“Personally, I didn't think she was lying, and she doesn't seem like the type to scheme behind someone's back. I might be wrong, but I believed her when she said we wouldn't last beyond the first ten minutes if we waited until the last day,” Slim stated after a momentary silence. The necromancer adjusted his jacket while brushing off the rare traces of dirt on his suit.

“I agree,” Zara added from the side. “Like Slim said, she might be putting up an act, but it's unlikely that someone as powerful as her would need to do that, especially when you consider it's of no benefit to her whether we finish the trial now or on the last day.”

“What do you think, buddy?” Slim asked Scott.

“I also feel she isn't the type to plot against others, but one can't be too careful. I was going to suggest using some random individuals to test out the theory, but there's a possibility it could trigger something far worse, so that's not an option for now.” Scott suddenly paused, turning toward the spot Ember had vanished from earlier.

“If you guys are in support of it, then let's do it. I honestly don't want to experience the mayhem of the last day,” Scott said, firming his resolve.

“I agree too,” Slim said as he placed his hand on Scott's shoulder.

“Me too,” Zara said, placing her hand on Scott's other shoulder. “Since that's settled, take out all your beacons, or should we wait a little?” Zara asked.

Slim responded without hesitation, “No need. The sooner we're out of here, the better for us.” Scott silently concurred, nodding as he removed the beacons from his arm. Slim and Zara swiftly joined him, and in less than a minute, a small heap of over three hundred flashing beacons formed in front of the trio.

Zara took a step forward, extending her index finger over the pulsating lights. The feline’s finger protectors magically retracted. Without hesitation, the brawler pricked her index finger with her thumb, and a thin line of fresh blood fell on one beacon. Simultaneously, a crimson glow covered the energetic beacon, swiftly spreading to the others.

Do you wish to forcefully summon the judgment road? Yes! No!

Warning! Your beacons will be consumed regardless of which decision you make!

“This is it, minions. Any last-minute change of hearts?” Zara asked mentally, glancing at the duo.

“Just a moment, I forgot something,” Slim interjected.

Scott and Zara focused on the necromancer. Before they could utter a word, the skeleton hastily shed his clothes, and an ethereal veil swiftly covered the bones of the necromancer.

“Much better,” Slim nodded approvingly at his now-exposed physique. “We can start now,” he declared, raising his head.

“Why are you naked again?” Zara blurted out instinctively. Initially expecting the skeleton to have overlooked something crucial, she never would have anticipated the necromancer disrobing.

“Well, she did say we should do everything in our power to race to the end. You know I can't run to the best of my abilities with my clothes on,” Slim explained sheepishly.

Zara opened her mouth to speak, but she sighed suppressing her words. “All right, I’m going to click it now. Get ready.”

You have chosen to forcefully summon the judgment road! Congratulations! You amassed enough beacons to guide you toward the end of the road! The Judgment Road is descending!

Zara whispered softly, “It's too late for regrets now,” her gaze fixed on the dimming lights of the beacons. The crimson lights flickered gently for ten seconds before vanishing entirely, leaving the beacons covered in a dull gray luster.

The trio stood in silence, staring into the misty skies. Their attention was captured by a series of majestic golden steps rapidly tearing through the intangible haze.

“Is it just me, or do those stairs look remarkably similar to our friend's?” Slim mumbled, seemingly lost in thought.

The golden stairs slammed onto the ground with a resounding bang, raising a small dust cloud. Unlike Ember's floating discs, these stairs were wide enough to accommodate over twenty people running side by side.

“Run like your life depends on it; I see some people coming,” Scott urged, already bounding onto the stairs.

Slim and Zara joined the masked man, and the trio shot up the stairs, sprinting with all their might. However, their focus remained on the group sprinting toward them with crazed haste. In the distance, dozens of champions, both human and non-human, ran side by side, their eyes fixed on the trio striding across the feeble and thin steps.

“Don't let them go! Break it!” a man shouted from the pursuing group.

Several cyclops hurled boulders toward the stairs, but the rocks shattered upon impact against the thin steps.

“Forget about them,” Scott urged mentally. “Our goal should be reaching the end of this road before anything happens.”

Zara and Slim concentrated on the path ahead, dismissing the massive boulders crashing against the base of the staircase. The fact that the golden steps didn’t tremble, even for a moment, despite the incessant attacks, infused the trio with a modicum of confidence.

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You have stepped on the judgment road! Three hundred and seventy-five beacons were used in creating the judgment road! Only three hundred and seventy-five champions will be permitted to cross the gate at the end of the judgment road! The first ten champions to cross the judgment road will be given a special reward! The latter stages of the second trial have commenced! The judgment road will only be visible for the next ten hours!

For the first time, the system messages resonated within the minds of the champions, employing their own voices to communicate with them.

If everyone got that message, this is bound to spiral into a massive rat race, Scott pondered as he hurried up the stairs. Zara and Slim quickly caught up, and the cat girl already exhibited signs of outpacing the eldritch knight.

“Guys, more are on their way,” Zara conveyed mentally.

From their vantage point, they surveyed the expansive path unfolding before them, where a multitude of champions sprinted toward the gilded steps, utilizing every means at their disposal. Amidst the chaos, various groups engaged in frenzied combat, each striving to thin the ranks of competitors ascending the stairs.

