I saw a dark pillar of light soar into the sky and break through it. In the distance, more and more of these pillars began rising from the ground. Even in the farthest reaches of the horizon, I could see them.

Didn’t they say the Chaos Master’s plan had to be stopped? Then what is happening?

Soon, dark clouds gathered and began to rain. I quickly covered myself with my spiritual power as a black ooze fell from the sky. Any beast touched by the black ooze instantly began moving again. I watched in horror as they rose, some merging to form abominations with multiple legs and eyes. These grotesque creations shouldn’t exist, yet here they were.

When the black ooze landed on my body, my spiritual power started dissipating at an alarming rate. Panic set in. I could only think of running and finding somewhere to hide. But how do you escape from the rain? Thankfully, the rain expanded slowly, spreading outward in every direction. Yet I could tell that, soon, these dark clouds would merge into one, blanketing the entire sky.

Looking at the monsters, I could already foresee the fate of those who would be infected. They would also transform into monsters. Anyone injured by these creatures would meet the same fate. An endless cycle… Who could break it?

I pushed my body to its limits, running faster than I ever had. Despair gnawed at my resolve. Did they know this would happen? And if they did, why did they allow everyone in the First Realm to die like this?

I clenched my fists in anger at the injustice of it all. But what could I do? I had to save myself first. Only then could I think about revenge.

As I ran, some monstrosities—more intelligent and less consumed by rage than the others—began chasing me. My heart pounded as I saw them closing in. I forced myself to speed up.

The wind roared behind me as a monster leaped at me from the shadows. I dodged to the side and zigzagged through the forest, making it harder for them to target me. Glancing back, I saw even the trees transforming. Eyes and tentacles sprouted grotesquely from their trunks and branches.

The world had become a nightmare.

Their bark split open, releasing black ooze that contaminated the ground beneath them. Soon, these trees began entangling other, untransformed trees, merging with them as they ripped their roots from the earth.

An apocalypse.

In the distance, I heard the rumble of a waterfall as water crashed to the ground. Ahead of me was the waterfall. I knew it, and behind me, the monsters and the rain of black ooze continued their advance.

As I approached, I jumped into a cave and crawled inside. Not long after, monsters attempted to enter, but the cave’s small entrance prevented them. Instead, they fought among themselves, each trying to force its way in first, even though they were far too large to fit.

I retreated deeper into the cave, my mind racing for a way out. Grabbing my head in frustration, I struggled to think of a solution, but I had no answers. Perhaps the gate to Earth in the city was still functional? No, it had been destroyed. I could only abandon that hope.

Sighing, I turned toward the cave wall. Pressing my palm against the rough surface, I tried to channel spiritual energy into it, but nothing happened. Soon, I noticed black ooze trickling into the cave. The ooze spread, forming a pond that grew larger and larger, leaving me with less and less space.

Desperation set in. I attempted to climb the walls to escape, but there was nowhere to go. Thankfully, the ooze eventually stopped rising. Using the vines hanging from the ceiling, I managed to weave a makeshift platform and sat down, utterly exhausted. But I knew this reprieve wouldn’t last.

Silence fell. The sounds of the monsters fighting outside had stopped. Likely, the battle was over. Yet, judging by the fully submerged cave entrance, the black ooze had completely sealed me in.

Suddenly, the wall I had relied on for support began to crack. Had the black ooze eroded its strength? This was much worse than I had imagined.

The wall crumbled, and black ooze started pouring into the newly formed opening, flooding this section of the cave.

Inside the hole, a green gem hovered midair, emanating spiritual energy that caused the black ooze to retreat.

So this black ooze is sentient?!

I was shocked by this revelation. I had thought it lifeless, but now I realized it possessed some form of intelligence. Seeing an opportunity, I used one of the vines as a rope to swing across the black ooze, landing next to the gem. It seemed displeased by my arrival, momentarily focusing on me before returning its attention to keeping the black ooze at bay, as if ensuring it remained far away.

