Plume stepped cautiously into the unfamiliar location, her eyes scanning the array of assembled champions. She glanced back at the path she had just emerged from, only to find it had vanished. Turning forward again, she froze, her gaze locking onto two familiar figures.

“It’s you,” Plume muttered, pointing toward Scott. She couldn’t forget the voidweaver even if she wanted to. “How come you’re here?” the trisos questioned.

“We should be asking you that,” Zara countered, glaring at the prisoner. “You’re the only one who didn’t wake up in the same location as us. What happened to you?”

“Answer her,” Scott added, his tone firm.

Plume instinctively avoided Scott’s gaze, a strange compulsion overtaking her as she began, “I don’t know either. I woke up on some strange path with no idea how I got there,” she explained. “I looked for you guys, but I assumed I had been abandoned for whatever reason.”

Scott and Zara exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts about the trisos’ words.

“Were you tasked with defending a path too?” Zara asked suddenly.

Plume pivoted toward the feline. “No,” she replied quickly, a hint of confusion in her voice. “I was supposed to invade. Wasn’t it the same for you?” Her gaze alternated between Scott and Zara. While Scott’s expression remained indifferent, Zara frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.

“It seems we had different missions,” Plume said after a brief silence. “So, what now?”

The seemingly simple question carried weight, and Scott and Zara understood the subtext. “Let’s wait for the others to arrive first,” Zara decided.

“Oh? They’re not here?” Plume muttered, her gaze wandering past the duo, searching for the rest of the hound extermination crew. She met curious stares, as well as a few hostile glares from the ninja camp. Ignoring the masked group, she refocused on Scott and Zara. “We’ll wait, then,” she said. “It’s not like there’s anything better to do in this place.”

With that, the trio moved to an unoccupied corner of the room and quietly awaited the arrival of their remaining companions. Seconds turned into hours as more champions arrived at the checkpoint. As expected, the pathway disappeared behind each new arrival, and several clusters formed within the expansive room as groups reunited.

Occasionally, exclusive notifications appeared before select groups, and their reactions ranged from utter joy to dismay. Most champions had figured out that these notifications marked the reunion of all group members—or, in some cases, surviving members, as seen with the more dejected teams.

Two days passed in a flash, and the assembled champions had changed dramatically. The ninja squad had departed, having already accepted that most of their companions had met their demise. They reminded Scott and Zara of their promise before leaving, but neither paid the masked group any attention. Meanwhile, cyclopes and a host of gigantic champions, including reptilian and insectoid beings, had made their way into the room, adding to the diversity of the gathering.

Footsteps echoed within the checkpoint once more, drawing the attention of the gathered champions. Most averted their gazes, unfamiliar with the new arrivals. But Scott and Zara immediately moved from their position, with Plume a step behind. Orion, Ember, and Slim had arrived together. While Ember and the skeleton surveyed their surroundings cautiously, Orion could barely contain his excitement.

“You guys are finally here. We were worried there for a second,” Zara said, quickening her pace.

The trio turned at the sound of Zara’s voice, smiles replacing the guarded expressions on Ember and Slim’s faces. “My leader, it’s so good to see you again,” Slim grinned.

The prisoners reunited, ignoring the probing gazes fixed on them. Light jokes and smiles were exchanged, each of them relieved to see the others alive and well. Soon, their attention turned to Plume.

“Where did you guys find her?” Slim whispered.

“Apparently, she woke up in one of the pathways,” Zara explained, glancing at the trisos, who was being bombarded with questions by Orion as he eagerly begged for samples. “But that’s not important right now. We ran into the Calamity of Ice,” Zara added in a hushed tone, changing the subject.

Slim and Ember’s expressions darkened. “How did that happen?” Ember asked, her brows furrowing.

“Never mind that—are you guys okay?” Slim asked, concern evident in his voice.

“We’re fine,” Scott replied before Zara could. “We can talk about it later. We need to get out of here first.”

As if responding to his words, a system notification suddenly materialized in front of Zara.

Please choose a command!

“What a surprise. No time limit this time,” Zara muttered, looking up. “We all want to descend, right?” she asked, her gaze shifting between her companions. No one spoke, but they all nodded. Of the three commands, only “reshuffle” and “descend” weren’t greyed out.

Zara took a deep breath and reached toward the notification.

