Arthur stood at the edge of the floating terrace of his obsidian palace, overlooking the transformed Himalayan range. The air was thick with mana, smelling of ozone and ancient power. Below him, millions of humans had gathered. They weren't the weak, cowering citizens they had been a few days ago. The 'Global Awakening' had changed them, but they were still unrefined. They were like raw iron, waiting for the hammer.
"Twenty-seven days," Arthur whispered, his voice caught by the wind but amplified by his system to reach every ear at the base of the mountain. "The Heavens sent a scout, and I sent her back in pieces. But the ones coming next won't be scouts. They will be executioners."
[Ding!]
[Hidden Quest: The Sovereign's Duty.]
[Objective: Create a specialized training environment to prepare 1,000 human 'Commanders' for the Great War.]
[Reward: Absolute Synchronization with the Core of the Earth.]
Arthur turned his gaze to the 'Concept Blade' strapped to his waist. He didn't just need an army of shadows; he needed an army of humans who could stand even if his shadows fell.
"Igris," Arthur called.
The Shadow Deity appeared instantly, his four spectral wings casting a massive shadow over the terrace. "My King, the selection is complete. One thousand hunters from across the globe, each showing the highest compatibility with the new mana density, are waiting for your command."
"Good," Arthur said. "But the current world is too soft for them. They need a place where time moves differently. A place where they can die a thousand deaths and learn from each one."
Arthur raised his blade and slashed the air toward the center of the Himalayan plateau.
"100x Multiplier... Monarch's Decree: The Tower of Eternal Trials!"
The ground groaned as if a giant was waking up. From the solid diamond foundation of the plateau, a tower made of obsidian and gold erupted. It didn't stop growing until it pierced through the atmosphere, visible even from the moon.
[Ding!]
[100x Multiplier Activated!]
[The Tower of Eternal Trials has been enhanced x100.]
[Time Dilation active: 1 Year inside the Tower equals 1 Day in the outside world.]
The crowd below gasped in terror and awe. A year of training in a single day? This was beyond magic; it was the power of a god.
"Listen to me!" Arthur's voice boomed like a physical wave of pressure. "In this tower, you will face every monster I have ever slain. You will face my shadows. You will face each other. There is no mercy here. Only those who can survive the 100 floors will be allowed to stand by my side when the Great Twelve arrive."
Arthur pointed his finger at the group of a thousand selected hunters. A dark purple light enveloped them, and in a flash, they were transported to the first floor of the tower.
"Master," Igris whispered, "Is it wise to give them so much power? What if they turn against the shadow that raised them?"
Arthur turned his violet eyes toward his general. "Let them try. A king who is afraid of his own soldiers is no king at all. Besides, the Multiplier ensures that as they grow stronger, my own power grows by a hundredfold. They are my investment, Igris. Not my threat."
Arthur sat back on his throne, closing his eyes to enter a deep meditative state. But just as he began to synchronize with the Earth's core, the system let out a shriek of warning.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Dimensional Interference detected in the Pacific Ocean.]
[An 'Ancient One' has bypassed the 28-day countdown.]
[The Sea God, Poseidon—one of the Great Twelve—has forced a partial manifestation!]
Arthur's eyes snapped open. The 100x Multiplier in his soul began to vibrate with a violent intensity.
"Partial manifestation? He's trying to cheat the countdown?" Arthur growled, standing up. The obsidian throne beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure of his anger.
A massive holographic screen appeared, showing the Pacific Ocean. A whirlpool thousands of miles wide had formed, and from its center, a trident made of blue starlight was slowly emerging, piercing the very clouds. The sea level across the planet was rising by the second. Coastal cities were already sounding their alarms.
"He wants to drown my world before the war even starts," Arthur said, his hand gripping the hilt of 'The End of All Things'.
"Generals! Protect the Tower! Igris, lead the legion to the coasts! Minimize the casualties!"
"And you, my King?" Igris asked, his wings crackling with black electricity.
Arthur looked toward the Pacific, his violet hair fluttering in the gale-force winds. "I'm going to show a God that his ocean is nothing more than a puddle in the face of the Void."
[Ding!]
[New Urgent Quest: The God of the Depths.]
[Objective: Kill or Repel Poseidon's Manifestation.]
[Time Limit: 2 Hours.]
[Reward: 100x Multiplier applied to the 'Sea God's Authority'.]
Arthur didn't wait. He stepped off the edge of the floating palace and, in a burst of dark gold light, vanished toward the horizon.
The world was watching. The first of the Great Twelve had arrived early, and the Shadow Monarch was meeting him halfway. The battle for Earth wasn't in 28 days anymore. It was now.