The moment those words settled—you conquer the world below you—a heavy silence followed. Not the calm kind, but the suffocating kind, where no one quite understood what they had just heard, yet everyone knew it was bad.
For a second, no one spoke. Then the noise came crashing back, louder than before.
"Conquer? What does that even mean?!"
"That's a whole planet!"
Voices overlapped, rising fast. Panic spread the way it always does—quiet at first, then all at once.
Neel exhaled slowly through his nose, his gaze drifting across the crowd. People were already losing it. Some argued like that would fix anything, some just stood there blankly, and a few looked like they were seconds away from breaking down.
"Three questions left…" he muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue. And we're wasting them.
Before he could say anything, a tall man stepped forward, shoulders stiff, jaw tight like he was forcing himself to stay in control.
"What happens if we refuse?"
That cut through the noise almost instantly. Conversations died mid-sentence as people turned toward him.
A soft chuckle echoed, low and almost entertained.
"Refuse?" the Lost One repeated. "You misunderstand your situation. You were not invited… you were taken."
Something cold settled in Neel's chest. Around him, people went quiet again, not because they wanted to—but because there wasn't anything to argue against.
Another voice rose, this time shaky. "H-how do we go back? If we clear the trials… do we return home?"
The pause that followed dragged on just a little too long.
Neel noticed. …Yeah. That's not a good sign.
"If you survive long enough," the entity finally replied, "you may earn that right."
A low murmur spread, quieter this time, uneasy.
Neel frowned slightly. 'May'? So even that's not guaranteed.
For a moment, no one spoke again. Then a smaller voice pushed through the silence.
"…Are we going to die?"
Neel turned slightly. A kid. Young—too young for this. His voice cracked halfway through, like he already knew the answer and just didn't want to believe it.
The Lost One didn't respond immediately this time.
"Yes," it said at last. "Most of you will."
The words didn't echo. They didn't need to.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then everything broke at once.
People started shouting. Some cursed loudly, others backed away like they could escape just by moving. A few dropped where they stood, shaking.
Neel didn't move.
He just stood there, staring ahead, jaw tightening slightly. Most of us will die… yeah. That sounds about right.
He wasn't shocked. Not really. If anything, it felt like things had finally stopped pretending.
Above them, the voice spoke again, calm as ever. "Now then, let us go over the rules."
That alone was enough to cut through the chaos. Not completely, but enough. People quieted down, some out of fear, others because they didn't have the energy left to panic.
"Rule one: survive," the Lost One said, almost casually. "I trust that requires no further explanation."
A few bitter laughs slipped through the crowd.
"Rule two: you must conquer the world below within four years. That means eradicating everything in it—except yourselves, and any subordinates you may acquire along the way."
Neel's eyes narrowed slightly. Four years…
That wasn't a long time. Not for something like this.
"Rule three: follow the rules," the voice continued.
Someone actually let out a dry, disbelieving laugh at that.
"Rule four…" A faint hint of amusement slipped into the tone. "Do whatever you want."
Neel frowned. That's not a rule. That's a trap.
"If you fail to follow these rules," the Lost One added, almost lightly, "the punishment will be far worse than death."
That shut down whatever little humor was left.
A sharp clap echoed through the void, unnatural and loud.
"Enough of that," the voice said, suddenly lighter. "Let's talk about something more interesting."
No one looked interested.
"I'm sure you're all curious about your powers," it continued. "After all, many of you have fantasized about situations like this."
A quiet chuckle followed. "I've read quite a few stories from your world. Some of them were… entertaining."
Neel's expression didn't change. Yeah. This guy's definitely messed up.
"Now then. Your abilities will revolve around mana and magic. You all possess a dormant mana core. " "check ur status window for it."
Neel looked at his status screen but it showed he had no mana core but a soul core. And an innate ability.
He raised his hand without thinking. Not far from him, the same kid from earlier did the same, hesitating a little before lifting his arm.
"Yes, Mr. Neel… and Mr. Hiroshi," the Lost One said smoothly. "What is it?"
Neel didn't bother with hesitation. "I don't have one."
Hiroshi nodded quickly. "M-me neither…"
There was a pause. Just a second—but it was there.
"…We'll get to that," the entity said finally. "Lower your hands."
Neel slowly dropped his arm, his frown deepening. That answer didn't sit right.
"As I was saying," the voice continued as if nothing had happened, "there are several ways to awaken a mana core. However…"
A slight shift in tone.
"Since I'm feeling generous today, I'll provide each of you with a high tier awakening potion."
A faint blue notification flickered into existence in front of Neel.
"And before you get any ideas, your mana core cannot be upgraded. It is determined by talent… and luck."
Neel's jaw tightened slightly. Of course it is.
"There are seven talent ranks: Ashborn, Ember, Flare, Blaze, Inferno, Radiant, and Celestial. Ashborn is the lowest. Celestial is the highest."
Even without explanation, the gap between those names felt… unfair.
"Additional details will be available in your status windows. You can review them later. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you."
Neel almost snorted. Says that after dumping all this.
Then the voice paused.
"Mr. Hiroshi… innate ability."
"Mr. Neel Roy… soul core. And an innate ability."
Neel stiffened slightly.
"…How intresting," the Lost One added, sounding faintly interested.
Neel frowned. Soul core?
"Unlike a mana core, yours can evolve over time," the entity continued. "As for innate abilities… they are exactly what they sound like."
A few people glanced at neel and Hiroshi with anger disdain and envy
Murmuring and chatting in between themselves.
"Your awakening potions have been sent to your status windows."
Another faint flicker appeared in front of Neel.
The voice paused again, as if thinking.
"…Ah. One more thing."
The air seemed to shift slightly.
"You will each be transported to a random location in the wilderness."
A few people tensed immediately.
Neel's fingers curled slightly.
No teams. No preparation. Just thrown in.
"And with that…" the Lost One said, almost cheerfully, "…we're done here."
A brief pause.
"Have fun."