."


    Luna raised a brow when she heard Raven''s words and under her confused gaze, Raven grabbed the ticket at both ends and ripped it.


    Whoosh!


    The scenery around Raven shifted and changed, turning into a beautiful room filled with all kinds of goods such as books, scrolls, sets of armor, weapons, and many more!


    The whole ce looked rather simr to the Backrooms with the sole exception that the Realm Shop was arge circr room while the Backrooms was akin to an infinite hall with seemingly no ends.


    "Wee back, little bird. How can I help you?"


    Raven smiled hearing the familiar voice and said, "I wish to sell items for Astral Cores."


    "Oh? What kind of?" Dinas asked curiously as usually, people visited his Realm Shop, especially his higher floors to buy and not to sell.


    "These." Raven waved his hand and summoned several items before him.


    A beautiful greenish dagger, a set of boots, a ck cloak with a metallic luster, a gold bracelet, and 4 small almostpletely transparent crystals.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh?" a surprised gasp escaped Dinas'' mouth when the items appeared on the wooden desk.


    "Are you sure you wish to sell all these? Especially the dagger? That was your first weapon, which even at this moment, can be considered as a priceless treasure in your world thanks to its traits."


    "Perhaps because it can be used even outside Realms, yes, it can be considered a priceless treasure, however, now it has be useless." Raven sighed.


    Dinas just hummed quietly as he seemed to understand why Raven said what he did.


    "I see, then, if you wish to sell all that it will be a total of... 2,750 Astral Cores."


    ''As I thought...'' Raven sighed and nodded.


    Whoosh!


    [Astral Cores: 8,679]


    "Hey, how many Avatar sks do you have?" Raven asked calmly after he checked his wealth.


    "It depends on what kind of Avatar sk you seek. Normal or Mixed Avatar sks?"


    "Let''s say both." Raven shrugged.


    "Well, I have several thousand but, before you think you can buy several just because you have over 8,000 Astral Cores, you can only buy 5 at a time."


    "Huh? For real?" Raven asked with surprise.


    "Yeah, sorry little bird, but this is the rule."


    ''Damn it! If I would have known this I wouldn''t have gifted the other three tickets away!''


    Raven almost felt like crying, however, as he couldn''t force Dinas to break his own rules he could just sigh helplessly. As for taking back the other Realm Shop Tickets he gave away... He was not that shameless.


    "Then I want the 5 best Avatar sks you can sell to me." Raven sighed.


    "As you wish." Dinasughed and with colorful light, Raven watched as 5 bottles appeared before him.


    -------------


    [Avatar sk: Mixed Traits]


    ? Description: By drinking the fluid from within this bottle, all of your Traits will increase by 6!


    ? Price: 750 Astral Core


    -------------


    Raven''s eyes widened when he read the description of the bottle before a smile formed on his face.


    "I will take these," Raven said and without a second thought paid 3,750 Astral Cores for the 5 Avatar sks.


    After that, as he still had over 7 minutes before he was kicked out Raven decided to look around,  perhaps finding something interesting.


    However, he didn''t.


    ''Except for Avatar sks, the Realm Shop is partially useless... Or at least for me. I should focus on recharging my Backroom Keys.''


    With another sigh, Raven gave another nce at all the items around him before he raised his head toward the ceiling.


    "Hey, about what you have told me in the past, it turned out to be true."


    "Oh? But... Then how are you... alive?" Dinas'' usually carefree voice suddenly became stiff when he heard Raven''s words.


    Back in the Backrooms, he warned Raven about Etia as he was pretty much sure she would attempt to kill him now that he was back. However, as to when or how he didn''t know, he just knew that she will definitely attempt murder.


    "I don''t know, to be honest. She wished to crush me alive and turn me into a meat paste within the Empty World, but weirdly after a stranger told her not to she changed her mind."


    "A stranger?" Dinas mumbled quietly before he gasped with utter disbelief.


    "So even he knows about you... This is not good."


    "He? Who are you talking about?" Raven raised a brow in confusion.


    However, Dinas didn''t reply to him immediately and just sighed, giving one an impression he was shaking his head.


    "Not yet... It''s better if you don''t know it yet. However, I advise you to start growing faster and focus on unsealing your second seal. Furthermore, just by looking at you, I can tell you have yet to unearth the true potential of your powers, so you should do just that before it will be toote."


    "Unseal my Second seal? How? Also, true potential? What are you talking about?" Raven asked with a deep scowl.


    "That is something you have to figure out yourself. Now then, your time is up, you should get going."


    And even before Raven could open his mouth to speak, crimson light engulfed his body and teleported him back to the edge of the cliff.


    "You''re back." Luna showed a smile before her pretty face turned puzzled.


    "Huh? What''s with that face?"


    Raven, who stood still with a deep frown on his face nced at her little sister and opened his mouth, only to close it shortly after.


    "Nothing. I was just thinking."


    "Is that so?" Luna tilted her head cutely to the side as she pondered silently.


    "Yeah. Though, it''s about time we get going. It''s getting a little cold." Raven said as he shifted his gaze to the side and shivered scarcely.


    Right now, the sun was halfway behind the horizon and the temperature has be rather chilling, especially for those like Raven who wore nothing but a short and t-shirt outside.


    ''It seems the winter is slowly approaching...''

 Chapter 145 Beyond Expectations

    A few moments after Raven sessfully put his Relic on auction.


    [New Legendary Grade Relic on auction!]


    "Huh? A Legendary Grade Relic? Let''s check it out."


    Sitting inside a dark room, a young man holding a small te in his hands leaned a little forward and clicked on the notification that has just appeared on his screen.


    "Let''s see... Belongs to Anony...Mouse? What a shitty alias name even is that?"


    The young manughed with mockery and shook his head helplessly.


    "Ghost Trident. A Legendary Grade weapon with a Complete Form that grants its wielder 3 active effects? Just who in their right mind puts such a great item on auction? Oh, it seems they have also uploaded a picture."


    The young man clicked on the small icon to get a better look at the picture and sure enough, he whistled softly with surprise.


    "Now that is a badass-looking trident for sure. Though, why do I feel I have seen it somewhere before?"


    A frown appeared on the young man''s face before he just shrugged and decided to take a sip from to bottle on his side while scrolling down.


    However, it was then that he regretted drinking as the very second he sipped from the cup he spat everything out and even almost choked identally!


    "T-The hell!? Ten million Novas is this shit''s starting price? Did they go insane or what?"


    Not even caring to wipe his mouth clean, the young man scrolled even more down and read the description.


    ''Description: This Relic once belonged to the Rotrid, Paloma. (Hope you all have not wasted those sks, L.)''


    "What the actual crap does thatst part even mean? A message to someone?" the young man frowned before he shook his head andughed coldly, "No, instead, the hell do they mean it once belonged to the Rotrid?"


    Then, as if realization dawned on him the young man scowled and quickly nced at the name mentioned within the description and Relic''s picture.


    "Rotrid... Paloma... Ghost Trident..." the young man began to mumble and soon his eyes widened.


    "Impossible..."


    And as if to see whether his doubts were right or wrong, he went and searched for a very old video on the inte, which he easily find in less than 2 minutes!


    "This... You must be shitting with me..." the young man eximed out loud as hepared the Ghost Trident''s image both on the paused video and on the online auction house.


    And sure enough, after several minutes of intense startingter, the young man slowly fell back into his chair, his face at moment holding utter disbelief.


    "This Relic... Is the real shit? But how is that even possible? And why only just now?"


    Then, suddenly the young man seemed to realize something and uncontrobly all hair on his arms stood straight!


    "L... Luck... Is he back? Is he really alive?"


    Such a question arose in the mind of not only the young man but everyone else who saw the Relic. However, while many were pondering whether the legendary hero who saved humanity was truly alive or not, a few after seeing thest part of the description didn''t question it at all.


    "He is back..." inside his vi, Canwin stared at the screen before him with a serious face and hummed quietly.


    "That bastard... so he is alive." lying on afy bed with two almostpletely naked men beside her and a ss of wine in her hand, Cassie, the charming woman with a seductive body stared at therge projection before her with an amused smile.


    "I wonder how strong you have be after all these years, Luck." Roven, wearing nothing but a bathrobe at the very top of a skyscraper mumbled with a cocky smile on his face, his eyes staring into the distance with such intensity that it was as if he wished to pierce right through space and find someone.


    As for Min Chen and Felix, the two who clearly understood the hidden message written within the description, the former had already begun to contact others to search for Luck while thetter just smiled with amusement before turning off hisptop.


    On the other hand, President Bai, who also got the news contacted Goran, the chairman of the Star Treasury, and ordered him to do whatever means was necessary to find Luck.


    As for Luck himself, the one who caused all this mess currentlyy on his bed with his phone held above his widely grinning face.


    ''Hehe...''


    [Current Bid: 43,700,000 Novas]<sub> </sub>


    It hasn''t even been 3 hours since he put the Ghost Trident on auction and yet it has already increased to such heights.


    ''At this rate, I will be filthy rich! Haha!''


    Laughing silently as he turned his phone off, Raven closed his eyes and with a big smile on his face, he went to sleep.


    Without any shadow of a doubt, that night Raven slept so heavenly that the following morning he woke up as if he had been just reborn; refreshed and full of energy.


    "Good morning everyone."


    ? Literally hopping inside the dining hall with a big smile, Raven walked before the table and sat down. However, his joy didn''tst very long as soon he had to realize that both Luna, Old Dan, and Thomas stared at him withplicated expressions.


    "What?"


    Raven frowned, but instead of getting an answer from either of them Luna just ced her phone on the table and pushed it before him.


    [Current Bid: 245,800,000 Novas]


    "PFFFTT!!!"


    Spitting out the milk he was just drinking, Raven almost fell out of his chair and had to force himself to regain his bnce when he saw the 9-digit number on the phone.


    "T-Two hundred?!? What?"


    Luna, who has now covered in milk thanks to Raven grabbed a small piece of clothing from her side and wiped her face slowly while exining;


    "It seems people seem to believe that you... or to be precise, Luck hase back from the dead. There are even hundreds of blogs and news about you all over the inte."


    Luna then showed several articles and stream channels to Raven that talked about his alias and the currently auctioned Relic.


    "Oh..." Raven gasped softly, however, from the way how the corner of his lips trembled it was obvious he could hardly suppress a smile.


    After all, it was over 200 million Novas they were talking about! That was an insane amount!


    Although he expected to earn a lot, this was way beyond what he has expected!


    Luna sighed and said, "Even though there are people who are still doubtful, the majority of those who saw the Relic are almost 100% confident the legendary Luck is back."


    "Especially the five Realm Families." Old Dan added before calmly continuing, "In fact, they are the very reason why the current bid has exceeded 200 million Novas. They seem to do whatever it costs to get the chance to meet with you in person."


    "Meet with me?" Raven frowned before showing a mocking smile, "Why would they think they will have the chance to meet me even if they win the auction? Exactly for that reason why I have put that Relic up with an anonymous profile."


    "Yeah, but in the face of the five Realm Families that means nothing. They can just make deal with the higher-ups of the Star Treasury to get information about you and your location or just simply hack the system and track you down. Though, as thetter one costs too much, both time and money they will definitely try the first option."


    "And do you really think the Star Treasury will break their own rules just for a deal?" Raven asked with a frown.


    "To bepletely honest, yes, they will, and exactly because of two reasons." Thomas from the side joined the conversation and after a small pause, he said, "The first one is money and influence. While it is true the Star Treasury don''tck either of those two, they are still far from the level the Realm Families are currently on."


    "As for the second reason is about fear. No one, not even the Star Treasury dares to risk getting into a conflict with any of the Realm Families, especially now that the fourth round of the Worlds'' sh is on the corner."


    "So I have destroyed myptop and thrown it off a cliff for no reason, huh?'' Raven mumbled with a deep scowl.


    "You have done what?!" Old Dan asked with wide eyes, knowing way too well just how much thatptop has cost.


    "Um... It''s nothing." Ravenughed nervously before he asked, "Then what should I do now?"


    Old Dan, Thomas, and Luna fell into silence for several minutes when they heard Raven''s, and a few secondster thetter raised her head.


    "If we can''t avoid the unavoidable then... Why don''t we just take advantage of this?"


    Upon hearing the suggestion, Raven raised a brow, wondering what his little sister meant by those words.

 Chapter 146 Special-Type Realm Domain

    "What exactly do you mean by that?" Raven raised a brow when he heard Luna''s suggestion.


    Taking advantage of what? No matter how long Raven was thinking he couldn''t figure out what his little sister tried to say.


    Even Old Dan and Thomas seemed confused, hence why Luna showed a somewhat cunning smile and raised her right index finger.


    "What I mean, if we can''t avoid the Star Treasury from selling Raven''s whereabouts to any of the Realm Families, why don''t we just simply make them fight for it?"


    "Make them... fight for it?" Old Dan''s brows furred tightly while Raven''s eyes widened, finally realizing what Luna was talking about.


    And when he also realized the meaning behind her little sister''s words, he couldn''t help but curve his lips upward so much that it looked like he was an old fox.


    "Lulu, you are truly a genius."


    "Right?" Luna smiled also, giggling softly to which Old Dan and Thomas just looked at each other in even more confusion.


    "Care to exin to us what you two talking about?"


    "Sure. Though, showing you would be easier." Raven nodded and took out his phone, logged in to the online auction site of the Star Treasury with his anonymous profile, typed for a few seconds on his screen, and logged out before breaking it into two parts.


    Thest move shocked both Thomas and Old Dan, however, just as they were ready to ask why was that necessary Raven gestured toward Luna who nodded and showed her phone to the two.


    "Here."


