After they heard Elton talk about other monsters, the tension in the air grew even heavier. Realizing they wouldn’t only be fighting against other Awakened, they understood they would have to traverse cave networks filled with monsters of unknown strength. The fear deepened.
Elton saw the change in their faces and her smile widened. She proceeded to explain the next part.
"Like I said, there is no limit to how long you can stay here. But there is proof that there are only ten days’ worth of rations, which is every crit you need to survive," Elton said.
Aren clenched his jaw, irritated. They can never really make anything simple in this trial, he thought. They say there’s no time limit, but then they introduce food rationing, which forces us to complete the trial in less than ten days.
He looked straight at Elton.
Everything they did in this trial was well thought out, planned, and twisted to force their hands. Every choice was a trap disguised as an opportunity. If they couldn’t complete the stage in time, they would be forced into desperate measures to survive or die out.
While the Awakened were busy getting pent up about the fact that they were on food rations that would only last ten days, they had forgotten one crucial detail: there was no way to keep track of time. And one of the greatest dangers in any long-term survival scenario was the absence of time itself. When no one knew what day it was, when time felt stretched to some and shortened to others, paranoia followed.
It wouldn’t affect them immediately, but midway through... and especially toward the end... it would weigh on their minds like a crushing boulder.
"With that, your next stage has begun," Elton said, and then vanished.
After she left, everyone frantically went through their inventory to see what they had gotten from the stage rewards.
Aren opened his own and spotted another healing potion inside. But this time, there was something else as well, a cube covered in glowing runes.
He summoned it. The moment it landed in his hand, a projection lit up in front of him. It showed instructions on how to absorb soul energy from the stone they were given.
Seeing this, Aren clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had already absorbed his stone. To him, the device was practically useless. Still, he wasn’t going to throw it away. He stored it back into his inventory.
He looked around, seeing the others reading the projection with wide eyes. They wanted to absorb the stones immediately, anything to get stronger quickly.
Aren watched quietly.
He already knew what would come next: leadership... or rather, the fight for it.
He looked at Elena. The shine in her eyes said everything. She was about to seize control again.
And just as Aren predicted, a few minutes later Elena stepped forward to the center of the crowd. Her presence alone drew everyone’s attention, all two hundred and something people still alive.
She began speaking.
"Everyone, I know we might have had our differences in the last few stages of the trial, the deaths, the clashes, everything. But right now, our survival depends on if we work together and put aside those differences. We need a proper structure here, a system of rulership, to know how we’re going to operate for the next ten days and ensure we win against the other side."
Her voice was loud, clear, confident, meant to ignite hope in exhausted people.
But anyone could stand in the center. Anyone could posture. Anyone could make empty promises.
Elena knew this.
So she played her greatest card.
"I cannot force you because I am stronger or more skilled. But I can offer something no one else here can. I can protect us. I can stand at the forefront and ensure no one gets hurt. If we fight, I will fight alongside you. I will lead you, and I will ensure that we destroy their crystal and take the win.
"I am not speaking because I want to rule you. I am speaking because the one who takes responsibility should be someone trained for this kind of situation. That someone is me.
"And this is my promise: if you fight well, if you do your best... I will protect you going forward. I will do everything I can to ensure each of you survives the trial."
Her words were grand, magnificent promises gilded in confidence.
To someone like Aren, it was all worthless noise. He didn’t believe a single syllable. No one knew how the trial would develop or what Elena truly wanted.
But to these beaten, terrified people hanging by threads of hope, her words were gold.
She was the best pick if someone had to lead in a conventional way. And with many already agreeing with her, the rest followed like a tide.
Not everyone was fooled, and not everyone surrendered their judgement, but most did.
Then Aren spoke.
"You guys can do whatever you want. I’m heading out to scout this place."
His voice cut through everything and snapped Elena’s head around so fast her hair whipped behind her. Her face twisted briefly before she hid it with a frown.
"You can’t just leave. We need to make plans to survive. This is no longer a solo trial. We have to work together," she growled.
Aren paused, looked back at her calmly.
"Nothing is going to move forward if we start building a government or whatever. You can stay here and do what you want with the campsite. I’m going to check this place out because I want to be done with this as fast as possible.
"I’m not here to play house or build an organization. I’m here to survive for myself. But don’t worry, I’ll bring back whatever information I find. Maybe it’ll help your group."
He turned and walked.
His tone was blunt, but Elena hated every word. She clenched her fists, ready to explode, ready to force him to bow.
But then Leon spoke.
"I’m going with him," he said, waving casually. "You all can plan and stay here till we get back."
The blond A-tier boy glanced at Aren, and Leon... and silently followed.
And finally, the black-haired B-tier girl who had received the last angel seal followed behind them without a word.
The four of them walked toward the cave pathway, disappearing into the shadows.
Elena watched them leave, fury boiling in her veins. She clenched her fist so tightly her nails pierced skin, blood dripping down her palm.
"So what do we do now?" one Awakened asked.
She breathed in, forced her expression into a calm, gentle mask, and looked at him.
"We plan and prepare," she said. "If they bring back any good information, we’ll use it to ensure we win."
Inside, she raged.
Outside, she smiled.