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C1837

[Magus Alliance Space Station]

The news about the defeat of the first-floor guardian spread quickly among the participants inside the ruins and the forces waiting outside.

"Only 8 hours, that's so fast!!"

"This means the second layer is already open!"

The same sense of astonishment reverberated throughout the Magus Alliance space station, where faction elites and elders discussed the ongoing developments of the expedition.

Because information from the ruins was not easily shared, these elites were pressuring those who had access to relay it as quickly as possible. While waiting, they could only speculate about the points gathered by the participants.

"It's the elves. Their points have just seen a significant boost."

Using a dedicated channel, the human faction managed to extract information from the ruins and organize it by race. By cross-referencing the data with those registered with the Magus Alliance, they could compile a comparative analysis.

[Celestial Ruins Points]

[Magus Alliance: 32,775 participants: 4,580,876 points]

[Elven: 9,773 participants: 2,922,108 points]

[Others: 59,118 participants: 5,132,119 points]

In the last hour, the elven participants experienced a sudden increase of 100,000 points, a significant jump from the steady 200,000 points per hour they had been accumulating. It was this spike that led to the conclusion that the elves were responsible for taking down the guardian.

"Find out who it was and why they were in such a rush," commanded Fury Hammer, a member of the Grand Magus Council of the alliance, addressing the enforcer team.

As they waited for more information, the elders couldn't resist checking the current faction rankings.

[Human Magus Participants]

[Total Magus: 32,775]

[Total Casualties: 799]

[Faction Point Accumulation Ranking]

[Rank 1: Nephilim - 912 members - 352,183 points]

[Rank 2: Arcanum - 992 members - 351,829 points]

[Rank 3: Oculus - 1,000 members - 338,110 points]

[Rank 4: Imperium - 995 members - 318,894 points]

[Rank 5: Arkaland - 977 members - 300,889 points]

The data revealed that 70% of the points were concentrated within the top five factions, while the lower-ranking factions were still finding their footing in the first layer. The fact that the Nephilims had secured the first rank sparked a mix of emotions within the room, including cheers and applause.

This turn of events prompted the three elder members of the Nephilim faction to investigate which family was responsible for this remarkable feat.

"This must be your Amarhiks people! My Azazel family hasn't moved to the crossover yet," noted Estefan of the Azazel family. "Same here," added Elder Dolorian.

Both of them turned to Elder Serafima of the Amerhikss family with questioning glances. "Could it be that the foolish prince has finally grown a pair?"

It was at that moment that a few images finally arrived, showing a man standing triumphantly on top of the basilisk's head. The question echoed through the room, "Who is this half-blood?"

####

[Dark elves ship - Ebonstar]

The same images reached the other side as well, where six grand magus dark elves were gathered in a chamber on their spaceship. They watched the unfolding events with a mix of astonishment and outrage.

"That's him, that half-blood," one of the dark elves exclaimed. "He dares to show himself so openly. It's like he's taunting us."

"He's making a mockery of our efforts," another dark elf chimed in.

"Send a message to all dark elves participating in the expedition. We shall track him down and also increase the reward for his capture."

The message spread rapidly among the various dark elf groups, including the drows, dunmer, and even the drukari dark elves. A kill order had been issued for the half-blood with a bounty on his head.

In one of the vaults, a lone drow dark elf was seen standing above a pile of human corpses taking a celestial shard from them when he received the same message. He read it with a smile and murmured to himself, "So, you're really here, half-blood. I can't wait to see you again"

#####

Each faction had its unique aspirations and anticipations for the celestial ruins expedition's 30-year cycle. But the current atmosphere was quite different from the usual competitive frenzy that occurred between the factions.

Eldamar, the high elf faction renowned for its enigmatic and secluded nature, chose to make an unprecedented move. They dispatched a formidable force consisting of 1000 of their most promising talents, a combination of young priestesses and seasoned warriors of light. In a surprising twist, they opted for collaboration, not just with their fellow high elves, but also with wood elves and dark elves. Together, they formed an alliance that sought to aggressively challenge the celestial ruins in a manner that had never been seen before.

The dark elves, even in the midst of a longstanding conflict, agreed to a temporary ceasefire to participate in the expedition. The wood elves, known for their harmonious connection with nature, joined the endeavor with unwavering resolve.

These unusual developments did not escape the notice of those residing within the neutral zone. The expeditions seemed to attract a motley crew of unexpected participants. Notorious criminals and mysterious figures started to emerge from the shadows, and a rising warlord began to make his presence felt. It was as if a puppeteer were orchestrating events from behind the scenes.

Delbrand, an astute observer of the ongoing celestial ruins expedition, couldn't help but ponder these remarkable occurrences. He turned to the elderly figure standing beside him, a look of curiosity in his eyes, and inquired, "What is their objective, Master?"

The supreme magus responded with a single enigmatic word, "Chaos."

#####

Author's Note:

Dear readers,

With the conclusion of this chapter, the month of October draws to a close. I trust that the chapters have met your expectations and brought you enjoyment.

I apologize for the reduction in releases at the end of the month. This was due to the extra time needed for the new Arc storyline and to expand its universe; adding new factions and races.

Managing two stories daily still poses a challenge for me, hence I am grateful for your patience and I will continue to do more chapters for the coming month.

If you haven't had a chance to read the new novel, "Re: Apocalypse Game," please do so, as November will be the final month of the WSA competition evaluation.

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November Spoiler:

The secret behind the Celestial Ruins and its conclusion.

To be continued