Chapter 158: The Tournament

Morzoth approached the couple slowly, exuding a terrifying majesty as they stood adorned in a luxurious groom’s suit and a radiant wedding gown. His aura was not merely tyrannical or oppressive; it was the manifestation of a colossal realm entirely distinct from anything they had ever encountered—a level of sheer intensity they had never tasted before. The two stood frozen in place like ancient statues carved from solid rock, unable to so much as blink their eyes beneath this cosmic weight.

The core issue lay in the sheer absurdity of the situation. Lucy and Cain had zero connection to this cosmic war or its conflicts, whether directly or indirectly. They had crossed over to Planet Earth for a single, simple, and romantic purpose: to obtain an official marriage certificate and legitimize their love... Yet the sheer volume of trouble they had stumbled into was simply overwhelming. Now, they found themselves standing on the front lines, facing a legendary entity capable of erasing galaxies in the blink of an eye!

The eyelid of Morzoth’s single eye slowly pulled upward, opening his massive eye wide to discharge an invisible beam that pierced the very core of their souls. Both felt a sharp shudder course through the depths of their marrow, as though their bare souls were being thoroughly inspected and probed beneath an unmerciful, sovereign microscope.

Morzoth grunted in a deep, stern voice that shook the walls of the civil registry: "Hmm... two humans bearing exceptionally fine sparks; one firmly grounded in the sublime Truth Level, while the other stands at the Immortal Level with a solid, unshakeable foundation in the Truth Level... Not bad."

The pair swallowed with extreme difficulty amidst the crushing silence. His assessment of them as "not bad" served as a temporary lifeline and, at the very least, welcome news, for it meant he had no intention of obliterating them instantly at this moment!

Morzoth did not linger or waste his time, shifting his gleaming single eye directly toward "Author-san," whose head remained entirely embedded within the collapsed wall like a nail driven by a massive sledgehammer.

Morzoth growled in an absolute tone: "Prepare our universe’s fighters immediately and without delay... and remember well, this is your final and only chance to erase all warnings and black marks registered against you before the High Council!"

With the final word leaving his mouth, Morzoth cast a blade-sharp glare at Author-san before his dark-blue-skinned body vanished into thin air, leaving behind not the slightest trace that an entity of such overwhelming power had been standing there moments prior.

At that exact instant, Author-san yanked his head out from the breached wall, collapsing entirely onto the cold floor. He panted audibly and heavily while cold sweat drenched his body, having lost the strength to move or even take a steady breath, as though his energy had been completely drained!

Cain adjusted his luxurious jacket, remarking smoothly: "Well... you can warmly thank us later; we just bought you a precious window of time to go and assemble your own team as quickly as possible, far away from us."

Despite Morzoth’s high evaluation, neither Cain nor Lucy possessed the slightest intention of participating in such cosmic tournaments; they fundamentally did not belong to this conflict. Providing Author-san with an opportunity for a temporary evasion satisfied their consciences without a shred of guilt. Their feet had led them here to complete their marriage, not to plunge into fresh horrors!

Not to mention, they had a long checklist of pending matters awaiting them—starting with Old Man Daren, moving on to Vincent, and reaching all the way to Ethan... There were far too many unsettled accounts; why would they enter a galactic tournament they had never heard of for a person they had only met today?!

However, the moment Cain’s words reached Author-san’s ears, tears burst forth as he pleaded in a panting, hysterical scream: "Noooo!... Please!... I beg of you both! My life is on the line! I swear to you that he will kill me and erase me from existence if we fail to participate and withdraw from the competition! If he discovers that I lied to him and am still searching for members as we speak, he will sever my head for deceiving him! Please, help me!"

Cain felt a mixture of annoyance and disgust at this pathetic display!

Cain replied with stern severity: "No... I don’t even know who you are! Why should I drag myself and my wife into a battle that doesn’t concern us and holds zero benefit for us?"

Clouds gathered within Author-san’s mind as he found no way to convince them, causing his mental state to deteriorate further. It became clear that his dear reader remained completely ignorant of his true identity as the author of the novel, while it was Lucy who had dragged him through the dimensional rift. He was entirely unprepared to witness his reader’s reaction should he learn that the "Plot Creator" was being crushed and humiliated in such a degrading manner before the very characters he had written with his own hands!

Yes, these thoughts were pathetic and bordered on villainous given his past attempts to harm Cain... but right now, he desperately needed Cain’s help. They could set their past grievances aside!

Facing Author-san’s helpless silence and broken state, a purple dimensional portal opened automatically behind his back, overlooking his humble apartment and desk—a direct, explicit sign indicating: Leave now; your task here is finished.

Author-san looked down at his trembling hands, overcome by a suffocating pang of helplessness over his inability to control his fate or the trajectory of events. Raising his head, he looked at the couple with eyes brimming with a final plea, speaking in a quivering voice:

"Wait!... I know full well that my request sounds insane and completely irrelevant to you... but the Grand Tournament’s first round kicks off in just two days! The primary team—the traitors who were supposed to represent our universe—betrayed us at the last minute and defected to Universe 244! This tournament is strictly reserved for Medium Universes, and the maximum realm permitted for registration is the Giant Level... You possess extraordinary power that far exceeds your current bounds, and you can easily sweep the rewards for your realm’s division—rewards capable of instantly elevating you to the Giant Level!"

Cain and Lucy froze in their tracks, exchanging a deep, calculating look. The term "Giant Level" was entirely foreign to their ears, a domain they had yet to experience, but accessing such an advanced realm would bypass long spans of grueling cultivation and magical growth.

Cain narrowed his sharp eyes: "Is there an item belonging to the Truth Level among the rewards and prizes of this cosmic competition?"

The words caught in Author-san’s throat as he calculated carefully. Swallowing hard, he answered with absolute honesty and a confident tone: "Yes... there is precisely one item from the Truth Level offered as the supreme, legendary grand prize... but it is exclusively reserved for the first-place champions of the Giant Division!"