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Chapter 696 - Beginning of the Beyond Event
🕑 Added 2025-09-15 08:44:46 +0000 UTCPOV Weslin
After the deadline to join the Beyond Event passes, I find myself surrounded by about five hundred people. It feels like a surprisingly large number, considering our guild has only about fifty members here, and I would estimate even fewer came from Eternal Court. The rest must be either those who allowed themselves to be hired by Eternal Court or those with some sort of connection to the Ancient Armory.
The highest rank present being A-rank means the guild master of Eternal Court is likely here, even though I have not seen a trace of him so far.
With only our fifty members, we should probably be a possible target if the others decide to gather their forces, yet I do not think it will happen. Everyone knows Primordial Knights. You just don’t attack a bunch of demons unless you’re ready to bleed for it. I just hope the ones from our guild do not attack first. Up to this point, they have followed my orders, since I am the highest ranked member here, meaning likely the strongest.
Maybe this event will even bring me closer to the S-ranks now that I think about it. Not long ago, I thought that goal was nearly impossible, something others exaggerated, but ever since I met that maniac, that asshole, that little shit, that annoying arrogant jerk, that motherf... ehm, I have found it impossible not to push forward.
Even if he did not realize it, he pushed me to strive harder, and by now, I am certain no one else in the tutorial is as skilled with Primordial Void as I am.
“Weslin, we should attack them first. I bet we could take down a good chunk before they realize what is happening,” one of the demons at my side says.
The one next to him nods seriously. “Morwag would attack them.”
“Don’t even bring up what Morwag would do,” I snap back to cut off that line of thinking right at its roots.
“So you want to wait for now?” the demon asks as if it is something weird to do.
“For now. We didn’t come here to fight them, but if they show signs of attacking, don’t hold yourself back.” I tell him.
“Calling me a fucking demon is a clear sign of attack, right?”
I look straight at him, and he stares back. “It fucking isn’t.”
“Oh,” he mutters sadly.
“Weslin, you haven’t been on the fourth floor for quite a while. What gives you the right to order us? Have you grown weaker, maybe?” the woman, Yela, asks.
The worst part is that she is not even a demon. She is a velnar, but that does not matter in the slightest with her. She behaves exactly like the demons do, and the respect they show her confirms it.
This is why I hate dealing with these things. It is always the same. It is not just difficult, but it is tedious, and it makes me feel dirty. That rawness in demons is something I share to a degree, and I hate it.
I am about to step toward her to deal with it when I feel a notification from the mark Nathaniel placed on me. Within the next two seconds, he appears by my side. The shocking smile I saw on his face when he first met that woman is gone, replaced by his usual resting bitch face.
“Weslin, I have to introduce you to a few people, and damn, I already noticed some fun, annoying people here. Io is here. If you see that fuck, tell me, I have to kill him. If you see a demon called Malika, tell me too, I’ll need to hide, and…”
He pauses, and before he can continue, Yela steps closer, interrupting us, standing above us, and trying to push further with her attempt to take leadership. There are probably two or three other demons who want the same and who are stronger than she is, but they respect her enough to let her try first since she went ahead with it first.
Nathaniel glances up at her. “The fuck you want?”
His words are ice cold, and he instantly catches her intent. Unlike me, he does not seem to care. He told me this many times, but he finds demons somewhat cute because of this kind of behavior, and it likely extends to this velnar, who acts like one. So he does not mind playing their constant game of who is strongest.
The beat of his hearts grows audible as thermal energy dances across his skin. The same golden colored flames appear around the velnar facing him.
“I said that maybe Weslin doesn’t deserve to be the leader after such a long time stuck on the third floor,” Yela says with a provoking smile. She must have heard a lot about Nathaniel, and now she’s excited to test herself against him.
Nathaniel tilts his head in confusion. “But Weslin is much stronger than you. I’d have a harder time with him than with you.”
As he says that, the thermal flames surrounding Yela vanish.
