We followed him and soon found ourselves traversing towards the core of the planet- meaning we were descending deep underground. We weren’t alone either, many other people traveled alongside our entourage.
Other candidates, most definitely. The atmosphere was charged with tension as teams examined each other. Only a couple of us would emerge victorious from the Trials, the rest would be considered lucky if they were still alive once the tests were officially concluded.
I was surprised to see that barely anyone wore masks. Not many people chose to make use of the Phenom rank’s special privacy privileges. It made some sense on multiple levels.
Firstly, being a criminal in this rotten kingdom wasn’t even that big of a deal. Sure, they officially condoned outlaws, but the reality was that as long as they weren’t obnoxiously obvious about being criminals, chances were that the kingdom would let them be. How else would giant organizations like the Consortium grow to this abnormal size?
Second, many of them were from criminal backgrounds already, so hiding their identity at this point was pretty pointless. Third, being a Phenom was a prestigious position. It meant that ancient entities held high hopes for you and your future. Many likely wanted to bask in the fame and adoration of the opposing gender that would come from becoming a Phenom.
We reached the final stair and soon found ourselves in an enormous room. Well, calling it a room would be an understatement. Shadowhold, the settlement under Braedon was bigger than this place, but it was akin to the aforementioned underground city. A giant clearing with an artifact on the tall ceiling that was providing light. However, this place had no buildings in it. No one lived here.
It was just an empty space save for a podium upon which I saw Wrinkle who was flanked by numerous guards from all sides.
We moved to the back area of the space where not many people were since most chose to gather close to the podium. I could see and hear more than fine from this distance. We had no reason to group together with the masses, and I had a bad feeling about this all too. Why would they gather everyone in a random empty place like this? Not many answers came to mind, and I didn’t like those that did.
It took fifteen minutes of waiting for anything to happen since people kept flowing in from the outside world. Wrinkle finally opened his mouth and began narrating. “Greetings, candidates. I’m Wrinkle, the manager of this place and loyal subordinate of Lady Black Fang, the Obsidian Circle Member who heads the drug department.
In case you weren’t aware, the Trials this decade are going to be a real spectacle with ten times the participants of the last event, and so the bosses also upped the budget tenfold. The Trials will consist of three rounds this time around.” His revelation made numerous uninformed people murmur, some even protested, but they were quickly told to shut it.
The only thing that came as a surprise to me was the fact that the drug leader is a woman and not a man. I think it was a surprise to many since I remember even Jasmine referring to her as a man. Maybe Wrinkle just committed a big slip of the tongue.
“That being said, I’m nowhere near worthy enough to officially begin such a glorious event. Please listen to Lady Black Fang.”
Wait, we get to see such a legendary existence?! Black Fang is a mysterious person, so much so that even this gender reveal was news to most. She is coming here in person? I really want to see such an ancient legend with my own two eyes.
My hopes were mercilessly squashed when he brought an artifact out of his ring. It was an audio transmitter. A sound came from it. It was smooth, cold, and incredibly authoritative. “My name is Black Fang. I’m responsible for starting the first round of the Trials.
We consider ourselves very lucky to have so many candidates aim for the Phenom spot this time around, but we simply can’t properly test this many of you. Thus, a culling is required.”
Yep, my fears were quickly coming true. We flinched at her statement and got into battle formation.
“The first Trial will be crude, so do excuse our lack of flair. In the space you’re in, a thousand Phenoms and five thousand Heralds can be found. You are to kill each other until only a hundred Phenom candidates remain. You will be notified when the number has been reached, and you must stop fighting at that moment or you will be eliminated. That’s it.
The Trials have officially begun.” As soon as her voice cut off, pure chaos descended on the place.
We were in a privileged position since the masses gathered together at the podium, but that didn’t mean no one was near us. Hundreds of people were smart enough to sense that something was amiss like I did.
As I was examining the space I noticed over a hundred insect-helmeted guards along the edges of the underground area, and the only exit in which we came in was barricaded by an entire squad of them. They clearly had no plans of letting the candidates leave before the organizers found their hundred ‘winners’.
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As Black Fang had just said, truly, what a barbaric test. 90% of the Phenom candidates will pass away here, and likely more than that percentage of the Heralds will as well.
“The Ascendants won’t fall here! Maintain formation and all will be fine!” Ayame decreed confidently. “We have to move to one of the corners so that our flanks are protected by the walls.”
“I agree. We are enclosed with a bunch of unprepared, panicking XP packs in here. It’s time to begin grinding in earnest as a full team finally. This is not a horribly unfortunate situation we’ve found ourselves in but an amazing opportunity. Let’s do this!”