I didn’t dare touch the gem, fearing it might lose its spiritual energy and stop repelling the black ooze. I had no idea what limits the gem might have, but I hoped it could withstand the strain until the black ooze finally disappeared.

Sitting down, I bought some food from the system and ate, boredom settling in as I watched the gem and the ooze engage in a silent battle of spiritual energy. It was far from entertaining.

Shaking my head, I decided to meditate. Unlike the city, the spiritual energy here was much purer. This cave, existing for who knows how long, had likely gathered a vast amount of spiritual energy, with the gem holding the majority of it.

I wanted to take the gem, but who knew what might happen if I did? It could even blast me into the black ooze. I had already felt its irritation when I first landed here. Approaching it further might trigger another reaction. With no other choice, I waited.

***

Three days passed in the cave. Finally, the black ooze disappeared. The green gem, however, had lost its luster after battling for so long and now floated barely above the ground.

Looking at it, the desire to take it grew stronger in my heart, but a lingering sense of caution held me back. What if this was a trap? Perhaps the gem had expended all its reserves. It might have existed here for millions of years, and my earlier actions could have merely caused a small outburst from it.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

As I moved around the gem, it did nothing but float in place. Suddenly, it dropped to the ground, its luster fading entirely. I felt the spiritual energy in the cave vanished as well.

"Well, don’t mind if I do," I muttered.

With a quick motion, I picked up the gem. Its green hue was similar to the ones I had used before, but something about it felt familiar. Where had I seen this? The smithy! Weren’t these the same kinds of gems I had forged into weapons?

What a powerful weapon I could create with this!

Though the ice blade I had before was excellent, it had always felt resistant to me. The memory of the python defeating me so thoroughly still sent shivers through me—not just from the cold but from the humiliation.

Channeling spiritual energy into the gem, I noticed a faint light of luster forming in its center. However, the light quickly disappeared once I stopped. Without giving it much more thought, I tucked the gem into my backpack.

Exiting the cave, the sight before me left me flabbergasted. There was nothing—absolutely nothing. The lush green forest that had once thrived here was now a barren desert of endless sand. Even the river had dried up.

The sun, which once shone with a protective warmth, now blazed like a merciless death ray, scorching everything beneath it. My skin burned under its oppressive heat.

What had that black ooze done? Had it drained every resource from this realm?

They claimed to have stopped the Chaos Master?! Is this how they did it—by letting him strip the realm of everything?

As I pondered, I noticed something in the distance. A mountain was… moving. Wait, a mountain? No, that wasn’t a mountain. It was a supermassive monstrosity!

Its size was beyond comprehension—the largest thing I had ever seen. Could everything in this realm have combined into one monstrous entity?

Most likely, the answer was yes.

I need to return to Earth to understand what just happened in the First Realm. Did something like this occur in other parts of the Realm?

But how do I find the portal back to Earth? That’s my biggest question. I could wander endlessly before stumbling upon a recreated portal. I cannot ascend, as that would bring me closer to a gate and make finding my way back easier. To ascend, I need to reach my gene cap.

[Detected anomaly in the host's surroundings...]

[Anomaly found.]

[Quest: Eliminate as many anomalies as you can in the Realm.]

[For each anomaly you kill, you will gain a corresponding reward.]

New system messages appeared before me. Even the system seemed unsure about my ascension method, but it tasked me with killing. My gaze turned toward the monstrosity in the distance as it moved farther and farther away.

How am I supposed to kill that?

Is there a smaller version of it, at least three times smaller?

As if in response to my thoughts, a supermassive earthworm burst out of the ground and swallowed the distant monstrosity as a whole.

Never mind that monstrosity suddenly seemed manageable.

I turned around and walked in the opposite direction of where the worm had disappeared.

Just what the hell is going on?!

Shaking my head, my mind wandered. Are there even any humans left in the Realm? Most likely only a few, but they’ll soon perish from hunger and thirst without a constant food supply. I, too, need to kill monsters to secure food.

***

It took me three grueling weeks to escape the gigantic desert. I felt like I was dying with every step I took through it.