Her expression widens more and more as she generates new flames, but they disappear just the same.
Yela is known as one of the more powerful A-ranks in the Primordial Guild, with one of the highest capacities for generating thermal energy. Her flames are known for their intensity, able to scorch even reinforced magical barriers. Yet now she cannot even handle the human in front of her. He takes it all away from her while channeling it with incredible ease.
That part of him sometimes worries me. I know how much he sacrificed and how far he pushed himself to be able to do this, and I do not think he plans to stop here at all.
“Weslin,” Nathaniel whispers, though loud enough for everyone around us to hear, “you told me about that velnar who can generate a lot of thermal energy. Just to be sure, this is her?”
Yela’s face tightens at his words.
“That’s Yela,” I confirm.
“Well, that’s awkward. Maybe she got weaker since the last time you saw her and stuff, right?” He takes a step toward her even though she towers over him.
Yela flinches, even if only slightly. She tries to hide it by pushing more flames into existence, golden arcs surging around her arms and shoulders, but they blink out again the moment they form. Her jaw clenches, and I can see her pride grinding under the pressure of what Nathaniel is doing to her.
She tries again. And again. Every time, the blaze is stripped from her body until nothing remains.
That effort shows. Sweat beads on her brow, and her breathing turns ragged. Each attempt is weaker than the last, and by the time the fifth wave of fire collapses into nothing, she is just standing there. Chest heaving, shoulders trembling from the exertion.
He looks at her, and she holds his eyes for a moment before groaning in disappointment and turning away.
"Anyway," Nathaniel says, turning back to me. "I'll introduce you to my sister. But if you try to hit on her, I'll be angry."
He gestures for me to follow, already heading off. Before leaving, I stop by Yela. “Please make sure the others don’t fight without a reason for now. Good reason,” I tell her.
She nods after a moment, and I leave.
Watching Nathaniel’s back, I follow as he weaves through the crowd, his constant senses spreading out into the area to search for danger. In some ways, he is one of the most paranoid people I know. And now, that little jerk seems to be in a really good mood. I can see it in the way he behaves and talks. It is almost like seeing a huge smile on someone else’s face.
He sometimes acts like this, especially after defeating a tough monster, leveling up a difficult to level skill, or making some other big progress. Right now, it is likely because of his sister. He knows a lot about me, since I told him, but I also know plenty about him. I’ve always wondered what Victoria is truly like in person, since his descriptions of her never seem reliable.
When we stop near a group of about ten people, I see her again.
She is truly similar to Nathaniel. The near identical expression, the same shade of hair, even the similar eyes. The big difference is that she looks much colder. While Nathaniel seems like someone who suppresses his emotions, she seems like someone who has none at all.
From the bits I’ve heard about his childhood from Nathaniel, I can guess at the truth. She was always this way, and it was young Nathaniel who imitated her. It was his way of coping with his childhood, finding the strongest person he knew and copying her to the point he nearly became like her.
Nathaniel introduces us properly this time, and as I shake her hand, she studies me with a calm, intent gaze. She remains polite yet distant. Sharp, cold, fair, but capable of extreme cruelty. That is what comes to my mind when looking at her.
“And this is Christoph. He is also from Earth’s tutorial,” Nathaniel says. I think he wants to add something else, but he holds it back for now.
“Just Chris is fine,” the man says as he shakes my hand.
After letting go of his hand, I almost want to dismiss him, to push him into the background as someone unimportant, but then I stop myself. Why would I do that? I usually don’t treat new people that way.
Forcing my void to circulate through my body, I fix my attention back on the man. He is well taken care of, but at the same time unassuming. He does not look threatening or dangerous, only collected and calm as he watches Nathaniel talk with his sister.
Every so often, a gentle smile crosses his face as he watches the siblings, as if touched by something almost nostalgic. At the same time, he keeps scanning the surroundings for danger.
