Chapter 158 - Realm Expansion, Sector Thirteen

The Realm 

It was easiest to visualize The Realm as a flat misshapen circle. Each time the Highest Trial was completed, the Trial System would relocate an enormous chunk of land. Sometimes tearing apart a planet whole and stretching the landmass into a crescent shape. Then this new crescent-shaped world would be slotted like a puzzle piece to fit in with the rest of The Realm.

Creating a larger, still-misshapen circle.

It was discussed often what doing this did to the worlds it left behind. Whether it was even morally justifiable to continue completing the Highest Trial, especially knowing they could be dooming whatever was left behind.

Naturally those kinds of questions came after the Tyrants had won their peace. Not when Earth was expanding their stake across The Realm, not when they waged war on the Tyrants, seeking to get ahead themselves.

Only after the Tyrants had won did such questions arise.

Not that it mattered.

The Witch Tyrant would gladly watch anyone attempt to convince the Passive Tyrant from completing the Highest Trial.

Though it wasn’t just the Passive Tyrant. You could see it here, with all of the greedy adventurers lining up at the edge of Sector Twelve. Ready to go forth and plunder the new land. After all, this was where you could find new skills, new artifacts and completely alien paths for power. 

It wasn’t like their might wouldn’t be helpful elsewhere. When Sector Twelve had been added, the entirety of Sector Eight’s edge turned into a border with Sector Twelve. The monsters that had come in from Sector Twelve in had been a near ecological disaster for the favorite Sector Eight and pretty much every settlement other than Vitalia had been completely abandoned.

It had gotten so bad that even the Tyrants themselves had to step in.

Despite that, the Adventurer’s Guild knew it could not truly order the high realm adventurers around. Even if they demanded all of them to take positions around the more vulnerable borders, who could really verify that they would stay?

No, it would be too much of a revolt and a violation of their freedoms.

So, the Adventurer’s Guild didn’t bother. They ordered the seventh realms and below to take positions and politely made requests of higher realm adventurers to maintain sector borders or to be available to protect major cities in The realm.

The vast majority of course didn’t listen. Even the eighth and ninth realms were waiting at the border. Looking for their opportunity.

Everyone knew of the stories of the Kellys. The lovebird couple getting lucky and finding priceless weaponry in Sector Eleven, giving themselves the confidence to challenge the Tenth Trial.

That could be them next.

And so, many eighth and ninth realm squads were protected by dragonslayers in the border of Sector Twelve. Individual dragonslayers being paid a hefty amount just to ensure that tens to even hundreds of lower realm adventurers wouldn’t get swept away by a stray monster.

When the new land arrived, all bets would be off. Dragonslayers would rush towards the new land and the lower realm adventurers would navigate through the new lands carefully.

For now they were all tense, waiting. Waiting for the Highest Trial to be completed.

Though amongst all of the adventurers lining up, ready to explore the new lands, there were those that kept their presences hidden. Either by using the environment or hiding amongst the other adventurers. 

The Witch Tyrant watched as the [Stallmaster Thief] laughed with a group of ninth realm adventurers, snatching valuables from their storage devices as she laughed. Suddenly the [Thief] tensed up and looked around, noticing her observation. A hand twitching over one of her emergency artifacts.

For a moment the Witch Tyrant was tempted to try it anyway. It had been a good while since she had truly attempted to kill the impulsive kleptomaniac. It was always fun to see how many artifacts she could make the little [Thief] burn.

Her last record had been seven.

Then she thought better of it.

The Witch Tyrant sat above it all, high above in the stratosphere of The Realm. Floating in space, only a few other creatures and dragonslayers doing the same. They were probably taking the best vantage points, confident in their defenses against any strange beings that traveled this high up.

Of course, she had little concern with anything attacking her, very few beings could detect her when she was hidden. No, The Witch Tyrant was focused on watching the ripples in the Veil of the Trial System itself. The greatest illusory craft that she knew existed. It shimmered and swayed to unknown cosmic winds.

Hiding The Realm from the rest of the multiverse.

Normally it was invariable, diffuse, and almost impossible to see.

Not when the Trial System was getting ready for an expansion. Now was the time.

It curled and warped, stretching through a tunnel, prepared before the Trial System had first descended on Earth.

And when the veil stretched enough–it finally became malleable.

The Witch Tyrant’s hands pierced through the Great Veil, tearing through the elegant craft like a savage. Her hands dripping with brands of light as she poured her mana and her authority as the Witch Tyrant of The Realm into the Veil itself.

