Hearing Zar's words and feeling the pressure he emitted, the crowd froze.
Even in a virtual realm where death was impossible, the fear in their hearts condensed instantly.
"Not bad." Seeing the crowd's obedient response, Zar nodded in satisfaction.
"Who are the three of you? Care to introduce yourselves?" The social expert, Linus, couldn't help but ask, sensing their immense strength.
"You are not worthy to know," Zar muttered, eager to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, because of the virtual trial, Elvian, the master of the Virtual Realm, had locked the space.
One could enter but not exit.
Only when no one remained in the selection trial would the space finally open.
"How do you know I'm not worthy? How about a spar?"
Having contracted the Supreme Law of Dream, Linus felt exhilarated to test his newfound strength.
Looking at the arrogant man before him, his fists itched to fight.
"Then come," Zar snorted, motioning for Linus to step forward.
Stepping into a makeshift arena, the crowd watched eagerly.
Even Paragon, Nyx, and Sira—who usually showed little interest—turned their attention to the duel.
As the battle began, Linus quickly attacked.
Mastering the supreme art of illusion and dreams, Linus swiftly pulled Zar into a daze.
In his mind, Zar faced an endless hail of attacks.
"Childish," Zar muttered, unaware he was trapped in an illusion.
Defending himself from attack after attack, he searched for Linus, who had seemingly vanished.
Unfortunately, no matter where he turned, he couldn't locate his opponent.
Realizing something was amiss, Zar began destroying everything in sight.
As he wreaked havoc, Linus, observing from above, felt amused.
"What raw power! Unfortunately for him, even though this is a dream, everything here is real!" Linus muttered proudly.
But suddenly, he felt an overwhelming pressure behind him.
Sensing a deadly threat, he quickly dodged to the side.
"How did you find me?"
Yet, without fail, each one was defeated with a single punch.
Fortunately, perhaps recognizing that this wasn't his territory, Zar didn't kill anyone.
"Is this the best the Dimensional Alliance can offer? A bunch of cowardly weaklings?!" Zar sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
Hearing his taunts, the crowd from the Dimensional Alliance fell into an uneasy silence.
Meanwhile, the powerhouses of the Devourer Faction erupted in laughter, their blood boiling with excitement.
"Hahaha! What bold words! He's right—besides sheer numbers, what does the Dimensional Alliance have?"
"Maybe they've been living in peace for too long, growing lazy and complacent."
"Tsk. Who knew the Dimensional Alliance would turn out to be this pathetic? It seems the time has come for the Great Devourer Faction to make a move."
Such harsh words, yet no one stood up feeling unconfident of their strength.
If Linus, one of the strongest primordial candidates, couldn't do anything, what could they hope to accomplish?
As the jeers from the Devourer Faction grew louder and louder, the crowd from the Dimensional Alliance turned their desperate gazes toward the three individuals who still carried their hopes: Paragon, Linus, and Ylva.
Feeling their stares, Linus closed his eyes as if shutting out the world. He had already lost—there was no point in trying again.
Ylva shook her head, her expression calm but firm.
She wasn't a fan of combat, and against a suspected Overlord, she was even more unwilling.
Left with no other option, the crowd turned to Paragon, their last hope.
"Paragon!"
"Paragon!"
"Paragon!"
The chants of his name grew louder, filling the air with urgency and desperation.
"Defeat that bastard and show them the power of the Dimensional Alliance!"
"Kill him and show them who's boss!"
"A mere Devourer is nothing compared to the number one talent of the Dimensional Alliance!"
Despite the crowd's fervor, Paragon remained unmoved, his expression unreadable.
Yet, in his mind, countless scenarios and possible futures were being calculated.
"Come, little boy. Show me why they call you number one."
"Then I'll show you..."