**Crunch**
**Crunch**
Walking on the lively grass and the gentle wind, the group was looking around.
It didn't feel like a trial.
Unaware of the danger in this place, they looked around for any kind of clue related to the trial.
"Sigh…. still nothing."
Lelia tried cheering up Lucas by stating by his side.
"Hey, at least we can use this time to take a break. We all need that right about now."
The sun was now at the center of the sky, making it noon.
"We won't be able to take that break if we can find somewhere to sleep."
Emma had been keeping a close eye with everyone as the sole person that's able to fight at their current situation.
Lucas was busy using his space affinity to try and get back to the cave.
Both Emma and Lucas ended up switching what they wanted to do while they were here.
After what happened with the skeletons, Lucas had suffered quite the shock and wanted to get back to the military base.
Emma, on the other hand, when she saw the trial she wanted to try to beat it.
Her logic being that by beating the trial they might be able to get something of high value.
The possibility of getting stronger was there too.
"How?"
"Maybe a town? There's no way a trial wouldn't deal with this issue. Unless the trial is surviving outside in the wilderness."
Lelia was clueless on where to start, they all were.
Emma looked at the sky to find smoke as perhaps a sign of human activity.
But in the end she found none.
"Let's get up one of the mountains, we can get a better view there."
With Aiden awake, the group did just that.
The climb was steep and once and a while Lelia or Aiden tripped, caught by the other two.
The top of the mountain had winds that constantly hit against your body, going at incredible speeds.
Lelia had to use her affinity to them the wind weaker for them.
Now that they were looking from high up, they could clearly see most things.
Giant forests spread across the view, almost everything was green.
The bushes of different colored flowers and plants add pops of color and made the landscape more beautiful.
Vibrant. Colorful. Amazing. There were far too many words to describe the experience.
It was full of life.
But no animals were in sight.
The silence of the forest was unsettling.
Looking around the view, they saw a small humble town.
It was as if they had went back in time to the medieval ages.
The town was west of the mountain.
"There is a town. We should head there."
The rest of the group nodded and followed Emma to the town.
Once they got down they passed all sorts of trees and plants that were identical to their counterparts on earth.
The group didn't risk touching them, not knownjng what would happen if they did.
After all, towns like the one they saw were long gone on earth, replaced with technology and massive cities.
It certainly wasn't earth.
Once they got to the village, they were able to get a closer look at it.
There was many wooden buildings crudely, showing clear signs of being built quickly.
A person was outside tending to a field of wheat.
When the person saw them, they let go of the farming equipment they were holding and covered their mouth, surprised.
Emma looked back to the villager and stood there.
Looking at each other, an air of awkwardness grew.
Emma wasn't really good at talking to people, even worst then Roseline.
The villager than ran into the village and into a building that was larger then the others on average.
"I guessing their taking their chief out. Should we wait?"
Lucas just wanted to take a break while Lelia and Aiden decided to stay and wait.
With 3 over 1, they waited and watched for the villager to talk and bring out their chief.
A tall and muscular man walked out of the chief's building and went towards them, looking at them like they were a threat.
Getting to them, the chief spoke in a language they didn't know and yet understood it.
"Who are you? Why are adventurers here?"
Lelia and Emma exchanged confused glances over the language, Aiden was as still as a goat, and Lucas continued the conversation.
"Adventurers… yes we are adventurers and we've gotten lost and aren't sure where we are. Do you mind if we can stay here?"
When the chief heard that, he thought for a moment.
"As long as you do something for us, then ok."
"What can we do for you?"
"Hmmm.. you- uh what's your name?"
"Lucas."
"Lucas, can you deal with some monsters that have appeared near our live-stock?"
'This feels like a RPG game. Huh.'
Lucas turned back to the rest of the group before getting back to the chief.
"Sure, we can help."
"Great!"
The chief lead them into the village and had them enter the chief's building.
"Ah right what is your name chief?"
"You can call me bob."
"Alright, thanks chief Bob."
"Now let's talk about the issue, sir Lucas."
*****
….
….
….
Nothing.
Like sinking down to the bottom of the ocean.
Like sleeping, to never wake up.
In the nothingness of the mind, a bowl of blood appeared.
Inside of bowl, the white badge was inside it.
The badge glowed a bright white light.
The white light took in the blood, almost like drinking it, staining the white badge in a red hue.
The white light dimmed and collapsed into the now red badge.
Silent continued in the nothing of the space.
As if made of flesh, the red badge moved and stretched from the inside.
Tiny hands, legs, and heads were shown like through a womb or a piece of silk, their figures trying to poke and tear out the badge.
The faces of the head where blank.
One of the hands had pressed against the red skin-like badge and riped through, creating a chain reaction of the badge exploding with it.
The red turned into muscles, blood, and organs.
The creatures of muscle, blood, and organs that had yet to form start to fight each other.
Devour each other.
Until one was left.
Skin grew on the survivor.
Hair, nails, eyes, teeth. All of it had formed from the carnage of others.
The vitality of others.
Blonde hair flowed down like a golden waterfall, eyes red similar to the harm it brought to others.
As the formation of the being was done, a black hood coming down to cover whatever of the appearance was left to see.
Then white came.