Skyler opened his eyes and found himself standing amidst a never-ending crowd. Yet, for some reason, even though he could see the bodies of those around him, he couldn’t see their faces, as if they were shrouded.
The surroundings were filled with so many sounds that he couldn’t discern just how many people were talking around him.
His ears buzzed badly, so he tried to move to understand what was going on when he was supposed to go to the land of winners, but a transparent circular barrier glimmered around him, preventing him from taking more than a step in any direction.
"Huh?"
Skyler reached out with his hand and touched the barrier, which flickered. He looked up hurriedly to discover its end but realized that the barrier extended so high that he couldn’t see where it stopped. It felt as if he were standing at one end of an endless circular tunnel.
"Wow..."
He muttered in awe. Just like him, every single person who passed the test was in the same condition. Countless individuals, not just from Eldoria but from every planet across many universes, were all muttering or shouting about what was happening, yet their systems were unresponsive.
It was at that moment that a thunderous announcement rang out everywhere. In an instant, every single person fell silent.
(Congratulations, participants!
You have all successfully passed the preliminary test and now qualify to climb the true Battle Royal: 3,000 Thrones and one Supreme seat above them all! Compete and complete the trials, or face calamities that could obliterate your world!
Now, you stand on the land of winners, which only a select few will see again.
Every victor here will receive 1,000 points for passing the test. Your performance is also being evaluated by your systems to determine your eligibility for more rewards. They will soon be permanently connected to you to guide you from now on.
Lastly, the main system will evaluate the likelihood of your success in pursuing the 3,000 Thrones or the Supreme Seat. Note that this assessment is current and will change over time.
To ensure privacy, all higher beings, including your assigned systems, have been temporarily severed from this land. No device or artifact will function here. A panel will appear before each of you; please place one of your hands on it so the main system can assess which throne aligns with you.)
"What? What? Wait!"
Too much was said in a very short time, so it took Skyler a while to process it. The first question that emerged in his mind was.
"What thrones?"
This was because he had been sleeping in his bedroom when he was teleported to the test and had missed the initial screen that informed participants about the thrones.
Moreover, even though everyone in Eldoria discussed how a calamity would descend if a level of the Battle Royal isn’t cleared for 30 years, no one ever talked about these 3,000 thrones and the supreme seat.
Of course, Skyler remembered the timeline where he saw himself seated on a massive white throne in the world of spirits.
However, he thought that throne was just a seat for the ruler, which he occupied after becoming the strongest in that realm.
"It seems I was wrong..."
He mumbled, and his eyes widened before sparkling with glee. He wasn’t an idiot who couldn’t connect the dots.
Skyler had no proof, but he was sure that the white throne he saw himself seated on in the world of spirits wasn’t just a normal throne! It was one of the thrones the main system had just talked about!
To make it even more thrilling, in that timeline, he remembered he never entered the Battle Royal! So, how did he end up on that massive throne? There were so many questions but no answers.
"Ugh... if only I had the complete memory of that timeline and how I ended up on that throne, it would have been so awesome. It’s almost as if my memory is sealed."
He muttered with frustration, and at that moment, just as the main system had said, a small gray panel appeared before him for him to place his hand on.
Skyler extended his hand with anticipation. He had already reached the powerful throne that belonged to the world of spirits, so he was confident that his connection with the throne of spirits would be the highest!
A faint mechanical voice echoed in the air, and the space above the gray panel before him flickered with words.
(Loading...
Checking affinity with elements. Current affinities: Light, Darkness, Space (Locked).
Assessing which throne aligns with you...
Loading... Please wait a moment.)