Chapter 97 - 381 -387

Chapter 381 - He Is...!!

"Get in!"

A familiar voice came from the hovercraft. Not only Sophia, but even Aileen felt the same about the voice.

But before she could contemplate the identity of the owner of the voice, the two Beta-rank scorpions went berserk.

After seeing so many members of their species dying, all they want was to turn the humans into meat pieces.

Both Sophia and Aileen realized the danger they were in. Without thinking anything further, they ran towards the hovercraft.

A vortex-like door was the entrance and both of them jumped into it. The next moment, the vortex-like entrance closed up.

The hovercraft moved up, but by then, one of the scorpions landed on the back of the hovercraft. The moment the scorpion touched the surface of the hovercraft, filaments of blue current flashed.

BANG

The scorpion exploded like a broken mirror.

Blue light splashed out of the turbo boosts of the hovercraft, and it instantly rushed into the sky... leaving behind one poor scorpion.

Inside the hovercraft, as Aileen swept her glance and observed the high-tech controls, she was shocked.

"This is not from Earth!"

Aileen concluded in no time. She was a servant from an aristocrat family so she was aware of a lot of things.

Sophia, in the meantime, was similarly shocked. But unlike Aileen, her shock was not due to the high-tech hovercraft.

Instead, the reason was a living being sitting on the pilot seat.

"We meet again."

As she heard the words, Sophia broke out of the trance. She regained clarity and looked at the person on the pilot seat.

This person was not something she could easily forget. It was someone who has made a profound impression on her.

A kind, loving, well-mannered and intelligent person. The type of person her mother said was a rare breed.

"Zed!"

Sophia couldn't believe he was here. It was just a day ago when she saw him last, and she could fully recall how he said he has no plans of entering the core region.

Yet, not only was he inside the core region, but he was also riding an alien hovercraft.

"Please have a seat," Zed politely said.

Sophia stared at him for a long time as she concluded even his tone was the same. There was the same politeness and respectfulness that was unique to him.

She nodded and sat on a chair next to him. Behind, Aileen also took a seat but she was on guards. If she felt anything amiss, she was ready to attack and kill the person next to her young miss.

She was doubtful if he was really the kind man she saw yesterday. And even if he was, she would show no mercy if he has nefarious intentions.

Zed turned his chair towards the control panel. Without saying anything, he tapped on the virtual screens, and the hovercraft headed straight.

"Are you really Zed?"

Sophia asked after a few moments.

"Hmm?" Zed chose auto-pilot mode and turned towards her.

He was a bit surprised to see her misty blue eyes scrutinizing him closely. They were gleaming with an innocence that could instantly melt anyone's heart.

"I believe so," Zed answered her question with a smile.

Sophia brushed away a strand of shiny black hair from her face and continue to observe him for a few more seconds.

Sophia then nodded her head as she felt no reason to doubt him. She has checked the language on the virtual screens, and from her memories, she knew it was similar to the one translated by Zed a few days ago.

This left no doubts...

"You weren't going to enter into the core region, right?" Sophia asked out of curiosity.

She wasn't that familiar with him as they didn't even stay together for two days, but still, she felt close to him.

Whether it was the first meeting where she almost attacked him due to a misunderstanding or the way he rescued Verna... Those short encounters have already closed the distance between strangers and made her feel he was a friend.

Not any type of friend, but the type her mother would appreciate.

Sophia's mother has warned about arrogant, shameless, perverted, and villainous type of people. As far as Sophia was concerned, there was only one person who has those four qualities: the golden-haired scoundrel named Kiba.

Zed, on the other hand, has every perfect quality... totally opposite to that shameless villain. The type of person her mother felt was no danger at all.

"Well, till today morning, I didn't really plan to enter the core region," Zed answered with a soft sigh. "But things happened and I had no choice..."

"Oh!" Sophia thought for a moment before saying, "Do you plan to enter the central zone?"

Her destination was the central zone and the same went for many inside the core region. This was especially true for the younger generation.

After all, in the central zone, there was the epitome of good fortune.

A treasure vault!

The entire Desolate Blood Forest didn't even deserve a mention compared to even the lowest-rank item inside the treasure vault.

Powerful weapons, secrets of evolution and the universe, a gateway to new life, and so on.

But the treasure vault was not something that could be accessed by anyone. Even to close into the area where it was located, one must undergo countless trials of blood and fire.

From the records of influential organizations, those trials were tailor-made for the progress of young people. The dangerous trials were no less than rewards if one could pass through them.

"Yes, my destination is the same," Zed replied.

He knew about the trials and the treasure vault but he has no interest in them. All he wanted was to find the area where the nanites existed so he could complete his mission.

But as per the information he has, the location was most likely in the central zone.

"Great!" Sophia rejoiced and her lips curled up in a wonderful smile.

Her smile was infectious and he could do nothing but smile.

A few minutes later.

"The core region is changing," Aileen remarked out of blue.

"What?" Sophia looked back.

"Those scorpions should only exist in the central zone...and even there, they rarely come out," Aileen explained the strange happenings.

"Right! Then there were those White Phantom Snakes which appeared outside the core region!" Sophia recalled those snakes with a frown.

Back then, if not for Zed's help, Verna would have absolutely died.

"What is happening here?" Aileen wondered aloud.

"Migration," Zed answered with his eyes on the control panels. "When environment changes and a species can't adapt, it has no choice but to migrate."

"!!"

....

In a land far away that was referred to as the central zone.

There were countless relics, bridges, statues, wreckages, and fragments of unknown. But that was only on the surface.

Deep into the land, there were things that could both terrify and entice even the most powerful.

Presently, in an area opposite to what humans generally call as the treasure vault.

The area was strange for it has no physical dimensions, at least none that humans could understand. If one steps into this area, they would feel it was infinite with no definite start or end.

The ground was more like a pool, filled with a transparent but crystalline liquid. Every single drop of liquid was glistening like a bright sky.

The liquid radiated tranquility and serenity that was hard to describe.

Above the crystalline liquid pool, there were countless orbs of light. The orbs were dazzling and mesmerizing, enveloped with glow of various colors.

These orbs continuously floated; casting flashes of myriad colors on the pool below.

Suddenly, the liquid rose above like waves. A blinding radiance surged out, and the next moment, an enormous, feminine face appeared.

The feminine face floated above the pool. Its facial characteristics could be best described as strange.

Half of the face was black while the other half was white. Throughout the face, there were tiny star-like points flashing.

From the forehead of this face, three incorporeal horns protruded out. Even though they were horns, they resembled antennas.

As the face appeared, on the surface of the crystalline pool, ripples swept out. Through the ripples, the scene above a dessert was visible.

The scene on the ripples changed, and now, it showed the insides of a hovercraft. The ripples stopped moving after they focused on the image of a young man with black hair.

As the feminine face observed the image, the orbs flashed with vibrating glow, as if responding to its emotions.

[[He is... that kid!! Why would he come here?!]]

Chapter 382 - Treading Bridge

Above the desert, as the black hovercraft raced forward, it cut through the red smog that formed the sky.

Sophia observed the desert through the virtual screens in front of her. The desert was vast and if she was on her own, it would have taken her around 7-8 hours to cross it if she has used supernatural speed.

Sophia glanced at Zed who was busy operating the control panels.

"You have a nice hovercraft," Sophia remarked with a smile.

Not only the speed, but she has also witnessed the offensive ability of the hovercraft when it killed the scorpions attacking her.

On a seat behind her, Aileen agreed with her young miss's assessment.

Then again, she felt it was rather obvious for the hovercraft to have such features. After all, it was an alien relic; a product of Celestial Elsyain Plane's advanced technology. While Earth has advanced and there were no lack of high tech aircraft, a product of alien world would still stand out.

"Thanks," Zed replied with a relaxed smile.

"You must have spent a lot of resources to buy it," Aileen said heavily.

As a servant of Neville Family, Aileen has seen many high-tech hovercrafts like this and knew their worth. And given this hovercraft was an alien item, it was not something that could be purchased from money.

She reasoned that most likely he has an influential organization or family behind him which allowed him to afford this hovercraft.

"Not really," Zed shook his head. "It was pretty much free."

"WHAT?!"

Aileen jumped up from her seat in disbelief. She felt her hearing must have turned bad otherwise there was no way she heard those words.

Pretty much free?!

Nonsense!

This hovercraft would cost god knows what. It was not some candy that a shopkeeper might give for free.

Seeing her reaction, Zed decided to share more information so that she could relax.

"Well, let's say it was pretty much lying without any owner so I took it," Zed explained.

He has said this to make her feel at ease, but when she heard his 'explanation', her heart thumped violently in shock. She felt her very idea of reality was brutally smashed by this twenty-something kid in front of her.

He found this hovercraft?! Does he think such advanced hovercrafts were lying around for people to take away?!