All of that happened in half a second. She pulled her hands back and watched the Trial System repair the veil in real time, observing step-by-step just how it was done. She attempted to create it piece by piece, in the same manner. More simplified and streamlined for she was no master with anything other than mana.

Though it was more than enough to level her Legend.

[Illusion and Reality Entwined] leveled up!

[Illusion and Reality Entwined] 18->19 

In the next second, the landmass arrived. An enormous landmass ripped out from an isolated dimension. The Trial System shunted anything that was occupying the space out of there and into the surrounding void of space.

It was even bigger than anyone had expected. Possibly twice as large as Sector Twelve. It meant that more than half of The Realm’s entire landmass had been added on top.

The unnerving thing was that it only took twenty percent of the edge of Sector Twelve. Instead, the entirety of Sector Ten’s edge had been swallowed up, with half of Sector Eleven’s Edge now turned into a border of Sector Thirteen.

The strongest dragonslayers charged in, greed in their eyes, eager to plunder a completely new land.

The Witch Tyrant sucked in a breath and paused. Something was different about Sector Thirteen. Each Sector was kept as a separate environment. The Trial System keeping the biome as similar to the original world’s as possible.

The entirety of Sector Thirteen was constantly shifting. Not in physical shape but by concepts. Her gaze stretched across the land, using the Veil itself to observe this new land in its entirety. This new world was raw, malleable in a way she had only heard about from the old ratkin. This feeling was the—

Something noticed her gaze.

Her eyes sharpened, latching onto what had seen her. She did not shy away from this observant entity, she stared directly at it. 

A great being of power with an unusual source of energy stood above a temple. Tens of thousands of feathery worshippers prostrated themselves towards it. The surrounding city likely populated millions in total. 

A large fifteen foot tall masculine humanoid that looked similar to the feathery creatures down below. Its chest was bare skin with impeccable abs. Tattoos guided its body, warping with the very world around it. A skeletal bird face with an ever shifting amount of eyes stared right at the Veil, then at her.

It pointed its ornate spear at her.

Realm Quest Activated!

Guardian Deity Shvin-Ra declares its claim on The Realm.

Completion Condition:

Slay or Subjugate Guardian Deity Shvin-Ra. If Shvin-Ra obtains thirteen system portals and reaches the center of Sector One, the realm quest will fail and the Trial System will leave The Realm.

The Witch Tyrant smiled, her teeth bared. Her broomstick turning into a spear of her own, a shimmering buckler appearing on her arm.

She flew.

Finally. This was what she had been waiting for.

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Sector Four.

Valee saw the System notification and paled. “A fucking deity?! Already?”

Zedart, who had been teaching some of the Unwanted Children swordplay, paused and stared at her in disapproval for her language.

“The great dragon Wellarrioussa appeared along with Sector Nine, this one seems a little early.”

Valee shook her head. “Hopefully the Tyrants can deal with something like that, I mean it’s a guardian deity right? Maybe it can be reasoned with.”

Seventeen minutes later…

Realm Quest complete!

Guardian Deity Shvin-Ra has been slain by the Witch Tyrant, Xie Lihua

Zedart and Valee blinked at the notification. 

Valee shrugged. “Maybe a guardian deity isn’t that strong?”

Zedart wasn’t sure himself. “I think only the strongest creatures of the new Sector can create a notification like this.”

Realm Quest Activated!

Guardian Deity Tor’kik declares its claim on The Realm

Ten minutes later…

Realm Quest complete!

Guardian Deity Tor’kik has been slain by the Witch Tyrant, Xie Lihua

Six minutes later…

Realm Quest Activated!

Guardian Deity O’sunna declares its claim on The Realm.

Ten Seconds later…

Realm Quest Complete!

Guardian Deity O’sunna forfeits its claim on The Realm.

Thirteen minutes later…

Realm Quest Updated!

Guardian Deity O’sunna has been slain by the Witch Tyrant, Xie Lihua

Valee turned to Zedart. “Artigan’s got a screw loose if he’s still planning on stopping her.”

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It was an apocalyptic scene unlike anything Ja’kess had ever witnessed before. Many times had Ikthan’ess looked over them, defending them from the hostile world. Even when other deities came to wage war it did not look like this. The sky was blazing in blinding light and their deity, their guardian… 

Was bleeding.

Ja’kess did not know Ikthan’ess could even bleed, nor did he realize that their deity bled thick rivers of gold.

Their deity screamed at the small figure in white.

