Scott ignored the flashing blue panel, his gaze fixed on his new surroundings. A desert of blackened, metallic sand sprawled beneath his feet, stretching endlessly in all directions. Metallic chirping cascaded from the heavens, where massive celestial beings were shackled to the sky, their enormous chains descending into the dunes below.

  A single link in those chains dwarfed even the largest of champions, each rusted segment groaning under unseen forces as howling winds battered them relentlessly.

  What kind of place is this supposed to be? Scott pondered, his gaze shifting between the shackled entities and the surrounding champions.

  What the hell are they doing?

  He spotted a group struggling to free themselves from the metallic sand, their muscles bulging, faces strained, teeth gritted in futile resistance. Yet, nearby, other champions stood unaffected, their movements unhindered.

  Were they just unfortunate to land in a bad spot? Scott considered, but he dismissed the thought as he noticed another champion within the same area standing freely.

  His brows furrowed as he dipped his own foot into the sand. He lifted it effortlessly. No resistance. He dusted off the metallic rust clinging to his form and shifted his gaze skyward once more.

  Could it be that these things are responsible for the restrictions? He pondered, but no answers were forthcoming.

  The guardian sure did a good job dispersing that crowd. I wonder how massive this place is, Scott thought, resuming his pace.

  “Please help me,” a desperate voice called out.

  Scott turned toward the source—a beastman, flailing against the sinking sands. The plea wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, just a raw, instinctual cry for survival.

  Scott studied the champions nearby, unsurprised by their indifference. Those standing free simply checked their weapons, dusting off the metallic rust on their armor. Others regrouped with their allies, ignoring the sinking victims altogether.

  Scott read through the system notification, his brows arching. I think I understand what’s going on here, he mused, shifting his gaze to the struggling champions. They’re not necessarily going to die, but they’ll suffer until the trial…

  His thoughts cut off abruptly as a dagger sailed through the air, embedding itself in the beastman’s throat. Blood splattered into the air, and the metallic sands beneath him seemed to bubble in delight before swallowing him whole.

  Scott’s gaze traced the weapon’s trajectory back to its source—a six-man party of lizardmen clad in sleek leather armor. Their first kill wasn’t enough.

  All around him, steel met flesh, and mournful shrieks echoed. Champions barely managing to stay afloat were slaughtered with ruthless efficiency, unable to defend against their ambushers.

  Scott folded his arms, observing impassively. Are they trying to limit the competition, or are they just being ruthless? Nothing in the notifications suggested rewards for killing competitors.

  Then again, knowing the number of psychos in the Tower, I wouldn’t put it past them to be doing this for fun, he thought, stepping forward once more. How are we even supposed to know where the 9th Zone is?

  As if answering his thoughts, a new system notification appeared. A flashing arrowhead materialized in front of him, pointing toward his destination. Scott tilted his head slightly, comparing it with the dust trail he had been following. They aligned.

  I guess I’ve got no choice but to see what awaits me.

  He pressed forward, the cries of the dying fading into the background. Surprisingly, none of the slaughtering groups turned their weapons on each other. Instead, lone champions, realizing their disadvantage, sprinted in the direction of the guiding arrows.

  Scott moved at his own pace, noticing several eyes flickering toward him. He remained unbothered.

  A lycan reached for a throwing weapon.

  Scott halted, locking eyes with the champion, silently daring it to proceed.

  The lycan narrowed its gaze, bloodlust clouding its eyes as it focused on Scott. It tightened its grip, ready to attack. At that same moment, however, one of its companions gripped its hand sternly. The duo exchanged a silent glance, and Scott watched as the lycan who had targeted him averted its gaze. The champion responsible for stopping the attack turned toward Scott, locking eyes with him momentarily before looking away and moving along with its companions.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Scott observed the departing group, a smirk playing on his lips. That son of a bitch sure is lucky, he chuckled. Then again, why did its companion step in? Did it notice something about me? Scott pondered as he continued forward.

  He occasionally glanced at the other groups, who had also begun moving. Some stared at him with open hostility, while others disregarded his presence entirely. Yet, no one attempted to attack or impede his path.

  Like that, the champions dispersed from the starting area, each cautiously avoiding one another as they followed the hidden arrows guiding their paths.

  Scott, keeping his eyes on the timer, continued his trek across the barren land, occasionally scanning his surroundings. Endless dunes of metallic sand stretched as far as the eye could see, while the colossal entities bound in chains loomed overhead.

  The singular source of illumination in the apocalyptic realm was the occasional flash of light reflecting off the chains as the winds pelted them. And yet, the dim glow was enough to illuminate the entire expanse, much like the light of a full moon.

  Thirty minutes have passed, and nothing has happened yet, Scott mused, glancing at the dwindling timer. Is it supposed to be this easy?

  He still had no concrete explanation for why some champions had sunk into the earth while others remained unaffected. Nevertheless, he pressed on in silence, the violent winds whipping against him. Strangely, they neither lifted the metallic sands nor stirred up a storm. Their only victims were the chains, which barely shifted yet constantly shed rust onto the land below.

