The plaza fell completely silent as King Theros stepped forward. His regal robes glittered faintly with esoteric runes imprinted into the fabric, the weight of his presence making even the nobles straighten like taut strings. His gaze swept across the gathered youths, consisting of elves, dragons in human form, and Arthur standing among them like an odd man out, as he was the only human youth among them.

The king's voice, though calm, carried effortlessly across the massive square.

"Children of Eldraheim… and future of this era," he began, his tone both warm and commanding. "Today marks the dawn of a trial unlike any other you have faced in your life. Before you stand the chance to step into the Ancient Realm, a place that has shaped legends and destroyed the arrogant. It is not a gift given lightly, nor is it a path meant for the faint-hearted."

A murmur rippled through the crowd, the young ones shifting under the weight behind his words. Some held their heads higher, fueled by pride. Others glanced nervously at each other.

King Theros's expression softened slightly, almost grandfatherly. "I congratulate you, each and every one of you. To be chosen for this opportunity is already proof that you stand above the ordinary. But…" his voice dropped lower, more serious, "…do not mistake this as mere recognition, this is also a responsibility. What you gain inside the Ancient Realm will not only shape your future but that of this kingdom."

Arthur caught Selene's profile from the corner of his eye. Her face was still masked with practiced composure, but he could tell from the way her fingers twitched at her side that she was also affected by King Theros's words.

The king continued. "Some of you will emerge stronger, wiser, and ready to shoulder the responsibilities of our people. Others…" His pause lingered for a moment as he swept his gaze at the youths gathered, his tone was sharp and heavy. "…may never return. Such is the price of venturing into the unknown. The Ancient Realm does not care for bloodlines or titles. Only strength, courage, and will matters there."

The plaza was silent, only the flutter of banners and distant wingbeats of dragons above breaking it.

Then, slowly, the king raised his hand. "It is time."

With a graceful wave of his arm, an immense magic circle burst to life beneath their feet. Intricate runes sprawled outward, covering the entire plaza. Arthur tried to analyze the spell as energy surged upward, washing over him like a tide.

Then came the familiar pull, like the teleportation he'd experienced with Selene, but infinitely smoother. If Selene was a kid scribbling on a paper, then the king was a professional artist. That's how evident the difference in the mastery of the spell was between them.

Arthur's lips curved faintly. 'So this is what true mastery of spatial magic feels like…'

The plaza blurred, and in the next instant, they stood on an open plain. The earth here was dark and flat, scattered around were massive cracked boulders and ancient-looking rock formations as though giants had once battled here and left this place behind.

Arthur blinked once, adjusting to the change in his surroundings. Around them were other groups who had already arrived before them, thousands of youths had gathered under banners of different empires. The air buzzed with tension, voices murmuring in every direction. Some stood with rigid confidence, their polished armor gleaming under the sun. Others shifted uneasily in their positions, their expressions betraying their nervousness.

Arthur's eyes moved toward the front. King Theros walked ahead, and from two different directions, two other figures emerged, regal in their bearing. Their followers parted instinctively for them.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. 'They must be the kings of other empires…'

As they were waiting, Arthur felt a sudden change in the air, the ground seemed to tremble faintly. Everyone stopped talking among each other as their gazes turned forward.

The place in front of them itself seemed to bend. As the space in front of them rippled like water, then cracked.

A sharp, ringing sound like shattering glass echoed across the plain. Lines of distortion spread in the air, breaking wider and wider until a gaping tear split open.

The tear expanded, smoothing at its edges until it formed a vast oval opening, its surface as dark as the night sky. At last, it stabilized into a swirling portal, large enough for hundreds of people to pass through it side by side.

King Theros turned back to his group. His voice was solemn now, lacking all warmth. "This is the Gate of the Ancient Realm. Beyond it lies opportunity… and death. Remember this; even Archmages and Grandmasters have fallen inside. Do not underestimate the place."

The youths stiffened, some paled, while others steeling themselves.

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"But…" the king's eyes gleamed faintly, "for those who survive, what awaits is power beyond imagination. Treasures lost to time, legacies of beings long gone, you will come across unimaginable things in there. Some of you will walk back out as powerhouses who shape the future of this world."

Arthur could almost feel the excitement grow, as thousands present here cheered.

The king's voice softened just slightly, as though speaking to them one last time. "Go, and do not waste this chance. May fate be kind to you."

With that, he stepped back.

