Zayn wanted to remain in the darkness of the Gaming Pod, escaping reality…escaping what was about to happen.
He wasn’t ready for what was about to come.
Even though he’d advanced faster than before and procured powerful Cards and an extraordinary Class Path, Zayn had yet to prepare everything and everyone for what was about to come. The most crucial step, the final step to prepare the world for the Descent, was taken away from him.
“Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!!” Zayn cursed at the top of his lungs. He pushed the cover of the gaming capsule aside and shot out of his room.
“Hey Zayn, I was kicked out of Forgotten Lands and cannot log back in. Do you know what’s happening?” Nicolas asked Zayn as he stepped out of his room.
“Call the News. Tell them that Forgotten Lands will turn into reality!” Zayn shouted at his brother as he passed by.
Zayn didn’t even realize that he could talk freely about Forgotten Lands turning into reality at this point. It didn’t matter anymore.
The house trembled violently, and an ear-deafening sound swept through the surroundings, shattering all the glass.
“FUCK!” Zayn cursed even louder than before.
This was not how everything was supposed to be.
He opened the door to their house and emerged in the front yard. His eyes were glued to the sky, his lips were pressed together, and his hands were clutched into fists until his nails dug deep into his palm.
Blood trickled to the ground.
A massive gate spanning several kilometers manifested in the sky.
‘This is way too early. There has never been a World Bridge near our city either. Fucking Pantheon!’
[I told you. You’re too late.]
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A familiar voice rang in his ears, but Zayn didn’t want to hear it. He knew what it meant to listen to this voice in his head.
[I know you can hear me.]
“Shut the fuck up, Alumare!” Zayn cursed through his gritted teeth.
[Oh~ The first monsters are coming. Yay~] Demon King, Alumare, said before Zayn could see them.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the first wave of monsters emerged from the World Bridge. Zayn found them as well.
The first batch of monsters appeared alongside floating islands.
“Even the island is here? You have to be kidding me!”
At last, Zayn felt a tug in his chest. He had been too focused on his rage, frustration, and the sight unfolding before him to notice it. However, once he could sense it, Zayn forced his emotions to subside.
He closed his eyes, and he appeared immediately in his mindspace.
There wasn’t much to find besides a radiant orbit with five revolving stars glowing dimly.
His Foundation orbit was forming. But that was not all.
His Heart Deck was awakening as well. He didn’t even have to kill a monster first.
The specks of light in his mindspace expanded and transfigured, forming a radiant metal box. It didn’t look anything special at first and was relatively small, barely big enough to house a stack of Cards, but it was the most critical aspect of his Awakening. It was what he’d worked toward all this time.
He touched the Card Deck gently. It was white-silverish and didn’t bear a single imperfection.
The familiar sensation calmed him further, and his attention drew to a tendril of mythical energy that burst out of the Heart Deck. It shot toward the center of the radiant Foundation orbit and pulled toward the center. The Foundation Stars in the Foundation Orbit began to revolve around it, illuminating Zayn’s mindspace.
His eyes shot wide open, and the corners of his lips twitched as several notifications popped up before him.
[Congratulations! Heart Deck has been awakened.]
[Assessing…]
[Assessment of the User’s Condition has been completed. Soul Lord has been detected. Cards will be loaded.]
[Foundation Orbit and Heart Deck can now be accessed.]
Zayn groaned deeply. He grit his teeth again, but accepted the change in plans nonetheless.
He couldn’t change what had happened already.
It was necessary to work with the Cards he’d been played.
Quite literally.