What I found was a creepy forest with trees twisted in strange directions. There were no tentacles or eyes, just dead trees as if their vitality had been drained away.

Inside the forest, I encountered monsters! They hadn’t turned into monstrosities but remained normal. This was the good news. The bad news? They attacked anything they saw with crazed ferocity. I couldn’t tell if this madness was caused by the black ooze or sheer hunger driving them insane.

But in a way, I liked it.

Why? Well, I didn’t have to hunt them—they came straight to me, and I killed them with ease. Even in their prime, these monsters wouldn’t have been a match for me. Now, malnourished and desperate for food, they were no challenge at all. Shaking my head at their pitiful state, I slaughtered them.

I felt a pang of sorrow as I looked at these once-proud creatures, but that feeling didn’t last long. I made a fortune from their remains 32 gold, 87 silver, and 12 copper.

The battles grew larger as more monsters converged on me, often fighting each other for scraps of food before I stepped in to finish the job. Some dragged corpses away to eat, but I didn’t bother chasing after the few coppers they took.

With a happy smile, I continued my journey.

***

Inside a dimly lit room, several people gathered, their expressions grim. Anyone witnessing this scene would be stunned, as these individuals came from vastly different factions yet were all present here.

Helix, the Central Alliance representative who had crushed the rebellion, sat on one side. Opposite him stood a man in a red robe and mask—the new leader of the rebellion.

What happened to bring them here, you ask?

The rebellion had been pushed to desperation after being discovered by the Were tribes. With no other options, they launched a preemptive strike. This bold move caused numerous cities to flip to the rebellion’s side, sparking a massive civil war across the continent.

Many organizations crumbled in the chaos, and only a few managed to survive.

Just as the front lines were being drawn and the Were tribes arrived, they were suddenly called back. This unexpected retreat shattered the morale of their supporters. Not only humans but also the Were tribes were struck by the Cataclysm, leveling the playing field.

Seizing the opportunity, Helix betrayed his allies, leading to the defeat of the Were tribes' supporters in one swift move. No one anticipated Helix joining the side of the Rebellion—not even the Rebels themselves. Chaos erupted, but it soon settled as Helix relinquished his power and stepped down.

This dramatic shift allowed the Rebels to take control of all human cities in one decisive stroke. They abolished the old system and established a new one, the first United Earth Government. Instead of fragmented, independent regions, all territories were unified under one administration.

The implications of this new government were unclear, but it was soon tested by the Cataclysm. Portals closed at an alarming rate, yet those that remained open unleashed monstrosities. Anyone infected or caught by these creatures transformed into one of them. Humanity had no choice but to revert to its old weapons—guns and bombs.

In a desperate fight for survival, humanity achieved a miracle and defeated the monstrosities, but the victory came at a staggering cost. Two-thirds of all human cities were obliterated. Across the world, only 1 billion humans remained.

This catastrophic loss left no doubt humanity's future was bleak. Another civil war would mean total extinction. To prevent this, the new government ruthlessly cracked down on organizations that opposed it or harbored malicious intent. Many individuals fled into the Realm, having no other choice.

At last, a fragile peace was achieved. Initially, the plan was to imprison Helix and his close followers indefinitely for his past crimes. However, the dire situation—with countless losses and the need for experienced leaders—forced the government to reconsider. Helix and others were reluctantly reintegrated into high-ranking positions.

Meanwhile, troubling news emerged that the Second Realm had faced a similar Cataclysm. Unlike the First Realm, however, it survived. This raised urgent questions about how this catastrophe happened and who was behind it.

The answers soon surfaced. Truth Seekers, with the help of numerous organizations working in secret, had orchestrated the events. Smuggling and other covert operations contributed to the disaster. To maintain order, the new government enacted its first law anyone found collaborating with the Truth Seekers would face the death penalty.

While rebuilding efforts began, another looming threat remained the eventual return of the Were tribes. Humanity needed to amass power and prepare for future conflicts. With so many urgent issues demanding attention, the people in power faced immense pressure. Everyone in the room wore grim expressions as they looked at each other and began planning their next move.