The team spent their days in agony. As the levels increased, the people were doubting whether they will be able to survive this tormenting training. However, to their relief, Shi Lang had stopped chasing them since they stepped into the fifth level.
Things were not easy for them anyhow. From the fifth level, the ace division attacked them without holding back. They were all now using their abilities, and the contenders were also using their abilities to deal with the attacks but they were not able to keep up, as they also faced the onslaught of the spirit puppets.
Shi Lang was not acting in front but he was not wasting any moment. In the laboratory, he had prepared the spirit cores with OB-One. These cores were going to be used as the intelligence core of the Mechas. They were the insurance and aid for the pilots. It will be like an auto reflex system Shi Lang had come up with to aid the people.
The rules said that the mecha could not use anything that would exceed the level of a basic level of artificial intelligence. These spirit intelligence cores did not classify as digital parts so they could bypass the rules with this special jade chip.
OB-One asked, “Sire, will you not go to the maze to test the team?”
Shi Lang was sitting behind him on a couch, he was engraving a jade chip slowly, while OB-One was busy adjusting the computer data sequence for optimizing the Mecha system. The young general said, “No. I will wait till they reach the final level.”
OB-One nodded and after a few minutes, Shi Lang said, “I am done with this chip. The backups have been prepared as well, equip the puppets with them and have the spirits learn about the behaviors.”
“Yes, sire.”, replied the bot.
Shi Lang left the lab to continue his own training. He was very close to unlocking a new skill of the Shura sutra in his mind. It was important for him to develop an understanding of these skills as they will truly come in handy during the competition.
…
While Shi Lang was busy with the training the rest of the people were also not slacking at all. They were not very happy with things but when they were given a day off after passing the level, they would test each other and find rapid growth in their strengths. Another thing they had to do now was to consolidate their gains.
Amelia and Yuu helped them personally with this. The growth was fantastic, and the people were now taking fewer trips to the infirmary, but they were slow. This was a deliberate attempt from the Ace division, they did not want the people to be overconfident. Shi Lang had told them about his plans after the final test so, the team was not worried about leaving psychological marks on their mind.
The progress continued and the team was getting more and more worried because of Shi Lang’s absence. One day, Ryan could not help but ask Amelia, “Madam, can you tell us when will the general come to the maze?”
He addressed Amelia with respect to her rank in the military. Amelia heard his question and asked, “Why do you think, he is not in the maze?”
The people were surprised, they began to discuss, Jane asked, “Amelia if he is in the maze then why do we not see him?”
Amelia smiled and said, “He is waiting for you at the final level. Now that I have told you this already, I hope that you all can put your best step forward. The final level will not be anything like what we can imagine.”
The people could tell that she was being really serious during the second half of her sentence, and they all became serious. For the next few days, all the people put all their effort into clearing the maze. Although they were nervous about the final test after such cruel training, they had come to anticipate the challenges that lay ahead on their paths.
Shi Lang had turned these people into junkies who sought out excitement in danger. The team was working themselves to the ground and did not hold back from taking risks during their run through the course. They were now using their weapons to face the people and the puppets. Yes, they had been given spirit weapons and the output was increased by another level.
It has been ten weeks since the team had been training and finally a day before yesterday they cleared the eighth level of the maze. They were in a state of anxiety and anticipation now. The final test was just a day away.
…
The sun rose and the people woke up and geared up to enter the final test. They all took the elevator together. When they reached the final level of the maze they found X, who had been training them in the ways to deal with mental attacks, standing in front of them.
X said, “Congratulations on reaching the final level of Tartarus. Now, before you take a step ahead I would like to inform you all about one thing.”
He paused, saw that everyone was looking at him with a serious expression, and said, “The test you will face inside has a risk of death.”
His words exploded in the minds of everyone. They began to look at each other and Jane asked, “Please continue sir.”
X nodded, and said, “The competition has a risk of death as well, so during the final test the situation will be just like the competition. You all have reached the level of a qualified contender, and are qualified to represent the federation, however, this test is akin to a rite of passage. This is not a mandatory test. So, before you all step in, make a careful choice.”
The team began to think, and Lucas said, “I think we should take this test. We all may have become strong, but we have never experienced a life and death situation. Tell me if you all, the frontal forces are confident in facing death at the competition in the state that we are now?”
His question was logical, and he also made the people recall that half the team was not frontal force. Thinking about this Ryan said, “How about the frontal force takes the test while the other half stays behind.”
Steel shook his head and said, “Did you not realize that during the whole training course, we were all made to work together also what is the point of half the team knowing the danger and half the team is unaware of this fact? If they do not know the situation we are in, will the technician team be able to support us to their best?”
The others understood the situation and they discussed it for half an hour before Jane said, “Sir, we would like to take the test.”
X nodded and said, “Please write your final letters to your families, you all have five minutes.”
The people were shocked, they realized the seriousness of the situation. Shi Lang was not joking with them. Calming the shock in their hearts, they all used their communicators to write letters to their families. After five minutes, X asked them to share these letters with him, and then he walked away after saying, “Godspeed.”
The teammates all looked at each other, at this moment, they all felt very emotional at this stage. After all, they have written down their potential last letters to their families. Lucas hugged Jana and said, “I love you a lot.”
Jane put down her usual strong and callous front and said, “I love you as well.”
The rest of the team also shared a warm embrace, this was an attempt to tell each other, that they were not alone. They were raising their morals. Suddenly, the door to the maze opened and they understood, it was time.
The team forced themselves to calm down as they entered the place. The dark interior did not scare them, they channeled spiritual energy in their eyes and found that the place was unlike the previous levels. This level was a big hall, and on the other end of this place, Shi Lang sat with his legs crossed.
Suddenly, Shi Lang revealed his crimson eyes. The people looked at him and they were all stunned. This was a mental attack, Shi Lang had pulled them into a war field where destruction and death were dancing hand in hand, and the people were fighting hordes of unknown enemies in their minds. In just a few minutes, a thin layer of sweat had appeared on their foreheads.
Shi Lang was going to put their souls through hell during this test, the contenders had not stepped in just a normal test, this was the shura field where Shi Lang commanded death. After a couple of hours, the team members all had pale faces, but they had broken out of the mental attack.
But the next thing they faced, made them doubt if they really had broken through the illusion.