SYSTEM ASCENSION

Quil mouth fell as he stared into the gray eyes. The Elias he had seen sitting for the past one week was no where in sight.

This was Mona staring at him.

He gulp down and subconsciously took a step back.

Mona simply ignored him. Instead, he turned around and stripped out of the white cloth and short. Then, he grabbed the leftover clothes of a person and wore it. Dark trouser with a dark hood.

By the time he was done, Elias had returned to control. He turned around to Quil.

”Let’s go.”

The air was silence as they climbed out of the cave and began to walk back to the safe zone. Quil didn’t ask any question, but his eyes lingered on Elias to the point that it was almost hotter than the rising sun.

”Ask your question.”

Quil cleared it throat. He instinctively knew that whatever had happened in that cave, definitely wasn’t his to pry. Instead he said:

”I noticed your...umm...eyes...I noticed your eyes. I wanted to ask but,”

”Yes?”

”You—are you a Black-eyed?”

Elias didn’t show any reaction, expect his limping walk.

”My eyes is the reason why you asked?”

Quil was a bit embarrassed. ”It’s not uncommon for a few people to have black eyes. It means too much concentrated vital energy in the eyes.”

”So?”

Quil pointed to his chest.

”The necklace. It’s a sealing stone right?”

”Yeah.”

”Then... you’re a Black-eyed?”

”Yes.”

Quil stopped slightly, eyes almost popping out in excitement.

”This is the first time I’m seeing one. You see, since your empire is a shut in, we only have exaggerated rumours of how your people look like.”

”Exaggerated rumours?” He glanced at Quil.

”Extremely scary. Extremely tall,” Quil eyed Elias’s height. The boy barely got to his shoulder.

”Are you mocking me?”

”I dare not,” he grinned.

”He’s definitely mocking you.” Mona grunt.

”How can I mock an S rank? I love my life.”

”What’s so good about being an S rank?”

By now, the safe zone was coming into view.

”...” Quil gazed at him. It says the boy is totally clueless.

”Think of it like this,” he explained. ”If we have the same ability to amplify attack. I’m an A rank, I can amplify it to ten fold for a start. Anymore would put a strain on my body. You’re an S rank. You will be able to amplify it to about fifty times or more.”

The explanation didn’t faze Elias. He was never interested, and is still not.

”You act like a mindless puppet.” Quil muttered.

They finally arrived and entered the safe zone.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Chatter die down and players shifted back. The s rank who had walked out last night, returned with the biggest kill count in the desert.

They were terrified.

”Elias!” Yvonne sprang up, rushing to him. ”That was stupid!”

”I’m fine.”

”It’s not about being fine!” She grabbed his shoulder. ”don’t do that again!”

”What’s her problem.” Mona scoffed.

”Now now,” Quil clapped. ”Let’s leave that behind. I think we have another pressing issue.”

”At this rate, we’ll all die of dehydration and hunger.” Roche muttered.

”That’s why we need to leave the safe zone.” Elias completed.

All eye narrowed.

”Leave the safe zone?! They chorused.

”What are you, mad?” Lisa snapped. ”Those things would crawl out and finish us off.”

Quil fold his lip. Best to keep the part where Elias wipe them out to himself.

”I bet those things are waiting for us to come out so they can pounce on us when we least expect.” Laura added.

”Then let’s go!” Yvonne grasp Elias’s hand. ”I trust him!”

He stared at their entwined hands and back at her face. She grinned at him.

”What did you see?” Roche asked.

Elias seem unwilling to answer, so Quil did in his stead.

”This is a desert. They should not be any normal living thing,”

Lisa’s eye widened, brain clicking.

”Like the birds?! I saw birds!”

”Yeah. There must be a green land nearby, or a forest.”

The thought of a forest alone made their stomach growl in hunger.

”They flew from that direction every morning, and returned back in that direction at night.” Quil added.

”So we go there!” Laura clapped.

DING!

They all flinched. The screen that had shown no face for days was finally triggered.

[Initiating second Trial ]

[Players: Three hundred and twenty]

[Objective: Get to the forest ground]

[Time Limit: 10:00]

[Failure Condition: detonation]

[Trial in progress]

”Get...to the forest ground?” Yvonne read.

A moment of silence followed.

Then

[OBSERVATION IN PROGRESS]

[09:59]

An immediate uproar followed.

It wasn’t like the first trial where they struggled to understand. This time, failure means death.

The safe zone shook at the force the participants used in starting the race.

Like Quil had explained earlier, they had a clear direction on where their goal is.

As for the team, they began the race before the time limit was even given, thus giving them a head start. Elias made cuffs and put it on Yvonne’s arm, to keep her with him as they dashed through the desert.

They had already disappeared into the dune distant before the race took heat.

People tripped over themselves. One thought drove them. Detonation. Another form of death right?

Ability activated!

A few numbers of them soared into the sky, flying ahead.

Some of them increased their speed, beating a long distant in a blink of an eye.

Those who started first, Elias and the team were soon got caught up to.

Yvonne glanced back.

”Elias! They are catching up!”

He looked at the screen hovering above.

[05:23]

”Let’s hurry!” Quil yelled.

Elias increased his agility, teeth clenched as pain shot through his injured left leg.

Yvonne suddenly stumbled.

”Ah?”

And crashed into him. They both went down, tumbling down the slope of sand. The cuffs went off, separating them.

The rest skidded to a stop.

”Are you alright?” Quil was already helping Elias up.

”Keep going!” He yelled back.

The rest shifted in unease.

The multitude closed in, right at them.

Yvonne raised her head, her widening at the sight of immediate death if they happen to be trampled upon.

”No...no...”

Elias forced himself up, and saw her on her knees, mouth opened, instinct taking over.

”Ten wait!”

He jumped at her and clamp his hand around her mouth.

But it was too late.

The sound already came out.

A pitched scream that burst through every fibres and muscles in his arms. The sound went further, tearing through the people with precise deadly slashes, sending sand mixed with red, scattered. Even Quil and the rest were sent stumbling.

She remained still, gulped and her eye shook.

”Eh?”

Elias withdrew his throbbing hands, gritting his teeth. His hands were basically useless now.

”Aargghh! Urgh!”

She glanced at him.

”...Elias?”

”We need to move.” He forced himself up.

Ding!

[Yvonne Sharad]

They glanced up.

[Kill count: fifty two]

[Participants remaining: two hundred and fifty]

Her heart sank.

”Fifty two?”