The scene awaiting Evan inside the Ascension Hall was nothing like he had imagined.
The moment the radiant light engulfed him, Arven had suddenly fallen silent after leaving behind a single warning.
Never reveal anything about me... or your second system.
At the time, Evan hadn't understood why Arven had emphasized it so seriously. He had never intended to expose his greatest secrets to anyone in the first place.
But the instant someone called him by the name of his previous life...
He finally realized the true meaning behind that warning.
His eyes snapped open.
Almost instinctively, he retreated several steps, every muscle in his body tightening as his aura quietly rose. His gaze locked onto the figure standing before him.
"...You?"
The surprise on his face was impossible to hide.
Standing at the center of the hall were ten towering figures.
They looked exactly like the beings he had seen within his dreams, yet they were no longer vague silhouettes hidden beneath endless mist. Their forms had become far more solid, their presence more real, carrying an indescribable pressure that naturally dominated the surroundings.
"It's been a while..."
"...Evan Windstone."
The one who spoke sat upon the highest throne.
Ytarnes.
Leader of the Ten Thrones.
The remaining nine stood quietly behind him, their expressions unreadable as they silently observed Evan.
"What are all of you doing here?"
Evan's brows furrowed.
"Shouldn't the Ascension Hall only allow the person undergoing the trial to enter? This place shouldn't be accessible to anyone else."
Ytarnes simply smiled.
"Normally... you're correct."
"There are many things about this place you still don't know, and unfortunately, there are truths we still cannot reveal."
He casually lifted a finger.
The surrounding space distorted.
The grand hall disappeared like an illusion before another nearly identical chamber unfolded around them.
There was no fluctuation.
No violent spatial tear.
The entire world simply... changed.
Evan quietly observed the phenomenon.
Space manipulation...
By this point, such displays no longer surprised him.
After witnessing far greater powers from Arven, his standards had unknowingly risen far beyond ordinary comprehension.
He remained silent.
If they had gone through the trouble of bringing him here, they undoubtedly had something to say.
Seeing his composure, Ytarnes chuckled softly.
"Hm... I thought you'd have countless questions."
"I do."
Evan answered calmly.
"I was simply waiting for you to speak first."
A brief silence followed.
Then Evan looked directly at Ytarnes.
"If you're giving me the chance..."
"Tell me the real reason I was brought into this world."
"I no longer believe killing the Destined Ones is the complete answer."
"I've encountered too many things that don't fit together."
"There are truths you're deliberately keeping from me."
"So tell me."
"Why am I truly here?"
The atmosphere became noticeably quieter.
The Ten Thrones exchanged silent glances before Ytarnes finally nodded.
"...You've earned the right to know."
He slowly leaned forward a little.
"Our former Master..."
"...was once the true ruler of this world."
"The world you now call Ceruleth is only one among hundreds of living planets."
"Every single one of them is connected through the Prime Nexus."
"The Prime Nexus serves as the anchor that stabilises the entire world."
"When our Master disappeared..."
"...everything changed."
His voice became noticeably heavier.
"Those who once faithfully served beneath him began coveting the authority he left behind."
"Loyalty gave way to greed."
"They fought amongst themselves."
"Power changed them. One after another, they crossed the boundary of Demigod... and called themselves Gods."
Evan remained completely silent.
Ytarnes continued.
"We, the Ten Thrones, are different."
"We were born from the Tree of Thrones, nurtured directly by our Master's blood."
"He created us."
"He raised us."
"Our loyalty has never changed."
"When the traitors turned against everything he had built..."
"...we stood in their way."
He slowly gestured around him.
"The Prime Nexus is our Master's greatest legacy."
"Whoever controls enough worlds gains influence over it."
"That is why those false Gods began conquering planets one after another."
"Ceruleth..."
"...our Master's home world..."
"...became their greatest target."
A faint sorrow appeared within Ytarnes' voice.
"They invaded through Dungeons."
"They released beasts."
"They corrupted civilisations."
"And eventually..."
