Ross looked at the vast expanse of land with small patches of grass and herbs around with no trees in sight.
It looked like a bright normal sunny day with nothing insight… or so it seemed.
[Fourth trial: Eliminate all 1000 celestial constructs…]
The voice disappeared as quickly as it came and the information it brought sent cold shivers down Ross's spine.
Taking a look at his surroundings again, he understood why the entity asked whether he wished to continue.
With nothing in sight to use as a means to take shelter from attacks, fighting 1000 constructs was almost asking for too much. He was not sure if he could finish them.
There was a good chance he could die here today and as much as it frightened him, it excited him as well. A wide grin appeared on his face as he waited for the constructs to appear.
"The best thing to do is to conserve my mana as much as possible and only rely on physical abilities. It's in moments like these that Alex shines the most."
On the other hand, among the remaining 17, some were already regretting their decision to continue and while they were regretful, it didn't mean they were incapable of fighting all the celestial constructs.
Suddenly, Ross heard the ground rumbling as the rocks on the ground shook violently, indicating the rushing constructs that were coming towards him.
He swung his great sword around and looked ahead, where the 1000 constructs were hundreds of meters away and closing.
"No one said anything about waiting for them to come to me!"
He bellowed and then stormed in their direction. Getting the momentum earlier on in the fight as well as dictating it via his moments would make things a lot easier for him.
As he closed in on the constructs, he could count several abilities already charging up to be fired in his direction.
Suddenly, he exploded with more speed as he closed in on the constructs before they could unleash their abilities.
*BOOOOOM!*
The fourth trial to ascend to the summit was finally underway as the participants batted for the right to be in the first 10 to reach the summit as well as the battle for the right to acquire the sigil of celestials.
...…..
After an arduous half an hour of battle, give or take, Ross went down on his knees as he huffed and puffed for breath. He was completely out of mana and had sustained multiple injuries on different parts of his body.
His armour was cracked all over with some portions even falling off. It was a hard-fought battle, but he had managed to come out on top.
The realization brought a bright smile to his face and finally, he sat down on the ground for a short break.
"Haa… My mana is completely out, but I bet someone did it without a shrewd of it. All that is left is to advance to the summit and see what awaits me."
He knew with someone like Alex around, chances of obtaining the sigil were low, but anything could happen. What's more, he was doing this more for his own growth than for anything else.
Of course, he knew what the sigil was capable of granting, but the path to the peak of power was not a single one. Different paths could take you to the same destination if one was willing to pay the price for it.
[… Congratulations once again for making it this far…]
The mysterious entity spoke again, and this time, Ross wasn't surprised to hear its voice. Yes, the dreadful and overbearing aura accompanied it, but with him lying on the ground, there was no difference.
[You are presented with two choices: Take all seven trials or advance to the summit…]
Ross already knew what he wanted and wasted no time in making a choice. However, before he was taken straight to the summit, the entity made him another offer to forfeit right now.
"…."
The choice made Ross pause a bit. He considered his current condition deprived of mana and wondered if just his physical strength would be good enough.
'The trial might not even be combat-oriented.'
He mused or at least he hoped that would be the case.
[…]
The entity remained quiet after Ross made his choice. Then a moment later, his relaxed figure on the ground disappeared from the landscape that was now pits of smoke and fire, with some areas having turned into lava.
...…..
Opening his eyes, he looked around and spotted some participants already waiting in what appeared to be a brightly lit hall with many columns set at equal intervals, enshrouding the space with an ancient and holy aura.
Alex
Zen
Philip
And a few other classmates of his and some others he did not recognize stood at different spots, all looking around and taking in the scenery.
'We're only 12 people.'
"Looks like you made it, can't say the same for your armour."
His thoughts were interrupted when Alex approached him, quickly followed by Zen and Philip. But the former had a grim expression as he didn't see any of his friends around, already fearing the worst.
"Yeah… But it this everyone?"
He asked just to be sure as no other persons appeared shortly after the rest appeared right after he did.
"Seems like it…"
Alex replied looking at Zen's dejected expression, understanding where his mood was coming from.
"Zen… It might not be what you're thinking. They might have simply forfeited their right to continue."
He didn't pretend to know what it must have felt like to lose someone close to you, but Zen himself was here. He had to ensure his own survival before thinking about his lost friends and even think about mourning.
"Yeah, you might be right. Haa…. Let's just get this stupid trial over with."
Man was tired and needed some rest after a long day of fighting and thinking. The others shared his sentiments and as if to fulfil their wish, the 12 remaining participants heard loud steps of a being approaching from the distance.
"Look sharp, people."
Alex muttered as he stepped away from the others as they too did the same to create room for movements.
The steps continued to resound until the being they were to face slowly revealed itself.
[Your last trial: ….]