Watching the two players dissolve, Sora was slightly frustrated, but sighed. 'This isn't the right place for revenge. There's no hurry. ' Resigned, he thought, waiting as he was moved to the waiting room along his teammates.
Checking the final ranking, the disappointment disappeared from his face.
[12th trial [Team Elimination Battle] Ranking] 1 - [Ralph Eden] - Human Race - 118 Eliminations - 5 Wins - 726 Points 2 - [Kara Spirine] - Human Race - 18 Eliminations - 5 Wins - 326 Points 3 - [Emily Frekk] - Human Race - 15 Eliminations - 5 Wins - 314 Points 4 - [Morgan Casey] - Human Race - 15 Eliminations - 5 Wins - 314 Points 5 - [Salim Msakni] - Human Race - 13 Eliminations - 5 Wins - 306 Points 6 - [Kro Nel] - Demon Race - 40 Eliminations - 2 Wins - 303 Points 7 - [Eloj] - Demon Race - 40 Eliminations - 2 Wins - 298 Points ... 10 - [Clémence Berger] - Human Race - 42 Eliminations - 0 Wins - 265 Points ...
Sora was surprised to see Clémence had managed to keep her spot in the top 10. Considering her performance during the fight against Dae Stark, though, it wasn’t entirely shocking.
Scanning the rest of the ranking, Sora noticed familiar names in the top 150, including Dae Stark and his team. Asia, Pedro, and their other teammate had also secured spots in the top 150.
Kara glanced over at Sora and commented, "Out of the initial 30 human players, only 7 were eliminated. That's impressive."
Thinking it over, Sora replied, "That’s unexpected. Almost everyone managed to pass the trial."
Salim, who was also browsing the rankings, added, "You’re right. The Chinese team only lost one player, the American team didn’t lose anyone… It looks like only the last human team was wiped out. They might have been targeted and couldn’t gain enough points."
With 23 humans passing the trial, it was a remarkable result for their race.
As Sora’s eyes landed on Rachel’s name at the 173rd position, a small smile crept onto his face. ‘As expected, she didn’t make the cut.’
Morgan broke the silence, interrupting Sora’s thoughts. Turning to Emily, he said, “Don’t feel bad about that Rachel player. She’s not what she appears to be. Trust me, she's a demon, and her leaving is the best thing that could happen to your guild.”
Both Sora and Kara tensed at his words, exchanging a quick glance. They hadn’t expected anyone else to see through Rachel's nature.
Puzzled, Emily, who had been sulking quietly, looked up. “What are you talking about? Where is that coming from?” she asked, frowning.
Morgan crossed his arms, his tone serious. “We’ve got someone in the trial who can assess other players in... a unique way. And the only thing I can share is that Rachel isn’t someone you want as an ally. If we meet Clémence on the 16th floor, I’ll convince her too.”
Sora raised an eyebrow at this revelation, his mind racing. ‘There are too many talented players in this tower. If someone saw through Rachel, there’s a chance they can uncover parts of my secrets too. It’s clear I need to start taking some drastic measures.’
Before anyone could respond, the system announcement rang out:
[The twelfth trial is over. Players ranked below 150 are eliminated. Please leave the tower after collecting your reward. Congratulations to all who remain. Please select your reward.]
[You are ranked 1/250: Reward x3.]
[Reward Option 1: +3 Challenge Tokens]
[Reward Option 2: +3 Ignore Challenge Tokens]
[Reward Option 3: +3 Extra Lives (valid for the 16th trial)]
Sora stared at the options, unimpressed. ‘Are you kidding me? They might as well not give rewards if these are the only options,’ he thought, disappointed. ‘Maybe it’s because I’ve become an anomaly. Talented, well-rounded, low-level players might need the Ignore Challenge Tokens to stay in the competition and avoid bullying. Players lacking talent but strong in certain areas would prefer the Challenge Tokens to push their strengths. And then, for those who don’t fear challenges, the Extra Lives could be crucial in the PvP trials where individual power isn't enough.’
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'And now, I feel like I belong in none of these categories...' he sighed.
Despite his disappointment, Sora considered the options. ‘The second reward is worthless if no one dares to challenge me anymore. But the Extra Lives… I saw that guy revive after his team got wiped, and it helped them secure third place. It could turn the tide in specific trials.’
The Challenge Token seemed like the safest bet, allowing him to tip the odds when needed. ‘I might not excel in all trials, but this could be the edge I need,’ he reasoned.
After a moment of thought, he made his decision, selecting [Challenge Tokens] and watching the notification confirm his choice.
He was aware that he might regret his choice later, but failing before reaching the next PvP event would be far more humiliating.
As the familiar sensation of his body dissolving took hold, Sora felt himself being transported from the 12th trial floor.