"They planted the Destined Ones among humanity."
"They are no longer merely individuals."
"They are anchors."
"Every Destined One strengthens the influence those Gods possess over this planet."
"The more influence they gain..."
"...the closer Ceruleth moves toward complete occupation."
Ytarnes looked directly into Evan's eyes.
"And that..."
"...is why we summoned you."
"You are neither a native of this world nor bound by its destiny."
"You alone possess the possibility of disrupting their plans."
"Our request has never changed."
"Slay the Destined Ones."
"Reclaim the lands humanity has lost."
"And if one day..."
"...you reach Godhood..."
"Then destroy the traitorous Gods themselves."
"That is all we ask."
Silence filled the chamber once more.
Evan lowered his eyes.
He carefully organised everything he had just heard.
So...
The former Master had disappeared.
His servants had betrayed him.
Several had ascended into true Godhood before beginning their conquest of the connected worlds.
Meanwhile, the Ten Thrones remained loyal and continued protecting Ceruleth, the birthplace of their creator.
The Destined Ones weren't merely enemies.
They were gateways through which those Gods extended their influence over the planet.
And he...
Was brought here to sever every one of those gateways.
On paper...
The objective sounded straightforward.
Reality, however...
Would be anything but.
If even the weakest enemies stood beneath Gods...
Then the path ahead was likely more dangerous than anything he had previously imagined.
As Evan sorted through the information...
A forgotten question suddenly resurfaced.
His expression became serious.
"Wait."
"There is one thing I need to know."
He looked directly at Ytarnes.
"My original body."
"The body from my previous world."
"You told me it would be preserved inside your temporal artifact."
"Can I see it?"
For the first time since the conversation began...
Ytarnes remained silent.
After a long pause...
He finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, Evan."
"But... there is nothing left."
Evan's eyes narrowed.
"During the transfer of your soul..."
"...a Void Rupture occurred."
"Our artifact successfully protected your soul."
"But before it could retrieve your body..."
"...it was destroyed."
"The rupture tore it apart completely."
"There was nothing left to preserve."
A heavy silence settled between them.
"So..."
Ytarnes continued quietly.
"The body you inhabit now..."
"...is your only body."
"Whether you accept it or not."
Evan closed his eyes.
The answer wasn't entirely unexpected.
He had already considered this possibility countless times.
Still...
Hearing it confirmed left an indescribable weight in his chest.
His previous life...
Had truly ended.
There was no returning anymore, until he found a way.
After a few moments, he exhaled slowly and opened his eyes once again.
Regret wouldn't change reality.
There was no point dwelling on something that no longer existed.
Ytarnes observed him for a moment before speaking again.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"If not..."
"...our time here is coming to an end."
"Maintaining this space isn't without cost."
"The next time we meet..."
"...will be when you return to the Ascension Hall for your next advancement."
"Until then..."
"We won't be able to communicate again."
"I hope that, by then..."
"...you'll have become much stronger."
Evan nodded outwardly.
But inwardly...
His thoughts remained cautious.
He believed parts of their story.
Not all of it.
Arven's words resurfaced within his mind.
No being who reaches the highest realms is ever completely innocent.
Everyone hid something.
The Ten Thrones were no exception.
Their explanation answered many questions...
Yet avoided just as many.
They still hadn't explained why he was chosen among all the worlds.
Nor had they revealed the true origin of the spell chains intertwined with his soul, along with what was essentially a self-destruct mechanism capable of ending his life at any moment. Whether they called it protection or insurance made little difference.
There were still pieces missing.
And until those missing pieces surfaced...
Evan had no intention of placing complete trust in anyone.
Not even the beings who had brought him into this world.
The more Evan thought about it, the less he trusted them.
The result was the same.
His life wasn't entirely in his own hands.
Coupled with Arven's warning, the little trust he had built toward the Ten Thrones diminished even further.
"I don't have any more questions."
Evan gave a small nod before continuing calmly.
"You may leave. I'll complete both tasks in due time."
