As dawn approached, in the camp of the Moonlight Empire, the general's command tent was fully assembled with princes, commanders, and great scholars from the five kingdoms.
Moonlight Empire, Great Prosperian Dominion ,the Domain of Chromatica, Tian Tzu Empire, and finally The Land of the Ancestors.
General Aurelius Brightblade was seated in the main position.
"As you all know, the anomaly is immense. The Immortal Sect of the North has already sent people here, and the demon tribes have secretly sent demons to infiltrate. The Central Continent is also showing interest,"
Aurelius Brightblade paused, looked at everyone, and then continued speaking.
"This is a matter of our five great empires. I do not wish for any external elements to interfere. What do you all think?"
"The the Domain of Chromatica fully agrees," one representative said.
"The Great Prosperian Dominion also agrees," another added.
"The Land of the Ancestors and Tian Tzu Empires agree as well. However, if we detect any external interference, this alliance will be terminated," stated another.
Aurelius Brightblade nodded and stood up to speak:
"A promise worth a thousand gold coins. Then let us divide and ensure that no external factors intervene."
Once all had agreed, Aurelius Brightblade took out the flag and spoke cautiously:
"As you are aware, within a 20-mile radius around Strong Bull Mountain, there is a colossal fog, and no one can advance more than 5 miles into it. According to reports, the area is shrouded in fog, making it impossible to determine direction or continue. If forced, one would just go around in circles and come back. It's as if there is a boundary separating the inside from the outside."
"This flag in my hand was taken from the center of the anomaly last night. This flag can transport people from the center to the outside and can also allow entry into the interior."
"Scholars are unable to calculate it. The heavenly secret is too obscure. This could very well be the most dangerous place. Please be prepared."
A heavy silence followed.
A prince from the Moonlight Empire. spoke up:
"We have agreed to send the royal princes and princesses into the search, up to 50 people. The Moonlight Empire will send 14 people. Does anyone have any objections?"
A scholar spoke up:
"May I examine the flag?"
...
The sun rose and reached its zenith.
In the Three Tigers Mountain stronghold, specifically in the back courtyard, a young man lay on the bed, hugging a pillow and sleeping soundly.
It was understandable, as the room was a bit chilly, the blankets were warm, and he had stayed up late and overworked the night before.
But then a gentle breeze brought fresh air, the sound of chirping birds, the blooming flowers, and the wonderful expanse of the white cloud sea. Everything seemed to say that the sunlight, the sounds, and the view outside were perfect for waking up.
"Oh, this feels so good... What time is it... Is it Sunday today?"
Noah Drake felt very warm and comfortable. Stretching and squirming in bed for a while, he thought:
"Wow, it's so quiet today... What time is it... It must be early still..."
Habitually, Noah Drake reached out to the table in front of the bed to find his phone. But he couldn't find the table anywhere.
"Where's the table... Is it that far... Phone... phone..."
He opened his eyes...
"Where am I..."
Lying on the bed...
The ceiling was unfamiliar, the bed was unfamiliar, and the only normal thing was the clothes he was wearing.
... What happened yesterday... Looking around... No one is here...
"System...?"
A soft, playful, energetic female voice, neither too close nor too far, responded to his vague question.
"The all-purpose support system is now online. Please select a function to use."
Looking at the summary of statistics in front of him, Noah Drake realized that it wasn't a dream. He had really crossed over, and now had a system with an interface that looked no different from Windows.
... Closing his eyes, trying to recall everything...
It was truly a nightmare...
"System, where am I...?"
"The host has not unlocked this function yet; you need to level up to unlock it. The current authority of the host only allows for inquiries about issues within the estate."
"The voice has changed; it's not the same as yesterday... Hmm... Open the notifications."
"Initialization process 3/5, user-friendly function activated, interface customized according to the host's preferences... Completed."
"Initialization process 4/5, multi-language setup... Successful. You can now understand the local language."
"Initialization process 5/5, estate control functions... Successful. You can now set estate rules."
Curious, Noah Drake walked to the door and opened it. Outside, there was warm light, a clear blue sky, and below was a vast sea of white clouds—an expansive, magnificent view.
... It's so beautiful...
"I'm on a mountain. This mountain is very high too."
"The estate has changed... Where are the corpses...?"
The system's female voice responded:
"Old, damaged items have been discarded down the back of the mountain, following the old rules of the estate."
Hearing the tone and content of the notification, Noah Drake felt something was strange and twitched... The corpses is'n item.
"Discarded down the back of the mountain... All of them... Is that alright... Discarding them like that into the environment... Is it okay...?"
This time, the system changed its tone. Still feminine, but slower, more serious, and more reliable.
"Please rest assured, host. This procedure has been applied by the estate for several hundred years, and everything is fine. All those items will decompose in a few years and will merge into nature, returning to Mother Earth."
Noah Drake ... didn't know what to say, feeling as if his perception was being distorted...
"What kind of processing is this..."
Still the feminine voice with a firm tone.
"The system has processed according to the estate's customs, with no errors."
Feeling that this world was too brutal, too primitive and backward... He shook his head...
"This otherworld is too harsh..."
Mentioning the otherworld, Noah Drake suddenly remembered something very important.
"What about the world I was living in... What about my parents... I want to go home..."