A floating island measuring 100 x 100 meters drifted leisurely through the clouds.
On this island sat a young man in a comfortable chair, a small table beside him holding a glass of wine.
The man was Essim, savoring the beauty of the morning. The warm sunlight bathed his muscular frame, enhancing his relaxed demeanor.
Yes, this marked the seventh day in the Divine Sky Realm.
[Event: Rise of the Sovereign]
[Event Duration: 0 days, 1 hour, 12 minutes...]
The event timer had dwindled to just over an hour. Essim opened the event leaderboard, and his expression turned indifferent.
[Event Ranking]
William Anderson - 136,490,000
Bai Qi - 91,721,000
Vladimir Nova - 85,034,000
Kim Un - 55,648,000
...
Essim - 23,800,000
Laras - 21,738,000
He could hardly believe it. Essim had been immensely proud of his EX-level talent, a rare gift that defied the heavens.
But it seemed that his talent did not lie in combat. His instinct to create a trading organization had proven to be more accurate.
Essim was curious about the powers wielded by the others. Did they also possess EX-level talents? Lately, these thoughts had plagued his sleep.
Realizing there was no chance of breaking into the top 20, Essim decided it was time to return to his main island.
He stood up and stepped into the only portal on the floating island.
At that moment, atop a circular altar, a young man with black hair and a golden sword at his hip emerged from a 10-meter portal.
Essim surveyed his surroundings, noting the bustling crowd. He had missed this place.
He had not returned to the main island even once during his quest to climb the rankings, but all his efforts had seemed futile.
Stepping off the portal altar, Essim was greeted by the vibrant city streets, alive with street vendors and a variety of buildings—hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and more.
"Hahaha... I seem to have pushed myself too hard. Isn't this lively place my dream?" he thought to himself.
Yes, Essim had been striving to become a sovereign, a king, an emperor, much like the protagonists in the novels he adored. With his EX-level talent, he had believed he could achieve this. But reality had proved to be quite different.
"Alright, I wonder how Aisha is doing?" Essim thought, a flicker of concern for his younger sister, Aisha, crossing his mind.
"Hey, stop... I said stop!" A uniformed man shouted as he grabbed a young boy by the shoulder.
"Give it back," the man demanded, extending his hand with authority.
"What? I didn't take your stuff!" The boy protested, his hand trembling in his pocket, determined to stand his ground.
He stared defiantly at the uniformed man, unflinching despite the situation.
"Are you trying to cause trouble? I'll show you the power of a level 13 mage!" the uniformed man threatened, his body glowing white as a black staff materialized in his right hand.
The boy activated his own equipment, a wooden sword manifesting in his grasp. He was only level 3.
Before the uniformed man could unleash his skill, an elderly man in red robes appeared on the scene.
"Master Ruyi, let it go. He's still young. He's also my student from the Red Flower Magic Academy," the old man interjected calmly.
"I'll replace whatever he took," the old man continued, a wise glint in his eyes.
"Alright, I won't pursue this further. Ask him what he stole," the uniformed man replied, visibly annoyed.
"Aldi... What did you take?" the old man asked the boy.
The boy seemed to relent, showing respect for the elderly man standing before him.
He pulled out a small black pouch containing 10 Energy Crystals.
"Sorry, Teacher Damas, but my mother needs these crystals," the boy explained, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Don't cry. I'll visit your home later," Teacher Damas reassured the boy, then tossed the black pouch to the uniformed man, adding five extra Energy Crystals as compensation.
"The matter is settled," the old man declared firmly.
"Thank you, Master Damas," the uniformed man grumbled before walking away.
Essim had witnessed the entire scene unfold. He had been tempted to intervene, but the old man had acted more swiftly.
"Red Flower Academy?" Essim mused aloud, intrigued.
He decided to continue exploring the island.
Essim felt the establishment of the academy was justified. His floating island now spanned over 120 x 120 kilometers. Combined with the total area of the floating islands of the ten members of the World Market Alliance, the alliance's total area was an impressive 150,000 square kilometers.
A massive island with only 50,000 to 100,000 residents, leaving vast areas still uninhabited.
Essim wandered through the vibrant Life City. After meandering through several streets, he arrived at a three-story restaurant.
Upon entering, he was warmly greeted by a male waiter.
The waiter was efficient and polite.
"Welcome to Rudi Resto. Please, sir..."
The waiter guided Essim to a table and handed him a menu.
Grilled Fish with Pepper, Tofu Fried Rice, Grilled Chiken Soup...
Seeing the menu, Essim couldn't help but be astonished.
"What is this? Is this Earth?" For a moment, he was taken aback by the menu, which resembled those found in restaurants back on Earth.
"Excuse me, sir, is there nothing to your liking?" the waiter asked, noticing Essim's distraction.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll have the Spicy Crab and a hot tea," Essim replied, still lost in thought. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
During his six-day absence, Aisha hadn't mentioned anything like this. She had only said everything was going well. There had been no void monster attacks, no dangers, and the city was thriving.
"Did she do this on purpose?" Essim wondered, a smile creeping onto his face.
The restaurant's atmosphere was tranquil, with the gentle sound of a mini fountain adding a peaceful, harmonious touch.
Essim glanced around, observing other patrons—young couples, families, and individuals—enjoying their meals.
Their attire varied, almost resembling Earth's fashion.
"Yeah... The system is indeed convenient. Equipment only appears when activated," he reflected.
Like in the earlier conflict between the uniformed man and the boy, combat equipment was only visible when in use. Under normal circumstances, patrons wore only regular clothing.
Within five minutes, Essim's order arrived.
A crab the size of a human head was served alongside steaming hot broth that looked fresh and inviting.
"Your order, sir. Please enjoy," the waiter said, carefully placing the dish before Essim before leaving.
"Thank you."
Essim took a sip of the crab soup.
"Wow... This is incredible... I've been missing out for six days," Essim lamented, cursing his earlier choices.
"Damn you, Aisha. I'll get back to you someday," he muttered, blaming Aisha for his misfortunes, a mix of frustration and affection in his voice.
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