There were still countless things he wanted to know.
But asking now was meaningless.
The answers he truly sought were probably with Arven, who had remained completely silent ever since entering this place. Whatever had caused him to disappear, Evan knew one thing for certain.
Revealing his own secrets here would only create unnecessary risks.
...
What Evan didn't know...
Was that the Ten Thrones weren't placing complete trust in him either.
They had chosen him.
But they hadn't lowered their guard.
Their words were carefully measured, subtly probing for information while revealing only what they deemed necessary.
To them, Evan was still shrouded in mystery.
Through the connection they shared, they could vaguely determine his location on Ceruleth.
Nothing more.
They couldn't observe what he was doing.
They couldn't read his thoughts.
Even his status remained partially obscured beneath the mask that concealed him.
Directly questioning him would accomplish little.
A genius was valuable...
But only as long as he remained worth investing in.
Disloyal geniuses rarely lived long.
Ytarnes observed him quietly before speaking again.
"It seems you've grown considerably since we last met."
"I can sense significant improvement."
Evan scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"I've simply been fortunate."
"Hunting Destined Ones is dangerous, but the rewards they leave behind are equally valuable."
"I've only been making good use of what I've obtained."
His answer sounded casual.
Almost too casual.
What Evan didn't know...
Was that, before Ytarnes, his status window had already unfolded in perfect clarity.
Every statistic.
Every skill.
Every piece of equipment.
Even the contents of his inventory.
Nothing escaped the gaze of the strongest among the Ten Thrones.
Fortunately...
There was one exception.
The second system remained completely invisible.
It was as though it didn't exist at all.
A quiet sense of relief surfaced within Evan.
'So they really can't perceive it...
If even beings at their level are incapable of detecting it... then Arven was right.
The second system is beyond their reach.'
Meanwhile, the Ten Thrones silently examined every detail before them.
Something...
Didn't quite add up.
The growth Evan displayed exceeded what should have been possible through the resources they had provided alone.
It wasn't enough to confirm anything.
But it was enough to raise suspicion.
Without speaking aloud, the ten exchanged thoughts through silent spiritual communication.
The conversation lasted only a few moments.
Evan noticed it immediately.
Although he couldn't hear a single word, their brief silence told him everything.
'They're discussing me.'
He simply pretended not to notice.
Moments later, Ytarnes looked at him once more.
"We've reached a decision."
"We won't interfere with the methods you choose."
"As long as your destination remains unchanged, the path you walk is yours to decide."
"You've exceeded many of our expectations."
"We're pleased with your progress."
"We hope you'll continue eliminating the corruption spreading across our Master's homeland."
"As your strength grows..."
"...we'll provide assistance whenever we're able."
"It should make your journey considerably easier."
Evan nodded politely.
Yet inwardly...
His caution only deepened.
'Why now?
Why suddenly become so accommodating?'
He couldn't shake the feeling that there was another motive hidden beneath those words.
Whether it was goodwill...
Or another investment...
He couldn't tell.
Ytarnes slowly rose from his throne.
"Our time here has come to an end."
"You should begin your Ascension."
"We look forward to the day you become strong enough..."
"...to hasten the return of everything that was lost."
The surrounding space rippled once more.
The figures of the Ten Thrones gradually dissolved into countless particles of light before disappearing completely.
Silence returned.
Evan found himself standing exactly where he had first arrived.
The colossal gate still towered before him, unmoving.
Only then did he realise something.
'So... I never actually entered the Ascension Hall.'
Everything that had just happened...
Had taken place outside its true entrance.
He let out a slow breath.
It felt as though he had just walked away from a battlefield without drawing his sword.
Without lingering on the matter any longer, Evan stepped toward the gate once again.
He placed his palm against its ancient surface.
The runes immediately lit up.
Brilliant light poured through the opening as the massive doors slowly parted.
This time...
Without hesitation...
Evan stepped forward.
The radiance swallowed his figure whole.
And the true Ascension Trial finally began.