Aurelion's Grand Hall had once been a cathedral.
Now it was a convergence chamber.
Leon felt it the moment he stepped inside—mana layered so thick in the air it hummed against his skin. Pillars of white stone rose like frozen lightning, each etched with runes that shifted subtly as thousands of survivors passed beneath them.
Humans from Earth filled the lower tiers.
Humans of Elnor stood above—watchers, guardians, judges.
Elena stayed close to Leon, fingers brushing his wrist whenever the crowd surged. She didn't let go this time.
Good, Leon thought. Don't.
A horn sounded—deep, resonant, ancient.
Silence fell.
At the center dais stood five figures.
An elf woman with silver bark-like markings along her arms.
A broad-shouldered dwarf whose beard was braided with glowing sigils.
A beastman with amber eyes and a tail that swayed slowly behind him.
A pale man with crimson eyes who did not blink.
And a human in white-and-gold armor.
The human stepped forward.
"People of Earth," he said, his voice carrying without magic. "Welcome to Elnor."
No applause. No cheers.
Just fear.
"You have survived Phase One of the World Merge," he continued. "That alone places you above ninety-two percent of your original population."
Someone sobbed.
"You are not guests," the man said evenly. "You are not prisoners. You are residents."
That word hit harder than any threat.
Leon's System flickered.
---
[World Merge – Phase Two: 94% Complete]
[Architect Oversight: Passive]
[Individual Monitoring: Disabled]
---
Elena leaned in. "Leon… is that good?"
"For now," he murmured. "It means he's not looking directly."
The elf raised her hand, and the air shimmered.
"Your cities are gone," she said gently. "Your nations, erased. Their foundations replaced by structures compatible with Elnor's ley lines."
A man in the crowd shouted, "You stole our world!"
The vampire's eyes flicked toward him.
The man collapsed—not dead, but unconscious, breath steady.
"A warning," the vampire said calmly. "Violence will be answered."
Leon felt Elena flinch.
His jaw tightened—but he stayed still.
Smart, Lucas would say.
The dwarf stepped forward next.
"You will be assigned work," he rumbled. "Crafting, defense, scouting, agriculture. Contribution ensures protection. Refusal ensures exile."
"Where would we even go?" someone asked.
The beastman smiled, showing teeth. "The wilds."
No one asked again.
Then the human in gold raised his hand.
"There is one more matter," he said. "Classes."
Every System screen ignited.
---
[Phase Two Integration: Class Stabilization]
[All Earth-Origin Classes Locked]
[Skill Growth Rate: Reduced]
[Cross-Race Skill Interaction: Enabled]
---
Leon felt it immediately.
A subtle resistance.
Like moving through water instead of air.
"They're slowing us down," Elena whispered.
Leon nodded. "So we don't grow too fast."
Too visible.
The human's gaze swept the hall.
"Some of you," he said, "carry irregular classes. Unique ones. These will be… observed."
Leon's heart skipped.
Then—
Nothing.
No warning. No alert.
He wasn't named.
The Emperor slept deeper than expected.
Lucas's voice echoed in his memory: Invisible.
Good.
The orientation continued—rules, boundaries, forbidden zones, demon territories far to the south, dragon skies sealed by ancient pacts.
Then—
A new chime.
---
[Party Function Unlocked]
[Eligible Members Detected Nearby]
[Form Party?]
---
Leon felt Elena's presence register instantly.
Another name hovered at the edge.
Lucas.
Leon selected YES.
---
[Party Formed]
[Leader: Leon]
[Members: Leon (Lv.18) | Lucas (Lv.17) | Elena (Lv.17)]
[Party Bonus: +10% EXP Gain | +5% Mana Recovery]
---
Elena's eyes widened as her screen updated. "We're… connected."
Leon smiled faintly. "Now it's official."
A final announcement echoed through the hall.
"Orientation complete. You are dismissed to your assigned districts."
As the crowd began to move, Elena tugged on Leon's sleeve.
"Leon," she said softly, "when this is over… when we survive today…"
He looked down at her.
"…don't disappear," she finished.
He didn't joke this time.
"I won't," he said. "Not without you."
High above the city, unseen by all—
A System process paused.
Then moved on.
And somewhere far away, on a different screen—
Lucas grinned grimly.
Good, he thought.
He's still beneath the notice line.
For now.