Scott pulled himself up from the ground, engaging in a grueling combat with multiple champions, his movements betraying signs of exhaustion. Despite his weariness, each strike he delivered carried enough force to incapacitate his opponents efficiently.

  Meanwhile, Orion, surrounded by hundreds of clones, fought with a combination of grace and brutality. Despite the thirty-second limitation, the mage occasionally directed some of his duplicates to inspect specific corpses or opponents, regardless of the potential repercussions. As the asura faced off against robust champions targeting it, it adapted its fighting style while taking advantage of its numerous limbs, ruthlessly dispatching its adversaries. With each passing moment, a growing pile of corpses surrounded the trio, despite their various regenerative capabilities. Scott and the asura began to show signs of fatigue as the battle wore on, while Orion, aside from his intense expression, seemed to possess an otherworldly level of endurance, remaining unfazed by the ongoing conflict.

  After barely twenty minutes since their arrival on the battlefield, the electrifying music abruptly ceased, and an eerie silence fell over the arena. Strangely, no new champions had entered the fray for the past five minutes. Suddenly, a mysterious force enveloped all surviving combatants, and multiple system windows materialized before their eyes.

  Scott stood there, bewildered by the messages flashing before him. In that very moment, radiant lights descended from the heavens, enveloping the motionless champions in their comforting glow. The lifeless bodies wilted under the intense illumination, while the surviving champions began to regain their physical and mental composure.

  “This is absurd,” Scott muttered inwardly. “System, show stats,” he demanded silently.

  Scott scanned the system panel, his confusion and surprise hidden behind his mask. Soon understanding swiftly trailed his initial reactions. So, this is the reason they all fought like suicidal maniacs, he mused, though skepticism lingered. But surely this isn’t sustainable.

  Turning to Orion, Scott noticed a mirrored expression of bewilderment. Then, his gaze shifted to the asura, where a troubling sight awaited him. The malevolent creature had somehow grown larger and more menacing since their last encounter.

  Lost in contemplation, Scott barely registered the emergence of another system notification, accompanied this time by a melodious symphony that enveloped the immobilized champions.

  Three years? Scott's eyes widened in surprise, and he wasn't alone in his reaction. The champions suddenly grasped the sheer fortune of their timely arrival. It dawned on them that few, if any, from the initial group of performers in the 31,456th iteration had likely endured until this point in the performance.

  No matter how greedy one may be, there’s no way anyone would believe they can last that long, right? Scott thought to himself while glancing at nearby champions.

  "Among the champions, a common trait emerged—a palpable greed veiled their eyes. For many, the windfall from the previous performance surpassed their wildest expectations. Their survival only fueled delusions of grandeur, festering in their minds.

  Scott turned towards Orion and the asura, a silent and mutual understanding passing between them. Without hesitation, they decided to depart. Simultaneously, other champions made their choices. Crimson beams cascaded from the heavens, enveloping tens of thousands of champions in a blinding flash. Meanwhile, the lively music from earlier gradually intensified, marking the beginning of another performance. Scott observed as the battlefield descended once more into chaos, soaring skyward.

  Moments later, Scott and the champions who opted to leave found themselves in a vast field stretching beyond the horizon.

  “Where are we?” Scott murmured, scanning the area for Orion and the asura, but they remained elusive.

  With thousands of champions congregated in the same space, caution prevailed among them. After all, there was no certainty whether they had been summoned to the field for the purpose of engaging in battle with one another.

  Scott stared at the system message, and barely a second after it emerged, a rogue tendril raced toward an option, clicking it with satisfaction.

  With his mouth agape, Scott observed as the ground beneath his feet split open, plunging him into free fall amidst turbulent clouds. Beneath him, a vast valley emerged, its vegetation obscured by thick fog. Despite the ominous surroundings, Scott's attention fixated on a darkened tower nestled in the heart of the forest. Though barely discernible, a flashing yellow sign atop the tower caught his eye, resembling a beacon guiding who knew what.

  The system message abruptly glitched as a red taint covered the usually blueish interface.

  Scott narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting between the message and the ominous tower below. The raging skies seemed to carry his form toward the towering structure, and the closer he got, the more intimidating the building appeared.

  The blackened tower, constructed from a unique material, was responsible for the thick fog blanketing the valley. What’s more, the vegetation closest to the tower was far more robust and enchanting, seemingly moving along with the raging winds that stormed the valley. About five hundred meters away from the tower, in an area shrouded with the densest fog, Scott's eyes penetrated through the mist, staring at the churning pool with flashing streaks of yellow hidden from the ordinary eye. The yellow sign appeared in Scott’s left eye, blinking in sync with the ominous flashes of yellow from the pool.

  The eldritch knight soon landed on a large podium extending outward, with a tiled pathway leading to an ivory door adorned with golden accessories. Scott took a cursory look at his surroundings as the howling winds struck against his body. With each passing minute, his frown deepened, and an unsettling feeling gradually welled up inside him. The fact that the system message announcing Carcosa was thrilled with his arrival hadn’t disappeared only made him more cautious and anxious.

  I hate the fact that this place feels oddly familiar despite it being my first time here, Scott frowned as he turned his attention back to the ivory door—the only entrance into the tower.

  “I guess I don’t have any choice,” he muttered, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor as he approached the magnificent entrance.

  On his fourth step, however, the grand doors swung open with a hiss, billowing out copious amounts of steam. Scott's attention, however, was drawn to the towering figure before him, clad in attire that seemed plucked from the future, a stark departure from anything he had encountered or imagined. The figure's glowing blue eyes, set in a sleek head devoid of nostrils, ears, or mouth, only heightened Scott's wariness, casting an eerie glow upon the scene.

  Is that a robot? Scott's thoughts raced as he braced himself for a confrontation. Despite the lack of reaction from the warhammer at the sight of the mechanical being, Scott remained on guard, unwilling to take unnecessary risks.

  The mechanical entity halted its advance just over ten feet from Scott, its luminous blue gaze locking onto the eldritch knight's ominous eyes. With a graceful bow, it emitted a mechanical voice that reverberated through the air, “Welcome back, Great One!”