Floating above the empty white expanse of the [Dinsion of Ti] was a massive gray tir.
It hung there in the sky, steadily ticking forward.
[23 hours 37 minutes 59 seconds]
It showed how much ti had passed in the real world.
Sam glanced at it and nodded to himself. It was nearly ti.
He had trained long enough, and now he felt ready.
Satisfied, he slipped his [Primordial Sword] back into his [Spatial Inventory].
He turned to look at the [Forsaken Clone] who stood beside him, still smiling.
Then with a single thought, he unsummoned it.
The clone faded into aura, its crimson grin vanishing last.
Ding!
Right then, a portal materialized in front of him.
Because of the pure white surroundings, it was hard to see at first, but Sam spotted it.
Without waiting, he stepped forward and jumped through.
His body was pulled by a strange force, as though reality itself was bending around him.
It lasted only a few seconds.
Fwish! Thud!
Sam landed smoothly on his feet.
He was back in his hotel room.
The sa place he had entered the [Dinsion of Ti] from the day before.
Nothing had changed. He reached for his phone and checked the ti.
[7:57 a.m.]
As expected, one full day had passed in the real world.
Ding!
A soft chi sounded, and a new system ssage appeared.
---
[The Guild eting will begin at 8:00 a.m. to allow all leaders to make use of the rest of their day.]
[Please use the "Teleportation Stones" provided to travel to the designated location. The eting site will remain confidential to prevent any unauthorized access.]
[etings usually concern the top 100 guilds, but the matters at hand are serious, aning only the top 15 were invited.]
[Thank you.]
---
Sam’s eyes drifted to the small wooden table beside his bed.
Just like last ti, a crimson [Teleportation Stone] had appeared there.
Unlike the first eting, he wouldn’t be late this ti.
He picked up the stone and inspected it.
---
[Teleportation Stone]
[Rank: Common]
[Description: A common-use teleportation item. This one is tuned specifically to transport the user to the "Top 15 Guild eting".]
---
Holding it between his fingers, Sam took a breath.
He closed his eyes, gathered a bit of his aura, and pushed it into the stone.
Then, without a mont’s hesitation, he crushed it.
Crack!
The mont it shattered, glowing shards burst out, surrounding him in a gentle light.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Fwish! Thud!
[You have arrived at your location.]
Sam’s eyes opened as his feet hit solid ground.
He was once again inside the familiar circular chamber.
A giant round table stood at the center, and standing on it were the three leaders of the [Awakener Association] of the [North Region].
Around the table were dozens of chairs, each filled with people.
So were n and won in armor, others in elegant robes or cloaks.
Each one had an aura that scread power.
Sam did a quick count in his head. Seventy-three.
That ant only the core mbers of the top 15 guilds had been invited.
Leaders. Co-leaders. Trusted generals. Elite awakeners.
He looked around and quickly spotted familiar faces.
Lily. Alicia. Chloe.
Each one sat with their own guild, surrounded by allies.
Then Sam realized sothing.
’Wait a second... why am I the last one again?’
He frowned, slightly annoyed.
’I was on ti this ti, wasn’t I?’
Shrugging to himself, he stepped forward without saying anything.
Evans and Emily, who were the ones standing on the table, both noticed him.
Their eyes lit up the mont they saw him.
He could tell even from here that they were surprised. And not just them.
As Sam moved toward his seat, he felt dozens of eyes land on him.
David Union had a grin on his face.
Oliver Gremoir remained calm but curious.
Oscar Windshield looked furious for so reason.
Chloe’s parents watched him with interest.
The rest of the room, those Sam didn’t know, all gave him cautious glances.
Whispers spread.
"That’s the sa kid from last ti, isn’t it?"
"Why is he late again?"
"Wait... he’s in a top 15 guild?"
"No way. He looks too young."
Sam ignored it all. He sat down silently, letting his crimson eyes flicker.
"Ah, here he is," Evans chuckled from atop the table.
Everyone turned to look at him.
But then Evans paused. He gazed into Sam’s eyes.
And in that mont, he looked... unsettled.
Even soone like Evans, who had seen more than most, felt a chill.
There was sothing inside Sam’s eyes, an abyss so deep it threatened to pull you in.
He had seen it the first ti they t, but now Sam’s eyes felt 10 tis more powerful.
"Anyway..." Evans cleared his throat, trying to brush it off. "We can continue."
"Hold on," a sharp voice cut in.
Sam turned his head. It was Chloe’s father.
"Who is this kid? And why is he sitting alone?"
Sam didn’t even blink. He didn’t care.
He just wanted to hear the important parts of the eting and be done with it.
Everyone’s attention now fell entirely on Sam.
Evans scratched his head, clearly unsure how to answer.
It was rare for soone to attend these etings who wasn’t already known by every guild here.
Yet this boy, whose na they didn’t know, was unfamiliar to most of them.
Too young. Too quiet. Too unknown.
And yet, none of them could ignore the pressure that ca off him.
His aura felt like it didn’t belong to a human.
Then Evans spoke.
"Primordial Guild."
Just two words. But they echoed through the chamber like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze. That na was not unknown. Quite the opposite.
Only weeks ago, nobody had ever heard of the [Primordial Guild].
But now, it was the most talked about guild in the world.
Not because of its mbers. Not because of its fa.
But because it was the only guild in the world to have completed the [Fifth Layer].
"He’s the leader," Evans said clearly. "Sam Walker. He’s the one who beat it."
Gasps rang out. Murmurs filled the air.
Even David Union looked impressed while he knew who Sam was.
So shook their heads in disbelief.
Others glanced at him like he was a puzzle they hadn’t figured out yet.
Sam saw Lily, Chloe and Alicia smiling though, they seed proud, even though they literally did nothing.
He didn’t mind it, though, and stayed quiet.
"Are you sure?" a man suddenly asked.
Sam recognized him. Alex Valenward, from the [Third Expedition].
"I guess it makes sense though," he added after a pause.
"Huh..." Diana Vinelord, Chloe’s mother, muttered, placing a hand on her chin. "This changes things."
"So that kid’s the strongest awakener in the world?"
"No way, maybe he just got carried by a stack team."
"I don’t know... those eyes say otherwise."
They kept talking.
Sam didn’t bother responding.
[What a waste of ti, shut them up =)]
He saw the panel ssage appear and sighed softly.
Then, he stood up. His voice was calm but firm.
"The Fifth Layer..."
Everyone went silent.
"...is a tower with five floors. You must clear each one before moving to the next."
It was only one sentence.
But it was the kind of information that would normally cost millions, or many lives, to obtain.
Even Evans, Emily, and the third elder figure looked stunned.
Sam could have shared more, but his version of the [Fifth Layer] had been warped by Jevil’s interference.
He didn’t want giving false information, so he held back.
That sentence was enough.
"Can we continue now?" Sam said.
His eyes locked onto Evans, and he nodded.
"Yes. As Sam said... let’s move on. There are more urgent things to address."
The room fell back into silence.
The weight of the eting returned.
And so the [Top 15 Guild eting] truly began.
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