Chapter 48 | Entering the First Layer
Alicar exited the Trading Centre and after eating at a nearby restaurant, a warm, hearty meal that he savored, he returned to his home, the familiar scent welcoming him back.
The first thing he did was check the Awakener Association’s forum, his curiosity getting the better of him as he settled into his worn chair.
And though he wasn’t registered to any kind of account, he could now actually access beyond the front page, a privilege of his new tier that opened up a world of information.
There was a page titled [First Layer] which wasn’t present before, and as he clicked on it, more posts appeared, each one offering a glimpse into the experiences of Tier-1 awakeners from all walks of life.
These were from much more experienced awakeners, as they were each at least Tier-1, their words carrying the weight of genuine knowledge and hard-won experience.
---
[How do you defeat a gargoyle? I found one near some kind of weird building!]
- Seriously? Gargoyles are extremely strong, but more than anything, their materials are top-tiers, send the location!
- Hell no, its mine!
- Your greed will be the end of you.
- Not that deep, bro.
---
The posts in the First Layer section were much less general than on the front page and actually were related to things in the First Layer, specific challenges and locations that required real expertise.
The further Alicar read, the more he wondered just how big the Eternal Realm truly was, as each of these people seemed to have a different experience and encounter, their stories painting a vast and complex picture.
The hours passed like this, scrolling through post after post, his eyes growing heavy with exhaustion, and as midnight came closer, Alicar took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come.
’One last post, then its time,’ he thought, his eyes scanning the screen one final time.
---
[Am I going crazy, or are the goblins growing more active? They’ve been attacking several bases already!]
- The Association is looking into it, locking this post, any other talk about this will result in penalties.
---
This post only had only one comment and was locked by a higher authority awakener, the very same one who had done that about the Sun Temple post, silencing discussion with an iron fist.
Alicar decided to check his name on the forum, and it was: "Chris Valerius (Tier-4)"
"Huh..." Alicar muttered, committing the name to memory, a knot of unease forming in his stomach.
Unfortunately, Alicar didn’t have time to ponder about this much more, because immediately the clock struck midnight, its chime echoing through his small apartment.
Ding!
[+3 Evolution Points.]
The first panel he saw were his EP gains, which felt nice, knowing he gained 3 daily now without doing anything, a passive income of power that would accumulate over time.
But the next one was far more significant, its letters glowing with an ethereal light that made his heart skip a beat.
Ding!
[You are being transported to the First Layer.]
Alicar only had time to read the panel once before he felt himself being torn apart by the system and transported somewhere else, his body dissolving into particles of light.
Alicar felt himself being sent through a vortex, the sensation of his very being stretched across dimensions, his consciousness flickering like a candle in the wind.
Ding!
[Identity Confirmed: Alicar Soulveil.]
[Class: Soulless]
Beep!
[True Title "Soulless One" detected.]
[Sending to appropriate location...]
"Huh?" Alicar barely had time to react, confusion washing over him.
And even if he did, he couldn’t really have done anything about it, the system’s will absolute and unstoppable.
After a few seconds of disorienting travel through the void, he landed on the ground of the First Layer with a heavy thud, his body jarring from the impact.
Ding!
[You have arrived at the First Layer.]
[Good luck, Soulless One, your very first hell is awaiting.]
[You are able to leave whenever you want as long as you are out of combat.]
Alicar opened his eyes, expecting to appear somewhere where he could pinpoint his location and hopefully start to look for Iris and the others, a quiet introduction to the new layer.
He knew for a fact she was transported to the First Layer as well, and as for Leon, he had no idea, he’d have to search for him in the vast expanse of this new world.
But instead of a peaceful introduction, chaos erupted around him, a cacophony of screams and clashing steel filling his ears.
BOOM!
"H-Holy shit, attack!"
"DEFEND THE BASE NO MATTER WHAT!"
"Where’s the base lord?!"
All he heard was hundreds of other awakeners like him shouting and fighting for their lives, their voices a desperate chorus of survival.
Alicar had actually spawned in a human base in the First Layer, which was an incredible stroke of luck, if not for the fact that most of the buildings were crumbling around him, their stone walls blackened with marks.
And more than anything, running around the base fighting with savage ferocity were goblins, their green forms everywhere he looked, their eyes burning with bloodlust.
He watched as two of them cornered a lone awakener and slashed at him with jagged weapons, killing him before he could even react, his body collapsing to the ground in a heap.
"Holy shit," Alicar breathed, his eyes wide with shock at the brutal scene unfolding before him.
Alicar had seen many deaths in the Eternal Realm because of the secret realm he had entered.
But if anybody came to this place unprepared, they might vomit or even faint from the sheer brutality of the scene.
Either way, Alicar wanted to understand what the hell was happening: why the hell was the base he was teleported into being attacked so suddenly and violently?
’The forum post about goblins...’ Alicar recalled, his mind racing with connections. ’It seems like whenever something is happening and the Awakener Association doesn’t like it, they try as hard as they can to hide the information from the public...’
This had been the case with the Sun Temple, and now the goblin attack, meaning there must be something happening behind the scenes that they didn’t want anyone to know about, a conspiracy brewing beneath the surface.
More terrifying though, was the level of the goblins in the base, far exceeding what a new awakener should face upon their first entry into the First Layer.
---
[Small Goblin Lv.15]
[Rank: Common]
---
[Goblin Warrior Lv.17]
[Rank: Common]
---
[Tank Goblin Lv.19]
[Rank: Uncommon]
---
All of these monsters were above level 15, something that Alicar should definitely not be able to see upon his first entry in this place, a clear anomaly that defied all known patterns.
But it seemed like the humans weren’t doing too bad either, because as he peered into their souls, their levels were also decent and capable of fighting back against the goblin horde.
[Level: 16]
[Level: 19]
[Level: 20]
This was a level 15-20 human base in the First Layer that was being attacked, and for some strange reason, Alicar had been placed right in the middle of a war zone.
...
A/N: Support this novel by giving some powerstones and/or golden tickets if you want to, its really motivating :D!