----------------------------------------
Sora entered the 13th floor ready for another challenge. The trial, however, surprised him by forcing his level back to level 100, stripping away most of the overwhelming power he’d come to rely on. When the new rules and objectives appeared before him, he frowned at the notifications. The trial was very different from what he expected.
'This time, the trial is a war.' He thought. '[Survive and Lead in the War]? interesting.'
Sora stood in the middle of a massive encampment, wearing in uncomfortable armor, a spear in hand that felt foreign to him. Forced to follow orders and contribute to his kingdom's victories, he found himself swept into the relentless tide of war. Despite the unexpected conditions, Sora performed outstandingly, quickly accumulating merits that placed him far above the average soldier.
Aware that this realistic war was all part of the trial, he held nothing back. In fact, he started enjoying the power he held, tilting the tide of each battle single-handedly. His overwhelming prowess earned him countless medals and the blind trust of his kingdom. Yet, as the war dragged on and months passed, the ecstasy of glory faded, and the grim reality of war began to weigh heavily on him.
Each battle left him more exhausted than the last. The cycle of bloodshed, orders, and fleeting victories disturbed him deeply. After every battle, Sora retreated to his tent, isolating himself and waiting for the next set of commands. The excitement of combat was replaced by an unsettling numbness.
The breaking point came with an order to execute prisoners. A reward was promised—valuable enough to tempt even the most virtuous. Sora’s grip tightened on his spear as he approached the bound figures.
“This is just a trial,” he muttered under his breath, trying to convince himself. “A game... I can't miss the opportunity to farm so many Ascension Points.”
The first strike was mechanical. The second, numbing. By the third, his chest heaved, bile rising in his throat. He avoided the gazes of the fallen, but their screams followed him long for weeks.
Days later, he stumbled across his superiors torturing a captive for information. The man’s screams sent a chill down his spine. Sora’s hand moved to his weapon, only for a familiar sound to interrupt:
[Warning: Actions against your kingdom will incur severe penalties.]
He froze. For the first time in a while, he felt the weight of the system’s chains pressing down on him. He removed his hand from his weapon.
...
Another battle. Another betrayal. His kingdom turned on their allies, cutting them down without mercy. Sora’s gaze locked on the back of a soldier plunging his blade into a comrade who had once shared their fire and food.
The battles grew darker. One day, a helmet rolled from a fallen enemy, revealing the face of a boy—no older than twelve. Sora stopped mid-strike, his hands trembling. A scream built in his throat but never escaped and tears rolled down on his face.
'This ... this is a nightmare. This isn't real... When will I be able to leave this hell?'
As he returned to his tent, his hands trembled without rest. No matter how hard he tried to to stop the trembling, he achieved no success. He looked into the small mirror propped against the tent wall, his reflection hollow and pale.
“What kind of trial is this?” he whispered, his voice cracking. "Is this what real war looks like?" he muttered to himself one sleepless night. "I can’t live in a world like this. I hate killing the weak… I hate the smell of blood, and I hate their faces… What’s there to admire in me whose hands are so stained with our own race’s blood?"
During the following months, he witnessed countless atrocities. Whenever he intervened, the system crippled his point earnings. The points he had painstakingly earned, which once soared into the millions, plummeted into the negatives as he couldn't hold himself from defying the commands in countless occasions.
Despite years of training his mental power, this period of combat left him mentally exhausted. Even though he didn’t need sleep, he often found himself losing focus, his mind drifting back to the things he had done.
The realization crept over Sora: his despair wasn’t born of war alone.
'If this world weren’t forcing us... If the system weren’t toying with our lives, wouldn’t things be better? Even with all its flaws, our old world was better...' Sora thought, his rage building up beneath the surface.
Once, he admired the system for protecting the weak and giving everyone in humanity a chance to survive. Now, he saw the restrictions on people, regions, civilizations, and all rules as shackles that no one had ever asked for.
'Are we just animals in a cage? Who put us here? And why?' From believing that such events were beneficial to humanity, giving them a chance to defend themselves, he started questioning his previous theory and the reasons of the foreign races invasion.
'A game protecting us from invaders ? That doesn't make sense at all. I was too naive! If all of this was a game... Then what do the developers and producers earn from this? There's more to it, and I’ll find the truth. The hell you’ve put me through—I’ll never forget it.'
Months passed, and Sora fought to regain his lost points, suppressing the storm inside him. Slowly, he regained control over his emotions, channeling his energy back toward his goal. He would ascend, find the answers he was looking for, and dismantle whatever chains bound him to this twisted world.
When he finally left the trial, another half-year had passed. Sora’s expression bore none of the youthful joy or lightness that usually followed his time spent with Kara. His eyes were sharper, calmer—reflecting the trial he had endured and the transformation he had undergone.