Chapter 104: The Nocturnal Ring.

Chapter 104: The Nocturnal Ring. With this new information, he realized that the nightcrawlers would always be pushing to corrupt more territories until the entire planet gets devoured by the Shadow dimension. The Earthlings’ only valid protection was the Saviors. Yet, they invested the bare minimum in their planet and left the natives to reclaim it through their efforts. Based on the massive strength difference between the Conquerors and Raiders on his planet, Levi easily figured out that their planet was on a slow path of damnation... No one was going to be there to save it as their strongest Daywalker was at an Ecliptic rank (Tier 7). "This can’t be our future..." "Sadly, it is, unless your planet suddenly exhibited an uncanny, potent life‐force, putting it in the priority list of the Radians... Or." "We reclaim the planet on our own." Levi smiled wryly, returning to the same strategy he had shared in the class. Although Levi was the one saying it, he understood it would be immensely difficult to pull it off with the six Eternal Empires, each one situated in the center of a continent, and continuously devouring more territories by the minute. If it weren’t for the corruption’s speed being as slow as a snail, the world would have already been forgotten in the rivers of the Shadow dimension. Soon, Levi decided to move on to the Raiders, the final path, hoping to see a way for them to survive their doom. //The Raiders (Path of Plunder) Philosophy: "Take what burns brightest." A faction focused on quickness, ferocity, and the shine of newly acquired riches. Progress is achieved by collecting valuable treasures and destroying enemy bases. Rank Structure: Marauder → Reaver → Pillarlord → Ravager → Chaos Harbinger Promotion Criteria: Treasures looted. Territories sacked. Speed & efficiency (Fastest Raids recorded). Rewards per Victory (Against Conquerors and Saviors): Evolutionary Materials, Evolutionary Recipes, Artifacts, etc. // "Wait, why are we being presented as thieves? Aren’t we trying to reclaim our lost territories?" Levi frowned, "How come we are the bad guys?" "You seem mistaken, boy." Ash’Kral clarified, "Being a Raider has nothing to do with you reclaiming your lost territories... It’s the Path of Plunder and the only accessible path for outsiders to join this platform." "Outsiders?" Levi’s heart skipped a beat. It finally hit him. The CRS Platform never considered the natives to have a significant role in the conflict between the Primordial Trees for Death and Life energies... Neither the nightcrawlers nor the Radians thought of the natives as the true owners of the planets. But, more like surviving life‐forms that were inhabiting planets amidst their territorial conflict before getting noticed by them. In other words, the Raiders were the variables in the CRS Platform to make it more entertaining. They could raid the territories of both sides to steal their treasures and relics... As for the territory? It wasn’t the focus in the slightest for the True Raiders! That’s why there was no Yearly Stability reward for them. They had no ownership of the territories, even if it was based on their home planet!! "Natives use the status as Raiders to reclaim their conquered territories if the Saviors weren’t doing a good job at it... Just like in your planet’s case." Ash’Kral shared, "In reality, you already lost the fight for your planet. You can either choose to defend what remained of it by becoming a Raider or give it up and create a Raiding Squad to enrich your pockets from both sides." "This... How can this get more f*cked up than it is?" Levi’s expression turned ugly at last, his emotions finally giving in to such oppression. He realized that humans were literally fighting for their survival, nothing more, nothing less. Their planet? It never belonged to them, and never will, no matter how hard they tried. That’s why Instructor Seraphis told them that he had no idea how to escape from this dimensional conflict... They simply couldn’t. "You can take it personally and do something about it, or let it go, and work on yourself until you are strong enough actually to own something," Ash’Kral said calmly. "Let it go?" Levi’s spiritual eyes narrowed icily, "This is my planet we are talking about, my home, my everything... Let it go? Why do I need to let it go? Why do we need to roll over and let it happen?" "Why can’t it be them? Or is it expected of us because we are weak and helpless?" "Yes." Ash’Kral nodded, unfazed. "The weak have no right. It always has and always will be. Don’t take it personally, this isn’t a unique experience for your planet; it is happening to millions of others, if not more, as we speak." "Just because it is happening to others, doesn’t mean we have to accept it," Levi frowned. "True, but what can you do?" "I don’t know... But I don’t like it." Levi’s childish dream had always been to become a Daywalker and reclaim the territories from the evil hands of the nightcrawlers. He had read too many heroic stories and been influenced at a young age. But now, after learning the real truth of their world, their universe, and the shitty situation his home was in, his dream was over. He no longer wanted to reclaim territories... It was a worthless endeavor, considering they would be doing nothing but handing everything over to the Saviors. It was almost inconceivable that Levi could even imagine having the power to topple this ancient system... one that had weathered the cruel passage of time. He wasn’t that foolish. Still, a faint, tiny flame