After hearing more in-depth about how the underground city worked, Noah realized something that made it stand out from the one above ground. Everything worked the exact same except for how they all trained. They all collectively followed the exact same Combat Technique, Culled Future.
It provided the user with immense strength in exchange for a part of themselves. Whether it was their lifespan, their bodies, or their senses, everything could be given up in exchange for power. Though that was the case, Kian had ordered every single person here to give up their lifespan if they wished to gain power.
Not all increases in strength were equal, the greater the value, the more one would gain. If a normal person that was on the verge of death sacrificed his lifespan then he would only gain a measly amount of power from it. If a promising prodigy gave out even a second of his lifespan, it would show off even greater power than the crippled man.
This caused these talented individuals to show great success in increasing their strength. It was clear who was on top and who was below from the very beginning. This would undoubtedly cause a social divide between the strong and the weak yet oddly enough this didn’t happen. This point baffled Noah.
“Why haven’t the talented distinguished themselves from the rest? It just seems like it’s a better way to find soldiers.” Noah asked.
Daine shook her head. “The Combat Technique we were forced to learn has a very cruel mechanic behind it. I don’t know how or why but if you kill someone that also has the same Combat Technique then you would gain a fraction of their power.”
“Sir Kian managed to find something really incredible beyond The Boundary.” Noah sighed. He never expected to hear about such an absurd Combat Technique from such an unlikely place.
“Then that brings up the next question… why aren’t people killing each other?” Noah looked to the side where he caught the attention of a few other patrons.
“That’s because to gain power, you must pay a price. You need to actively choose to steal their power so there’s no mistake about your actions. Although you gain a fraction of their strength, it also causes you to be tainted by their influence. That’s why people don’t take those from the weak, only aiming to kill those already high up. That’s the only way for it to be worth it.”
Noah recalled the park where tons of highly skilled people relaxed and eased their minds. “It turns out that everyone here’s being pressured constantly. I finally see why people are so jealous of your position. Such a safe and stable job that people would be willing to kill for.” Noah took another sip from his drink, enjoying the taste.
“It’s a cycle of living day to day. I don’t know how well the city above is faring but there’s been no shortage of anything down here. It’s no paradise but at least if you pull your weight then you should be able to live on.” Daine looked down on her drink, feeling no thirst.
The red-haired youth screamed out, “That’s the stuff!”
Daine came to calm him down. After talking for a little bit with him, he gave in and decided to drink less.
Patrick entered the conversation with another question, “What’s the end goal of this place? To survive through the famine or to wage war?”
After learning more about the status of the world, Patrick wasn’t as naive as he was before. Seeing beyond the small well he was living in before, he felt that he needed to start doing more.
“I don’t know. In fact, no one knows except for Sir Kian, himself.” Daine looked at the three empty bottles in front of his supposed guardian. She reluctantly took out her own wallet and paid the bartender. “We should start moving.”
They went on their own way with Daine keeping the red-haired youth steady. She struggled quite a bit with how unruly he was but he eventually calmed down. He dazedly walked forward, trying to keep his stance steady.
“Is he enough to save you?” Sefi mocked from behind her.
“I think so…” Even Daine was starting to lose hope. Sefi could act at any moment and there was a chance that in the very next moment, she would be enveloped in darkness.
Sefi maliciously smiled. She reached out her hand, aiming to grab ahold of her neck. If she managed to grab her then with one simple squeeze, Daine’s lifeless corpse would be there for all to see.
The red-haired youth didn’t seem to have come to his senses as another person interrupted Sefi’s attack. Noah reached out his hand and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back before she went any further.
“I can’t have you killing our guide. At least wait until it ends.” Noah kept his gentlemanly smile on him.
“Tch.” Sefi wanted to start a fight with Noah but the mark on her started glowing. Her intent to fight against Noah was diminishing to the point that she felt empty. She couldn’t muster the will to go on with what she wanted to do. Looking away, Sefi’s bloodlust increased yet was quickly drowned out by the seal.
“You’re… hic… fine…” The red-haired youth casually looked back and grinned. “I’m here, no one will be able to hurt you. How can I do that to my personal wallet?”
Hearing this Daine, felt as if something was wrong with his statement. Nevertheless, no matter how untrustworthy he was, he was the only one he could trust.
