"Yay!" The arena echoed with the cheering voices of the recruits who acted as the audience for the event. Those who were participating in the challenge were unable to see their audience but could only hear the chants they made. The challenge course was a built-in center stage that had fluorescent lights around it shielding whoever was inside it from the outside. The crowd continued to cheer as Kai's team proceeded with their challenge.
Erik made no effort to wait for his teammates as he stormed directly towards the rope swings that hung over the pit. "Ugh," Erik muttered. Upon his first attempt he was hit by a rope, the ropes weighed over 50kg, making it a heavy blow for Erik. As quick as lightning he bolted himself back again to the ropes grabbing onto them firmly before he could fall into the pit. Taking caution to his mistake he attempted to proceed forward, making it across safely.
After seeing Erik's battle through the first attempt Kai's uniform began to soak with sweat. He suddenly began to feel hot all over his body. "We've got this." Frode's reassuring voice came from behind Kai as he tapped his shoulder. Kai slowly faced his teammates as they looked at each other. Who was going to be next?
Ingrid suddenly jumped forward into the challenge, navigating through it as though the sounds of the ropes swinging created a pattern that allowed her to move with ease. With precise gracefulness, she arrived at the end without getting a single hit. The crowd began to cheer on her, she was able to use her powers very well even at black rank.
Now remaining three members of the team. Kai wondered why Annika had yet to make a move. She was already skilled at this kind of challenge so why was she holding back, Kai wondered.
"Let's go together," Annika said moving closer to the edge of the pit. "We should be able to make it to the other side if we work together." Frode nodded walking up to meet her.
'What choice do I have?' Kai thought as he walked over to where they both stood. "At the count of three, two, one," Annika said before jumping off onto the ropes as she gripped tight onto the lucky rope. Frode followed suit with Kai behind him. They had begun their challenge and there was no going back from here.
They slowly navigated through the ropes as they had each other's back calling out to each other whenever they saw danger lurking. Frode's last jump was anticipated as he was hit by an unseen rope. Falling into the pit, Annika quickly used a shard of ice she formed to act as a grip for him but it was too slippery as he slowly slipped into the pit. Once the team made it completely out of the first challenge, Frode was pulled up by a floating disc bringing him to his teammates.
"Now you've cost us valuable points we lack," Erik complained painfully as Frode arrived. "Stuck at 29, you still want to fail." Frode hung his head in disappointment after hearing what Erik had to say.
The next challenge slowly rose from the ground, rising to a towering 12-story its fingers coming out from different angles as they slowly moved in different directions some came out while some just went in the settings were unpredictable. "Begin." The Colonel's voice boomed through the speakers.
"We have to do this as a team." Ingrid's tiny voice rose from the background. "I agree with her." Frode joined in. The team was debating on the matter while Kai just stood, silent to whatever the team had to say. He had to overcome his fear of heights.
"Am going, with or without you all," Erik said as he hustled, leaving the team behind. Using a bolt of lightning to propel himself from the ground. He managed to land safely on the first story as he began to run towards the next finger that protruded from the second story.
"He is doing it again," Annika complained pointing at Erik. "He claims to be a leader, yet he abandoned his team once again..." Before Annika could finish her words a heavy thud was heard behind them, raising dust among the team. As the dust settled, Erik lay on the ground, his back glued to the rock he lay on. He has fallen from one of the fingers that broke landing him back at the beginning.
The team rushed over to Erik, but Erik paid no heed to their words. He simply brushed off the dust from his uniform. His pride played the best of him. He left the team behind for the second time. "Let's go," Annika said as she used an ice base to form a mountain that lifted the team from the ground to the first story.
"It's moving." Frode notified the team as they all began their run toward the next story. Erik was already at the fifth story using bolts of lightning as his projection across long distances.
"Here, grab my hand," Kai said extending a hand to Ingrid who was still on the now collapsing first story. Ingrid leaped over to Kai grabbing on his hand as she was pulled up to the next storey. "Thank you."
The second story was already collapsing from the front making the third story inaccessible. The team now had to proceed to the fourth story if they were to continue with the challenge. "Can you project us up there again?" Frode asked Annika. He had worry written all over his face.
"The ice mountain I used to lift us, drained up almost all my mana. It would take some time for me to regain it back, until then I guess we're on our own." Annika's words sounded like a funeral marching song, if she didn't recharge quickly they were doomed.
The debris came crashing on the ground with the team. As the dust settled the crowd woed at the team. The team began to dust themselves. "We go again, but this time faster."
Frode immediately ran to the edge of the first story placing himself as a lift. Kai quickly understood this method as he ran up and landed successfully on the first story after Frode's propulsion. Annika and Ingrid also followed the same pattern with Kai assisting them from the top. They all made it onto the first story successfully. Erik made it to the top already while his team still struggled.
"C'mon, you can do this." Frode beckoned on Kai who was glued to the wall. The team had managed to scale up to the 11 stories, but now Kai held them back. "Don't look down, just give him your hand." Annika encouraged. Kai's fear of heights had shadowed him. He mustered enough courage just in time to leap across to Frode's hanging hands. They were the only thing that supported him from falling.
"It's happening again." Ingrid's voice came from behind Frode who was pulling up Kai "The path is falling already." As if in unison the team looked up at Annika in hope she had recharged already.
"Quick, I can only go a few seconds." The ice mountain she made was thin but it still supported the weight of the team. Now it was up to the base to provide enough support till they made it up to the top. Almost at the top, Annika began to feel the ice crack underneath them.
Their landing was not a clean land but they all made it out successfully. "Are you alright," Kai asked as he got up to help Annika who was still lying on the ground. She was exhausted from using all her mana to form the ice mountain. "She'll be alright." Erik's harsh voice came at the back of Kai's ears.
"Final Challenge, 'The River of Fire' Are you ready." The Colonel's words were only a joke to toy with the minds of the team. The River of fire opened up before them. The fire glowed in Kai's eyes causing a new hunger for him. "Begin."