What’s the best approach?
Lin wondered as he analyzed the rules, running multiple simulations through his mind, though each seemed too risky, especially given their group’s lack of combat-oriented members.
“You have one hour to prepare, and then the trial will begin,” the goddess’ words snapped Lin from his thoughts. He glanced back at her, noticing that multiple weapons had suddenly materialized in mid-air, floating around the space.
“You can choose any weapon you want,” she added. They all marveled at the array of weapons—swords, daggers, rapiers, and even guns—floating in place. However, their excitement was tempered the moment they recalled the minotaur’s bat, which had been much larger than most of the weapons available.
“Sorry, but we have a little problem here,” a voice interrupted before the goddess could leave, drawing everyone’s attention to a blue-haired man in a hoodie and shorts.
“One of us can’t use Soulex,” Kian explained, gesturing to the dark-haired woman beside him. She looked downcast as she stepped forward. The goddess observed her with a mostly neutral expression, then glanced back at Kian.
“And?” she replied coldly, sending a shiver down his spine. His eyes widened in confusion as he looked around, then back at her.
“What do you mean? She obviously can’t fight in this condition,” he said, his tone genuinely confused. The goddess fell silent, as if considering his words, but her response wasn’t what he expected.
“She will participate regardless,” she said, turning away. Before he could retort, she added, “Remember, she won’t die even if she dies during the trial, so it doesn’t matter. No one here will be getting special treatment.”
Her tone was cold, and before anyone could react, she disappeared, vanishing from sight as though she had never been there at all. Her abrupt exit left Kian frustrated, and the others cast sympathetic glances at the dark-haired woman.
“She’s a bit cruel sometimes,” Nolan muttered, drawing everyone’s attention as he stepped forward. One by one, the others followed, moving toward the small structure displaying the terrain of the first trial.
“I think it’s obvious by now that we should prioritize survival,” he continued, and everyone nodded in agreement. They weren’t only thinking about the dark-haired woman’s situation but also their own. Facing a monster like the one they had seen seemed absurd, and if they could complete the trial without confronting it, that would be the most ideal outcome.
“So, does anyone have a plan?” Nolan asked. The confidence in their eyes immediately faded as they looked at one another, and gradually, their gazes turned toward a particular individual in the room.
“...”
Lin stayed silent, feigning obliviousness to their stares and waiting for them to ask him directly. Unexpectedly, another voice broke the silence.
“What do you think, Ren?” Kian interjected, redirecting everyone’s attention to Ren. Their faces brightened with a glimmer of hope, reminded that he was also a fairly capable ally.
“Huh?” Ren muttered, looking at Kian in confusion.
“You seem like you’ve got something on your mind. If you have a plan, why not share it?” Kian said with a smile, ignoring Lin’s penetrating gaze, which seemed to have already grasped his intentions. Seemingly aware of the situation, Ren glanced at Lin nervously and began,
“Uh, actually, I think Lin would—” he started, but Kian interrupted.
“It’s fine, right, Lin?” Kian turned to Lin with a smug smile and continued, “Or do you only cooperate if it’s your plan?”
His words raised curious eyebrows among the group. Lin had led them to their first victory so far, but would he abandon his role as the group’s strategist that easily? If he chose to hold his stance and decline Ren’s plan, such a move would be viewed as selfish, exposing the image of a ‘necessary evil’ he’d crafted thus far as merely a way to keep them under his control.
But, to Kian’s surprise, Lin shrugged.
“It’s fine,” he replied, prompting a few surprised expressions, especially from Ren, who muttered back,
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“A-are you sure?” Ren asked, confirming to everyone else that he indeed had some kind of plan. This realization brought a sense of relief to the group as they watched him, their gazes drifting back to Lin, who replied once again.
“Yeah, sure,” Lin said calmly, not a hint of bitterness in his tone despite having his role taken away. Ren seemed the most surprised by this and, continuing to mutter, finally spoke up.
“O-okay, then I’d like to share my plan, but you can comment if it needs any changes,” he said, glancing at Lin as if seeking his guidance in formulating the plan. However, his attempt had the opposite effect as Lin raised his head, met his gaze, and retorted.
