FLASHBACK

The shimmering firmament was as breath-taking as ever, the moon hung high up in the sky, adding more beauty to the starry night sky. The couple was sitting on the only bench in the courtyard and enjoying this quiet and peaceful time. Lucy was lost in thought as she caressed the ring Arthur gifted to her earlier, it was the proof of their relationship and eternal keepsake. Though they didn't have a grand marriage or a celebration, they were now officially married.

Everything has been chaotic after what happened in the magic academy but now they can rest for some time in the Ma Clan.

"Do you like it?"

Arthur nervously asked, not sure if a normal ring is enough. Sure, there were many expensive rings in his storage but he chose this one due to its simplicity, he also added small carvings on it without changing too much of its original appearance.

"En! Very much!"

"I'm relieved, hahaha"

Seeing his laugh so heartily, Lucy couldn't help but a plant a kiss on his lips, to show her appreciation and affection. They were uninterrupted so they didn't hold back from doing such things, however, they didn't go far and nothing obscene was done as they wanted to keep appropriate tonight despite it being their wedding night, which, in many cases, is when the newlyweds sleep together.

"Arthur…"

She stared at him with an expression very different from her usual cold one. He could see a new shine in her eyes, one that portrayed her boundless happiness, which made him not regret his earlier actions. At first, he hesitated and didn't know if he should propose or not but it turned out to be well, fortunately.

"Hm?"

"Now that Saly is with us… how about we create a sect?"

He didn't give an immediate answer as he was thoroughly thinking about her proposition, which didn't seem that bad, in fact. They can't say in the Ma Clan forever so creating a sect would provide shelter to their daughter and expand their power, moreover, it'll be like a home for them… a new and fresh beginning.

"Yeah, let's."

"Really?"

Lucy's eyes slightly shook as she didn't think he'll agree so fast. In response, he caressed her head and replied:

"Yes, I think a sect would suit us."

"Then let us think of a name!"

Like a little girl, she sounded very excited, which melted his heart and made him chuckle.

"Any suggestions?"

She looked around, thinking about something before saying: "We'll name it after things we like."

"I like you so it should have Lucy in its name."

"No no, I didn't mean people but things you like."

"Hahaha alright alright."

He lifted his head and stared at the gleaming stars, making him momentarily entranced: "I like stars… they're like a beacon of hope."

She followed his gaze and looked at the shiny stars filling the dark sky.

"I like the Moon… its light is different from the sun's. I find it soothing."

After a while, Arthur clapped his hands and added: "Then shall we name MoonStar?"

"MoonStar? Then… MoonStar sect. En! I like it!"

*********

"Don't do it!"

Arthur pulled back Lucy, who wanted to attack the king using her evolved Revolver, which can turn into a powerful sniper rifle. He wasn't the only one to notice the oddity happening within their ranks.

The two robots originating from the system fused together, becoming some sort of a large cannon.

*Initiating countdown…

5

4

..*

A robotic voice came from within the cannon, alerting all those around it. Arthur took Lucy to a safe spot and watched the unfolding events. Maxine wasn't pleased with the robots' attack too, she cursed at the unresponsive machine then withdrew from the area.

Five seconds quickly passed and the cannon finished readying itself. It shot a black projectile that wasn't that fast but it devoured everything in its way. The way it ate things was drastically different than Void Magic, it was also affecting its surroundings, canceling any type of energy nearby. Arthur's Dark Barrier remained but any other skill was deactivated due to lack of Nether Energy, which acts as fuel.

Zurak waved his spear around, trying to chop the projectile in two, however, his spear wasn't spared by the Dark Matter, which ate it in a split second. The target tried to jump back but the projectile exploded, emitting a light that blinded all the contestants. This was quickly followed by a piercing sound that made Arthur and Lucy bleed from their ears and stagger, trying to maintain their balance.

Everything cleared after half a minute, the king was no longer here and most of the participants weren't in a good state due to the spreading Dark Matter. Arthur enveloped himself and Lucy in Dark Magic, making them unreachable while the other contestants flew in the air to avoid it but it wouldn't take long before it reaches them.

Fortunately, the Red Tower informed them of their victory and teleported them to the waiting room shortly after.

As it had previously mentioned, the three lowest damage dealers were disqualified. One of them was the priest accompanying Maxine while the other two were two old cultivators that belonged to the same sect.

Whatever that cannon was, it allowed the two robots to steal the top spots for damage done, granting them a buttload of points. Arthur was the 6th damage dealer and Lucy was 8th, as for the third, it was Forne, followed by Zodiak then the elf archer.

After they got to rest for ten minutes, the Red Tower teleported them to the 10th floor, which wasn't a game or 'task' like the rest but more of a test to further decrease the number of contestants to the required amount. The 11th floor needs only 42 contestants so 4 need to be kicked out.

The test wasn't complicated or innovative, they just had to attack a large cubic boulder and whoever gets the lowest points will be disqualified. It was simple and straight-forward, furthermore, all kinds of attacks are allowed, as long as they hit the target, of course.