“That was an interesting contest, if I say so myself,” Nex’s voice echoed throughout the arena, filled with an excitement that captured the champions' attention. Their gazes shifted from the hound extermination crew to the descending, floating orbs.

“This is a rarity, but you have all successfully passed the final stage of the ranking games,” the examiner announced. “Unfortunately, your rewards will only be revealed when you ascend to the next floor. You’re free to remain here as long as you wish, but be aware: any confrontation, no matter the reason, will be met with an appropriate penalty. Some of you have been here for months, others for years, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed your participation in the games. Go forth—a whole new world awaits you!”

As the examiner’s voice faded, the orbs vibrated briefly before shooting off into the distance. Once again, the eyes of the champions fell upon the hound extermination crew. This time, however, there were no delusions of besting them. Instead, curiosity filled the air—what fate awaited the infamous group?

“Buddy, I sincerely hope you’re right about this,” Slim said mentally, directing his thoughts toward Orion, who absentmindedly juggled a few of the spheres before they vanished into his inventory.

“Trust me,” Orion giggled, his focus still on the spheres. “I’m rarely wrong, and I don’t plan on starting now.”

Slim sighed and shifted his attention to Zara, his gaze lingering on the system notification floating in front of the feline. “My leader, so... what does it say?”

“Not much,” Zara responded, her brow furrowed as she scanned the blue panel. “It’s just asking if we want to leave or stay here for two more hours.”

“Why two hours?” Ember asked, the timing striking her as oddly specific.

Zara shrugged, her eyes meeting the dragonkin’s. “I have no idea,” she replied. “If I had to guess, it’ll probably repeat the message over and over until we get out of here.”

She glanced around at her companions. “Are you all ready?”

Without hesitation, every member of the group nodded. Zara turned her attention back to the notification, and with a quick decision, she selected the option to leave. Instantly, a radiant beam enveloped the champions, wrapping them in fiery cocoons that shot toward the skies. All around them, other champions mimicked the hound extermination crew’s actions, and the number of people left on the blackened sands of the arena dwindled rapidly.

However, unlike previous transfers via mana cocoons, Scott and his companions remained conscious this time. Yet, they couldn’t communicate through their party channel, as if something was holding their voices back.

Scott’s gaze pierced through the fiery cocoon, focusing on the fluffy clouds they tore through. So far, so good. But if Orion’s predictions are right, we only have a few seconds before everything goes to shit, he frowned, his thoughts wandering. A part of him, however small, hoped that the mage’s foresight wouldn’t come true—but Scott knew better. Orion didn’t speak unless he was sure of something.

The flaming cocoons streaked through the skies; Scott's gaze fixed on those of his companions as well as the champions trailing a few paces behind. Unlike Orion, who mumbled incoherently to himself, Zara, Slim, Ember, and Plum wore somber expressions, the weight of their imminent arrival on the next floor clearly pressing on their minds.

The journey felt endless, though less than an hour had passed. Then, Scott noticed the world around them darken. He lifted his head. The once bright sea of clouds had given way to a stretch of abyssal darkness above. The cocoons, instead of slowing down, sped up, plunging into the black expanse. Their fiery exteriors merged with the shadows, a mythical convergence that only intensified as more cocoons appeared, lighting the path ahead.

Scott furrowed his brows, catching glimpses of faint structures within the fiery haze. What is this place? he thought, noting the cocoons had stopped ascending and now hovered as if waiting to crack open.

“Hello?” Orion’s voice suddenly echoed over the party channel. “Can anyone hear me? Doe, re, mi, fa—"

“What the hell are you doing?” Zara cut in, irritation in her tone. “Is now really the time for that?”

“Oh, great! Connection’s back,” Orion replied nonchalantly. “Just running an experiment to see how long communication gets cut off while transitioning floors.”

“You should—"

“Not now, guys,” Scott interrupted before Zara could finish. His eyes scanned the thick mana barrier surrounding them. “I think we’ve arrived.”

“Interesting,” Orion said, unable to contain his excitement. “Tell me, what do you see?”