    ''Description: This Relic once belonged to the Rotrid, Paloma. (Hope you all have not wasted those sks, L.)


    ~I will personally deliver the item to the one winning this auction!~''


    Seeing the extra piece of information in the description section, Old Dan and Thomas widened their eyes with awe.


    "...Do you really think this will wor-" Old Dan was ready to ask something when suddenly a notification popped up on the screen.


    <The One raised the bid by 50 million Novas! Current bid: 295,800,000 million Novas!>


    <Skyless raised the bid by 100 million Novas! Current bid: 395,800,000 million Novas!>


    <Crimson Blood raised the bid by 10 million Novas! Current bid: 405,800,000 million Novas!>


    ...


    Upon seeing how people had gone bad shit, Ravenughed and looked at his father with a wide grin.


    "Yes, it will definitely work."


    -


    -


    -


    After changing the description of his auctioned item and eating his breakfast now with an even better taste than ever, Raven decided to try out his newly acquired Artifact.


    However, instead of testing it out on dummies and holograms within Practice Grounds, he wished to do it against real beasts and creatures.


    "I wonder if there is any Realm Domain in proximity where no beasts are below Rank 35 and above Rank 40."


    "There is." Luna, who walked beside Raven nodded and took out her phone, showing him a map on it.


    "That one... It''s just 40 miles from here." Raven pointed at a small blue dot on the map, indicating a Realm Domain that once was an Azure Realm Gate was located there.


    "That Realm Domain is categorized as a Special-type Domain. Though different from other Special-type Realm Domains that are considered dangerous, this one can be freely visited by anyone above Rank 35." Luna exined with a tranquil expression.


    "Really? How so?"


    "It''s because of two reasons. First, the number of beasts living in there is above the thousands and even if you kill several hundred, more will appears out of nowhere. Unless one does not clear the Realm Domain there is simply no way in wiping out all of the beasts in there."


    "And what is the second reason?" Raven asked.


    "The second reason? That every beast within that Realm Domain can be tamed and turned into mounts that can also fight. I am pretty sure you have seen a few traveling on huge beasts either onnd or in the sky."


    "What? Those were actual beasts from Realm Domains and not their ''Artifacts''?" Raven''s eyes widened with utter disbelief.


    "Artifact?" Luna drowned before sheughed softly, "Just when did you see someone possessing a living Artifact?"


    "Umm... Hello? I had been gone for three years! Just how would have I known that there is no such thing as living Artifacts?"


    Luna opened her mouth to reply to that, however, after realizing Raven was right she just lowered her head and mumbled quietly;<sub> </sub>


    "You''re right. Sorry forughing at you."


    "Why are you apologizing?" Raven frowned before he sighed and waved his hand.


    "Whatever. Instead, tell me more about that Realm Domain while we travel there."


    "Okay~!"


    -


    -


    -


    "We have arrived." Luna stopped walking and pointed forward.


    "Oh?" Raven hummed quietly as he followed Luna''s finger and watched as not far away from them a dense forest was visible with an almostpletely transparent barrier floating around it.


    "Oh, yeah, I have forgotten to say it, but if you seed in taming a beast you cannot tame a second one unless you kill your current one. Also, while it is true the strongest beast in there is only Rank 40, Tier 5 Beasts can possess abilities that put them on equal ground against others with Rank 45 or even higher."


    "Noted." Raven nodded with a serious face and after taking a deep breath took a step forward, entering the Realm Domain.


    Whoosh!


    "Woah... You were right. This Realm Domain is indeed something else." Raven eximed out loud with awe when he saw the nowpletely changed scenery before him.


    Outside the Realm Domain what he was able to see was a dense forest withrge trees and thick trunks, however, inside, that changedpletely.


    The forest, as well as the soil and ground, vanishedpletely and now whaty before and around him wererge floating inds, each connected with the other through wooden bridges that looked both ancient and old.


    Furthermore, as far as he can tell, each floating ind had its natural environment, one having small rocky mountains filled with boulders, one covered in a thickyer of snow, and one was literally a massiveke with crystal clear water falling into the emptiness below.


    Luna told Raven that, that emptiness below was, in fact, not an illusion and one could really die if one happened to fall.


    ''Scary...''


    "What? Are you scared?" Luna, who also stood on the small ind asked teasingly when she saw how serious Raven all of a sudden became.


    "Not really," Raven replied without looking at his little sister and after giving onest nce at the seemingly bottomless void below his feet he began to walk toward the closest floating ind.


    ording to Luna, this Special-type Realm Domain had all kinds of beasts, each varying in size, look, shape, and possessing different abilities. Some had a limited amount of control over specific elements, others could change their sizes at will, while a few had outstanding physical characteristics.


    However, what really differentiated them from one another was a so-called Star System that varied from 1 Star to 5 Star with the former given to those weaker ones with very low potential for future growth while thetter, obviously, given to ones that possessed not only strong abilities but also had great potential.


    Of course, it was needless to say that the number of beasts that were recorded with 1 Star was way more than those with 5 Star, by a huge margin also!


    "Be careful. It looks like we have our first guest."


    After crossing the ancient wooden bridge to travel to the second ind, which had the size of a football stadium and was filled with colorful rocks, Luna narrowed her eyes as a figure in the distance emerged.


    It was a beast with a simr appearance to that of a lion, the only difference it had was its unique fur that changed its color to the color of the rocks around it.


    It literally helped it topletely be one with its surroundings if it decided to stay motionless!


    "Color Shifting Lion. It is only a 1 Star Beast that except for changing its fur''s color has no other abilities." Luna exined calmly.


    "What Rank?"


    "Rank 35."


    "I see." Raven nodded and after telling Luna to stay behind he took a step forward while summoning a small coin to his right and a closed umbre to his left.


    "Let''s see what you can do," Raven mumbled and without any second thought flipped the coin which spun and sore toward the sky before the hands of gravity finally grabbed it and pulled it down.


    ng!


    ''Bingo!''


    A wide smile formed on Raven''s face when the coin finally fell onto the ground,nding in a way where the golden side was above!


    And in that very moment, as that happened, the ground around the coin turned slightly golden, expanding several meters into the distance.


    ''I see, so the domain''s radius is five hundred meters.'' Raven thought silently and curiously activated his Luck Enhancement without triggering itpletely.


    However, the moment his eyes fell on the small panel slightly above the beast''s head, his eyes widened so much that they were ready to fall out of their sockets.

 Chapter 147 Forsaken Island

    ----------------


    ? Current Chances for the boulder to fall on the beast: 21.77% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 204%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 24,000 units


    ----------------


    ''What!?''


    Raven''s eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw the panel floating a few meters above the beast, seemingly trying to guess whether what he was seeing was real or just a hallucination.


    However, it was not a hallucination nor was his mind ying tricks, the panel did show what it did.


    ''This is just ridiculous...''


    First of all, the very thing Raven noticed was his Luck Energy which before they entered the Realm Domain was only at a little above 100%, 104% to be precise.


    His Fortune''s Coin increased his Luck Energy by a total of 100%!


    This meant even if his Luck Energy was currently at 0% if he used his Artifact andnded on its light side he will have 100% of Luck Energy in an instant.


    That was just outrageous!


    Furthermore, it seemed that it also decreased the amount of Mystique needed for his ability to be activated which was also crazy.


    He could clearly remember how in the past he needed to use over 50,000 Mystique whenever his Luck Enhancement showed 20% chances, yet now, it was just a little over 20,000!


    He didn''t know whether his Fortune''s Coin halved the amount of Mystique needed or just simply decrease by a few thousand, but he was sure the reduction was definitely above 15,000 or perhaps even 20,000!


    ''Though, wasting Luck Energy on this beast... Not worth it.'' Raven thought silently and unsheathed his Celeste de, which just like his Traits or his Luck Enhancement got blessed also.


    Now, instead of having a 10% chance of piercing through one''s defense as easily as cutting through butter and a 5% chance to shatter itpletely, he had a 20% and 15% chance which was a great boost!


    ''This way, I can spend less Mystique and Luck Energy to increase the chances.'' Raven thought as he slightly bent his knees and raised his weapon.


    Luckily, his Primordial Grade Rune Mark only activated if the enemy he fought had a higher Rank than him, so right now he didn''t have to fear that his body would copse from the massive amount of power it gained, especially now that he had an extra 50 points of boost for all of his Traits thanks to his second Artifact.


    Just imagining how his muscles would get torn apart in that state just because he moved a little too fast made him feel a little fear toward the future where he had to fight stronger enemies.


    ''After I''m all done here I should focus on figuring a way to restrict my Rune Mark or else it will be the very reason why I die.''


    After all, while it was not a problem for the human body to temporarily get used to newly gained strength if one jumped 5 or even 10 Ranks, it was apletely different story when that number was above 40!


    Hell, if the body was not tempered bit by bit over time it will just copse which could result in irreversible damage! It was like one was bench-pressing with 132 pounds, that was around 60 kilos, then suddenly that weight got doubled if not tripled!


    It was no wonder the one under that weight would fail to push it out and even get injured, or worse, end up dying, getting crushed as the result!


    ''Yeah, I have to figure something out.'' Raven thought silently as stomped on the ground.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    With a momentum that was hard to follow with the naked eye, Raven vanished from his spot and after a secondter he appeared beside the now headless beast.


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 35 Color Shifting Lion!]


    [Your Strength has increased by +2!]


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 434 [70]


    ¡ã Mystique: 460 [75]


    ¡ã Strength: 362 [70]<sub> </sub>


    ¡ã Speed: 368 [82]


    ¡ã Constitution: 372 [82]


    ¡ã Dexterity: 357 [70]


    ~~~


    ''...''


    ncing at his Avatar Traits for a second Raven hummed silently and directed his gaze at the beast''s corpse on the ground.


    ''Hmm... A Rank 35 beast died just like that.''


    He could vividly remember how he struggled to fight against Paloma who was almost at Rank 20, yet here he was now, iming the lives of creatures that were way above Rank 30!


    Just under a little over a month, he came so far that he could hardly believe it.  And he could still grow even more as he had yet to consume the 10 Mixed Avatar sks, which originally was 5 but got doubled by his Collector''s Gloves hence why it was now 10!


    The reason why he didn''t use them was because of a very good reason.


    Because Dinas told him he had yet to unearth his ability''s full potential, and as Avatar Imprints were born from past achievements and the way one used their powers he wanted to make sure his fifth Avatar Imprint will grant him great powers!


    Also, if his Rank and True Rank happened to all of a sudden jump numerous levels at the same time it could easily rise suspicions from those who learned about it.


    It would especially raise several questions from the Realm Association as it was mandatory for everyone to undergo a minor test every few months where they checked their Rank.


    It was necessary as this way the Realm Association not only could monitor everyone''s growth but also fish out great potential before anyone else could.


    Thinking about all this Raven sighed softly and shifted his gaze at Luna, who all this time did nothing but stared at him from the side with twinkling eyes.


    "Which ind keeps the strongest beast?"


    "Huh? Um... There are a total of 3 inds that is the home to 5 Star beasts, but the beasts on them have been tamed not quite a long time ago."


    "But didn''t you just tell me beforeing here that beasts appear nonstop until the Realm Core is not collected? So what if they have tamed them? Shouldn''t another few appear?" Raven asked with a raised brow.


    "That is true. However, the appearance of 5 Star beasts requires more time than those below them. We have to wait at least a week or two."


    Raven scowled softly before he sighed and asked, "So there are only 4 Star beasts?"


    "I fear so..." Luna showed a bittersweet smile, then, as if she remembered something she ced a finger before her cherry lips and mumbled, "Or... Maybe we really can find a 5 Star beast."


    "How?" Raven asked curiously.


    Although his initial goal was to test out his second Artifact, now that he did try it out and saw what it was capable of doing he wished to explore this Domain and tame a beast, a strong one no less.


    After all, having a fearsome creature alongside him that could assist him in battles both in Realm Domain and Realm Games was a huge advantage!


    Luna, hearing Raven''s question pointed her fingers toward the north and said, "At the very center of this Realm Domain, above the ind that holds the Realm Core there is a weird ind named the Forsaken Ind."


    "An ind floating above another?" Raven raised a brow as he looked around, watching as every ind around him while being several hundred meters away from one another floated on the same level.


    None were higher or lower than the other much less were there any that floated above the other. Thus hearing that there was one like that, he felt a little surprised.


    "Let me guess, the reason it is called the Forsaken Ind is that no beast resides on it, right?" Raven asked.


    "Not quite right." Luna shook her head and under Raven''s puzzled look she continued to exin, "It had been named that way because beasts from time to time decide to startying their nests on it only to be seen flee a few hourster in fear, almost as if they were chased by some dreadful abomination."


    "However, whenever Rankers were tasked to examine the ind, they always reported back that they have found nothing. Seemingly, the beasts just decide to abandon that ind for no apparent reason."


    "There must be a logical exnation for that." Raven frowned softly.


    "Maybe, but so far no one figured out the reason." Luna shrugged before adding, "Though, if you want to find and tame a strong beast that is your best choice. The Forsaken Ind is visited by all kinds of beasts from time to time, so I am sure you will find one to your liking even if it won''t be a 5 Star beast."


    "Seems promising. Let''s check it out!" Raven nodded while he secretly wondered just what kind of unusual phenomenon or hidden terrifying abomination could horrify so many powerful beasts to the point where they literally are forced to run for their lives.


    After all, ording to Luna, even Rank 40 and a few 5 Star beasts had been seen escaping from the Forsaken Ind despite many confirming that no creature was living on it!

 Chapter 148 Magic Bubble

    After killing his first beast on the first ind, Raven, with the help of his little sister, traveled to the second ind which had quite a simple but also unique environment.


