Harbinger of Reality

"The pain from the Wheel of Pain and Happiness was bad, but it was not crippling. Well, if I don't take what happened after as part of the pain, that is. The system also said the pain and time have both been halved, meaning I can overcome them. But ten times is a lot of pain. The rewards would be great, but it would take a toll on my sanity, not to mention the Dungeon of Karma, whatever that is. Sigh."

Ideals or comfort. That was the dilemma Samuel found himself caught in. He hates the boring tournament format and truly resents pain, making this a very difficult decision. At the end of the day, however, there was only one thing Samuel was truly afraid of: the unknown. He did not know what would greet him in the new dungeon, leaving him unknowing. Fear dictates the actions of man, causing him to relent to the mandatory quest.

"Well, I better get this over with quickly then. After all, I only have eleven hours left until my capture, whatever that is about. Who would want to capture me, other than Sylvia, of course? Whatever."

Samuel spread his spatial sense to cover the entire capital, searching for any arenas. He found four of them spread around the city, but only one had a giant sign that spelled out House of Galatara, making his search very easy. Choosing not to linger to regret or change his decision, he opened and entered a spatial tear leading to the entrance of the arena.

…

Meanwhile, Nicholas was sweating. Using his physique requires an immense amount of qi and concentration, leaving him struggling to maintain it. His third eye, labeled the Omniscient's Omnipotence, was one of the most powerful things in the history of the Shattered Realm. It was so powerful, in fact, that the Heavens heavily suppressed Nicholas, refusing to let him ascend, stranding him here. At the same time, the Heavens are also constantly refusing and attacking his third eye when it is in use, leaving damage to his mind-body connection.

"Teacher Nicholas, you need to close your third eye! You will lose your lifespan if you keep going."

"We need to find him; I can't allow the realm to suffer because of my negligence."

"I'm sure it's fine. We have the entire sect mobilized for his capture; there is no chance of not finding him, granted he is still in the Shattered Realm. Injuring yourself in a helpless attempt to locate him doesn't help anyone. Not only that, but from my very short interaction with him, he did not give me the impression of a mindless destroyer. He only possesses the potential, not the motive."

The realm, Heavens, and cultivators in it all stopped feeling fear at the same time. Leaving no physical traces of anything having happened, but the mental scars will remain for a long time. It's not everyday that you feel existential fear being woven into your very being. Because the Heavens essentially merge themselves with cultivators before giving them power, they will be part human, part Heavens. Which means that if the Heavens are feeling something, you will be feeling it too. If the Heavens are under threat, then you are under threat. This, although no one really knew why, led to the thought of always acting in accordance with Heaven's best wishes. Finally explaining why the Overlord of Time and his disciple, Mortia, were so upset at the fact that Samuel did not want to rid the world of the chaoticas selflessly. 

Collapsing onto the floor, Nicholas was panting. Only he truly knew the great curse of having a power that went against the wishes of a higher power. Every waking moment, he was being suppressed, and every time he used his third eye, it was taxing enough to leave him comatosed for months or even years. He happened to be lucky this time, but he was still drained physically and mentally. Only his sheer grit and determination kept him from falling asleep.

"Sylvia, I need you to go to the capital of the Lokola Empire. I know, I know, you don't want to go there because of your reputation, but I need a potion made by Kristoff. Tell him I sent you, and he will understand immediately. I need the potion as quickly as possible, or I might suffer a backlash."

With clear unease and dissatisfaction, Sylvia acquiesced to her teacher, leaving through the Overlord's Pathways technique and rushing towards the Lokola capital.

…

"...The winner is Too Talented! This marks his 93rd victory in a row; give him some applause!"

The crow went crazy, screaming and clapping like maniacs at the newest fighter of the House of Galatara. Men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him; he was Too Talented. Indeed, he was, and badass too. Talented, badass, and very cool—all adjectives perfectly fitting to describe Samuel in his new profession of gladiator. It turns out that this arena thing was not too bad. He got money, applause, praise, compliments, and chances to posture from it, making it the best experience he has had since transmigrating. And it's all thanks to the system. God, he loves the system; it's the best!

"Does the challenger, Too Talented, wish to continue or finally take a break?"

"I'm not stopping before I reach 100 enemies slain, so, of course, I will continue."

"Whoow, Too Talented, Too Talented…"

The arena went even wilder before it calmed down under the stern gaze of the announcer, who was ready to introduce the next challenger.

"The next challenger is a little... special. Captured from the Trench of Despair, here to fight for his freedom, is the bane of life and the fear of death, the Harbinger of Reality. He is a peak True Cultivation stage cultivator with a unique, almost extinct cultivation path regarding faith and deities. Welcome him now!"

"Booo, it's a cultist."

"Death to cultists."

"Hopefully he is powerful enough to give us a good show, making this stain on humanity worth something."

'Cultivation path of faith and deities, and his name is Harbinger of Reality, huh? I have a funny feeling this guy is connected to the Witnesses of Azathoth. I guess I better get some information out of him before killing him.

Ding!

[The mandatory quest has been altered. Sorry for the inconvenience.]

[You have slain 93/100 opponents with only seven remaining. You are faced with a special opponent this time, however, one far above your level. Defeat the Harbinger of Reality (suppressed peak Enlightenment stage) without giving him the chance to herald the monstrosity he seeks. The 'fhtagn n'gha' is paying close attention to the Shattered Realm; do not let it have its way with it.]

[New time limit: 00/14/53]

[New rewards: Path of Faith, ten talent locks removed, and one chance to gaze upon truth.]

[Punishment: Your and the Shattered Realm's deaths]

"...Ready? BATTLE!"