While the moderators in World worked tirelessly to defend their occupied territories, awaiting the return of their Head Moderator, Kalstein found himself in a situation he could never have anticipated.

Underneath a cloudless sky, the sweltering heat bore down on a massive crowd. The oppressive humidity made the air feel like a sauna, yet the line of people stretched endlessly—hundreds, thousands, all marching in a seemingly endless procession.

“I have to get selected this time.”
“Do you think it’s that easy? They say even being nominated requires ancestral blessings.”
“Still, isn’t it okay to dream?”
“Dreams? At your age? You should’ve given those up by now.”
“Haha! Age is just a number! A real man should chase his dreams!”
“Ugh.”

Kalstein stood among the crowd, watching as people shuffled past, their chatter brushing past him.

“Don’t block the road!”

Thump.

Someone shoved his shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. He glanced up at the culprit but quickly decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.

‘First, I need to figure out where I am.’

The air here felt strange—heavy.

It wasn’t just the heat; there was a density to the atmosphere that pressed down on his body, leaving him with a faint, tingling discomfort.

‘This body isn’t helping.’

His current vessel, designed hastily for construction and management in World, lacked physical robustness. While stronger than a regular human, it paled in comparison to his previous bodies, which had been fine-tuned for combat and endurance.

The crowd's conversations swirled around him as he moved with them.

“There are so many people…”
“We have to succeed this time.”
“Hah…”
“If I get any older, I’ll have to give up entirely.”
“Becoming a Sage isn’t something just anyone can do.”
“This is my last attempt before I call it quits.”

Sage?

Kalstein glanced at their clothing—wide-sleeved robes that evoked the aesthetic of ancient China.

‘Martial arts? Jianghu?’

The setting felt familiar, but it wasn’t quite the same.

“How many do you think will get selected this time?”
“Last time, only two made it.”
“This time, though, I heard the Great Azure Sage himself is overseeing the process. Apparently, he’s generous and approachable, so more people are expected to be chosen.”
“Is that why the crowd’s so massive?”

Kalstein followed the throng as it moved up a mountain trail. The heat was oppressive, and the chatter didn’t stop, but he had no better options.

‘Dimensional Unified Community.’

It wasn’t working.

This wasn’t the first time, either. He’d added terminal functionality specifically to avoid this situation, yet here he was again.

‘Aria wouldn’t make a mistake, so what happened?’

His mind wandered to the likely culprit—the platinum egg he’d taken from Prohydan.

Despite extensive experimentation, the egg had remained inert. At best, it absorbed tiny amounts of high-purity ether when forcefully infused.

None of his tools could penetrate its shell, nor could they damage it. He’d considered using his ether weapon but dismissed the idea—it wasn’t worth the risk of destroying the egg entirely.

And so, the egg had stayed by his side, reacting solely to him. Its absorption was negligible, and unless he made direct contact, it wasn’t a problem.

The issue arose during his latest dive into this body.

[“Body transfer in progress. Initiating dive in 3, 2, 1…”]

Aria’s calm voice guided him into unconsciousness. But as his consciousness faded, a surge of high-density platinum ether erupted from the egg.

The next thing he knew, he was here.

“Make way!”

The crowd parted as the sound of hooves echoed down the trail.

“Who brings a carriage onto a mountain path…?”
“Are they insane?”
“Even if the road’s wide, this is ridiculous.”
“Shh! Be careful what you say. Someone important must be inside.”
“Why don’t the Sages deal with people like this?”
“Do you have a death wish?”

Kalstein stumbled to the side as a grand carriage passed, pulled by majestic horses.

“The rumors were true.”
“What rumors?”
“They say the Great Azure Sage sent personal invitations to local elites this time. Seems like far more candidates will be selected than usual.”
“That’s good news, isn’t it?”
“You’re only seeing half of it. Do you think these elites would come empty-handed? Of course, they’ll bring lavish offerings for the Sages.”
“But do Sages even care about riches?”
“Ah, you’re so naive. Offering gifts is a way to stand out.”

Kalstein listened to the conversations as he walked. The terms “Sage” and “selection” dominated the chatter.

