Upon entering the first event, the Sect of Myriad Races found themselves amidst ancient ruins. It appeared to be an old, dilapidated castle or stronghold, its towering walls of weathered obsidian stone cracked and overgrown with faintly glowing vines that pulsed like veins of forgotten mana.
The air was thick with the scent of aged iron, damp earth, and something metallic—blood, perhaps, from battles fought in eras long past. Massive broken gates hung off rusted hinges, revealing courtyards strewn with shattered statues of long-dead warriors, their stone faces frozen in eternal roars.
All ten thousand disciples gathered in the central bailey, taking in the scene with a mix of awe and greed.
They spotted treasure chests of dark wood banded with silver runes, weapons of unknown alloy glinting under the dim purple light of the realm's artificial sky, and other loot scattered about—scrolls, crystals, armor fragments—though every single one of them was locked, sealed by shimmering barriers that hummed with warning energy.
As they explored, fanning out cautiously across the broken flagstones and crumbling staircases, a small woman appeared in the skies.
She was about four feet tall, petite and delicate, with short black horns protruding from her forehead—strangely, they were covered in soft, velvety fur like a young beast's.
She stood suspended in the very center of the realm, yet to anyone who looked up, she seemed to hover directly above them, no matter where they stood, as if the realm itself bent space to place her overhead.
"Welcome, everyone, to the first event… Domain Hunters," she said softly, her voice carrying to every ear with perfect clarity, gentle yet commanding, like a whisper from the wind that refused to be ignored.
"My name is Sunya, the administrator for this round. The rules are simple: defend and attack. Your strongholds are the key to all the loot your Sect takes home. Each prize ranges from Ultimate to Divine rank."
The greed in some factions was obvious—eyes glinting, auras flaring, hands twitching toward weapons. Sunya smirked, small fangs peeking out, before continuing.
"All loot crates in the domains will remain locked until the round ends. You can upgrade your stronghold as you conquer more domains. Only those who claim 5,000 or more will advance… You have one month."
With that, a flare burst in the sky—bright violet, crackling like lightning in slow motion—and Sunya vanished in a swirl of shadow-fur and starlight.
As the sects began to move—disciples splitting into scouting parties, defense teams, and greedy raiders—Sunya reappeared in a secluded part of the realm resembling a luxurious lounge, with plush velvet couches arranged in intimate circles, low tables of polished obsidian scattered with strange fruits and glowing drinks.
The walls were translucent, offering perfect views of the entire realm while remaining invisible from outside.
All around were millions of smaller screens encircling a few massive ones, each small screen tracking an individual participant in crisp detail—every move, every breath—while the larger ones displayed major events, key figures, and anything of significance: a sect collapsing under assault, a lone disciple looting a Divine chest, a domain fortress burning.
Sunya settled into a deep couch, crossing her legs with a satisfied sigh, snacking on a strange fruit—an apple-like orb covered in pulsing black spikes that she bit into with a satisfying crunch, juice dark and shimmering.
"Hmmm, dragons, phoenixes, human breeds… titans," she murmured, eyes scanning the diverse races flickering across the screens, her furred horns twitching slightly as she cataloged them.
"Oh… voidborns this time…" Her gaze soon fixed on eight individuals with stark white hair and wings—distinct, dense auras that stood out even among the millions.
"Eh? What are they?" she wondered aloud, leaning forward, the fruit forgotten in her hand.
A small male figure appeared beside her—barely three feet tall, wearing a top hat and monocle, his suit immaculate black with silver buttons, a mischievous grin on his impish face.
"Any interesting participants this year, Sunny?" he asked, swiping one of her spiked fruits with nimble fingers and taking a bite.
She paused, rolled her eyes with exaggerated annoyance, and replied, "Hmm, not particularly… we'll have to see," her attention returning to the eight glowing screens amidst the millions, curiosity sharpening in her gaze.
----
The Eight Originat stood gathered at the back of the group, listening to their self-proclaimed leader.
"We have 30 days to conquer 5,000 domains. I say we prioritize scouting and defense the first two weeks. That will allow some sects to die out, and us to see what's really going on." A man stood at the front with a lean build that was compact with muscles. He was a human with blonde hair and blue eyes.
He stood in the Seventh Calamity rank, much stronger than most of their members. Around the sect he'd been known for centuries as he held multiple places on leaderboards.
"I agree with Jake, we shouldn't be rash and go in without information." A woman said as she stood closer in the front pulsing at the Sixth Calamity.
Seeing this Jake smiled as he spoke.
"Thank you, Emily... if there aren't any other suggestions then we will begin now."
After these words, each of the ten thousand began to group up, some for scouting, some for defenses around the stronghold.
Jake would stay and regulate the stronghold as he made sure, they stayed alive. While everyone else moved out eight people stayed still. Noticing this, Jake spoke with an arched brow.
"Are you lot, okay?" He asked as he recognized a few of them.
'Those two twins are not bad... I've heard about them dominating the arenas.' He said before his eyes shifted to Seris who had just turned towards Nia.
'And she's a bad ass general....'
Before he could speak again Nia's voice sounded.
"Right.... we're more than fine." As she said this, she turned towards Thalion.
"Old man, let's go do your thing."
Hearing this Thalion eyes narrowed.
"Ahem... I could be considered to be young now." He said before he closed his eyes.
"Haha, he's not wrong. He looks like he's in his thirties now." Yonna chimed in.
Thalion's lip twitched a bit before he focused again.
"Tsk, you guys joke even when things are serious." Seris said shaking her head.
"So, what's the plan?" Caelan asked.
This entire time Jake stood dumbfounded as the eight completely disregarded his existence.
'The plan?' He thought before he blurted.
"The plan is scouting and defense!" He was beginning to lose his patience as they continued to ignore him.
Sonna looked at him and shook her head.
"Hey buddy, we got it. Now go and order your little members." As she said this her eyes glowed pink faintly before Jake nodded and left.
"Oh! Big sister is getting OP!" Kael exclaimed jokingly.
"Tsk, do you even know the meaning of OP?" Vaeloria said shaking her head.
"Haha... Nope, but big bro always says he's OP when he does something crazy" Kael said while shrugging.
Thalion eyes finally opened after he used one of his Calamity Laws, it allowed him to calculate the best possible actions over a certain amount of time.... and his max was currently ninety days...
And now? In just a few moments he calculated the entire month of this entire event. This included not just the present timeline, no, more than 250 timelines were deduced.
"Well.... as you all like to say. We have some beautiful chaos."
He said before he.... smiled like an evil scientist.