“Don’t patronize me,” Lin said coldly, and a worried smile appeared on Ren’s face. Lin had already surmised that Ren’s casual attempt to involve him in the planning was just a ploy to appease him, to make it seem like Lin was also a vital part of the process. In reality, Ren was likely going to try to leave out certain details about the plan and let Lin fill them in, which Lin found very disrespectful.
“Sorry. But will you give your full cooperation?” Ren asked, realizing his subtle manipulation, though purely subconscious, wouldn’t work on Lin. Surprisingly, this seemed to relax Ren, as though speaking with someone like Lin was easier than with anyone else.
“Sure,” Lin muttered simply, curious to see what kind of plan Ren would come up with.
From earlier—targeting the dark-haired woman to forcing Ren to go against him, coupled with his subtle manipulation of the group by showing his so-called ‘psychotic’ side and even chuckling at the goddess’s warning—it was clear what Lin was trying to achieve.
Simply put, he had naturally made the others wary of him. In the end, they would all gravitate toward Ren’s side, giving him the mantle of leader. Now, fully handing over the reins to Ren, he would get to see him in action and gauge his so-called potential by his own standards.
“Alright, then I’ll share my plan,” Ren said, walking closer to the island-like structure while opening the rules on his status window.
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Floor One: The Art of Tracking
Clear Condition (Choose one):
1. 90% survive until their timers reach zero.
2. Kill the Soul-vor beast.
Permitted Abilities: [Echo], [Veil], and [Form].
Time Limit: N/A
Individual Timer: 75 minutes
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[Rules]
1. Clear Condition 1: Each person's individual timer may be affected by different conditions. This clear condition will only be valid once 90% of everyone’s counters reach zero – 00:00.
* [Veil Rule] — Using [Veil] will slow down your individual timer by five seconds for every second that passes.
* [Unconscious Rule] — The individual timer will pause completely if a person is rendered unconscious.
* [Proximity Rule] — Individuals within a 40-meter radius of the Soul-vor beast will have their individual timer reduced by 2 minutes for every second that passes.
2. Clear Condition 2: The Soul-vor beast will be considered dead when its heart has completely stopped. If Clear Condition 1 fails, this will be the only other option.
* [KILL ONLY] — If three individuals die before Clear Condition 1 (survival) can be accomplished, you will be forced to clear the floor through Condition 2. In this case, the trial will only end if everyone is dead or the Soul-vor beast dies first.
3. Each person will choose one of the four regions to start in and will be spawned in a random location within that region (no two people will spawn in the same spot). The regions will also have restrictions on the number of participants:
* * [Majority rule] — If a single region has more than 60% of the participants for more than 5 minutes, the beast will automatically spawn in the middle of that region (if it isn’t already within that region).
* [Overload rule] — If all participants (100%) are in a single region for more than 2 minutes, they will all be randomly teleported to different regions.
4. In addition to choosing your spawn region, everyone will collectively decide which of the four regions the Soul-vor beast should start in. The beast will be placed in the center of that region. Each region has the following conditions:
* [Soundless Region] — Everyone, including the Soul-vor beast, will be unable to hear anything inside this region.
1. Features: A thick forest with many small animals. Beware of poisonous snakes and other hazards.
* [Sightless Region] — Everyone, including the Soul-vor beast, will be unable to see anything inside this region.
1. Features: Rocky terrain with large boulders scattered around. Watch your step.
* [Smellless Region] — Everyone, including the Soul-vor beast, will be unable to use their sense of smell inside this region.
1. Features: A less dense forest with toxic swamps and a lot of dead trees. Fire hazard—be careful when using guns and fire-based weapons in this region.
* [Touchless Region] — Everyone, including the Soul-vor beast, will be unable to feel any physical sensation on their skin inside this region.
1. Features: A snowy forest with fewer trees and an open landscape covered in snow. Beware of frostbite.
5. The Soul-vor beast will have access to all five elements of the god system.
In addition to your permitted abilities, it can use:
* [Pulse] — An element allowing for physical enhancement of the user’s body and objects, as well as manipulation of their Soulex.
* [Bind] — An element allowing the user to link their Soulex with one or more individuals, either to use Soulex against them or to perform targeted attacks using the other elements.
6. A mini-map of the area will be provided, showing only your location.
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