Before Stark could react to Shock’s audacious kill theft, a notification panel materialized before him.
[You have slain “Chaugnar, The Inquisitor’s Servant.” Gained 7,000,000 experience points.]
[You have defeated a Three-Headed Beast. Gained 1,500,000 experience points.]
[You have defeated a Three-Headed Beast. Gained 1,500,000 experience points.]
Ding!
[Your level has increased to Level 112, granting you five skill points and a boost in stats.]
[Experience: 4,357,000/9,250,000] (Level 112)
Stark blinked at the notifications, momentarily stunned.
Killing those beasts had been only enough for one level up?
The experience gain was underwhelming.
But that didn’t matter now. The only thing on his mind was vengeance. The bastard had stolen his kill, and Stark was determined to settle the score.
“FUCK YOU!” he roared, launching himself at Shock with such speed that Sora could hardly track his movements.
But Shock was a being of electricity, and in an instant, he vanished in a flash of lightning.
“Not fast enough,” he sighed, his voice echoing from the rooftop of a nearby building.
“COME DOWN IF YOU’RE A MAN!” Stark shouted, his frustration boiling over.
“I’d rather not,” Shock shrugged, using [Lightning Flash] again to teleport just out of Stark’s reach, his prize of the Inquisitor’s kill slipping further away.
“I’m out too,” Artist murmured, his own dark intentions flickering in his mind. He longed to claim Stark’s blood for his masterpiece, but with [Heaven’s Spear] still in the boy’s arsenal, he couldn’t risk it.
“Brush of Life,” he muttered, sketching a door on the wall of a building before stepping through it, disappearing into the unknown.
Stark shook his head, bewildered.
“WHAT?”
So let’s get this straight, one could move at lightning speed and another could draw things to make them real?
These people were utterly bizarre.
Maybe it was because Stark wasn’t used to seeing new domination abilities that he felt that way.
Killing [Chaugnar] didn’t grant any reward beside experience, so basically, he had done all of this for no reason.
With a resigned sigh, Stark glanced at his panels, and a warning flashed.
[Warning! Moonscorch level at 50% . Find a safe zone!]
“Let’s go,” he ordered Sora, and she quickly followed him without saying anything, sensing that Stark was angry.
The map they got as they entered Termina didn’t specify what constituted a safe zone or how to find one, but Stark was determined to wait until his Moonscorch percentage decreased, using the time to strategize his next move.
This trial had proven to be far more challenging than the previous two combined—not just in terms of the monsters, but the twisted participants, too.
The first trial had semi-normal challengers, the second had its share of madness, and now, they faced pure insanity.
With a simple goal of entering the [Hollow Tower] to emerge victorious, each contestant fought tooth and nail.
Stark may not have understood most of their abilities, but he still possessed the [Heaven’s Spear].
Surely, that would see him through this ordeal.
Wouldn’t it?
Getting rid of a few additional [Three-Headed Beasts], as well as [Moonscorched Knights], Stark and Sora made their way through the outskirts of the city.
They actually managed to somehow win against the monsters after understanding the fact you shouldn’t let them get too close to you if you want to survive.
[Warning! Moonscorch level at 58%. Find a safe zone!]
The percentage was climbing, but not fast enough to actually be a threat.
“If we wanna remove our infection, we’re gonna have to get one of those [Moonscorch Cures],” Stark said to Sora, and she nodded.
This meant they needed to complete at least two tasks if they wanted to have a decent chance at survival.
Otherwise, they could soon turn into one of these beasts.
[Stark: 1/5 Tasks]
[Sora: 0/5 Tasks]
After fifteen additional minutes of fighting and walking, both Stark and Sora leveled up to level 110 and 113, respectively, the former getting a new skill.
And thankfully enough, less than five minutes later…
Ding!
[Safe zone detected nearby!]
One of the doors of the nearby buildings was glowing, and once they entered it, it revealed itself to be a safe zone!
The interior was just as moldy and crumbling as the rest of the town, but at least, in here, the moonscorch infection rate would go down.
[This safe zone is now marked on your map.]
Opening the map, they noticed that a small dot appeared where they currently were, meaning they could come back if the situation became too hard.
“That’s… fair,” Stark sighed as he sat on the couch, resting, “We’ll soon get them all.”
“Yes,” Sora nodded as she sat beside him.
…
Meanwhile, Shock had managed to put some distance between himself and Stark at breakneck speed.
And after claiming the reward from completing the task, he immediately pulled up his map to assess his location.
“Hm…” he mused, glancing at his surroundings. “Alright, I’m close to the Mayor’s Manor. Might as well rest there.”
A grin crept across his face as he examined the item in his possession.
Defeating the Inquisitor had not only rewarded him with experience; it had granted him something more—an opportunity.
The prospect of taking down Chosen was no longer a distant dream.
As he made his way toward the manor, he dispatched of the beasts that dared to cross his path quite easily, his electric aura crackling with energy.
Each strike was swift and precise, leaving a trail of defeated foes in his wake.
Upon entering the manor, he was met with an unexpected sight.
“Hello, sir,” a butler was at the entrance, greeting anyone who entered, bowing down in a way that made it impossible to see his face, “Welcome to the Mayor’s Manor.”
“Hm,” Shock scratched his chin, “Is there a-”
“Yes, sir, a safe zone is available right next to me.”
Shock looked to the right, and indeed, there was a door which was glowing.
He didn’t trust that, obviously, but his map came to the rescue.
Ding!
[You have found safe-zone, marking it on your map!]
“Nice…” Shock smiled, this meant he wouldn’t have to worry much, plus, this butler seemed to want to help them.
As Shock approached the butler, he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that clung to the air.
The butler, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, exuded an air of sophistication, yet his face betrayed his Moonscorched state—skin slowly melting away, draping over his features like wax on a candle.
“Shit…” Shock instinctively took a step back, he hadn’t really paid attention to its face before.
“Any problems, sir?” the butler said, his expression shifting, exuding a powerful aura, much more than even the [Inquisitor].
“Hm… nothing much,” Shock wasn’t scared of it, but this hospitality was probably the only one he would get in the trial, he couldn’t waste time.
“Very well,” the butler tried to smile, though it was just terrifying, “You can rest, and if you wish, you can meet up with the mayor of Termina, if you feel like it.”
“Huh… thanks…”
A panel appeared in front of him as the butler mentioned the Mayor.
[Task #66: Defeat the Moonscorched Mayor.]
Shock’s eyes widened slightly.
“You can take your time to enjoy our manor, sir,” the butler bowed.
This instinctively made him look around, and he was indeed surprised.
In a trial dominated by squalor and despair, this manor radiated opulence, with ornate chandeliers dangling from the ceiling and rich tapestries adorning the walls.
It felt surreal, as if he had stepped into another world.
But no, he was still in the domination trial.
“Thank you,” he said, a sense of relief washing over him.
Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the safe zone, the air instantly shifting to a soothing calm.
But he wasn’t the only one that was inside.
There, at the center of the room, awaited CEO, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