    The ind waspletely t, simr to arge clearing filled with colorful flowers whose petals were, in fact, the manifestation of elements!


    Some were made out of ice, some burned with zing fire, others were just petrified soil, and some were swirling darkness that from time to time shed with tiny yellowish bolts of lightning!


    There were other nts also whose petals were made out of other elements such as wind, water,  light, acid, and many more!


    The whole ce brimmed with various elements to the point that in some ces elemental reactions could be seen urring, either creating some magical phenomenon or simply causing small explosions.


    "Fairy Paradise Ind, the home of 3 Star creatures known as Elementals," Luna exined as she stopped and pointed forward.


    Raven followed her finger and watched as in the distance several small figures could be seen floating around the nts.


    "They are very serene creatures and if you don''t provoke them they won''t attack you either. Some of them even decide to follow you on their own will if you ept them as your tamed beasts."


    "I see." Raven nodded and watched as a little Elemental with azure blue eyes and hair flew before him and tilted her small head to the side.


    From the way it looked at him, it seemed she became a little curious for some reason.


    "She is a Water Elemental, capable of controlling the element of water and even summoning it if needed. It looks like she is interested in you." Luna exined and giggled softly when she saw how mesmerized the little thing became the moment it locked gazes with Raven.


    "She seems to be especially fond of your eyes."


    Raven showed a wry smile and even before the Water Elemental could have floated closer he took a step back.


    "I''m sorry little beauty, but I''m not the one who you are looking for. Though, I am pretty sure in the not-so-distant future you will find someone great."


    When the little fairy heard Raven''s words she suddenly froze before sorrow appeared on her charming face and with a sorrowful sigh flew away.


    "You broke her heart."


    "Then why don''t tame her instead and cheer her up?" Raven raised a brow.


    "I have already told you this before, the beast I wish to tame is a special one not only because it''s hard to tame but also because only a few appear every six months."


    "Yeah, you have told me that before." Raven nodded and as he began to walk toward the wooden bridge that led the way to the third ind he added, "Though, I''m not really sure if your decision taming that beast is a good idea. After all, it was you who have said it, it''s just a 4 Star beast."


    "Maybe, but its ability can greatly boost my Artifact as well as a few of my Avatar Traits, so even though there are stronger beasts that I could tame, I won''t," Luna stated reluctantly.


    "If you say so. Just make sure not to regret itter." Raven sighed, no longer caring about what beast his little sister will tame.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t." Luna smiled cutely and together with Raven crossed the wooden bridge that led the way to the third ind that was covered in a thickyer of snow.


    "Ice Golems. Within the Star System, they are recorded as 2 Star beasts. They have high defense and their ability lets them slow down their enemies if they sessfullynd a strike." Luna spoke calmly as she watched arge creature approach them slowly.


    It was at least 5 meters tall and instead of flesh and skin, it was made out of blocks of ice.


    "I see. I will take care of it." Raven nodded and took a step forward. However, instead of using his Celeste de, he decided to fight this battle with nothing but his fist.


    "Let''s see what a little over 360 points of Strength can do," Raven mumbled, and once the Ice Golem towered above him, ready to smash him into a pulp with its fists, he clenched his fingers and threw out a punch without holding back.


    Just like how Kayn taught him!


    BOOOM!


    With a loud explosion akin to firing a cannon, a huge hole was sted into the Ice Golem''s chest before the rest of therge abomination''s body cracked and shattered, crumbing into arge pile of ice dust in front of Raven!


    [Congrattions! You have in Rank 37 Ice Golem!]


    [Your Constitution has increased by +2!]


    ''Damn, that hurt...''


    Raven shook his hand slowly with a grimace while deep inside he was both a little surprised and satisfied.


    ''Rank 37... That means this thing had 370 points of Constitution, huh?''<sub> </sub>


    370 points of Constitution were obliterated in the face of his fist despite his Strength only being 360 points, or better 400 points if one considered the passive boost that Trait is his got!


    However, even with that high Constitution, one should be able to protect oneself from devastating attacks, yet, the Ice Golem stood no chance.


    It seemed him training for days and refining his physical strength as Kayn taught him was indeed the right choice.


    "Let''s keep going." Raven nced at Luna, who just like him killed an Ice Golem effortlessly with a powerful kick in the head.


    And just like that, the two of them traveled from ind to ind, fighting all kinds of beasts from time to time or simply walking past them if they turned out to be like the Elementals, serene and peaceful.


    And just like that, after traveling for almost 1 hour straight without stopping, during which Raven was able to increase a few of his Traits just because he killed some beasts, they finally reached the center of the Domain.


    "So that is the ind where the Realm Core is located?" Raven asked as he raised his head and watched as right above the central ind there was also a second ind visible.


    The Forsaken Ind, a mysterious ce where ording to numerous reports no beasts resided, yet, for some unknown reason, was still capable of scaring other beasts that wished toy a best there.


    "Though... How will we get up there?" Raven asked after a second, realizing a little problem.


    Right now, they were standing at the edge of the neighboring ind which connected with the central ind with a wooden bridge, however, there were no bridges leading the way to the ind above.


    The only way to reach that ce would be either if one possessed an Artifact that granted flight or a tamed flying beast.


    "About that, just leave that to me," Luna spoke calmly and took out a small item from her pocket.


    "What is that?" Raven raised a brow as he looked at the small item in his little sister''s hand that looked like a bubble blower.


    "Just watch and see." Luna smiled and after taking a deep breath she blew into the small item.


    Whoosh!


    "W-What!?"


    Raven''s eyes widened when he saw how a massive bubble appeared before the two of them, gently floating before the edge of the ind.


    "Jump!"


    Lunaughed like a little child and even before Raven couldprehend what was happening she grabbed his hand and... jumped!?


    Raven almost cried out when he realized what was happening and they really jumped off the ind, however, surprisingly, the moment they entered the bubble they didn''t fall right through it as he expected.


    Instead, they stood inside it!


    "Huh?"


    Dumbfounded, Raven watched as his little sister keptughing, seemingly enjoying the face he was making while also magically controlling the bubble and making it float toward the ind in the sky.


    "Cool, isn''t it?" Luna asked after a second as she showed raven the small bubble blower.


    "It is a Legendary Grade Relic, that not only can allow one to float in the sky but can also protect one from weaker attacks."


    "Where did you get it?" Raven asked curiously.


    "I got it afterpleting a rather difficult Realm Game within an Azure Gate with four ring marks."


    "It is quite useful."


    "It is. Though, it is quite useless during fights as a little over 200 points of Strength is enough to pop it."


    "Wait, what?! What if we get attacked now?" Raven''s face turned pale and looked down, only to see the vast emptiness below his feet waiting for him to fall into it.


    "Rx. Nothing will happen, and even if something would, I can just do this." Luna rolled her eyes and flicked her finger, causing the bubble to make a sharp turn with great speed.


    "See? With enough Mystique, I can control this bubble as I wish, let it be trajectory or speed."


    "I-I see..." Raven sighed a little nervously and decided to trust his little sister.

 Chapter 149 Mysterious Beast

    Flying through the air with the help of Luna''s unique Relic, Raven watched as the two of them approached the Forsaken Ind slowly but surely.


    ''From up close, this ind is way bigger than I have thought.''


    From a distance, the ind in Raven''s eyes seemed to have the size of a football stadium, yet, now that they were about tond on it he had to realize he waspletely wrong.


    The isle was at least three times as big as a football stadium if not even bigger!


    It was just simply enormous!


    ''Though, it seems to be also empty.''


    Right, once hended on the Forsaken Ind what Raven saw before him except for a few trees and bushes here and there was nothing but almostplete emptiness.


    ''...Weird. Not even wind seems to be blowing around here.''


    As if sensing his confusion, Luna sighed softly and said, "Don''t worry, this ce is always just like this. Nothing can be found here except for a few Devil''s Whispers flying here and there."


    Devil''s Whispers. Raven was not new to that name as beforeing to this ce those beasts were the very first things Luna warned him about.


    They were 4 Star beasts with the ability to manipte one''s mind to a limited degree, making one believe someone very precious to them was begging for help from the bottom of the emptiness below the floating inds.


    Those beasts caused not one person to jump off the inds into the certain death below, hence why their abilities were considered terrifying.


    ''Let''s hope we don''t meet with any.'' Raven sighed silently and began to explore the Forsaken Ind with Luna.


    However, even after walking around the ind for almost close to an hour, scouring every crook and cranny, they have found nothing.


    Not even a small gap on the ground or in the trunk of the trees, possibly leading them to a nest or hiding ce deep underground!


    However, there really was nothing on the ind!


    ''Though, this feeling of being watched by someone or something makes all my hair stand upright.''


    Ever since they stepped foot on the ind Raven felt like someone was watching them, as for from where he had no idea at all.


    It gave him the creeps and even Luna admitted to him several times that something was off even though she didn''t know what it was.


    ''Maybe this is the reason beasts decide to run away?''


    Such a question arose in Raven''s mind which he dismissed rather quickly.


    Like, what joke was it? Beasts getting scared just because they felt as if they are being watched? That made no sense at all!


    ''Then the only way to find out what is happening is...''


    Raven halted his steps and summoned his Fortune''s Coin.


    Upon seeing Raven stopped walking and even summoned his second Artifact Luna halted her steps also and waited with curious eyes.


    "This should work," Raven mumbled and after silently activating his Luck Enhancement he flipped the coin which after a secondnded on...


    The light side, triggering the Blessed Domain just as he wanted!


    "Great!"


    A satisfied grin appeared on Raven''s face and quickly summoned a beautiful dice into his grasp.


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances to gain a Relic with the power to reveal enemies that arepletely hidden from senses: 1.8023% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 194%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 36,000 units


    ----------------


    After using 10% Luck Energy to make sure his Fortune''s Coinnded on the light side and triggered the Fortune''s Blessed Domain, Raven now could freely wish for any Relic which normally he would have failed to wish for because of theck of Luck Energy and Mystique!


    "Well, if this won''t help us unearth the truth I fear nothing will." Raven sighed and threw the small dice while also activating his Luck Enhancement for the second time.


    However, surprisingly, the moment the dice stopped rolling, the following scene was not the usual spectacle where the dice vanished and another item appeared, but instead somethingpletely different.


    "Huh? This..."


    Both Raven and Luna stood still and watched as the little stars on the dice lit up with azure blue color before beside the dice the figure of an item could be seen materializing out of thin air!


    Whoosh!


    ----------------


    [Relic: Lantern of Revtion]


    ? Grade: Arcane


    ? Form: Complete


    ? Description: An ancient Relic that was created by an individual who wished to see the unseen and understand the unknown!


    ~~~<sub> </sub>


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Ancient Revtion: Under this Relic''s light everything that wishes to hide will be revealed temporarily and everything you don''t understand will be understood!


    <Activation: Requires 1,000 units of Mystique to activate and will consume 100 Mystique every second while it is active!>


    ----------------


    ''It worked!''


    Raven almost jumped with joy when he saw that his Luck Enhancement really worked while his Artifact''s Blue Star Effect was finally triggered on its own for the first time.


    A permanent item!


    A Relic which from this day onward he can keep with himself and won''t vanish the next time he enters a Realm Domain or a Realm Gate!


    And what''s more, it was a very powerful Relic at that!


    "Lantern of Revtion. Interesting." Raven hummed quietly as he picked up and examined the beautiful ancientntern.


    "Let''s try it out."


    After taking a good look at the Relic, Raven raised his hand holding the goldenntern in his hand and channeled 1,000 Mystique into it.


    Luckily, he still had a lot enough Mystique to use the Relic even after using his Luck Enhancement twice already!


    Whoosh!


    Once the ancient item was fused with Mystique, suddenly the inside of it lit up with a silverish glow and Raven watched as the area around them at least in a 20 meters radius was bathed in that light!


    And the very next second...


    "What?"


    Raven''s eyes immidieatly snapped to the side and watched as right next to them, at the base of arge tree, two crimson eyes stared at them from the shadows in silence!


    However, although it looked menacing, instead of looking murderous or bloodthirsty the eyes seemed to be... terrified?


    No, that was not quite right. It was almost as if it was all of a sudden taken by surprise and now was in a panic, not knowing what it should do.


    "I knew it!"


    A pleased grin formed on Raven''s face as he withdrew his de, however, just as he was ready to sh at the thing hiding in the tree''s shadow, suddenly a young feminine voice stopped him.


    "Wait! Stop!"


    "What?"


    Both Raven and Luna froze when they heard the voice, yet, when they looked around found no one around.


    "...Who was that just now?" Luna lowered her voice, only to flinch slightly the next moment.


    "I-It was me..."


    "Huh?"


    Shifting their attention to the crimson eyes in the shadow, both Raven and Luna looked confused, and before they could even mutter a single word, their eyes widened.


    Under the disbelieving eyes of the two, the pair of crimson eyes suddenly began to move and two paws appeared from the shadow which was slowly followed by a small body of a beast.


    It was a little fox with its fur beingpletely ck except for the end of its tail, which was whiter than snow.


    "...Please, let''s not fight. I mean no harm, I promise."


    "The fox... Can talk?"


    Both Raven and Luna became even more dumbfounded when they saw how the fox moved its jaw, speaking theirnguage that they could understand without any problem!


    "Of course, I can. And in fact, I have a name also, Astra, so please don''t call me fox. That''s just rude."


    Raven and Luna looked at each other before shifting their attention back at Astra, who currently sat before them, staring at the two of them with her two crimson eyes.


    "...I see, so it is Astra." Raven nodded and smiled, however, although he showed kindness he didn''t let his guard down.


    And it was not because of the reason it talked, meaning it had intelligence on par with a human, but because it made him feel rmed.