Aileen was having a hard time believing his relaxed attitude. There was no pride or arrogance or anything in his voice.

How can he say such words as if it was something obvious and nothing to be surprised about?!

Even people who found precious items are more serious than him! They would show off their wealth as something they earned with lot of struggles and sweat! That was something humane and natural!

And yet, he is speaking as if this treasured hovercraft was some radish he found in wild. Like he was taking a stroll and saw a radish. Seeing it without any owner, he picked it up and continued his journey.

Like hell this was possible!

Sophia was a bit surprised by his attitude but she didn't think much. She has her own treasures which she didn't use before due to her future plans.

"Do you any specific treasures you want to seek?" Sophia enquired as the hovercraft proceeded to the central zone.

The trials would begin tomorrow, and while she didn't know if they would be together, she wanted to know what resources he wanted. If she found them then she could take them and give it to him. She felt this was the least she could do.

Zed put the hovercraft back on auto-pilot and turned the chair towards her.

"Well, there aren't really any resources I want to seek from treasure vault," Zed put a hand over his chin as he continued. "But then again, if there is a chance, I want to find Seven-petal Golden Rose of at least grade III-----"

Zed broke his sentence in middle as Sophia intervented.

"You want Seven-petal Golden Rose?" Sophia was startled.

Zed nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"I have it!" Sophia's lips curled up in a bright smile. She snapped fingers and the storage bracelet on her left wrist flashed brightly.

Yellow light splashed out which converged into Seven-petal Golden Rose. Golden glow radiated out of the stem and petals along with a strong medicinal aroma. As soon as the rose appeared, there was an energizing feeling in the entire hovercraft.

"Here!" Sophia happily handed him the rose.

"This... What do you want in return?" Zed asked as he took the rose.

"Nothing!" Sophia answered, her voice bossy. Her cute face was filled with strong determination as she absolutely refused anything in return.

"But----"

"Trust me, this rose is pretty much useless to me," Sophia knew a kind guy like Zed wouldn't feel at ease to take it for free. So she further said, "I only purchased it in an auction to annoy that shameless scoundrel."

Zed looked at her with surprise.

"There is a villain named Kiba... remember the one I mentioned last time?" Sophia continued without waiting for his answer. "That villain wanted this rose... so I bid on it and purchased it."

Her melodious voice was filled with pride. Just remembering how she defeated Kiba in the bidding of the auction made her happy. It was a proud moment for her to teach that villain a lesson for once.

"Besides, I believe we are friends," Sophia sweetly smiled and said. "There is no need for us to be so formal with each other."

"You are right," Zed nodded and thanked her.

As he transferred the flower into his storage ring, Sophia couldn't help but wonder what that scoundrel and shameless villain would think if he learned that she gave the rose to Zed for free.

Back then, that perverted villain has bid multiple times with rare herbs, gems, and fruits, and was kind of desperate to purchase it. Yet, he was defeated by her.

Now, she was giving it for free to her friend. She really wanted to see his reaction when he learned about this.

Behind, Aileen was speechless by her young miss' behavior.

"Why is she giving it for free? She couldn't be falling for this kid, right?" Aileen wondered in her heart.

She was a bit worried. She knew how valued her young miss was in the family. Her mother was not strict but her father was different. He was always worried her daughter might fall for some man and that gave him fears. He didn't want his young, naive daughter to be taken away.

As far as he was concerned, a possible boyfriend was no less dangerous than a femme fatale for men.

That's why, before coming to the forest, he secretly ordered Aileen to ensure that she is kept at a safe distance from a womanizer or perverted men in general.

Since Aileen knew her young miss' personality a bit better, she wasn't really concerned about the young masters who thought of themselves as god's gift to women.

But now that she saw a kind, caring, selfless and intelligent man like Zed appearing again, she felt a sudden crisis.

While she knew Zed was anything but a womanizer, Aileen was worried nevertheless. Her young miss was only eighteen and this was the age where girls fall in love.

"Maybe I'm overthinking this! Perhaps she is just paying for the timely rescue!" Aileen tried to reason...

A few hours later.

The sky above the hovercraft was no longer made of red smog. It was now made of clear, bright walnut-size light dots. Despite their beauty, there was something eerie about them, and it was proven when a warning sign flashed on the control panels.

Zed lowered the elevation while checking out the light dots. He compared them with a few events in his memories and sighed.

"We are going to land."

The hovercraft's speed reduced and it swept towards the ground. In just a minute, it landed above what seemed to be a remnant of a metallic slab.

The hovercraft opened up and everyone stepped out. As Sophia observed the scenary in front of her, she opened her lips and said, "We have arrived at the outside of the central zone!"

In front of her, there were statues and relics from ages unknown. Unlike the desert and starting point, she couldn't see beyond a few miles. There was a misty haze obstructing her vision.

In the meantime, Zed pressed a finger on the exterior of the hovercraft. A panel appeared and he selected an option.

The next moment, at a rate visible to the naked eye, the hovercraft began shrinking. In around thirty seconds, it was reduced to the size of an insect.

"The hovercraft has even this ability?" Aileen was a bit taken aback. She felt it was no wonder that he could carry the hovercraft with him.

What she didn't know was that it was the first time he used this function. Before, he didn't even know this size reducing function existed. And it didn't even matter till now as Kiba has a storage dimension.

For Zed, it was different...

Zed gripped the hovercraft between his fingers before transferring it to his storage ring.

"Let's get some rest," Aileen cleared her thoughts and said.

Zed and Sophia agreed and soon they started with dinner preparations.

The next morning.

After 26 hours from the opening of the core region, the path to the central zone was about to activate. The time gap was provided so that everyone got a fair chance to move from the starting point to here.

The area where Zed and Sophia were standing was only one of the entrances. There were multiple entrances and paths but the destination was the same.

Even the dangers in the trials were similar.

Zed noticed many people, both young and old, in this entrance point. There were beasts and birds but they were rather pets.

For free beasts, there was another starting point and naturally another entrance to the central zone. The pets or slave beasts, on the other hand, were different. They were properties of humans and thus arrived with their masters...

"Ashlyn must have been to another entrance," Zed thought as he didn't find her among the crowd.

Swoosh~!

The light points in the sky projected rays on the ground. At the same time, with rumbling sound, the relics moved to either side, revealing a long bridge.

He brought his eyes on the enormous bridge that was mostly hidden by mist. The bridge was white and there were faint cracks on its surface.

It was over a hundred meters wide; something truly surprising.

{{Those who seek blessings of evolution, prove your worth by crossing this bridge}}

A mystic voice entered the ears of everyone. It was hard to describe the language used, because everyone who heard it, felt it was in their own mother tongues.

Zed didn't care about the voice for he already knew whom it belonged to.

Royal Will of the World.

Zed then closed his eyes and felt Cosmic Spark. He felt a suppression over his connection with power Cosmic, but he wasn't worried. He knew this suppression was done by technology similar to the one used by Lisa Ray. (Chapter 27).

Most likely, the World Government got the technology of nullifying power from this meteorite, or other meteorites which were similar to this one.

The technology inside the core region was specifically aimed at the power Cosmic. Most likely Royal Will didn't want anyone with Cosmic power to be here...

"I can break this suppression and transform into Kiba," Zed thought with a grave expression. "But to do that, I would need to summon my entire strength as Kiba..."

This was not something he wanted to do. After all, the moment he summoned his full powers, the golden lightning phenomenon would start. This would mean everything within its domain would start disintegrating. That was not something he could control or stop.

While the core region was special and perhaps resistant to this phenomenon, he was worried that it might lead to complications that would affect the area where nanites were stored. If that happened, his entire journey would be wasted.

"I need to find a method to overpower whatever technology is used by Royal Will of the World."

Zed didn't care a bit about the treasure vault or the knowledge or evolution. Perhaps, for the younger generation, they were the only things that mattered. But for him, despite his young age, they were useless.

A few minutes later, people began treading the bridge with great hopes. Some wanted to acquire resources to evolve while others wanted weapons or knowledge. There were even those who have goals that weren't really related to the treasure vault.

Zed, Sophia, and Aileen stepped on the bridge after almost everyone has already moved ahead. The moment Zed stepped on the bridge, a cluster of light wrapped his left wrist. Not only him, but similar things happened to others as well.

The cluster of light transformed into a crystalline thread that wrapped around the wrist.

"This thread would record our merit," Aileen said as he observed her left wrist. "Depending on the merits, the thread would transform..."

She knew her young miss was aware and most likely even Zed, but she said just in case.

Zed nodded before looking ahead in the mist. He could hear heart-wrenching screams and even smell an odor of blood and flesh.

It has been years since he participated in something dangerous and thrilling.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he thought how happy Felicity would be if she knew he was participating in a mystic trial.

"Maybe it isn't so bad to be Zed."