Arthur felt Steve shift beside him. The man's gaze was locked on the swirling portal ahead, but when he turned to Arthur, his eyes sharpened.

"Listen, lad," Steve said, his voice low but heavy. "Be careful once you reach inside. And try to find Selene if you can, watch her back. But above all, stay alive. That place will eat you alive if you let your guard down."

Arthur nodded, without any hesitation. "Got it."

Steve clapped him on the shoulder, the weight of it almost reassuring.

Arthur floated off the ground, drifting toward the gate. His eyes found Selene in the crowd, her mask of cold expression still in place, but when their gazes met, she gave a subtle nod.

Arthur returned her gesture with the faintest of nods. She then vanished into the portal.

Arthur lingered a second longer, drawing in a deep breath. The portal's gravitational pull was already brushing against his skin, beckoning him forward. He tried to look at what was present beyond the portal, but his senses were unable to penetrate it.

"…Well. No turning back now."

With that, Arthur stepped in. As the dark portal swallowed him whole.

…

The moment Arthur stepped into the gate, his surroundings changed.

He felt his body stretch unnaturally, like every cell was being pulled through a funnel. A second later, his stomach lurched as if he were plummeting from a cliff.

Thud

His boots hit solid ground a few moments later.

The strange pressure around him vanished, leaving only silence. Arthur blinked rapidly, his surroundings appeared hazy for a moment due to the distortion of space. He was just beginning to orient himself when a movement flashed in the corner of his eye.

Instinctively he raised up his arms just as a massive shadow lunged out of the trees.

BAM!

Fangs the size of large daggers slammed down from above him, stopped just inches away from his head. Arthur narrowed his eyes as he held apart the snapping jaws of a giant serpent. Its scales were pitch-black, and its body as thick as a tree trunk, it was trying to coil around him and was thrashing violently.

The snake hissed, hot air and a foul stench washing over his face, being unable to swallow him.

Arthur's brow twitched. "…Really?"

The strength pressing down on his arms was immense. He could feel the serpent's physical power rivaled that of a peak-rank martial artist. So, it was a B-rank monster. He was surprised to see such powerful monsters just after entering the realm.

His lips curled slightly. 'So this is the Ancient Realm. Monsters like this waiting the moment you step in…' He then thought about his friends, 'How are the others supposed to handle this?'

Then again, he might have been unlucky to encounter it just after entering this realm. The thought lingered only briefly before another he was interrupted by the hissing and thrashing of the monster, the serpent was tightening its coils to crush him.

Arthur's eyes sharpened. "Enough."

With a flick of his hand, a sharp telekinetic blade formed above his palm. The invisible edge of the blade parted the air before slicing clean through the serpent's thick neck.

Shhhk!

The monster's hiss cut off as its head thudded to the ground. The body writhed for a second before collapsing limply.

Arthur shook his arm to remove the blood from the blade. But then he was amazed at what he saw was happening before him. The corpse began to break apart, its form unraveling into motes of pale light. Piece by piece, the serpent dissolved until nothing remained, nothing but a single glowing object that clattered to the ground.

Arthur crouched and picked it up. It was a core, roughly the size of his fist, its surface jet black yet pulsing with an eerie red glow. The core felt cold in his hand.

He turned it over in his hand, muttering to himself. "…So even monsters here leave cores behind."

Sliding it into his dimensional storage, he straightened and looked around properly for the first time.

The place was a forest with dense overgrowth of various kinds of trees, vines, and underbrush.

Arthur rose slowly into the air, scanning the horizon from above the treetops.

A vast forest stretched endlessly in every direction, its canopy thick and wild. The air was damp indicating high humidity, heavy with the scent of moss and earth. Mountains jutted up in the distance, their snowcapped peaks lost in thick clouds. Birds, or at least, creatures that resembled them, screeched somewhere above the treeline. The whole realm bustled with life, but not the kind he was used to.

He opened his map, as it came into view before his eyes, lit up with markers of lifeforce scattered in every direction. Some were dim, smaller than the snake he had just fought. Others blazed brighter, monstrous presences that made his instincts warn him.

He whistled slowly. "This place is packed with dangers."

Closing the map, he adjusted his position mid-air, glancing around once more.

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Lets pick a direction and keep moving."

He flew down and looked eastward, where a cluster of strong presences were present, and began to jog lightly along the forest floor, his boots crunching over roots and leaves.

But he kept his senses sharp, the Ancient Realm wasn't going to be easy. He pressed deeper into the wilderness of the Ancient Realm.

***

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