Viers -in the mood for something grandiose- felt that he had graced the gigantic island where the Favor of the Sky slumbered with his presence.

His arrival was not unnoticed, coming from the front as he was. In fact, everyone with eyes and ears who had seen the famous white ghost ship approaching cursed its Captain in the same breath.

Viers made his way alone to the island after anchoring the Frozen Siren. Telling the crew to protect the ship. No players dared to give him trouble, by now they all knew that Viers was among the strongest and no one could match him in straight combat.

Seeing other players from afar, Viers had a question. Why do they have Ta Moko?

After leaving the coast behind and entering an area with vegetation, Viers saw two groups of ten fighting over a single yellow fruit on a tree. About half of them had markings on their face.

Viers recognized one of the group’s leaders. It was Big Boss 69, a player in the top 50 that he had brutalized for shards in Stage 1. Quite a formidable Pathseeker.

The people were in an uproar, thinking Viers would take the fruit for himself. However, Viers gave a pitying smile before making his way deeper into the island.

A Euness Fruit. Increases bodily endurance when eaten… Hehehe.

Viers remembered a time when he found an entire tree bearing dozens of that same fruit hanging on its branches in Dia’s Biome. They were also of much better quality than this one.

Viers ate about thirty of them until he didn’t gain any more stat boosts from it.

Viers made sure to eat all the permanent stat boosting items he could get his hands on while he could access the mystical plant Biome. It was one of the factors why Viers was so strong in battles.

He might not choose to be cooped up in that place for decades while he grew to Level 5 but Viers took every advantage that he could get.

In the center of the island, there was a mountain range. Only a single path was available upwards, through hundreds and hundreds of stairs. Viers started to climb. The steps he took reminded him of the time when he climbed the Great Wall of China on Earth. The fact that he was not out of breath, not even a little bit, was a far cry from the old him.

At the end of the mountain trekking, Viers found a plaza and a big magnificent gate thirty meters tall with intricate carvings. There were dilapidated stone buildings that used to be fit for lodging some centuries past. The ancient place was located high up in the mountain, befitting of its name.

“The place Crazy Pete told us about, the Sky Temple.”

There was still time until the sun reached the peak and the gate opened. Viers picked a spot and crossed his legs to meditate. Viers was not the only one waiting in the plaza.

He chose to deepen his understanding of the upgraded Euryale Sight rather than picking up treasures below the mountain like the others. Unlike before, he didn't let the girls out on their own. As soul beings, they were more resistant and more vulnerable to damage at the same time. Viers didn't want to risk their well-being.

Hours passed, the players were gradually gathering in the plaza. Viers was as still as bedrock in the river.

When the time came, the gate opened with an awe-inspiring sound of a massive contraption moving.

This must be what Nathan Drake was feeling when he saw the opened gates to Shamballa.

He waited with anticipation as the gate opened wider inch by inch. What he saw was not a grand spectacle but a wall.

Walls, walls, and more walls.

This… is a maze.

There were paths on or between the walls that people could enter. There were no instructions or anything else, only an opened gate giving its silent invitation.

Before long, some people went in. Out of 63 people in the Stage 2 of water world, 56 were here and there was only one path forward.

The trial takers went in groups or solo according to their preferences. Sakuya offered him a nod before going in on her own.

After using Euryale Sight, Viers sighed. The labyrinth would be a pain to complete.

It was a maze with multiple dizzying paths. There were plenty of pocket rooms with puzzles, traps, and roadblocks such as monsters.

Viers could see through the walls and he knew which direction he should take but he still got lost in the maze. If he could break through the walls and go in a straight line he would have done so already but the walls were unbreakable.

My Raseng- ahem… My Vortex Nova doesn't even scratch it…? Fine, I got the message, Aletro.

It was a blind maze dive. There were choices given to the players in the maze, such as taking the long but safe path or the short but dangerous one. The individual’s ability played a huge role in progressing.

After twenty-one hours of left and right, of going up and down the stairs, of doubling back after wrong turns, Viers finally reached the final obstacle.

“Wait for it… Wait… I’m ready now.”

The rock troll was sleeping in the middle of the room until Viers blasted it with Vengeful Spirit Arte. Predictably, it went after Viers in a straight line.

It stepped on a seemingly ordinary floor and got enveloped in an explosion of soul Arte from below. It was tough and kept going, disregarding its injury. It ate another blast another step in.

Explosions after explosions with the visual of screaming faces, Viers had used multiple Howling Wraiths Artes and planted them like mines. Unlike in the game where he got the inspiration for this technique, Viers could invoke the Arte from a distance, exploding it directly or laying it dormant. Currently, he could cast the Howling Wraiths Arte at any place in an area of ten meters with him at the center.

