[Welcome to a different space].
A mechanical sound was heard, cold and merciless, yet somewhat nostalgic.
(Here again...)
I was in a place in complete darkness, where I didn't feel my body and only had my consciousness.
Just like when it all started.
(I guess I should wait for a while)
With only my thoughts as company in this dark and lifeless space, I waited.
An unknown time passed...
[Select your appearance].
[Original appearance.][Appearance of the immortal world.]
Silently, I chose the appearance of the immortal world.
(I don't remember what I looked like on Earth anymore, honestly.)
Besides, I look much better now; heck, I even far surpass any of the movie stars on earth.
It's kind of normal considering the things I got: the star demon body, the bloodlines, and even being born as a prince.
[Do you want to set this appearance permanently (must be chosen before the second system event)].
[Accept][Don't Accept]
[If you choose to accept, the consciousness of the world where the host is deployed will make relevant changes so that its appearance will be accepted.]
[If not accepting, the host will have the option to choose from their appearances on the worlds already visited (3 available).]
Honestly, I don't see myself looking any other way. I'm already attractive enough in the immortal world; even my silver hair adds a lot of elegance to my appearance.
(I also don't want to develop a rare dual identity disorder).
[Accept]
[The host will be displayed in the area #13546651].
[Welcome to the new universe!!!, The universal system is pleased to announce the start of the race for supremacy!!!]
After accepting and seeing that last announcement, I lost consciousness.
--
-Place unknown.
"Blah-blah-blah."
*People talking.
When I came to my senses, I saw a bunch of unfamiliar people talking around me.
(Hmm? Where am I?)
The first thing I did was to analyze my surroundings.
A place... beautiful, how to say it? It consisted of an open field with some trees in the distance and a green lawn that looked better than any lawn I had ever seen.
The sunlight was falling softly on this beautiful landscape, adding even more beauty to the surroundings.
Do you find a generic landscape beautiful? Anyone could ask, but to me, who was looking at all this, it was incredibly beautiful. I guess it's because of the peaceful atmosphere that pervades everywhere.
(I presuppose that this is what the sky of some other religion would look like).
That's how beautiful the surroundings looked.
After taking in the scenery for a minute, I turned my attention to the people in front of me.
"What do you think is going to happen?"
"I guess it's going to be a death match."
"Hey, how cool is your world?"
Surprisingly, I could understand them even though they were from different worlds, but....
A bunch of people, how to say it? It looked like a gathering of people doing cosplays of all kinds.
(Wow, that guy looks really cool).
Leaning against a tree, I saw a guy with a black trench coat, a metal arm and he even wore a black patch covering one of his crimson eyes.
I also noticed a lot of people of different races, like elves and beastmen. Although there were also people in normal clothing, the kind you'd see on Earth.
(I guess it has to do with the difficulty of the world...).
Before going to the immortal world, I was able to choose where to go. In those selections there were a lot of possible choices, among them was the urban world, a place you could consider a parallel world to Earth.
(Although I don't know how it affects the difficulty in those urban worlds...).
As for me, I chose immortal world and catastrophe difficulty.
"Nyan~, hello handsome, what world are you from?" At some point, a cat woman came up to me and asked me this.
(This... I didn't even feel her approach).
Come to think of it, I don't feel my cultivation... even my bloodlines feel inaccessible.
(No spiritual energy either).
I suppose this is a measure in case these people start killing each other. If so, then this peaceful atmosphere I feel in this place is intentional.
"Hello, I'm Illios from the immortal world. And you?" I said casually as I discreetly analyzed her appearance.
She was a fascinating creature, with cat ears and tail that moved in rhythm with her emotions. She seemed very curious.
She also had cat whiskers that gave her an air of innocence. Her hair was black and short, like the fur of a feline, and her red eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She wore a black kimono that contrasted with her white skin and highlighted her slender figure. She looked at me with interest, circling me and in some cases brushing me with her tail.
Honestly, she looked very tender, considering she was about 5'6" or a little over.
"I'm Kiralia Cat-tleya. Immortal world?.... ~sounds dangerous," she replied while still looking at me curiously.
(You don't know how much...)
Although for me, my life in the immortal world has been like a walk in the park. For those who didn't have my advantages (money), it would be a fucking difficult world.
[This function is not available at the moment.]
This popped up for me when I discreetly thought to analyze her status window.
"What world do you come from? And your race?", I asked Kiralia because I couldn't see her status window.
"I'm a nekomata from a magical world of Hard difficulty," she said as she puffed out her chest with pride.
I remember that there were many difficulties that worlds were classified into, which were....
-Easy
-Normal
-Hard
-Heroic
-Mythic epic
-Catastrophe
-Apocalyptic
-???
It's ambiguous to say how these ratings affect, but I'm guessing it has to do with the system's quests and the difficulty of how you develop in that world.