Daine looked at Noah who had kept a kind expression on his face. Yet for some reason, there was something odd behind it. Daine did not like the feeling it gave her.
“So where are we heading first?” Patrick broke the odd silence.
“I think the most appropriate place to show you around would be the Trial Halls. They are the buildings all around the city where the Trials are held. If you want cash then you go here. If you fail to reach the specified Completion Rate then you will be penalized.” Daine pointed her finger at a circular building in the distance.
This building had a very peculiar design that set it apart from the rest. Not to mention its towering size, everyone could see this building and let it act as a beacon. There were numerous people going in and out of this establishment, some had joyful expressions while others had mad looks on their faces.
“Let’s go in.” Daine led the group to one of the Trial Halls in the city. She took out a personal card showing off her authority in the city. The guard in place showed a disdainful look but still decided to let her pass.
“Lucky brat.” His animosity wasn’t hidden at all. She was essentially a noble, no one here was allowed to harm her in any way shape or form. The cost of hurting a guide was far too much for anyone to pay. What’s even worse was that she would be earning far more than a normal Bind Solver.
The group entered the establishment to see that the floors were stained with blood and organic matter. This was pretty much what they had expected to be in here. Despite going in for a bit, Daine could still feel the burning gaze of that guard from behind her.
“They must really jealous of you.” Patrick pointed out.
Daine simply nodded and couldn’t find it within herself to find the energy to face the criticisms. She had been dealing with such hostility that she had become numb to it.
In front of them were clearly multiple lines leading to extremely popular places. Above the line was the sign, Maze-level Trials. It was clear that everyone wanted to go and tackle a Maze-level Trial.
The lines with Bind-level Trials and Seal-lvel Trials were almost empty. Except for a few people lining up in the Bind-level Trials, the difference was far too drastic. Even as comical as it was, the difference between Bind-level Trials and Maze-level Trials was like heaven and earth.
For Maze Trials, a normal person would be able to find a way to solve it on their own. It might take a few tries and information from others to complete it but it was genuinely something a normal person would be able to finish. Those with great minds or high physical strength could easily breeze through the Trial.
Meanwhile, for Bind Trials, one would need to use Malum to complete the Trial. The cut-off was disgustingly high. Not anyone could just wield Malum, they needed to own a Fragment to control it. This just showed just how absurdly difficult it would be.
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A few Bind-level Trials had already been figured out where a group would only need a singular person who could use Malum to proceed. Other than those easier Bind-level Trials, the others were just too hard to be faced by a single person who could use Malum.
Seeing the extremely long line, Daine felt extremely bad but she still moved on deeper in. “I’ll show you the Trials that we have been allowed to use…” It was clear that Daine didn’t want to move any deeper in but she had to.
Seeing that Daine was cutting in line, a few people started shouting out in anger. It was unfair for them to be waiting in line for hours to have a chance to earn money while these privileged folks could just walk in as they wished.
“Stop her! Force her to the back of the line!”
“Guards! Get rid of them!”
“Who are you to go ahead of us?! I’ve been waiting for three hours already!”
Discontent voices roared out from the crowd. This forced the guards to come up and apprehend them but when Daine showed her card, he had no other choice but to let them pass. Once he did so, the crowd started shouting even harder.
With a situation forming, the guard yelled out, “Anyone who disagrees can put it up to the bastard that enslaved us! It’s your funeral!”
Hearing this, the crowd immediately quietened down. Even referring to Kian was more than enough to send shivers down their spine. With such a connection, they could only bite their tongues and let those people be.
“Hahahaha! If you weren’t so pathetic then you wouldn’t be treated like this!” Sefi hugged her stomach in laughter. Such a scene was completely hilarious to her.
Noah and Patrick have already gotten accustomed to Sefi’s crazy behavior. As for Daine, she had grown numb to hearing such words. After all, it was true, that the privilege she had received wasn’t equal to her contribution. If not for Kian personally appointing her as Arin’s guide, she wouldn’t even be here.
Going deeper in, they could see countless doors in a line. They were all orderly placed as countless Trials were in place, ready to be used. It was clear that the amount of Trials here was insane, it would be enough to accommodate the Western District for an entire month before the cooldown period catches up.