Then I focus deeper, observing the movements of mana around his body, and I find myself more confused than ever. They seem intricate, yet unassuming, normal, and so extraordinary, all at once. I cannot even grasp what he is doing, nor can I sense any primordial energy from him or even any fragment. It all seems to be pure mana.
Part of me wants to look closer and take in more, but I hold back, aware that it could be seen as rude, even as a provocation. Just in case, I run multiple deep checks to see if my mind is being affected. I carefully examine myself for any signs of manipulation, pressure, or subtle influence, and I go through each possibility thoroughly to make sure I am in control. And I find nothing.
Then his eyes turn toward me. Gray and firm, they clearly show that he knows exactly what I have been doing, yet he does not mind. He even smiles with amusement and mouths something I cannot translate. Then he joins the conversation between the siblings.
As he speaks, the flow of mana around him shifts into something entirely different. I sense that it moves like a living thing, too intricate for me to comprehend. The change sends shivers down my spine, unlike anything I have felt from any other attendee, except perhaps Nyssa and Lyraen.
It should feel overwhelming, yet it does not. It is quiet, restrained, as if he is showing only the smallest fragment of what he can do. And that is what unsettles me most.
Just what kind of freaks is Earth spitting out of its tutorial?
***
Comments
Sushitrash
Bro why is he described like Nat... Don't tell me is one of those tropes?
1FantasyFanatic
Is it cockroach?
Asterrahl
"Yela is known as one of the more powerful A-ranks in the Primordial Guild, ... " I have to love that Weslin forgot the name of even his guild.
Manga Muse
Mogged !
ChildConsumer
Haha what if Chris was Nats son from the future and this is just him coming back and getting some quality father son time
tishane Imperial MageKiller
No I think they are friends on a lv forreal I mean he pushed him to wanting to become S rank, plus I mean there are few ppl who Nat even talks outside of ppl he likes and he seems to talk to Wes alot since he told him about his sister
Jayden Martinez
He seems too old, maybe he's their uncle or grandparent depending on how much he has deaged from stats. But I kind of hope he's not related to them and just sees something nostalgic in two siblings surviving for eachother
Sir Supports Alot
My only complaint is chris doesn't seem the type to whisper "C-Congratulations," which looking back is how he starts to talk to nat, and nat observes that saying thanks calms the man down
Bob
Why does he need to be a time traveller? for someone that knows the system it shouldn't be too hard to predict when earth will be integrated 100 years more or less. Perhaps he even triggered the pairing in order to speed up the process.
Jon
I get Nate vibes when Christopher is described… What do you guys think?
Daniel Golding
I was thinking that. The fondness for the siblings? Mana flows like that?
Daniel Golding
Does it seem that Nate likes Weslin way more than Weslin likes Nate?
Reps A
I'm guessing Christoph is a time traveler. My theory so far or someone who intruded on earth before the start of the tutorial to become an attendee.
Hms
Crazy demon from the asteroid base.
Hms
Hmmm...Gray eyes and a mana freak who is touched by nostalgia when looking at siblings. Interesting descriptions.
Augustus
Who is Malika?
Jonathan Nading
Definitely loving Weslin’s development in this series.
Greendalf
Alright so Chris is definitely the dude who chatted up Nat after the beast hunt in the last tournament. Nat deciding not to probe that guys level mirrors Weslins reaction + Lys left a hint about pairings and probably figured it out after talking with him during the tourney
LostinLimbo
I'm sure this has been guessed before, but my bet is Chris is reincarnated from Earth, waaaaay in the past. My guess it at some point Earth had mana, but no system (maybe before the system existed). Then it lost mana, civilization collapsed, knowledge was lost, yada yada. This Chris person used what was left to seal their memories and it has been going through time passing from person to person until the system found Earth, mana was reintroduced, and they were unlocked in Chris who was hosting them. He started with high level skills due to his knowledge, but no levels and was therefore thrown into Beyond instead of Hell. That flash of two bodies in the last chapter was his 2 personalities/memories that are not yet integrated together. Nat recognized this since it was similar to what Liss was doing to get off the second floor.
