Prajwal was struggling as he was climbing the mountain. It was better of called rocky formation. He had calluses on his palm right below his fingers. He had been climbing this rocks for 2 hours and he had yet to reach halfway through his journey. On the way all he saw was rocks, some flat, some pointed, some slippery. As he was getting higher the paths were growing dangerous. When he was climbing at lower elevation of the mountain, he could take other route if he felt that the route he was travelling in is dangerous. But now he couldn't. As he got higher, the less the route was available. And he couldn't just casually change the route. He was at the end of his wits. This trial was all about endurance, the more you endure the more point you get. If you just reach the top, you are sure to get atleast 10 points of endurance stat.
"What if i don't reach the top? I won't get a single point. For evaluation to happen, I have to first complete the trial. Else there is only 0 points waiting for me." Prajwal was tired after 2 hours of continuous climb. He saw a horizontally flat surface 4 meters above him. He brust out of energy and quickly reached there and threw his body like a log. "This is the first spot I encountered where I could rest. Endurance trial, does this trial makes us endure according to your level or everyone has to climb same mountain but the least strong one to complete it will get the most points. Or does other who are powerful have to climb more. I can't think anything straight. I should only think about completing the trial, I am about halfway to the top and 2 hours have passed. It looks as if i can complete the trial in 4 hours but I know it's just delusion. The higher I climb the more difficulty increases inturn more time will be required for me to complete the journey." Prajwal rested on the same spot for about 10 minutes and returned on his way. Time soon passed, only 30 minutes remained for the trial to end. Prajwal had climbed about 2700 meters within the time elapsed. Now for him to successfully complete the trial, he just had to climb few hundred meters in 30 minutes. It was possible. He was sure to complete the trial if not for his condition. As he had climbed, he didn't find a single resting spot after the first one. He had climbed rigorously without the care of anything. His hands were bleeding as all the calluses had brust out. His stamina was low. He only had 3 points in his stamina remaining. If there was anyone present there, they would think of him as a ghost.
Prajwal's body didn't have any significant change but his face looked out of the world. Before all this evolution and all, he had an average looks with round black eyes, pointed nose, light brown skin and jet black hair. He wasn't what you would consider handsome but couldn't be called ugly as well. You could say that he was average looking with the lack of presence, who pretty much was ignored by everyone. Anyways, his face didn't look same as before. His eyes had shrunen and had large dark circle under the eyes. His lips which had a pinkish tone had long gone. He looked like a dried wood with cracks all over. He had crack on his lips, also his cheeks. His eyes looked dead but there was tinge of determination in it. He had completely stopped thinking and was just focused on climbing. He looked like a old broken machine which still worked even after losing it's components.
As he was nearing the end, he found another stop where he could rest. But he got the gut feeling that if he stopped here, he wouldn't make it. So, he just ignored it and continued his climb. And finally with 10 minutes remaining to the end, he reached the top and instantly fell unconcious. After the announcement, the mountain disintegrated and turned into the same old small white room. Something strange was happening in the room. Prajwal was surrounded by dark greenish yellow light. There was nobody to notice it except someone who was observing everyone. Prajwal woke up after 3 minutes, may be due to that greenish yellow light. The first thought that came to him after conciousness returned was whether he passed or failed. He opened the panel and looked for the notification from the previous trial.
*You have successfully completed the trial. Insepcting the endurance faced during the trial. Commemorating your success for enduring highest limit among all the participants in the trial. Your are awarded 15 points of endurance and 5 free atribute points.*
"Should I be happy that I got additional award or should I be sad in knowing that among the participants who passed the endurance trial, I had weakest endurance. Being happy is better, I survived right. Many people might have died on that trial." Prajwal shighed. "Looks like I have to stay lowkey on the starting phase of changes. There sure are all kinds of monster being made within the trial. There should be hundred thousands of people stronger than me in terms of attribute point not considering fighting abilities. Some may even be near the university." He was thinking of his plans after the trial not considering the suffering he still had to overcome to get out of this closed white room. Next trial was nearing as well. "Now stamina trial. What is going to be in trial? I can't even guess."
*Would you like to begin the trial. Time remainig: 00:01:32 *
*If you don't participate, you will be considered failed.*
"What happens if i don't participate?" Prajwal asked not expecting any answer but soon he got his answer from room broadcast. 'If you reject participation in two trials, you will be consider as dead. Meaning your brain will be blown up.' "What a scary way to die. I was better of not getting the answer. Now I'm sure why only 5% survive. Many brave people who participate face reality in the first trial as it it common for many to select strength trial and timid people are sure to select agility. Both of them have monster. Going by the order of the trial you are sure to get monsters in the start of trial. If not for all but still for vast majority. You may die in trial, you may survive as well but get a trauma from the trial, if that happens you will stop participating thinking that all the trials are same with monsters. And after rejecting two trials, you go boom. This trial sure is nasty. Making us select at least three trial, keeping monster in early trial causing mental breakdown as monsters are three times as strong as the participating and finally giving the chance to reject the trial but not explaining the consequences of rejecting it." Prajwal was lost in deep thought. "I should never trust what is shown in the system. It would be better to make habit of asking questions before making decesions."
Prajwal clicked *Yes* . The room disintegrated into a large stadium with the a race track in it's inner perimeter. There was no audience seat in the stadium. 'Run continously for amount of time you can. According to your current stamina, you will be judged.' "Here comes another riddle based trial. If I run more there is no additional prize but if I run less then I would fail the trial." Prajwal was baffled by the trial. "Who are the one who made this trial? They sure like play with lives."
*Trial begins in 00:00:10*
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*Trial begins in 00:00:01*