Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Lein stared at the reddish-orange portal that was gradually stabilizing in the air. The ripples of energy emanating from it trembled softly, flowing into the ground and spreading like invisible waves. The air around the altar grew hotter, as if absorbing traces of power concealed within another dimension.

Aleron took a deep breath, ensuring his energy remained steady after completing the summoning ritual. With a firm voice, he began giving the final instructions to the participants.

"This competition will last for five days. Whoever collects the most Cold Fire Crystals will be the winner. There will be no final round, no eliminations. Only the total count will determine the final outcome."

For a moment, silence enveloped the area. Then, in an instant, the atmosphere ignited with burning enthusiasm. The participants exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with determination. The rules were simpler than previous challenges. They only needed to gather as many Cold Fire Crystals as possible without risking unnecessary battles.

However, Aleron was not finished. His tone grew heavier, as if emphasizing something crucial. "Remember this well. This is a real Trial Realm, not an artificial one. The dangers within are not mere simulations. If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, activate your rescue talisman immediately. We will evacuate you at once. Do not underestimate this place."

The excitement that had surged moments ago dimmed slightly. Some participants glanced at each other with more serious expressions. A real Trial Realm meant real risks. Death was not an empty threat.

But before Aleron could grant them permission to enter the portal, Lein stepped forward. His voice was calm, yet every word he spoke carried an undeniable weight.

"The top twenty participants will have the opportunity to enter my personal treasure chamber and take anything they desire, including a Heavenly Artifact."

For a brief moment, the world seemed to stop spinning.

Then, the silence exploded into an unstoppable wave of excitement.

The air trembled with restrained cheers, with hearts pounding faster. Participants who had previously regarded this competition as just another trial now gazed at the portal with fiery determination. Even those who had hesitated before now seemed to be recalculating their strategies with greater care.

Shen Yu, an elf with long silver hair, narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Interesting... it seems I'll have to take this more seriously."

Meanwhile, some participants who had originally formed groups now exchanged wary glances. With such a grand prize at stake, the competition would turn fiercer. There were no more friends in this hunt. There would only be winners and those left behind.

Lein silently observed the shift in atmosphere. The burning passion, the ignited ambition, and the rising tension that filled the air. This was the stage he had set, and they had all been drawn into his game.

Aleron and Tauriel could not hide their surprise. Tauriel turned to Lein, raising an eyebrow, her eyes reflecting doubt.

"Are you serious about this? A Heavenly Artifact is not something that can be given away so easily."

Lein simply smiled faintly, his lips curving without the slightest hint of hesitation. "Of course, I'm serious. They need motivation, and I'm simply providing it."

Tauriel let out a soft sigh but chose not to argue further. After all, the decision had been made, and Lein was not someone who could be easily swayed.

Aleron finally exhaled and refocused. With a decisive motion of his hand, he commanded, "Alright, prepare yourselves! All participants, enter the portal!"

Without hesitation, the participants rushed toward the portal with eager determination. Some tightened their grips on their weapons, while others double-checked the equipment strapped to their bodies. Some exchanged quick discussions with teammates, while others stepped forward alone, their eyes filled with ambition.

Before the last of them entered, Aleron gave one final warning. "You will be placed in random locations within the Trial Realm. Finding a team at the beginning is a wise choice. Do not be reckless!"

One by one, the participants disappeared into the swirling orange light, vanishing into another world that awaited them.@@novelbin@@

Tauriel and Aleron remained where they stood, watching as the portal made its final movements before sealing completely.

"I just hope they don't become too greedy," Tauriel muttered, her voice almost swallowed by the silence lingering in the air.

Aleron gazed at the sky with an unreadable expression. "Greedy or not, only time will tell."

The forest seemed to be burning for eternity. Towering trees stood barren, their trunks blackened with flames licking at their branches as if refusing to die out. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and embers, each breath scorching the throat. The ground beneath trembled and cracked, occasionally spitting out small bursts of fire that flickered in the air before vanishing. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire

In the crimson-orange sky, massive birds with ember-like feathers soared with their wings fully extended, occasionally diving toward unseen prey below.