Sages. Must be an important role in this world.

Kalstein sighed, recalling Aria’s words before the dive.

[“I’ve added a logout function. It’s not as seamless as a game, but it works.”]
[“Logout?”]
[“A way to forcibly disconnect from the vessel.”]
[“Oh, that’s handy.”]
[“Considering how often you leave things unattended, it’s necessary.”]

He chuckled at the memory. At least he had a way out if things got too complicated.

As he walked, a middle-aged bald man approached him, grinning warmly.

“Hey, brother! Where are you from?”

Bald… must not judge.

The man’s cheerful demeanor was disarming.

“Mind if I ask? Can you hear me?”
“Oh, so you can talk! Why so hesitant? Of course, I can hear you!”

Kalstein smiled in return. Perfect—this man could answer his questions.

***

Meanwhile, deep within a massive palace nestled in a mysterious location, an unusual chamber defied gravity. Massive monoliths and pools of liquid floated in seemingly random positions around the room.

In the center of it, a young man clad in training robes suddenly sprang to his feet.

“Huh? What’s this?”

He tilted his head, flexing his fingers a few times, before quickly rushing over to one of the monoliths.

“Hmm…”

The youth stared intently at the monolith. Its gray surface shimmered faintly, intricate blue symbols floating across it like fragments of an otherworldly script.

“Is there a problem in the lower realm?”

A long sigh escaped his lips.

“Just great. More stray riffraff must have drifted in. Ugh.”

There was no helping it. Handling such matters was part of his assigned duties, and ignoring them wasn’t an option.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a small silver bell and rang it.

Ding-ding!

A clear, resonant chime echoed throughout the chamber.

Moments later, a deep, raspy voice spoke from behind him.

“You summoned me?”

Without turning, the young man pointed at the glowing monolith.

“It seems there’s an issue with the boundary here. Can you investigate it?”
“Understood.”
“I’ll make sure to reward you with training resources as compensation.”
“Understood, Senior Brother.”

The man with the gravelly voice—a figure emanating a powerful and intimidating aura—bowed respectfully before vanishing without a sound.

Alone once more, the youth let out a breath of relief.

“Hopefully, I won’t get scolded by Master for passing this off.”

It was far better than going to the lower realm himself.

The thought of having to seal his cultivation and wade through tedious procedures to descend made his head ache.

With the matter settled, he crossed his legs and resumed a meditative position, shutting his eyes.

“Good thing the junior priest was around to handle it. The cleric priest should be reliable enough.”

As his breathing steadied, the youth slowly sank into the depths of unconscious meditation.

***

At the same time, deep within the heart of a palace brimming with advanced technology, a silver-haired beauty glared at an inert platinum egg with an intensity that could kill.

How. Why. What. Why?

The questions spun in her mind, but there was no one to answer them. The egg, silent and motionless, offered no clues.

Crack.

Her knuckles whitened as she clenched her fists.

‘Could something have happened to the Master?’

Around her, members of the imperial guard scurried about, operating various devices to scan the room.

“There’s ether activity, but nothing unusual aside from that. It’s not a high concentration either. Could there be an issue?”
“No,” Aria replied curtly. “Forget what you saw today.”

She had no intention of broadcasting the Emperor’s absence. That would only invite chaos.

At her command, the guards promptly exited the room.

Sigh.

Aria slumped slightly, her exhaustion evident.

If word got out about this incident, a swarm of people would abandon their duties and come rushing back. Without the Master’s presence, managing those individuals would be an utter nightmare.

Her gaze returned to the platinum egg.

“What are you hiding?”

Predictably, it didn’t respond.

With a flick of her hand, Aria activated a holographic interface and checked the data once again.

“At least the logout function, unstable as it is, is operational.”

That was a relief, but only a small one. The mere fact that the imperial guard had been mobilized meant this secret wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

Sooner or later, someone would demand to know what had happened and why the Emperor was missing.

Ugh. As if I wasn’t busy enough already.

Aria shook her head, frustration bubbling over. There were far too many troublesome people in her life already.

And yet, she failed to realize she was one of them.