I don’t like the fact that the number of people keep increasing the further we climb, Scott wondered why there were so many of champions as he plummeted towards the icy landscape. Like the previous island, no clear pathway presented itself, only a thick, hazy mist dominating the skies. Patches of white covered the mountainous island, with the only diverging colors being the thick fur clothes wrapped around the various clusters of champions.
Scott, Orion, and the asura crashed onto the icy earth, yet none of the trio suffered any damage. Their gazes lingered on the champions who had originally been there, and likewise, the champions also observed the new arrivals. Unable to quell his curiosity, Orion stepped out first, approaching an average height female orc with stunning black and brown hair.
“Hello,” the mage said with a smile. However, the orc and her companions glared at the impudent human.
Orion smiled even brighter, paying little heed to the hostile welcome as he continued, “Do you mind telling us why everyone is gathered here?” he asked.
The orc prepared to chase away the unruly human, but a strange compulsion forced her to open her mouth. “It’s impossible to see when you cross the barrier,” she began to explain in a daze. However, one of her companions shrugged at the orc, yelling into her ears, “What’s wrong with you?! Why are you answering that human?!”
“Hey, you,” Orion suddenly called out, a frown replacing his previous smile. “Don’t disturb me while I’m gathering data. Go wait outside the barrier she mentioned,” he instructed.
The orc prepared to laugh at the sheer gall of the human, but his leg moved against his will. One step, two steps, three steps, and in a moment, he found himself sprinting at full speed. The surrounding champions watched in stunned silence; fear etched on the faces of several champions who instinctively retreated.
Scott, the asura, and Orion eagerly watched as the orc raced toward the periphery of the area where the champions mainly clustered.
“I can’t wait to see what happens,” Orion whispered, readjusting his glasses.
The orc passed through the barrier, and at that same moment, a gigantic ice pillar, akin to a colossal fist, descended from the heavens at a speed faster than most people could react. A deafening crack echoed, and the massive fist disappeared. However, the champions focused on the remnants of the orc champion. There, amidst a blend of ice, blood, broken bones, and mangled flesh, lay the remains of the orc. The creature's blood slowly percolated into the icy earth, but it didn’t disappear; instead, the ice within the area flashed with an ominous hue.
“Interesting, but this isn’t nearly enough data,” Orion muttered before turning back to the female orc. “If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could continue.”
Reluctantly, the orc nodded and resumed, “The fog shrouding the path beyond the barrier dissipates every six days, revealing the icy steps to the fourth island. However, twenty people must ascend at a time. Hence, we've assigned numbers to each champion based on their arrival, rather than rank.”
“I see,” Orion nodded. “Using time of arrival is more practical than rank; it avoids potential conflicts. So, we’re last then?”
Confirming his assumption, the orc pointed towards a group a few meters away. “You will have to join them,” she said.
“That’s going to be a problem,” Orion murmured, noticing there were already nineteen people assigned to the group. “One of us will have to remain here, which isn’t ideal,” he pondered aloud, as he had trimmed someone from the orc’s group.
“How long have you been here? How many groups have you seen leave? What about the number of deaths you've witnessed? Tell me everything,” Orion inquired with a smile.
Meanwhile, Scott shifted his attention away from the data-obsessed mage, focusing instead on the remains of the orc from earlier. Raising his head towards the skies, his brows creased beneath his mask.
“Do you see something?” the asura's leftmost head asked, alternating its gaze between Scott and the surroundings.
“Yes,” Scott affirmed, taking a step forward.
“What do you see?” questioned the centermost head.
Pausing, Scott turned towards the asura. “Giants. Thousands of them,” he revealed.
The asura's eyes trembled slightly as it instinctively scanned the area again, finding nothing out of the ordinary. However, it trusted Scott's judgment. Saying nothing further, the asura followed at a measured pace, ignoring the gazes from the surrounding champions.
While Orion remained deeply immersed in gathering data, oblivious to Scott and the asura's departure, more and more champions began to take notice of them. Initially, most people had dismissed them as lackeys under Orion’s command, their independent actions drew increasing attention, especially as they approached the edge of the barrier.
