Chapter 103: The Trial Of Strength[1]
Liam and Lydia remained in one of the ten lines that had formed in front of the various trial areas.
There were two hunters ahead of them.
A few meters away, they could see Chuck and Emily waiting in two other lines. Chuck was calmly chewing his gum, while Emily stood with her arms crossed, watching everything attentively.
Liam turned his gaze back toward the front.
He immediately recognized the young man standing ahead of them.
"Archie."
The young man turned his head and, upon recognizing him, smiled.
"Oh! You guys."
Archie partially turned around to look at them.
"Thanks again for yesterday."
Liam smiled.
"It was nothing."
"It wasn’t nothing to me."
Archie shrugged.
"If Wayne hadn’t shown up, I probably would’ve turned those guys into dust."
Lydia looked at the young man.
"Are you okay?"
"Better than ever."
Archie smiled.
"And I hope things go well for you two in the Selection."
He paused briefly.
"Though not as well as they’ll go for me."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"Good luck, then."
But before he could say anything else, a metallic sound echoed throughout the hangar.
CLANK.
The first trial had begun.
All the candidates raised their heads.
In the area directly in front of Liam, a man wearing athletic clothing had already entered.
He was quite tall and had short hair.
His equipment didn’t look particularly sophisticated.
The most striking thing about him was the weapon he held.
A green whip covered in small thorns.
The sensors developed by James had been placed all over his body.
Liam quickly counted them.
One on each temple.
Two on his chest.
Others on his back.
Several on his arms.
And a few more on his legs.
At least ten.
The devices glowed faintly as they analyzed the hunter.
Then, the floor in front of him began to light up.
A mass of energy appeared in the middle of the room.
The creature began to take shape.
First, a small silhouette appeared, then it gained volume.
Finally, a yellow creature appeared in front of the man.
It was some kind of fat frog that was no more than half a meter tall.
The man stared at it, blinked, and burst out laughing.
"Seriously?"
He looked toward the sensors.
"That’s my suitable enemy?"
The frog simply stared at him.
The man smiled.
"This is going to be easy."
Liam narrowed his eyes.
’You shouldn’t say that.’
The frog slightly inflated its body.
And then...
SPLAT!
Its tongue shot forward and struck the man directly in the face.
The hunter staggered backward.
"What the hell?!"
A red mark appeared on his cheek.
"That burns!"
The frog prepared itself again.
The man gritted his teeth.
"Damn it."
He gripped his whip with both hands.
"Now you’re going to get it!"
He launched the first strike.
But the frog jumped, and the whip struck the ground.
CRACK!
The man attacked again.
The frog jumped to the side.
Another strike.
Another jump.
Another attempt.
The creature dodged every attack with absurd ease.
The man began to grow frustrated.
"Stop moving!"
The frog shot out its tongue again.
SPLAT!
Another slap, and the man dropped to his knees.
"Why does it burn so much?!"
Archie burst out laughing.
"Look at this loser!"
Liam glanced at him.
Archie was clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"He can’t even hit a frog!"
Liam didn’t know whether to laugh or worry.
The man had made an obvious mistake.
He had completely underestimated his enemy.
Lydia looked at Archie.
"You shouldn’t laugh at him."
Archie raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because we don’t know how difficult our trial will be."
Archie grimaced.
"You guys are pretty boring."
The frog attacked again.
This time, its tongue wrapped around the man’s torso.
"What?!"
The hunter tried to free himself.
"Let me go!"
The frog pulled on him, and the man crashed to the ground.
Then the creature began jumping.
From one wall to the other.
The frog seemed to be using the translucent walls as platforms, bouncing from one to another while keeping the man trapped in its tongue.
The sensors began beeping.
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
The man finally stopped moving, and the frog disappeared.
The hunter lay on the ground, curled up in the fetal position.
He stared blankly at the ceiling.
He seemed unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"No..."
He brought a hand to his face.
"I couldn’t hit it..."
Archie burst out laughing again.
"Come on, buddy! Hurry up!"
The man slowly raised his head.
"Now it’s my turn."
Archie smiled.
"I’ll show you how it’s done."
The man left the area with his head hanging low.
No one made fun of him except Archie.
Lydia watched as the hunter walked away.
"It doesn’t seem to be as easy as some people said."
Liam nodded.
"Definitely not."
He looked at the other areas.
Some hunters were also beginning to come out.
Several had expressions similar to the man who had just lost.
Heads lowered, frustrated looks.
Some even seemed confused.
But not everyone had failed.
Others came out smiling, and some raised their arms.
One of them even high-fived another candidate.
Liam watched everything carefully.
’So it really depends on what the system generates.’
It wasn’t simply about strength.
The simulator was analyzing each hunter’s characteristics.
And then it created something specifically designed to fight them.
It could be a small creature.
It could be something enormous.
It could be something fast.
Or something extremely resilient.
There was no way to know.
Archie finally entered the area.
"Now watch a real hunter."
The young man walked toward the center.
A guild assistant approached and began placing the sensors on him.
One on each temple.
Others on his neck.
Chest.
Back.
Arms.
Legs.
Archie remained completely still.
When they finished, the sensors began to glow.
The machine reacted.
A deep sound reverberated throughout the hangar.
VRRRRRRRRMMMMM.
The lights on the floor began to turn on.
Archie smiled.
"Come on."
Energy appeared in front of him.
Liam watched intently.
’I want to see what this kid can do.’
There was something strange about Archie.
Liam still remembered what had happened the day before.
That fist with red energy coursing through his arm.
And how it disappeared immediately when he opened his hand.
’He definitely has an interesting awakening.’
Lydia gently touched Liam’s arm.
"Our turn is coming up soon, sweetheart."
Liam smiled.
"I know."
They both turned their attention back toward the trial area.
The energy in front of Archie began to take shape.
First, a shadow appeared, then a body, and finally a silhouette that became increasingly defined.
Archie stopped smiling, and his eyes widened slightly.
The creature finished forming.
Liam couldn’t make it out completely from where he stood.
But he could see the young man’s expression.
It had changed completely.
’Looks like the system found something interesting this time.’
The creature took a step toward Archie, and the ground vibrated slightly.
Archie remained in place, as if waiting for his enemy to make the first move.
Liam narrowed his eyes.
The trial had only just begun.
And now they would have the chance to discover what the young man they had helped the day before was truly capable of.
Lydia moved a little closer to Liam.
"Do you think he can do it?"
Liam smiled.
"I don’t know."
He stared intently at the trial area.
"But I want to see."