[Time Remaining: 23:57:27]
The trial had barely started, and already, fifty people were dead.
Astariel had wiped them out in an instant with his [Dark Blade], eliminating them with a single swing.
Their bodies had been reduced to nothing before they even realized what had happened.
Alex, standing at a distance, watched carefully.
That single moment had told him everything he needed to know.
Astariel was not someone he wanted to fight.
Even though the Fallen Angel had helped him before, Alex knew better than to assume that meant he was safe.
If Astariel decided he was a threat, then Alex would be dead before he even had the chance to react.
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That was just the kind of power the Fallen Angel had.
The best solution at this point would be to observe Astariel’s skills, memorizing them.
And if it ever came to it, he would have so much information about him that he could avoid all of his attacks before they even came.
Well, he probably had many more skills than simply [Dark Blade], so he still had a long way to go.
So, he wouldn’t go after him.
There were nine other [Token Holders] in this trial.
He had other options.
For now, Alex decided not to chase after any of them.
Running blindly into battle was a good way to get himself killed.
And anyway, he couldn’t understand why all the others were instantly attempting to get a token.
The rules literally said that the only way to get a token is to kill the [Token Holder].
And if you become a [Token Holder] yourself, you would be chased in return.
Or at least, that would be the case except if you were a powerhouse like Astariel.
“Let them be, grab one later,” Alphox spoke from within.
“Yeah,” Alex nodded.
The smarter move right now was to figure out how this domain worked anyway.
As he moved through the vast landscape, Alex quickly realized that this place was more than just an open battlefield.
There were structures scattered throughout the land.
Buildings. Ruins. Towers.
And they weren’t just for decoration, inside them, there were monsters.
At first, Alex ignored the buildings he saw.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to check them, but it was too early to take unnecessary risks.
He had no idea if they contained traps, dangerous enemies, or even other participants lying in wait.
But after travelling for a while, something caught his eye.
A fortress.
Unlike the smaller structures he had passed, this one was massive, standing tall in the middle of the wasteland.
It looked ancient, with parts of its walls crumbling and large cracks running across its towers.
Despite that, it still held a sense of power, like something important had once been here.
Alex stopped for a moment, considering.
This was different from the other buildings.
That meant it was worth investigating.
The name of the building appeared as he approached it: [The Ruined Fortress].
The entrance to the fortress was partially collapsed, with large chunks of stone blocking the way.
Alex had to squeeze through a gap in the rubble to make his way inside.
The moment he stepped in, the air changed.
It was cold. Still.
The walls were covered in cracks, and broken weapons were scattered across the floor.
There was no light inside, only the faint glow from magic symbols carved into the stone.
‘Seems like no participant came here yet, that’s good.’
It wasn’t that he was scared of fighting, but keeping his [Destiny Points] was the most important thing to do for him.
Then, just as he was taking in his surroundings, a panel appeared in front of him.
[Ruined Fortress Trial]
[Kill all enemies before time runs out or face death.]
Alex froze.
“…Seriously?”
This place had its own trials inside the buildings as well?
That meant there was something valuable here.
But what stood out to him was the last part.
“Face death.”
That didn’t leave room for misunderstanding.
If he failed, he’d die.
There was no escaping.
“…Alright then,” Alex muttered, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s get this over with.”
The moment he spoke, the fortress shook.
A deep rumbling sound echoed through the halls.
[5:00 minutes to kill all enemies.]
Then, the enemies appeared.
The monsters that emerged were unlike strange, but not that uncommon.
They were massive, towering figures made of dark stone, with glowing red eyes that burned like embers.
Their armor was cracked and worn, yet the weapons they held were sharp and deadly.
They looked like ancient knights, cursed to guard this place for eternity.
A quick glance at their levels made Alex sigh.
[Level 1,500]
Strong.
But not strong enough.
Alex took a step forward and raised his hand.
All Elements Fox Summons!
A surge of power spread through the air as several foxes materialized around him.
Each one was formed from a different element, fire, water, lightning, wind, and more.
Their eyes burned with raw energy, ready to attack.
At the same time, Alex activated another skill.
Bleeding Claws!
A red aura surrounded his hands as his fingers sharpened into deadly weapons.
Then, the battle began.
The monsters charged forward.
Alex moved.
The fox summons struck first, launching elemental attacks in every direction.
Fire explosions tore through the air, lightning bolts cracked across the battlefield, and wind blades cut through the stone knights with ease.
These summons could basically spam their magic and get away with it since they were so strong.
But these enemies were tough.
Even as they were torn apart, they kept moving.
Alex darted between them, slashing with his claws.
Each strike cut deep, leaving wounds that bled endlessly.
The [Bleeding Claws] effect made sure that every hit drained their health, weakening them over time.
They were durable.
But Alex was faster and stronger.
Within minutes, the battle was over.
The last knight collapsed, shattering into pieces.
A notification popped up.
[Trial Completed.]
[Reward: ???]
A chest appeared in the center of the room.
Alex exhaled, shaking off the exhaustion from the fight.
He walked over and opened the chest, hoping for something useful.
Inside, he found an item.
[Token Compass – One Time Use]
[Will point to the location of one of the Token Holders for 30 minutes.]
Alex’s eyes widened.
This was broken.
If he used this, he could track down any [Token Holder] instantly.
For someone who wasn’t actively hunting tokens and needed to find one later, this was the perfect tool.
With this, he wouldn’t have to rely on luck, he could go directly to his target.
But Alex wasn’t planning to go after a token just yet.
He had no reason to rush.
He could activate the compass whenever he wanted.
For now, he’d hold onto it.
By the time Alex stepped outside the ruined fortress, the sky had darkened slightly.
The trial had only taken five minutes, but he had spent countless hours exploring.
He checked the timer.
[Time Remaining: 20:32:38]
[Participants Remaining: 231]
Alex frowned.
231?
That meant over 130 participants had already been eliminated.
In less than four hours.
The trial was brutal.
And as time went on, that number would only keep dropping.
He hadn’t run into any major threats, and he had even managed to secure a valuable item.
But that luck wouldn’t last forever.
He needed to be ready.
Because soon, the real battles would begin.