burned in Levi’s spiritual eyes... Was it the spark of a Hero, a Villain, or a Rebel? No one knew... not even him. However, one thing was certain...He wasn’t giving up on his home, and the only way for him to make any sort of difference was to climb the CRS Platform. His home’s safety, his goals, his vengeance, and to find his answers...All aligned with a single path. The Path of Plunder. Ash’Kral’s smile widened at the sight, delighted at the notion of having his partner’s wishes aligned with his goals. "Ash’Kral, when do you think I will be ready to become a Raider?" Levi asked, his tone determined. "Maybe after your first or second evolution, depending on what abilities you have unlocked," Ash’Kral paused for a moment, "But if you want to have a taste of the system right away, you can start with the Nocturnal Ring... The entry barrier is at the bare minimum." "The Nocturnal Ring?" Levi remembered the Gamemaster Chestnut mentioning something like this. "The Nocturnal Ring is a special program." Ash’Kral shared, "While the CRS Platform systematizes the eternal conflict between Primordial Trees of Life and Death, putting an unknown number of lives at stake, the Nocturnal Ring is a private entertainment platform managed under Nocturn’s authority." "They took the same CRS Platform Death Game system. But, instead of team battles for territories or riches, the Rifters join it solo, fighting against other Rifters from different races, planets, and realms." "It’s an underground individual-based platform backed by millions of races across the realms, spectating the Death Games for their enjoyment like a sport." "There it is again, that word... Entertainment." Levi frowned. He still could not accept the idea of people actively watching Death Games for the sole purpose of entertainment. He knew that it made sense; he understood that such events would bring more excitement and more enjoyment than any other entertainment program. But still... For people to lose their lives in games while knowing that people were taking joy in their misery, Levi found it hard to accept. But once Ash’Kral mentioned why it was popular for both the participants and the viewers, his mind changed instantly. "The players are awarded with the same riches from the CRS Platform... But, most importantly, map fragments of the Boundless Expense. If you collect enough of them, you can own territories with deity-like authority in your domain and expand it into a nation, kingdom, or even empire, depending on your granted access from your rank in the program." "You can’t be serious." Levi’s mouth widened in disbelief. While he didn’t know much about the Boundless Expense, he could deduce on his own that owning a piece of land there was highly valuable. Imagine living in a place with omnipotent authority, allowing you to turn the unimaginable into reality? It would be the safest place to exist, afraid of nothing and no one as long as the realm’s rules weren’t broken. One could say... A haven for criminals, refugees, fugitives, the abandoned, and the isolated. "Are you interested?" "Very, but I have to know the rules first, and most importantly, will joining the Nocturnal Ring affect my future Raider status?" Levi asked solemnly. He didn’t mind taking part in the Ring for the sake of empowering himself through rare treasures and adding a safe personal plot of land in the Boundless Expense... However, only if his Raider status wasn’t affected negatively. After all, it was the official way to protect their homes. "No, the Nocturnal Ring is primarily an underground society, which means privacy is of the highest importance to ensure the program’s longevity." Ash’Kral assured, "There are many players in it with an unfathomable social status outside of the Expense, who wish to keep their two identities separate." "That’s good to hear." "Plus, it’s even more secure in your case." Ash’Kral added with a smirk, "You possess three seeds, which means you can legitimately sign the CRS Platform’s Rifter and the Nocturnal Ring contracts with totally separate identities." "Ah, just like what we did with the Assembly!" Levi was surprised. "Yes, the Rifters can be identified with a unique serial contract number connected to their seeds...This means both identities are linked to the same serial number." "Wait, if the platform protects the participants’ privacy, can’t they simply hide anyone’s serial number?" Levi asked. "They are doing so, but unfortunately, there are ways to bypass this." Ash’Kral added, "But you won’t have to worry about either of these. Even if you added your serial number to your public profile, no one will figure out your true identity." "That’s nice to hear." Levi knew that he had peculiar powers, which should be best kept hidden from the eyes of the public... For example, the Sun and Void-based abilities. The moment he dared to use one of them in the open, he was in for a world of interrogation. However, in the Nocturnal Ring, he could go wild, and no one would find anything about him. "If you want to know the program’s rules, just use this incantation here..." Ash’Kral whispered the incantation while Levi nodded his head. Levi focused on the Three Paths and then murmured: "By boundless fragments claimed and victory won, I invoke the Nocturnal Ring’s covenant... reveal your sacred rules and bind all who enter." Immediately after, a massive nocturnal Contract appeared before Levi, resembling an ancient tome... It didn’t have one page or even two pages, but more than five hundred pages! "Well, this might take some time." Levi smiled wryly.