A portal manifested in an expansive field stretching as far as the eye could see, and Scott stepped out. Hundreds, if not thousands, of eyes fell on the oddly clothed champion, many laughing or pointing at the masked man.

Scott silently observed his surroundings, ignoring the champions staring and gesturing in his direction. The area lacked any structures, trees, or rocks. However, the population exceeded ten thousand champions, and portals opened at intervals to welcome new arrivals.

Scott’s gaze wandered, searching for a sense of familiarity, but most of the faces were foreign to him. Races he had never seen or thought possible mingled among the vast crowd. Barely seconds after his arrival, a new system window manifested.

Welcome to the third layer, Thisos’ Sanctuary! Champions can do as they please within the sanctuary! Note: Groups, parties, and alliances can only leave the sanctuary together. Individuals aren’t permitted to leave on their own! Groups, parties, and alliances are free to recruit new members within the sanctuary! Warning: Groups, parties, and alliances which do not meet the minimum requirements to exit the sanctuary will remain until the required membership is fulfilled! Your rank has been updated! Rank: 20!

Scott impassively read through the system messages. The eldritch being raised his head, focusing on the surrounding champions. System windows announcing their levels, abilities, ranks, and quests hovered above the heads of the champions, visible only to Scott.

There are a lot of powerful people here, Scott thought, spotting over twenty champions with levels exceeding his own. He couldn’t imagine how many more powerful individuals were hidden in the crowd.

“Are you guys okay?” Scott sent a message via the party channel.

“Buddy, you’re finally responding. Where are you?” Slim asked suddenly. “I don’t know what happened, but they sent me to my sponsor’s sanctuary,” he announced.

“Me too,” Zara chimed in. “Where are you, Scott?” she asked.

“Thisos’ sanctuary. It seems this is the default place they send those without sponsors,” Scott theorized.

“Fi-Fi is in sponsor’s sanctuary too,” Fi-Fi announced, the slime’s voice uncharacteristically cheerful. Before anyone could respond, the slime’s voice echoed again, “Fi-Fi would like to state that Fi-Fi had no hand in what the elf did. Fi-Fi is no traitor.”

“I had forgotten about that fucking bitch,” Slim suddenly roared. “I suspected her lovey-dovey gimmick was a ruse, but I didn’t know she was going to use that opportunity to screw you over, buddy. This is why you can’t trust people these days,” the necromancer complained.

“Scott, do you have any idea what happened?” Zara asked, referencing the incident with Llorva. The pandemonium within the path of chains had forced them to focus solely on their survival, and only now could they think of other matters.

A familiar giggle echoed in the party channel, followed by a voice, “It would be advisable to kick her out of the party before you say anything,” Orion said.

“I was wondering why you weren’t saying anything, buddy,” Slim said, unable to contain his excitement. The duo had bonded greatly during the chaos within the previous layer. “So, where are you?” Slim added.

“I’m not allowed to say. It’s a place dedicated to rank 1s only,” the mage announced. “I’d advise you all to increase your ranks as soon as possible. Don’t ask me why, but know that it’s important,” the mage stressed.

Although curious, no one pressed the issue. For Orion of all people to remain silent on the matter meant that there were restrictions, and probably heavy penalties involved.

“Have you kicked her out?” Orion asked, changing the topic.

“I’m trying to, but for some reason it’s not working,” Zara said. “You guys should check our party status screen. Who the hell is Adona? Wasn’t her name Llorva?”

A somewhat familiar but distinct chortle echoed within the channel. “Aww… aren’t you guys being a little too harsh on me? Are you forgetting all the good times we had together?”

“You damn bitch, I can’t believe you have the gall to even speak here,” Slim spat, unable to contain his anger.

However, laughter simply greeted his words. The necromancer prepared to speak again, but the voice returned. “Scott, you’re listening, right? They told me you were ridiculously persistent, and it seems they were right. I really thought you would’ve disappeared in the nihilistic zone, but here we are.”

Adona paused for a moment, then her voice suddenly became more intense. “We’ll be waiting for you. You’ve wronged so many people, and they can barely stop themselves from coming over there.”

“You and the rest of them can go fuck yourselves. I’ll be waiting for you bastards,” Scott retorted.

Adona burst out laughing. “So much bravado for someone so weak. That’s why I really like you. I’ll be looking forward to it. Omar and the others have told me quite a lot about you. I can’t wait to see the real Eidolon of Envy. I’m getting wet just thinking about it.”

