Towards these four directions, it appeared to be a universal trouble that afflicted not just the group of stellar geniuses from the Blackridge district, but all the other geniuses too.
The golden platform visible only to Cassius and Dalia was the most "famous," with the majority of students "seeing" it.
Second, only to said platform was Felix's and Melissa's, as the platform which Andrew and Catharina "saw", was the third, before finally, the platform which Anon approached was the least famous.
There were very few individuals who saw what Anon, Bolan, and Seth did.
Including Anon, there were exactly twenty-one out of the several hundred students approaching it.
In the midst of this chaos, these twenty-one geniuses approached the golden platform with a measure of confidence that could not be falsely forged. The platform was a meter tall, seemingly forged from solid gold.
"I'll get going."
Bolan's voice entered Anon's ears like a whisper as his body blurred and moved akin to a phantom between Anon and Seth before hopping onto the platform.
The view of his back standing atop the platform could be seen.
"You don't want to reveal too much now." Seth smiled, saying, "Being targeted by the children of greater families, at times, simple strength isn't enough."
Saying this, Seth hopped onto the platform whilst being observed by Anon. The latter stared at him for a moment, processing his words before a slight smirk played on his lips.
'Maybe if I was still a part of the first world, they'd concern me, but like you, I've entered the second world.' Whilst thinking this, Anon's right leg stretched as he stepped onto the platform, as instantly thereafter, his world changed.
There was a blue, cloudless sky, where a black sun hung. Before his feet were a pair of gauntlets, and further away, the golden platform stretched into a forest.
On either side of Anon stood Seth and Bolan, yet there seemed to be an incredible distance separating them from him.
He knowingly stretched his hand out, attempting to touch Seth's face. But he was unsurprised as his hand phased through Seth's skin.
'Spatial layers...'
Anon pondered inwardly, 'Father said there are an innumerable number of spatial layers within the world space.'
'Mortals, and for the most part, even stellar fighters exist in a single spatial layer, hence we can touch one another or something like that... when father begins speaking about dimensionality and all of that, things become way too complicated.'
'Well, although I complained at that time, now I know why I can't touch Seth.' Anon smiled whilst glancing at the golden platform he stood on.
'It's because we're currently existing in two different physical planes, or at least, this piece of technology is replicating this act.'
Hypothetically speaking, if ghosts, spirits, or whatever one desired to call them existed, then it would be in a separate spatial layer from the living; hence, it was assumed that they could not be touched and seen by those in the "real world."
Right now, it was so.
Seth snickered at Anon's antics as he quite literally walked through Anon while Bolan indifferently observed their playful actions.
What was left when they walked through one another was a strange oddness that welled up in their chests, a shiver that trickled down their spines.
"Okay, enough of that." Seth groaned.
Anon nodded as a sharp light formed in his gaze. "So, is this the test?" He uttered this whilst turning to an approaching creature.
It was a humanoid entity.
Tall... It was three times Anon's height, and its black body was massive and thick, burly to an extreme degree.
There were a plentiful number of them, one for each of the geniuses.
Anon stooped and quickly adorned his gauntlets before rising and stepping toward a burly giant. Its face lacked any features besides a single white eye that a black fluid trickled from.
It had one arm that was disproportional to its body, being much shorter in comparison.
Within its grasp there was a long sword even longer than its towering frame. A distance of some seventy meters separated Anon and the monstrous giant.
Pinching his chin, Anon wondered with an unquestionable calmness overflowing from his form, 'How powerful would this be?'
'Are the challenges in all the platforms equal?'
'And they clearly know that we're second world stellar fighters, so would this be more challenging for me and Seth?'
Seventy meters...
Under the titan's feet, the golden platform splintered as the space separating it and Anon twisted, and the distance was devoured.
Appearing before Anon, it had already swung its mighty sword, causing the very air to tremble as mind-numbing explosions rung out in the surroundings.
Bang!
A powerful gust of wind erupted as the longsword slammed into Anon's ribs, hurling him away.
Brilliant explosions of light erupted as Anon's body arched violently through the air.
In mid-air, he gazed at the sky above, pondering internally while being propelled through another titan existing in a separate spatial layer.
"Its speed and strength are within the first world."
The cloudless blue skies were tranquil, possessing their own kind of beauty.
It was too beautiful, bringing a blissful smile to Anon's face as his body rocketed through the air.
"Only the potency of its attacks, backed by its heavy body's momentum, is far more devastating than its true strength," he thought. "Being hit by it would be troublesome for someone not in the second world."
The breakthrough from the first to the second world was quite simple, akin to finally remembering a word that had previously evaded one's mind.
But its repercussions were anything but simple.
Entering a new world brought forth a fundamental evolution in the spirit, and like when grueling training to strengthen the body also strengthens the mind, one's will, similarly, the evolution of the spirit also brought about a strengthening of one's worldly flesh, the body.
Anon was stronger now, faster, more agile, flexible, durable—he was better. And the titan's attacks did not affect him greatly...
Mid-air, he flipped and twisted, stamping his feet into the platform and bringing his body to a halt.
Under his feet, the golden platform exploded into shards and splinters as he thundered across the platform like a bolt of lightning towards the titan.
It swung its sword once more, crashing into Anon's body!
But it did not stop, severing Anon's form into two halves which then faded away.
Anon's true form scaled up the giant's body before jumping into the air after using its shoulder as a springboard.
He maneuvered through the air, descending towards the titan's head with his right fist drawn back.
Boom!
An explosion of debris erupted around him as the titan's head caved in and imploded, much of its upper body following suit.
Headless and mostly reduced to rubble, its knees buckled under the loss of strength, crashing to the ground with a resounding bang.
Anon landed on the golden platform and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
'I'm fast enough to create an afterimage like Nickyle's dodge ability. My strength is formidable, my agility is animalistic, and my body is as robust and sturdy as a mountain. There's no need to reveal my trump card.'
Trump card.
He didn't have one until he stepped into the second world.
In front of him, five meters away, the golden platform came to an abrupt end.
This led to the open field he came from, so turning his back to it, his figure abruptly rocketed forward, rushing across the golden platform towards the forestry that the golden platform trespassed into.
Seth's blood manipulation...
Every time Anon saw it, he realized that the boy, that devil, would reveal more of its prowess.
Against the sturdy titan, Seth blew out a crimson mist that slowly approached the titan. Though it appeared to move slowly, by the time the giant reacted, it had already encompassed its body.
This crimson air appeared acidic or corrupt, seemingly melting its skin.
When the mist dispersed, what was revealed was a small black chunk of the titan that spurted black liquid into the surroundings as Seth casually passed by, leisurely trotting forward with an unamused face, his eyes frigid and uninviting.
But his cold gaze melted, and his face was graced with amusement as he perceived Bolan not too far away.
"Intriguing, intriguing."
Seth cackled aloud, internally thinking, 'Bolan, oh Bolan, Blackridge's chosen, tell me, why do you observe Anon and I so intently? Your little secrets, I know them well...'