(Fourth update...)
(The next Instance World should be entered within the next two or three days, but I won't reveal it. Feel free to guess, friends...)
Royal Island, beneath the Guardian Divine Tree, on the platform...
"Buzz..."
A burst of green light suddenly flashed through the tranquil space, illuminating every corner of the platform. A wave of sound erupted and surged in every direction, brutally shattering the calm atmosphere of the platform, which had shown no signs of activity for quite some time!
Specks of green light gathered at the center of the platform and gradually spread outward like exploding fireworks. Driven by that green radiance, a rotating, vortex-like hollow rippled into existence in the empty space above the platform...
Before long, figures burst through the vortex-like hollow one after another, crossing the barrier of space and landing on the platform. Several of them shot high into the air before diving down and landing atop a raised platform...
"Whoa!!!"
The moment they returned to Royal Island, everyone present heard deafening cheers coming from Royal Island City...
Clearly, this was the reaction of Royal Island City's residents to everyone who had entered the Land of the Gods returning!
Whether it was truly meant as a welcome, however, was another matter...
The hollow in the air slowly closed without a sound. The royal families of the Three Great Empires and the Guardian Clan all watched quietly as it vanished, each wearing a different expression.
There was reluctance, regret, emotion, satisfaction—every kind of feeling. The first of these, especially, had appeared on nearly everyone's face.
Yet no matter how unwilling they were, it could not change the fact that they had failed the Guardian Divine Tree's trial and lost their chance at transformation!
They could only wait until the next opening of the