“Can someone kick this crazy bitch out of our party?” Slim said, his anger palpable.

“I’m trying, but it isn’t working,” Zara said. “It’s almost as if someone else is blocking me from removing her.”

Adona’s laughter echoed again. “I’ll be gone soon. I just wanted to pass on one final message,” she said, taking a deep breath. “The Blood Cult is now a thing of the past. With that said, I’ll take my leave… oh, that reminds me. I wouldn’t trust Orion that much,” she giggled, and her voice disappeared.

“She’s been removed,” Zara announced, but an awkward silence lingered on the channel.

"Well, this is awkward," Orion muttered, giggling softly.

"Whether she was telling the truth about the Blood Cult doesn’t matter," Scott suddenly said. "I won’t tell you guys whether to trust Orion or not. That’s your decision to—"

Slim interrupted, "No need for that, buddy. Orion already told us she contracted him. We were pissed at first, but we calmed down after he said you knew she was a fake all along. She was probably trying to screw Orion over, like the slimy bitch she is."

Scott's brows shot up momentarily. He hadn’t expected Orion to divulge those details to the others.

"Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything they’re not supposed to know," Orion messaged Scott privately.

Zara's voice echoed in the party channel, "If she’s telling the truth, then we might have a problem. I can’t believe the Blood Cult was eradicated."

"Don’t believe anything that lying bitch said," Slim replied. "For all we know, she could have said that to mess with us."

"I doubt that," Orion interjected. "Although it would have been difficult, it's possible they slaughtered most of the key figures in the cult. If my guess is correct, they probably attacked the blood towers, which are more or less the cult's headquarters. If most of the upper echelon are dead, the cult is as good as finished. Even if lower-ranked cultists are still around, many wouldn’t risk exposing themselves."

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"Fuck," Slim cursed softly. "Then, what exactly are we supposed to do?"

It was too late to regret anything, especially with a massive target on their backs. Lingering wasn’t an option, and advancing would only bring more trouble.

"We do what we have always done," Scott announced gently. "Improvise, adapt, and survive. I have no intention of leading any of you to your deaths. We will scrap all plans to reach the blood towers."

"We also need to find someone willing to join our party," Zara said. "I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m taking a couple of days off to recover. I’ll try looking for someone suitable during that time. You all should do the same."

"Alright. There seem to be a lot of competent people here. I’ll let you know if I find someone suitable," Slim said.

"Fi-Fi will also search," Fi-Fi announced.

Neither Scott nor Orion commented, but they agreed with the others.

“Alright, bye for now. Let us know if you hear anything useful in your sanctuary,” Zara declared.

With that, silence filled the channel.

Scott sent one last private message to Orion: “Have your main come meet us when we clear the labyrinth.”

“I figured you’d say that. We are on our way already. The Wutas are quite remarkable,” Orion replied, giggling as Scott cut off the transmission.

The eldritch being summoned his champion interface once more, focusing on his class.

Why did my class become undefined? he pondered, his fingers lingering above the luminous panel. The only explanation he could think of was that his new race contrasted with the abilities of an eldritch knight. A belief further strengthened by the fact that even his abilities were temporarily restricted by an unknown force.

Ordinarily, the system would have informed him a class advancement was possible, while taking his initial class as a base point to direct further advancements. Now, however, he couldn’t predict what awaited him.

I might as well see what new options are available to me, Scott thought as he clicked on [Yes].

Warning! Full details for classes will not be presented to the Champions! Warning! Champions will decide which potential class suits their abilities best! Warning! Champions cannot change their class unless certain conditions are met!

Potential Classes available to Champion: Scott Dorsey Voidwalker: A master of the void, able to manipulate and traverse through nihilistic dimensions. Voidwalkers excel in stealth and surprise attacks, emerging from the shadows to strike with devastating force. Abyssal Knight: A warrior infused with the power of the abyss, wielding dark energy to enhance physical combat abilities. Abyssal Knights are resilient and powerful, using their connection to the void to bolster their defenses and strikes. Eldritch Sorcerer: A spellcaster who harnesses the chaotic and ancient energies of eldritch beings. Eldritch Sorcerers can summon otherworldly creatures, cast devastating spells, and manipulate reality itself. Nihilist: A being who embodies the essence of nothingness, capable of negating magic and physical attacks. Nihilists can drain the life force and energy from their surroundings, rendering enemies powerless. Chaos Warden: A guardian of chaos who thrives in unpredictable and chaotic environments. Chaos Wardens have abilities that grow stronger with the presence of chaos, using it to empower their attacks and defenses. Void Berserker: A brutal combatant who channels the fury of the void into unstoppable rage. Void Berserkers gain immense strength and resilience, becoming more powerful the more damage they take. Dimensional Shifter: Adept at moving through and manipulating dimensions, capable of teleportation and altering spatial dynamics. Dimensional Shifters can trap enemies in pocket dimensions, create portals, and evade attacks by shifting through space.

