Chapter 382: Arrogance

After that conversation, Priam received a spatial ring from Mishnar containing half of everything he had found on that beast planet. That was the official agreement with the sect, and Priam had handed over everything he found with complete honesty.

The sect examined the treasures and selected the items they were most interested in, returning the other half to him. Could they have tried to cheat him? Yes, but Priam could also have hidden part of the spoils.

However, just as Priam would have known if the sect had acted in bad faith, the upper echelon was also certain they would know if a young Sage were lying. In the end, it had been a silent test from both sides—a mutual attempt to measure the level of trust between them.

Priam received the ring, nodded in satisfaction, and was dismissed.

When he returned to his faction’s quarters, he went straight to his room, where Dandara was meditating in silence.

He sat down on the bed and accessed the System, selecting exactly what he wanted to acquire:

[-24,000 GP] [EX Training Amplifier]

[-18,000 GP] [Natural Elements] [Level: Divine]

[-25,000 GP] [Synthesis] [Level: Divine]

[Total: -67,000 GP]

These were the last crucial pieces of knowledge he hadn’t been able to purchase at the previous Rank. In one year, he would have a great opportunity to accumulate points and acquire the new knowledge that became available with his new Rank.

***

An entire year passed by quickly.

During that time, every member of Priam’s faction devoted themselves day and night to intensive training. They all reached Level 1 of the Sage Rank and only needed to stabilize themselves. Afterward, they studied how to properly use the Essence of Creation.

Meanwhile, Priam reached Level 3 of his Rank before stopping his advancement.

He had reached the point where he finally needed a sun. That was when he discovered that creating a star from scratch was neither a simple nor a quick task, even with abundant resources and absolute control over his Secret World.

After studying the process, Priam understood that a Philosopher Sage needed at least 5,000 years to condense a sun from scratch. Even with his massive +300% bonus, it would still take him an average of 1,250 years to achieve the same result.

Priam had absolutely no intention of wasting that much time. However, this didn’t worry him in the slightest—after all, it was far more practical to simply steal everything already prepared from other people.

In this Celestial Event, there would certainly be higher-level Philosopher Sages.

Greedy bastards existed everywhere, and finding a suitable target wouldn’t be difficult. Besides, he could now synthesize a new Lineage. Priam still didn’t know what would be most useful to him at the moment, but he hoped to find something valuable among the participants.

At several points, he caught himself wishing that rich and influential people would show up and cause trouble for him, just so he could loot them afterward. Soon after, he let out an ironic laugh to himself: deep down, he was acting exactly like a villain who enjoyed killing and stealing.

But... he completely ignored that feeling and didn’t care in the slightest.

As for his twin sisters, there had been no news about them throughout that entire year. They were still on that distant mission.

Priam finally remembered a crucial detail and asked Mishnar about the time dilation between that world and theirs.

Mishnar promptly replied: in that world, the period equivalent to one year for them was equal to seven years for the twins.

Seven years had passed for them, and the mission still hadn’t been completed. This left Priam visibly apprehensive, but he chose to remain calm and trust in their potential for the time being.

...

On the appointed day, all the Sages of the 11th Branch—consisting solely of the 2,120 members of Priam’s faction—were led by the Head Elder to the teleportation formation.

In the blink of an eye, they appeared on the surface of a planet located in the Western Region of the Divine Plane, very close to the border with the North. This was the traditional location where the event always took place.

The planet was immersed in oppressive darkness, pierced only by subtle golden lines in the firmament that emitted a soft, faint light. There was no sunlight. The ground was a vast, barren wasteland of rocky mountains.

The thick smell of blood hung in the air. It was impossible to measure how many lives had been slaughtered on that battlefield throughout the ages. Countless fractured skeletons lay scattered everywhere. Even though they had died millennia ago, those bones still emanated a suffocating pressure.

"BOSS!"

Suddenly, a shout echoed, and Priam turned around.

There they were—the 90 Sages from the other Branches, the same ones he had led during the war against the Sorcerers.

Priam waved at them in greeting, while Dandara quickly integrated them into the structure of Priam’s faction formation.