    ''...So that''s how it is.''


    Raven tightened his grip around the hilt of his weapon slightly, realizing something he had been neglecting all this time.


    Until now, he thought whenever it came tobat, with all of his powers put together, especially with his Primordial Grade Rune Mark, he was invincible.


    However, it turned out that he was wrong.


    While it was true that he could easily overwhelm anyone above him, as his True Emperor''s Will easily pushed his strength above Rank 90, allowing him to crush anyone in an instant, what if the enemy he had to face had a lower Rank but could also skip several Ranks just like him while also holding numerous powerful abilities?


    It was needless to say, his life would be in danger.


    And it seemed, an enemy just like that was right in front of him, a little fox that even though had a lower Rank than him, possessed enough strength to kill him if he were not careful enough!

 Chapter 150 Astra

    Standing somewhere around in the center of the Forsaken Ind, Raven and the little ck fox before him stared at each other, none of them talking or moving.


    ''The hell am I even doing here? Kill that thing!''


    Knowing his mistake Raven''s eyes turned cold and pushed his feet forward, ready to strike. However, weirdly enough, just as he was about to swing his hand and weapon, suddenly his body froze and his face became a littleplicated.


    ''No, this is not right...''


    As if realizing something, Raven lowered his hands scarcely and looked at the beast, which at the moment stared at him with narrowed eyes.


    "Human, I have just told you I mean no harm to neither of you yet you still wish to im my life? Are you perhaps don''t understand the words I say?"


    Then, with a helpless sigh, the fox shook its head, as if helpless, and added, "Well, whatever... If you really do wish to kill me that much I won''t stop you. Nevertheless, I would like to still warn you that be prepared to lose a limb or two."


    Astra, the little ck fox stared at Raven with a bloodthirsty look, and to show she was not joking she raised her paw and began to lick her sharp ws that seemed to be able to cut through even steel.


    Such an act would have definitely made several change their minds right then and there, perhaps even causing a few with a weaker will to start running, however, surprisingly it did not affect Raven.


    Instead, it was theplete opposite of it...


    "Kill? Who said I want to kill you? Although I admit I have wished to strike just now, I happened to change my mind... After all, killing you would be such a huge waste."


    And with those words, Raven showed a confident smile and pointed at Astra.


    "Rather, I will tame you."


    "Tame me?" both Astra and Luna looked at Raven with shock, but soon thetter began to giggle coldly as if mocking Raven.


    "Human, although I have said I mean no harm, I don''t advise you to look down on me, or else I will have no choice but to change my mind and teach you a little lesson."


    As Astra spoke those words her crimson eyes glinted with a hint of murderous intent. Even her ws seemed to glow up with darkness, seemingly one of her abilities ready to be activated.


    Looking into those eyes and at those ws, Luna''s face paled slightly, and couldn''t help but took a step backward while also raising her guard.


    For some reason, even though she had already surpassed Rank 50 she felt a great threating from the beast before her.


    As for Raven, seeing her little sister getting pressured turned serious and his grip around the hilt of his weapon tightened even more than before.


    Just as he thought! That little fox before him really was dangerous!


    ''However... This also means my decision is right.''


    With those words in mind, Raven straightened his back even more and shook his head scarcely, "Don''t misunderstand me, I don''t wish to look down on you or anyone, I just simply want to be stronger."


    "You wish to be stronger by taming me? How does that even make sense?" Astra asked, a quiet and cold snort escaping her mouth.


    "It''s simple. Because you are strong, strong to the point where you pose a threat not only to me but also to my little sister who had already surpassed Rank 50! With you beside me, my strength would definitely increase by leaps and bounds!"


    "Yeah, I have already figured that part out even without you telling me. What I don''t understand, however, is why you need to tame me for that?" Astra asked, her killing intent no longer being as suffocating as before.


    It had already vanished to the point where not even its trace could be felt!


    A frown appeared on Raven''s face when he heard Astra''s question, giving a sideways nce at Luna beside him who seemed to be just as confused as him.


    "Well... because..."


    To bepletely honest, Raven had no idea at all why he wished to tame Astra. After all, while it was true she was a beast, she also had intelligence that no other beasts had, meaning she could behave.


    However, different from other beasts, this also meant she could go on a rampage at any moment she wished, which would be akin to keeping a ticking bomb next to him if he decided to bring her outside of this Realm Domain.


    After all, beasts and creatures from Realm Domains could only leave if they were either dead or Rankers brought them outside! And if a Ranker decided on thetter, it was necessary to tame the beast to avoid chaos breaking out in the outside world.


    Hence why Raven thought he should tame the fox before him.


    As if understanding what he was thinking about, Astray down on the soft grass and began to speak;


    "Human boy, I hope you realize that taming is only necessary on those inferior souls. As for me, such a thing is not only needless but also useless."


    "Useless?" Raven raised a brow, but soon enough he understood Astra''s words.


    Indeed, as he had already figured it out, Astra was someone with intelligence, hence taming her the way others would normal beasts was really useless.<sub> </sub>


    ''But then how can I make her listen to my words? I can''t just take her with me outside or else she will go on a rampage.''


    A faint scowl appeared on Raven''s face when he realized this.


    On the other hand, Astra''s flickered with amusement and asked, "You really do wish to make me yours, don''t you? I can see on your face."


    And after saying those words Astra swayed her fluffy tail before her face in a way where only her ears and now closed eyes were visible, and sighed;


    "Unfortunately for you, however, I don''t n on leaving this ce. So sorry to break it to you, but I won''t go anywhere, much less with you."


    Raven remained silent and began to ponder.


    Damn it!


    If he couldn''t force nor tame the little bastard before him, then how should he make her follow him willingly?


    ''Wait... If I can make her willingly follow me then I will change her mind!''


    That''s right!


    If he cannot tame her because she was no ordinary beast but one with intelligence on par with a human then she will change her mind if he makes a deal with her!


    Thinking about this, Raven although feeling excited remained calm and after taking a deep breath he asked;


    "What do you want then?"


    "Hm?" Astra opened her right eye a little and looked at Raven for a few seconds in silence before she closed it again and hummed quietly.


    "Nothing."


    "That is a lie." Raven immidieatly refuted Astra and with a faint smile he said, "I''m pretty sure that there is something that you want and is precious enough for you to make you willingly follow me."


    "Perhaps there is something, however, you are just a mortal. Even if I tell you what that us I am more than confident you don''t have it."


    ''Mortal?'' Raven almostughed but resisted the urge.


    Instead, he showed a somewhat arrogant smile and stated, "You are more than confident, huh? Why don''t try me then?"


    This time, Astra opened both her eyes and as if examining Raven up and down she giggled with mockery and stood up.


    "Very well. However, simply saying what I want is boring. Why don''t we make this a little exciting and make a little bet?"


    "Bet?" Raven raised a brow and suddenly felt the urge to swallow more than usual.


    Wait... This feeling.


    Raven''s eyes suddenly widened and clenched his teeth.


    ''Damnation!''


    Raven believed his cursed gambling addiction had been gone for good ever since he broke his seal, but it seemed he was wrong. And now it made him ept the little beast''s proposal without a second thought!


    "Sure. I''m in."


    "Good." Astra showed a grin and said, "Then how about this? If you don''t have what I want, you will have to do as I say and bring me something from the outside world."


    "Something from the outside world? What exactly do you have in mind?" Raven asked, both puzzled and curious.


    "You don''t have to know it yet, you will know it sure enough." Astros smiled, almost as if she had already won the bet.


    "Sure, whatever. I ept it." Raven shrugged and asked, "And what if I win?"


    Sitting down and licking her paw a few times, Astraughed softly and said, "If you through some miracle do have what I want, then I will not only do whatever you want in the future but I''m also willing to make a Blood Oath with you!"


    ''...''


    "...A what?"

 Chapter 151 Blood Oath (1)

    Silence descended on the Forsaken Ind and both Raven and Luna looked at Astra with confused looks.


    And after what seemed several minutes, Raven broke the stillness.


    "...A what?"


    Blood Oath. That was a concept that Raven has never heard before and from the way, Luna looked at the ck fox it seemed it was something new even for her.


    And because both of them looked puzzled, Astra''s somewhat cocky smile froze and one of her thin eyebrows rose.


    "Wait... Don''t tell me you don''t know what a Blood Oath is?"


    "I mean, is it something we should know about?" Raven asked, his confusion only growing by the second.


    "Well, considering the time you and your kind had been growing, you or at least someone else should have already cleared a Crimson Gate where the reward was an Ancient Scroll, right?"


    "Ancient Scroll?" Raven''s face now became a little pained and wished to groan.


    He had no idea what she was talking about even though he took the time to learn about all the new stuff the world discovered while he was trapped within that darkness.


    Luckily, however, it seemed Luna this time understood what Astra was talking about hence she grabbed his sleeve and exined.


    "Ancient Scrolls are simr to Blueprint Scrolls with the only difference that instead of weapons or armaments we get the ability to formte and generate special consumables such as pills or potions."


    "Well, that is not quite right." Astra spoke just before Luna could have continued, "Ancient Scroll teaches one not only how to make powerful and also useful consumables but also allows one to learn unique techniques, like the Blood Oath which is a Common Ancient Technique, hence it is almost the very first Ancient Scroll one could get."


    "But it was not," Luna stated with confidence.


    She knew no human gained such an Ancient Scroll or else she would have heard about it. After all, the ck Moon Guild''s influence and power were by no means small and even if it was not them who obtained it from someone else, they would have at least heard about it in one way or another.


    "...Is that so?"


    Astra seemed hesitant to believe that, however, upon seeing those confident and unwavering purplish eyes she had no choice but believe it.


    "Well..." Astra sighed helplessly and exined, "Long story short, with the Blood Oath you will be able to be my master and I won''t be able to disobey any of your words."


    "Such a thing actually exists?" Raven asked a little dumbfounded.


    "You ask if such a thing can actually exist? In this universe, everything can exist until the Gods above desire so." Astra spoke with confidence before adding, "So I hope you now realize why I''m so confident that you won''t win this bet."


    Raven''s face turned serious and his eyes narrowed to a slit.


    "Well, we never know until we try."


    "Human boy, I like your attitude, however, unfortunate, it is truly your loss this time." once Astra spoke those words she smiled arrogantly and said, "What I want is not something a mere mortal like you can obtain like those Relics or Rune Marks nor is it something that can be earned through hard work. It is..."


    "Something only Gods possess, Celestial Blood."


    And right after Astra started her words, a joyful giggle escaped her mouth, her tail wiggling with delight.


    "Now you understand, human boy? You lost this bet the very moment you ept my offer. Now you have to do what I will s-, huh?"


    Just as Astra was ready to mock Raven and tell him what he has to bring her, her face froze when she noticed how Raven was grinning at her as if he had gone insane!


    "Why are you grinning like that?" Astra asked with aplicated face.


    "Oh... Was I?" Raven coughed a little awkward before he turned serious and said, "Well, whatever. The thing is, I have won this bet."


    "Eh? What did you say?"


    "Was what I have just said not understandable? I said I have won this bet."


    Astra remained silent and a few secondster she burst outughing that strangely enough was rather pleasant to listen to.


    "You don''t believe me, huh?" Raven sighed helplessly despite expecting such a reaction.


    And exactly for that reason he grabbed his weapon and cut his finger, allowing blood to gush forth.


    "R-Raven?!" Luna beside Raven became stupified when she saw Raven''s act.


    "It''s okay. I will exin everythingter." Raven showed a soft smile, reassuring his little sister everything was fine.


    He was not surprised she looked dumbfounded and a little pale, after all, while it was true he told her many things, he didn''t mention to her a thing about the baby from his vision being him.


    ''I hope she won''t freak out when she learns the truth.''


    Raven sighed and shifted his gaze back at Astra, who at this moment looked at him and his bleeding finger with eyes full of hesitation and confusion.<sub> </sub>


    "What? Are you perhaps lied about wanting Celestial Blood and just wanted to trick me?"


    "Huh? What? No! Of course, I didn''t lie!"


    "Then why are you so hesitant to try my blood? Come and taste it. It''s not like it is poison, is it?"


    Astra shut her mouth close when she saw Raven waving his finger softly from side to side, and after what seemed to be an entire minute she snorted coldly and stood up.


    "Human, let me warn you this time. If you dare to y tricks I swear I will..."


    "You don''t have to worry, I''m not ying any tricks nor do I want to. Naturally, you will understand it once you taste my blood or whatever you do to see I am not lying."


    "Hmph..."


    Astra snorted once again and slowly approached Raven with her crimson eyes not leaving Raven''s face even for a second. It seemed this time it was her who was cautious.


    She only took her eyes off Raven''s face and shifted her gaze at his finger when she was right before him, and after a little hesitation licked his bleeding finger.


    And right at the very second... Astra''s whole body shuddered before she lunged at Raven with eyes filled with blood thirst.


    ''Thought so...''


    Expecting such a thing, Raven quickly activated his Void Domain and with Luna already in his hug, he teleported away.


    Whoosh!


    "What!?"


    Luna looked dumbfounded by how fast they moved from one point to another, however, her shock quickly turned into fear when she saw that Astra, who was supposed to be several hundred meters away was right in front of them, her ws descending on Raven with terrifying speed.


    ''Interesting.''


    Raven''s eyes narrowed and without thinking he ordered his Celeste de''s cloak to deflect Astra''s assault.


    Whoosh!


    ng!


    The sharp sound of something sharp getting dragged over a metallic surface sounded the following second, and Raven could feel as if arge amount of his Mystique was consumed as the result.


    ''Not good.''


