Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode

Far above the battlefield, within the vast white room that existed beyond the awareness of those below, the World Master sat in silence as his gaze remained fixed on the floating screen before him where every movement of the battle unfolded in perfect clarity.

At first, his expression had been filled with amusement like always as he watched the humans struggle beneath the pressure he had personally unleashed.

But that expression no longer remained the same as his eyes followed a single figure moving against the impossible. Jack.

The World Master leaned forward slightly, his fingers resting against his chin as his gaze sharpened while he observed the way Clyde (in Jack’s body) moved through the air. The way lightning and flame merged seamlessly around him, and the way each of his attacks carried a level of force that should not have been possible at his current stage.

"This..." he murmured quietly, his voice losing its earlier mockery as worry took its place.

What he was seeing was not normal.

He had already examined that boy before. He had confirmed it with his own authority.

Clyde indeed possessed talent, that much was certain, and it was far above the average among the participants in this Selection Stage. But talent alone did not explain what was happening now.

The scale of power being displayed exceeded what should have been possible before.

The control, the output, and even the speed of his growth all pointed toward progress that did not align with the system the World Master himself oversaw.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"How can he have that level of output at this stage?" he muttered, his tone growing solemn.

There was no longer any trace of amusement left in his expression as a faint sense of worry began to settle within him. The situation had shifted without him realizing it and that was enough to make him reconsider his position.

His posture straightened slowly.

For the first time since this scenario began, the World Master grew cautious.

Even if Clyde was just a human, and even if he himself stood as the one overseeing this entire world, it would be a mistake to remain careless in the presence of something that he could not fully understand.

"I should not underestimate this boy," he said under his breath.

The thought settled firmly in his mind as his expression turned completely serious. His earlier confidence was now replaced by quiet vigilance.

At that exact moment, a faint ripple passed through the white space.

A translucent panel appeared in front of him, carrying a signal that came from beyond this isolated domain.

The World Master’s gaze shifted toward it.

It was a transmission from the World Master Bureau.

The message unfolded in clear text across the screen, simple yet direct.

[All World Masters overseeing the Selection Stage are to remain alert. Unidentified anomalies have been detected. Further observation is required. Exercise caution.]

The World Master’s eyes lingered on the words for a moment longer than necessary.

Then his expression darkened slightly.

"Anomalies? What the hell?" he repeated quietly.

His gaze slowly returned to the main screen, locking once again onto Clyde as lightning and fire clashed against the false Outer God.

This time, however, he did not smile.

The World Master remained still as his gaze stayed locked onto the screen. But his thoughts no longer moved as calmly as before.

They began to turn faster as doubt crept into the space where his confidence had once been absolute.

His eyes narrowed slightly as a new possibility surfaced in his mind.

"Could it be him?" he thought.

The word from the Bureau echoed faintly in his head. Anomalies.

His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as he leaned back, his expression growing more complicated with each passing second while he continued to observe Clyde’s movements in silence.

If that boy was not the anomaly, then nothing else made sense.

There was no reasonable explanation for how someone could grow to that extent in such a short amount of time, especially within a controlled system like this one. Every variable had been calculated and every progression path had limits.

And yet Clyde had crossed them. Not just once. But repeatedly.

His gaze sharpened further.

"And it is not just his strength..." he thought.

Even in the middle of chaos, even while facing something that should have crushed his will completely, Clyde remained composed.

There was no panic in his movements or hesitation in his decisions. Everything he did carried precision, intent, and an unnatural level of certainty.

As if he had already experienced this before.

As if none of this was new to him.

Something about that realization made the World Master’s expression darken slightly.

"There’s something wrong with that boy," he muttered under his breath.

This was no longer just a matter of talent. Talent could not explain this. Talent did not erase fear this easily. It did not grant this level of control under pressure.

So what exactly was he?

The question lingered without answer.

For a brief moment the World Master’s thoughts shifted back to the agreement he had made earlier. The deal and the plan he had carefully set in motion.

Originally, Clyde had been nothing more than a promising piece on the board. A useful variable that could be guided, shaped, and eventually used to further his own objectives.

That had been the idea and it still could be.

"If I can control him it would be nice," he thought slowly.

Someone with that kind of growth, that kind of potential, could become an invaluable asset. If properly directed, Clyde could accelerate his plans far beyond their current pace.

But that assumption no longer felt as stable as before.

His fingers stilled.

A faint tension settled in his posture.

Because now there was a problem.

Control required understanding. And right now, he did not understand Clyde at all.

His eyes returned to the screen once more as lightning and fire clashed violently against the false Outer God, illuminating Clyde’s figure in flashes of destruction.

His uncertainty truly took root.

"Will he become something I can’t control?" he thought quietly.

The question lingered in the silent white room. It made him want to act. He couldn’t just stay still here.

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