Previously, those 90 Sages had represented the absolute elite of the army, while everyone else had been nothing more than Mage Masters. Now, however... the veterans were utterly shocked when they realized that all two thousand-plus members of Priam’s faction had reached exactly the same level as them.

"There’s only half an hour left, and each group from the other sects has been assigned to a different region of the planet. Those coming from the inner sect should appear closer to the opening," Mishnar quickly explained.

"Do you see that enormous abyss to the north? That’s where the Specters will emerge, spreading in every direction. Some of them will instinctively attack everything they see in front of them, while others will try to shoot toward the heavens and into space to escape. You must defend the perimeter where you’re positioned, south of the abyss, and prevent them from escaping at all costs."

"The entire planet has an active inscription array that will automatically record and tally each of your points. Good luck, everyone."

As soon as she finished speaking, she flew toward the sky, leaving the planet’s atmosphere without wasting any time.

Priam let out a muffled sigh and fixed his gaze on the abyss to the north.

When the event began, they would need to advance directly toward that rift and establish a solid defensive line to slaughter as many targets as possible.

"Cousin, are you planning any special arrangements for the contingent? I’ve noticed that some of the disciples are visibly nervous," Flaris said as she approached.

Even though Priam’s faction was incredibly powerful and accustomed to fighting alongside him, everyone still felt the weight of participating in a Celestial Event—something they had never even dreamed of reaching.

On top of that, the atmosphere of the place was suffocating. Destroyed skeletons were scattered everywhere, and they didn’t belong to ordinary Mages... they were the remains of humanoid Sages!

No matter how strong those young people were, for many of them, this was the first time they had ever set foot on such a terrifying battlefield. The tension in the air threatened to undermine the group’s confidence.

"I’ll tell you the truth... but you definitely can’t tell them about this," Priam said with an extremely serious expression.

"W-What is it?" Flaris jumped in surprise when she saw the seriousness on his face.

"Actually... I’m incredibly nervous too," Priam murmured with a troubled look.

"Stop messing around!" Flaris snapped. Faced with all the absurd and terrifying things Priam had done in the past, not even the biggest idiot in the world would believe he was actually afraid.

However, knowing her cousin well and noticing that the soldiers’ attention had immediately shifted toward their conversation, Flaris understood the act. Taking on her role in the improvised performance, she continued.

"I’m really nervous. Pretty scared, actually," Priam continued in an innocent tone.

She snorted and crossed her arms. "And what could you possibly be afraid of? I don’t believe a single word you’re saying."

"I’m afraid that... there won’t be enough Specters for me to secure a spot in the Top 10. If I don’t place among the top ten on behalf of our sect, my pride will be wounded forever! Tell me, how could I not be terrified by that?"

Dandara burst into laughter. "Boss, don’t worry! Just relax and enjoy the show. I guarantee I’ll take first place!"

"That will depend on your abilities. This time, I won’t hold back at all. My insects are infinitely more terrifying now that I can feed them Essence of Creation. I’ll sweep through everything so quickly that there won’t be anything left," Sallya declared with an excited and proud smile.

"Meh! Only in your dreams! First place is already mine!" Shione proclaimed. She had been waiting for an opportunity to make her name echo throughout the entire universe for a long time.

"Looks like I’m not particularly suited for this kind of massive confrontation, but at least I can focus on hunting down those who try to escape," Inigo commented, with Daraen immediately agreeing beside him.

Both of them specialized in single-target eliminations rather than area attacks meant to exterminate hordes. The event’s format didn’t favor them, but they would still be essential pieces in containing the enemies.

The generals’ relaxed attitude instantly spread throughout the rest of the army. The oppression and fear weighing down the disciples’ chests began to dissipate slightly.

It was at that exact moment that the fabric of space above them began to hum, tearing the sky apart with luminous dimensional rifts.

A massive spatial channel took shape above the group, and thousands of figures wearing identical, immaculate robes emerged imposingly in the sky.

They were the disciples from the inner sect!

The moment they appeared, they all directed their gazes toward the contingent below... and in the very next second, an overwhelming wave of arrogance, mockery, and deep contempt spread across the faces of every single newcomer.