Just as Bioship-XN76 crossed the flickering edge of the bomb hole—a dimensional rift that looked like a supernova had eaten too much chili—a loud BONG echoed in Everett's head.
---
System Warning!
New realm resonating with Frost Realm
Conditions met for Phase 2, Trial 2.
Riot commencing in 1 minute.
---
Everett blinked. "Did you hear that?"
Gloria looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Hear what?"
"The system," Everett whispered like someone revealing a scandalous celebrity secret. "You know, the one that ghosted me after Trial 1, gave me loot, and just… poofed."
"Ah, that system," Gloria said dryly. "The emotionally unavailable one."
A second later, the real deal arrived:
System Warning!
Phase 2, Trial 2 Commencing.
Participants may now choose: Accept or Reject.
Estimated Participants: 100,000,000
May the Mystery favor your LIMB Account.
The trio looked at each other. Gloria grabbed Everett's hand, who grabbed Guruji's, who… tried to chant a mantra but got pulled into the group clasp.
"Yes," they all said in sync.
Reality hiccupped. The world blinked. And they vanished.
Along with them, nearly 100 million other participants scattered across space, time, and sanity, were dragged into something they hadn't agreed to read the terms and conditions of.
They reappeared on a leaf. No, not a leaf. A Leaf™. Capital L. This thing was the size of a two-story house, complete with dewponds and a friendly insect the size of a small horse taking a nap in the corner.
All around them stretched the Premium Ancient Forest—trees thousands of meters tall, vines that glowed faintly, and grass that could probably be used as fencing material back on Earth.
The air smelled like rain and something vaguely divine. Everett sneezed.
A notification blinked to life in front of them:
Trial 2 Quest Assigned : Conquer an Island
"Conquer an island?" Everett muttered. "That sounds easy. Unless the island is alive. Or ruled by a dragon. Or worse—a bureaucrat."
Gloria, already squinting at the sky, added, "We also need to account for time. If we go back two days late, we might flunk the entire year."
Everett nodded solemnly. "So it's a timed conquest. Just what I wanted. Stress, with a tropical flavor."
He turned to Guruji. "Any chance you could, you know, prophesize the time limit? Maybe use those cosmic brainwaves of yours?"
Guruji sat down cross-legged. "The wind is silent, but I shall listen."
One hour passed. Then two. Then six.
At hour seven, Guruji opened his eyes… inside a green igloo. Made of woven leaves. The thing looked sturdier than any apartment block from Old Earth, and somehow smelled like herbal tea.
Everett turned. "He's alive! I was about to poke him with a stick."
Gloria frowned, then mock-pouted. "What I want to know is why you never told me about your… internal cosmic real estate. The Frost Realm, Everett. You have a literal dimension inside you."
Everett scratched the back of his head. "I can't use it during official battles. The system can't track what happens inside, and it might count as foul play. Besides, I've never met anyone else with an entire realm in their spleen."
Gloria chuckled. "I was kidding. But also? That's insane. And sort of beautiful. Thank you for trusting us."
Guruji, still shaking off cosmic particles, cleared his throat.
"Sixteen cycles the leaf shall hold,
Before the roots begin to whisper cold.
The sun will forget your name on the seventeenth dawn,
And the rivers will run backward with sorrow drawn.
If you linger past the final blink—your tale shall never leave this ink."
Everett's jaw dropped. "Sixteen years!? That's like… a twelfth of a pre-Gatha human lifespan!"
Gloria raised a finger. "Actually, average lifespan now is 300 years for freshly Awakened. And if you've unlocked even one Mystery Slot, you're looking at 500-plus."
Everett sighed. "Cool. So we're in fantasy forest preschool. For sixteen years. Got it."
He stretched his arms.
"Let's go conquer an island. Preferably one that serves snacks."