Scott paused, focusing on the faint outlines emerging from the darkness. “It’s hard to say, but the flames around the cocoons are blending with the shadows. I can make out buildings, roads... even people.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“This is it, then,” Orion said with a nod, staring at his own cocoon. But unlike Scott, his gaze couldn’t pierce through the mana shield. “Get ready, everyone,” he warned, his tone darkening. “Even the slightest hesitation could cost us.”

“Are you prepared?” Orion’s voice echoed in Scott’s mind.

“Everything’s set. Be ready to move the moment the barrier drops,” Scott replied without hesitation.

At that moment, cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of their cocoons. The champions stirred. The cracks widened, and it seemed like even the slightest touch would shatter them.

Welcome to Flame Island! Flame Island welcomes champions from across the multiverse! Please enjoy your stay on Flame Island!

The same message appeared before them all, and with it, the cocoons shattered in unison. But before the crew could even register their surroundings, hundreds of thousands of projectiles, each laced with unique elemental properties, hurtled toward them.

Within the blink of an eye, nihilistic portals materialized around the group, shielding every inch of their bodies from the onslaught.

“I suspend all laws within my domain,” Scott declared, as several portals sprang open around the hound extermination crew.

“Follow me,” he commanded. Without hesitation, his companions followed his lead, rushing toward the nearest portal. As they moved, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, threatening to tear open. But Scott’s domain held firm, preventing whatever lurked beneath from breaking through.

Within moments, the crew vanished through the portal, reappearing in a familiar hallway encased in gleaming white ice.

“Did anyone catch how many attacked us?” Slim asked as the skeleton pushed himself up.

“There were too many to count,” Ember replied, her eyes flicking toward Orion. “How did you know they’d hit us the moment we arrived?”

The mage smiled knowingly. “Because it’s what I’d do if I didn’t know where we were hiding.”

Plume, listening in, cut in sharply. “So, they’re attacking anything that steps into that place?”

Orion nodded. “Word has probably spread about us not finishing the ranking games. Even without knowing our exact location, they would have anticipated our arrival. Some would just wait for a chance to strike at anyone entering the island. And if they were patient enough, eventually we’d show up.”

While the others conversed, Scott and Zara exchanged glances, noting that the massive hole left by the Calamity of Ice had vanished, as if erased.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not staying here,” Slim muttered. White Hell held nothing but bad memories for him, and he wasn’t eager to make new ones.

Plume nodded in agreement. “The sooner we leave, the better. This place still haunts me.”

Zara opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Orion’s voice boomed across the party channel.

“We must leave, now!” he roared.

With a thought, golden system windows appeared in front of champions.

You have requested to cross timelines! Your request has been approved! Warning! You will be randomly transported to a location in one of the myriad timelines! You may return to your primary timeline only once a year by official request! Note! Champions from different parties will be transferred to the same timeline and location, regardless of where the transfer was initiated! Note! All party members will be transferred immediately upon any member initiating the transfer! Note! Requests may only be made once per week! Warning! Once initiated, transfers cannot be canceled, and all entities within one hundred feet of the transfer point will be teleported along with the initiator, regardless of their will!

Do you wish to cross timelines? Yes! No!

The corridor grew colder as the messages flashed before them. The ceiling above trembled violently—something was approaching, fast.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the champions selected [Yes]. A golden light enveloped their bodies, preparing to whisk them away. But just then, another system notification appeared.

The Calamity of Ice is descending!

The system message jolted the champions, revealing the cause of Orion’s urgent command. As the radiant light enveloped them, a sharp crack echoed in their ears, and a distortion appeared before their eyes.

The champions’ eyes widened in unison as countless worlds revealed themselves through the fracture. Each one twisted and morphed in the blink of an eye. Flames engulfed entire landscapes in some, while others bloomed with vibrant life. Apocalyptic beasts roamed ruined lands, while qilins, rocs, and other mythical creatures ruled in their own dominions. Then came realms dripping with the essence of death—undead armies marched, and illusionary abominations lurked in the shadows.

Shattered timelines, nearly void of life, flickered past, only to be followed by timelines brimming with vitality.

The images slowed, and before the crew could react, a powerful suction force yanked them forward. They were pulled into the portal, which closed behind them with a final snap.

Seven entities have successfully crossed timelines!