The next group Sam’s eyes landed on were the [Dragons].
"Haha, stop doing that, you’ll scare the others!"
The sound rolled through the air like a miniature earthquake, deep and resonant enough to make the ground feel heavier for a moment.
Sam noticed something about them almost immediately. A strange detail.
Some of the dragons stood in their full, colossal draconic forms, scales glistening like molten metal, eyes burning with raw power, wings spread wide.
Others, however, were in humanoid forms, looking like tall, well-built people with a faint, almost unreal beauty about them.
The ones in humanoid forms also had scales covering them.
’I guess they can switch between forms,’ Sam thought, eyes narrowing slightly. ’Though... most seem to prefer the human shape.’
Only a handful remained in their true dragon bodies, the kind of individuals who clearly wanted to show off.
Sam found it ridiculous.
’What’s the point? All it does is waste energy. But... telling them that would probably start a pointless fight.’
Dragons were famous for two things: unmatched power... and arrogance. Both were on full display here.
He didn’t linger too long.
After the [Dragons] came the [Angels].
The moment his eyes swept over them, Sam felt it, a divine pressure, subtle but overwhelming.
Every angel had wings sprouting from their back, but they weren’t all the same.
Some had two wings. Others had four. A few had six. And then... there were the rarest of them all, those with eight.
They looked impossibly majestic.
Each one seemed carved from perfection itself, radiating honor and discipline.
Unlike the dragons or demons, they weren’t noisy or chaotic. Their presence was... still. Controlled.
"Seems like it’s time for the real game to begin, your majesty," one voice drifted from their group.
Sam’s attention snapped toward it instantly.
In the middle of a cluster of angels, one man floated slightly above the ground.
His eight wings were spread wide, a halo of faint golden light surrounding him.
The sight made Sam’s chest tighten, not out of fear, exactly, but because the sheer weight of the man’s presence was suffocating.
’He’s... too strong,’ Sam thought, his eyes narrowing further. ’Maybe even stronger than Varkhaz. That’s... a problem.’
As he continued to scan the crowd, more and more powerful figures caught his attention.
Every race seemed to have their champions here, beings who could probably flatten entire armies single-handedly.
’Earth wasn’t just behind... it was outclassed from the start.’
His gaze flicked back to the angel with eight wings, the one the others had called "majesty."
Their eyes met. Sam didn’t move. Didn’t blink. His face was unreadable.
After a moment, he looked away.
"Any problems, your majesty?" another angel asked, their tone carrying a sharp edge. "Hah, of course, a filthy little human dares look directly at one of our holy fig—"
"Stop." The royal angel’s voice cut through the words like a blade, "Let’s not start trouble before we even know the rules of this place."
The others went quiet, their eyes flicking back to Sam one last time before turning away.
Sam didn’t miss the tension. He also didn’t miss the fact that this wasn’t the only angelic group here, far from it.
There were thousands.
But still... that one man stood out.
’That human,’ the royal angel thought quietly to himself, eyes narrowing just slightly. ’No. Impossible... Still, we’ll keep watch.’
Sam finally turned to look for the last race. The seventh and most mysterious.
"The Celestials are here too, huh..." someone nearby muttered.
"They’re so mysterious. Don’t provoke them," another whispered.
"I heard they cleared the six layers of the [Forsaken Realm] in just one year. That’s insane."
That last sentence made Sam’s ears perk up.
Not because of the speed, though it was absurd, but because, for the first time, he heard the name of the race.
It was... strange. A simple word, yet carrying a certain weight.
He scanned the area, trying to catch sight of one. Nothing.
’Probably too many people in the way,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to wait.’
A notification tone only he could hear.
Panels unfolded before his eyes.
[You have completed the first part of your advancement task: Reach the Upper Realm.]
’Right. That was step one.’
[SSS-Ranked Advancement Task 2/2: Complete the first "Mission" by yourself. You’ll know what it is soon.]
It was vague. Almost annoyingly so. But the last line was clear enough, he’d find out soon.
’Missions... got it.’
He was about to relax and simply wait for things to unfold, when—
The air itself shuddered.
Up in the sky, a massive vortex tore open. From it, ten colossal figures emerged, the same ten who had appeared just over six months ago.
Their bodies were hidden in shadow, only their eyes visible, vast and cold, staring down at everyone below.
[Everyone who accepted our invitation to the "Upper" realm is now here,] one of them said, voice echoing like rolling thunder. [Truly fascinating.]
[Stop wasting time and tell them,] another rumbled.
[Alright, alright,] the first chuckled.
The sound was sharp, but the effect was instant.
The world around Sam began to warp.
The lush green grass under his feet shimmered, melting into something else.
He could hear others reacting with alarm, meaning it wasn’t just him.
[Apologies, but you were standing inside an illusion we made. We didn’t want to spoil the surprise.]
The distortion deepened. Colors bled into each other. Shapes twisted. The open plain was vanishing...
Until... everything snapped into clarity.
Sam stood in the middle of...
Around him, hundreds of thousands of awakeners looked just as confused.
[Welcome to the "Forsaken" Kingdom,] the being announced, their voice carrying a faint note of amusement. [This will be your home from now on.]
Sam’s eyes lifted back to the ten giants.
[That’s all we wanted to say to make the introduction dramatic,] a third figure said lazily. [From here, instructions will come through your panels.]
[We will not appear again, unless, of course, you somehow reach the final realm.]
[Which, frankly, none of us expect you to do =)]
[We’re watching you too, Primordial. Don’t disappoint us.]
And just like that, they began to fade, seeping back into the vortex.
The sky sealed shut as if nothing had happened.
[Welcome to the "Forsaken" Kingdom.]
Sam took a slow look around.
They were standing in a massive plaza, big enough to hold the hundreds of thousands gathered here without anyone feeling cramped.
Buildings of unfamiliar design rose in every direction, their design was pretty advanced, akin to the ones on Earth.
Their rooftops were shimmering faintly with protective magic.
[As an introduction to this new realm, we will start by giving you a special task, or, as we call them here, a "mission."]
This was it. The other half of his advancement task.
[The world of the "Upper" realm has been overrun by the corruption, monsters, and beings beyond anything you’ve faced before.]
[The "Forsaken" Kingdom is your home. For now, it is the only safe zone in the entire realm.]
[To progress, you will have to complete missions and challenges. Each one will expand the boundaries of the safe zone.]
[When you finally reach the end of this realm, you will earn the right to ascend to the final one... and face what awaits you there.]
[More details will be given later. For now, focus on your first mission. It will teach you most of what you need to know.]
Sam read the words again. And again.
The sentences made sense individually. But the bigger picture... felt strange.
Overrun by beings? Only one safe zone? Expanding territory?
He couldn’t put the pieces together yet.
Still... he would soon. He always did.