Amid this blazing inferno, a woman stood, her breathing heavy. Hana, one of the core members of the World Market Trade Alliance, raised her hand, forming a thin layer of ice that shimmered with a bluish glow. The next instant, a fiery arrow shot out from an unseen direction, striking the ice shield with a sharp hiss. The frozen barrier trembled violently, fine cracks beginning to spread, yet it held firm.

Hana bit her lip, her eyes scanning the surroundings with caution. Sweat trickled down her temple, mixing with the cold aura emanating from her own body—a strange contradiction.

"This place is unbearably hot..." she muttered, wiping the sweat off with the back of her hand.

Far below the slope where she stood, the earth roiled, filled with magma pits that occasionally erupted, sending flames dancing through the air before vanishing into the abyss below. The mountain's peak was shrouded in thick black smoke that twisted like a living entity, coiling around the sky and blocking out whatever sunlight should have existed.

Hana swept her gaze across the steep, smoke-filled mountainside, her sharp eyes analyzing the treacherous landscape. "I wonder where Elen and the others are... Could they be nearby?" she murmured.

Before she could think further, a piercing cry tore through the air. Her instincts flared. She looked up immediately, her eyes locking onto the figure of a massive raven with wings blazing like embers. The creature's glowing red eyes burned with hatred, its beak slightly open, revealing a flicker of fire within its throat.

The attack came faster than she expected.

Hana ducked, her body moving instinctively. The raven's talons, gleaming like molten metal, slashed through the empty air just above her. A split second later, sharp shards of ice formed in her hand, launching forward with incredible speed.

A loud crash echoed as ice and fire clashed in the air, hissing and exploding into white steam that enveloped the surroundings. Yet, the raven did not falter. It twisted nimbly and dove down even faster.

"Tsk... You won't get away that easily," Hana hissed.

Her right hand slammed onto the ground, and in an instant, towering ice pillars erupted from the scorching surface. The air around them roared from the extreme temperature difference. As the fire raven swooped down again, Hana leaped onto one of the pillars, her light steps barely making a sound.

A spear of ice formed in her hand within seconds. With one swift motion, she hurled it straight at the creature's chest.

"Kraaaak!"

A piercing shriek rang out as ice rapidly spread, freezing the raven from within. Wings that once blazed with fire now hardened into crystalline blue-white frost, and within moments, the creature crashed into the ground, shattering the rocks beneath it.

Hana landed lightly from the pillar, exhaling deeply. "Terrifying... I need to hurry."

Her gaze lifted toward the mountain peak veiled in thick smoke. Her heartbeat quickened. For some reason, her instincts told her that the Coldfire Crystal lay somewhere up there.

Deep within the trial realm, a man leaned against the top of a massive boulder. Shen Yu, the top disciple of the Eternal Swan Sect, narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the vast expanse of the fiery land stretching before him.

The scorched red earth was littered with strange creatures, their rocky bodies crunching heated gravel like casual snacks. In the distance, a volcano erupted lazily, its lava streams glowing like rivers of molten gold.

Shen Yu let out a soft sigh. "So, I've returned to this place again..." he muttered.

There was no fear in his voice—only a faint weariness tinged with nostalgia. It seemed this wasn't his first time in this trial realm.

Three suns hung high in the sky, burning relentlessly. Their golden light cast sharp shadows across his figure, creating a stark contrast against the landscape behind him.

A faint smile graced his lips as he lifted his gaze, tracing the flow of energy in the air.

"That way," he murmured.

With a smooth motion, he drew a long sword from his back. The blade trembled slightly before rising into the air.

Shen Yu stepped onto it, and with a single breath of wind, he shot into the sky.

Elsewhere, deep within a dark cave dimly illuminated by the crimson glow seeping through the cracks in the stone, a man stood motionless. The light that touched his face revealed near-perfect features—so refined and elegant that they seemed almost unreal.

The soft aura radiating from his body felt oddly out of place in this ominous environment.

He let out a long sigh before flicking his hair back with a look of irritation.

"Tch... This heat is insufferable..." he muttered.

With a snap of his fingers, shimmering green specks of light emerged from his body, drifting gently around him. These tiny particles not only shielded him from the searing temperature but also cast a faint glow, illuminating the pitch-black cave.

With careful steps, he made his way toward a narrow passage that appeared to lead outside.