CHAPTER 146: BLACKLISTED FROM THE LAYERS, ITS TIME

During the two-week grace period given to all worlds, Sam decided to make another attempt at reaching the [Sixth Layer].

He knew he couldn’t level up anymore, so in terms of progression, it wouldn’t help him.

If training was his goal, then the [Dimension of Time] was always available to him.

But that wasn’t why he was going.

Sam had two clear reasons in mind.

The first was curiosity.

He wanted to see what the [Sixth Layer] itself was actually like.

The second reason was far more practical. He needed [Primordial Spirits].

Since his [Rune Dragons] had been killed, and the sixth sub-layer had given him nothing, Sam saw an opportunity.

If he could take down the bosses of the [Sixth Layer], he might be able to collect their spirits and use them to strengthen himself.

With that goal in mind, he made his way to the third [Outer Ring].

By now, the place was overflowing with activity.

Thousands of awakeners were gathered there, pushing themselves to grow stronger in the hopes of clearing the [Fifth] and [Sixth] Layers before time ran out.

Sam ignored the noise and closed his eyes, focusing.

---

[Which Layer do you wish to enter?]

[→ Fourth]

[→ Fifth]

[→ Sixth]

---

’Bingo.’

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as his hand hovered toward the [Sixth Layer] option.

The sub-layer had been far more brutal than he had expected, but the actual [Sixth Layer] should be easier by comparison, even if it was filled with peak [Forsaken]-rank monsters.

He was eager to see how it would go.

But just as his finger reached toward the selection—

Ding!

[No~ You aren’t allowed inside anymore, Primordial~]

"...Huh?"

Fwish! Clang!

Dark chains suddenly appeared, wrapping tightly around the glowing panels as if sealing them shut.

The chains dissolved moments later, and the panels themselves vanished completely.

In their place, a single new message appeared.

[Access denied to you, Primordial.]

"...?"

Sam frowned.

He opened his eyes, finding himself back on the grassy plains outside, then closed them again to focus once more.

Maybe if he tried again—

[We said access denied, don’t try again.]

He let out a short breath.

Whoevern or whatevern was behind this, they had just locked him out of the [Forsaken] realm entirely.

He had been blacklisted.

Sam wondered who had the authority to do that.

Was it one of those ten shadowy figures he had seen before?

Or... was it someone, or something, even worse?

At this point, he had no idea who the strongest being across the realms actually was.

But he was certain that any of them could kill him in an instant if they wanted to.

So why didn’t they?

The only explanation he could think of was that they were bound by rules—rules set by a being even higher than them.

It was only a theory, and for now, he had no way of confirming it.

The rest of the grace period passed quickly.

Alicia, Lily, and Chloe managed to push through the [Fifth Layer] and clear it, their strength clearly increasing.

But even with their progress, it was obvious that they wouldn’t have enough time to reach the [Sixth Layer] before the [Upper Realm] opened.

As for the other guilds, Sam heard about their progress through the news.

[Breaking News! After months of exploration of the "Sixth Layer" and several smaller attempts... the "Sixth Expedition" returns with a massive success!]

The broadcast showed faces he recognized—David Union, Evans, Emily, Oliver Gremoir, Diana, Simon Vinelord, and many more.

They were all in the [Forsaken] rank now, somewhere between level three and seven, their powers sharper, their determination burning bright.

"Though we still need to wonder," David said in the interview, "how the [Primordial Guild] managed to do it entirely by themselves. They must truly be... amazing."

Sam couldn’t help but grin faintly at that, though he didn’t dwell on it.

It wasn’t just the [North Region] celebrating either.

Across all regions, news of the [Sixth Layer] being conquered was spreading fast.

A few short months ago, humanity had been falling behind every other race, struggling for years to clear even the [Fourth Layer].

But in an inexplicable surge of progress, they had managed to conquer three layers in a matter of months.

"This truly shows the indomitable human spirit," David roared during the broadcast. "All of you—keep pushing forward! It’s never too late!"

[They are experiencing their first signs of "Determination." Though... it will never truly be enough =)]

Sam blinked at the sudden message.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked out loud.

[...]

No response came.

With a faint sigh, he let it go and focused on resting.

During the remainder of the grace period, he kept in touch with the girls.

They seemed far more nervous than he did, which was only natural.

Who wouldn’t be nervous right now?

Even those who had never awakened and had never set foot in any layer were anxious.

The unknown was looming over everyone.

Those who chose to enter the [Upper Realm] would be leaving everything behind—family, friends, and the only world they knew—to step into a place none of them had ever seen before.

It was reckless in every sense of the word, but there was no changing it.

The time was coming when all seven worlds and all seven races would meet face to face for the first time.

And when they did, they would also have to face whatever was waiting for them there.

On the final day before the opening, Sam spent his time with Alicia, Chloe, and Lily.

They went out to dinner together, then spent the evening at an amusement park.

Compared to the thrill of battle, the rides were bland, but that didn’t matter.

The real value was in the time they shared.

Yet even in the middle of that lighthearted moment, Sam noticed crimson panels flicker into existence around him.

[What a waste of time...]

[We’re about to go through hell, and yet we’re sitting here having fun on silly rides?]

[What a joke. We’re not ready for even one percent of what’s coming.]

’And what exactly is coming?’ Sam raised an eyebrow. ’Tell me, so I can prepare.’

[You don’t know.]

’Obviously.’

Sam could feel it, even if he couldn’t see it yet.

The [Upper Realm] would not only be filled with monsters and awakeners of terrifying strength, but possibly entities beyond imagination.

There would be new mechanics, new challenges, and new ways to die.

The pressure of it pressed against him like a storm cloud.

Was he truly ready for that?

Was he worthy of being called a [Primordial], or was he just a pale imitation of the true ones?

He didn’t know.

But for now, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

Later that night, he said goodbye to the girls and went to bed.

And then... the day came.

It was one in the afternoon, and Sam was in the middle of eating lunch when—

Ding!

The sound rang out across all seven worlds.

The countdown of the two-week grace period had reached zero.

Every race. Every world. Millions of awakeners, standing ready.

[It’s time to enter the "Upper" realm~]