    Quickly teleporting away using his Void Ring, dropping his total remaining Mystique below 100 points which was less than 10,000 units, Raven took out his Fortune''s Coin and flipped it.


    And a secondter...


    Cling!


    With a soft sound, the small coin bounced on the grass two times before it remained still with its darker side visible on the top.


    "Bingo!"


    A smile formed on Raven''s face and watched as the area around the coin was engulfed in purplish darkness, almost as if a few inches thick darkish mist lingered just a foot above the ground!


    "This..."


    Astra stopped moving when she felt how her strength dropped several Ranks and looked at the coin on the ground with narrowed eyes.


    "That this is annoying."


    "I know, that''s why I like it." Raven smiled and even before Astra could have replied he vanished from his spot and appeared before Astra, his de already next to her throat.


    5 Ranks difference truly made a huge difference.


    "Hmph! Arrogant as always." Astra snorted coldly and just before Raven''s weapon could have sliced open her throat her body sunk into the shadows below her and appeared just outside of the domain''s range.


    "Now let''s see how long you can keep that Artifact of yours functioning."


    "Tsk... You are shameless."


    "Shameless? No, that is not quite the right way to define me. I would better say I''m just smart." Astra grinned slyly.


    "Is that so?" Raven smiled curiously and waved his de, causing Astra to turn serious and jump to the side just a fraction of a second before the ground where she stood getting sliced by something invisible.


    "That Relic... So it grants you such an ability, huh?" Astra narrowed her eyes at the ring on Raven''s finger, greed shing through her eyes for a split second before she turned serious once again and jumped to the side, barely avoiding getting split in two.

 Chapter 152 Blood Oath (2)

    With a grim expression, Raven swung his de without daring to halt even for a second, forcing the ck creature to keep her distance away from him.


    As for his Mystique, in exchange for him using his Void Ring to attack Astra even from several tens of meters as if he was right next to her, it was consumed at a rapid pace every passing second.


    Luckily, he had long ago deactivated his second Artifact''s Domain, or else all of his Mystique would have gotten depleted a very long time ago!


    ''I need to kill her now or I will run out of Mystique...''


    Clenching his teeth firmly, Raven kept swinging his de as he chased after the nimble fox and tried his best tond a strike on her, however, even after several minutes he failed to do so.


    Not only that, but his reserves of Mystique reached almost rock bottom, leaving him with less than 10 attempts to use his Void Ring for assault and 2 tries to use it for escape!


    That cunning little bastard was ying with him on purpose and was waiting for his Mystique topletely get depleted!


    ''Damn it! Only if she would have had a higher Rank... Then I would be not struggling like this.''


    With a somewhat pale face, Raven cursed silently and raised his sword to strike once more, however, just as he was ready to move his eyes spotted something that surprised him greatly.


    "Luna!"


    With both excitement and surprise, Raven watched as his little sister appeared right behind Astra with a sharp object protruding out of her palm, aiming tond a strike at the fox''s head!


    That sharp object, needless to say, was her bone which thanks to her unique Artifact she could control at will, let it be changing its size, width, or length!


    She could freely manipte all of the bones in her body, it only required her great willpower andrge amounts of Mystique.


    "You-!"


    Astra''s eyes widened when she saw the sudden appearance of the silver-haired beauty, and even before she could have said anything, Luna''s strike has already arrived.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    Dust rose toward the sky and a powerful ripple swept every direction the following moment, giving Raven slight hope that perhaps Luna was able to kill the beast with her strike.


    Unfortunately, however, once the dust of cloud that obstructed vision finally vanished, that slight hope was immediately shattered like a piece of ss.


    "She escaped!?"


    Both Raven and Luna were speechless and quickly looked around, only to see not even the shadow of the cunning creature.


    She simply vanished into empty air.


    "No, she didn''t." Raven narrowed his eyes and without hesitation summoned his Lantern of Revtion and channeled his remaining Mystique into it.


    Whoosh!


    Silverish light broke forth from within the Relic, bathing arge area around Raven and Luna in its glow.


    "Tsk... You are annoying, human."


    Suddenly, a cold voice sounded from right behind Raven, who quickly swung his de behind his back just in time to deflect something sharp.


    "The same goes to you, fox."


    After defending against Astra''s attack with his de, Raven used the force behind Astra''s ws to send himself forward and increase the distance between the two of them by several meters.


    "Raven... Your face." Luna, jumping beside Raven looked at him with worry as at the moment he had such a pale face that he looked akin to a ghost!


    One had to know that while Mystique was a unique essence that granted one the ability to achive supernatural feats, it was also part of the body and functioned like secondary stamina. If it got depleted the body could cause the body to copse or in better cases weaken to the point where moving posed a challenge!


    And as Raven was not under his Rune Mark''s Blessing and already used up almost all of his Mystique reserves, it was no wonder he looked so pale and exhausted.


    "It seems your little boyfriend is at hisst stand." Astra grinned widely which was very simr to a cunning old hag for some reason.


    Raven stared at Astra with a serious expression and after taking a deep breath he waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle flicker, six colorful bottles appeared in Raven''s hands which he didn''t even hesitate to open and pour all of their content into his mouth.


    "Potions?" Astra was confused, but the next second her eyes widened.


    It was because just under a single second Raven''s Rank soared to the sky and broke the 50 mark while his aura became more vigorous than before!


    ~~~


    ¡ã Vitality: 472 [20]


    ¡ã Mystique: 500 [25] (~46~)


    ¡ã Strength: 404 [20]


    ¡ã Speed: 408 [32]


    ¡ã Constitution: 410 [32]<sub> </sub>


    ¡ã Dexterity: 397 [20]


    ~~~


    ''46 points of Mystique, huh?''


    Upon seeing that he was able to avoid depleting all of his Mystique thanks to the Mixed Avatar sks, Raven showed a confident smile and straightened his back.


    "It will be more than enough."


    And with those words, even before Astra could even speak he flipped his coin and...


    Allowed it to fall into the middle of his palm with its golden side visible on the top!


    Right!


    Just who said his coin could be only activated if it fell on the ground? Just like any coin in existence, it could also be flipped and allowed to fall on one''s palm which was better because this way the coin''s effect could be carried!


    A moving Domain! A hidden potential, a unique way to utilize his second Artifact!


    Feeling as if all of his Traits temporarily increased by another 50 points while both his Relics and Luck Enhancement were boosted, a confident smile appeared on Raven''s face.


    With all of this, he was 100% confident in beating Astra!


    "Hmph! Arrogance truly blinds humans." Astra snorted coldly before she was forced to dodge Raven''s invisible attack.


    Those invisible sword strikes became not only faster thanks to the Fortune''s Coin''s blessing but also harder to detect! It was quite obvious that if things went on like this, even if Astra possessed strength where she could fight others several Ranks above her, it was only a matter of time before she was sliced into shreds.


    "Tsk... I should stop fooling around and end this."


    The ever so yful smile on Astra''s face vanished and after avoiding another invisible sword sh from Raven, which this time seeded to leave a shallow cut on her cheeks, she stomped on the ground.


    "Shadow Realm!"


    Whoosh!


    With terrifying speed, the whole ind was engulfed inplete darkness where even the silver light of the Lantern of Revtion failed to prate through more than three meters!


    ''Not good!''


    Raven''s face changed abruptly and quickly tossed the ancient Relic to his little sister.


    "Hold it and stay here. With "


    "But what about y-" Luna wished to ask something but failed as Raven didn''t even wait to listen before jumping into the pitch ck darkness.


    One second... Two seconds... five seconds... Waiting for almost half a minute in nerve-wracking silence, Luna was on the verge to run after Raven, however, just as she was ready to take a step forward something finally changed.


    BOOOM!


    A loud explosion shook the ground below her feet and a secondter the darkness, which obstructed vision to a point where one had trouble pinpointing where was what vanished, revealing a sight Luna didn''t expect to see.


    Right before her, about fifty meters in the distance, Raven stood still with his weapon pointing at the ground while before him the small figure of Astra was seen frozen into an ice sculpture.


    Through the thickyer of ice, the utter disbelief on her face was clearly visible together with her eyes that were filled with nothing but fear.


    "This item is better than I have thought..." standing before the now frozen body of Astra, Raven sighed with a hint of regret and nced to the side at his approaching little sister.


    "R-Raven? You..."


    ? Knowing what she wished to ask, Raven showed a reassuring smile and said, "Don''t worry, I''m fine. On the other hand, her... I don''t really know, but from the looks of it, she is still alive... for now."


    Although Luna had no idea how her brother was able to use his Frostbite Trap to freeze Astra, she didn''t really care. The only thing she cared about was that Raven was fine, and only that mattered.


    "What should we do about her? I assume you have something in mind for not killing her."


    Raven nodded and after using his Celeste de to shatter the thickyer of ice from around his leg, which was also frozen the moment he activated his Frostbite Trap, he picked up Astra''s frozen body.


    "Yes, actually, I do have something in mind. However, first, let''s leave this Domain and bring her back to ck Moon City."


    "You want to take her outside? I don''t think that is a good idea." Luna expressed her thoughts with a frown.


    "It''s okay. We will just ask father to lend us "that" Relic."


    "And what about her? Won''t she get freed in the meantime we reach ck Moon City?"


    "She won''t. But to make sure, I have to ask you to keep channeling your Mystique into the ice while we don''t arrive home. I would like to do it myself, but you know..."


    "Okay. I will do it." Luna nodded with understanding and took the frozen little fox away from Raven''s hand.


    "Thank you."


    And with that, the two left the Realm Domain.

 Chapter 153 Blood Oath (3)

    The trip back to ck Moon City was rather smooth and the two met with no problems at all on their way.


    Naturally, the sight of them carrying a frozen fox attracted many gazes and earned quite a few weird looks from others, but Raven didn''t care.


    On the other hand, what he cared about was something way more important, and that was the way he has just used his Luck Enhancement!


    He just found apletely new way to utilize his ability, allowing him to manipte his enemy''s moves through chances!


    The sensation of him luring Astra to a specific location with the help of his Void Ring and Luck Enhancement was still so vivid in his mind that Raven could feel a surge of excitement rush through his whole body!


    Not only that, with this new revtion of his, he also discovered another new way to utilize his Luck Enhancement and could hardly contain himself from going away and trying it.


    ''Unfortunately, both my Mystique and Luck Energy are low at the moment, so I should rest for a while before trying it out.''


    With a helpless sigh, Raven left therge tform belonging to the Zeusbridge and quickly followed after Luna, reaching the mansion''s entrance after walking for less than five minutes.


    "L-Lady Luna... Y-Young Master? What happened with the two of you? And what is that thing in your hands?"


    The shocked voice of Thomas sounded the very second the two entered the small room where the young butler was just about to serve a cup of tea to Old Dan, who at the moment sat before his desk, reading through numerous papers... perhaps reports from the guild.


    "Sorry to bark in like this, but we would like to ask for a favor."


    Raven looked at his father grimly despite his face was pale and covered in sweat, frozen dirt, and a tiny amount of dried-up blood.


    "A favor?" Old Dan put the papers from his hands down and raised a brow.


    Although he was both curious and worried about why both of his children looked so exhausted and beaten, upon seeing his son''s face and the mysterious frozen beast in his daughter''s hands, he decided not to waste time. Asking questions about what happened could wait!


    Raven nodded and began to speak calmly, "The Lost Talisman, I would like to borrow it."


    Old Dan showed a frown before he pondered for a second or two and nodded, "I assume it''s because of that... thing in Luna''s hands."


    "Yes. And although she is currently trapped in the ice, it won''tst forever. hence why I need your Relic."


    "Okay, I understood." Old Dan hummed and without a second thought pulled a small ne out from below his shirt before taking it off.


    It was a weird-looking ne with the pendant having the shape of a lock with silver chains tightly twisting around it. It gave one an impression of a metal lock being locked by metal chains.


    "Thank you. I will exin everythingter, but for now..." Raven quickly took Astra''s frozen body away from Luna and with wide strides hastily left the room.


    Of course, Luna followed him closely.


    "I will go with them too," Thomas stated after a few seconds and ced the cup of tea from his hands down before Old Dan.


    "It''s not necessary. Although they looked serious, the way they were not in that much hurry tells me they will be fine no matter what that thing within that ice was."


    "Still, I wish to follow after them. You know, just in case." Thomas expressed his intention firmly.


    "Sure, whatever. Do as you wish." Old Dan sighed and surpassing his thoughts he waved his hand, indicating his butler to do as he wants.


    Meanwhile, inside a small facility room that was a smaller version of a Practice Ground, Raven ce Astra down on the ground and channeled his almostpletely replenished Mystique into the Lost Talisman.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of ttering metal resounded the following second and under Raven''s collected golden gaze a silver chain coiled around Astra''s neck before a metal locktched its two ends together.


    Crack!


    And the very moment the lock clicked to its ce, the ice around Astra''s body cracked and shattered into ice dust.


    "Human!"


    A voice filled with blood thirst and hatred rippled through the small room and Astra bared her fangs at Raven threateningly. It was pretty much obvious that at the moment she wished nothing more but to shred Raven into millions of pieces right then and there!


    "If I were you I would not try to acti-"


    Raven wished to warn Astra not to use her abilities, but it seemed he was a little toote as the very next second Astra''s hateful face contorted into a painful grimace.<sub> </sub>


    "Urgh... You... Take this off of me right this instant or else..."


    "Or else what?" Raven''s cold voice interrupted Astra next, and like a ghost appeared before her with a dagger already pressed to her throat.


    Astra''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle upon feeling the coldness before her throat, and her whole body froze almost as if she had been frozen once again.


    Just now, she failed to follow Raven''s figure. It was almost as if he had be a...


    No!


