Tales of the Endless Empire

Chapter 494: The Second System Event

Thalion was more than happy with how things had developed. Within an hour, they had taken over the large elven base of Ferniel’s Chosen.Ricarda had immediately proven her worth—and where her loyalties lay—by opening the gates and shutting down the teleportation network. All elves who weren’t Blessed by her goddess either fled or were killed.

In all his time in the system, this had been the cleanest purge so far.

A Chosen—and an entire faction of powerful gods backing you with inside information—was an absolute game changer.

After a brief discussion, Seraphina and the other humans agreed to join. Multiple builders were sent to the island, and Ricarda began constructing a second portal to their gods’ domain so they wouldn’t have to transport all materials manually.

At first, the humans were annoyed. They had to contribute again, and if someone decided they weren’t pulling their weight, they could be thrown out. Many had expected things to be similar to the Chel’Kari arrangement.

But after a few missions, the situation began to improve—especially when they realized that stronger members always watched over the weaker ones during resource gathering.

The tension between former human slaves and elves was still present, but it was far less severe than Thalion had expected.

Ricarda even gave him her residence—a massive structure far too large for a single person. Not that he complained.

There was only one real problem: resources.

They needed pearls and crystals to power their defenses, and right now, they had none. The elves had sent everything to other Chosen who needed it more. This base was located so far from major threats that heavy defenses had never been necessary. Only a few incursions existed nearby, and those had already been cleared.

Still, things were going far better than Thalion had ever imagined.

Killing the remaining elves had pushed him to level 106, granting him a new skill for the Blooded Templar:

Consecrated Bloodforge (Divine)

The sacred art of forging has been twisted and reborn through blood. This passive skill grants deep, instinctive knowledge of smithing, allowing the user to refine, enhance, and elevate any weapon or piece of armor beyond its original limits. No material is beyond improvement, no creation beyond evolution. By infusing items with blood, the wielder can awaken latent potential—or create entirely new properties. The deeper the blood sacrifice, the greater—and more unpredictable—the resulting power. Creations of the Consecrated Bloodforge are never static. They grow, change, and carry a fragment of their creator’s will, turning even the simplest item into a relic of war, Weapons may even develop a hunger for blood.

This was a direct upgrade to the Essence Forge he had bought during the tutorial to enhance his amulet.

Unfortunately, Thalion didn’t have time to start forging. Still, he was itching to return to crafting as soon as possible. With this skill, he could align Saranya more closely with his blood and fire abilities.

He also missed the dark armor he had worn during the tutorial.

But for now, something else took priority.

The second system event would begin in just a few hours.

This time, he planned to enter with a very small group. If the event resembled some kind of escape-room scenario, fewer members would be an advantage. That was why only Pikar and Ricarda would join him.

Pikar for his intelligence.

Ricarda—for political reasons.

Since they would soon gain access to integrated space and participate in multiple events, Seraphina chose to sit this one out and focus on gathering pearls and crystals instead. These would earn her contribution points, determining how much support the gods would provide.

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Thalion had briefly considered forcing the gods to prioritize her—but he didn’t know the princess well enough yet, and she wouldn’t lose much by waiting.

Besides, three felt like the right number.

Even if he was the only true fighter.

Pikar had spent his time at the elven base training and leveling the insects sent through the portal, while Ricarda had done the same with her plants. Both would be invaluable for scouting and locating resources.

From the first system event, Thalion knew just how important scouting was. If he hadn’t encountered the sky faction during the poison phase, things could have turned out very differently.

Now, with one highly intelligent ally and a Chosen capable of controlling plant life, he was confident they could claim first place again.

Even though it hadn’t been officially confirmed, the gods seemed certain that no D-grade participants would be allowed into the first three system events.

Which meant…

This was his event to win.

Against E-grade opponents, Thalion was confident he could defeat anyone who stood in his way. The gods had even offered him special blood vials, but he had declined.

They benefited from him, just as he benefited from them—yet absorbing blood provided by gods carried too much risk for too little reward.

Luckily, the Primordial Bloodseed had either been distracted or hadn’t been paying attention when he turned the offer down.

Now the three of them stood together in the plaza of what had become his base. Standing close to one another was enough to enter a system event as a group.

Hello, inhabitants of the First Universe. Lyrian here

It is time for my system event to begin—the second system event in the new universe

Instead of a treasure hunt, you will take part in the Wild Hunt and prove your survival instincts

Everyone with a tutorial ring and below D-grade may enter

The price will be five hundred years of your lifetime

More information will follow upon entry

Good luck

“So it’s time… Five hundred years is a steep price. Still, that usually means the rewards will be worth it. I just hope I’ll be of some use in a hunt,” Pikar said after reading the message.

“You’re thinking about it the wrong way,” Thalion chuckled. “I’m pretty sure we’ll have a special role in that hunt.”

Without explaining further, he stepped forward—and the three of them entered.

They appeared in a vast desert valley. Visibility was poor, and the sun hung high in the sky. Thalion barely felt the heat, but for Pikar and Ricarda it was already oppressive.

He had half expected something like an elaborate escape-room scenario. That this trial was so straightforward surprised him.

A second system message appeared.

Welcome to my System Event

You have the honor of taking part in the Wild Hunt, a very important tradition for the people on this World

In the Wild Hunt, youth and adults compete to see who can slay the most outsiders

Once the sun sets, the Urnari will hunt and kill you

This event will last exactly twenty days

Each day lasts five hours and each night lasts ten hours

This land was not always a desert

It was once a vast rainforest ruled by multiple tribes

Knowing a great sandstorm would consume their world, they prepared treasures for future generations

On your right middle finger, you will find a new ring

By touch, you may store up to five items

You win by surviving and earning leaderboard points

Finding ancient treasures will grant points

Clues and keys are hidden throughout the stage to guide you

You may leave this event before nightfall

After the sun sets, leaving will not be possible until the event ends in twenty days

Only items stored in your ring will count toward your score

Good luck

“Well… now I understand what you meant by ‘special role.’ But the prey? Really?” Pikar was the first to react, already analyzing the situation.

“We only have five item slots in our rings. That means we need to find the most valuable treasures. There are probably clues or maps hidden in ruins, tombs, or something similar. I don’t think we should waste time here—we should move as far away from the starting area as possible.”

Thalion shook his head.

“Normally I’d agree—but we search this area first. Don’t ask why. If we skip it, I won’t have a clear mind for the rest of the trial.”

“Oookay… then we’d better be quick. Anything else you want to tell us?” Pikar asked, frowning slightly.

Thalion thought for a moment.

“This trial is mostly about survival. The hunters will probably be early D-grade—or worse. Finding a place to hide might be more important than gathering treasures. That’s all.”

“Good. Then let’s get started,” Ricarda said.

Vines shot out from her body, slipping through the sand like living serpents. Pikar followed by releasing three small ants that raced across the scorching ground.

Thalion activated Telekinetic Dash, launching himself upward to get a better view of the surrounding area—hoping his titles would reveal something useful.