The rock troll with a hardy body and potent regeneration fell prey to the damage to its soul. Soulwreck, as Viers named it. If Viers had the time to prepare, it would mean his enemies would be walking into a deadly soul minefield.

Mmhmm, Viers nodded satisfyingly. Gotta give a personal touch to my Artes. A stark improvement from the Hollow Knight version.

The maze was fair though, with easy and hard encounters. He had gone through an unavoidable fight with a golem that gave him trouble a few hours past. Before that, there was also the encounter with a very annoying water elemental.

After ‘processing’ the remains of the troll. He was a step away from completing the maze. Euryale Sight allowed him to see through walls so he knew the general direction to go and which paths to take or not take. He had a vague feeling that he couldn't do that if his Arte didn't get an upgrade earlier.

Viers went into the final area as the first clearer. His eyes gave him a clear advantage against the others. It was an empty open-roof area high in the mountain peak. From the edge, he could see the plaza and the entrance from hundreds of meters below from where he was now. Thin air, strong sunlight, and the sky seemed so close.

A beam of light from the sky as thin as a needle hit the back of his left hand. It was so fast Viers couldn't react. He panicked but calmed down after realizing it wasn't an attack.

There was now a sigil on one of his hands. The mark was quite cool and there was a ‘1’ on it. Viers’ place.

Viers received the Favor of the Sky.

“...That’s it?”

It was so anticlimactic that Viers thought there would be more cutscenes to follow. After a while, there really was nothing new happening.

Welp, just like a bad ride in an amusement park. Long lines but over in an instant.

With nothing else to do, Viers tried to return back to the maze because there was no other way but he found that he couldn't. An invisible barrier prevented him from leaving.

“What…?”

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't do anything to the barrier. He was stranded on the peak of a mountain on all sides. Unless he had a wingsuit, jumping out would mean his death.

Do I have to wait until the others get here?

Left with no choice, Viers waited. Fortunately, Pathseekers were well suited for waiting. On Earth, Viers would be bored out of his mind waiting without a smartphone for hours but here Viers could just do some light cultivation to pass the time. At least the mana here was of high quality, perfect for cultivation.

If I had wind affinity, the effect would be greater.

The Book World limited the players’ cultivation to the same degree but his true cultivation remained. Any cultivation improvement he made might not be visible but it would show itself when he returned to the real world.

As the hours passed by, more and more people reached the peak of the Sky Temple. They had the same confusion as Viers but there was nothing else to do but wait.

As expected, Fithel is among the quickest. Sakuya did well too.

When the last participant received his mark, a giant head of Pyke appeared!

“Hahahaha! You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?”

Viers and the others were hit by a gust of wind from all sides. The wind was so strong Viers hugged the ground to prevent getting blown away.

Screams of panic could be heard among the wind’s roar.

“Those who want to take the Trident will suffer!”

Each player had a miniature hurricane enveloping their bodies. Many tried to resist but to no avail. The hurricane lifted them from the ground and blew them away in all directions, scattering them like human fireworks.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Viers couldn't fly and a fall at this height would be lethal. He screamed like a person riding a jet coaster without wearing seat belts.

The wind carried him very fast mercilessly, several G’s worths of pressure squished Viers’ body.

“VIERS, we’re coming down!” Clarissa loudly said.

“Kyaaaaah!” Paina was screaming her lungs out inside Viers’ head.

“W-Water Barrier full force! Eh!? We can't!” Farley tried to do everything she could.

Viers’ Victa was sealed. No Arte could be used.

“Shit! Come out! Water Barrier, Water Barrier, Water Barrier!” Viers also tried a last-ditch effort but even if the barrier manifested, at the speed he was in, it might not make a difference.

Like a falling meteor, Viers hit the surface of the sea, raising a pillar of water to the air.

I’m… unhurt?

It seemed the ‘cutscene’ was harmless to the players.

Thank God… I almost pissed myself there.

Viers really thought he was going to die. If he had known then it might have been the greatest theme park attraction he’d ever ridden but the realism was too much.

“We’re alive!”

“Phew...”

“Gods... That was too nerve-wracking.”

The girls also shared his relief.

Still disoriented, Viers clawed his way to the surface and took a deep breath.

Wait, water? Sea? Not good!

Stage 2’s open water was dangerous without a ship. When the realization hit Viers, his sense of danger went haywire.

Viers linked minds with Paina and Farley then used Euryale Sight in less than a second.

Piercing the deep blue, he saw a pair of purple eyes barreling up right at him.