Return Of The Strongest Player
chapter-261

Arthur's body floated freely in a space devoid of light. However, unlike last time, he retained his senses, although they were obstructed by the lack of objects to sense in such an atmosphere, or more precisely, the lack of atmosphere.

Suddenly, an object Arthur could not perceive shot past his left shoulder, ripping his arm off within microseconds. The crimson-eyed man's eyes widened as a searing pain permeated across his body, causing his face to contort.

Arthur could not sense sound, but if he could, he would have heard his pitiful screams, and the gory sounds of his flesh being ripped asunder.

Instead falling into the oblivion that lay beneath, Arthur's blood instead underwent the process of ebulism, forming into water vapor before creating a spray of mist that burst in all directions. The blood entered Arthur's nose and mouth, causing intense pain and irritation.

Blood vessels near the skin's surface ruptured.

But Arthur didn't die, neither did he faint. He was forced to endure the excruciating pain, staring upon what could only be described as eternal darkness.

At that moment, pressure bore down on Arthur's shoulders, forcing him to use his abundance of mana to augment his body, preventing it from bursting into a million pieces. Clearing his eyes of blood vapors using mana, Arthur gazed at the changes that had occurred in his surroundings.

'The Sun… The Stars…'

Arthur's jaw dropped as he noticed the existence of a vast, expansive sphere forged using hydrogen and helium that were condensed due to the star's gravity.

He was in Outer Space.

He looked around, and didn't spot any planets, or Heaven's Spire, that stood at the center of the universe. Outer Space seemed to consist solely stars, clusters of rocks, and possibly other phenomena Arthur could not perceive.

However, this was not somewhere he was supposed to be.

Arthur realized the fact instantly, yet there was nothing he could do. He spread [Divine Sense] across the area, but sensed absolutely nothing, as he was currently floating within a vacuum. He wondered how breathing was possible, but quickly realized that was an effect of his current body.

Or, perhaps it was simply a bonus he received due to not belonging to the particular timeline.

'This is too early,' he realized, and at that moment, he sensed the approach of an object he could not identify. Arthur released an inaudible chuckle, watching through the light of stars and [Divine Sense] as an unknown object forged using ice and dust collided with his body, crushing it instantly.

Darkness engulfed Arthur's vision.

[Time Trial Failed.]

[Third Trial is being investigated.]

[Third Trial has been cancelled.]

[Fragment Of The Key has been rewarded to the participant in exchange for their inconvenience.]

[Time Trial 3/3 Complete.]

[100% Completion.]

[Rewards will be allotted once the user is teleported.]

*

Arthur's eyelids fluttered open, causing light to flood his crimson pupils, forcing him to blink a few times in order to adjust. Arthur felt the dampness of his clothes, and the terrible smell that exuded from his body.

He felt the stiffness of his muscles, along with the coldness of his surroundings. He quickly moved his tailbone, allowing the excruciating pain that rushed across his body to fade. With a pained expression, Arthur shifted.

Laying on his back, he simply stared at the grey ceiling constructed using concrete. The ceiling dripped dirty water that stained Arthur's face, but he was entirely uncaring of it.

Considering it was an ethereal body that entered the various timelines, his original body had been stationary for who knows how long. That caused it to become stiff, and in need of stretching.

Moreover, the position was quite awkward.

Aside from that, Arthur could feel a sense of calmness that he hadn't felt ever since his arrival to the tower. As his gaze focused on the tiny bumps that protruded through the wall of concrete, he felt an innate sense of composure.

It was as if his mental state was as it should be.

He zoned out for a few seconds, simply staring at the concrete. It seemed the battle that lasted an entire day had truly put him in the perfect position to enter the war that would revolve around him.

This was not like other wars.

In his former life, Arthur was either a mere foot soldier during wars, or was so powerful that even if the war was centered against him, he could still dominate the battlefield and achieve victory without many problems.