Chapter 383 - We Are Cheating!

Besides the bridge treaded by Zed, there were eleven more bridges where thousands of people were stepping. Male and female, young and old, the bridges didn't lack diversity of people.

There were even members of the younger generation who were generally called genius and hope of the future. Many of them belonged to influential organizations and great families including aristocrat families.

The core region offered them chances that were relatively low in their own homes due to factional conflicts and internal politics.

They arrived to not only acquire resources for advancement of their personal strength, but the main factor was to gain good fortune for evolution. They wanted to surpass their predecessors and make a name for themselves!

On bridge number 4, there was a fatty named Leonardo Benjamin. While his family didn't belong to aristocracy, it has a powerful standing on its own in the State of Avalon.

His strength was relatively low among geniuses but none dare underestimate him. His right hand was mechanical and he continuously operated high-tech gadgets to easily pass through obstacles.

If rumors were to believe, he even carried advanced items from Celestial Elysian Plane. With unknown dangers and obstacles ahead, he carried confidence to successfully pass and achieve greatness.

He was accompanied by many star-eyed followers fawning upon him.

On bridge 9, there was a cyan-haired male stepping with ease on the bridge without any care. His eyes were filled with disdain as he passed dangers. He carried a sword that was fused with his hand, and every time it was used, it would leave behind blinding flash.

He was named Solomon Fuentes and belonged to a reputed organization. Presently, he was accompanied by an old man who remained as his secret protector and guardian.

There were many such talented youths on these twelve bridges.

Perhaps, the most talented was on bridge number 8. It was a youth named Alistair. He has long green hair and sword-like eyebrows, radiating an aura of grandeur. Every moment of his was filled with an awe-inspiring might as he ripped through the dangers in front of him.

He was followed by people who could be best described as lackeys as they continuously spoke words of praise. The reason was not just his overbearing strength and his young age but also his background.

He belonged to Eleanor Family! Not only that but he was one of Chosen!

A Chosen was not just some random title. It could be only given to the best of best among young geniuses.

If that was it then he might only have simple lackeys. But he inspired genuine respect. This was due to rumors of Alistair successfully exploring another meteorite that was near Blood Dunes!

This gave people confidence that he has the best chances of acquiring the legacy and resources in this meteorite. Naturally, he attracted people who wanted to be his followers. While they didn't think he would share top legacy and treasures, there was a good chance of acquiring the rest of the treasures he wouldn't find worthy.

...

Zed was at ease as he heard the screams from ahead. The mist made it difficult to know the danger which in turn, amplified the fear of unknown.

"Young miss and Zed, the path of evolution is filled with difficulties and dangers," Aileen said as the screams continued. "While advancing is important, nothing is more precious than life. So don't let dreams of future make you lose your life here.

"Remember that as long as you have life, you can always find new opportunities!"

"Don't worry," Sophia replied with a smile. "I won't risk my life."

Zed didn't reply or even heed her warning as he looked beyond nearby parapet. There was nothing but darkness, making it difficult to know what was below the bridge, and at what distance.

Even mutants with super vision wouldn't be able to see the end. But if they could, they would notice piles of bones lying on black rocks that were stained with blood.

Suddenly, the fine hairs on his neck turned straight. His eyes flickered and he clenched a hand tightly. Explosive flames erupted on his hand, and without saying anything, he punched upward.

Sophia was startled as her eyes noticed a column of flame shooting out of his fist. She lifted her head and saw the flame crashing on an enormous bird.

"A mutated bird?" Sophia said.

"No, a mechanical puppet, or in our words, a robot," Aileen said as she looked at Zed with shock. Just a few moments ago, he was lost in thoughts, and yet, he was the one who first noticed and acted with such speed.

"Such dexterity and response!" Aileen couldn't help but praise him.

At the same time, the flames exploded the moment they crashed on the mechanical eagle. Its wings caught fire and it began falling down due to temporary instability.

Even though the flame has injured the eagle, and stopped it from launching a surprise attack, it refused to let its target go. It stretched its mechanical tendons out which swept at Zed like a bolt of lightning.

The tendons glinted with a sinister light, and it was rather obvious what would happen if he was grabbed by them. He would be lucky if even pieces of flesh remained.

"I guess I underestimated you."

Zed thought as streams of fire enveloped him to amplify his reflexes. He jumped back and stretched another hand up.

A fireball materialized above his palm which rushed forward, leaving behind a trail of flame, and then viciously slammed on the tendons. With a bang sound, the tendons were pushed away and they began melting under high temperature.

By now, the eagle has crashed down on the bridge. The crash on the hard surface of bridge has knocked the mechanical consciousness of the eagle, and for the time being, it was no danger. But Aileen knew it was just a matter of seconds before it regained sense and attacked them again.

Aileen's body flickered and she appeared above the eagle's body to destroy it.

"Don't!"

Just as she was about to rip it to shreds, Zed stopped her.

"What?" Aileen was surprised.

Zed passed a mental command and the flames on the eagle's body disappeared. He squatted in front of eagle's head, and retrieved a glove and a triangular item from his storage ring.

"What are you doing?" Aileen asked.

"Trying to see if we could exploit the situation," Zed answered as he clad the glove.

He put the triangular item at the forehead of the eagle, and just then, the eagle opened its eye, glowing. It flapped its sword-like wings to cut him, but before it could, the triangular device buzzed with strands of currents.

The mechanical eagle was paralyzed and rays of lights projected through the triangular device. Zed grabbed his glove-clad hand on the rays of light as if they were some strings.

"This...! You even know how to control the mechanism of robots?!" Aileen couldn't believe the scene in front of her.

She was already shocked out of wits when she saw him operating on Verna and saving her life. As far as she could tell, his knowledge of genetical science was no less than old and experienced scientists.

That was something impossible and defying logic. Still, she barely accepted it.

Now, with the items he was using and the way he was operating... could it be that he was even an expert in robotics?!

Fuck!

Is he even human?!

Could he be some cyborg in human clothing?!

No!

This must be a dream! There is no way this kid could be real!!

As Aileen was lost in trance, Zed opened the mechanical head of the eagle. He observed the core circuits, and through the triangular device and glove, he changed a few things.

"How is it?" Sophia crouched beside him and asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. She didn't think much about his expertise and only cared about what he wanted to gain.

"Well, the eagle is somewhat damaged but we can still salvage it," Zed answered while closing off the head back. "It has a self-recovery mechanism so we are lucky."

The triangular device was stuck on its forehead and he didn't remove the glove from his hand either after the head closed.

Flames exploded under his feet and he somersaulted through the air before landing on the back of eagle.

"Do you mean to say...?" Sophia asked in amazement.

"Yeap," Zed nodded.

Sophia's eyes brightened and she quickly sat next to him on eagle's back. Aileen swallowed a mouthful of saliva before joining them.

She was still in a state of disbelief and doubt but when she saw the eagle flapping its wing and rising up, albeit slowly, she could only accept the reality.

"Wow!"

Sophia exclaimed as the eagle flew above the bridge. The mist obstructed her vision in front but she could see things below.

She noticed many mutants fighting automatons and robotic beasts. Many of those mutants have flight abilities, but due to the strange nature of the bridge, flight was restricted.

The only exception were the robotic birds.

"We are really cheating!" Sophia laughed happily.

Aileen smiled bitterly and agreed. She also looked below and saw people facing so many dangers. Many of them have turned around and were fleeing back to save their lives. They have lost all their motivation to gain treasures, and now, all they cared about was surviving.

Compared to them, they were flying without meeting any of those dangers. It was truly cheating!

She has no doubt if people on the bridge - running with injured bodies and missing limbs- knew about Zed and this eagle, they would definitely flip a table and cry themselves to death.

Life was really unfair...

Zed was relaxed with his eyes ahead. It was him who created Claudia and the underground sections of Dream Rise House, so interfering with this mechanical puppet was nothing much.

And unlike Aileen and Sophia, he didn't really think this was cheating. There was no rule which said using mechanical puppets of the trial was not allowed.

Besides, from what he knew, the bridge was very long and filled with more dangers. Passing a few obstacles without spending energy was not really much.

As the bird flapped its wings and soared further, suddenly out of nowhere, cold gust swept towards the eagle.

The wind was so cold that it made Zed and others shiver. It was truly bone-chilling winds.

ROAR

Just some ten meters ahead, a flying ape appeared. The ape slammed fists on its chest and the resulting fluctuations created the cold winds.

Its eyes radiated red glow as it locked its eyes on Zed and the eagle. There was strong murderous intent, and just its presence was resulting in visible cracks on the eagle's body!

"Mother was right!" Sophia's young eyes sparkled as she saw the ape. "If you are caught cheating, it results in punishment!"

Aileen: "..."

Miss, this is not the time to think of Lady's life lessons!

