CHAPTER 150: THE FIRST MISSION OF THE UPPER REALM, CONQUER THE SEVENTH LAYER

[Mission #1: Conquer the Seventh Layer.]

[Description: The last layer of the "Forsaken" realm calls out to you all, complete it to advance forward.]

"Oh," Sam let out without thinking, "Damn."

So this was what they meant by "missions."

These weren’t just optional objectives or side goals, they were actual challenges they had to clear if they wanted to move forward.

And now that he saw this one, Sam realized something else.

The [Forsaken] realm didn’t just have six layers. It had seven.

Which also meant...

[A deep sense of "Doom" overwhelms you.]

Sam’s stomach dropped.

A bad feeling settled deep in his chest, heavy and suffocating.

This was the very first mission of the [Upper] realm, the kind of introductory challenge meant to teach them the mechanics and show what the beings here meant by "expanding the safe zone."

And yet, even knowing it was just the beginning, Sam couldn’t shake the sense that something far worse was waiting for him ahead.

[You cannot advance forward if you do not complete this mission.]

[As we said, information about this layer will be revealed as time passes, so make sure to not sit around and do nothing~]

[May the gods’ will help you in this forsaken realm.]

Just like that, every single panel faded away, leaving nothing behind but silence and unanswered questions.

"What the fuck?"

"So you’re telling me we have to go through that shit again?"

"What did you even expect? Of course it would be harder. I just wonder what the [Seventh Layer] could even have..."

The plaza erupted in conversation.

People from every race were talking at once, their expressions a mix of eagerness and dread, their voices bouncing between curiosity and fear.

Sam stood among them with a blank face, his aura slowly starting to rise.

’Well... I guess now that this is done, I should be able to explore this [Forsaken] kingdom or whatever it is...’

He turned to leave—

Fwish!

A sudden wave of pressure slammed into him.

Sam stopped instantly, his eyes locking onto the source. Them.

He had already scanned the plaza earlier, quietly sizing up members from six of the seven races.

But there was one race he hadn’t seen with his own eyes yet, only heard about in whispers.

The [Celestials]. Said to be the strongest race in all the realms.

Now, standing there before him, Sam understood why.

"Let’s go. We can’t sit around doing nothing. Remember, we need to be efficient and ascend above all else. We’re not [Celestial] for no reason."

They looked human in form, but that was where the similarity ended.

Every single one of them was breathtaking.

Their movements, their posture, even the way they breathed carried a flawless, almost unnatural perfection.

Sam, who was strong enough to kill a peak [Forsaken]-rank monster, found himself pausing just to take it in.

And this was only a single group.

’I don’t think they have as many numbers as the other races,’ Sam thought, ’But they’re definitely the strongest.’

Every race except humans had distinct traits.

Beastkin had animal ears and tails.

Elves had long, graceful ears.

Demons carried horns. Angels bore wings.

Dragons could transform, their bodies covered in scales.

And the [Celestials]... they had halos.

Floating above each head, each halo was unique, different shapes, textures, even colors.

One glowed with deep violet. Another crackled with faint lightning. A third looked to be woven entirely from condensed aura.

It was strange.

"Hey, that human’s looking at us," one of the [Celestials] remarked.

"It doesn’t matter. Focus on strengthening yourselves. I can sense a lot of danger coming."

"Agreed. And besides... it’s just a human. They’re the weakest. They’ll all die eventually. I’m certain of it."

Sam kept his expression calm, but he could feel their arrogance in the air.

Not the same aggressive pride the [Dragons] had, they didn’t look for fights unless they were forced to, but still, they looked down on everyone else.

Especially humans.

Without another glance at them, Sam left the plaza and began walking the streets of the [Forsaken] kingdom.

On the way, he saw awakeners from every race, busy with their own purposes.

The [Celestials] appeared again in other areas, but far fewer than [Dragons], [Angels], or [Demons].

It was odd, considering they had cleared the six layers faster than anyone else, and that their individual members possessed absurd talents, skills, and combat technique.

Maybe their numbers were simply low from the start.

’Were the [Primordials] this strong too?’ Sam wondered. Then he shook his head, ’Doesn’t matter. I should be safe for now.’

[You jinxed it.]

"Huh?"

The strange notification flickered and vanished before he could react.

He ignored it and kept walking.

The [Forsaken] kingdom itself was surprisingly comfortable.

It had everything a city needed, not just food and shelter, but an organized structure that could house millions.

The streets were paved. Buildings rose high into the air. Large screens displayed shifting images above plazas.

It was modern. Maybe more than modern.

"This place is... something else."

Then he noticed something odd.

"What the hell’s a [Forsaken Coin]?"

When he tried to buy something from a shop, the shopkeeper, informed him the currency here wasn’t anything from their previous worlds.

["Forsaken Coins" is the currency of the "Upper" realm. You will understand more later.]

"Huh."

So even money had changed.

’Plus, who was that shopkeeper, just some kind of NPC...?’

After some time exploring, Sam started to realize, this kingdom wasn’t just a holding area.

The strongest of the seven worlds all packed into one place, living, competing, adapting.

As the sun began to sink, Sam decided to head back.

He hadn’t spoken to anyone here, not even other humans.

For now, rest seemed smarter than socializing.

The housing options varied, from small homes to lavish villas, even sprawling mansions.

One such mansion caught his eye.

A group of awakeners stood outside it, none inside.

"What’s going on?" Sam asked a nearby group of humans.

"We can’t enter the mansions," one replied. "Or any house at all."

"Why not?"

"Check for yourself."

Sam stepped up to the door.

Ding!

---

[Luxurious Mansion]

[Price: Two million forsaken coins.]

[You will not be able to enter unless you buy this home. Once bought, it will be removed from the market unless sold back.]

---

He reached forward, and as expected, a barrier stopped him cold.

Not even the strongest awakeners could force their way in.

’I guess forsaken coins are a lot more important than I thought...’

Everything here cost them, food, shelter, maybe even influence.

It made the currency far more than just a means to trade.

Sam turned to leave when another notification rang.

Ding!

[Every awakener present in the kingdom has received 10,000 forsaken coins as a new entry gift.]

"Oh."

It was a start, at least.

He found a hotel soon after, fifty forsaken coins a night, and booked a room.

From the bed to the desk to the small table and TV, it was simple but comfortable.

He didn’t bother turning on the TV.

For now, there was probably nothing useful to watch.

Instead, he lay down, eyes closing as he tried to prepare himself for whatever was coming next.

And just as he began to relax—

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Here it comes.]

"What is—"

Ding!

A notification sound rang in every corner of the kingdom.

Awakeners everywhere stopped what they were doing, looking toward the air as though expecting the words to materialize.

And then—

[We forgot to tell you guys about one thing.]

"...?"

[We didn’t tell you about the "Ultimate Mission", the one that can allow any of you to rise to the level of a god instantly.]

"What the fuck?" Sam muttered, staring at the words.

But before he could even process it—

[Hell-Mode Analysis: We’re fucked.]

And with just that, Sam knew, whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good for him.

Ding!

[Ultimate Mission: Kill the Primordial.]