    Suddenly, as if realizing something Astra clenched her teeth and growled with hatred which also contained hints of helplessness.


    "I see you have figured it out, huh? Good. Now things will be much easier." Raven showed a faint smile and pulled his de away.


    "The Lost Talisman is a Divine Relic that not only seals all of your abilities, it will also lock away a little over 70% of your Avatar Traits. The only downside of it is that during its activation both me and my target have to remainpletely still for a while or else it is useless."


    "Useless? It is a Divine Relic you are talking about! Do you have any idea just how many of your kind possess such a godly item?" Astra hissed with hatred.


    Raven just smiled.


    "Yeah, I know. Only a few."


    "You..." Astra''s anger only grew stronger before she decided to close her eyes and take a deep breath.


    And once she was calm once again, she reopened her eyelids, revealing now apletely tranquil pair of crimson eyes.


    "Okay, what do you want me to do? After all, if you would have wanted me dead I would have been killed quite a long time ago, haven''t I?"


    Smiling, Raven nodded and stated, "The Blood Oath. Give the Ancient Scroll regarding the Blood Oath and I will take the Lost Talisman off you."


    "Give you the Ancient Scroll? And how exactly do you wish me to give that to you? Do you perhaps see a pocket on me where I can store such a thing?"


    Raven rolled his eyes andughed coldly, "Do you really see me such a fool? I know you have the Ancient Scroll. In fact, unless you have memorized the whole concept of it before giving it to someone else, I am pretty sure one of your abilities allows you to store things in your shadows."


    Just like how Raven could store inanimate objects in his Void Ring, Raven was sure Astra also had simr means. After all, although he didn''t know her for a long time, he exchanged enough words with her to understand she was quite the greedy one.


    Also, just who would believe any of her words? Raven, if he were asked, would even take a bold statement and say she was someone from another world and got trapped in that Domain through some mystery! After all, she was not only intelligent but also possessed powerful abilities and had great knowledge about many things.


    Hell, she even knew about Celestial Blood, a thing that only a God possessed. Except for himself, there was not a single soul who knew anything about that!


    This, naturally, meant only one thing. In one way or another, she was rted to those so-called Gods, beings simr to Etia, just like him, hence why she knew about something that others knew nothing about!


    Astra remained silent for several seconds, however, soon she just smiled and sat down.


    "Unfortunately for you, human, I really don''t have the scroll. I have lost it during a fierce battle in the past, so you can forget about it."


    Raven stood still with an indifferent gaze and hummed quietly.


    "I see. How unfortunate indeed."


    Whoosh!


    "Wha-" Astra was shocked the see Raven vanish from his spot, however, just as she was ready to say something, the pain she had never felt assaulted her whole body.


    Squelch!


    The sound of something sharp piercing flesh resounded in the small room, and under the disbelieving eyes of Astra Raven pushed his dagger deep into her body, drawing blood as the result.


    "Y-You... What... Are you doi-, cough!?"


    Blood filled Astra''s mouth as she wished to speak while Raven pulled his dagger out and firmly grabbed Astra by her throat.


    "Last chance. Give me the Ancient Scroll or the next thing you will lose is not another item but your life."


    And to show he was not joking around he put his dagger before Astra''s chest, right where her heart was located, and softly pierced her skin.

 Chapter 154 Blood Oath (4-Last)

    A soft groan escaped Astra''s mouth when the sharp de drilled into her skin, and her eyes trembled fiercely with both fear and shock.


    "You... Human... Have no idea at all what you are doing."


    Raven smiled coldly and pushed his dagger a little deeper.


    "Truly? For me, it is pretty much obvious."


    "Urgh... Do you even know what consequences you will have to bear for iming my life? If I were you, I would think twice before acting."


    "Oh?" Raven raised a brow with amusement and his lips curved even more upward.


    It seemed his guess was correct and Astra was indeed someone who got trapped in that Realm Domain. However, if that was true, it raised the question of how and why she needed Celestial Blood.


    ''Unfortunately, however, none of that matters to me.''


    He gave Astra not one but two chances, one being at the Forsaken Ind while the other one being now. He could have killed her twice already but decided not.


    Yet, even after that, she still kept being arrogant and watching him as a clown, hence why he decided not to fool around any longer.


    If words couldn''t help then he will use force. And if that didn''t help either, he will just kill her even if it meant losing the chance to gain a powerful favorite and a useful ability.


    "I will give you three seconds. If you don''t hand the Ancient Scroll over to me I will slit your throat wide open right here and now. Three... two..."


    Astra clenched her teeth with anger feeling the cold de of the dagger drilling deeper into her skin, and just as Raven was ready to say ''one'' she gave up.


    "Okay... You won, I will give you the scroll. But only on one condition."


    "Do you really think you are in any position to haggle?" Raven''s eyes turned colder than before and cut Astra''s face on the left side.


    "Urgh... No, I don''t... But knowing you will definitely use the Ancient Technique to enve me, the condition I ask for will definitely benefit both of us."


    "How so?"


    Feeling as the dagger pierced her chest again, right where her heart was beating, Astra let out a pained cry and said quickly, "Your blood... I need your blood to break the seal on my body."


    "Huh?"


    Raven was surprised for a split second before he turned serious and asked "Sure, but I will be the one deciding when and how much blood you can get."


    "...Okay." Astra groaned with pain to which Raven nodded and reduced the Lost Talisman''s effect a little, just enough for Astra to use her weaker abilities.


    And sure enough, soon her shadow trembled weakly, allowing Raven to watch as a small scroll emerged from below and came to view.


    "Th...There you go." Astra groaned quietly, seemingly because activating her ability in her current state put a great toll on her body.


    Of course, Raven didn''t care about this at all and instead went to grab the scroll.


    ---------


    [Ancient Scroll: Blood Oath]


    ? Type: Technique


    ? Tier: 1


    ? Description: An ancient record about how one can tame or enve beasts and creatures alike depending on whether they wish or not wish to gain a new master.


    ----------


    ''The description is rather simple.'' Raven hummed quietly as he unwrapped the scroll and began to read silently.


    However, to his surprise, except for a few sentences, there was nothing more.


    ''That''s it? I have to draw a symbol on the ground around the beast I want to enve and drop my blood on it. Just as simple as its description.''


    After memorizing the symbol from the scroll, Raven asked Luna to bring something he could use to draw the symbol.


    And 15 minutester...


    "Done."


    cing the tool down from his hands which he used to draw... paint the symbol on the ground around Astra, Raven stood up and cut his finger.


    Drop... Drop... Drop...


    Raven''s blood dipped on the symbol one by one and once the fifth drop of blood fell, the symbol lit up.


    Whoosh!


    "Urgh..." clenching her teeth as a miniature version of the symbol burnt on her chest, Astra endured the pain for a few seconds before she let out a soft sigh.


    "Is it done?" Luna stepped beside Raven and asked.


    [Congrattions! You have formed a Blood Oath with Shadow Princess Astra!]


    Looking at the floating panel a slight surprise shed through Raven''s eyes before a faint smile appeared on his face.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, it seems so."


    And with those words, he deactivated the Lost Talisman, and together with the Ancient Scroll, he handed it to Luna.


    "Can you please take these back to dad?"


    "That is not necessary, Young Master. I will do it." suddenly, Thomas'' voice appeared from the side, attracting the attention of both Raven and Luna.


    "Thomas? How long have you been standing there?" Luna asked with surprise, as she failed to notice Thomas'' arrival.


    "Since the beginning," Thomas replied with a hint of apology.


    ''Interesting.''


    Raven narrowed his eyes scarcely as the first thing that appeared in his mind was Avatar Imprint. It seemed Thomas'' Avatar Imprint was quite the special one.


    After handing the two items to Thomas, Raven shifted his gaze back at the still wounded fox and pondering for a few moments he took out a small pill from his Void Ring.


    "Here, eat this. Thest thing I want is you dying now."


    With eyes filled with still burning anger, Astra looked at the pill in Raven''s hands before she groaned and swallowed the pill.


    And sure enough, not even five secondster, her wounds including the hole on her side began to close up and heal with speed so fast that it was visible to the naked eye!


    "Better?" sitting down before Astra, who nowy on the ground with a somewhat exhausted look, Raven asked calmly.


    "I was never better."


    Raven, of course, noticed the sarcasm in Astra''s voice but decided to ignore it. Instead, he ced both hands on either of his thighs and asked, "So, Shadow Princess, huh? Quite the interesting name."


    "That is not my name, but my Avatar Title. A useless title."


    ''So that''s how it is.'' Raven nodded and continued, "Still, one''s Avatar Title, just like one''s Avatar Imprint, is formed through past deeds and achievements which means your name of yours is not useless and still holds some meaning."


    Then, with a hint of curiosity, Raven inquired, "Are you actually a princess?"


    Astra narrowed her eyes and seemed to be a little reluctant to speak, however, once the symbol on her chest began to burn with a soft crimson glow she clenched her teeth and nodded.


    "I am... Or at least I was."


    "What does that mean?" Raven raised a brow.


    Astra seemed hesitant to reply to that question, but unfortunately for her, the Blood Oath forced her to speak.


    "My world... Had been destroyed."


    "Huh?"


    Raven was a little surprised hearing such an answer while both Luna and Thomas, the two who listened carefully in silence from the side, eximed out with gasps.


    Just as Raven thought, Astra truly was not anyone ordinary. It seemed she held a past way darker and more brutal than any of the three of them together inside the room.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside an ancient hall with golden walls filled with aged carvings, arge clear pond was visible in its center with a sole figure sitting lonely at its edge, seemingly meditating with closed eyes.


    It was a young individual wearing a light ancient armor, which weirdly enough, was made out of different-sized cogwheels, one that instead of metal or steel were crafted out of white jade!


    "Breath in... Breath out... Breath in... Breath out..."


    The young individual mumbled quietly which was akin to a fly''s buzz while his breathing was just as calm and even as the pond of crystal clear water before him.


    Suddenly, however, the whole ce was shaken by a tremor followed by an angry voice, snapping the young individual out of his rhythm...


    "Vance, you bastard! Let me in this instant or don''t me me for turning your ce upside down!"


    The young individual sitting at the edge of the pond finally opened his eyes, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes that radiated great wisdom, and after a deep sigh, waved his hand.


    Tremble!


    The sound of arge machine getting started resounded the following second and right above the young individual, whose name was Vance, the ceiling began to open slowly but surely.


    However, not even before the ceiling openedpletely, something seemed to sh from the outside and appeared right beside Vance.


    "I hope you have a proper exnation, Architect." Etia, with an angered expression on her charming face, stared coldly at Vance, her eyes shing with coldness.


    Right now, she looked like someone who wished nothing more but to spill blood and kill, like that of a bloodthirsty beast.


    On the other hand, Vance still looked as nonchnt as ever, and with his gaze still fixed on the pond before him, which now reflected the beautiful starry sky from outside above, he spoke calmly;


    "Lady Etia, although I haveprehended many things throughout my lengthy existence, I still don''t possess the ability to read people''s minds much less their desire. So please, if you will, be a little more specific than what you have just said, or else I fear I will be unable to help exin to you what you wish to know."

 Chapter 155 Second Hidden Potential Of Luck Enhancement!

    Etia stood beside Vance with an angered expression, her eyes flickering with dangerous coldness. However, soon her anger calmed down just a bit enough to allow herself to take a deep breath.


    "Raven... What do you know about him?"


    "Raven?" Vance raised a brow and after a moment he waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle motion, the pond before both Gods shifted, and in less than a second, the image of a young man with a small mark under his left eye materialized on the water''s surface.


    That young individual, needless to say, was Raven.


    "Perhaps, is he the one you are talking about?"


    "Yes. What do you know about him?" Etia spoke coldly and after she narrowed her eyes, added, "And don''t even try to hide a thing away from me. I know you way too well to tell when you tell the truth and when you do not."


    "My Lady, although I don''t know how I earned your wrath this time, I can promise you I will only say the truth." Vance sighed and nced at the small pond that now reflected Raven''s image.


    "As for your previous question, except for knowing that he is a mortal, a participant of my creation, I have no other information about him."


    A frown appeared on Etia''s face once hearing the answer.


    "Architect, are you certain you know nothing else? Just know if you dare to keep anything away from me I will personally destroy your Core."


    "Such harsh words... Truly, just what have I done to deserve such treatment after all the things I have achieved for you, my Lady?" Vance sighed helplessly, a hint of sorrow visible in his voice.


    On the other hand, Etia just snorted coldly before she pointed at Raven''s reflection.


    "That boy is actually not a mortal but the born child of two Gods."


    "What!? That is impossible!"


    This time it was Vance''s turn to fail to control his emotions and he snapped his head in Etia''s direction.


    "First of all, while it is true we Gods can give birth to sessors, the probability for that is extremely low, close to zero!"


    "Secondly, my creation is yet to be perfected, hence why I have agreed to your offer on using it on mortal beings instead of on us, Everliving."


    "Lastly, which is also the most important one, if he truly is a God as you, my Lady, believe, I would have noticed it right away. There is no way that boy is one of us."


    ''Is he really know nothing?''


    Etia''s frown only deepened when he saw the honest expression Vance was just making, however, soon she just sighed and now with a calmer expression, she shook her head.


    "Unfortunately, he is one of us. Just like you and me, he is also a God, an Everliving. The only difference is that he had yet to form his God Core while his True Bloodline, which had been sealed away, gets modified bit by bit as he unseals it!"


    "Impossible! Our True Bloodline is a sacred thing, one that cannot be touched nor changed even if one wished to!" Vance blurted out as he jumped up on his feet, no longer able to remain sitting.


    "Not clearly. Although it has a very low probability, our True Bloodline can be changed when we are still a newborn."