Despite the situation, the Kiba inside Zed couldn't help but internally comment:

"Ever since my first meeting with Sophia, I have been hearing about her mother a lot! I really need to meet her!"

Chapter 384 - That Guy Is Cheating!

The Flying Ape was enormous with its arms as wide as building columns. As it thumped its fists on its chest, cold winds surged outward.

The violent sound of fists hitting ape's chest made the people on the bridge below feel a severe headache. Some of them coughed up a mouthful of blood and were sent flying; baffled by the sudden developments.

Above, the mechanical eagle was cracking with every passing second.

"That punisher ape is definitely more powerful than this eagle!"

Sophia remarked, her eyes sparkling. She couldn't help but praise her beautiful mother who taught her moral stories about cheating in tests and punishment that would follow.

"Mom was truly right!" Sophia said with a pride that only a young daughter could have. This was not the right time to think of such a thing, but this was what she felt.

Zed smiled as thoughts that were unique to Kiba ran through his mind.

He really wanted to meet this mother of hers who has taught her so many things: whether it was about being wary of shameless scoundrels, or types of friends one must have, or even moral lessons.

Her mom seemed to be a wonderful being and she has nurtured Sophia well.

"I'm not Kiba now," Zed reminded himself and stopped himself before his thoughts ran wild.

"Watch out!" Aileen warned as the ape charged straight at them with astounding speed, leaving behind afterimages.

Zed controlled the eagle through the black glove on his right hand as if he was controlling a puppet. The eagle flapped its wings and pulled back to avoid the flying ape.

Alas, its speed was no match for the ape. An enormous fist came roaring down on the neck of the eagle.

A snapping sound ringed out and the eagle was sent tumbling downwards.

Zed felt the surrounding blur as they rapidly approached the bridge. He jumped from the eagle's back in mid-air as another punch slammed down. Sophia and Aileen did the same, and they tried to create as much as distance possible in mid-air.

BANG

The eagle's body ripped apart as the ape's fist made contact. The wreckage and pieces of the mechanical eagle fell on unlucky people on the bridge. Many of them were instantly crushed to death by the terrifying force.

The nearby survivors on the bridge felt this was truly a disaster from the sky. Death could come at any moment, without any warning!

Zed and others landed on the bridge. It was over a hundred meters wide so there was more than enough space for them to be at a safe distance from the savage ape.

ROAR

The ape locked its eyes on Zed. It has identified him as the target it must eliminate to ensure the fairness of trial!

Swoosh~

Zed's pupils constricted to the size of a needle. The ape has suddenly closed to him without making any sound or movement as if it was a ghost.

It swang an arm at him, giving him no time to react. The arm slammed on his chest and cracking sounds filled the air.

Blood sprayed out of his mouth and he was flung into the sky.

"Zed!"

Sophia shouted and her body blurred. As the ape sent a hand to grab Zed, Sophia appeared next to the ape.

She clenched her fist and surges of blue current enveloped her entire fist. She tapped a foot on the bridge and jumped, sending a punch right at the neck of ape.

The current covering her fist twisted like a cyclone as her fist crashed through air. There was murderous savagery in her fist that threatened to destroy everything in its path.

But the ape was agile and on guards against its weak point. Before the punch could make contact, the ape arched its body back, and the punch brushed past by a hair distance!

Destructive waves rippled out, wreaking havoc through the air, and the energy from her fist landed on the bridge surface.

"So fast!" Sophia was stunned and she quickly retreated her fist.

The ape retaliated with a punch of its own at the retreating Sophia. She twisted her body and somersaulted to avoid it.

At the same time, the ape stretched its other hand out to block a water column shot by Aileen.

"It is definitely a Beta!" Aileen cursed in her heart.

The onlookers held their breath and broke into a cold sweat. This flying ape was far too strong, nothing like the other obstacles so far.

While the bridge was filled with dangers, strictly speaking, the bridge offered plenty of chances to survive. One just needed to get away from a robotic beast or automaton, and the danger would not follow throughout the bridge.

While hundreds would still die, but that was due to their weak strength. Not because of the mechanical beasts and birds.

After all, if the threat was too much then none would survive, which in turn, would make the existence of other trials useless.

But this flying ape was definitely different. It was radiating killing intent, something no other danger did.

"Guess Sophia was right... this is punishment for cheating," Zed thought as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

It has been a very long time since he actually bled from an attack and felt aching pain.

Zed eyed the ape and his eyes flickered with murderous intent. He retrieved a healing pill and stuffed it in his mouth. The internal injuries disappeared in an instant.

Whoosh!

The ape appeared in front of him again, and sent a punch out. This time Zed was ready and flame exploded under his feet. He propelled himself into the air and the punch slammed on the bridge.

Explosive shockwaves cascaded out and struck the people nearby. The shockwaves were like an avalanche and a few unlucky ones were sent flying out of the bridge...disappearing in the darkness.

Meanwhile, Zed who was in the mid-air, aimed his hands at the ape. Spiraling flames surged out, and as the ape brushed a hand to rip them apart, the flames changed direction, exploding right before its eyes.

For a moment, the blistering heat wrapped its senses, making it go wild. A moment was all Zed needed and he retrieved a plasma grenade from his storage ring.

The plasma grenade was in the form of a crystalline spherical explosive. It was marked with warning signs.

Zed tapped on its top surface, and after hearing a beep sound, he threw the bomb at the ape.

Aileen was approaching to help Zed but when she saw the grenade tumbling forward, she took a breath of cold air. Her body turned cold and with lightning speed, she rushed back; not daring to stand here any longer.

"Fuck! Is that kid a terrorist?!"

She could identify the grade of the grenade by the warning signs. It was more than enough to destroy a skyscraper!

The ape has gained clarity and it roared. Just as it took a step ahead to jump forward and kill this human cheater, the plasma grenade imploded, sending out cyan rays.

Plasma waves wrapped the ape and surrounding area like a force field.

BOOM!

A terrifying explosion filled the bridge. It was beautiful like a magnificent firework, but people nearby differed as the waves of explosion struck on them.

They instantly evaporated into a blood mist that was quickly engulfed by the explosion. They didn't even get time to feel excruciating pain or cry...

Some fifty meters away, Sophia's gorgeous mouth turned wide open.

Aileen has retrieved a protective shield from her storage bracelet to create a prismatic barrier around her and Sophia; protecting them from remaining shockwaves.

"Wow!" Sophia muttered while looking at the beautiful explosion cloud.

Next to her, Aileen bitterly smiled.

"It is that poor ape who needed protection!" Aileen bitterly remarked while glancing at Zed. She felt her old heart couldn't handle all the shocks that this kid was giving her one after another.

Just what was he?!

Aileen wondered.

At the start, she thought he was a talented young kid with strong expertise in alien languages. But then she saw him performing a risky operation which only top genetic scientists could. Then there was him showing mastery in robotics...

A minute later, the explosion finally faded.

"Oh!" Zed gasped in surprise.

The flying ape was still intact though it was knocked out.

"The self-recovery and defense mechanism of these robotic creatures is truly impressive! Worthy of alien technology!"

Zed then took out a triangular device from the wreckage of the destroyed eagle.

He sighed in relief knowing the device was still safe. The eagle's fragments were far away from the explosion otherwise he would have lost the device for sure.

Zzzz

Current was buzzing out of the ape's body. Its facial skin was destroyed, exposing its mechanical surface. Its eye sensors were completely destroyed, showing circuits, but slowly, the eye sensors were forming back.

"Could we cheat again?" Sophia arrived next to him and asked.

She felt this was fun despite the dangers involved.

"It isn't really cheating..."

The black glove on his right hand flashed with filaments of energy.

***

At the end of the bridge.

Kieron Dotson was a young man clad in black robes. He belonged to Mystic Dark Hands - an organization specialized in assassination.

The organization wasn't even afraid of assassinating members of Nine Aristocrat Families as long as the price was right.

Obviously, as such, the World Government has blacklisted this organization, and the government forces were always trying to find clues about the organization member, but without any success.

Some in the government believed this was most likely due to Nine Aristocrat Families secretly providing patronage to this organization. Whether this was true or not, it was hard to tell.

Kieron has been a member of this organization ever since he could recall. He has undergone bitter training that could be described as horrifying.

Now, after years of killing and accumulating life & death experience, the organization sent him to this meteorite to train further and evolve.

Thanks to his training, he was truly fast and expert in masking his presence. This was how he could reach the end of the bridge without expending much of his energy.

He has only faced three automatons and nothing else. It cost him some energy, but compared to others, he was in very good condition. Of course, it wasn't as easy as he said. The bridge was ten kilometers long, and to cross so many obstacles successfully, it took him a lot of effort. But he felt it was all worth it.

"I'm just about to cross the bridge!"

Kieron's eyes were lit with excitement. Based on what he has seen so far, he knew he would be the first to cross.

