Scott blinked, and the molten stench of ash, mingled with numerous foul stenches and noxious gases, no longer pervaded his lungs. Instead, a fresh earthen aroma filled his nostrils as his eyes roamed the area. The barren landscape, once ravaged by cataclysmic natural disasters, had given way to a familiar sight—a towering rock formation with muddy yet firm earth. The songs of the hidden orchestra had been replaced by eerie stillness, broken only by howling winds and the echoes of falling pebbles.

  I am back, aren’t I? Scott thought.

  Instantly, a system notification manifested before him, as if affirming his thoughts.

  I thought as much, Scott pondered, his head turning from side to side. How long was I gone for?

  Scott read through the system’s messages, his gaze unwavering. There isn’t any news regarding my summons conquering other territories… that must mean I wasn’t gone for—

  Scott halted his train of thought as the wind carried the smell of blood and unfamiliar stenches toward him. With his territorial lord authority restored, he instantly vanished and reappeared in another section of his extensive territory.

  There—five corpses, macabrely decimated yet appearing as pixelated art, lay on the ground. Much of the stone formation had been obliterated beyond recognition, and even the muddy earth had been scorched into ash.

  Scott studied the devastation, narrowing his gaze at the sole figure standing amidst the mayhem.

  “Oh?” A familiar voice chuckled. “You’re back already?”

  Trix appeared before Scott with a flash. The pixelated screen displayed a crying emoji as the examiner’s voice echoed again. “I lodged a priority report as soon as you disappeared. I’m glad to see you’re unscathed,” he said, his emoji shifting to one of relief. “I honestly didn’t expect them to use Arcane Authority,” he continued, his emoji shifting to one of seriousness. “I assure you that such a thing will never happen again!”

  Scott silently stared at the examiner’s screen, his gaze drifting toward the pixelated remains and the destruction left behind.

  “So, how long has it been since I left?” Scott finally broke his silence.

  Trix’s emoji shifted to a curious one. “It’s only been a minute or two. Why?”

  Scott’s brows shot up with interest. “A minute or two?” he echoed.

  Trix’s emoji bounced across the screen. “Yes,” he affirmed. “How long were you gone? Or perhaps I should be asking—where were you sent?”

  “I wasn’t keeping count,” Scott admitted, his expression neutral. “If I had to guess, under an hour. As for the location, it was a fractured timeline.”

  Instantly, Trix’s emoji opened its mouth wide in stunned silence. “That’s a timeline controlled by the Council of Gods—”

  “Not anymore, I guess,” Scott interjected with a thin smile. “It seems whoever you reported to got in touch with the Administrator. He ended our little game and stripped the Council of their ownership over the fractured timeline.”

  Trix’s screen displayed six emojis with their mouths wide open in shock.

  Scott chuckled softly at the examiner’s reaction and prepared to ask another question. However, Trix beat him to it. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to end our conversation here for now,” the examiner said, bowing apologetically. “As you can see, I’m ignorant of what you experienced during your brief exit. I’ll return to satisfy your curiosity soon.” A portal materialized behind him.

  “Wait,” Scott called out before Trix disappeared. “Am I free to do as I please with these corpses?”

  Trix’s emoji shifted to a smiling one. “You’re the lord of this territory,” he giggled. “You need not my permission.”

  With that, the examiner vanished, the portal closing behind him.

  Scott turned to the pixelated battlefield. These should be the calamities, apostle, and bishop who received permission to descend before I was sent to the fractured timeline… Scott thought, approaching a grotesque abstract form splattered across the floor.

  While it isn’t impossible for me to take on multiple calamities at once, I don’t think I could have dispatched them in a minute or two, Scott mused, shifting his gaze toward another twisted form. Considering Trix had to lodge a report, he must have eliminated them swiftly. How powerful are examiners? Scott pondered, stretching out his hand.

  Darkness spewed forth from Scott’s shadow, extending toward the pixelated remains scattered across the battlefield. One after another, the creeping essence of the nihilistic zone spread over them, erasing them from the material world before merging back into Scott’s shadow.

  “Orion, are you there?” Scott called out via a private channel.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Orion replied with a chuckle. “I was just about to message you too. You’ve been busy,” he cackled knowingly.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Scott’s brows creased momentarily before a smile bloomed across his face. “You received a report about my eviction?”

  Orion’s giggles greeted Scott’s inquiry. “Something like that,” Orion said. “Fi-Fi and I were made temporary Lords in your absence,” he clarified. “I thought something major had happened, but it seems you sorted it out quickly. You didn’t even give me enough time to abuse my newly earned title,” he added with a chuckle.

  Scott could already picture the grinning face of the mage as his words resounded in his mind, and he smiled. “I was ambushed and sent to a fractured timeline,” he announced abruptly.

  Orion’s chuckles disappeared, silence echoing within the private channel. It lasted only a moment before the mage’s voice returned. “Tell me everything that happened,” Orion said, his tone betraying his curiosity. “And Scott, please don’t leave anything out.”

  Patiently, Scott detailed his experiences from the moment Orion had left the territory. Naturally, anything he deemed unnecessary to share, he kept to himself.

  “That’s all that happened,” Scott declared, and once again, silence settled between them.

  “Why does it feel like my own ascension to demi-godhood differs from conventional means?” Scott asked after a brief pause.

  “I don’t know,” Orion muttered.

  Scott’s brows creased. I had a hunch that would be the case, but hearing him say it is quite… Scott sighed, abandoning the thought. Orion wasn’t the type to utter those three words frequently, and whenever he did, it meant something had truly eluded his vast knowledge.

  “Let’s forget about demi-godhood for—”

  “I have a theory,” Orion suddenly interjected. “I believe it has something to do with your nature.”

  “I’m not quite sure I follow,” Scott said, crossing his arms. “Explain further.”

