Chapter 369. Back after A Thousand Years

 

“F UCK!” Raven yelled as he began falling through the air at a crazy speed immediately after using the teleport.

The height was so great that he couldn’t see even the mountaintops with the statues.

All of his previous uses of Fatalist had been successful, making him believe that the skill wasn’t as dangerous as its description claimed it to be. Now he saw that it actually was. If it weren’t for Wings, he would’ve been as good as dead.

The next time he used it, he could end up underground, or in a boss dungeon. Just the thought of landing in front of a giant monster unprepared made him shiver all over. Still, what was life without little danger and excitement?

After five minutes of flight, he landed somewhere that looked safe enough to rest and go through the messages before he continued with the challenges.

Finding a good hiding spot, he entered his inner world — and sensed the change even before he saw it.

The place had two new objects: a large wooden gate connected to the temple entrance via a stone-paved path, and an annex.

The former, looking as inconspicuous as the Novice Temple did at the very beginning, was probably the Spiritual Gate. Probably. He couldn’t be sure yet.

Reaching it, he tried to push it open but it felt like pushing a concrete wall.

He wasn’t strong enough.

Accepting this bitter fact, he teleported into the building to check the new practice modes. There was a new door on one of the walls, presumably leading to the annex.

Unlike the gate, it opened easily.

In the middle of the otherwise empty room was a wooden dummy that looked much like the one with the gloves. Unlike it, this one emitted an aura of power.

Unsure of what that was supposed to mean, Raven took a few steps forward and stopped three feet away from the dummy.

“How am I to make you work?” he wondered with a frown.

The most annoying thing about his inner world was that he had to find everything out by trial and error. He’d appreciate having a guide or a manual to make discovering new things just a little bit easier. By sharing information with Kingmaker and Mystical Darkness, he hoped that both of them would discover their Temples and that, by joint effort, they’d be able to create such a guide.

Why no hints at all? Would it kill them to make this a bit easier?

Shaking his head, he reached for the dummy warily, remembering the painful experience with the cup, and touched the wooden surface. He was ready for another wave of pain, but nothing happened.

Confused, he pushed a bit harder. No result.

Seriously? How can there be something in my mind that I have no control over?

The more he thought about it, the less confident he felt. Working himself up, he punched the dummy square in the face.

But his fist never collided with the wood.

As if sensing the incoming blow, the dummy tilted its head to the side, and Raven’s fist whizzed past it. Inertia pulled him forward but before he bumped into the dummy, it bent down slightly and punched him in the stomach.

The punch wasn’t particularly strong nor particularly fast, but it still sent Raven flying through the air. As his back hit the wall, he heard his bones crunch.

Pressing his back to the wall, he staggered to his feet. His eyes opened wide as he felt his ribs. This pain was different from that in the cup challenge. It really felt like he had broken his bones. Simple physical pain. But once he struggled up to his feet, he stopped feeling it.

Looking up at the dummy, he snickered.

Weird.

However much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why these challenges appeared in his mind. Why did he have to unlock the knowledge already present in his brain through agonizing pain? Was it some alien will, or just a projection of his real-world experience?

Standing across the dummy, he thought about it when he realized something. The lightbulb in his head flickered for a moment as he pondered the possibility of the solution, and then shone brightly.

Could that be it?

Could it be the answer he was looking for? Was the answer to his question staring him in the face this entire time?

Was it about control? He could teleport to any place within his inner world, but while completing the cup challenge, he was only using his hands for some reason.

To test his guess, he came back to the main room. As his gaze found the cup and the stick, he breathed out slowly and concentrated.

“All right. Let’s give it a try.”

***

The Death Canyon Server

Lying next to a perilous dungeon known as the Realm of the Seven Kings was the Glowing Dawn Land, also known as the Royal Territories since the dungeon had been discovered.

Thanks to that discovery, a small town had developed into a large trade city and even gained independence from the Sundragon Empire.

Since every dungeon had virtually inexhaustible resources, from herbs to artifacts, those who discovered a new one and then took over its core could quickly rise to a higher rank in the System.

Using their control over the dungeons, the previously unknown clans became a formidable power, taking not only over empires but also over some independent servers. The power of the Great Families and ancient clans rested on the number and level of the dungeons they controlled. There were also the Royal Territories that ensured their independence by controlling a single dungeon. Although their authorities didn’t have the core, they still profited by founding player guilds.

The Realm of the Seven Kings was classified as a Danger Level Three dungeon. Many perished there, but more came in the hope of getting rich and famous.

It was just another regular day at the guild’s reception desk. The young receptionist let out a long yawn as he saw the three visitors enter. No matter how plain they looked, he didn’t dare ignore them, so he prepared to do his job as they approached. But before he could welcome them, the whole building shook and everyone saw a pop-up message appear in their inboxes.

 

The Novice Arena in the Death Canyon Server has been unlocked.

 

A stammering voice full of astonishment shattered the dead silence.

“The S... S... System... Is it... Is it back?!”

This message was seen by all players on all servers synchronized with the System, making billions of hearts pound with overwhelming joy.

It was really hard to believe that after thousands of years, during which the Universe remained deaf to their calls and prayers, another dusty page in the book of History was turned, bringing a storm of change.