“Let's concentrate on ascending the steps for now. Whatever happens below or behind us holds no significance; our primary focus is to complete the trial, securing a position within the top ten at the very least,” Scott communicated mentally.

“Should we consider setting traps or something?” Zara inquired.

“It would take too much time. We should prioritize moving as fast as possible for now,” Slim replied, casting a quick glance over his shoulder.

The leading contingent of champions reached the staircase's base, with a towering cyclops at the forefront. Unlike the trailing group, no one dared to challenge or vie with the cyclops. A single swing of their club was sufficient to quell any rebellious provocateurs.

Unfazed by the escalating number of competitors and the tumultuous clashes among champions, the hound extermination crew continued their ascent. They paid no heed to the chaos surrounding the three hundred and seventy-five trialists striving to complete the trial. Those harboring grander aspirations fought relentlessly, pushing themselves to be among the top ten finalists.

At an altitude exceeding ten thousand feet, the air remained surprisingly dense, devoid of the expected thinness, and the wind lacked its usual ferocity. Scott couldn't shake the feeling that the staircase was affording them some protection, a notion he entertained while stealing glances at the competitors swiftly ascending.

Six cyclops thundered up the steps, their strides swift and powerful. A bit farther behind, a motley crew of humans and a couple of lizardmen engaged in a fierce race, each determined to outpace the other. Not far from the staircase, a gathering of champions approached in a formidable mass, some bearing evidence of gruesome encounters with blood and other unidentifiable substances, all charging toward the golden path.

This trial is going to be a bloodbath. We’re lucky we’re the ones who summoned the judgment road. The number of powerful people keeps on increasing by the second, Scott thought to himself. Although he couldn’t see the status screen of the lingering group because of the distance, he could tell they were quite formidable based on their appearances. To imagine that there are some people like Ember scattered across this place. Why would those guys wait until the last day before passing the judgment road?

“Is it just me, or is the wind picking up?” Zara's voice reverberated in Scott's mind, pulling him back from his meandering thoughts.

“Yeah,” Slim replied. “But those flashing neon spots up ahead are what catch my eye. You see them too, right?”

Scott shifted his focus from the champions below, his brows knitting in confusion. “What in the world is that?” He narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the path ahead. An invisible current of air, coalescing into a massive, silent ball, smoothly descended the steps, skillfully avoiding sections adorned with blinking neon lights. To the naked eye, nothing obstructed the trio's path, but even this peculiarity couldn’t elude Hastur's gaze.

“Guys, listen up, and stay calm,” Scott's voice echoed in the minds of his companions. “You can't see it, but something troublesome is heading our way. The only way to avoid it is by reaching those neon lights.”

“How much time do we have?” Zara inquired.

“We've got barely two minutes before it reaches us,” Scott replied.

“Damn it, you should have led with that,” Slim grumbled, quickening his pace.

Zara and Scott followed suit, surprising the trailing cyclops. They were confident about overtaking the frontrunners sooner rather than later, but they couldn't fathom why the trio would expend their energy before reaching the midway point of the lengthy road.

Zara reached the edge of the stairs, the first spot illuminated by neon lights, and suddenly vanished. In her place, a turquoise membrane enveloped the body of the feline brawler.

“Zara, are you okay?” Scott inquired.

“I think so,” she mumbled. “I don't feel any different, but the wind is gone. How odd,” the feline remarked, her gaze fixed on the transparent covering.

Slim reached the next neon-lit marker, and just like before, a thin film coated the body of the naked necromancer. Following suit, Scott reached the subsequent marker, experiencing the same mysterious occurrence. The trio now stood on three distinct levels; Zara stood three steps away from Slim, with the necromancer maintaining a four-step lead over Scott.

“What's our next move?” Zara asked, her gaze fixed on the seemingly quiet road.

“Ember said we shouldn’t stop. So, let’s keep moving,” Scott suggested, eyeing the approaching spheres.

Uncertain of the purpose of the protective covering, Scott couldn’t help but hope it shielded them from the impending threat. The initial ball arrived with lightning speed, a colossal sphere towering at least thirty feet. It traversed through the cat girl's form, causing the gelatinous covering to ripple softly, yet its integrity held firm. Zara momentarily stumbled but swiftly regained her composure, only to be struck by another air ball, and then another.

In the face of the surreal onslaught, the trio pressed on, propelled by a burning desire to survive.

Scott mentally urged the duo, “Do everything possible not to get pushed off.” The masked man stared at the seemingly endless barrage of balls descending from the heavens, poised to obliterate everything in their path.

The trio pressed on, their steps growing more labored with each advancing stride along the seemingly endless staircase. Flashing neon lights reappeared intermittently, casting an eerie glow on the ascending steps.

It seems one isn't enough to completely suppress the winds. I think five or six is the most the coverings can withstand, Scott mused, eyes fixed on the approaching flashing lights.

A cacophony of screams, grunts, and shrieks reached the front-runners, but they pressed forward, fully aware that the first victims of the steps had emerged. Amid the chaos, an ear-splitting gong resonated across the judgment road, freezing thousands of champions in their tracks. The initial set of steps quivered softly before gradually fading into nothingness. The unsuspecting champions stumbled, their beacons instantly dimming. At that same moment, hundreds of protrusions surfaced on the ground as judges of light, numbering in the tens of hundreds, tore through the dirt, each wielding a fork of its own.

The judges cannot detect your beacons! You will be purged!