    "Yes, that is true. However, if one really tries to change it and fails, the only thing that awaits is only certain death! No one dared to try to modify their True Bloodline ever before much less seeded with it! Not even... him..."


    Etia, after seeing the shock on Vance''s face now was certain he really knew nothing and nodded before telling;


    "But I fear this is the truth. It seems thanks to your creation that kid gained the ability to freely modify his True Bloodline bit by bit until it ispletely awakened!"


    Vance opened his mouth to say something, but even after several seconds, he realized he couldn''t.


    He was speechless, feeling just as bewildered as thrilled.


    "I see... So that''s how it is." after several minutester Vance sighed with a faint smile before he sat back down, his azure blue eyes staring at Raven''s fave with burning fervor.


    "That''s it? Do you perhaps don''t understand the weight of all this?" Etia asked coldly.


    "Weight?" Vance raised a brow and shook his head, "Of course, I understand it. However, this has gone way beyond my expectation. This is... marvelous!"


    The frown on Etia''s face deepened and snorted coldly.<sub> </sub>


    "No, you do not understand at all. That kid is the child of Leion and Calene."


    "The God of Fortune and the Goddes of Adversity?" Vance became a little surprised and as if he remembered something he touched his chin.


    "Well, in that case, things have be a littleplicated. Does he know about this?"


    "Yes. I was about to kill that boy when he stopped me." Etia replied calmly.


    "Huh? Why would he even do something like that? That makes no sense at all. If the child inherited both Gods'' powers, it is alone enough to challenge the Lord! As for if he even seeds in modifying those powers, he could-"


    "I know, that is why I said the weight of this matter is way heavier than you truly think it is." Etia interrupted Vance before adding, "I even thought you helped him and worked together with those two, hence why I came here."


    "My Lady, I would die instead of scheming behind the Lord''s back. For you to assume such a thing is in itself offending for me." Vance stated with a scowl.


    "I apologize, but I know for sure you would have assumed the same thing if our roles would have been changed." Etia sighed apologetically.


    "Whatever, let''s not care about something so trivial. Instead, what should we do about him? Although my heart hurts thinking about losing such a great test subject, the Lord''s safetyes first no matter what."


    "I have already tried to kill him, but, as I have told you already, he stopped me from doing so. I even promised I won''ty a finger on him ever again."


    "Is that so?" Vance mumbled before his lips curved upward, "Well, that does not mean others can''t, does it?"


    "But if you do kill him, knowing him, he will punish you. And severely at that."


    "Just who said that I will be the one killing him?" Vance asked with a sly smile, "I will not touch even a single hair on that boy, I can promise you that. However, the same couldn''t be said for... others."


    As if understanding the hidden meaning behind his words, a cunning smile appeared on Etia''s charming face before she regained her indifference and nodded.


    "I see. Then do as you wish. Also, if anyone asks, I was here to discuss the details of the next game."


    "Naturally, my Lady. You don''t have to worry and just leave everything else to me." Vance smiled knowingly and closed his eyes.


    As for Etia, she hummed with satisfaction and vanished from her spot, almost as if she hadn''t even been there, to begin with.


    -


    -


    -


    Standing below arge tree''s shadow, Raven stared calmly into the distance, his gaze fixed on the people walking on the streets of ck Moon City.


    He had been standing there ever since he enved Astra and did nothing but ponder in silence.


    Pondering about all kinds of things such as the past Astra lived, the things she mentioned about various things like her world, the Gods, and the Worlds'' sh, and most importantly, about his Luck Enhancement.


    Yes!


    After talking with Dinas and fighting with Astra, Raven discovered that his ability could be much more than he initially believed it to be. It could do much, much more than that. With it, he could not only increase the chances of things happening around him or manipte the movements of others, let it be during or outside of battles, but he could also control...


    The misfortune of others, including his!


    For instance, the moment when he showcased his ability before Old Dan and Thomas he caused misfortune to fall on him, which allowed his Luck Energy to increase!


    At that moment he didn''t realize it as he thought it was just a pure coincidence, but now he realized there was no such thing as coincidence if it included him.


    That time, when the ser ball hit him in the face, it was an action he caused unintentionally. He manipted misfortune to affect him!


    Not only that but now that he realized this it also meant he discovered a second hidden potential, one that if used correctly could allow him to generate more Luck Energy anytime and almost anywhere in the world!


    If he wants, he could easily be his own Luck Energy generator and produce several units in a single day or even faster!


    It was just simply too fantastic!

 Chapter 156 Luck Energy Generation

    Under the shade of the tree, Raven stood still with a calm gaze, his eyes fixed on the walking people of ck Moon City.


    Some were walking hurriedly, probably to reach their destination in time, some were just casually strolling, while others were simply enjoying their time together.


    Everything looked so peaceful that if it were not for some of them having inhuman appearances or simply flying in the air with the help of unique beasts, Raven would have thought in the past three years nothing happened at all.


    Of course, these thoughts were only secondary and while Raven was happy to see peace once again after The Great Change, his mind actually was somewhere else.


    Misfortune...


    Just like luck, misfortune, or to say it simply, bad luck, was a force that no one could affect much less manipte to one''s will. However, after finding out how he could manipte others through his Luck Enhancement during battles, a seed was nted within Raven''s head.


    What if, just like how he could increase the probability of something happening, which from others'' point of view looked as if luck appeared, he could also increase the chances of misfortune urring through which he could generate Luck Energy?


    No, it was not ''what if''. Raven knew he could do it. The only problem was that...


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances for misfortune happening to you: 0.5% (Max: 20%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 97%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 98,000 units


    <Not possible!>


    ----------------


    ''Too much Mystique needed.''


    A soft frown appeared on Raven''s calm face before realization shed through his eyes.


    ''Why did I even think this way? Of course this way it won''t work at all.''


    With those words in mind, Raven pushed himself away from the tree and began to walk toward the city. And as he did, a pair of crimson eyes appeared within his shadow which was followed by a calm voice.


    "I thought you will never move."


    Naturally, that voice belonged to Astra who possessed the ability to hide in shadows, which obviously included Raven''s.


    While still walking and without ncing at his shadow, Raven replied with indifference;


    "I was just thinking, that''s all."


    "I see..." Astra hummed quietly and after a few seconds of silence she asked, "About your bloo-"


    "As we have agreed, I will decide on when and how much I will give you. And for now, I will not give you any.''


    ''A sort of punishment you deserve after trying to kill me." Raven added silently.


    ''...''


    Astra stared silently at Raven from his shadow and after letting out an unhappy groan like that of a child who had been grounded by her parents, she sunk deeper into the shadow, her crimson eyes vanishing as a result.


    As for Raven, he just kept walking toward the city with indifference, not caring at all what Astra was thinking. After all, if she would have kept her promise he would have helped her break the seal on her body.


    ''Convicts with sealed powers either escaped or killed, a never-ending war between Gods, destroyed worlds... And here I thought things couldn''t be even moreplicated than they already are.''


    With a heavy sigh, Raven entered ck Moon City and after reaching a crossroad he stopped in a way where he didn''t see who came from the right.


    ''Well, whatever... I first should concentrate on this one.''


    And with that in mind, Raven flicked his finger.


    Whoosh!


    ----------------


    ? Current Chances of getting hit by something from the right: 78% (Max: 100%)


    ? Avable Luck Energy to manipte: 97%


    ? Needed Mystique to activate Luck Enhancement: 22,000 units


    ----------------


    ''Hmm...''


    Raven hummed silently and after pondering for a few seconds he decided to use 2% Luck Energy before taking a step forward.


    And right as he emerged from behind the corner...


    "W-Watch out!"


    Although expecting such a thing to happen, Raven still was surprised by how fast things happened and had no time at all to react.


    Bam!


    With a wry smile, Raven watched helplessly as a young woman on her hovering vehicle mmed into him and sent his body flying a few meters.


    "Oh my God! I-I am so sorry! Are you okay!?" jumping out of her vehicle, the young woman ran beside Raven and looked at her with a pale face.


    Raven, who was lying on the ground as of he was dead opened his eyes weakly and let out a pained groan.<sub> </sub>


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 10%!]


    Ignoring the panel floating before his fave, Raven looked at the young woman and showed a weak smile as he pushed himself up from the ground.


    "I''m fine, you don''t have to worry."


    "B-But... I..." the woman looked speechless, not expecting such a reaction from Raven.


    Raven, of course, knowing her thoughts just shook his head and said reassuringly, "As I have said, I''m really fine."


    The young woman opened her mouth to say something, but once he looked into Raven''s golden eyes she blushed and nodded.


    "Still, I should be responsible for my actions. Here, at least please ept this as my apology."


    In the young woman''s hand, what Raven could see was a small bottle filled with a goldish liquid.


    ''Avatar sk? No, that does not look like this. Then what it is?''


    Raven pondered silently as he ept the bottle. However, the moment he grabbed the bottle, no panel popped up in his line of sight, further deepening his confusion.


    "Umm... Excuse me, but what is this bottle?"


    "Huh?" the young woman tilted her head to the side before she asked, "The bottle? That is the new invention of the Scarlet Family, a Recovery Potion. It can recover a thousand units of Mystique in less than 30 seconds!"


    "Oh?" awe shed through Raven''s eyes for a second before he nodded and thanked the young woman for exining.


    ''Recovery Potion, huh?''


    Looking at the bottle in his hand, Raven thought for a while before he took out his phone and logged in to the Star Treasury''s online server, now with a normal profile.


    Then, he quickly typed in ''Recovery Potion'', and sure enough, once he pressed enter, over a thousand hits appeared.


    ''Recovery Potion for Mystique, Recovery Potion for Vitality, and Recovery Potion for Constitution. And each has different effects? How interesting.''


    It seemed the Scarlet Family, one of the five Realm Families created something that would definitely renovate the way people fought within Realm Games and Realm Domains.


    These potions were literally akin to life-saving items, ones that during a fierce battle could easily determine which side fell and which side rose.


    ''I should buy a few. Especially because of how much Mystique my Luck Enhancement requires every time I use it, this will be a great boon to me.''


    And with that in mind, Raven didn''t even hesitate to buy the 100 best Recovery Potions for Mystique, which recovered 5,000 units of Mystique over 1 minute!


    ''Now then, I wonder how the auction for that item goes so far.'' Raven pondered and checked the progress of his auctioned item.


    However, the moment he pressed enter and saw scrolled a little down, he almost choked on his saliva.


    [Current Bid: 926,900,000 Novas]


    "This... is just ridiculous..."


    He could clearly remember how just a day and a half ago the numbers were way smaller, yet, under such a short period, they increased so much!


    And there still were over three days remaining!


    Just how much wealth will he be able to gain from selling a single item? A billion? Two? Three? Or even more than that? The mere thought of him swimming in an almost endless amount of Novas made Raven feel the urge to clench his fingers into a tight fist and punch the air.


    ''Now this is what I like to see.''


    With a satisfied grin on his face, Raven nced around and after a while decided to keep using his Luck Enhancement.


    After all, that way not only can he increase his Luck Energy, but thanks to his fourth Avatar Imprint he will be able to gain other benefits, just like how he did a few moments ago.


    -


    -


    -


    "C-Carful! You will-"


    "Ah!"


    Bam!


    The sound of someone crying out in fright resounded in the air before it was followed by something falling heavily on the ground together with other things that shattered as a result.


    "S-Sir? Are you alright? Oh, dear God... His... His arm is bleeding." a woman wearing a stylish waitress dress gasped and paled in panic as she stared at the young individual on the floor.


    "Don''t just stand there! Bring out the first aid kit, now!" an old man wearing a cooking dress ran out of the restaurant a secondter, his face holding various emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety.


    "Y-Yes, Sir!" the young woman flinched scarcely and was ready to run back into the building as told when the young individual on the ground, surrounded by shattered ss and sttered food, stopped her.


    "It''s okay, I''m fine. This is nothing but a scratch."


    Pushing himself up from the ground, Raven looked at his bleeding arm before he sighed and nced at the panel floating beside him.


    [Your Luck Energy had been boosted by 10%!]


    [Total Luck Energy: 478%]

 Chapter 157 Fifth Avatar Imprint: Fortune Seeker

    Raven smiled faintly and shifted his gaze at the two individuals before him.


    "Don''t worry, this injury is nothing. It will be gone in a day or two."


    The young woman, looking at the long wound on Raven''s right hand wished to say something, but when her gaze met Raven''s she decided to remain silent and just nod.


    On the other hand, the man shook his head and quickly took out a small card from his pocket.


    "Still, we can''t let you go away with empty hands. Here, this is a VIP card with which you can eat in our restaurant with a great discount."


    "No, I can''t-"


    "Please." the man interrupted Raven, who when seeing his serious and reluctant face of his had no other choice but to ept the card with a sigh.


    The items such as this card he got in the past 8 hours were simply uncountable.


    ''At least my Cursed Luck Avatar Imprint turns out to be not useless at all.'' Raven smiled secretly before he said, "Thank you. Though, if I''m already here I hope I can use this if not a problem. I''m starving, to be honest."


    "What? A problem? Of course not! To show that we are truly sorry for what happened, today you can eat for free!" the man stated without hesitation.


    "Really? But I... Well, I eat a lot." Raven smiled sheepishly.


    "That''s not a problem at all!" the man smiled and gestured toward Raven to follow after him.


    "Well, then if you excuse me..."


    And after that, Raven spent several hours in the restaurant, filling his stomach with numerous tes of food which dumbfounded both the young woman and the owner of the ce.


    "Whew... That was heavenly!" Raven patted his stomach as he exited the building, his face holding a satisfied grin.


    "That man definitely had regretted giving you that card after seeing your appetite," Astra spoke quietly once they were far away.


