"He's not wrong maybe this is like a puzzle or something and we have to find our way around this fake library or perhaps get through it there's a bunch of different possibilities." John declared as he began to look with Lloyd, Westen was busy using a map to figure out their exact path, the girls just watched, until Jessica decided to help Westen and Diana decided to look around as well. What felt like hours the wolves had check the place multiple times and found nothing before sitting down, "So Jessica and I found our path we're about 10 miles from the starting line whatever this place is, it's not where we're supposed to be. Question remains is how exactly do we get out?"
"Good question Lloyd and I were trying to break free through physical strength but seems like the ground and walls repair themselves after one strike, maybe we can use your water ability to create weapons and break it that way."
"I don't think that'll work my water weapons don't act like actual weapons they work as if they're made of water so no matter what I made someone will have to thrust an excessive amount of force." Westen clearly explained as the others began to think, Lloyd got up and began to release his energy, unlike the others his power hadn't awakened so he could only release ki energy in hopes of awakening it.
Due to many years passing after the "Moon's Plan" Charka had been lost to the world, magic was rarely used as it was scarce but ki was a different story, it was there but wasn't at the same time, because of this a new power was discovered something the Wolves called Gates, most wolves only awaken Gate 0 as it's where their main ability is awaken and trained to it's peak. Gate 1 is their secondary ability which is a genetic one passed down or a rare ability that a few can gain, only a few wolves have awaken this Gate 2 is what Aaron called "True Potential." Most wolves have only seen an Altima open this Gate as well as Gate 3 also known as "Spiritual Potential." Lloyd's ki was raising higher and higher to the point it's pressure was breaking the floor beneath him, soon cracks started to appear in the sky above the group, each crack expanding and connecting with others. An arrow soon pierced Lloyd's shoulder and then another then another.
"Where are those coming from! How long can you hold on Altima?" John asked as he had ducked behind a tree nearby, Diana was shielding Jessica and Western only a few feet away as arrows still pierced Lloyd's body.
"20 feet to your left John there's a sniper with a marksman ability, doesn't look like they need a bow just some ammo and someone's making arrows out of something I can't tell from this distance!" Jessica shouted as John looked to his left sure enough there was a group of what seemed like 20 all gathered, the crackers Lloyd had created let him see that about 6 we're using their ability to hold whatever this place they were in up, another 3 were hitting Lloyd which explains why so many arrows were being fired, "Westen I need you to come over by me and help me with something," John Shouted as Westen nodded as he booked it across the way until he hid by John,
"Alright I need you to make some arrows if what you say is true we can use my ability to create the force needed to at least hit them enough so they stop hitting your twin." John explained as he pointed out the wolves needed to be taken down, "Ok hold on say this works, John with everything that's happened Lloyd's going to break this illusion but at the cost of extreme pain, everything that's hit him-" Westen said as he was cut off "I know Westen, I believe more than anyone here Lloyd is the one to bring forth something great and I'll be right alongside with him, I'm not afraid of what's to come only how we're getting there understand me now come –" John stated before a loud yell could be heard, Lloyd had done it breaking the illusion and falling on his knees before coughing up blood, "Y-you believe that.. much in me John I-I appreciate it.. but the Altima…is a symbol I can't… fit that r-role not yet.." Lloyd spoke as he was gasping for air, pulling each arrow out one by one. The handful of wolves had made their way to Lloyd's spot and stood over him, "Well look what we have here, a lone wolf by himself with some sort of healing ability that was 62 arrows we shot at you, name's Harald, pretty impressive, you know crazy thing is little buddy in this challenge we thought it'd be way easier if we just camped waited for someone to fall in our trap and we could take them out of the event as a whole but seems like we got to get our hands dirt-" Harald grunted as Lloyd socked him in the jaw before the other wolves stood ready to fight "You talk to much, I'm guessing Flare because you guys love to talk someone's ear off, now gentlemen and ladies, even if all of you fought me I'm walking out of here question is what about you guys?" Lloyd asked as Harald staggered to get up before he spoke "Who the hell do you think you are huh some all powerful wolf huh?! You're nothing more then some 2 bit wolf who's got nothing ahead in life whereas I can win this whole thing I take Jessica's spot and prove that only man deserve to be Alphas!"
"Well that's enough I needed to hear, buddy any idea who you ran into," Lloyd asked as he point at his visor "Name's Lloyd Moon, you know the Altima? I'm going to be fair the fact you thought I had a healing ability may have given some red flags real quick but hey fight me all you want I'm not the only one losing the challenge if that's the case." After finishing his sentence Harald and his group began to step back, Lloyd could hear their bones shake with fear even knowing that Harald was struggling to breathe, he smiled knowing that he could just walk away and as he did so the others just followed and to be fair no mere wolf could ever stand in the same place as the Altima without some fear.
The group continued but this time it was through running each minute felt like hours, hours felt like days and seconds felt like minutes as they reach another forest similar to the last, Jessica gasped for air, trying to keep up with the others before collapsing to catch her breathe.
"I-I…need…a…break."
"Hold on everyone Jessica needs a break." Westen claimed as he stopped and walked over to her, he then pulled out a cup filling it with water, he then hands it to her. She chugged it pretty quick as expected,
"So where do you think we are now we've gotta be close right?" Diana asked as John sat in a rock and Lloyd stood there shaking his head.
"We're nowhere close from what I can tell we are close to the halfway point that illusion really screwed us, and night is going to fall soon, if we don't hurry we're going to need our night vision for the next few hours, I'm guessing this is the first leg we need to get to the halfway point before then if not we might be eliminated."
"Lloyd, do you always have to be so serious lighten up your brother is doing his part, my clan's territory isn't that far I know these woods, I mean I was thrown into them as a kid if there really is a halfway point then it'll and hidden because we're wolves after all."
Lloyd just stared at his teammate before beginning to think, he wonder if there was a possibility of being faster than what they originally planned but every outcome was them arriving late. That was until it hit him the 3rd challenge was survival as far as he was aware, but what if it wasn't and the real challenge was never about what they found. "John how much do you know about the library? I may have just figured out something big."
"Everything, I mean I was brought to it everyday of my life I'm pretty sure the Crest is going to say the same thing." John pointed towards Diana before Lloyd began to smile.