“Wait,” Slim called out.

All eyes turned to the skeleton. “What is it?” Zara asked.

“We’re forgetting something important, aren’t we?” he said, nodding toward Plume. “She’s not really an official member of our group yet. If we leave, she might be stuck here.”

Realization dawned on the group. A stray thought filled their minds, refusing to leave. “If you think about it, how is she supposed to clear this layer?” Orion voiced their collective concern.

All eyes fell on the trisos, and Orion continued, “What did the system tell you about this trial? How exactly are you supposed to complete it?”

Plume, feeling the weight of the prisoners’ gazes, quickly explained. “No such thing appeared. I was simply instructed to invade and reach the checkpoints by any means necessary. I only just found out there were even alternative missions to stop the invaders.”

The hound extermination crew exchanged glances before Orion, Ember, and Slim turned their attention to Scott and Zara.

“I don’t think she’s lying,” Scott said after a brief pause. “There are people with other unique missions within the pathways,” he continued, recalling the elves he had encountered days ago. They hadn’t been tasked with invading or eliminating invaders; their mission was to search for a priestess.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I believe you,” Orion said with a chuckle, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “We already agreed she would join us in Infernia, so there’s no point wasting any more time,” he added, his smile widening. “Unless we’ve had a change of heart,” he muttered, his gaze shifting between his companions. “If we’re not going to let her accompany us, we might as well let her know.”

Once again, the hound extermination crew exchanged glances. Zara sighed, locking eyes with the trisos. She summoned her status screen, and a new system notification appeared in front of Plume.

You have received a party invitation! Do you wish to accept the invitation? Yes! No!

Plume stared at the party invitation for a moment, then raised her head toward the prisoners. Zara frowned. “Well? We don’t have all day,” she urged.

Plume hesitated briefly before making her choice. At that same moment, a series of footsteps echoed within the room. Naturally, most of the champions turned toward the sound’s origin. Six pathways opened simultaneously, each releasing at least three champions into the room.

The expressions of the hound extermination crew and several other champions, whether gathered in clusters or standing alone, changed significantly. Caution and apprehension filled their gazes as they focused on the newcomers, who shared only one feature: yellow eyes, regardless of their race, sex, class, or age.

Wasting no time, Zara clicked on the “descend” command. A bright luminescence enveloped the hound extermination crew, and they vanished.

You have received 10,000 Exp for descending a layer! Congratulations! You have leveled up! Level: 74! Experience Points: 3300/7500

Scott glanced at the notification for a moment before focusing on their new surroundings. This place is just like the first layer, he thought, his gaze lingering on the shadowy forms behind the opaque, icy walls.

“Surely, I’m not the only one who saw that freak with the yellow eyes, right?” Zara muttered; her expression ashen. “How did so many people have the same eyes as that creep?” she pondered aloud.

“You should save your energy,” Scott interjected. “You’re about to reach completion.” His gaze lingered on Aga’dz’s strings, which had manifested unconsciously above Zara. The bloodred strings tightened around her neck as if intent on snuffing the life out of the feral marionette. At that moment, the illusionary apparition appeared, hovering above Zara as the strings formed a thick, bloody cocoon around her.

To the untrained eye, however, the feline simply stood still, her veins glowing with an ominous crimson hue. Crimson runic markings, resembling totem poles, flickered at the back of her neck. Simultaneously, runic markings flashed across Orion’s and Ember’s necks too, and they both remained motionless. Zara’s markings soon morphed into a series of ominous texts, sliding down her neck and extending to her arms and thighs.

“Buddy, what the hell is happening?” Slim muttered, his gaze darting between Scott and the motionless prisoners.

“It will be over soon. There’s no need to worry about them,” Scott replied, though a hint of doubt lingered in his voice. He suddenly turned and asked, “Do you see anything on my neck?”

Slim checked but saw nothing unusual. “What am I supposed to be looking at? It looks normal to me,” Slim said, turning toward Plume, who had been silent since their arrival. “Do you see anything on his neck?” he asked.

The trisos peered at Scott’s neck for a moment. “There’s nothing there,” she confirmed.

“Do I have something on my neck?” Slim asked, suddenly concerned.

“You haven’t reached level 70 yet, so it’s unlikely,” Scott said, glancing at the skeleton.