"According to the leaders, there is a reward for the first person crossing this bridge! Not to mention, if one is first from the start, one is at a natural advantage!"

Kieron couldn't suppress his joy and he laughed loudly. While excited, he walked at a slow pace to prevent any accidents.

After all, for an assassin, patience and cautiousness were the most important virtues.

He knew he was the first and others were almost a kilometer away. Success was already guaranteed!

It wasn't that there weren't others who didn't know about the reward. But they reasoned that since the reward was for only one person, it was not worth the risk to compete. Besides, they believed in the philosophy of 'slow and steady wins the race.' Not to mention, there were many trials, and they were sure they would get a chance to shine.

Kieron scoffed in disdain at these thoughts of others. As far he was concerned, they were thoughts of losers. It was a classic example of fox calling grapes sour!

~step~

The mist finally disappeared and he could see the bridge ending on a landmass.

"Just five steps away!"

Despite his training, Kieron was having a hard time controlling his excitement.

Four steps.

Three steps.

Each step brought him close to the #1 position.

Two steps.

Kieron looked at the solid ground while smiling from ear to ear. He raised a foot and as he began putting it down, he felt a strong gust of wind from above.

Startled and worried about possible danger, he raised his head.

What he saw horrified him.

An enormous ape - on whose arms three people were sitting- was soaring through the sky.

Just as Kieron began lowering his foot on the ground, the ape crossed the bridge.

Shua~!

Rings of light appeared in the sky. They were made of clusters of myriad colors, swirling like a vortex.

The rings flashed brightly, emitting a profound glow, and as Kieron saw the rings rushing towards a man sitting on the ape, he let out a heart-wrenching scream.

"No! There is a misunderstanding! I'm first!"

Kieron shouted with his foot just a centimeter away from the ground.

This couldn't be true!

He has already crossed the bridge and he was #1!

Why was the reward given to that man?!

No!

Hang on!

Isn't that flying ape a robot?!

Yes! It is definitely a part of this bridge trial!

As he thought of this, he screamed and wailed at the unfairness of situation.

"That guy is cheating! Someone stop him!"

Chapter 385 - Struck Him With Lightning!

"That guy is cheating! Someone stop him!"

Kieron shouted as rings of light flew towards Zed. Alas, no god heeded to his request.

In the sky, as the ape began to descend, Zed was a bit surprised as the rings of light arrived in front of him.

"Amazing!" Sophia marveled happily. "You are being awarded as the best student despite being caught cheating!"

"....."

Sophia covered her mouth with a hand and laughed softly as she saw a strange look on his face.

"Hehe, I'm kidding," Sophia said with a smile. "If I'm not wrong, this is a reward for you being #1 on this bridge."

"Oh!" Zed wasn't aware of this.

The rings of lights clad on his right wrist, fusing with the crystalline thread from before. Now, on the crystalline thread, there was a colorful bead - the size of a pigeon's eye.

"What we can earn at the end depends on these beads," Sophia explained after realizing he was clueless.

"You can even use them for special chances available in trials."

"Special chances?"

"Yes. Like protection from trial dangers, enlightenment of a specific skill, or even skipping a round... there are many features."

Zed nodded and thanked her. BSE79 meteorite didn't have such a type of reward system nor there was any trial like this. There was only danger and death...

"Many would be envious of you," Aileen said, her voice filled with admiration. While she was shocked by his style and use of strange methods, she found him impressive nevertheless.

Besides, she felt no matter what types of methods he employed, ultimately, he was a very good human being.

He was kind, soft-spoken and well-mannered. And even fierce & determined when a situation demanded. She recalled how he acted when perverted youths tried to invade privacy of women in the hot spring. He respected women, unlike most men who only think of females as sexual beings!

Suddenly, a current passed through her spine as she thought of everything he has done so far, including on the bridge.

"This...!"

She didn't know why, but she has a feeling that young masters and geniuses from reputed organizations were going to have a very difficult time. She even felt many of them would cry themselves to death.

"Is this the legendary women's intuition?" Aileen asked to herself.

With a thud sound, the ape landed on solid landmass. Zed and others jumped from its shoulder and stepped on the ground.

He stretched a hand to take out the triangular device from the ape, but before he could, its body started turning transparent. In just a few seconds, the ape's body faded, and the triangular device collapsed on the ground.

"Royal Will of World has designed a sophisticated system," Zed thought as the ape disappeared.

Most likely, the ape was transported back to the bridge or perhaps sent for recovery. In either case, it didn't concern Zed any longer.

"Hmm?"

Zed turned around as he felt a pair of eyes on him. Those eyes belonged to Kieron whose expression was really ugly.

"I must control myself!" Kieron took a deep breath and calmed himself. He stepped forward, no longer paying attention to Zed.

"What a strange guy," Sophia said as he moved past them.

Zed didn't respond though he smiled a bit. Kieron has masked his killing intent but Zed was extremely sensitive to it, and as such, he felt it.

"Haah~ And yet Claudia says Kiba is a trouble magnet," Zed mused without any worry.

"Let's go to the next location," Sophia said to which others nodded.

As they stepped forward and arrived in a cave, the space in front of them twisted, and by the time they regained clarity, Sophia and Zed found themselves in a grand hall.

"Where is Aileen?!"

Sophia was startled and she hurriedly looked around. The hall has no exit or entrance, and as far as her eyes could see, there was no trace of Aileen.

There were other peoples including Kieron here. As she observed the others, she noticed something strange.

The hall was only filled with youths!

"Are we separated based on age?"

Not only her, but others were thinking the same, especially those who have arrived with guardians and protectors.

"Most likely," Zed replied.

"But nothing like this has happened before!" Sophia said based on the records she has studied.

"Oh?" Zed's eyebrows furrowed. He then nodded and felt it made sense given the commotion in the hall.

He lacked information about the trials but those from influential backgrounds didn't. For them to be this shocked and worried, it was obvious they didn't expect this development.

"Relax," Zed pointed to a slab for sitting. "And have some rest. Aileen would be fine."

"You are right," Sophia's cute face visibly relaxed.

She wasn't worried about her safety as she has confidence in her ability and the preparations made by her parents.

Both of them sat on the slab.

...

Every person knew others were competitors so there was very few discussion.

Slowly, as more and more people appeared in the hall, those familiar with each other start talking. There was competition but that didn't stop them from having a chat or sharing points.

"Just how many more people would come?"

"If they are coming this late...then doesn't it means they are useless?"

"Not really," A strong youth with psychic ability said. "Many people simply considered the first trial as a joy ride... there was no rule of coming first or anything. While there was a reward, it was never mentioned and it was only for one person per bridge... From the upcoming trials, this would be different."

"Right! Many talented geniuses would be trading those twelve bridges without any hurry!"

...

The geniuses were the centers of attention in the hall. This was especially true for fatty named Leonardo Benjamin, aloof Solomon Fuentes, talented Aishah Wells, claw-handed Nur Rahman, and so on.

But the only one getting attention of even these geniuses was a Chosen - Alistair Eleanor. He was surrounded by lackeys who were continuously flattering him.

Alistar silently sat, with his eyes shut, not caring about anything.

As more time went and more people arrived, a few people stepped towards the end of hall and noticed Sophia.

"Sophia!"

They exclaimed loudly as they confirmed it was her. Those from the State of Avalon were the most vocal and they quickly rushed towards her.

Sophia felt a slight headache. She didn't want to be rude due to her upbringing but she was naturally fierce and bossy, so she didn't like to be annoyed as well.

"Please don't disturb her," Zed said, his voice polite. "She is recovering."

Sophia was startled but she quickly nodded and made a face as if suppressing pain. She internally thanked him for rescuing her.

"As expected! Mom always said a true friend would have each other's back!" Sophia thought cheerfully.

"Who are you?" A youth named Willard asked.

He didn't like the way Zed was acting, especially with how close he was sitting with Sophia.

"Zed," Zed introduced himself respectfully. "If you wouldn't mind, please maintain silence, and allow her to have proper rest."

Willard's eyes flashed with anger.

This punk...! Couldn't he understand my tone of question?!

Willard thought with annoyance.

Other people nearby him, even those acquainted with Sophia, didn't stay any longer. They understood Sophia's hidden wish so all they could do was take a step back.

While many of them held grand dreams of dating her and becoming successful by becoming a son-in-law of Neville Family, they knew reality and their limitations.

There were many, even talented geniuses, who haven't stepped forward to greet Sophia. They internally sighed in relief knowing they didn't make a joke of themselves like others. Perhaps, they felt there was still a chance! One can always dream!

As time passed and more people arrived, Zed identified a few familiar faces. Among the males were the 'eternal lovers' Carmen and Launcelot, Onur, and a few more who had previously accompanied Sophia.

