In the heart of a vast forest, a golden light suddenly appeared. Slowly, it expanded until it transformed into a man of extraordinary handsomeness.
This man was none other than Merlin Crown, our irresistibly charming main character.
Yet, despite his striking appearance, Merlin's face was contorted in clear pain, his head pounding violently.
"Shit! My head hurts so much," Merlin muttered, rubbing his temples.
He wasn't sure what was causing the pain, but he strongly suspected it was a side effect of his recent teleportation. After all, his body was just an ordinary human one, and this was his first time experiencing teleportation. Though it was only a guess, Merlin felt certain of it.
After several minutes, the pain in his head began to fade, and he finally felt some relief.
Looking around, he was startled to realize he was deep in the forest. What shocked him most, however, wasn't the location but the sheer size of the towering trees.
Unlike typical trees that were five to ten meters tall, these ones stretched far higher—Merlin estimated they reached over fifty meters!
In the face of such massive trees, he felt as insignificant as an ant.
"This is incredible," Merlin remarked, a smile full of admiration on his face. "If the trees in my previous world were like these, I'm sure there would be chaos everywhere. As expected of a fantasy world."
Having calmed himself and adjusted his mentality, Merlin surveyed his surroundings and realized he was alone. This suggested that each participant's point of emergence was likely far apart, though Merlin didn't have a clear sense of just how far yet.
"Status," Merlin called out casually.
[Status]
[—Name—: Merlin Crown]
[—Age—: 25 years old]
[—Traits/Characteristics—: Cunning, Selfish, Calculating, Prioritizes personal gain above all, and Cowardice]
[—Title—: -]
[—Level/XP—: 1 (0/100)]
[—HP/Mana—: 1200/950]
[—Class—: -]
[—Attributes/Talents—: 150 LCK (Mythic), 99 INT (Legendary), 150 CHA (Mythic), 50 AGT (Epic), 49 VIT (Epic), 33 END (Unique), 37 STA (Unique)]
[—Skills—: Eyes of Truth (God)]
[—Items—: -]
When he saw his status, Merlin rubbed his chin and nodded in satisfaction. Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to it, focusing more on Quinella's explanation. But now, he was impressed. His status could be summed up in one word—awesome.
The [INT] attribute was at a [Legendary] talent level, while [LCK] and [CHA] were at a [Mythic] talent level—both showing immense potential. The rest of his attributes were equally impressive, filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
"Hmm?" Merlin's eyes suddenly narrowed as his gaze instinctively shifted to the [Level] column. It had been empty before, but now it displayed a number—Level 1. Next to it, he saw a progress bar labeled (0/100), clearly indicating [XP].
"Why did these two suddenly appear? Is it because of my arrival in Thaloria?" Merlin pondered carefully.
He wasn't entirely sure if his analysis was correct, but it seemed likely, given that neither of the two had existed before.
Once satisfied, Merlin stared at his status for a moment longer, then closed the panel and took a deep breath.
"Now, what should I do? And where's the task or game that's supposed to be given?" Merlin asked, looking around hesitantly.
Although Quinella had explained many things, she hadn't provided any hints about this matter, leaving him confused and unsure of what to do next.
Just as Merlin sank deeper into his dilemma, a cheerful woman's voice suddenly echoed from the sky.
"Welcome to the world of Thaloria, those chosen by destiny. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sophia, the administrator of Thaloria. It is with great joy that I welcome you."
Not only was Merlin surprised by the voice, but so were all the other participants scattered across various locations.
"Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer, since I'm not one to waste time, you know?" The voice continued playfully. "But before we begin, there's something important you should know. To make it easier for us to monitor the test, we've assigned a sequence number to each of you, so we can track whether you're alive or dead."
As the voice finished, Merlin suddenly noticed a golden light above his head, which slowly transformed into the number 99.
At the sight of the number, Merlin was slightly startled and reached out to touch it, but his efforts were in vain. The number was like a hologram—completely untouchable.
*Buzz!*
A moment later, a golden light erupted from the sky, slowly transforming into a large golden board adorned with an elegant white pattern. The board displayed a sequence of numbers from one to five hundred, clearly indicating the total number of participants.
"This is the Sky Board, a magic tool that shows who's alive and who's dead," the woman's voice explained casually. "But don't worry. This board won't reveal your identities. Moreover, only you will be able to see the numbers above each other's heads, preventing any unexpected actions from other participants."
After a brief pause, the voice rang out again, now filled with enthusiasm. "Alright, without further delay, the test begins!"