Panic surged.
The pig tried to vanish—
But Max moved first.
No warning. No hesitation. The blade rose and fell in a single, flawless motion. For a brief moment, there was no blood—only silence. Then the guardian’s world tilted.
Then, ultimately, his vision dropped.
He understood, too late, that the famed Blade of Aethel had already reached him.
Max exhaled, as if it were nothing. With a quiet motion, he sheathed the sword and turned around, casting one last glance at the silent petals across the mountain.
"It’s ironic. Such a beautiful place."
"Yet to us, it’s a nightmare."
And then he left.
The petals began to move again. Time resumed its pace the instant he was gone.
***
Just as the guardian of the 80th level—the keeper of the gate to the Realm of Stillness—fell, a loud warning signal flashed through the core of the Battle Royale, shocking the main system and many other higher beings who had been watching the Battle Royale.
The main system had been busy watching the immortals of a lower high realm, all of whom wanted to begin the Mythic Trial of Fighters earlier than usual this time, since—for some strange reason—all the scattered passes to the trial had already been found.
Moreover, it was preoccupied with matters in the higher levels of the Battle Royale and the Divine War, paying little attention to the lower levels. Who would have thought the first news it would receive from the lower levels would be the death of a guardian?
A mechanical voice echoed through the void, tinged with annoyance and curiosity.
(How did that greedy pig die?)
(He was stationed in a secure location, inside a space pocket linked to the 20th level, after he tried to mess with the 80th level and was temporarily demoted.)
(Even if he was weaker than all the other higher guardians, no one from the lower levels should have been able to kill him.)
The main system sighed.
(Now, I have to find a new guardian.)
Still, it went to check what had happened with that pig that had caused his demise. But what it saw made it want to scream.
(What on heaven is going on here??)
The first jolt came when it saw Max—the human it vaguely remembered observing in the Land of Winners due to his affinity with the Throne of Cronos—already at the 21st level of the Battle Royale. What the hell?
Wasn’t this kid from a weak universe?
How had he cleared so many levels of the Battle Royale in such a short time?? How had this kid gotten so powerful already?
The second shock came when the main system noticed the powerful Legendary Blade of Aethel hanging at his waist.
How Max had gotten it, it had no idea.
The third jolt came upon realizing it was Max who had killed the greedy pig. All of this had already left the main system very shaken. But it seemed it was not over yet!
The next shock came when it saw Skyler—the kid who had given it a panic attack in the Land of Winners due to his affinity with the Supreme Seat. It had not expected to see him so soon, yet Skyler was already at the 20th level, looking around for the realm master inside the Realm of Stillness with his friends. Not only that, he was no longer even human! How had his race changed?!
(I feel like having a headache.)
The main system didn’t know whether to worry at how far Skyler had already come—so close to being noticed by all the higher powers, since his presence would surely plunge the already chaotic higher realms into even greater disorder—or to be happy at how rapidly he was growing stronger.
With a solemn air, it cast one last silent glance at Skyler before leaving. Ultimately, what was destined would come to pass—it wasn’t as if it could hide Skyler’s presence forever like it had in the Land of Winners.
Nor could it hide Max’s presence.
These two men would have to bear the burden of their uniqueness themselves.
If only it had noticed how a certain little system accompanying Skyler had made itself invisible, as if it were a dead fish the instant it felt the main system’s presence, it would have realized that 505—one of the countless minor systems under its watch—had gained sentience and a great deal of power, power that was greater than all other systems. The shocking part was that 505 was growing stronger, yet it had no link to it. Instead, 505 was feeding on the power from nature—something never seen before.
A system growing stronger like those climbing the Battle Royale with its host, while messing the main system’s rules.
It was something that could completely shake the foundation of the Battle Royal.
But luckily for 505—and unfortunately for the main system—it had not noticed that unruly system. Otherwise, perhaps today 505’s greatest fear of being erased by the main system would have truly come true.
***
Simultaneously, inside the vast Realm of Stillness, once the main system stopped prying, 505 came out of hiding and cried out to Skyler. Its data trembling heavily.
(Host, 505 almost died!!)
Skyler raised a brow. He and the others were currently traversing a desert riddled with obstacles in search of the master of the Realm of Stillness. It was a powerful wounded fallen god. Knowing that Max—that guy—had entered the Battle Royale before them and had been claiming every valuable treasure mentioned in the novel, Skyler and Zack were certain that he had already entered this realm ahead of them and gotten the powerful Blade of Aethel.
Still, even if that fallen god had already given the powerful Blade to Max, he was still capable of assisting them in reaching Mythic tier in the shortest possible time.
So, they were searching for him.
Sensing 505’s sudden panic, and despite being distracted by the dazed mermaid in the pocket space who had just woken up and was calling out for him, Skyler asked.
"What happened?"