Noah immersed himself in the act, a conscious self-defence mechanism to keep his thoughts drifting back to what he had done. His gait was a little firmer, posture more aggressive, a mean frown plastered on his face as he calmly inventoried his surroundings. Or at least he hoped that the aura he projected was more intimidating than that of a naïve teenager who’d walked these very lands a few hours ago.
A loud noise, reminiscent of fireworks being launched on the Fourth of July, alarmed him, posture tense, ready to act on the slightest indication of a threat, in accordance with how the persona he’d crafted would react to such a scenario. After being exposed to non-stop danger, the thought of his life being in jeopardy was hardly anything new. Though when he saw the red smoke trailing in the sky, led by a fluorescent red light, he couldn’t help but fall deep into thought.
Someone was daring enough to expose their location. Was it bait? Or was there finally someone bold enough to put a stop to this madness? Someone who remembered that the goal of this trial wasn’t to murder the fuck out of each other, but eliminate the Goblin Lord.
Would Noah ever risk exposure like that, even if it meant putting an end to this hellish trial? No, the risk wasn’t worth the reward, if they were successful then the trial would end and he’d simply forego the rewards.
But that was Noah. The persona he’d crafted didn’t think so much, he simply did what was necessary, simply followed the easiest way to achieve his objective. For they should be the one’s afraid of him, and not the other way around.
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Schmitt stood in the center of a circular piece of land flanked by trees at all sides, a utopia free from the horrors that lurked in the forests, both men and monsters alike. The play he'd crafted was reaching it's climax, with Nagai and Khan protectively flanking him. A large bonfire had been lit in the center, clearly making their group visible to anyone nearby. He was betting that dangerous individuals like his group would attack near the outskirts, using hit and run tactics. Anyone who made it to the center was either sufficiently powerful, or lucky, and fighting such a large congregation would be madness anyway.
Escalante, Amir, Andino had gone hunting, the flare both a bait and a call to regroup at the same time. They would later return, as a small group who had heeded the call, pretending to be completely unrelated to Schmitt. Adam had run off on his own, no doubt later to return as an individual challenger. It would take even Schmitt some effort to spot him in the crowd.
Andino had inadvertently discovered the effects of the killer title, and after realizing the perks the [Oracle's Lens] offered, Schmitt ordered Nagai and Khan to not personally stain their hands. It was only logical to assume that the system would offer other ways of accessing the Oracle's Lens, or a similar object, and he couldn't take that risk.
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"Ah," Schmitt said, his tone feigning slight surprise. "Hello there! Please, do offer us some greetings," his eyes darting westward.
Two middle aged men stepped out from their concealment, weapons drawn and guard up, as they slowly walked up to Schmitt, who was completely unarmed. The same couldn't be said for Nagai and Khan, but while three people did pose a threat, it was far less intimidating than seven scarred, burly mercenaries.
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By the time Noah reached the clearing, a sizable congregation had gathered near the center, and he estimated that at least fifty odd people had gathered. Those who traveled in groups and those who were solo was clearly evident, as the challengers maintained a healthy distance between each other, armed and with weapons sheathed. Noah felt multiple eyes scanning him the moment he walked out of the bushes, lingering for a second on his dagger- the only weapon his ragged exterior carried on him, and then went back to sizing up other more threatening, and more impressive looking challengers.
"Ah, young man!" said a blond haired man that looked to be in his late twenties, or early thirties, his auburn eyes reflecting Noah's battered visage as he walked towards him with his hands raised in the air. "Glad you could make it this far!" he exclaimed with what Noah could only sense genuine happiness and relief.
"T-Thank you", Noah awkward replied, taken aback with the unexpected warm welcome.
"Please, do have something to eat and drink at our expense. I myself might not be very good at fighting, but my associates," he said, and took a pause, causing Noah to glance at the two intimidating men that had followed behind him, "are quite good at liberating goblins of their pitiful lives. They have enough essence points, so please don't hesitate to ask for basic necessities."
"I will, but first may I know what the objective of the gathering is?" said Noah, as he glanced at the two men behind Khan. His [Lens of the Righteous Hunter] activated and both men were painted in a serene white, which Noah assumed meant that they didn't indulge in treacherous killing. He involuntarily exhaled a breath of relief, which caused Schmitt's smile to twitch lightly, but Noah didn't notice. Nagai had 2450 points and Khan had 3025, both very impressive totals for men who hadn't illicitly acquired their points. Much to Noah's surprise, both the individuals had two pieces of system originated armor too, the burlier man of the two having a chest guard and leggings, while the other one having gloves and boots that were painted a dull green, almost seeming to blend into the surroundings as he moved.
"Why of course, it is to put an end to this madness!" Schmitt passionately exclaimed, and it caused nearby challengers to glance in his direction.
Noah nearly gasped as a burst of red entered his vision. 10 challengers had a red aura seeping out of them, and of those, nearly 5 had auras painted a deep crimson that sent off alarm bells in Noah's head.
"We must take down the Goblin Lord and complete the trial, waiting till nearly 200 more of us die out is simply ludicrous! It could be me, or it could be you next among those 200, and my friends that is a risk I cannot take. I assume that we have like minded individuals among ourselves, who realize that survival comes before this purported immortality the system offers. But first, we must wait to see if my conjecture is correct and confirm the location of the Goblin Lord," Schmitt said, and turned his gaze to the skies.
Seconds later a flare gun exploded from the far North, causing a broad grin on Schmitt's face. "It appears we have allies on the other side, ladies and gentlemen."