[Midworld Web]

On the bench.

Made an account for Chitter. Garbage. Everyone here is deluded, and angry. Yelled at some weakling for being weak and got banned within a week. Hmm.

1/10

Arrin was making his way through Summersong city. It was a beautiful, and safe city. It being the core of the Immortal Sunset Empire generally kept it safe, and stable. Things were good. Most of the people he saw in the city were happy.

All the various races lived in ‘harmony.’ You know, humans, and elves, at the top, and everyone else discriminated against, and oppressed. Not something ideal in Arrin’s mind, but if he wanted to do something about it he needed power.

He greeted anyone who looked at him. Most were friendly to him. The non-humans were generally surprised, except for the elves who mostly ignored him. He was pretty though.

He passed by many food stalls, and got himself a kebab. Just as he was about to arrive at the martial hall where everything was to be held he spotted a beautiful, black-haired, young woman, Emma, the crown princess, being harassed by some weirdo noble.

This weirdo noble was Balthazar. A well-known dipshit that happened to have the ‘sunset’ attribute. A rare attribute that granted one the right to vie for the throne even if they were not a royal. Also, granted one guaranteed nobility.

The sunset attribute allows one to replace their regular dantian with a ‘solar furnace’ that would be capable of using any resource of any attribute to increase one’s strength. Balthazar had no real talent, but his family was rich, and they just pumped him full of pills.

He was the highest stage up-and-comer. He was in the sky-scraping realm, but since it was forced, and his actual talent was near-mortal, he was only actually about as strong as an extreme level cultivator. Until he could stabilize his cultivation. That would take years, and lower his realm slightly. He was complete trash that could NEVER ascend on his own.

*cough*

Still, an Extreme-level teenager was terrifying. Most were at, or below Young Master. Only the royals, and offspring of the elit nobles were of similar strength. Emma was already in the Unleashed realm. So, if she could let go of her realm-difference fears, she could kick his ass.

Emma gave Balthazar an annoyed glare. “Fuck off, I don’t make stupid bets, and I won’t be marrying you.”

Balthazar started whining. “Cooooome oooooooon. I’m going to be emperor eventually!! You’ll have to marry me regardless! It’s better for both of us if you just marry me now.”

Originally, Arrin wanted to help, but he could feel the realm difference. Now, he didn’t care about the realm difference.

He walked past a guy that performed a perfect 180, and put his arm on Balt’s shoulder. He tried something he wasn’t sure would work, only just having arrived. “Leave the lady alone.”

Balt felt a mad surge of electricity coursing through his left arm. A regular mage could have used their mana to brush it off. Balt was stupid, and arrogant, so he never had his guard up, and expected everyone to bend over backwards.

He dropped onto one knee. “AARRGh. WHo dareS.” He tried to put on a bold face, as he turned but he looked constipated. He recognized the Panther Butcher’s son “Ah, uuh. Fuck. Hi.” He was scared of the butcher.

He processed Arrin’s words. “WHat?” He stood up breathing heavily. He couldn’t punch the butcher’s son or he would die. While Balt was a crown-candidate, his life was mostly on him, and his family. Also, the emperor liked the butcher more than he did the Von Kaepsburgs. Balt growled. “This is between me, and my future wife.”

Arrin crossed his arms, and looked at Emma. She had a frustrated look on her face. She nodded at him, and began to walk away.

Balt tried to stop her. “Wait, where’re you going? I’m your husband, come back here!” He stomped on the ground. Arrin reached for Balt again, but a shadow guard came, and held back his hand.

The guard felt immense pressure from somewhere, and let go. He turned and stopped his master. He whispered in his ear. “The Mistress says stop annoying the princess, or you’re grounded.”

Balt stopped and huffed. He turned back to Arrin grimacing. “I’ll see you in battle.” He walked off while pointing at him, and giving him the evil eye. The shadow guard seemed exhausted despite having his face obscured.

Arrin mimed yawning with one hand over his mouth, and lined up to apply for the assessment.

When he got through the line he was made to wait, as was everyone else. They were to be assessed based on their attribute, and realm. Anyone young master, and below was to be in tier 3, and engage in battle royale to prove their worth. The winter was granted a pill, and a spot in tier 2.

Those above young master, but below Extreme were made to participate in tier 2. Those with a rare attribute were also placed here. The winner would be granted a rising sun tablet.

Those above that were in tier 3. The winner would receive the Brilliant Twilight elixir. That could instantly boost them to the top of their realm, or aid in becoming a wizard. They would also receive the Celestial Dragon Ascension token. This would allow one to learn an updated, and revised version of the first emperor’s technique, Exceptional Daybreak technique. This version was attributeless, and one of the most powerful techniques on Timor. Guaranteed to get you to the Demigod realm, in theory.

In practice it killed most who used it.

Arrin was led to an attribute stone. When he touched it he found himself in the white room.

A black silhouette sat on a desk jotting notes into a booklet titled: The Inane Babbling Booklet.

“Ayo.” it said.

Arrin was wary. “Hello.”

“Terran!” The silhouette seemed happy.

Arrin cringed. “Human, from earth. American.” He emphasized each word with a nod.

The silhouette grew perfectly shiny, sharp teeth. It was smiling. “He he he.”

Arrin looked around at the white void, and then back at the silhouette.

It no longer had teeth. “Sorry, you got caught up in an accident. Not the dying part. The being here part. Anyways, YOU” It grew in size, and surrounded him. The void became all black. He felt himself being analyzed. “are a guy!”

Arrin felt fear, and swallowed.

”Well, it seems you conform with the standards, so no wipe for you. How about compensation?”

“What kind of compensation? Why?” Arrin asked with hope, and worry.

The void was white again, and the figure was tapping its fingers on the desk. “You don’t break any rules, so *Special* would kill me if I killed you. I can’t kick you out unless I give you something. Can’t send you back tho. You wamt anyfink?”

Arrin cringed again. He closed his eyes, and thought. It took him all of a day, and the silhouette simply waited tapping its fingers on the desk.

He looked at the palm of his right hand. He then pulled out the white blade, and inspected it. He put away his blade. He exhaled. He had been holding himself together well, but he had a problem. His mind was unstable. He had closed himself off for the day due to the trauma. He doesn’t want to be closed off. He wants to feel. He only ever wanted to live his life, and feel the love of those around him.

He knows that life is an endless struggle with constant ups, and downs. He wants to be able to enjoy it. He’s already strong, but he knows that won’t last forever. “A stronger mentality.”

The silhouette grinned once more. “Real shit?”

Arrin opened his eyes, and found that no time had passed. He swallowed his spit, and realized. I’m in pain, but that’s ok.

He was placed in Tier 2. He was allowed to watch the battle royale. This was a new world, and he needed to know his enemies. He had some knowledge, but he needed to truly understand.