  Orion would love a place teeming with mysteries like this, Scott thought, thinking of the eccentric mage. He’d chew my ears off if I told him I came here without bringing back any samples.

  Scott crouched and scooped a handful of sand, watching as the blackened grains slipped through his fingers. Summoning an empty jar from his inventory, he filled it with the metallic sand before stowing it away and rising to his feet.

  A shrill scream suddenly pierced the silence, and Scott turned eastward. Those guys must be hunting again.

  Throughout his journey, he had intermittently heard the distant echoes of battle and the occasional death cry—never lasting more than a minute. He could tell that certain groups were actively thinning out the competition. Why, though, remained unclear.

  Scott averted his gaze from the source of the screams, maintaining his measured pace. Then, the rapid echoes of footsteps reached him.

  He turned, spotting several feline champions chasing a man clad in bloodied, rusted armor.

  The man saw Scott from afar and sprinted toward him. “Please save me!” he pleaded. “I don’t want to go to that—”

  An arrow embedded itself in his throat before he could finish. His body collapsed onto the sand, and in an instant, the ground bubbled in delight, swallowing him whole before returning to its original state.

  Scott’s gaze remained on the spot, his eyes shifting toward the feline group with nocked arrows. They comprised three men and two women, each radiating bloodlust. They glared at Scott, and he met their gaze with an impassive expression.

  “I’ll only say this once,” Scott began, his voice carrying across the field. “If you attack me, you will suffer a much gruesome—”

  The felines fired their arrows before he could finish, immediately nocking fresh ones and launching another wave.

  Scott smirked as the arrows closed in. “Alright then. Have it your way.”

  The projectiles arrived in a flash, only to vanish as multiple nihilistic portals manifested before him, devouring them whole. The next wave followed, only to meet the same fate.

  Shock twisted the visages of the champions, their mouths falling open. Without hesitation, they turned to flee.

  The moment they moved, however, nihilistic portals materialized beneath them, and the ever-present tendrils lashed out, dragging them into the abyss.

  Scott casually flexed his fingers before extending his hand as if grabbing at air. Another portal emerged, and he reached into the void, his grip tightening around the throat of one of the felines. He pulled the champion out, their wide, terrified eyes meeting his own.

  “Answer my questions, and I’ll—”

  The feline spat at Scott, but the sputum was swallowed by a miniature nihilistic portal before it could reach him.

  Scott’s second arm moved like a venomous snake, his fist slamming into the champion’s jaw. A sickening crack followed, and a mournful wail escaped from the feline’s shattered jaw. Scott’s grip tightened around his neck, but he didn’t end the champion’s life. Instead, he dragged him closer, locking gazes.

  At that moment, Scott watched as the sigil of the all-seeing eye manifested in the feline’s pupils. The champion’s features contorted in sheer terror, unable to suppress his screams. Scott casually slammed the body onto the ground, and another nihilistic portal swallowed the writhing champion whole.

  With practiced precision, he reached into the abyss once more, this time retrieving one of the female felines. Unlike her companion, who had met Scott’s gaze defiantly, terror twisted her features the moment their eyes met.

  “Please… I didn’t know… please,” she sobbed, trembling violently as she dangled from Scott’s grasp.

  “Have you partaken in this trial before?” Scott asked, ignoring her pleas.

  She nodded frantically. “Yes. This is my third time,” she croaked.

  Scott’s brows creased momentarily. I knew something was off, he thought, recalling how quickly the champions in the starting area had moved to eliminate their competition. Focusing on the feline once more, he continued, “Why are you killing other champions?”

  “We… we were simply thinning out the competition,” she admitted.

  “Why?” Scott pressed. He wasn’t surprised, but he needed to know what benefit they gained from it.

  Managing to swallow a mouthful of saliva, the feline continued, “The fewer people that make it to the next zone, the better the rewards for those who do.”

  I can’t even act surprised. Everything here is always about selfish gains, Scott mused, preparing his next question.

  “Why is it that some champions can remain standing while others sink?”

  “I don’t know, honestly. I doubt anyone does,” the feline confessed.

  Scott frowned. This is exactly the kind of mystery Orion would’ve already started forming theories about, he thought. He turned his attention back to the feline.

  “To the best of your knowledge, what happens to the champions who submerge into the earth?”

  Scott watched as an otherworldly fear overtook the champion’s features. Her body trembled more violently, her expression twisted in sheer panic.

  “Please… I don’t want to go back there… please, anything but that,” she begged, tears streaking down her face. “That place robs us of… of—” she stammered, her body convulsing in Scott’s grasp.

  Scott’s brows creased further. Despite facing death in my hands, she’s more terrified of that place than me, he thought, watching as the feline passed out.

  He tossed her back into the void before reaching for another member of her party. At that moment, however, thunderous clanking echoed from afar. Scott raised his head, his gaze locking onto one of the massive chains striking another. The colossal entity it shackled began to stir.

  What the…

  The landscape began to shift. Dunes twisted into jagged cliffs, and deep canyons cracked open across the expanse. The transformation halted as suddenly as it had begun, but its effects remained, reshaping the battlefield before his eyes.