  “Like I said, it’s only a theory,” Orion stressed before continuing. “You are linked with the Throne of Madness. Naturally, your calling begets madness. Then again, nihility’s essence and yours are indistinguishable. Finally, there’s your association with you-know-who.” Orion paused, his words echoing deep in Scott’s mind. After barely a second, he continued, “Considering all these, do you truly understand your nature? You don’t have to answer that. I’m being rhetorical. My theory suggests that when you understand the true nature of your being, you’ll understand why you’re so different—however long that might take.” Orion finished with a characteristic chuckle.

  Scott absorbed the mage’s words in silence before changing the topic. “In due time, we’ll know if your theory holds. As I was saying, do you know anything about Arcane Authority?”

  “Yes,” Orion affirmed with a chuckle. “However, you shouldn’t concern yourself with that yet. Only those who have transcended the mortal world can use it,” he explained.

  “So, the assailant who sent me to the fractured timeline is beyond the Point of No Return, correct?”

  “Exactly,” Orion confirmed. “However, I’m sure it’s a case of ‘was’ now,” he giggled.

  “Huh?” Scott could barely suppress his confusion. Then, understanding dawned on him. I remember seeing a notification about the Administrator unleashing divine retribution on the violator of the treaty between rulers. That means whoever activated Arcane Authority must have suffered greatly for it, especially since the Administrator intervened, Scott thought.

  “Whoever that person was, they’re as good as nonexistent now,” Orion explained with a chuckle. “Using authority is one thing—they’d be punished severely but could recover after a few centuries. Using Arcane Authority, however, is different. That’s the power of those who have transcended beyond the mortal realm, and using it in a place designated for mortals is a grave violation. Not only does it breach multiple treaties, but it also alters the nature of the mortal realm, no matter how brief its activation.”

  Orion’s voice became sterner. “Which leads me to my next point. Abandon that territory. Once the seeds of Arcane Authority bloom, not even you will be able to curtail it. I’m one hundred percent certain the examiners will soon visit you with an offer to compensate you for their negligence and for losing a territory.”

  Scott’s brows creased, but he remained silent. When Orion says he’s one hundred percent certain of something, it’s definitely happening… But why didn’t Trix mention this before he left?

  Scott sighed, reigning in his wandering thoughts. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “I have my suspicions, but if those bastards were going to break such an important treaty, why didn’t they just send someone capable of finishing the job?”

  Orion’s hysterical cackles greeted Scott’s inquiry. “Do you even hear yourself?” he began. “Firstly, I don’t think you realize how arduous it is to descend to lower floors. When you factor in the number of restrictions imposed on champions that do—or should I say, used to—do so, it most definitely isn’t worth it in most instances. Now, descending to the mortal world after crossing the Point of No Return is next to impossible. The Administrator simply will not allow it. However, that only applies when champions attempt to descend in their original forms. Should they choose to use an avatar imbued with their sigil, soul, essence, or whatever it may be, then descent is feasible—however, even heavier penalties and restrictions will follow, essentially weakening the original form of the champion. To a logical mind, it has no benefit whatsoever,” Orion paused, as if waiting for Scott to absorb his words.

  A couple of breaths later, he continued, his voice even more cheerful than before. “Now tell me, for a being capable of dispatching calamities, nullifying domains, and obliterating champions—is there really anyone they could have sent that would threaten you?”

  Scott didn’t answer. He knew the obvious answer but still had his doubts. “Why go through all that trouble then?” he probed.

  “Ignoring the fact that you probably didn’t tell me everything you experienced,” Orion began. “If I had to guess, someone needed confirmation about you or your abilities, and it’s very likely that the Administrator let them. After all, there’s no way a being of such omnipotence wouldn’t notice someone activating mere Arcane Authority.”

  Mere Arcane Authority? Even with how powerful I’ve become, I don’t think I can avoid that attack or break through it, yet he called it ‘mere’… Scott’s brows creased further as his thoughts wandered. Doesn’t that mean there are even stronger powers than that?

  Scott ignored Orion’s accusatory words. They were true, after all. He hadn’t been completely forthcoming with everything he had experienced. Yet, one thing about his encounter with the gods stood out the most. Now that I think about it, could it be related to the Scions? he pondered.

  “Orion, who are the Scions—”

  “We can’t have this conversation here, and when I say ‘here,’ I mean in the mortal world,” Orion interjected.

  “Even if I were to be one?” Scott pressed further.

  “We should—no,” Orion sighed abruptly, his voice strained. “As much as it pains me to say it, my answer doesn’t change.”

  “I understand,” Scott conceded. For Orion, of all people, to restrain his thirst for knowledge, it had to be a serious matter. “I don’t suppose there are any changes to the status of the others, correct?”

  “You’d be the first to know if there was something,” Orion promised with a chuckle.

  “What about Fi-Fi? Any word from her?”

  “Not yet. She is almost done absorbing her loot,” Orion replied before shifting topics. “Will you be coming here, or do you have other plans?”

  Scott didn’t answer immediately. My priority has always been to gather as many territories as possible. Since Zara and the others are yet to awaken, there’s no need to return right now. I should join my summons in conquering all the nearby territories instead of sitting on my ass doing nothing. Then, there’s no telling when those bastards will send someone else after me…

  Firming his resolve, Scott prepared to respond. At that same moment, however, a portal suddenly manifested in front of him, and three examiners stepped out.

  Toi, who led the group, grinned from ear to ear as he approached Scott at a measured pace. “My friend, I heard you’ve been looking for me. I’m so touched. I didn’t know we had such a deep relationship,” he began, closing the distance between them. “Sadly, I come bearing bad news and compensation. Your territory has been compromised. I’ll have to kindly ask you to vacate it to the examiner committee.”