Varian was confident about reaching level 5 because of the host's words.
'Any reasonable request' shall be fulfilled.
So, he reasonably asked for a couple of abyssals who awakened in the water path.
As for his reason:
"I am feeling the itch to beat the fucking crap out of everything."
The guards who were registering the request looked at him with a speechless gaze and nodded at themselves.
'It must be one of the many small side effects of the potion.'
Of course, they didn't know for certain. But they didn't really care enough to dig deeper.
"Alright, we'll give you a peak level 4 abyssal of the water path." The taller guard of the two nodded.
"A dozen."
"Pardon?"
"I need at least a dozen please." Varian pressed on with a smile.
The guards' eyes widened at his words. 'This guy is crazy.' They both felt.
They once again nodded at themselves. 'It must be one of the many small side effects of the potion.'
Seeing where the conversation was heading, Varian added. "Of course, I will beat them in a safe environment."
The guards' firm expressions loosened, but they still weren't convinced.
"Or will you be the reason for my failure to reach level 5? I'm pretty sure the higher-ups would rather be dead than fail." He said with narrowed eyes.
"…Y-You! We were caring about your safety!" The guard glared at Varian and snarled.
"Yes. If you want to die that much, die." The other guard sneered and tapped his comm.
After a few minutes, Varian was taken to a large black room with a huge cage.
The cage, made of special metals inscribed with intricate carvings held a dozen abyssals.
"The security system is running. But you can still die." The guard said reluctantly before slamming the door shut.
'I guess he is not a bad person after all.' Varian shrugged and changed the settings of the training room.
The surveillance in the room was turned off and the transparent glass walls of the room turned opaque.
Cling!
With the sound of metal clinking, the cage opened.
"Greeh!"
"Kill!"
"Pests!"
The twelve abyssals surrounded him instantly.
Varian looked at the eager expressions on their faces and clicked his tongue.
'Someone can't wait for their death.'
Shuaa!
A pillar of water materialized and shot at them.
*** *** ***
Hours passed and soon, it was time for the final test of the Gamma Expo.
The participants arrived at the floating arenas even earlier than the audience.
There was a bright smile on their faces—it was as if they won the world.
"Did you feel it?"
"Yes."
"I'm no longer weak. They said I can never reach level 7, haha. I'll prove them wrong."
The participants started discussing one by one. Only Varian was an oddball.
He neither smiled like them nor did he approach anyone for conversation nor entertain any conversation.
"Brother…did you fail?" A level 2 girl asked after a while.
Varian simply smiled at her and she asked no more.
And in the following hour, the audience filled the stadium once again.
The thin man with a white beard—the host appeared once again as he floated outside the arenas.
Staring at the audience, he started. "Now you all must be wondering about the results, right?"
The audience nodded dumbly.
"Hahaha! Why don't we fight out through a practical test?"
Even though he said so, the ghost snapped his fingers and the hologram displaying every participant's level popped up.
"Hiss!"
"No way!"
"I can't believe what I'm seeing. Pinch me, someone pinc—Ouch, you bastard!"
"I can't believe it. Slap me, someone slap m—"
SMACK!
A loud thud rang throughout the stadium and a woman clutched her cheek in dumbfounded silence as she stared at the guy next to her.
"Ah, sorry. I really can't help myself from helping people." He smiled, seemingly in embarrassment.
"Now then, please inform me if you need more." The guy continued and the woman nodded vigorously.
"…."
'Kyle, don't overdo it.'
'I mean, she's annoying as fuck.'
The guy and the girl next to him exchanged their glances before focusing back on the arenas.
They came to witness what could only be described as a revolutionary breakthrough in modern science.
If their prof knew, he wouldn't be happy since they basically 'sneaked out'.
After Varian reconciled them last time, they were both trying to spend some time together and they ended up here.
'Gamma Potion…' Kyle frowned. 'Alpha, Beta, Gamma….so, is this the third version? Or the third best version?'
"The final test is in front of us!" The host's words reverberated across the stadium.
With a snap of his fingers, a group of impoverished, poorly dressed individuals with bloodshot eyes appeared in the arena.
They looked like they hadn't had a meal, a bath, or even a second of rest for weeks.
However, just like the abyssals yesterday, these people too couldn't move.
Initially, people thought they were heinous criminals, but the host was quick to clear that misunderstanding.
"These are the relatives of Shadow Guardians, their helpers, and even some of the Shadow Guardians we captured outside their bases recently."
'WHAT?!'
Varian's hair stood up as his blood boiled.
The audience's reaction was the opposite. Any trace of sympathy they had was gone and all that was left were gazes of hatred.
Seeing that the right tone was set, the host smiled and glanced at the participants.
"The final trial is simple. You picked one of these traitors suiting your level and kill them. You kill, you win. You are killed, then haha."
Following the host's words, a wave of silence followed.
The participants were understandably nervous about facing these so-called 'terrorists'.
After all, a major reason all of them had no problem facing abyssals was that the creatures faced Heaven's Will while on Earth.
So, when they fought them yesterday, they were actually fighting weaker abyssals.
But these people…the terrorists won't have any disadvanta—
"I'll do it! Let me be the first." A voice called out, drawing gazes to itself.
It was Varian.
*** *** ****
Misha stared at the holovid blankly as she recognized the participant's opponent.
"Brother…?!"
The brother that was missing for a year, was in a torn shirt and ragged pants. As he gazed at the participant, his chest heaved up and down as if he was burning with hatred.
Yet, he couldn't move an inch.
"You…you reached level 5?" She muttered in shock.
But with his talent, it was impossible.
As she wondered, the fight had already begun.
Boom!
It was neither fancy nor expected.
It was a one-sided battle from the start.
[Water Path Level 5: 0/2000]
Each of Varian's strikes—water columns that could cut down boulders, ice arrows that could freeze lakes, or spikes that could pierce even tough metals—landed with dangerous precision.
His opponent, though very strong was simply not a match.
Soon, Varian's upper hand was clear.
Ka!
The shadow guardian was blown away and rolled to the ground.
Varian raised his hand and clenched his fist.
Paa!
A huge water hand appeared and slapped him to the ground. The shadow guardian coughed out blood and found that he couldn't fight back anymore.
Paa!
Paa!
Paa!
With each attack from Varian, the shadow guardian's injuries worsened bit by bit.
In the end, he was covered in a puddle of blood.
Varian looked back at the audience and as if fireworks exploded, they all cheered at him.
"YES!"
"KILL"
"DO IT!"
Varian walked to his opponent step by step and the shadow guardian weakly raised his head to look at Varian.