Naturally, no one showed any interest in obstructing their movements. Rather, most champions were intrigued by the prospects of what the duo could do. Contrary to their expectations, however, Scott and the asura simultaneously stopped at the edge of the barrier, both champions raising their heads.
At that moment, Orion’s whimsical laughter echoed from afar as he clapped repeatedly. “How clever,” he shouted while rearranging his hair.
The mage turned toward where he had left Scott and the asura, only to find they had disappeared. His curious eyes scanned the surrounding area in a flash, stopping on two individuals with their heads raised.
“Since when did they get there?” he muttered, approaching the duo in quick steps. “And what are they looking at?” the mage clicked his tongue, frustrated at the thought that the duo could probably see something that eluded his eyes. Noiselessly and swiftly, Orion arrived next to his companions.
“Are you done gathering data?” Scott asked without turning.
“Sadly, yes,” Orion sighed. “I can collect more information from the others, but I’m curious to find out what you’re doing here. Is there something beyond the barrier?”
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Scott nodded without responding. Orion’s pupils expanded, and he swiftly raised his head. “Please, tell me what you see,” he pleaded.
“Giants, reaching the skies. The fog is a result of their breath, and the snow is from their shedding fur. The steps are on their bodies; I don’t know what mechanism makes them invisible. I can also see the next island; it’s engulfed in flames,” Scott whispered.
Orion giggled nonstop as he mentally organized the new set of data. He fired a series of questions in quick succession, but Scott simply ignored the data-obsessed man.
“What should we do?” The asura’s centermost head asked telepathically.
“I’m not sure yet; it seems that we will have to—”
“Excuse me!” an ax-wielding minotaur cut off the eldritch knight.
Scott, the asura, and Orion turned toward the hulking champion. The minotaur gently placed his ax head on the icy earth as he began, “I don’t know who you people are, and frankly, I don’t want to know. But there’s an order to the way we do things here.”
The minotaur gestured toward the orc party, which had lost a member, and another group of champions gathered haphazardly before proceeding, “Two of you will join those groups, and the rest will have to wait for new arrivals. If you insist on moving together, then you’ll need to wait patiently for your turn. I don’t know what trick you employed earlier, but chaos will only lead to disaster for us all. Surely, none of you wish to return to the starting island, correct?”
“So, you’re advising against causing any further trouble, correct?” Orion inquired, a smile playing on his lips.
“That's correct,” affirmed the minotaur. “The next group is scheduled to depart when the path opens tomorrow. Please wait your turn.”
“Oh?” Orion smirked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “What if we're feeling daring?”
The minotaur's expression, as well as that of several nearby champions, shifted, a somewhat menacing aura enveloping the area.
“If you choose to forsake peace, then be prepared to face resistance with force. Rest assured, no one here is a stranger to violence,” warned the minotaur.
Orion chuckled, slowly removing his glasses. “Interesting. How intriguing,” he muttered as he raised his staff high. However, before it could strike the ground, Scott caught the mage's arm. “Let them be,” Scott murmured softly. “Let's observe for now.”
Orion smiled, gently lowering the staff, and wearing his glasses. Then, he sighed audibly, his disappointment palpable.
“At least one of you is sensible,” the minotaur remarked before lifting his ax. “You can decide to divide your forces or travel as a group. But remember, we won’t tolerate any more senseless bloodshed.”
“We?” Orion scoffed. “Who exactly is 'we'?” he demanded; his temper barely contained.
“Trust me, you don’t want to find out,” the minotaur warned before swaggering away toward his companions.
Orion chuckled softly before turning to Scott. “That guy actually thinks we're intimidated by them. Can you believe that?” he muttered.
“Let's ignore them. We have other concerns. Right now, I need your intellect to figure out a plan to—” Scott was interrupted by a series of familiar system notifications. The puzzling aspect was that the notifications appeared for all champions except Scott, the asura, and Orion.
Scott couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding as he observed the changing expressions of the surrounding champions. The initial confusion had transformed into surprise, then greed.
“Oh,” Orion giggled as he surveyed the surrounding champions. “What could possibly elicit such a drastic change in demeanor?” he mused, pointing toward a random champion. “Go on, enlighten me.”
The champion stumbled forward to the astonishment of everyone; he attempted to speak, but several arrows pierced his mouth, silencing him as his body collapsed.
