Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Nita narrowed her eyes. "Why should I move?"

"Because your enemies… are far above the Grandmaster level," Tauriel replied. Her tone remained calm, but every word carried a heavy weight.

Nita's chest tightened. She knew the strength of a Grandmaster, yet if her enemies were stronger… even Lein might struggle. "How many levels above Grandmaster are there?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tauriel shrugged her slender shoulders. "It's uncertain. But usually, there's more than one. And in my realm, you won't have to fight them. You can be safe, grow, and live without burdens."

A moment of silence passed. Nita lowered her gaze, pondering the offer. However, her thoughts returned to Lein and all the people she had left behind in the Divine Sky Realm. "I'm sorry, Lady Tauriel. I cannot," she finally said, her tone firm.

Tauriel looked at her, surprised. "Why not?"

"I'm not alone," Nita replied, her eyes staring straight ahead. "And I can't abandon them." Tauriel stood, appearing taller now, and gazed at Nita with a different expression. "You… are not alone? And you're not the strongest in the realm you belong to?"

Nita nodded without hesitation.

Tauriel's expression shifted from surprise to curiosity. She sighed deeply, then offered a faint smile. "Very well. In that case, how about we become allies? Friends."

Nita looked at the woman, considering her offer. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Of course, Lady Tauriel."

Tauriel smiled. "Good. This is for you." She pulled out a hexagonal amulet and tossed it toward Nita.

Nita caught it deftly, examined it briefly, and then stored it in her spatial ring.

In front of her, a countdown appeared.

02:01

01:59

01:56

"Still two minutes left," Nita muttered.

Tauriel smiled softly, her eyes glimmering with meaning. "A very fortunate girl," she murmured. "I can't wait to meet her… in person."

***

The same experience Nita had in the empty space with Tauriel was shared by all living beings in the Divine Sky Realm—except for Lein, who was still trying to figure out why everyone had vanished.

In another part of the white void, Haikal Emanuel stood, staring at a strikingly handsome man floating mid-air, exuding an aura of immense power.

"Make your choice. Do you want to become part of my Eternal Darkness race?" the handsome man asked firmly, his tone commanding yet slightly hopeful. It was rare to find a realm that could produce a Grandmaster during its early stages.

"Apologies, sir, but I refuse," Haikal Emanuel replied casually.

The handsome man was slightly taken aback but quickly composed himself. "May I ask why?" he inquired with curiosity.

"I still love my realm, sir. It's where I come from, and I intend to return," Haikal answered without hesitation. As an educator on Earth, he had a teacher's soul and a deep desire to see the younger generations grow smarter and more advanced. The presence of someone like Lein only strengthened Haikal's bond with the human race of Earth.

"Very well, there's nothing more to discuss. Good luck."

With that, the handsome man disappeared from Haikal's sight, and a countdown timer appeared before him.

02:01

01:59

01:56

***

In another part of the void, Laras stood on a vast white platform. Before her, an extraordinarily beautiful woman floated gracefully. Her four golden wings stretched majestically, each spanning over ten meters. The air around her was filled with a gentle floral fragrance that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Tough girl, why did you reject my offer?" the woman asked, her voice soft yet full of curiosity.

Laras lifted her chin slightly, showing respect but remaining resolute. "No particular reason, Your Grace. I simply cannot leave the place I come from," she replied, her voice filled with conviction yet humble.

The winged woman smiled faintly, her gaze softening. There was something about Laras that caught her attention. "As I suspected," she said with a slow nod. "Your heart is pure."

With an elegant gesture, the woman raised her hand. From thin air, a small angel-shaped statue materialized, glowing gently. The statue floated toward Laras before landing softly in her hands.

Laras examined the statue with curiosity. A panel of information briefly appeared before her.

[Statue of the Goddess of Light]

A statue imbued with the blessings of the Goddess of Light. Grants power to her followers and destruction to her foes.

- Type: Active Artifact

- Grade: Pure

- Essence: 980

- Ability: (Light's Blessing) +100% damage to dark creatures within a 1,000 km radius

"Thank you, Your Grace," Laras said sincerely, knowing full well that this statue was but a fraction of the woman's power.

The winged woman smiled softly. "Use it wisely. I trust you."

In an instant, the woman vanished, leaving Laras alone in the empty space. A countdown timer appeared in front of her, steadily approaching zero.

00:19

00:06

00:03

***

Back in the alliance meeting room, Lein was currently sitting casually in his chair. He intended to wait for a while, as the disappearance of everyone might be related to the unification process that had just been completed.

"Five minutes have passed..." Lein hadn't finished his sentence when he began sensing life reappearing across the Divine Sky Realm's floating islands.

Right in front of him, inside the internal meeting room, the core members materialized and exchanged puzzled looks.

"Did you also get transported to that place?"

"Yes, I was offered to move, but I refused."

The core members confirmed their experiences and recounted the events they had just gone through.

However, they had to stop their discussion as something extraordinary was happening outside.

Lein had already vanished from his spot. The core members quickly followed.

When they reached the exterior of the alliance building, they saw the silhouette of an enormous tree descending from the sky. The tree was lush, massive, and descending slowly.

At the same time, a notification sound echoed in everyone's ears, and a status panel displayed the following notification:

[Congratulations to the rulers who remain standing. Evaluating the essence of life...]

[The Guardian selection process will commence shortly. Initiating ruler selection...]

[Guardian selection failed. Initiating unilateral Guardian designation...]

[Congratulations to the Ruler: Lein, for becoming the (Guardian - Divine Sky Realm).]