Time passed slowly, but eventuallyâ
Fwoosh!
Another beam of light descended, and this time, Emilia appeared, landing smoothly before glancing around.
"Hey!"
Then, about twenty minutes laterâ
Fwoosh!
A third beam followed, and Celeste arrived, looking completely unbothered as she stepped out of the light.
Just like that, the trio was finally reunited.
"Letâs go," Leon said as he stood up, a small smile forming on his face, "Weâre all level 75 now and stronger than ever, so we should be able to deal with whatever is waiting for us."
Both Emilia and Celeste nodded without hesitation, and together, the three of them walked toward the damaged [Expert Divine Temple], stepping inside without any fear.
The moment they entered, they found themselves in a long corridor similar to the previous ones.
1
But even here, the damage was evident, with cracks running along the walls and the once-detailed engravings either faded beyond recognition or completely destroyed.
Leon didnât stop though, continuing forward until they finally reached the main hall.
And the moment they stepped inside, before they could even observe anythingâ
Ding!
[There are no rules in this place, feel free to do whatever you want.]
The moment those words appeared, Celesteâs eyes widened, Emilia froze in place, and Leonâs expression turned cold.
âHere we go,â he thought.
Unlike every single divine temple before, the moment this panel appeared before someoneâs eyes, almost any player who entered the massive chamber understood exactly what it meant without needing any further explanation.
The difference between this place and the previous ones was far too obvious to ignore.
In the [Novice Divine Temple] and the [Intermediate Divine Temple], any kind of violence had been completely prohibited, making it impossible for players to harm one another no matter what kind of grudge or conflict they had.
Which created an environment where people were forced to focus solely on their own assessment rather than each other.
Then, in the [Advanced Divine Temple], things had already started to change, as violence was allowed to a certain extent, but even then, there was still a restriction placed upon it, preventing players from killing one another, which acted as a limit that kept things from spiraling completely out of control.
But here, in the [Expert Divine Temple], that restriction was gone.
And because of that, everything changed.
"Are you mocking me, asshole?" an angel race player suddenly roared as he stepped forward, his expression filled with anger as he pointed his weapon directly at the person in front of him, "Iâll slice you in half, the divine temple wonât protect you this time!"
"Dumb angel thinks he can face me," an orc race player towering over him replied with a loud laugh, his massive figure radiating confidence as he raised his weapon, "Iâll crush you where you stand."
The tension between the two exploded almost instantly.
And as if that alone wasnât enough, several other angel players began stepping forward to stand behind their own, while at the same time, more orc players gathered behind the larger warrior, their expressions filled with hostility as they prepared for a fight.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
Other players nearby reacted almost instinctively, with some stepping forward out of curiosity, eager to witness what was about to unfold, while others quickly backed away, not wanting to get caught in the middle of a conflict that could escalate at any moment.
In this place, inside this enclosed chamber where thousands of players were gathered, it was only natural that conflicts would arise.
Whether they were based on long-standing grudges, racial discrimination, or simply the kind of pointless arguments that occurred when people were given the freedom to act without consequences.
Leonâs gaze swept across the area for a brief moment, and it didnât take him long to notice the faint traces of blood scattered across parts of the ruined floor, barely visible but still present enough to tell a story.
This wasnât the first fight that had happened here. And it definitely wouldnât be the last.
"Just ignore them," Leon said calmly, his expression completely indifferent as if none of this concerned him in the slightest, "Letâs go to the [Divine Stele]."
He had absolutely no intention of staying here long enough for something pointless to drag them into unnecessary trouble, especially when they had something far more important to focus on.
"Kill the angels, fucking wretches!"
"Show these pathetic orcs whoâs boss, they can only rely on their muscles anyway!"
Voices began rising from different parts of the crowd, with players from various races shouting and encouraging the conflict.
Even if they werenât directly involved in it, clearly enjoying the chaos that was about to unfold.
While discrimination between races had significantly decreased in the [Higher Domains], as many players eventually realized that they couldnât survive by sticking only with their own kind forever.
It was clear that for those who had only recently reached this stage, their pride and biases were still very much present.
After all, they hadnât yet experienced the true brutality of what came next.
Around a dozen orc players now stood facing six angel players, both sides gripping their weapons tightly, their bodies tense and ready to move at any moment.
"I guess this is what happens when people are allowed to fight each other freely," Celeste muttered, her expression turning cold as she looked at the scene unfolding in front of her.
"If the other divine temples allowed this, things wouldâve been much worse," Leon replied without even looking back, his tone calm but firm.
He knew that better than anyone.
In the earlier stages, the discrimination between races had been far more intense, and if players had been given the freedom to act on that hatred back then, it wouldnât have been small skirmishes like this. It would have been slaughter.
The strongest players from high-level worlds would have taken advantage of that freedom to eliminate anyone they considered weak or inferior, clearing out entire groups without hesitation.
Compared to that, this was nothing.
Leon didnât waste any more time thinking about it, and instead continued walking forward, leading Emilia and Celeste toward the [Divine Stele], ignoring the rising tension behind them as if it didnât exist at all.
The chamber itself was massive, filled with thousands of players scattered across the area, some sitting against the walls resting, others speaking quietly with their companions, and quite a few engaging in fights similar to the one they had just passed.
It was chaotic. Unstable. Exactly what you would expect from a place with no rules.
Similar to those of the other divine temples