Scott’s brows furrowed as he perused the notification. There wasn’t a single class he considered useless or unimportant. Yet, none among them stood out to him.

The moment the system message appeared, the formless mass in Scott’s chest stirred, and tendrils shot forth from the mass, racing towards the panel. However, tendrils from the mask of the eldritch spawn intercepted them, and the diverging tendrils clashed in a frenzied struggle to select Scott’s class.

Look at these bastards… Scott thought, a twitch in the corner of his eye. Do they think I'll let them pick for me? The eldritch being snorted within himself as his hands darted towards an option.

Sensing Scott’s actions, the tendrils momentarily ceased their combat and restrained his right hand, only to resume their contest.

“Damn you!” Scott roared inwardly as he thrust his left hand towards the panel.

The tendrils panicked, once again cooperating to halt Scott’s advance. Simultaneously, Scott’s shadow darkened, and several straps ripped off the tendrils holding his right hand. The tendrils panicked a third time, abandoning their attempts to restrain the eldritch being and instead sought to reach the panel before their competition. In a flash, Scott and both sets of tendrils selected an option.

The tendrils from the formless mass chose Nihilist, while the spawns of the mask opted for Eldritch Sorcerer. Scott, however, settled on Voidwalker.

An unknown error has occurred! An unknown error has occurred! An unknown error has occurred!

The system messages flashed in red, causing Scott's brows to crease in concern. The mischievous tendrils continued slamming themselves on their preferred option, spawning even more error messages.

“Would you two cut it out,” Scott mentally urged, but his words fell on deaf ears. He prepared to restrain the rogue tendrils when a new system message appeared.

Your ability, Fusion, is attempting to merge several classes!

Scott narrowed his gaze. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

The system message only fueled the tendrils further, increasing the rate at which they struck the panel. Nearby champions had taken note of the oddities, especially the reddened system windows, a rarity for most champions.

Scott’s expression darkened as he instinctively raised his head. Twice before, when the system had mentioned the administrator, it heralded the arrival of a powerful force. Fate seemed to align as a sharp crack pierced the air, causing time to halt momentarily. Yet this time, instead of a colossal fist, a pair of immense eyes, embodying countless worlds, materialized. They fixed upon Scott, the sole animate presence in the suspended moment, while a new system message materialized.

The administrator has granted permission!

With the disappearance of the spatial rupture, normalcy returned, leaving everyone but Scott unaware of what had transpired.

Classes: Voidwalker, Eldritch Sorcerer, and Nihilist can now be fused! Do you wish to commence Fusion? [Yes!] [No!]

Strangely, none of the tendrils acted autonomously. Scott, however, remained fixated on the heavens, a hidden horror lurking in the depths of the eldritch being. In that fleeting moment, when his gaze met the administrator's, the eldritch entity traversed countless timelines subconsciously, encountering myriad versions of itself. Each iteration shared absolute power and malevolence as the undisputed Eidolon of Envy, all delivering the same verdict, their words echoing relentlessly in Scott’s mind.

“You’re a disgrace! We are coming for you!”

Understanding dawned upon him. In each timeline, an Eidolon of Envy existed, and it was his destiny to occupy that position. Yet, in timelines severed from the continuum, whoever ended his existence assumed the notorious mantle, unleashing chaos surpassing his own deeds.

Now he understood why Omar and his companions did not slay but banished him to wither in the desert.

At that same moment, Scott recalled his first encounter with a variant. “When he said I was the only one left, he meant I was the only one who had yet to awaken,” Scott muttered, his emotions running rampant.

Another thought clouded the eldritch being’s mind, knitting his brows. Only my consciousness was transferred to the nameless tower, not my body. Is that why I have not ascended to become the Eidolon of Envy in this timeline, or is it due to Hastur’s interference? Scott pondered. He also understood that both scenarios could hold truth.