Chapter 24 – The First Step into the Arena
The sky cracked open like a wound.
Light tore through the clouds—blinding, searing—and the world fractured with an earth-shattering roar.
Inside a modest house on the city's outskirts, Evan sat on the floor playing quietly with his little sister. Her laughter filled the room like a fragile bubble of joy. She was only eight—bright-eyed, innocent, and blissfully unaware of the darkness creeping in from beyond their walls.
Their mother had left early for work. Their aunt, in the kitchen humming softly as she prepared breakfast, moved with casual peace.
Too peaceful.
Then came the Rift.
A jagged tear, glowing with impossible colors, split the sky above their home. A shockwave screamed outward. The walls shuddered. Windows exploded inward. The ceiling buckled.
And the house was gone.
Evan's ears rang. His body was hurled across the room like a toy. The last thing he saw was his sister's small hand reaching for him—
—before a pillar crashed down, burying her under cold, merciless stone.
His aunt's scream was swallowed by the collapse.
Silence followed, thick with dust and ruin. Smoke stung his eyes, and every breath burned.
When Evan opened his eyes, the world had ended.
Nothing remained but rubble and fire.
He was alone.
Terror pinned him. His chest heaved. Every breath came with pain. And somewhere, just beyond the ruined walls, the shrill screeches of monsters pierced the air.
He tried to stand.
Couldn't.
His limbs shook. His hands were numb.
Fear gripped him like a vice—until something inside him cracked open.
Warmth bloomed in his chest, soft and steady.
A power awoke.
A glowing screen hovered before his eyes, text burning into his soul:
> [Divine Will Cultivation – Activated]
Energy surged into his lower abdomen, coalescing into a dense, glowing core the system called a Dantian—not a mana circle like the others spoke of, but a wellspring of pure vitality. A seed of strength that grew with his mastery.
It was his lifeline.
His body changed. Muscles hardened. Bones solidified. His skin thickened like armor.
> [Divine Martial Body – Acquired]
But power didn't mean control.
Staggering through the crumbling city, Evan turned into an alley—and froze.
A goblin snarled at the end of it. Twisted. Hulking. Eyes gleaming with hate.
His breath caught. His hands trembled. His instincts screamed.
This wasn't a spell. There was no chant to hide behind.
This was technique—pure movement. He had to strike with focus, precision, intent.
His body moved before thought.
A flash of his palm—guided by instinct, honed by desperation—struck the creature's chest with a sharp crack.
The goblin convulsed. Twitched. Dropped dead.
Evan staggered back, panting, chest tight.
He had killed.
The taste wasn't victory—it was shock. Guilt. Disbelief.
But there was no time to think.
He ran.
The city was a ruin of broken glass and blackened dreams. He moved like a shadow, ducking between fallen walls and burning cars, avoiding monsters that roamed the streets.
A shelter gave him a moment's peace. A crowd. A roof. Human voices.
Then the monsters came again.
Screams. Flames. Blood on stone.
He fought. He ran. He bled.
And in every clash, something inside him grew. He cultivated—faster, deeper. The fear dulled. His body adapted. His mind sharpened.
Fear was a cage—and with every fight, he cracked its bars.
But the world was cruel.
Humans proved worse than monsters.
Captured by a roaming band of kidnappers, Evan was beaten, caged, nearly starved. In the dark, he was forced to kill a Player to escape.
His hands were slick with blood. His soul hollowed.
He vomited afterward—shaking, sobbing, bile and tears mingling.
The scar didn't fade.
From that day, trust became a stranger. Fear, a companion.
And yet, under the ash of pain, something refused to die.
Hope.
A single ember.
That somewhere, his brother—his last remaining family—was still alive.
---
Now, standing atop a hill near the city's Gate, Evan scanned the horizon.
Two figures stood ahead, near the glowing threshold. Silent. Watchful.
Strangers.
And right now, strangers were safer than friends.
His status window blinked beside him:
> [Name: Evan]
[Class: Divine Cultivator]
[Level: 29]
---
In the gloom beyond the threshold, a lone figure stood motionless.
His armor was forged of midnight and fragments of forgotten realms. Obsidian plates etched with runes whispered of death. A crown of jagged stone coiled around his brow, veins of molten silver pulsing beneath dark skin.
His eyes glowed with the red light of dying stars.
He didn't speak. Didn't move.
The air around him crackled—an aura that twisted the very world around him.
He waited.
Time stretched thin.
The gate pulsed with breath.
And then—
—it opened.
---
All across the world, the sky seemed to hold its breath.
In cities. In ruins. On mountaintops and through deserts. Every Player stared at their status windows as new messages tore across the interface like thunder.
---
> ⟦ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION – GLOBAL ⟧
Event Name: RESISTANCE
Another dimension is attempting to invade and assimilate your reality.
Players must resist the invasion by eliminating intruders.
Failure means total conquest. Victory grants dominion and advancement.
Participation:
All eligible players will be teleported to assigned locations.
Return granted only upon victory.
Communication:
Global Player Chat unlocked.
Voice and video chat available via IDs and chat groups.
Event Rules:
Only Level 30+ players can interfere with invaders.
Only Level 30+ can cross into the invader's dimension.
Only Level 30+ receive event rewards.
All battles broadcast globally.
World Rankings:
Top 100 visible.
Players Level 20+ ranked.
Sponsor System Active:
Higher beings may support Players.
Sponsors lose half their Coin balance if their supported Player dies.
Sponsorships are locked for 2–5 rounds after death.
Victory Condition:
Eliminate all invaders.
Defeat Condition:
All Level 30 Players die.
Time Limit:
1 Month
[Time Until Event Begins: 00:01:00]
---
The Final Moments
The countdown hit zero.
Level 30+ Players across the world vanished in an instant—teleported without warning.
Andrew stood at the gate.
Clara beside him.
They didn't speak much.
Their eyes met.
A flicker of warmth passed between them.
"See you soon," Andrew said.
Clara smiled, fierce and soft. "You better."
Light engulfed her.
She vanished.
Andrew stood alone, the wind tugging at his coat, eyes locked on the golden gate.
---
From the deserts of Egypt to the ruins of Berlin, from the Siberian tundra to the steaming jungles of the Amazon, the gates opened.
One after another.
Players crossed through by the thousands.
---
And beyond those gates—across the fracture between worlds—figures emerged from the darkness.
Warriors cloaked in light and shadow.
Faces hidden. Intentions masked.
And watching them—unseen by either side—were things beyond comprehension.
Eyes that did not blink. Smiles that did not end.
The game had begun.