If one Trial Hall could already do this, then the additional Trial Halls spread all around the underground city just showed how much wealth and resources Kian truly had. Countless Maze Trials, Bind Trials, and even Seal Trials, for people to just use.
Noah’s mind was rapidly calculating just how terrifyingly influential Kian would actually be. For him to own this underground city, have so many people under him as slaves, countless Trials for use, and not to mention his other hidden stashes, it was safe to say that Kian was one of the top Labyrinth Solvers of the city.
This testified to just how much power Labyrinth Solvers have in the city. As a peak powerhouse, they could essentially do anything they wanted with the only limitation being the other Labyrinth Solvers.
What made it even more difficult to grasp was that despite having so much within Kian’s grasp, he was still forced to give in against the other Labyrinth Solvers. The playing field wasn’t the same, they were leagues apart.
“Sir Kian must be holding onto another trump card.” Noah’s voice was slightly shivering as he was wilding ecstatic. This further solidified that his bet was correct.
Daine immediately reminded them, “Just so you know, although there are numerous Trials, there are still differences between each Trial. We assign them with a Danger Level to properly assess as to how it would fare in comparison against one another.”
Noah nodded along as his information about it aligned with what he knew. “Maze-level Trials generally have a Danger Level of 1 to 20. Bind-level Trials have a common Danger Level of 21 to 50. And finally, Seal-level Trials have a Danger Level of 51 to 100. As for Labyrinth Trials and above, we haven’t gotten up that high yet.”
“Right now, these Maze Trials have a Danger Level of 1-5, they are completely low-class Trials with barely any rewards. The more dangerous it is, the higher the rewards will be. For reference, the Maze-level Trials that Arin had received have a Danger Level of roughly 18-34.”
“But wait!” Patrick immediately pointed out something wrong. “How can a Maze-level Trial have such a Danger Level? That doesn’t make sense. Is the system flawed?”
“Not really. It just means that the Maze Trial is just as dangerous as a Seal Trial. There are far too many outliers to the point that making exceptions for them would be useless.” Daine felt odd explaining this to someone who supposedly entered Seal Academy.
“It’s rare but there are a few Maze-level Trials that could reach a Danger Level of 100 and above. Recall that Maze-level, Bind-level, and Seal-level, only refer to the category of how they are classified.”
Seeing Daine’s odd stare, Patrick lightly coughed. “We haven’t been taught this yet.”
Noah was an exception and Sefi just genuinely didn’t care. They went further in, looking at people entering and leaving the Maze-level Trials. There were so many Trials that if someone tried to do everything alone, a single year wouldn’t be enough.
“Danger Level? So what? Either you can or you can’t. Only weaklings care about stuff like that.” Sefi looked down on it. So what if she knew the Danger Level? She wouldn’t be herself if she didn’t face it head-on.
“And that’s what the father and son duo also thinks…” Daine sadly looked at the people miserably leaving the Trials without getting anything out of it. As for those who appeared alongside their respective rewards, they were all ecstatic.
“Are we going to go in one or are we just going to leave?” Personally, Noah wanted to try out a Trial that didn’t have safety nets behind it. Seal Academy might seem like an extremely cruel place but veiled behind its facade lies a protective hand against all harm.
From being nearly immortal, regenerative clinics all over the place, protection against even Labyrinth Solvers, and simulated Trials, Seal Academy truly cares for its students. With such freedom, they could develop the strongest Solvers around.
“We could do either. Though, if we do so… the rules state that the materials will be converted into cash.”
“I don’t want to.” Sefi immediately rejected the idea. “It’s so boring. There’s no point.” She immediately squatted down, showing her intent on not moving at all.
“Well, I for one, am very interested in trying one out. What do you say, Patrick?” Noah patted his back.
“I don’t mind if I get a cut of the rewards.” Patrick glanced at a person who had just gotten out. A large amount of resources manifested all around him. From the looks of it, it will be unbelievably easy.
If Patrick wanted to grow stronger than he is right now, then he would need the resources to accommodate that growth. This was something that could facilitate his growth. It would be unthinkable to refuse this.
“Well there you have it, let’s go in.”