“Leave us in peace! I do not claim your world for my own, intruder.”

The sneering laughter from the monstrous skin creature would never leave Ja’kess’ dreams. Her voice was somehow melodious, haunting and mocking all at once.

“Do you still believe the faith from your little worshippers can save you? How droll.”

Ikthan’ess’ blocked three beams of light as it seared his body and slammed him into their golden temple, collapsing it utterly. Jak’ess was in shock, unable to believe what he was witnessing. It was an instinctual reaction. Millions of the Ikthan’ess people marched towards their Great Temple.

Prostrating themselves, giving their faith to the deity that protected them.

A bright light shone from the ruined temple, sparking and blinding everyone. Their faith had been rewarded and their deity was renewed. 

Then a barrage of beams descended from the sky, as if mocking all of their faith and smiting the temple and Ikthan’ess into ash. The Ikthan’ess people looked up, they believed their guardian deity could do anything.

Even defeat this alien intruder. Their faith lifting everything up. The sun shining brighter, the golden roads becoming blinding.

That was until the small skin monster in white robes and a wide white hat came out of the temple ruins. Holding the mangled head of their deity high into the sky. Her face wrought in bloodthirsty delight.

The image of their dead deity appeared high above them all. As if the world itself was weeping and creating a memorial for their dead deity.

For all of the Ikthan’ess people to see.

The Ikthan’ess people wailed all at once. Many in denial, most in despair.

Their deity was dead. DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD.

The thought screamed in all of their heads, emotions of despair, their deity was dead, and they were all lost.

The very faith warped the world around them. The sun started to darken, the light of faith twisting into death and decay.

The monster looked up at the sky, then down at the people of Ikthan’ess.

“Hmm, you lot are truly too dangerous to leave around. My apologies.”

The orbs of light surrounding the monster began to flare. All of them were going to die, but their deity was dead. They were all already dead anyway.

A feminine voice shattered the air, cutting through their despair like a blazing light.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!”

A bright wonderful figure in black. They looked similar to the skin monster but were different in slight ways. Black hair, slightly less pointed ears, and a fire in her eyes that reminded Jak’ess of his own dead deity.

“Gamielle.” the monster hissed. “Do you think you’re capable of stopping me?”

“Well someone’s got to. Come on then, Witch Tyrant, a fight to the death it is.”

Blue runic circles ringed around the newcomer. But even then, Jak’ess couldn’t imagine that this new creature could possibly win. He was almost assured of the fact when the fighting started and white lights bombarded the new woman in the air. She struggled to defend against the lights, the battle being displayed by the image high above them.

They all saw her fight back against the monster that had slain their deity. Gritting her teeth, forming circles that changed the world, fighting like a deity herself, commanding both the lands and sky to her bidding.

The fighting lasted one long minute. The ‘Witch Tyrant’ huffing in tiredness. Of course fighting Ikthan’ess had taken it out of her. She stared hatefully at this ‘Gamielle.’

“I’ll be back next time. These people are too dangerous to leave alive.”

“That’s not up for you to decide.”

The Witch Tyrant huffed and flew away. Like a torrent she had arrived, and like a mouse she fled. This Gamielle floated above over them, staring at the place the Witch Tyrant had flew away to. When she was certain it was safe, she started to descend towards the Ikthan’ess people, towards him.

She stared down, kindness on her face, benevolence despite the power she wielded.

She reached down to Jak’ess.

“Are you all okay?”

Jak’ess flinched away from this monster that looked so similar to the monster that had killed their deity.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here to help.”

Her kindness and her eyes soothed the soul and spoke to them like their dead deity. Her eyes burnished gold like Ikthan’ess and the world seemed to shine down on her. This was their savior.

With such a display, the Ikthan’ess people did what they always did.

They prostrated themselves and worshipped their new deity.

=====================================================

Back in Sector Ten

Gamielle scratched the back of her neck, confused. Something was gathering around her and she was confused as to why it was. She had tried to throw a scrying spell across the new sector and it had bounced off. Her mother blocked her from scrying the normal way.

Probably so she could slaughter guardian deities in peace.

“Still, how is this possible?”

The thing that she had tried to steal from Indigo’s Legend and had failed. Somehow it was surrounding her like mana naturally did.

When the hell had her mother figured out how to harvest faith from deities?!

======================================================

All across the new Sector Thirteen, blazing shows of light shone across the skies. Everywhere there was a temple or a place of worship, deities were slain without mercy. Then a beam of light would travel away, dodging odd monsters and hazardous zones of unknown concepts.