Slim sighed softly, feeling both relieved and disappointed. He was already at level 69, and depending on the outcome of the next task, he was certain he would reach level 70. But he had no idea what to expect when that moment arrived.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, buddy, but how come they’re like this, and you’re completely fine?” Slim asked.

Scott shook his head. “I have no idea, to be honest.”

The trio fell into a tense silence, each lost in their thoughts as they observed their companions. Scott’s brows furrowed as he watched. Orion and Ember had known instantly that he had reached the stage of completion, yet he felt no different and couldn’t detect the same in them.

Orion was the first to snap out of his daze, staggering forward with a chuckle. “How long was I out?” he asked with a smile.

“Five to ten minutes, give or take,” Slim responded. “Are you okay, buddy?”

“I’ve never been better,” Orion replied, his smile brightening. At that moment, Ember snapped out of her daze, staggering backward. Scott caught the dragonkin by the waist, steadying her in his arms. All eyes then turned to Zara. The runic markings on her body slowly merged with her skin as she opened her eyes. But instead of looking at her companions, Zara seemed to stare beyond them, fixating on a presence neither of them could see or sense. Her bloodthirsty glare and tense posture signaled that something was wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly staggered backward. Scott quickly placed his free hand behind her, halting her steps.

“Congratulations on leveling up,” Scott whispered softly. “Are you okay?”

“My head feels funny, but I’ll survive,” Zara replied with a smile as she steadied herself. “Did you guys see that weird creature standing over there just now?” she added, changing the subject and pointing ahead. “It was right there. You saw it, right?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ember said, smiling as she pulled the feline into an embrace. “Congratulations on attaining completion,” she added. “Did you become a challenger too?”

Zara looked up, surprised that the dragonkin had beaten her to it. “I was just about to ask what the hell that even meant,” she said.

Ember patted Zara's head and patiently explained the key details, answering any questions the feline had.

“Fighting for authority, huh,” Zara muttered, lost in thought as she processed the information. Orion, who had been unusually quiet, giggled as he took a step forward, his curious eyes scanning the room.

“This place reminds me of the first layer,” he muttered to himself, knocking on the icy walls. “But isn’t it strange we haven’t received a new mission assignment yet?” he asked, turning to the others.

“Nothing surprises me in this place anymore,” Slim said, crossing his arms over his chest. “For all we know, this place could be—”

A loud crack interrupted the skeleton’s statement as a gigantic portal suddenly split the southern wall. Before the prisoners could grasp what was happening, a dozen wardens emerged. But the champions’ focus was on the androgynous figure leading them. Dressed in an exotic beige three-piece suit, the figure walked while the others levitated.

The towering figure stopped directly in front of Scott, and a voice echoed through the room despite the being’s mouth remaining shut. “Your sentence has been investigated. I’m here to declare the verdict. Please let me know when you’re ready.”

“Go on,” Scott said aloud. His expression remained impassive while those of his companions stirred.

“After a prolonged and thorough investigation, it has been determined that your sentence was erroneous, and you should not have been sent to Godsfall Island,” the figure paused, “This applies to all of you, except the Trisos.”

“What are you saying right now?” Zara interjected, and the stylish warden turned to her. “You shouldn’t be here, and I’m here to escort you back to the Ranking Games.”

Shock washed over the champions’ faces, and Orion suddenly burst into laughter. “Be honest—they’re terrified, aren’t they?” The mage took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. “Come on, you don’t expect us to believe that, do you? Someone out there is worried we’re growing too fast, right? They thought we’d be dead by now, but they’re regretting sending us to a place where we can grow exponentially beyond what’s usually possible, isn’t that right?” he probed with a smile.

“I met your variant once, and it seems your mind isn’t too dissimilar,” the warden said aloud, stunning the levitating wardens. “And to think you’re just a clone.” The warden paused, turning to Scott. “Do you understand what kind of entity your companion is?”

Scott’s expression remained indifferent, but his mind was racing. On one hand, returning to the Ranking Games seemed safer than continuing the deadly missions. On the other hand, the sudden clemency felt suspicious, lending weight to Orion’s theory.

“Regardless of what you believe, the truth is that you cannot remain here. The council of gods has already issued an edict. You and your companions are to return to the dark forest, and we’re here to ensure that you arrive safely. Nothing else matters,” the warden declared solemnly, yet calmly.