CHAPTER 155: THE FIRST BARRIER, LOCATION OF THE FIRST MISSION

After nearly half an hour of pushing forward without pause, Sam finally arrived at what was known as the barrier.

The moment he stopped, he noticed something unexpected.

His speed was on par with, if not slightly faster than, the celestials traveling alongside him.

These weren’t just any celestials either.

They were peak [Forsaken] rank awakeners, individuals who had honed their physical attributes to near perfection.

Yet despite that, Sam was keeping pace with them without breaking much of a sweat.

Of course, there was an explanation.

He had chosen the [Void] affinity’s reward twice, which had given him such a massive boost to his attributes that, in raw numbers, he was standing two full ranks above his actual level.

But that brought a question to his mind.

Did every race’s attributes grow in exactly the same way when strengthened?

Or did some races have a natural advantage in certain areas?

If so, the differences might be much larger than most people thought.

For Sam, it didn’t matter too much right now.

He still had his affinities and aura to rely on, both of which could push him far beyond the limits of his raw attributes.

Even so, he was forced to slow down a little so he wouldn’t completely outpace the rest of the group.

And when he finally saw the barrier for the first time, he understood immediately what it was.

It was a massive wall of transparent aura stretching endlessly in both directions.

The closer he got, the stronger the pressure became, as if the wall itself was alive and aware of their approach.

The aura emanating from it was overwhelming, oppressive in a way that felt unnatural, as though it had been corrupted or twisted by something foul.

When someone tried to touch it, the result was immediate.

"AHHHH, IT BURNS!" a voice screamed in agony.

The poor awakener stumbled backward, clutching his hand.

From the outside, there was no visible damage, but the way he screamed left no doubt that whatever pain he felt was very real.

The barrier was made of living flames that refused to let anything pass through them, no matter how much power was used.

"Looks like we really can’t go any further than this," the leader of the largest celestial group said calmly.

His golden eyes swept over the wall as though committing every detail to memory.

"This is the location of the first barrier."

By now, more awakeners were beginning to arrive, gathering at the barrier in steadily growing numbers.

And then, without warning, a sound echoed in every mind.

Ding!

[This is the First Barrier, the impenetrable wall that prevents you from accessing the Second Mission and the Second Zone.]

’Second Zone?’ Sam thought, frowning slightly.

[From the "Forsaken" Kingdom to the First Barrier, the area between is called the "First Zone." It is currently controlled by the Boss of the "Seventh Layer."]

[Each mission is individual. Only upon YOUR personal completion of the First Mission will you be allowed to pass through the barrier into the Second Zone, where your next mission awaits.]

It was structured like a game. There was no skipping ahead.

No matter who you were, you could only advance after completing the previous stage yourself.

It reminded him of the [Lower] realm’s system with its six layers.

But even then, something about it made Sam uneasy.

What if one of these missions was so impossibly difficult that not a single awakener could complete it?

That would mean the barrier would remain forever, trapping everyone behind it.

And since the missions were individual, even if the strongest person alive cleared theirs, it wouldn’t help anyone else.

[Once the First Mission is completed by anyone, the "First Zone" will be purified and transformed into a safe zone, allowing free travel without fear of monsters.]

[Who knows, perhaps new opportunities will appear once the corruption is gone!]

It didn’t take much to realize the truth.

The further they went into this realm, the fewer awakeners would remain.

And in the very end... only the strongest would be left standing.

No one knew how many missions there were in total.

For now, Sam decided to focus on what mattered most, the task in front of him.

The further he advanced, the greater the risk of being exposed.

After all, the common belief was that the last primordial was the strongest existence in all the realms.

That meant anyone who suspected his identity would also assume he could complete the missions.

It was a dangerous assumption, but also a correct one.

When the glowing panels finally faded from sight, Sam let out a quiet breath.

And then—

Fwish! BOOM!

A massive portal ripped itself into existence in front of the barrier.

Sam’s gaze narrowed instantly.

’Here it is.’

The portal was enormous, a swirling vortex of black with streaks of pale white cutting through it.

Even from several steps away, the power radiating from it made Sam tense slightly.

It was so strong that even he instinctively took a half step back.

The aura felt familiar, and for a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to the past.

’No... impossible. I killed all of them... didn’t I?’

Around him, even the celestials reacted with caution.

The leader of their group studied the portal for a long moment before speaking.

"This realm isn’t going to hold back," he said, "We can win... but it’s going to get harder from here."

The others nodded quietly, their expressions tense.

This was, without question, the largest and most ominous portal they had ever encountered.

They had no way of knowing what was inside, but one fact was clear, they would have to go in eventually.

Since the mission progress was individual, there was no avoiding it.

Sam’s attention, however, was already locked elsewhere.

The moment he saw the portal, a surge of determination rose within him.

He stepped forward without hesitation.

He didn’t care about the risk of being noticed.

He didn’t care if this was the most dangerous trial yet.

’No matter what happens... I will keep moving forward.’

The oppressive gaze he had felt since arriving in this realm hadn’t left him.

He could almost sense those unseen beings watching him, waiting to see what he would do.

[Knowing this is the start of your journey in this new realm with you with DETERMINATION!]

The words appeared briefly before vanishing.

Sam took another step forward.

And then—

Ding!

[We also wish to inform you: if you enter the "Seventh Layer," there is no way to leave until it is completed.]

The panel vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving silence in its wake.

That was... different from the [Lower] Realm.

There, as long as you weren’t in combat for thirty minutes, you could leave a layer whenever you wanted.

But here, the moment you stepped into the Seventh Layer, you were trapped.

You would either complete your first mission... or die trying.

There would be no retreat. No second chances.

Even knowing that, Sam didn’t hesitate.

Neither did the celestials, nor any other awakener, whose resolve was truly unshakable.

Everyone here had a goal, something they wanted badly enough to risk their life for.

And for each of them, that goal required strength.

Fwish! Fwish!

The celestial group entered the portal first, moving in unison.

Several other awakeners followed quickly after them.

Sam waited only a few seconds before stepping forward himself.

He felt Seraphine’s eyes on him from behind.

He turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze, and let a faint smile curve his lips.

"Stay alive," he said quietly, "No one’s going to help you."

Without waiting for a response, he jumped into the portal.

The swirling darkness engulfed him instantly.

For a brief moment, he felt weightless, his body being pulled through the fabric of space itself.

And then, as if something unseen had decided to speak directly into his mind—

[You have really come...?]

[Heh... I knew it. They didn’t lie to me.]

[But that means the others have all failed... and it also means I have to put an end to you right now.]

[Come and face me... free me from my shackles.]

Strange panels flashed before Sam’s eyes.

His expression hardened instantly.

’I knew it.’

Before he could dwell on the meaning, his feet hit solid ground.

The disorienting pull of the portal vanished.

And then—

Ding!

[You have entered the "Seventh Layer" of the "Forsaken" Realm: The Forgotten City.]