Echoing cracks resounded as the unknown champion emerged from the flames, his figure outlined by the flickering inferno. Orion and the asura exchanged stiff glances, their eyes meeting the narrow slits of the champion now engulfed in fire. A black mamba coiled around his neck, its menacing gaze shifting between the two adversaries, silently issuing a warning.

Stepping out of the blazing arena, the half-naked champion cast a dispassionate gaze upon Orion and the asura. “Are you the ones?” he muttered, then turned towards the cowering champions at the rear. “Or is it them?” he inquired.

“It's them,” the feline archer hastily affirmed.

“Y-Yes, they're the ones. They’re the new arrivals,” another champion chimed in nervously.

The flaming champion scrutinized Orion, whose smile seemed whimsical, and the asura emanating bloodlust. He idly toyed with the mamba's head, his gaze alternating between the two groups. After a moment, his voice resounded again, firm and unwavering. “I can't take chances. There's no telling if someone is lying. All of you will come with me,” he declared.

The faces of the champions froze as they observed the flaming man caress the snake's head. “Abby, swallow them up,” he commanded.

The snake hissed as it slowly unwound itself from the champion's neck, growing steadily. Suddenly, a whizzing sound filled the air, and all the champions, including the rapidly expanding snake, raised their heads in unison. Without warning, a Warhammer came crashing down on the flaming champion's skull, bursting it like an overripe watermelon. In stunned silence, the champion's lifeless body collapsed to the icy ground with a heavy thud, and Scott's voice cut through the silence. “What are you dumbasses standing around for? Get moving already!”

The eldritch knight materialized next to the burning corpse, charging toward the path beyond the barrier once again, seamlessly shifting into intangibility. Orion and the asura swiftly followed suit, breezing past the expanding snake and the charred remains.

Abby hissed softly, fixated on the flaming corpse lying upon the pristine snow. What had started as a mere mamba, no more than six feet in length, had grotesquely morphed into a thirty-foot behemoth, showing no signs of halting its growth. Its venomous eyes transitioned slowly to amber, seemingly processing the demise of its comrade. The serpent slithered around the corpse before consuming it whole. Flames erupted from the massive snake, its amber eyes obscured behind a veil of iridescent neon flame, followed by a deafening roar echoing from its gaping maw.

Simultaneously, the other champions burst into motion, scattering in all directions, each determined to escape the confines of the barrier. Despite bearing no responsibility for the demise of the flaming champion, they knew the beast would not let them flee unchallenged.

“And where do you think you’re going?” a sickening voice bellowed from the creature, as a mangled head with only a nose and mouth protruded from the space between the mamba's eyes.

The mamba indiscriminately launched a barrage of attacks on the fleeing champions, obliterating several before they could even raise their defenses. What's more, the monstrous creature continued to swell in size.

“Kill them all! How dare they! How dare they!” the mangled head roared, prompting a terrified scream from Abby. The mamba recoiled, unleashing a colossal emerald vapor within the barrier. The frozen earth visibly shifted to lavender, decomposing even the weapons and remnants left behind from Orion’s previous massacre. Champions who trailed behind transformed into bloody puddles, while others contorted in agony, their bodies deteriorating before their very eyes.

Abby shifted its attention from the slain champions to Scott, Orion, and the asura contending with giants beyond the barrier. The trio raced across the colossal creatures' massive physiques, skillfully dodging the relentless barrage of fists from other champions attacking their own kind.

Orion chuckled whimsically as his eyes quickly scanned for a clear path forward. “We might be in a bit of a pickle,” he remarked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” the asura's leftmost head asked. “This isn't the time to be distracted,” it warned.

“Distracted? Me?” Orion laughed again, deftly avoiding a stray fist. Then, the mage continued, “I knew that snake looked familiar. If I'm right, it's probably part of the Sons of Jörmungandr. Those maniacs aren't known for traveling alone.”

The asura's expression soured, coinciding with another massive roar from Abby, the snake now over two hundred feet and still growing.

“This trial is about to get even more brutal,” Orion declared suddenly. His staff shattered into countless pieces, coalescing into an ominous spear. Simultaneously, several flaming balls ignited the skies, descending rapidly toward the frozen tundra. Roars echoed alongside the fireballs, heralding the arrival of more snakes. For the first time, the animated giants stood motionless, heads raised toward the burning heavens. The snow giants unleashed a soul-churning scream, greeting the approaching snakes with raised fists.

Abby slithered beyond the barrier, rapidly constricting a giant's arm while aiming for its neck. Then, venomous rain descended on the giants; unlike the slain champions, only small patches of purple lined the bodies of the colossal beings. However, their movements became labored, and their speed decreased considerably.

Over twenty flaming monstrosities descended from the islands above, engaging in fierce combat with multiple giants.

Though outnumbered, the snakes proved relentless and efficient in their attacks. However, the giants charged mindlessly, trampling over companions, or shattering those in their way, intent on an all-out war.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Despite the snakes' resilience, the giants' sheer numbers overwhelmed them.

The snakes screamed in unison, slithering toward each other on the battlefield. They devoured the mangled heads between their eyes, despite the relentless barrage from the giants. Meanwhile, the bloodthirsty giants tore each other apart, using corpses as weapons in their fight against the snakes. Blood, guts, and an array of strange organs littered the area, while the stench of charred flesh lingered in the frigid air.

Damn it. How are we supposed to get the hell out of this place? Scott pondered, scanning the area.

The arrival of the snakes had altered the path leading to the island. Although the giants had previously attacked them fiercely, they had largely remained stationary. Now, however, they actively trampled upon the corpses of their kin to decimate the reptile intruders. Among the reptile population that descended, only five remained, locked in a grisly struggle as they cannibalized each other, each aiming to tear off the mangled head between their eyes while disregarding the blows from the giants.

