Roberion was surprised that the whole room started to spin like a rammster wheel; he didn't know if the Cerulean Baroness was using magic, technology, or both. At least the starting speed was slow, but he was sure it would increase.
The null jogged and did a jump to pass from the floor to the walls; that is the new floor.
It seems that it's not only running in this trial; the participant also needed to jump at the right time to not bump into the corner that connected the floot to the wall. Although both were the same right now, the floor was a wall, and the wall was a floor; it just depends on the time.
The speed is increasing. Roberion also started to raise his jog speed; sadly, there was no display of how many participants were left in the trial, although Roberion doubted that any participant had been eliminated yet.
The speed keeps increasing. Roberion started to run, his body showing the first signals of fatigue. I think it has already been thirty minutes since this trial started. It's a shame I can't use my spell; it would work wonders here; maybe I could even practice. Forget it; this is no place to do that.
Now that is becoming crazy. I'm having to run at full speed here. The problem that I'm seeing is that the more the speed increases, the more I will have to control my movements with the speed of the wall, such as when to put my foot down and when to lift. Any change in the speed, and I will need to change my flow.
Four hours in. When will the nulls start falling to the floor?! I doubt that these guys have a better incarnation than me. Even if they had, they would need to challenge a harsh trial; at least that's what the baroness said.
Six hours in. Just stop! Roberion was getting near the wall behind him; the speed that he had achieved was insufficient. Dammit, I just wish this stupid parasite could help. Wait, the parasite. I'm feeling all my body better than before, which is worse right now because the pain is like double what it was before, but maybe I can force my body to achieve a faster speed; it will wound my body, but it's better than nothing.
Roberion concentrated on his legs—each fiber, each muscle—like it was the first time. His heart accelarated more than before, like a bomb pumping, and the pressure in his blood vessels increased. For the first time, his white skin was getting a redder tone, his brain was full, and his concentration was on the limit. But now he has returned to his previous position in the middle of the room. That's the way.
Seven hours in. Roberion stopped caring and stopped thinking; what mattered was his speed and not losing ground. Blood was falling from his nose, and his mouth had a metallic taste. Roberion didn't stop and kept running; his legs were like pistons, and his heart was a motor.
For the first time since his Touched incarnation, Roberion was challenged. Everything before was just him running and fighting weaker enemies like the undead; they were a threat, but not enough to make him do his absolute best. The behemoths were a real threat, but it would be a death wish to fight them. In a sense, at the same time, this was his training and challenge, and he will use it for all it's worth.
After seven hours and forty two minutes, the speed slowed down. Roberion didn't notice, going face-first on the wall. The room kept spinning, and his body was like a ball bouncing around the room. His body was at its limit; he just curled in a ball and protected his head, waiting for it to end.
When the room stopped, his body started to heal. Roberion opened his eyes, got up in a sitting position, and stared at it. This seems like a spell. The null watched as a purple light enveloped his body. "This seems weird; I feel getting better, but something on the back of my mind says that there is something wrong with it. Oh well, better to prepare for the next trial."
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The hologram of the Cerulean Baroness showed up in front of Roberion and spoke in a robotic voice, "Congratulations! The 3975 surviving participants will go to the next trial. The second trial is Hot Paradise/Frozen Hell, where we will test your resistance to changes in temperature. The text will start in 10 minutes", the hologram vanished.
"Wait, the number of participants eliminated was more than 500; did she just let people die when the trial stopped? She is ruthless. Look at my clothes; they are all torn. I will go nude this time; maybe it will be better anyway.", Roberion took out his clothes and put them in the corner of the room.
Maybe being smooth will be better in this trial—no hair to burn. I bet this trial will be like increasing the temperature all the way, then later doing the opposite. I don't see what she would do to change that. But why didn't she show the other participants?
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The Second Trial: Hot Paradise/Frozen Hell - 3975/4521 participants left
Roberion was sitting in the middle of the room. Waiting for the trial to start, he didn't wait much. The temperature started to increase slowly. That's what I thought—. A jet of ice fell on Roberion's body. The temperature change wasn't great, so he just got scared. —that's just great. How will I deal with the change in temperature when the difference widens? This jet was even pleasurable, but I doubt it will be when my blood is already boiling, and maybe the jet will become colder or something.
The process continued, with worse results. Roberion's blood was starting to boil in his veins, but with each jet of ice, his heart would become erratic. And he knew something weird was happening to his body; his cells were probably dying, and his body was being destroyed by the sudden shock of temperature. Just stop with these fucking ice jets.
His prayers were answered, for the worse. Now the whole room's temperature changed cyclically; the temperature would rise and fall, both at the limit of his body. Like a sadistic god was playing with a thermostate.
I need to control my bloodflow; when it's colder, I need to accelerate it; when it's hotter, I need to slow down. Controlling my transpiration and trying to retain liquid is important, but more than that, I need to control my vessels. I don't need to be the best one; I need to survive until enough of the others fail.
Roberion controlled his blood system, but it wasn't enough; controlling his whole body temperature was beyond him. He started hyperventilating, trying to control the arrest of his heart again and again. His skin was broken. He closed his eyes a while ago; he was afraid that he would become blind. He didn't see all the burns in his body; he felt them. He didn't see the blood coagulating in his extremities; he just felt numb.
Roberion's body became like the abstract art that a crazy sculptor made. Again, he stopped thinking, only riding the pain and trying to control the failure of his body.
After three hours and twenty one minutes, the temperature stopped changing, returning to the natural room temperature. Roberion didn't celebrate; he didn't even react, and his body didn't heal. The Null concentrated on trying to keep his battered body alive; it took ten minutes to feel his body heal. Roberion didn't open his eyes until his body was perfectly healthy, and there was something more.
This healing is wrong, but it's not only that. This whole place is wrong, I feel—energy, that is it. I don't know much about lines, but it makes me remember when I felt that void dimension.
"The result was worse than expected; only 3,146 survived. The trial process will change; the next trial will start in twenty minutes. The third trial will be: Body Press.", the robotic of the baroness said emotionlessly.
Roberion absorved the information, but his focus was on another thing; his eyes kept closed. I-I can feel the void; there isn't anything. In all that space, there isn't color; there is nothing. But I feel that white—no transparent point; I feel a connection to it; it feels like the neutral line. But it's just a fragment of it; from it, I feel energy flow; there are two flows near it. Are they my spells? They feel like it; their flow was similar to how I use my mana to create the spells, but what is the connection?
Roberion opened his eyes. "Why do I feel that something weird is happening here? There is a connection with this void space I felt just now; they aren't the same, but they are similar. When I have more time, I will try to sense more. For now, bring it sadistic, baroness!", the Cerulean Baroness didn't answer, but the floor and the ceiling started to morph; it was time for the third trial.