Though the beam of light could not dodge one monster. This monster tackled the beam of light from its path, screaming in her face.

“LIHUAAAA! YOU SCHEMING ACHIEVEMENT-STEALING BITCH, I SHOULD’VE KNOWN THIS WAS WHY YOU DIDN’T JOIN WITH US! I WANTED TO ENJOY THE SAFEROOM MORE.”

“Not now, Ayla, I’m busy.”

The only person that would and could, talk to her that way was, of course, the Passive Tyrant. 

“Didn’t you tell me off for killing that Lu Bai-whatever guy? What the hell are you doing?”

“I haven’t killed all of them, just the ones that attempted to take over The Realm.”

The Passive Tyrant stared suspiciously at her.

Damn bestial instincts. Strangely enough, despite not getting any smarter, the Passive Tyrant had become more and more difficult to lie to.

So she would tell the truth.

“Listen to me. This is a different plan for–”

Realm Quest Activated!

Roaming Spirit Gorza declares its claim on The Realm

WARNING: Gorza has taken one system portal for itself.

The Passive Tyrant’s eyes widened, her eyes darting back and forth, trying to find wherever this roaming deity was with her instincts alone. For a moment it looked like she had locked onto the direction, then shook her head in confusion. 

That was interesting. Possibly the new environment is messing with her instincts.

When the Passive Tyrant couldn’t figure it out herself, she sheepishly turned back to the Witch Tyrant.

Lihua rolled her eyes and pointed to where Gorza was. The Passive Tyrant looked at her suspiciously.

“This one’s mine right? No interfering?”

The monstrous [Undisputed Apex of The Realm] gave the Witch Tyrant puppy dog eyes. Lihua shook her head.

“Go ahead.”

“You’re the best Lihua!”

If the Passive Tyrant had a tail it would be wagging as she bounded across Sector Thirteen. Barrelling monsters, strange concepts and warped environments with her body alone.

========================================================

Though the slaying of these ‘deities’ was for the Tyrants, not for ‘average dragonslayers’. If there even was such a term for dragonslayers. Well, it would fit their group quite well. A [Dragonslayer Healer], two [Dragonslayer Warriors] and a [Dragonslayer Rogue], an average group of dragonslayers that they often called themselves the ‘Classic Dragonslayers’. It was supposed to be an inside joke.

Until they found out that all the stronger dragonslayers looked down on them.

Still that didn’t change the way they operated. Methodical and planned, that was their motto. They were still ahead of any non-dragonslayers of course, but they were behind every other dragonslayer.

So, despite the caution… why hadn’t they noticed this weird old man creeping up on them?

A slightly too big human head stuck on a stick figure frame that looked like a flick of a finger would snap its bones.

Of course, they weren’t stupid. Somehow this thing had appeared only ten feet away from them without them noticing. 

“Could I help you, sir?”

“Words!” the old man shouted in delight, “What a joy! Words and voices in my head, telling me to declare myself the ruler of this delightful land!”

Even for dragonslayers, a properly talking monster was new. Still, they were dragonslayers, they adapted quick enough.

“Yes, don’t accept that or the Witch Tyrant will come hunt you down.”

“I would never leave my forest! Never!”

“That’s good, stay around here old man, don’t–”

The [Dragonslayer Rogue] signalled something. Danger and… Concepts?

“Well, sorry to say we’ll be off.”

“No, no, no! You can’t leave without first accepting my hospitality. Them’s the rules!”

“Sorry but—”

“I INSIST.”

========================================================

The Fifth Trial

Realm Quest Updated!

Roaming Spirit Gorza has been slain by Ayla

Ryan was staring at the long list of notifications by the Trial System, his hands rubbing against his temples. His eyes were bloodshot, his hands shaking.

His mind wandered over to the Trial completion screen, desperate to click it so he could leave the Trial early and find out what in the flying fuck was going on over in The Realm.

Ryan rocked back and forth on the balcony.

Agrinth looked over in concern.

“Are you okay?”

Ryan just started muttering to himself.

“It’s like an Instant Trial, never take the deal and betray your teammates, there’s always another way, always another way. Don’t take the easy way out, don’t take the easy way out. You must resist temptation. The greatest Trials are given to the strongest adventurers. The greatest Trials are given to the strongest adventurers.”

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Poor Ryan. Doesn't have the front seat like the rest of us.

3.3k words... It was 2.2k words before edits. More scenes kept being added, and added, and added.