Daine rushed forward to stop them in their tracks. “Please wait a minute. I’ll go through the proper procedures so that there won’t be any problem that’ll show up.”
Saying so, she immediately ran off leaving the drunk red-haired youth to fend for himself.
“Hey, the name’s Lucas. Nice to meet ya.” Despite barely keeping himself steady, he still somehow managed to introduce himself. He reached out his hand for a handshake.
Noah obliged, he took Lucas’ hand and firmly grasped it. “Likewise.”
Lucas then reached out his hand towards Patrick. “How about you, friend?”
Lucas looked like a complete waste, his clothes were dirty and his hair was messy. If it wasn’t for Daine actively dragging him along, they wouldn’t have even bothered to look in his direction.
“You must be some bigshot. She’s been dragging you along for so long.” Patrick also held his hand tightly, he didn’t mind the dirt one bit.
“Hehe, I’m just a guy down on his luck. What about you, young lady?” Lucas also reached his hand out to the most volatile person in the group.
Sefi was living in her own world when she was interrupted. “Hah? Do you really want to do that? Who knows if I might break your hand?”
“I’m willing to take the risk!” Lucas smiled as she waited for her to grab his hand.
As expected, Sefi went in with evil intentions. She grabbed his hand and squeezed, she was intending on finding out just how strong he was. As she gripped tighter, it was clear that Lucas’ hand was starting to suffer from the immense pressure it was under.
“Oh wow, you’re pretty strong, huh?” Lucas could feel the ligaments in his hands start to twist unnaturally. “You all haven’t received your Combat Technique yet but you’re all so strong! The outside world really does have strong people.”
Sefi narrowed her eyes. She didn’t respond well to being praised like this. Her temper was ignited as she continued crushing his hand. Her hand was essentially a fist at this point, contained within was Lucas’ shattered hand.
“A bit too much for a greeting, don’t you think?” Lucas didn’t show any signs of recognizing the pain. Whether it was due to the alcohol or his own tolerance, being this unaffected was quite a sight to see.
Sefi merely let go after seeing that Lucas wasn’t even that strong. “It looks like my sister hired a dud. This’ll make things easier.”
Lucas looked at his mangled hand and smiled, “Combat Technique, Culled Future.” As he enacted his Combat Technique his disfigured hand immediately started reforming itself into its original form. The blood that had been spilled didn’t return but his hand was restored.
They didn’t know what price he paid to heal his hand as it didn’t seem to have any effect on him at all. Such a potent regenerative ability was something to be wary of.
“Yeah, strong.” Lucas smiled and noticed Daine coming back from the distance. “Hey, Daine! Don’t worry about her, I can keep her at bay. You can join them and finally enter a Trial for once.”
Daine was taken aback, “That wasn’t what I planned on… Just-”
“That sounds good to me. I approve.” Noah nudged Patrick’s side. He liked the idea of removing an unstable factor while inside a Trial. This just served like a good opportunity to enjoy a Trial.
“That’s fine by me too.” When Patrick grabbed ahold of Lucas’ hand, he felt as if it was more solid than metal. He was still thinking about just how terrifying Lucas really was. For Sefi to casually break his hand into mush also signified just how monstrous she was as well.
“What? But what about-” Daine’s words of refusal were drowned out as she was dragged away against her will.
Now that it was just Lucas and Sefi behind, the atmosphere turned a little more tense. Sefi noticed Lucas’ aura turn from a mellow river, flowing by a wave into an impenetrable iceberg, brutally cold and nearly indestructible.
“What are you planning now?” Sefi tilted her head, going to a Trial was boring but this… this was interesting.
“Making sure you don’t harm a hair on Daine’s hair,” Lucas responded with sheer confidence of victory. “Everyone! You should start running, I’m planning on letting loose for a bit!”
His voice echoed throughout the Trial Hall, reverberating as if to warn the world of him. It was sudden yet it resonated with those that knew him.
Once a guard heard an extremely notorious voice, he unhesitatingly shouted, “Lucas the Plague is here! Run!”
Hearing the guard shout it out, everyone didn’t even care about anything else as they all ran away. If Lucas was here then it meant that hell was soon coming. For someone that Rion personally knew, he was bound to be some kind of genius.