However, this time, not only did he lack power and was forced to rely on a third party, but the entirety of the war was based on the prevention of his arrival at the temple, at which he could exchange the Thirteen Constellation Tokens.

It was an unprecedented event that had never been seen in the tower prior to this.

That was precisely why it was so special, and would certainly attract many greedy, hungry forces wanting a piece of him.

At the time, Arthur could do nothing but rely on his teammates.

The object relating to Time could only be used within the twelfth floor, and would be useless outside a designated area. So, Arthur had nothing to rely on in case things began going South. He couldn't risk a single mistake.

Pushing himself up with much difficulty, Arthur stared at the statue before pressing the rectangular button with the "phi" symbol.

He finally understood what the symbol meant.

It symbolized the harmony between natural and unnatural, highlighting the balance between the two forces that coexisted. However, sometimes, the latter began overpowering the former, which couldn't occur for a peaceful ecosystem to exist.

Time was natural. It was eternal, and symbolized the constant flow of something without the ability to revert to a past state, unless one could essentially manipulate it. Manipulation was impossible through mortal hands.

Only certain objects, or immortal existences, could influence Time.

Mortals could not wield the power of Time, but there seemed to be a catch.

They could certainly influence it, not through their own power, but through another's. The concept of "sealing" represented negativity, but what it could instead be wielded to someone's advantage?

By sealing the concept of Time into an object, one could essentially grant another the ability.

Not permanently, but definitely temporarily through the use of the particular object.

As Arthur's finger sunk into the rectangular button, blinding light engulfed the room, before the clanging of armors resounded across Arthur's ears. A faint smile blossomed on his face, prompting him to turn around.

Before him, two existences clad in armor kneeled before the statue, their faces masked by a massive helmet draped over their heads. Their armor was thick, and seemed to portray them as eight feet monstrosities.

Arthur stepped forth.

"I have completed the Trial of Time," he announced. "But what was that at the end?"

The guards did not respond, and continued kneeling. Before long, an emerald aura engulfed the entirely of the room before condensing into an hourglass forged using seemingly fragile materials.

The hourglass gently dropped in Arthur's hands before melting, merging with his skin.

Arthur felt a jolt of shock travel past his palm, colliding with the fibers of his brain. A tingling sensation permeated across his body, before transforming into a pleasant feeling. Suddenly, a translucent, blue window manifested before him.

[An artifact has merged with your existence.]

[Locket Of Divinity (Time) has been obtained.]

Arthur relished the sensation, using [Ascertain] on the tiny, emerald gemstone that he could now summon.

[Name: Locket Of Divinity (Time)]

[Grade: Immeasurable]

[Trait: Able to turn back time to the user's choice. The amount of time depends on the user's total mana and the condition of the artifact. Artifact is at its peak condition.]

The guards suddenly approached the statue, placing their armor-covered hands on each arm of the massive statue.

"Welcome, Conqueror of the Trials…"

"...To the Realm of Impossibility."

*

As Kyler blocked the attack of one of the players, he suddenly glanced at his temporary comrade. However, to his surprise, the players that he was engaging in battle with had perished, while Arthur had disappeared.

Kyler gritted his teeth, wondering if Arthur had sped ahead.

"That fucker…"

The Future Magic Emperor stepped forth, bashing the heads of the two players together, ending their life in mere milliseconds. As their blood-coated bodies fell pitifully to the damp ground, Kyler augmented his feet with mana.

Fumes burst from his calves as he stepped forward, traveling at terrifying speeds towards the finish line, determination vivid in his eyes.

However, at that moment, a phenomenon no one could have expected occurred.

Emerald smoke burst from all directions, engulfing the cave in a peculiar mist that seemed to dull the senses. Despite the obvious existence of the mist, however, no one realized its presence.

At that moment, a blinding light flashed, and the wheel of eternity turned backwards for the first time in a while.

And it wasn't just the twelfth floor, for an unknown reason.