Zed was checking familiar faces and when he saw no sign of Ashlyn, he became lost in thoughts.

"Every human within the age limit of twenty-five years old is here... But Ashlyn is not here, and neither is that woman named Fiona."

He has experienced both their strength so he was more than sure about their capabilities.

"Could it be they have different plans?"

Zed recalled there were other ways to enter the central zone. But they weren't preferred as they didn't lead to the 'treasure vault' due to lack of these trials.

It wasn't like he was interested in treasures either, but his destination was nearby, and he decided to take the easy way.

Of course, those other ways must be leading to something valuable as well otherwise there was no reason for them to be used.

"I guess I can find out later..."

Zed sighed as he thought of Fiona.

Kiba has fought Fiona to protect Red Tiger, and at the end of conflict, they have made a deal. As far as he could tell, she has done her part, and now it was time for Kiba to hold his part of deal by helping her once.

"What does she want?" Zed was a bit curious about her.

"Then there is my slave Ruby..."

Zed thought of Kiba's first slave. She was a part of a human-trafficking group that fooled humans by using psychological schemes. Sadly, she met Kiba, and to save herself, she swore to become his devoted slave.

He was thinking of the time he spent with her when he heard surprised gasps from ahead.

"Zed!"

"He does look like Zed!"

"But is it really him?!"

"Didn't he say he has no interest in the core region?!"

"Sophia is next to him...so it must be Zed!"

Zed lifted his head as he heard multiple female voices. Before he could see the owners of the soft voices, he found his vision obstructed by body of a woman.

"You are really here!"

A sweet voice entered his ears as a woman hugged him tightly. Since he was sitting and she was standing, so when she wrapped her arms around him for a hug, his face was pressed against her glistening cleavage.

An irresistible sensation greeted his body. Even though she was smothering him with her tempting breasts, he wasn't the type of man who would refuse a woman when she wished to express her emotions.

The resplendent lilly perfume and enticing glistering skin, he instantly identified her as Jenina. As she opened her arms and ended the hug, and before he could take a breath, another set of breasts filled his face.

This time, from the other side, another woman also hugged him. He was not able to identify the attractive smell and gorgeous skin tone of these women.

These two women were none other than Rita and Divya. He might not remember them as he didn't speak with them, but they had a profound impression of him due to the hot spring event. Then there was the way he acted when Demonic White Phantom Snakes attacked!

Obviously, after seeing him again, they greeted him with a hug to express their deep emotions. Besides, knowing his holy character, every woman felt safe in his arms.

Some distance away, Willard, and dozens of young geniuses were dumbfounded. They looked with eyes wide and jaw slacked open as one tempting woman after another hugged Zed.

What the hell is going on?!

Neither Willard nor others could believe the scene in front of their eyes.

Many of them were single and at an age where hormones were raging inside them. It was males who have to do all the hard work in finding a girlfriend and the courting process... even a hug would take a lot of effort.

But now?!

One woman after another was taking a turn to hug him! They weren't even giving him a chance to breathe or speak as they stuffed their breasts on his face while wrapping their arms around him!

It was like he was a magnet attracting stunning beauties!

God!

Struck him with lightning!

Chapter 386 - Second Trial!

Please, gods! Be fair and struck that guy with lightning!

Willard, Carmen, Launcelot, and others prayed. Their eyes were filled with hatred and resentment as they observed the scene playing in front of them.

Zed being hugged by Rita and Divya.

If hateful looks could kill, Zed would have died hundreds of times by now.

Sophia - who was sitting next to Zed - was surprised as well. Her misty-blue eyes turned wide as she saw his face smashed between breasts.

"You are killing him!" Sophia pulled Zed away and broke the hug forcefully.

The nearby male geniuses were stunned.

Killing?!

If that is killing, then I want to be killed as well!

Jenina giggled softly by Sophia's actions. Rita and Divya were embarrassed and their faces flushed as they realized what they have done in their excitement.

Zed lowered his head, seemingly uncomfortable by their display of emotions.

"We didn't expect to meet you," Jenina said to break the ice. "You mentioned how you weren't coming here..."

"I apologize," Zed bowed down in apology, his voice filled with politeness and respect. "But I wasn't lying back then."

"No, please don't... I never meant you were lying!" Jenina was startled and she quickly stopped him. "We are happy that circumstances changed and you arrived here."

"Yes!" Divya agreed while internally thinking he was just like she imagined - a man with integrity and sincerity. His talent in other fields were just additional qualities. It was his character that made them act the way they did.

"Verna would be happy if she knew you were here," Jenina added with a smile. "Sadly, she is in another trial area."

This trial area was restricted to those under twenty-five years old. Verna was twenty-seven though no less talented or beautiful.

"....." Zed remained silent.

The nearby geniuses felt their hearts sink.

Verna?!

The man-hater would be happy to meet him?!

They couldn't believe this. Many of them knew about Verna and were aware of her hatred of men. Yet as per Jenina, she at least liked Zed enough to be happy.

They began scrutinizing him. All of them wanted to know just what he had which they lacked for him to be so popular among women, even among man-haters!

Sure, he was handsome... Ok, he was extremely handsome. But so what?!

In the era of evolution, power and background were the only things that mattered!

As they were thinking, an announcement came in the enormous hall.

{{The next trial begins now.}}

Everyone inside the hall turned serious, their eyes filled with a burning passion. Finally, the time has come for them to show their capabilities!

Those near Zed, they no longer paid any heed to him.

So what if he was the center of attraction now? It was just a matter of time before the spotlight came on them! They had the utmost confidence in their abilities!

The hall was almost half an sq. mile with engravings embedded on its ceiling. As the announcement finished, the engravings flashed and ripples appeared throughout the ceiling, projecting an unknown space.

At the same time, a portal made of white light appeared at the center of the hall. The nearby geniuses looked into the portal, and noticed the projection on the ceiling was showcasing the space inside portal.

{{The trial would test your greatest strength - Will.}}

The strange voice ringed in everyone's ears and information appeared in their minds. According to the information they gained, the trial would test Will by checking the strength of consciousness. Rewards would be on the time under which one completes the trial.

Mutants with psychic abilities grinned. They felt the test was tailor-made just to reward them. The expression of mutants with other abilities turned downcast.

"The records didn't mention this type of test!"

"Most likely the trials have changed!"

"Damn!"

"How are we going to compete with psychic mutants?"

"They train their consciousness to manipulate mental capabilities!"

"Everyone with telepathic, mind control, illusion, emotion manipulation or similar abilities are going to earn more rewards!"

The geniuses were pissed but sadly they couldn't do anything. If it was another time and place, they would have just killed psychic mutants to increase their chances, but now they couldn't. As per records of previous expedition, those who engage in fights or murder other contestants would be punished by the system of this world. At least, that was true for the starting trials. This was why they could only bitter accept the unfairness.

Zed, Sophia, and others stared at the portal without saying anything. Some distance away from them, a youth stepped up and walked towards the portal.

"I will go first!" The youth named Harlon said. He was a psychic with strong mental strength, trained under the guidance of powerful mind manipulators.

Harlon swept a glance at everyone, temporarily stopping on Zed.

So what if you got attention for a moment... now is it is my time to shine! I would be #1 in this round!!

Harlot thought with a smirk.

"He is eyeing the reward for going first!" A genius with the ability to control electricity said.

When the rewards were given, the trial would give special consideration to the first person. After all, this person would have a handicap, unlike others who would learn from his experience through the projection.

By the time others realized this point, Harlon has already jumped into the portal. Almost everyone lifted their heads and gazed at the projection of the space has been transferred into.

When Harlon appeared in the new space, it transformed into a life-like world of its own. It was a city setting, and he was in the middle of a meeting with his crush.

He has completely forgotten he was in the core region just a moment ago.

This was similar to how people find themselves in a dream. They feel the moment is real, while forgetting about previous events.

Besides this, the illusion offered a touch of reality. One could feel every emotion and sensation, including pain.

"I have liked you," The female in front of Harlon said. "Would you go on a date with me?"

Harlon's eyes brightened. He has always liked this woman but she never showed any interest in him. Now she was asking him out!

Things couldn't turn out better. He instantly nodded and said, "I would love to!"

"Great!" The female jumped into his arms for a hug. She kissed him and went away. Harlon looked forward to the date.

The setting changed, and he was now in the middle of date at a club. His crush was giving him all signs of something special after the date. He was having a hard time controlling his happiness, and if not for the surrounding, he would have pinner her to the floor, and vent his lust.

At the same time, inside the hall. As people observed the scene in projection, many of them began laughing.

"Haha! Look at that stupid grin of his!"

"I can't wait to see his expression when he learns it was just an illusion!"

"Poor guy! He is in a wet dream!"

"He wanted to be first! Hehe, and he even considers himself as strong psychic mutant!"

"Great mental strength my foot!"

