The timer came to an end, and the gate to Dimensional Market closed. There was enough time for everyone to return, so 900 people were back in the main square of the academy.
However, something was wrong.
"Hm? Where's the blood? What's going on here...?" Magnus muttered, looking around puzzled.
The center of the square had been drenched in blood before because of what Ethan had done to Zariel, but now the ground was completely clean. Damage such as shattered windows and broken doors remained, but all the corpses had disappeared without a trace.
'I see... Dimensional Market isn't just an element of the Trials or a necessary rest... It's also an opportunity to change some things while we can't see it.' Ethan nodded carefully, watching what was happening.
Whooooooooooosh.
A transparent table appeared in the center of the square, and new lines quickly continued to appear on it.
[The first day was completed as well as Zero Epos consisting of Four Trials!]
[Area A-07 Results:
Total participants: 3,789
Participants Killed: 2,880
Zero Trial: Centipede killed 127 participants.
First Trial: 65% of participants chose to kill someone, 34.9% chose to save someone, 0.1% did something else.
Second Trial: A total of 156 complete sets of coins were collected
Third Trial: Nightmare Eater gave out the highest score!
Fourth Trial: A little over a million points were obtained! The highest score was 12,227 points!
Special Events: 1) Warden Angel, Zariel was killed! 2) Zariel died during the battle that gained Historical Scale!
Given this data and particularly the Special Events, in one of the Trials of the First Epos, your Area will have an advantage that will help each of the participants!
Male to Female Ratio: 59/41!
With more men left, the next Trial will follow Scenario B!
Best Contestant: Ethan Mercer!]
The table floated in the air for a while, allowing everyone to read each line carefully.
'Zero Trial... Centipede... So it wasn't luck...' Ethan internally muttered as a chill ran down his spine. He remembered the moment he had jumped away from the Centipede's jaws, though he clearly didn't have time to do it physically.
"Wait... Doesn't that mean Lea had a chance to survive...?" Ethan whispered in a low tone, with a face dark as an abyss.
Then, the table shone brightly, causing everyone to close their eyes for a moment.
Immediately afterward, each person heard a familiar mechanical voice in their head.
[The next Epos will begin at dawn. You are free to do whatever you wish.]
For the first time, the participants had freedom, but it was only partially true.
'Well... We're still in the cage. Nothing has changed.' Ethan looked up at the dome, which despite the absence of Angel still continued to cover the entire academy grounds. No one and nothing could get beyond its limits.
It was about seven hours before dawn, so when people had recovered from the shock they went to find a place to rest.
"Ethan!" Alisa exclaimed, running up to him, "Can I come with you?"
Ethan turned around with a slight frown, 'Honestly, it's starting to get annoying... She's just stuck to me like a leech, but I've made her feel that way myself... Given what's going on so far I should just accept it.'
"Fine, just be quiet, I want to rest and get a proper night's sleep." Ethan waved his hand.
He was treating her rather coldly, but it was as if Alisa didn't notice it as her eyes shone brightly.
"Sure! You can count on me!" Alisa exclaimed happily.
Ethan looked at his ring, the ruby reflecting the vibrant light of the moon.
Ethan got a thoughtful expression, 'I don't know if Alisa will have a special position in the next Trial because of her past history, but if I'm wrong I can use the ring on someone else.
The total number of women is less than the number of men, and so just because of that fact alone, they become more valuable, so... because of that we now have Scenario B, so the original was Scenario A, which would have been presumably male-dominated. So now the key characters are going to be women...'
The table wasn't just a report or a recollection of what the participants had gone through, it was also an important source of information.
'Agh... Most of us are murderers, literally 2/3 of us and we'll get some kind of bonus... Moreover, it seems that from now on Trials will start to differ from one Area to another, at least in terms of scenarios.' Ethan thought, heading down the long corridor.
Alisa followed silently behind him, looking around.
At the end of the corridor was a massive wooden door, simple but made of very high-quality materials. A few shadows appeared in front of the door as one student tried to go inside, but another immediately prevented him.
"Hey! I came here first! Find another place!" A young man in a blood-soaked shirt exclaimed, trying to defend his position.
Across from him was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had pigtails, however, one of them was missing for some reason as if someone had cut it off.
"Don't get in my way!" The girl said coldly as she pulled a dagger with a green blade from her belt, "I saw how many points you got. It was barely enough to buy even food. Don't make me reduce the number of participants before the next Trial starts."
The young man frowned, the girl in front of him was fragile, but her gaze was as sharp as a dagger, moreover she was right. He didn't want to risk it, neither did he want to leave.
"Maybe we can..." The young man uttered.
"Out of my way." Ethan said confidently, stepping out of the shadows.
"What...?" The young man was puzzled, and the girl shuddered in fear. She had already had to face him today, and it had ended with her losing a coin.
"Find yourself another place. This room is mine now." Ethan waved his hand.
"But...! It's not fair!" The young man exclaimed pitifully.
"Oh, really? Didn't you see the report?" Ethan raised his head, casting an arrogant glance at him, "Thanks to me killing that Angel, our Area will have an advantage in the future. That already puts me in a special position, far above you."
The young man had nothing to reply, so he just bit his lip, clenching his fists tightly.
"Ethan! I'm not backing down this time!" The girl shouted, pointing the dagger at him.
Ethan glanced at her and stepped up to her just enough so that the tip of the dagger touched his chest.
"Freda... right? You've already lost to me once, do you want to lose to me again? Do you truly think a dagger in the hands of a girl shaking with fear is more dangerous than a Mimic with a creepy jaw or an Angel who can survive a burning flame and a grenade blast?" Ethan uttered coldly.
"I am..." Freda gulped, then she gathered her wits, "If you don't leave I will!"
Ethan stared at her intently, then sighed, "Get out. This is your last warning."