Hundreds to thousands of cocoons zipped through space, each traveling in clusters through the uncharted cosmos. The prisoners lay motionless, eyes closed, encased in the transparent mana shells, oblivious to the asteroids and celestial bodies whizzing past them. Scott, however, remained conscious. Though trapped within the thick mana cocoon, he called out to his companions, but only silence answered him.

  Even the monstrosities flying next to the prisoners lay still, mirroring the expressions of the champions from whom they had been formed.

  This is the same thing that happened during the transfer from Nova Primus, Scott thought, gazing at his motionless companions, who lay as if sound asleep.

  He surveyed his surroundings, his expression grave, noting the gigantic asteroids flashing past the cocoons and the distant stars in the background. The silence of space felt deafening.

  Did they kick us out of the tower? Scott's visage darkened as his thoughts raced. He had considered many possibilities for where the mysterious Area D-15 might be, but the idea of being sent outside the tower had never crossed his mind.

  "System, show me my stats," Scott asked mentally.

  Instantly, his champion interface appeared before him, familiar yet altered with a few new details.

  Scott frowned, his gaze lingering on his new title. Calamity? I hope it’s not what I think it is. His frown deepened as a troubling thought emerged. He couldn’t shake off the feeling was sinking further and further into someone’s masterplan. After all, someone of his nature would never silently endure over a century in incarceration. The only question was, who was the elusive mastermind, and what did they hope to achieve?

  Scott took a deep breath, emptying his mind of his wandering thoughts. Believing it was better to focus on what he could control. Although I can still see my interface, I’m not sure if we are still inside the tower or not, he mused, recalling that he could summon his interface back on Earth too.

  Scott shook his head, dismissing the unproductive thoughts. He turned toward his companions, his gaze lingering on their status screens. Like him, they had sections detailing their incarceration. Slim, Zara, and Ember, however, had lost their Sponsors and shared the same Calamity title.

  His eyes then shifted to the monstrosities, encased in even larger cocoons. As he watched, a new system notification appeared.

  Scott’s brows shot up, his lips parting in surprise. He turned from one mimic to the next, scanning all of them in a single breath. His gaze finally settled on one mimic in particular, his astonishment evident. Unlike the others, which had similar or lower synergy rates to the first mimic, this one boasted a much higher rate. “Seventy-nine percent,” Scott muttered softly. “She’s not even going to know what hit her.”

  He shook his head, relieved that none of them, except Orion, had recklessly explored the area. Even if they had formed mimics of their own, there was no telling how the gods or lesser gods would react if they found out they had attacked their mimics upon arrival. And there was also the possibility the mimics wouldn’t silently take a beating.

  Scott turned away from the mimic, focusing instead on the surrounding emptiness. He wasn’t an astronomy student, and even if he were, he doubted he could discern which part of the ever-expanding universe they were traveling through. The occasional asteroid and distant stars provided little context.

  The journey continued in silence; Scott lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, some of the cocoons diverted from the cluster, racing further into space before disappearing from Scott’s vision.

  The voidweaver needed no explanation. He had already deduced that not all champions in the cluster were headed in the same direction. Despite having similar assignments, others were tasked with different areas and sectors.

  Several days later, Scott noticed a massive orange sphere with scant patches of green, blue, and white in the distance. “What the hell is that?” he muttered, narrowing his gaze. It was the first celestial body he had seen in days.

  More cocoons had departed from the cluster over the days, but a significant portion remained, each traveling toward the massive orange planet. The planet, shaped like Jupiter but without the rings, had darkish green and fluffy white clouds coating its atmosphere. Snowy lands dominated some sections while deserts spread across most of the surface.

  The cocoons sped up, seemingly drawn by the planet’s gravitational field. Scott glanced at his companions, noticing they had begun to awaken, as had the rest of the prisoners. No one was fully conscious yet, but the signs of life were becoming more apparent.

  The cocoons raced faster than ever, whizzing through space like asteroids determined to lay waste to all in their path. Fiery sparks illuminated the cocoons as they pierced the planet’s atmosphere. Inside, the prisoners began to stir, their faces creasing and twitching in discomfort. Cracks spread across the surface of the cocoons the further they descended.

  Scott’s demeanor shifted, the voidweaver impatiently scanning his surroundings as they plummeted through the orange clouds. “Guys, can you hear me?” he called out via the party channel, but once again, silence answered him.

  What are they thinking, sending people to another planet like this? Half of these bastards will be dead before they even know what hit them, Scott thought anxiously, his eyes fixed on the cracks spreading across the cocoon's surface.

  In an unfamiliar planet with unknown laws, he couldn't predict how long they had before the cocoon struck land or sea. And then there was the question of what awaited them below. As Scott's thoughts raced, a distinct chime echoed within the cocoon. At that moment, all the prisoners, including their mimics, woke from their unconscious state. Before anyone could speak, the cocoons shattered.

  “Holy shit!” Slim cursed, his form besieged by several clouds as he fell. “What the hell happened?” he roared, but the whistling wind swallowed his screams. The prisoners free-fell through the clouds, unable to activate any of their abilities, a restrictive force weighing down their bodies.

  The restrictive force binding the prisoners separated them into different groups, forcing them to plunge faster toward the unknown, heads first.

  “It’s too fast, I can’t see anything,” Zara said mentally, a swell of nausea bubbling in her stomach. “I think I’m going to puke,” she added as the wind crashed against her face. Blood rushed to her head, causing thick veins to bulge across her forehead.

  Orion forced his eyes open, and they instantly exploded. The mage giggled, writhing in pain, but his eyes slowly regenerated, his delirious laughter intensifying. Ember, on the other hand, closed her eyes, trying to observe her surroundings with her other senses. Unfortunately, they traveled too fast for the dragonkin to notice anything.

  “We’re getting close to the ground. Prepare for impact,” Scott declared mentally.

  The restrictive force vanished abruptly, and at that same moment, a nihilistic zone appeared above and below the champions, instantly canceling their momentum. The blackened void disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the champions landed on the dusty ground with a resounding bang, raising a cloud of dust.

  “Who the hell is in charge of that stupid thing?” Slim complained bitterly, waving his arm. The dust cloud instantly dispersed.

  Slim and his companions glanced at the system message, their gazes lingering on the forty-foot turquoise portal before them. Situated between the eroded halves of a mountain path, the portal exuded a comforting glow, pulsating slightly.

  Slim, Orion, Zara, and Ember stared at the system messages, a flurry of emotions running through their minds. Scott, however, approached the portal with gentle steps, stretching his hand toward it. Instantly, blackened pools formed beneath and within it, transforming the portal into a blackened abyssal gateway. Footsteps echoed in the ears of the champions, and they instinctively raised their heads.

  “Prepare yourselves,” Scott said softly.