People loved to take pleasures in the misfortune of others, and this was especially true when it was an opponent or enemy. Seeing Harlot making a joke of himself, they felt great.

Only a dozen or so geniuses kept silent without any expression. They didn't focus on Harlot's plight but rather in understanding the nature of illusion.

"Most likely the illusion brings out the desires..."

"Harlot is from a rich background and considers himself a genius... so while he thirsts for power like all of us, and want to evolve..."

"The trial would have judged that giving him his unrequited love is the best way to engulf him into this illusion."

"Indeed! That female is similarly from a high background...someone out of his reach in real life! No wonder he lost himself!"

Everyone here was a youth and at an age where they involve themselves in a matter of love. Hormones might be a reason but heart was the greatest reason why Harlot lost himself.

"We all misunderstood! The test was never about mental strength...the announcement only said, Will!"

"Right! Even if you are a psychic mutant, the trial could easily overpower your consciousness!"

"This is bad! When our time for test comes... we wouldn't remember anything this! We will be like Harlot... believing in the setting!"

"Fuck!"

The other youngsters - who were taking joy in Harlot's situation - stopped laughing and felt a heavy pressure. Their time for test wasn't far away, and they knew there was a great chance they too would become a joke.

Meanwhile, inside the trial zone.

Harlot was grinning from ear to ear as his 'girlfriend' brought him to her house. He threw away his shoes and jumped on her.

"Patience, tiger!" She said with a seductive smirk.

Harlot could be anything but patient. He has been looking for this from years, secretly hoping for her love and body. Now, that he was finally getting it, he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

Just as he opened his pants and began undressing her beautiful figure with his eyes, his heart thumped.

"Wait! Didn't I went to Desolate Blood Forest...?!"

As this thought appeared inside him, he felt as if he has got electrocuted by ten thousand volts. The lady under him began fading...

Harlot's expression was unsightly.

Damn! How could I lose to an illusion! I'm a psychic!

The illusion disappeared and space changed to absolute white. Harlot was at the center of this white space.

{{You have failed in the first part of this trial.}}

Harlot's expression was ugly but when he heard the announcement, his eyes brightened.

First part?

Does that mean there are other parts?!

There was still hope!

He was still thinking when he jolted and grabbed his head tightly. Veins protruded out of his forehead and neck, and he screamed.

The white space was showcasing every memory. It was like he was experiencing every moment of his life again in fast motion... Every minute took him through a year of his life, bringing both good and bad.

Thankfully he has good mental strength and lived a happy life, so the pain was still bearable. He only screamed when he has to relive the cruel training under his elders.

Outside.

People looked at the memories playing on the projection. Almost every moment of his life was played one after another; thankfully the secrets or private moments weren't shown to them.

"This trial is more difficult than I thought!"

"If the second trial is so tough... what about other trials?!"

Just the thought of this turned their bodies cold.

...

Ten minutes later.

Harlot was pushed out of the portal, and he appeared back into the hall. His face was pale but he gritted his teeth, and showed a brave front.

The onlookers looked at him with multiple expressions. Most of them were of amusement while a few of deep contemplation.

"Shiet! This is not the spotlight I wanted!"

Thinking of the things everyone has seen, he knew he was done for. What truly terrified him was the likelihood of his 'girlfriend' learning about this embarrassing episode.

He has no doubt that when she learned of this, he would have no chance of ever getting her favor. He was royally screwed!

Harlot wished he could dig a hole and hide...

Meanwhile, from the ceiling, a beam of light shot out. The beam of light crashed into the crystalline thread wrapped around Harlot's right wrist.

A few seconds later, everyone saw the light beam transforming into a small bead - the size of a pigeon's eye.

"What?!"

"Only one bead?!"

"Didn't he received additional merits for being the first to take this trial."

"Yes! He must have!"

"So after suffering everything... this is all he got?!"

"Doesn't it means many of us would get nothing even if we pass?!"

"Oh god! The difficulty is already high but the rewards are almost nonexistent!"

Besides the top geniuses and Chosen, almost everyone else was frightened. They lost their confidence and broke into cold sweat as they thought of their future.

...

Even though the hall was filled with depression, the trial continued. Keiron Dotson - the young assassin from Mystic Dark Hands - was the second contestant.

Ever since he arrived into the hall, he has been silent and didn't show any emotions. This continued even when he jumped into the portal while others were discussing.

Much to the surprise of onlookers, he passed the first part of the trial in just a little over ten minutes! The illusion was life-like and brought his desires while making him forgot about the trial.

That might be true, but his Will was not something that could be suppressed forever. Otherwise, how could he be an assassin?!

The illusory world was not at all different from the real one, and everything seemed to be true... going as per his wishes. Yet, he broke out in no time.

Inside the hall, as people saw him gaining clarity in the illusion before it was too late, they couldn't help but praise him.

The final part of the trial began.

People took a breath of cold air and their body hair stood up in horror as they saw the memories. The training faced by an assassin was filled with blood and terror at every moment. Then there were the assassinations where he came very close to death.

Yet, despite painful moments, he didn't scream. He snapped his teeth and grounded himself, not letting a single sound escape his mouth.

A few minutes later, as he appeared back in the hall, people looked at him with genuine respect and awe.

Even Chosen from Eleanor Family - Alistair - gave him a nod of appreciation. Fatty Leonardo and other exceptional geniuses also nodded in acknowledgment.

Swoosh~!

Multiple beams of light surged out of the ceiling. Under the envious eyes of everyone, three beads fused with the crystalline thread.

"Three!"

"This...! He is not even a psychic and yet three!!"

"Don't forget he got no special merits, unlike Harlot!"

"His Will is tenacious and the trial has rewarded him greatly!"

Harlot gulped down in disbelief and shock. He felt he didn't even deserve any comparison to Keiron.

The others were the same as they eyed Keiron with both dread and awe.

"This is the difference between us and a true genius!"

As people showered him with praises, Keiron glanced at the corner of the hall where Zed was sitting alongside Sophia and other women.

Much to his surprise, Zed has his eyes closed with no emotion on his face.

There was neither envy or awe.

"Heh~ Let's see just how long you can be like that!"

Keiron snorted coldly. He has already decided to kill Zed for cheating on the bridge and taking away his rightful reward.

"You could cheat on the bridge but not here!"

Keiron thought with disdain. In the second trial, no pills or medicine would help. Even if one has a chip embedded in the brain to improve psychic endurance, it wouldn't make a difference.

The entire consciousness was sucked out of the body and transferred into the illusion world. So there was not even a chance of using some secret treasure!

"Cheater like you have no place!" Kieron muttered to himself while looking at Zed.

Sophia sensed his gaze on Zed, and also felt Kieron's hatred.

"Does your family owes Zed a debt or something?" Sophia asked.

Kieron furrowed his brows and answered, "No."

"Then stop staring like a creep!" Sophia ordered in her sweet, bossy voice.

Chapter 387 - Impossible!!

One after another, youngsters continued to enter the portal to participate in the second trial. So far over a hundred stepped into the trial, and out of them, forty passed. The failed participants were teleported out.

Out of the forty passing youngsters, only five of them received any merit points in the form of beads. Kieron was awarded three beads while the other four had only one.

Almost a day has passed but no one was exhausted. The energy in the hall kept everyone fresh.

A few hours later, fatty Leonardo jumped into the portal. The others looked at the projection on the ceiling to observe his trial.

Much to their amazement, he passed the illusory world in a little over nine minutes. So far, it was a record!

It has to be remembered that the illusion was no different than reality with components of dream. One would forget everything else, including their trip to their core region, and lose themselves into the illusion...

The enticement the illusory world has to offer was far too difficult to resist. Naturally, to break out of just nine minutes was a shocking event. It proved just how powerful his Will was.

In the second part of the trial, Leonardo fared equally well. He has lived a great life - full of happiness and food - so there was truly nothing for him to be afraid of. When people outside saw his memories in fast forward movements, they gulped down. They realized this fatty truly ate too much... no wonder he was so fat.

When the test for him ended and he stepped out, eight beams shot out of the ceiling and bumped into his wrist, transforming into eight beads.

"Eight beads!"

People looked at him with red-eyes.

They wished they could thrash this fatty and steal the beads, but even though they wanted to, they didn't dare. It wasn't just due to the fear of punishment, but also due to the personal strength of fatty. His right mechanical arm and the gadgets he carried made them afraid.

Leonardo's followers instantly started praising him.

"As expected of our boss!"

"He is not a psychic and yet he easily got eight beads!"

"If the boss has prepared in advance, even ten beads wouldn't be difficult!"

Leonardo didn't say anything to the praises. He took out a box of chips and start munching on them while his followers continued to suck up.

...

Ten or so people latter, Solomon Fuentes leaped into the trial portal. If people were stunned by Leonardo's achievements, then they were dumbfounded by his achievements. He was rewarded ten beads!

