Chapter 112: The Trial of Unity [2]
Liam stared at the landscape stretching out before them, still finding it hard to believe what they were seeing.
Trees.
Rocks.
Grass.
A massive mountain rising several meters away.
He could even feel the moisture in the air against his skin.
Lydia stood beside him, still completely amazed by what Instructor James and his team had managed to build.
"I can’t believe we’re still inside the third basement."
Liam smiled.
"Me neither."
He looked behind them.
They could no longer make out the hangar where they had been just seconds ago. Everything had been replaced by that enormous landscape.
Emily raised a hand, touching one of the plants growing nearby.
"It’s incredible. Science has come so much further than I imagined."
Carol looked around carefully.
"To think all of this was inside the building."
Then she pointed toward the mountain.
"Wait."
Everyone looked in that direction.
At the top of the mountain was a group of five hunters.
They seemed to be surveying the terrain, trying to decide where to go next.
Carol frowned.
"How did they get up there?"
Liam looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"That mountain wasn’t there a few seconds ago."
Carol pointed again.
"There was nothing that big inside the hangar."
Jordan, who was standing behind them, opened another bag of chips.
"The monsters in the first trial were tangible too."
Everyone looked at him as Jordan popped a chip into his mouth.
"If they can generate physical creatures, they can easily simulate a mountain."
Chuck grimaced.
"This guy is trying to sound intellectual."
Jordan continued eating as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Liam sighed.
’Lydia was right.’
He looked at Chuck and then at Jordan.
’It’s going to be difficult to get these two to work together.’
Even so, he smiled.
’But I think I can make it work.’
Suddenly, an explosion shook the mountain.
BOOM.
One of the five hunters standing there was sent flying through the air.
"What the hell?!"
Emily reacted instantly.
Electricity began covering her body.
"I’m going!"
A yellow flash shot across the field, and Emily disappeared.
Carol watched her leave and let out a laugh.
"Looks like she doesn’t understand what working as a team means."
Liam looked at the mountain.
"We need to go with her."
Carol turned toward him.
"Do you think they’re fighting a monster?"
"Most likely."
Liam gritted his teeth.
"Whatever it is, we have to help them."
Then he looked at Lydia.
"Darling... can you get us up there?"
Lydia immediately replied.
"Of course."
Her body began to change.
Her human skin disappeared, transforming into a mass of green slime.
Her limbs elongated, and her body expanded.
Within seconds, Lydia had transformed into a huge slime sphere surrounding everyone.
Carol’s eyes widened.
"She can do that?"
Chuck smiled.
"These two have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."
He settled himself inside the sphere.
"And believe me, they can surprise you even more."
Jordan continued eating his chips.
Liam looked at him.
"Aren’t you going to do anything?"
Jordan held up a chip.
"I’m storing up energy."
Chuck rolled his eyes.
"Sure."
Lydia began concentrating her body.
"Get ready."
Liam grabbed part of her gelatinous body to keep himself steady.
"Let’s go."
Lydia activated her [Rabbit Jump].
The enormous sphere bounced off the ground.
BOING.
They shot toward the mountain.
Carol let out a scream.
"IS THIS NORMAL?!"
Chuck laughed.
"Welcome to our group, teammate!"
The sphere hit the ground again.
BOING.
And launched even higher.
Liam felt the wind striking his face as Lydia carried them directly toward the mountain.
"Faster, darling!"
Lydia replied through the system.
[Lydia: I’m trying not to send you all flying off a cliff!]
Liam burst out laughing.
"That would be an important detail!"
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, Emily had reached the mountain area.
A flash of electricity appeared in the air.
Emily caught a young woman before she could crash into the ground.
She held her in her arms.
"Easy. I’ve got you."
The hunter was injured.
She had several scratches and was breathing heavily.
Emily slowly descended.
"Are you okay?"
The young woman shook her head.
"My teammates..."
She looked toward the mountain.
"Help them!"
Emily looked up.
Several explosions were still occurring at the summit.
"What kind of monster attacked them?"
The young woman gritted her teeth.
"The worst kind of monster."
Emily frowned.
"What monster?"
The young woman answered with difficulty.
"A group of hunters."
Emily fell silent.
"Hunters?"
"Yes."
The young woman pointed toward the mountain.
"They said they were going to eliminate the weaker ones."
Emily looked up again.
Another explosion.
"So they’re attacking other applicants."
The young woman nodded.
Emily carried her to a safe area and left her leaning against a rock.
"Stay here."
The woman looked at her.
"Are you going to help them?"
Emily smiled.
"Of course."
Then she heard something behind her.
BOING.
Emily turned around.
A huge green sphere came bouncing across the terrain.
"What...?!"
The sphere landed.
BOING.
And rose into the air again.
Inside, Liam, Carol, Chuck, and Jordan could be seen.
The injured woman saw them approaching, and her expression immediately changed.
She backed away in fear.
Emily raised a hand.
"Easy."
The young woman continued staring at them fearfully.
Emily smiled.
"They’re with me."
The sphere bounced again.
BOING.
Liam appeared inside.
"Emily!"
"Liam!"
Lydia finally stopped their movement.
The sphere dropped onto the ground and deformed upon impact.
Liam climbed out first.
"What happened?"
Emily pointed toward the young woman.
"A group of hunters is attacking her team."
Liam looked at the injured woman.
Then he looked toward the mountain.
Another explosion illuminated the summit.
"Are you sure they’re hunters?"
The young woman nodded.
"There are five of them."
Liam narrowed his eyes.
’Then they’re the problem.’
Carol approached.
"Do we know what abilities they have?"
The young woman shook her head.
"We didn’t have time to find out."
Chuck popped another chip into his mouth.
"Perfect."
Liam looked at him.
"Perfect?"
Chuck smiled.
"I was worried this was going to be too easy."
Jordan finished chewing and closed his bag of chips.
"Me too."
Chuck looked at him.
"Did you just agree with me?"
Jordan shrugged.
"I guess."
Liam sighed.
’I’m definitely going to have to work with these two.’
He looked toward the mountain again.
"We have to climb up."
Emily stepped forward.
"I’ll go first."
Liam raised a hand.
"Wait."
Emily looked at him.
"Not this time."
The muscular woman frowned.
Liam gestured toward everyone.
"We’re a team. There’s no point in continuing to act separately."
Emily slowly smiled.
"Okay, boss."
Liam felt slightly uncomfortable hearing that word.
"Again..."
He shook his head.
"Let’s go."
Lydia began transforming again.
Her body expanded around the others.
Carol took one of the metal fragments from her belt.
Jordan flexed his arms and slapped his belly.
Chuck popped a bubble of chewing gum.
Pop.
Liam drew his pistol and looked toward the mountain.
The explosions were still happening, but now they could see something else.
Silhouettes appeared at the summit.
They were surely the hunters who were trying to eliminate the competition.
One of them raised an arm.
The mountain shook once again.
Liam gritted his teeth.
’This isn’t a normal dungeon.’
He looked at his teammates.
’But I suppose that’s exactly what James and the sub-captains wanted.’
The enormous slime sphere gathered momentum again.
And this time, the entire team advanced toward the mountain together.