DocSmitty
Making himself less noticeable doesn’t seem like peak pride
Andrew
Thank you!
TYRELL GRAY
You don’t know anything. Because if you did you would have enlightened us
Flippu
Yall cooked who think its their Dad, its obviously time traveler Hadwin
GreedyFool
Think i found the truth. I expected this a long time ago, i must say. Maybe too long. Even to the point i will not say it, by fear i could spoil it. To be honest, i’ll wait. Really sure, though. And i’ll keep it hidden. Very much tempted. Even now. Let’s see :D Edit: Maybe not :(
Noblessejav
Hmn maybe it is the ruler of Pride
Fdrugc
Tftc
ariel maoz
Nat recognised him, from Earth, my tinfoil hat is that he is t
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Dad could have had another kid with someone else? I know dudes who get frustrated at home who've made that mistake befor.
tishane Imperial MageKiller
I was thinking this as well but id think Nat would give up his kinetic heart skills because or he learned them from a friend and its a way to honor him by both using and passing it on.
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Remember the first 2 byond floor quests were solos that pushed to in what you were lacking
Adrian Rake
More misteries. I love it 😍 Also, Weslin really, I mean really, likes Nat 😉👍
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
Marinus
Chris has a few mannerisms that remind me of a certain cockroach that refuses to die. An avatar, maybe?
Val the mysterious Jedi
Tin foil hat time 🕵️, I'm thinking beyonder is family member, Gramps or uncle or oldest half brother.
Alexikon
cerim, I like the choice of the image of this chapter
Ralph
Could the first beyonder be Nat himself? Regressed from a possible future to give Earth an Absolute for the pairing. It could explain Nat hiding his memories of FutureNat to preserve the timeline and prevent a paradox. Also would explain the fond look.
Niclas Elmers
Tftc
Ansordia
So I was right that Nat realized he KNEW Christoph from before the initation.... I wonder what else he did realize about him 🤔... I also wonder who he is... He shouldn't be someone totally unknown otherwise the suspense would be pointless.. But it can't be the dad... That would be so weird considering he was supposed to killed by the Gwyn siblings (or however it went I can't seem to recall... Bad memory) I also wonder if maybe Beyond tutorial entry people are put in a time dilation thing and that is why he is so much more sophisticated... Because I think the only way to achieve that is that he has stayed on the second floor where an iteration of Lissandra is teaching him... Also the floor quest should probably be fucked if that is the case... But he should get more out is lissandra then any part of the tutorial... So who knows 🤷🏻... I can't wait for the reveal I hope I'm atleast somewhat close with it being a bully that was put in a time dilation and him being "stuck" on an early floor that is why he wasn't able to join the tournament 🤷🏻.... Also how would a beyond entry even work? They can't possibly enter the Cinderbear fiesta that Nat and Tess had 🤔... So maybe a FULLY "real" worlds with no downplayedness of levels... Or very small so he has a miniscule chance? Can't wait for a Christoph POV or atleast him explaining this... But I think its only for the long haul.
Daniel Playford
Maybe a father figure. But from what we know def not their father. Or maybe it's a mimic that took over one of vic's clones and is copying being their father? That seems a bit far fetched
Twotons
Wow
Charles Ryan
Yeah the fatherly smile looking at Nat and Vic? Has to be their Dad
frankie doerr
Maybe but how do you think he’s related to nat or do you think the nostalgia i because he also has siblings
zoarian
This points more towards the 2nd tutorial old guy since he has a kinda notice-me-not aura. Doesn't really explain why Nat would hide this info specifically. Maybe he learned something extra. Nat was definitely like "You call this a lot of thermal energy? That's not even five hearbeats of one of my hearts". It's pretty sus that there's so many A and B ranks gathered. Was the armoury that well known?
frankie doerr
Welsin pov fuck yeah always like hearing how normal Nat is from other people
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
Al
Monster
Claro reyes
Tftc first