“Isn't it strange,” Orion suddenly muttered, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips.

“What are you talking about?” Scott asked, casting a glance at the mage.

“All the giants in the vicinity charged toward the snakes as soon as they descended, except those guys,” Orion muttered, his gaze fixed on the immobile giants several hundred meters away from the gruesome melee. Scott and the asura turned in the direction Orion pointed, noting the stillness of the giants in that region, though the reason for it eluded them.

“Why do you think they're there?” the rightmost head asked.

“You only gather that many people when you're guarding something or someone precious,” Orion replied with a knowing smile.

Scott's eyes sparked with realization as he turned toward the mage. “Are you suggesting the possibility of a secret path?”

Orion's smile widened, confirming Scott and the asura's suspicions. The fact that Orion, the data-possessed man, had mentioned it indicated his confidence in the conjecture.

The leftmost head sighed. “Even if there's a hidden path over there, it's next to impossible for either of us,” it said, then turned toward Scott. “Except for him, that is.”

Orion chuckled softly, effortlessly dodging another attack. “We won't have to do much,” he said with a grin, turning toward the last two surviving snakes. “One of them is going to do all the work for us. This place is about to become even messier.”

Scott and the asura turned their attention to the snakes, who valiantly defended themselves against the onslaught while vying to devour the mangled head on their respective heads. Abby, the snake who had summoned most of the others, had long been beaten to a pulp. However, the last surviving snakes had grown to lengths comparable to the giants. Their flames were hot enough to melt the frosty arms of the creatures, and their venom was potent enough to rapidly decompose the woolly beasts.

One of the last snakes successfully devoured the other's mangled head, and a massive third eye formed between its original pair. Simultaneously, the temperature in the area soared. Snow transformed into water, then into steam, as the atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

The last surviving snake underwent a rapid transformation, expanding more than tenfold within seconds. In an instant, it surpassed the height of three stacked giants, remaining ominously motionless.

A deafening scream erupted from the snake, fracturing the land while a scorching heatwave spread over five thousand kilometers. Its fiery gaze fixed on the giants below before it opened its maw, spewing molten magma like a ruptured pipeline, obliterating the giants within its reach. Yet, undeterred, the relentless giants charged toward the beast with renewed determination.

This time, however, the immobile giants reacted, readjusting their colossal forms as they assessed the situation, believing their superior numbers would overwhelm the troublesome snake.

Ignoring the cracks lining their arms and their deteriorating bodies, hundreds of giants launched a suicidal charge towards the snake, driven by their singular goal of subduing the intruder.

Meanwhile, Scott, Orion, and the asura intermittently flickered between the tangible world and the illusionary, skillfully evading the maddened creatures' reckless assault.

“Are you certain the snake will divert their attention?” Scott's voice trembled with anxiety, though he attempted to conceal it.

Orion turned, his gaze meeting Scott's with an intensity mirrored by his abnormal eyes. “The Sons of Jörmungandr are formidable adversaries,” he replied, his tone lacking its usual briskness. “We must tread carefully, or we may meet the same fate. Trust me, it will clear a path for us.”

As if in response to Orion's caution, the snake unleashed another ear-splitting scream, followed by a torrent of fire that coalesced into a massive, hovering ball. Consuming several giants in its fiery embrace, it grew before unleashing waves of flames that engulfed everything in their path.

The immobile creatures howled with frenzied rage, unable to intervene as the inferno consumed their brethren. They charged toward the massive snake with renewed bloodlust, determined to put an end to its mayhem. Seizing the opportunity, Scott, Orion, and the asura materialized in an unguarded area around a small well, its interior darker than obsidian.

Explosions reverberated across the landscape as the giants attempted to contain the expanding fireball, but the blazing heat proved insurmountable.

“What is this?” the leftmost head muttered, peering into the well's abyss-like darkness.

“It's our means of escape,” Orion declared, his gaze fixed on the rising inferno engulfing the island. A deep shade of orange cast its hue over most of the land, incinerating any giants who dared to approach.

Orion turned to Scott; his voice low but urgent. “Do you see anything?”

Scott met the mage's gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. “Let's jump. The island won't last another minute.”

Without another word, Scott plunged into the abyss. The leftmost head of the asura let out a deep sigh before the champion followed suit. Orion glanced back at the flaming sphere once more, a devilish grin adorning his face. “I would have relished capturing you, but other duties beckon. Nonetheless, it's reassuring to know the Sons of Jörmungandr are on the lower floors. I can’t wait,” he muttered to himself.

With no further hesitation, he jumped too. Moments later, a deafening explosion reverberated, flames devouring over seventy percent of the frozen tundra, transforming it into a hellish landscape of fire and scorched bones.

Space contorted, and Mr. Fishido materialized above the ravaged terrain, floating near the well. “This is precisely why I abhor overseeing contests involving the Sons of Jörmungandr,” the observer murmured softly as he gazed upon the burning island. “How many islands have they razed now?”

Then, it lowered his gaze, staring at the darkness confined within the well. I partially expected the eccentric mage to find the well eventually, but I didn’t think it was possible for him to get next to it, let alone use it. Then, there’s also the matter of that masked champion. I don’t like the aura he gives off. It reminds me of that person, the observer thought before averting his gaze away from the well.

While the well might indeed be a shortcut, those three will pay sorely for jumping in so audaciously. They’re definitely going to be mad for the rest of their lives, the fish sighed while assessing the extent of damage in the area.

The observer opened its mouth and expelled a pearly object onto the charred earth. Upon impact, the object erupted, smothering the raging inferno with thick layers of snow, transforming the burning island back into a snowy landscape once again.