    "Maybe. However, he was the one who said I can eat as much as I can, so it''s his fault."


    "But that does not mean you should take advantage of his kindness." Astra snorted with disdain.


    "First of all, I have not taken advantage of his kindness, I have warned him. Secondly, I have left a tip there so I''m fine no matter what you say."


    ''...''


    Astra stared at Raven from his shadows in silence and after another snort, she decided not to talk anymore.


    On the other hand, Raven just shrugged and walked back home.


    "Wee back, Young Master. Lady Luna and Master Wright have gone to Nova City to take care of a few matters."


    "I see. Thank you for informing me, Thomas." Raven smiled kindly and walked up into his room before closing his door and sitting down at the edge of his bed.


    "Now then... It should be time." Raven mumbled and waved his hand, summoning 4 sks before him.


    Those four sks were the remaining Mix sks he had yet to consume.


    Looking at the colorful sks for a few seconds Raven took a deep breath and opened their lids, pouring their contents into his mouth without hesitation.


    [Congrattions! You have increased all of your Avatar Traits beyond 400 points!]


    [Congrattions! You will be now given your fifth Avatar Imprint!]


    The familiar sensation of something within him getting aze, burning every muscle, fiber, and cell in his body appeared only to be washed away by a cool sensation after a few seconds.


    [Congrattions! Avatar Imprint: Fortune Seeker acquired!]


    Whoosh!


    ---------------


    [Avatar Imprint: Fortune Seeker]


    ? Layer: Fifth


    ? Description: A power born from your past deeds, your gained ss, and the awakened yet still lingering potential within your blood!


    ~~~


    [Effects]


    ¡ã Fortuneless Blessing: Whenever misfortune falls on you the amount of Luck Energy you gain will be doubled!


    ¡ã Fortuity: The chances of things happening around you increase, let it be fortune or misfortune. Also, the amount of Mystique needed for your Luck Enhancement to be activated gets decreased greatly.<sub> </sub>


    ¡ã Eyes of Fortune: Your eyes now can faintly discern the chances of others'' actions.


    <Warning! Effect ''Eyes of Fortune'' can be activated for 1 second and has a cooldown of 24 hours!>


    ---------------


    ''...What!?''


    Raven''s eyes widened with shock and quickly read through the description to make sure he didn''t miss a thing.


    And it seemed, he didn''t.


    ''Fortuneless Blessing and Fortuity... These two skills definitely appeared because of the number of times I used his Luck Enhancement. But Eyes of Fortune?''


    A frown appeared on Raven''s face before realization shed through his eyes.


    ''So that''s why...'' Raven thought silently and his gaze fell on the first part of the description.


    ...A power born from your past deeds.


    Although he had seen this description numerous times already, only now did he seem to understand its true meaning wholly.


    It seems that the inscription didn''t only mean his abilities would evolve and be stronger the more he used them, but that if he utilized them in unique ways his next Avatar Imprints could give birth to other skills that although having simrities to his previous ones, in truth, had apletely different purpose.


    Just like his Eyes of Fortune. It functioned on the basics of chances and luck, just like his Luck Enhancement or his Luck Energy Regeneration, but this one allowed him to fight in apletely different manner.


    The only downside of this skill was, however...


    ''Can be activated for only 1 second? And its cooldown is a whole day?'' Raven frowned deeply.


    Why did this skill have such a pathetically short duration and did it have such a long cooldown?


    ''Could it be that because I have only used that method once?'' Raven caressed his chin as he pondered before he sighed and shook his head.


    ''Well, at least if it has such a long cooldown it must be strong? Right?''


    However, there was no one around to answer his question. No, even if there would have been any, they still would have failed to give him a proper answer as not only was Raven''s situationpletely different from others, as he was someone who had Celestial Blood flowing through his veins, but he was also the only one on the whole Earth who sessfully gained his fifth Avatar Imprint.


    Yes!


    Not even the strongest individual on Earth who surpassed the 60th Rank had all his Trait above 400 which was a known fact!


    ''This, however, will surely bring headaches in the future...'' Raven sighed helplessly as he looked outside of his window.


    Indeed, now that all of his Traits were above 400 with his Rank reaching Rank 52 even though he was just at Rank 43 a few days ago, people will start suspecting him.


    Especially the Realm Association. If he were not careful enough and people find out he could increase his Rank as if it was nothing, they will definitely investigate him which was thest thing he wished for. After all, he was sure if things reach that point the Realm Association will use people with special powers or items to interrogate him.


    ''Now that I think about it, what happened with my evaluation result? Had it been announced officially?''


    Curious, Raven opened his phone and checked out the Realm Association''s online server. However, just as he thought, when he searched for his name except for his basic data such as his date of birth, name, andpleted missions, he found nothing.


    ''Considering my Character Rank, it is no wonder. If the Realm Families would find out there is a sixth SS Ranked individual with a special Role they would definitely do anything in their power to acquire me. Hell, even war breaking out because of me could happen!''


    With that in thought, Raven took a mental note to make sure not to showcase his true strength if it was not necessary and stood up with a big yawn.


    "It had been a long day... I should get some rest."


    And just like that, after taking a quick shower Raven jumped into his bed and didn''t climb out of it until it was 12 the following day.


    "What are your ns for today?" finishing her breakfast, Luna looked at Raven beside her who stuffed his seventh te of scrambled egg into his mouth.


    "Hm?" hearing the question Raven quickly swallowed the food from his mouth and after pondering for a second or two replied, "I will go and practice mybat skills."


    "Then I wille with you." Luna smiled sweetly to which Raven just nodded and kept eating.


    And the following few days went by just like that, with Raven doing nothing but practicing and refining hisbat skills while asionally spending a few hours to generate more Luck Energy.


    And in a sh, the time for what everyone awaited finally came.


    The auction for the Ghost Trident finally entered its final hour, causing the remaining few individuals to start bidding with renewed frenzy once again.


    As for the owner of the item, he just simply sat before the screen with a wide grin stered all over his face, looking almost like a sly old geezer.


    ''Hehe... I''m rich.'' Raven chuckled secretly as his eyes flickered with excitement.


    [Current Bid: 2,755,700,000 Novas]

 Chapter 158 The Scarlet Family

    With a wide from stered over his face, Raven stared at the screen, his eyes flickering with excitement and greed.


    Over two billion Novas... That was an amount that even the ck Moon Guild could not amass in a single month much less in a single day!


    ''I''m rich.''


    Raven grinned from ear to ear and if it hadn''t been because people were sitting beside him he would have definitelyughed out loud!


    "Sigh... The Realm Families are truly on another level. Spending this much only for a single item..." sighing with a hint of helplessness, Luna shook her head softly and nced at his father.


    "Who do you think will win the auction, dad?"


    Old Dan, upon hearing the question leaned back into his hair and hummed silently.


    "If you ask me, I would ce my bet on the Scarlet Family. Between the five of them, they have the biggest wealth, especially because of their new product, the Recovery Potion."


    "The Scarlet Family, huh? What about the Barlow Family? Thanks to their Relic trading business they have quite a massive ie also." Luna asked curiously.


    "That is true. However, the amount of Novas they earn on a daily basises nowhere near the amount the Scarlet Family earn from their Recovery Potions."


    "And the Frye Family?" Luna inquired next.


    "Although they possess two unique Realm Domains from where they can mine Astral Cores inrge quantity and sell them for good prices, they fall short also. As for the Cale or Halper Family, well... they have no chance."


    <Crimson Blood raised the bid by 10 million Novas! Current bid: 2,765,700,000 Novas!>


    "See? I told you. Th Scarlet Family will win this bet, no question about it." Old Dan showed a smile before he turned to face Raven, "It seems for once luck smiled on you, kid. Haha!"


    Raven just smiled and shook his head.


    "Not really. Once this auction is over I still have to deliver the Relic which will definitely raise several headaches."


    Old Dan''s face turned serious when he realized the problem and nodded.


    "You are right. Do you want me to give you the Lost Talisman?"


    Raven shook his head, "No need. It would only make things worse and even bring unnecessary nuisances to our guild."


    "And what if they will bother you? Also, how will youe back? Knowing the Realm Families and the Realm Association, they will definitely keep an eye on you."


    Hearing his little sister''s worry Raven smiled andughed softly.


    "About that, you don''t have to worry. Astra will help me in that."


    "If you say so..." Luna hummed and silently nced at the ck fox lying on the sofa in the living room, her fluffy tail covering her face.


    After that, Raven kept talking with his family about various things while keeping an eye on the auction and enjoying the way the numbers kept increasing.


    And after an hourter...


    <Crimson Blood raised the bid by 100 million Novas! Current bid: 2,985,900,000 Novas!>


    <Congrattions! Crimson Blood won the auction!>


    <Item: Ghost Trident had been sold!>


    <Auction closed!>


    "Finally!"


    Straightening his back in a sh, Raven leaned forward and quickly logged in with his anonymous profile, immediately seeing several notifications popping up on his screen one by one!


    <Congrattions! Your auctioned Item: Ghost Trident had been sold for a total of 2,985,900,000 Novas!>


    <Because of therge amount of Novas the item had been sold for, transaction will be only done if the item had been sessfully handed to [Crimson Blood]!>


    <Time and ce for the trade will be...>


    "Sigh... Thought so." Raven sighed softly as he saw that the Star Treasury decided to do the trade at the headquarters of the Scarlet Family.


    With another sigh, Raven logged out and looked at Thomas.


    "Were you able to buy the things I have asked for?"


    "Naturally. Please give me a second." Thomas nodded and walked out of the room, only toe back with a small box in hand.


    "Thank you." Raven epted the box with a faint smile and opened it, looking inside it for a few seconds before nodding in satisfaction.


    "Perfect."


    -


    -


    -<sub> </sub>


    The whole world was in turmoil at the moment and almost everyone stared at their devices'' screens either in their homes or on the streets with mixed emotions of excitement and doubt. Of course, people feeling thetter were more than those feeling the former, after all, the legend that saved the lives of billions during The Great Change was thought to be dead.


    Yet, for some miraculous reason, it was rumored that he was alive and was ready to meet with one of the Realm Families, the Scarlet Family!


    It was just simply too hard to believe!


    "Hey, guys! Do you think this Luck is really the one? ,-,"


    "What? Are you kidding? Of course not, you fool! Luck sacrificed himself for us during the first round, this one is just an impostor!"


    "I have to agree. Why would he appear all of a sudden now, after three whole years? It just makes no sense at all!!"


    "Sacrificed, lol? Dude, are you blind or what? Lord Luck vanished during his fight against Paloma, he didn''t sacrifice himself nor did he die! Although I don''t know why now, I know it''s him! I can feel it in my balls!"


    "In my opinion, I think he is just another brat who thinks can fool around and gain some fame without any consequences. What a fucking loser..."


    "True, at least now he will be taught a lesson, keke."


    "...Ayo, dude... What do you mean you can feel it in your balls? O-o"


    "Sus."


    "Yeah, as hell."


    "Teach me the way, sensei!!"


    "Bruh..."


    ...


    While people were talking on various tforms, trying to guess whether Luck came back from the dead or not, Luck himself, was standing at the edge of a small cliff, from where he could easily see the vibrant, half-transparent barrier of a Realm Domain despite it being several kilometers away in the distance!


    It was just that massive.


    "Although dad exined this to me before, I can still hardly believe it."


    Wearing an elegant and luxurious snow-white suit with a golden mask on his face, one that had the exact same appearance as the one he wore in the past, Raven stared at the Realm Domain and let out a soft gasp.


    Just as his father told him before, the five Realm Families were called that way for a reason.


    "To think they are living inside Realm Domains and one that in the past was a Crimson Gate... They are truly something else."


    With a helpless sigh, Raven shifted his gaze to the right and narrowed his eyes.


    Right at the perimeter of the Realm Domain, he could see the figure of numerous individuals, each wearing luxurious clothes from who he could spot a few familiar faces.


    Alexios, Goran, President Bai, and Manster Ansell.


    ''...Well, it was kinda expected.''


    After taking a deep breath, Raven took a step forward and... jumped down the cliff.


    The air whistled in his ear and watched as the ground below him became closer and closer to him until was only a few meters away from him!


    "Astra..." Raven spoke calmly and right as he did, the shadow below him trembled and expanded.


    A smile formed on Raven''s face seeing this and without saying a single word he allowed himself to be consumed by the darkness.


    And a secondter...


    "Your ability is truly a miraculous one."


    Climbing out of the shadow, Raven patted his clothes and looked at his shadow, from where Astra stared at him silently with her somewhat menacing crimson eyes.


    "What? Are you still angry at me?" Raven tilted his head to the side scarcely however, even after waiting for several seconds he got no answer.


    "I see..." Raven just shook his head helplessly and directed his gaze where the Scarlet Family was waiting for him.


    "Okay, how about this? After we are done here I will let you drink some of my blood."


    Astra didn''t answer for a long time, then with a calm voice that could hardly hide her excitement she replied;


    "...Do as you wish."


    ''So cold...''


    Raven smiled bitterly and without saying anything else began to walk toward the Realm Domain.


    Meanwhile, at the perimeter of the Realm Domain that belonged to the Scarlet Family, people were talking with each other when suddenly all of them fell silent and almost simultaneously shifted their heads in the same direction.


    "Who..." the guards on the sides immidieatly tensed up when seeing a figure walking out of the bushes, however, just as they could have acted President Bai stopped them.


    "You are Luck, right?"


    Raven, seeing that everyone was staring at him with wary eyes stopped walking, and with a soft chuckle, he spoke calmly, "Although I know it''s alreadyte to say this but thank you for the meal from before. It was great."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!