"Awesome..." I said in amazement. I didn't mention that I was in an immortal world of difficulty, catastrophe, I just didn't see it necessary.
(Besides, only a psychopath would choose the catastrophe level at the beginning).
I am an exception, but Elena....
(I'd better not think about that)
There was an awkward silence after that; well, there just wasn't a topic or maybe neither of us knew how to start it. Still, she stayed by my side.
"Hey, look over there," Kiralia said, pointing in a direction where a light was generating.
"What's that?" I asked.
"That's how you get here," she replied, and as she spoke, a figure formed in that light.
It was a large man looking around in bewilderment. He was wearing strange clothes that glowed in neon colors, as well as having some very.... strange.
(He must come from a technologically advanced world).
Still, I know how I got here.
After that, I tried to talk to her about trivial topics, like the weather or other things related to her world.
The conversation went surprisingly smoothly, and as we talked, multiple people arrived.
Among them, I saw all sorts of people.
-A man in a black trench coat with two sword sheaths on his back.
-A guy disguised as a farmer with a strange hat.
- A bald man in a... superhero suit?
I even saw a male angel.
There were also other cultivators, but they did not look impressive. You should keep in mind that, in general, the more impressive a cultivator looks, the more powerful he usually is.
This is because cultivation is aimed at perfecting the body and spirit, in order to achieve immortality.
(I doubt they will reach the Stellar Sage of my immortal world).
Interestingly, I could feel many looks coming my way, most of them from women.
(Well, I guess I'm the handsome one here...).
My hair is long and silver, like the most precious metal. I wear it loose, allowing the wind to caress it. My robe is white, like the purity of my heart. It is made of fine silk and is soft to the touch.
My face is handsome, with a beauty that dazzles all. My features are fine and harmonious, like those of a perfect sculpture.
My eyes are deep and mysterious, like the ocean of my soul. They have a special glow that reveals my power and wisdom.
(Or so Lila told me when I asked her about my appearance before I left).
[Welcome, hosts, to the first event of the system!]].
[But before we start, let's have a moment of silence for those 50 million souls who didn't make it through to today.]
(Fuck, 50 million! How dumb do you have to be to die when you practically have 2 extra lives?)
In the first life, maybe you were unlucky, but you have another chance in the same world to correct your mistakes. Even if you didn't learn and died, as a last chance you can go to another world.
(Simply put, I would go to an urban world and start a mafia or something with the stuff you get from the system).
Humans sometimes cross the border of idiocy.
[Now, to get started, pick a nickname that will show up on the future universal leaderboard.]
(I already talked to Elena about this in case it happened, and we agreed on some imposing nicknames...)
[Enter Nickname: Stellar Emperor.]
Elena would have the Nickname Stellar Empress. We chose these names to identify us in case we split up.
We selected them by combining the "star" part of the Star Demon body and the "emperor" part from some Asian cultures where emperors were considered dragons.
[ Nickname accepted!]
(Well, I hope Elena entered it in time).
"Hey, hey, which one did you wear? I wore Charming Kitten ♡♡," Kiralia, who was next to me jumping up and down, said to me.
Hearing that, I rolled my eyes.
(Hey! Do you think this is a game? No, wait, more importantly, what are those heart emoticons?)
Looking at her, she seemed content with that nickname....
"Nyan?" Her look seemed so innocent. Damn, it even made me want to adopt her.
Cof-Cof, coughing a little, I replied, "My nickname is: Stellar Emperor."
"Ohhh, that's awesome, if a little... how shall I put it, too big for this newbie stage?" she opined, as she looked at me in confusion.
(Cat, you're probably looking at... no, you're probably looking at the most powerful host in the universal system).
[The first event of the system will be divided into 3 stages, which will be revealed after the previous one is completed.]
[First stage: Survival.
Description:Survive multiple enemies that become increasingly challenging and numerous as the waves pass. In this initial stage, you must use your survival skills, strategy and adaptive skills to confront and defeat the obstacles that stand in your way.
Objective: Survive 5 waves to qualify. You will get points for each wave you survive (after the initial 5 waves, you can continue fighting indefinitely to earn points).
Reward: You will be able to continue competing for the supremacy of the new universe, there will be surprise prizes for the first places.
*Note: There are no extra lives. Once you die, you are eliminated. If you complete all 5 waves and choose to continue fighting, you can surrender at any time, but if you die, you will not be able to revive and will be eliminated.
For those from urban worlds or worlds that do not possess energy systems (mana, ether, diabolic energy, spiritual energy, etc.), you can invoke armaments and troops that you have obtained in your respective worlds.
In case they do not have either of the two (armament and troops) or if the system considers them insufficient, they will be provided for a limited time (only for this time). ]
[The Universal System wishes you good luck.]