“How ruthless,” Orion remarked, turning toward the beastman archer who slayed the champion. “Whatever happened to all that talk about avoiding unnecessary killing?”
“That's none of your concern. It’s in your best interest not to resist,” a feline stated, brandishing her daggers at the mage. “Watch out for the mage. He can manipulate people against their will,” she cautioned.
Orion's features twisted in fury as he pointed accusingly at the feline, “What kind of baseless accusation is that? You make it sound as if I’m some charlatan employing mind control tricks,” he spat, his anger palpable.
A champion's voice shattered the tense silence, slicing through the air from behind. His chainmail armor seemed to warp the surrounding cold as he approached. With a massive broadsword slung over his shoulder, he commanded attention.
Unhindered, the beastman closed in on Scott's group. He lowered his broadsword, causing the ground to tremble as it neared, yet never touched.
Pointing directly at Scott, the champion growled, “Save yourself trouble and surrender quietly. The alternative won't be pleasant.”
The Warhammer of the mad god emerged from Scott's mask, prompting a startled reaction from the champions. Scott's grip tightened instinctively as he eyed the group before turning toward the desolate landscape behind him. His voice carried to his companions, “Handle them as you wish. I'll deal with the creatures ahead.”
Orion burst into laughter, tossing his hair back. “It’s a pity I can't join in, but I'll extract something useful from these fools. We'll catch up with you soon,” he announced. With a swift motion, he slammed his staff on the ground, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
“This is why I dislike loudmouths,” Orion chuckled, advancing slowly. “They think they're invincible until reality hits. I prefer the quiet ones who surprise you,” he remarked, stopping before the motionless beastman.
“You don’t deserve to die at my hands, you might as well end your pitiful existence yourself,” Orion suggested, and the beastman complied. A thud followed and the smell of fresh blood lingered in the area. Without glancing at the beastman’s corpse, Orion focused on the remaining group, his grin widening.
“No need for pretense, folks. It might not look like it, but I have keen eyes,” Orion said, snapping his fingers.
In an instant, screams filled the air as blood oozed from the champions' eyes, mouths, and noses. Within moments, the ground was littered with bodies, save for ten standing champions, each from a different group.
“What a day,” Orion remarked cheerfully. “Who knew I'd find so many who could withstand the vibrations?” he added with a twisted grin, lifting his staff once more. “Don't disappoint me now; you've raised the bar. I aim to gather every piece of data. Just so you’d know, subtly jumping won’t save you this time, okay?”
The champions retreated, grabbing various items from their inventory. The asura summoned halberds, joining the potential fray. Meanwhile, Orion loosened his mage robes, revealing the black body suit beneath.
A tense silence filled the air as both sides locked eyes.
Scott took a bold step forward, breaching the safety of the barrier. A tempest of fists bore down on the eldritch knight. With a determined gaze, Scott lifted his head and yanked off his mask. Orion, the asura, and the champions stood transfixed as darkness suddenly shrouded the world beyond the barrier. Within this darkness, thousands of flaming crimson orbs, like eyes, pierced the veil, while an ominous yellow mass coalesced where Scott had stood moments ago.
“What in the hell is that?” one of the champions muttered, his voice laced with terror, as they beheld a creature of unfathomable origins, a visage embodying dread itself.
The eerie spectacle lasted only a moment before normalcy returned. Scott reappeared, clutching the Warhammer of the mad god. Yet, this time, the fog dissipated, revealing the hidden giants in their full, towering glory.
“Forget about fighting them,” Scott bellowed. “We need to climb, and fast! Just make sure you don’t get hit!”
No sooner had he spoken than a fist came hurtling toward him. With deft agility, the eldritch knight dodged and, employing void levitate, became intangible once more. Like a nimble monkey, he scaled the creature's arm, his gaze fixed on the blazing island in the sky.
At Scott's urging, Orion and the asura sprinted toward the barrier. However, just moments from crossing its threshold, a flaming ball crashed mere meters away, halting them in their tracks.
Orion's expression hardened as he discerned the outline of a figure within the fiery orb. Before he could ponder the mysterious intruder, a voice reverberated through the area.
“I'm a busy man, so I'll make this quick. Which of you bastards are the targets of those Shadow Syndicate freaks?”