Many of them felt their throats turning dry as they observed him. His right hand was fused with a sword and its sharp surface glinted brightly, like the sword of the death god.

"Damit! He is another monster!"

People broke out into discussions, filling the hall with voices.

Kieron gazed at Solomon and felt he has underestimated geniuses from other reputed organizations.

Suddenly, the hall was filled with pin-drop silence and everyone's eyes moved to a corner of the hall. Alistair Eleanor rose to his feet, and without saying anything, he stepped into the portal of light. He was a Chosen and his every movement caught the attention of others.

His followers - lackeys, to be precise- expectantly looked at the projection on the ceiling. They were confident of his strength and they looked forward to his performance.

And he didn't disappoint his status as a Chosen. He made a record by breaking out of the illusion in just five minutes!

"Amazing!"

"As expected of a Chosen!"

"The offsprings of aristocratic families are beyond our understanding!"

The gap between top geniuses and Chosen couldn't have been any obvious as Alistair entered into the second test.

As his memories surfaced, he stood proudly in the white space without making any movement. Much less gritting his teeth or making a grunting sound, his expression was fully relaxed. He stood like a warlord as memories resurfaced.

People were startled as they saw certain scenes of training from the memories. His training was what could be best described as hellish.

"Chosen might be God-blessed but they don't slack off!"

"Of course! The competition in aristocrat families is very tough... if you slack off, you might lose your title without even realizing it!"

Many female mutants beheld him with sparkling eyes. Almost every one of them has heard about him, and when they saw him in person, they felt their heart stir with excitement. He has become a hero with the ease with which he passed the second trial.

"He is fabulous!"

"Is he single?"

As many young beauties lost themselves in flights of fancy, Alistair appeared back in the hall. Multiple colors flashed above the ceiling which then converged into light beams and shot at him. Slowly, the crystalline thread around his wrist was filled with beads.

People nearby began counting and they sucked deeply in disbelief.

"20 beads!"

"What?!"

"So many!"

"No way!"

The youngsters in the hall were doubtful and they observed his wrist. Much to their shock, he indeed has twenty beads.

"Fuck! This is double of what Solomon gained!"

"No wonder the Chosen ones are called the best of best!"

Alistair ignored the shocked voices and words of flattery. He returned to his position and sat down in meditation.

"I'm bored!" Sophia jumped on the floor and stretched out her hands.

"All the best," Zed understood her intentions and he wished her well.

"Thanks!" Sophia said before rushing into the portal.

Her movements attracted almost every pair of eyes in the hall. No, she gained more attraction than even Alistair.

While the latter was a Chosen and from an aristocrat family, Sophia too belonged to an aristocrat family. Many of them knew the depth of her background and her true standing in the family.

She might not be a Chosen but her influence was no less than a Chosen!

That was just one of the reasons she attracted so many eyes. Another reason was her age. She was only eighteen - the youngest in the hall.

These two reasons were why females checked the projection screen. For males, it was another reason - her beauty.

She was the most stunning and breathtaking woman they had ever seen. She was a goddess!

...

People were only looking at her gorgeous face, and by the time they regained clarity, they were shocked.

She has passed the illusion world!

Not just passed, but also in a record time of 4 minutes and 50 seconds! It was a gap of 10 seconds with Alistair!

"You gotta be kidding!"

"How could she break out of illusion so quickly?!"

"And even surpass a Chosen!"

Zed smiled as he observed the scenes playing on the projection. She was young, bossy, and even a bit naive, but her determination and will were impressive.

Living a protected life doesn't have to make one weak. Sophia was the best example of this.

"I have a feeling her mother deserves the credit for this!"

Zed mused with a thoughtful expression. He wasn't a bit surprised at the ease with which she passed the second part - reliving the memories.

The trial only focused on difficult memories - events that could make a person feel pain, sadness or despair. Private moments were naturally of no importance.

Zed scratched the back of his head as he noticed one of the final memories playing in fast motion. It was of her attacking Kiba before the start of auction.

In the final memory, surrounded by an energy storm, she has punched Kiba but the latter stopped her fist with a finger.

While there was no sound, he could hear her voice as if he was living the moment. Words like shameless, scoundrel, villain and so ran through his mind.

~tap~

Sophia jumped out of the portal. Everyone was looking at her expectantly, wanting to know just how many beads she would get. Sophia, on the other hand, was thinking about her final memory.

"That shameless bastard is still unpunished!"

Sophia thought with a frown. Just then, multiple beams struck her wrist, and transformed into small beads.

"God!"

"Thirty beads!"

"Just ten seconds gap could make such a difference?!"

"She is the real monster here!"

Sophia didn't check her beads as she walked back to her sitting slab. When people noticed her frown, they were dumbfounded.

Why is she frowning?! And she even looks unhappy!

God! Isn't she satisfied with her performance!!

Truly, she couldn't be judged with common sense!

"You were impressive!" Zed said in praise as she sat beside him.

"Thank you!" Sophia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she replied with a smile. Her actions were extremely cute and the smile divine.

Her every moment was checked by nearby youths. When they saw her frown disappearing and her lips turning into a smile because of Zed's words, they internally cursed him. Their livers paled in envy and resentment.

Why is she smiling due to him?!

Not only her, but even the beauties around him are happy just by being in his presence!

Is there no concept of fairness and justice?!

"Stop being satisfied with the happiness of a woman!" Willard said with a mocking smile. "Or are you trying to flatter her so that she would share her rewards?!"

"That's most likely!"

The geniuses nearby instantly nodded their heads and started adding oil to the fire by making more derogatory remarks.

"Haha, relying on a woman!"

"Aren't you ashamed?!"

"Be a man and stop hiding behind a woman!"

"You are expecting too much from him," Kieron said, his voice cold. "He only participates when he has a chance of cheating!"

How could he forget Zed after having his rightful reward snatched?

In normal times, he wouldn't pass such a comment, but he couldn't hold himself back. Sophia's words and the anger of the bridge trial made him lose control.

Jenina, Rita, Divya, and others snapped their teeth in anger. They opened their mouth to retort, but just then, Zed stopped them.

"Please don't," Zed said with a polite smile. "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. We shouldn't curtail that."

Jenina was surprised but then she nodded.

"Indeed! He is kind and forgiving! That's why he forgave me... and even defended Carmen and Launcelot!"

Jenina thought with awe at his character. Sophia was also thinking of defending him, but when she heard his words, she stopped.

She felt sometimes he was far too kind for his own good!

The nearby mutants, on the other hand, smirked. They took his words and lack of reply as a sign of weakness.

Just as they began making more remarks, he stepped his feet on the floor and rose. He took one step after another at a relaxed pace and arrived before the portal of light.

He stopped for a moment and looked at the space the portal was leading to.

"What type of illusion I would face?"

Zed wondered with a smile. Given Kiba's dreams, he felt it would most likely involve women... a lot of women and cuckolds.

"Good luck!" Sophia's voice entered his ears.

Zed nodded and jumped into the portal...

"He would be fine, right?" Jenina asked.

"He should be!" Sophia replied while lifting her towards the ceiling.

The projection of the trial space has begun, and in just a blink of eye, Zed was transferred into the illusory world.

Sophia's eyebrows knitted as she eyed the setting of the illusory world. Verna and others were equally startled.

Zed was standing inside a large room.

Judging from the design, it appeared to be a room in a luxurious house.

This was not what startled Sophia and others.

The reason for their shock was a bed surrounded by a crystalline liquid screen. To be precise, they were stunned because of the person sleeping on the bed.

It was a young woman.

She was attractive, graceful, and elegant. Her eyes were shut tight and she was sleeping peacefully.

Surrounding the bed, there was medical equipment connected to the crystalline screen. Zed stood in front of the bed with a genetic glass container in his hand.

The container was sealed with magnetic lids radiating a warm glow.

Zed raised his hand and observed the container before locking his eyes on the woman.

"Felicity... I have brought the cure," Zed said with a smile. "Sadly, you are as real as this cure... So I have no choice but to leave."

The moment he said this, the illusory world started shaking and the container exploded into pieces. Cracks appeared on the room and stones began crashing down.

Outside, in the hall.

As everyone observed the scene playing on the projection, their bodies froze in utter shock.

"No way!" Willard's eyes popped out in horror.

"It hasn't even been ten seconds since he arrived in that illusory world!" A nearby genius thought with his mouth wide open.

No matter who it was, every single person in the hall was visibly astonished.

In the illusory world, Sophia has taken 4.5 minutes and Alistair just 5 minutes to break out. Those achievements were both absolutely shocking and hard to believe.

But now...

Zed didn't even need ten seconds!!

"Impossible!"

Kieron muttered with his eyes blurry and ears ringing. His face appeared to be of someone who has been slapped tightly...